Chicago Cougars (FABL) - Page 82

ayaghmour2 · 03-16-2025, 01:40 PM

11th Round, 211th Overall: CF Phil Weeks
School: CC Los Angeles Coyotes
1963: .270/.324/.428, 340 PA, 9 2B, 2 3B, 12 HR, 58 RBI, 39 SB
Career: .277/.327/.413, 979 PA, 27 2B, 6 3B, 28 HR, 160 RBI, 112 SB

We get two extra live picks this year! Which means two more useful prospects!

Or at least that's the hope!

21 in September, I'm a fan of the three-year outfielder, as Phil Weeks is a useful defender with elite speed and a nice bat. Breaking out with 12 homers as a junior, Weeks had a pretty consistent college career, hitting .277 with 28 homers, 160 RBIs, and 112 steals. A rangy defender, despite being a 4/4/3 Dixie only has him as a 2 in center, but I care more about that range rating then the positional one. Plus, with a 4/4/3 OSA has him as a 3, so he's at least close to average in center. A 4th outfield or platoon type, OSA thinks he could be a useful supplemental piece, and I think his above average contact tool could allow him to fill a lineup spot. When he puts the ball in play, good things happen, and he has a good feel for the zone. With a quick bat, he can catch up to most fastballs, so once he masters breaking pitches, he has a chance to be a useful roster piece who can get some hits and take a few away.

12th Round, 231st Overall: RHP Tom McDaniel
School: Rabouin Falcons
1963: 2-0, 9 SV, 30.2 IP, 0.59 ERA, 0.72 WHIP, 6 BB, 52 K
Career: 2-0, 9 SV, 30.2 IP, 0.59 ERA, 0.72 WHIP, 6 BB, 52 K

A fascinating pitcher, Tom McDaniel is a bit of an unusual pick, as he's one of the rare reliever prospects that have started to show up. A guy Dixie has wanted for a while, I decided to make the "Fearless" stopper what proved to be the last live pick. A one year prep arm, the 17-year-old started just 2 of his 13 appearances, picking up 9 saves with a 0.59 ERA, 0.72 WHIP, and 52-to-6 strikeout-to-walk ratio. A sinker/slider pitcher, he's a one inning guy, but the stuff is good and he's tough to elevate. A groundballer, his sinker sits in the 88-90 range, and both it and his slider are both quality offerings. With the tools to contribute in a FABL pen, the 6'2'' righty has room to fill out, and he seemed worth the lottery ticket this late. If he had better stamina, I'd have grabbed him as early as the 6th or 7th, but there's a reason he's listed as a stopper, and he's got the makeup to succeed in high leverage opportunities.

ayaghmour2 · 03-17-2025, 09:55 PM

We got back to simming today, and while I do plan on getting a weekly writeup after this one, I wanted to at least knock out some of the new draft prospects. There's at least one solid one in the AI rounds, but what's more important is where my guys ended up. Bill Grimm is now our top prospect, ranked 22nd after Dode graduated at 2, though our top two picks check in at two and three.

That would be Hub Russell (31st) and Johnny Kern (34th), who while not top-25 prospects are still in the top-50. We didn't hit with any other high picks, but there are plenty to fill out the top 500. 5th Rounder Ralph Tuomi (9th, 182nd) and 4th Rounder Clem Barney (10th, 198th) crack the top-200, with eight more in the top 500. The big surprise is 12th Rounder Tom McDaniel (11th, 212th), who is joined by 3rd Rounder Art Strait (12th, 217th), 7th Rounder Bob Adams (13th, 228th), 10th Rounder Johnny Maples (16th, 263rd), 6th Rounder George Jones (17th, 265th), 11th Rounder Phil Weeks (20th, 337th), 15th Rounder Tony Nino (19th, 318th), and 9th Rounder Horace Stewart (21st, 402nd). That's a pretty solid haul, with just 8th Rounder Alex Perry outside our top-250, and he's the guy who's a current starter with insane stuff. Pretty great draft so far!

13th Round, 252st Overall: 3B Charlie Arnold
School: Bluegrass State Mustangs
1963: .256/.289/.398, 266 PA, 10 2B, 3B, 8 HR, 49 RBI, 6 SB
Career: .263/.297/.388, 607 PA, 20 2B, 2 3B, 16 HR, 113 RBI, 12 SB

The last guy on my list, we got Charlie Arnold in the 13th Round, a two year starter for Bluegrass State. 23 in September, he hit .263 with 16 homers and 113 RBIs, and while he may not start, I could move him up to San Jose to start his prep career. A versatile hard worker, he's played some catcher, first, third, left, center, and right, and I really like the arm at third. That, first, or left is his best position, and since he does find the gaps he could start at any of them. While not a star by any means, he could at least be a useful bench role, and at this part of the draft that has a lot of value. We have one more sim until La Crosse starts things up, so there's plenty of time to see where he best fits.

14th Round, 271st Overall: RHP Dick Porter
School: Taft Blue Devils
1963: 8-1, 99.1 IP, 1.72 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 21 BB, 116 K
Career: 8-1, 99.1 IP, 1.72 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 21 BB, 116 K

The AI wanted a pitcher next, going with high school right Dick Porter. A one year starter, Porter was 8-1 in 13 starts, coming just two outs shy of 100 innings. The senior had a strong 1.72 ERA and 1.92 FIP, and doesn't turn 18 until January. A three pitch pitcher, he doesn't throw very hard, so it's going to be tough for him to earn a starting spot. His cutter and fastball are okay, but neither can overpower, so his success is tied to his change up. It could be a wipeout pitch, but without much else going for him, I don't see future starter here.

15th Round, 291st Overall: 3B Tony Nino
School: Xavier Prep Yellow Jackets
1963: .441/.506/.657, 166 PA, 15 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 38 RBI, 13 SB
Career: .441/.506/.657, 166 PA, 15 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 38 RBI, 13 SB

A guy Dixie wanted to get a hold of, perhaps I should have saved Arnold for a later round, as Tony Nino ranks 19th in our system and 318th overall. Another one year starter, Nino is actually an Illinois native, he was born about 80 miles west of Chicago in Rochelle, though his high school ball came in Louisiana. A speedy infielder, he spent some time at short too, and I'm sure if needed second would be solid as well. While not great defensively, he doesn't do anything wrong, and is one of the hardest workers there is. That could improve the bat, as while he hits for average power and swings a quick bat, he doesn't project as more then a bench player. He swings too often, so unless he improves his approach he'll have a limited offensive ceiling. Lucky for him, there's plenty of lineup spots available, and he'll get into games for the Lions once the season starts.

16th Round, 311th Overall: RHP Don Smith
School: Penobscot State Pirates
1963: 4-7, 108.1 IP, 6.06 ERA, 1.95 WHIP, 95 BB, 99 K
Career: 8-15, 223.1 IP, 6.21, 1.97 WHIP, 197 BB, 198 K

Another right handed pitcher, this time it came from college, as we picked up Don Smith from Penobscot State. The results weren't great, but you can say that about almost any of the guys available here. What I don't like is the stuff, as he's just got four middling pitches. His slider might be alright, but even in the 93-95 range his fastball and cutter don't overwhelm. Likely to fill a pen role, it hasn't quite hit him that he's not FABL material, and I'm hoping some early struggles can knock some sense in to him.

ayaghmour2 · 03-18-2025, 02:06 PM

Weekly Record: 5-1
Seasonal Record: 42-31 (3rd, 5.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
Jack Gibson : 20 AB, 7 H, 4 HR, 9 RBI, .350 AVG, 1.348 OPS
Tom Halliday : 19 AB, 9 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .474 AVG, 1.132 OPS
Jerry McMillan : 26 AB, 9 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .346 AVG, 1.008 OPS

Schedule
6-18: Win vs Foresters (4-5)
6-19: Win vs Foresters (6-7)
6-20: Loss vs Foresters (3-2)
6-21: Win vs Imperials (1-8)
6-22: Win vs Imperials (3-4)
6-23: Win vs Imperials (3-10)

Recap
It is good to be back!

Another 5-win week for the Cougars, and this time we actually made up ground! A full game and a half on the first place Kings, who now lead us by just 5.5. LA is two above us, and without getting too far ahead of ourselves, they're our next opponent. Instead, let's reflect on the impressive homestand, as we took two of three from the Foresters before sweeping the Imperials out of Chicago. I cannot believe I'm writing this, but one-run games were actually the highlight of the week, as we won two of the three with the Foresters, before winning our fourth of the week on Saturday. After the abysmal start, we've won 6 of our last 7 one-run games, a more respectable 12-15 on the season.

A healthy Jack Gibson is apart of it, as he homered in two of the one-run victories and each of his last four games. Now with 19 in just 188 PAs, he's still fourth in the CA and five off the lead. Gibson drove in 9, 7-for-20 with 6 runs, a double, a walk, and 9 RBIs. With a .306/.335/.688 (168 OPS+) season line, he's making a push for All-Star consideration, though I can't see him starting over the batting title leader Heinie Spitler (.381, 5, 42, 9). Henry Watson will be there for sure, as after a 6-for-23 week he's been worth exacting 4 WAR in 71 games. Adding a triple, two homers, seven RBIs, and a steal, he's hitting an outstanding .337/.380/.588 (157 OPS+) with 13 doubles, 6 triples, 15 homers, 19 walks, 5 steals, 43 runs, and 55 RBIs. What will be a second nod, Watson turned 25 last month, and currently ranks as the #1 right fielder and FABL's 19th best player overall. 1963 has been a huge breakout year for our young outfielder, solidifying himself in the lineup despite the emergence of the now graduated 2nd ranked prospect.

Tom Halliday got to hitting this week, 9-for-19 with a walk, 2 runs, and 3 RBIs. More importantly, he hit his third home run, already topping his total in 151 games last year. The slick fielding defender has also passed +10 for zone rating (10.4), and his .315/.393/.493 (138 OPS+) June line is turning some heads. It's improved his season line to a solid .262/.335/.373 (91 OPS+), and the 24-year-old is trying to prove he's more then just good for defense. We got a ton of home runs from everyone, with Jerry McMillan (9-26, 2 2B, 3B, 5 RBI, 4 R, 2 BB), Dode Caudill (9-26, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI, 4 R, BB, 2 SB), Gene Case (7-25, 3 3B, 2 RBI, 6 R, BB), and George McKee (3-14, 5 RBI, R, 2 BB) all added a home run. I want to single out Caudill's, as it was his 10th on the season. He's got 28 extra base hits, 25 walks, 32 RBIs, and 43 runs, giving us a glimpse of the star he could become.

Add another quality start for Hank Walker, as the now 31-year-old righty has allowed two or fewer runs in four of his last five starts. He's won each of those five, improving to 6-2 with 7 flashy innings. Walker allowed just 5 hits, a run, and 2 walks, striking out 6 in an 8-1 win over the Imperials. This run lowered his ERA to 3.83 (108 ERA+) in 80 innings, striking out 47 with 35 walks and a 1.36 WHIP. Overshadowed by Ken Stone (8-2, 2.46, 55) and Don Griffin (5-3, 3.30, 42), Walker has quietly been one of our most productive starters, and he's continued to show why he deserves to pitch every fifth game. Stone (W, 7 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K) and Griffin (W, 11 IP, 12 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 5 K) both pitched well this week, and we won the three games they started, but with Roy Ellis allowed 5 runs in three of his last 5 starts, and Dick Champ's continued inconsistency, a reliable Walker has allowed us to keep winning games.

Of course, a reliable Pug White helps too, as the anchor of our pen continues to lock down games. It was another win and save for Pug, going 6 innings with 7 hits, 2 runs, 3 walks, and 5 strikeouts. The only other reliever to allow a run was Bob Allen, and his came in 4 innings with 2 hits and 5 strikeouts. Earle Turner tossed 4.1 scoreless innings, allowing 2 hits and a walk with 4 strikeouts, while Arch Wilson picked up his first win, a two inning outing with a hit and two strikeouts. Doc Cook's 1963 debut was similar, 2 innings with a hit and two strikeouts, but in an 8-1 win he had little stress starting his third FABL season. Even if his time is short, Cook will be a useful stopgap to get us outs when needed.

With the draftees all joining the system, there was a lot of trimming needed, but luckily Class C doesn't start until July 5th. This gives me time to wait for the inevitable injuries, but one move that couldn't wait was regarding John Morrison. After clearing waivers, he wouldn't go to AAA, so the recently turned 34-year-old will have to look for employment elsewhere. 1962 was good for him, hitting .342/.419/.658 (180 OPS+), but he was just 2-for-12 to start the season. With little time for at bats he couldn't get into the same groove, and I doubt he'll be able to find a FABL job elsewhere.

Looking Ahead
We get a pair of off days to keep us rested, with a two game series in LA in between. At 45-30, they're the only team between us and the Kings, and it sucks we have to beat up on each other here. Luckily it's a short series, and their ace Floyd Warner (8-3, 3.64, 63) would have been rested regardless of the off day. Then in the finale we seemed to have lucked out, as their most rested candidate is 28-year-old Earl Wright (2-3, 4.71, 27), who's a very exploitable weakness. You can't say the same thing about the Conti's top scoring offense, so a weak pitching matchup will make up for dealing with Ralph Barrell (.319, 17, 49, 6), Lou Allen (.291, 20, 56), Bobby Garrison (.313, 9, 39, 9), and Bob Griffin (.328, 4, 41, 3). Roy Ellis (6-4, 3.97, 59) and Hank Walker (6-2, 3.83, 47) will have their work cut out for them, and I'm worried we may struggle to survive.

Our next stop should be easier, as even on the road a 29-45 Saints team should be easy for us to handle. We tend to struggle against them when they're not very good, so even though they're 8th in runs scored and allowed they won't play like it against us. Runs aside, Henry Woods (.352, 13, 41, 6) makes them better, as the Kellogg frontrunner has hit .352/.423/.601 (171 OPS+) with 26 extra base hits, 33 runs, 41 RBIs, and 25 walks. Firing on all cylinders, the 20-year-old graduated as the #3 prospect, just behind our exciting left fielder. Woods may be more valuable coming from the catching position, but he would love someone like Dode hitting with him. Old pal Ham Flanders (.264, 6, 32, 12) is fighting what you could classify as a sophomore slump, while infielder Andy Gilman (.215, 12, 41) is enduring the worst season of his career. Pitching isn't much better, as 24-year-old Bob Nelson (4-8, 4.70, 74) hasn't take the step needed this season, and the days of Jim Montgomery (4-8, 5.14, 54) befuddling FABL hitters seems to be firmly in the past. These are must win games for us here, as we'll get one more chance at these two teams next week before the All-Star game.

ayaghmour2 · 03-18-2025, 05:57 PM

17th Round, 331st Overall: LF Tex Hathaway
School: Swoyersville Bluejays
1963: .450/.494/.588, 180 PA, 11 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 40 RBI
Career: .441/.503/.590, 785 PA, 55 2B, 4 3B, 13 HR, 181 RBI

A four year starter at Swoyersville, Tex Hathaway had a bit of an up-and-down career, doing better in the odd years then the even ones. His best season came as a sophomore, where he hit a nice .462/.527/.618 with 15 doubles, 4 homers, and 50 RBIs. Picking up bests in most of his stats, the towering 6'7'' outfielder looked on the verge of breakout but he hasn't been able to reach the lofty potential his height could have suggested. An extremely undeveloped hitter, he doesn't play any defense, so his bat will be an important part of his future success. 18 in July, I can dream of his power potential, but for now that's all it seems to be. He may end up the tallest singles hitter out there, and bench roles could be all he ends up filling.

18th Round, 351st Overall: RHP George Lars
School: Lehighton Indian
1963: 6-4, 96 IP, 2.25 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 29 BB, 74 K
Career: 12-7, 186.2 IP, 2.70 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 70 BB, 143 K

A high school pitcher with stats closer to the top college arms, he really struggled as a junior, 6-3 with a 3.18 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, and 69 strikeouts. He did improve as a senior, but 6-4 with a 2.25 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and 74 strikeouts sill aren't great. Aside from his studious work habits, things don't look great for George Lars, who has a middling arsenal with no obvious strength. He gives up too many homers, doesn't have great command, and won't overpower, about the worst trio you can get when it comes to pitching. Lucky for him, I don't cut recent draftees unless I really have to, so the righty should hang around for at least one season. Worst off, he's the last pitcher we grabbed, so we're stuck with a lot of low upside hitters the rest of the way.

19th Round, 371st Overall: 1B Chief Morrison
School: Texas Panhandle Cowboys
1963: .281/.349/.340, 321 PA, 8 2B, 3 HR, 42 RBI, 3 SB
Career: .285/.351/.333, 635 PA, 15 2B, 4 HR, 82 RBI, 6 SB

Ralph Tuomi may end up playing some first base, but 19th Rounder Chief Morrison is the only natural first basemen we selected in the draft. A two year starter at Texas Panhandle, he doesn't have the slug for first base, and it's not because he's a speedster either. Poor at both, his best skill is his eye, as he'll draw enough walks that his OBP will out place his slugging. Not the best combination, his offensive potential is limited, and he won't do much in the field either. Instead, he's mostly filler, and there's a chance he doesn't even finish out the season in our organization. The only thing working for him is no real first basemen in San Jose, as the few guys I've tried haven't been up for the task.

20th Round, 391st Overall: SS Fred Maxwell
School: Milford Warriors
1963: .404/.457/.590, 186 PA, 10 2B, 3 3B, 5 HR, 45 RBI, 9 SB
Career: .417/.468/.572, 389 PA, 23 2B, 5 3B, 7 HR, 88 RBI, 18 SB

More valuable then some of the guys taken before him, Fred Maxwell spent two seasons on the Milford varsity roster, hitting .417/.468/.572 in 78 games. I didn't love the .404 average as a senior, but he did hit 5 of his 7 home runs, and he dropped his K% from 5.9 to 3.8. A disciplined hitter, he doesn't have the speed I like at short, but he has the range to stick. With a plus-plus arm, he's best suited for third, but he can handle those two positions and second when needed. Focus can be a problem for him, but he can swing from both sides of the plate, and he offers a club some versatility. You don't get much value out of late picks like this, so a useful bench bat isn't a bad outcome, and he could get some time this season.

ayaghmour2 · 03-19-2025, 04:32 PM

Weekly Record: 2-3
Seasonal Record: 44-34 (4th, 8 GB)
Stars of the Week
Henry Watson : 21 AB, 8 H, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .381 AVG, .905 OPS
Dutch Miller : 17 AB, 5 H, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .294 AVG, .839 OPS
Tom Halliday : 18 AB, 4 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .222 AVG, .819 OPS

Schedule
6-25: Loss at Stars (3-6)
6-26: Loss at Stars (2-4)
6-28: Loss at Saints (1-2)
6-29: Win at Saints (6-2)
6-30: Win at Saints (4-3)

Recap
Man...

Just when we started to get momentum...

Dropped to 4th and 8 out, we let the Stars sweep us in the two game set, luckily bouncing back in Montreal with a series win. We've done a lot of that in June, as aside from the Stars sweep, the only other one we lost was three in Montreal to start the month. An 18-11 month was impressive, even if we didn't make up any ground, and I'm at least glad that we're comfortably over .500. We pitched well this week too, just one game with more then 4 runs allowed, but aside from our likely All-Star lock, we didn't do much hitting.

That, of course, is Henry Watson, who I don't think has had a bad week all years. More average by his lofty standards this year, he was 8-for-21, picking up a steal, 4 runs, and his 16th homer of the season. After just 6 homers in the first two month, Watson hit 10 in June, and is hitting a strong .340/.380/.583 (156 OPS+) with 13 doubles, 6 triples, 47 runs, and 56 RBIs. He's also matched his 6 steals from last year, coming in 7 attempts compared to the 17 in 1962. A few other role players had success, with Dutch Miller 5-for-17 with a homer, 2 walks, and 3 RBIs. George McKee made use of his new partial starting role, 4-for-10 with a double, walk, and 2 runs. Randall still isn't quite healthy, a minor setback places him probably a week from his return, so McKee will get to keep upping his now .241/.297/.345 (73 OPS+) batting line. The defense at third is elite, but aside from the past two weeks he hasn't done much hitting for us.

I could have skipped starts with the off days, but with a double header before the break I thought I'd keep guys on a relative five game schedule. Aside from Roy Ellis (5 IP, 8 5 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 8 K) allowing too many runs, the starters were great, making up from a little hiccough in the pen. Hank Walker deserved his seventh straight win, going 6 with 3 hits, 2 runs, 4 walks, and 5 strikeouts, but we only had two runs when he left. That was the same when the game ended, so for the first time since May 10th we lost a game Walker started. Our two wins came from Ken Stone and Dick Champ, with the for some reason ineligible to be voted for the All-Star game Stone improving to 9-2 in 14 starts. He went 7, scattering 5 hits, 2 runs, and 4 walks while striking out 6. Dixie's bumped his BABIP to 4, as he's second in ERA at 2.45 (168 ERA+) and tied for third in wins. Champ has had far less success, owning a team high 5.12 ERA (80 ERA+), but he went 6 with 4 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, and 2 strikeouts. Though none of the stars can hold a candle to Pug White, who spun 7 scoreless frames in 3 separate outings. Earning his 11th save, Pug allowed just 4 hits, striking out 4 to give him 50 on the season. He finished June with just two runs allowed, working to a 0.62 ERA (662 ERA+) and 1.10 WHIP in 29 innings pitched.

Two roster moves were made as well, with the first the expected swap of Doc Cook for John Mitchell. Cook got into just the one game last week, while Mitchell was excellent in a pair of Century League starts. He's dominated the lesser competition, 5-1 with a 1.41 ERA (262 ERA+), 1.12 WHIP, and 25 strikeouts in 51 innings, and if all goes to plan he may spend the rest of his season in Chicago. We need a sixth starter in each of our four July weeks, with two more double headers waiting in August. There is a small period to send him back down to keep him in the rotation, but if his next four starts are anything like the first four, he's going to be a useful piece the rest of the way.

The other was sort of alluded to before our break, as I decided to cut Milt Payne in favor for Chappy Sanders. Payne, 27, spent about a year and a half as our backup catcher, as the only player to debut from the Jerry Smith package hit a pitiful .179/.188/.238 (13 OPS+) in 85 PAs. The 20 last year were good, he was 6-for-20 with 2 doubles and his only home run, but he has a -20 OPS+ and -29 WRC+ in 65 PAs this season. Pretty much each time he was in the lineup, he got out, and his defense isn't anything to write home about. Chappy, meanwhile, has been working on his blocking, and after a slow start he started blasting balls in the Century League. In 63 games, Chappy slashed .289/.358/.524 (144 OPS+) with 16 doubles, 11 homers, and 42 RBIs, and he's a huge upgrade over Payne. Recently named Batter of the Month, he hit .348/.410/.697 (204 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 7 homers, and 25 RBIs, a good way to end his most recent minor league stint. He'll stay in a reserve role for now, able to fill in behind the plate and in the outfield. Miller's 10 extra base hits and 13.4 BB% will keep him in the lineup for now, but if Chappy works in some of his minor league magic, he'll find himself in the lineup more frequently then initially anticipated.

Looking Ahead
The last week of the first half starts with an off day, as we'll look to build off our mini two game win streak at home. We'll get a quick chance for revenge, as the Stars will be in town for three. Expect the now healthy Dewey Allcock (3-1, 4.10, 26) in one of the games and Floyd Warner 9-3, 3.62, 67) in another, with Sy Dunn (6-4, 3.75, 72) likely closing the series out. It's there top three starters, and Warner just beat us, going 8 with 7 hits, 3 runs, and 4 strikeouts, surviving the two homers he surrendered. Stopper and Chicagoan Ted Ferguson (8-6, 11, 3.21, 58) finished us off twice, once a save and once a win, as we could not stop the Ralph Barrell (.321, 18, 52, 6), Lou Allen (.298, 21, 60), and Bobby Garrison (.319, 10, 45, 9) combo. At least at home we'll have the fans at our back, and I can't see Jack Gibson (.290, 19, 41) having another homerless week, but winning this series is an absolute must if we want any chance of contending in the second half.

What comes after is important too, as we finish off the first half with four games in three days against Montreal. We knocked them down to 33-47, as the 8th place Saints are one of just three Continental teams below .500. Kellogg frontrunner Henry Woods (.348, 14, 45, 6) caused problems as expected, including a 3-for-4 showing in their 2-1 win, but otherwise we did pretty well. We hit former 1st Rounder Gene Faulkenberry (8-4, 5, 3.13, 75) better then most, and held them to just 7 runs in the series. As the better team and the home team, I love our chances here, but I know all too well that this could be a trap series if we don't come in and give it our best. The double header should help us a lot, as their pitching is nowhere near ours, and even Mitchell is better then most of the guys they'll be trotting out.

Minor League Report
CF Orlando Benitez (AA Little Rock Governors): Remember when I said Orlando Benitez wasn't ready for AAA? I might have been wrong!

Named the top hitter of the Dixie League for the week, our 20-year-old former 1st Rounder hit an excellent .309/.395/.577 (157 OPS+) in June with 4 doubles, 2 triples, 6 homers, 27 RBIs, 19 runs, and 15 walks, swiping 4 bases to round out an all-around effort. Half his homers came last week, as he was 10-for-22 with 5 runs, 5 extra base hits, 10 RBIs, and a steal. Now ranked 40th among FABL prospects and 4th in our system, Benitez is now hitting a healthy .297/.414/.530 (150 OPS+) line in 266 trips to the plate. He's got a nice bundle of counting stats too, 11 doubles, 2 triples, 12 homers, 37 runs, 45 walks, 51 RBIs, and 7 steals, worth nearly 3 (2.8) wins above replacement. As good as the bat has been, I'm actually happiest about the defense, as he's got a nice 6.3 zone rating and 1.030 efficiency. Since the draft his bat has been advanced for his age, but seeing the progress with the glove is huge. I think the next step is improving his versatility, as I think I'll take advantage of his arm in right. I'm leaning towards moving him to Milwaukee, but at least for one more week, he'll continue to hit cleanup for the Governors.

LHP Whitey Gates (A Rockford Wildcats): A guy Dixie Marsh can't quite get a hold of, Whitey Gates has the intangibles I love, and now he's got a Pitcher of the Month to go with him. A good way to celebrate his 22nd birthday, the June 5th born Gates was a perfect 5-0 in 5 starts, now 9-1 on the season. Throwing 36 innings, he held a 2.00 ERA (212 ERA+), 2.72 FIP (64 FIP-) and 1.44 WHIP, lowering those metrics to 3.52 (121 ERA+), 3.20 (75 FIP-), and 1.55 on the season. The WHIP is high due to his 12.8 BB%, something I didn't expect, but with a 17.8 K% he has been able to work around it. Add in his 5 ranked stamina, and he's got a 132-pitch complete game and ten other starts where he crossed the century mark for pitch count. A leader on and off the field, what's impressed me most is his poise, as he's shown up to every challenge and put his team into a position to win each time out. Dropping to 20th in our system and 379th overall, he's behind eleven of our 1963 draftees, but that shouldn't be a knock on him. A durable innings eater, he's exactly the type of pitcher a bad team would want to soak up innings, and since he sits in the mid 90s he's not easy to knock around. Once he masters the walks, he can be considered for a FABL role, and his next step will be handling Dixie League hitters with the Governors.

SS Sam Pratt (A Rockford Wildcats): A recent Player of the Week winner, Sam Pratt also took home June's Batter of the Month, helping the Cats sweep the June awards. For June, Pratt hit .374/.464/.654 (198 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 2 triples, 6 homers, 24 RBIs, 27 runs, 17 walks, and 5 steals. All but 5 of his A-ball games came in the past month, so his .354/.436/.608 (179 OPS+) season line isn't too far away. An athletic and quick 20-year-old, Pratt's been playing excellent shortstop defense, but with Bill Grimm's promotion last week he'll see less time at his most comfortable position. He'll remain the primary, as I want Grimm to improve his versatility a bit, but even if we had four other shortstops Pratt would be able to find time on the field. Able to play anywhere but catcher, he's got outstanding range in the infield and outfield, and even at short he's a top-notch defender. With 4s across the board for infield ratings, he's at least a 4 at each infield spot, and aside from Tom Halliday and maybe Tom Glenn and Cal Randall, Pratt's our best infielder. A deep class may have kicked him out of the top-500, but this is a guy who I'd take over a lot of other players. His floor of a super utility player entices, but if he can keep putting the ball in play, he'd be a superb table setter and there's a chance he'd carve out a long career for himself.

LHP Jay Hughs (B San Jose Cougars): With an influx of new arms in the system, I've transitioned our Class A and B teams to six-man rotations like I did in Class C last year (and all levels pre-fast forward), so a few guys who weren't starting just entered the rotation. This includes Jay Hughs, who after 21 relief outings, delivered an outstanding start. Just one hit away from a perfect game, Hughs struck out 8, effortlessly silencing the Tacoma Captains in San Jose's 4-0 victory. His first start since 1961, the minor league signing is showing that maybe he should have been starting all along. Once a 14th rounder of the Cannons, Hughs was stuck in the independent carousel before we saved him, though he did get 3.1 innings in 1960 for the Class A Topeka Jayhawks. A guy I haven't given much look to, he's a lefty with six pitches, and five of them are at least average. The movement and control isn't great, hence why he's been spending his time in the pen, but including his start he's got 34.2 effective innings. 3-0 with a save, his 2.34 ERA (153 ERA+) and 3.02 FIP (84 FIP-) are quite strong, but the 0.81 WHIP and 25-to-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio are what stands out most. There might be something here to improve on, though all that it may turn into is upper minors depth.

ayaghmour2 · 03-20-2025, 04:27 PM

Weekly Record: 5-2
Seasonal Record: 49-36 (3rd, 7.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
Dode Caudill : 30 AB, 12 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .400 AVG, .938 OPS
Henry Watson : 26 AB, 9 H, 2 HR, 8 RBI, .346 AVG, .982 OPS
Jerry McMillan : 29 AB, 9 H, 2 HR, 5 RBI, .310 AVG, .895 OPS

Schedule
7-2: Win vs Stars (4-5): 10 innings
7-3: Win vs Stars (3-10)
7-4: Win vs Stars (5-6)
7-4: Loss vs Stars (2-5)
7-5: Win vs Saints (6-8)
7-6: Loss vs Saints (3-2)
7-7: Win vs Saints (3-4)

Recap
5 more wins! Our lucky number!

We lost a one-run game, one a few more, and finish the first half of the season 49-36, back in third place where we've sat more often then I've wanted. Of course, it's better then being below .500 and further down, but so often we are good, just not good enough, and 1963 seems like another one of those years. Kansas City holds a 7.5 game advantage over us, and they just look unstoppable.

KC led the Conti with five All-Star selections, though we were tied with the Cannons with four for second most. Henry Watson will start in right, receiving all but one of the right field votes, while stopper Pug White took the most votes among relievers. Our two most valuable players so far, both deserved to start, with Watson ranked 2nd among Continental players in WAR (4.7) and Pug the second half save (14) leader. Watson is on pace to set many personal bests, as the 2-Time All-Star is hitting an excellent .340/.379/.586 (156 OPS+) with 14 doubles, 6 triples, 18 homers, 64 RBIs, 50 runs, and 6 steals. He won't get much Whitney consideration, but the former 5th pick is on pace for a near 9 WAR season. A captain in the clubhouse, he's really emerged into a star player, and OSA declares him the top left fielder in baseball. Pug is only third for stoppers, but the 33-year-old vet is almost a qualified pitcher. With 83.1 innings in 40 games, he's been dominant nearly all season long. The 3-Time All-Star enters the break 8-3 with a 2.48 ERA (166 ERA+), 1.12 WHIP, and 58 strikeouts. The only pitcher representing us, I'd almost prefer him to get the three days off, but just an inning shouldn't be an issue for our ironman stopper.

Gene Case and Jack Gibson will join them, as while both were certainly good enough to earn the start, there were just elite players at their positions. For Case it's back-to-back selections, as our star first basemen has completely erased his 63 WRC+ April. Now up to 147, Case is hitting .288/.380/.534 (143 OPS+) with 19 doubles, 3 triples, 17 homers, 54 RBIs, 54 runs, and 9 steals. 25 last month, Dixie has upped his eye to a 5, even with a career low 13.1 BB% and career high 10.6 K%. His speed and power mix continues to be lethal, and if it wasn't for Hank Williams (.362, 23, 77), Case would have been the starter. For Gibson, it's because of Heinie Spitler (.386, 5, 52, 9), though missing a few weeks didn't help his case either. Hitting his 20th homer this week, Gibson has slashed .280/.311/.601 (139 OPS+) in 58 games. If he can stay healthy, 30 homers is a lock, and I can see him pushing 40 if we can get him into 120 games. It'll be tough, but if he's healthy he could capture the home run title.

Our biggest snub has to be Ken Stone, who certainly deserved to join his teammates in Minneapolis. All the 23-year-old has done is go 10-2 with a 2.75 ERA (150 ERA+), 1.29 WHIP, and 64 strikeouts, picking up a win or quality start in all but 2 of his 15 outings. That 2.75 ERA ranks 3rd in the Continental while he's tied for 2nd in wins, but I guess that wasn't enough to impress the league. Other deserving candidates include Don Griffin (6-3, 3.31, 49), Earle Turner (1-3, 1, 1.41, 30), Bob Allen (2-2, 2, 2.70, 29), and Dode Caudill (.289, 11, 36, 9), but there aren't enough pitching spots and there's just too many good outfielders out there. Even Tom Halliday (.258, 5, 33, 2) has a case at short, but the CA decided to go just with the deserved starter Carlos Jaramillo (.277, 4, 33, 19).

Joining us after the break will be Cal Randall, who last played on June 16th where he strained his Achilles. Already off to a slow start, he'll return with a .238/.268/.330 (60 OPS+) batting line, but his clubhouse presence and defensive ability have been as advertised. Mooney Vetter will go down, as the 28-year-old was just 1-for-23 with a -87 WRC+ with five strikeouts. I was really hoping last year's third basemen would have more success, but in June before his promotion he was hitting just .245/.259/.377 (77 OPS+), nothing near his Player of the Month performance.

Looking Ahead
Just three off days for the break, and with a double header on Sunday we'll still play five games. I'd love a 5-0, but we'll be on the road before a big home series. Our first three games come in Cincinnati, where we'll face the 47-42 Cannons. They sent their entire outfield to the All-Star game, as Dallas Berry (.290, 20, 70, 7) will make his 8th trip with Joe Case (.316, 14, 41, 8) and Bonnie Chapin (.330, 17, 59) making their first trips. For Chapin, it's way overdo, as he's never had WRC+ below 142 and won the batting title in 1961. Not many career .333/.413/.550 (153 OPS+) hitters have only one appearance, but their is no shortage of elite offensive talent on the grass. Not appearing at the game is ace Charlie Warren (8-4, 3.35, 91), so him and Doc will square off in the opener. After that, it looks like Jack Meeks (4-9, 4.86, 86) and Jim York (4-7, 3.70, 68), as both teams should be using their top three.

The double header won't have our 4 and 5, as it will be Hank Walker (7-2, 3.79, 54) and John Mitchell (3-1, 3.38, 22), with Dick Champ (4-9, 4.93, 63) penciled in for the finale in Toronto. They start the second half with a double header hosting the Kings, so we could luck out with either tired pitchers or spot starters. Toronto's pitching has struggled, with Arnie Smith (7-4, 4.83, 72) not looking like the ace he is. First-time All-Star Phil Colantuono (9-5, 2.60, 78) has had to carry most of the weight, but I think we'll miss him and Bill Medley (9-7, 3.78, 74). Then we have to keep them in the park, as despite playing at Dominion Stadium the Wolves are 2nd in longballs. Chick Reed's (.315, 23, 55) breakout is a big part, as the slugger is recently coming off a 3-homer game, and another one of the surprise All-Star omissions. Ed Savage (.320, 13, 49) dealt with the same fate, as both have been lethal at the plate and have nothing to show for it. Almost anyone in the lineup can go yard, but we're the better team, and we should be winning this series.

Minor League Report
LHP Jim Place (C La Crosse Lions): Last year's 2nd Rounder started the season in San Jose, but he looked completely overmatched in his three starts, and he quickly retreated back to La Crosse. The ace of the Lions last year, this season he's pitching behind Hub Russell (W, 7.2 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 4 K) and Johnny Kern (7,2 IP, 11 H, 3 ER, 5 BB, 2 K), and was the starter in the finale of our opening week series. Scoring the only run of the game, Place didn't get much support, but the young lefty kept Waterloo scoreless in a 1-0 shutout. Scattering 8 hits and 4 walks, Place struck out 2, as his Lions held their hosts to just seven runs in three games. Temporarily bumped out of the top-100, he regained his place in the bottom half, checking in at 5th in our system and 86th overall. A 7-pitch pitcher, the stuff has really come in, as Dixie is willing to declare him a current starter. He gave him a very favorable report, boosting the velo to 92-94 and his control to 2. Now a 3-2-2, he's got 3 rated pitches and a 4-rrated screwball, and Dixie believes he can fit comfortably in the middle of a FABL rotation. I'm liking the sounds of that, and if he can put together a few more starts like this, I'll give him another go at UMVA hitting.

ayaghmour2 · 03-21-2025, 06:21 PM

Weekly Record: 3-2
Seasonal Record: 52-38 (3rd, 8 GB)
Stars of the Week
Henry Watson : 28 AB, 9 H, 3 HR, 8 RBI, .321 AVG, .988 OPS
Jack Gibson : 18 AB, 7 H, 2 HR, 6 RBI, .389 AVG, 1.254 OPS
Gene Case : 22 AB, 8 H, 0 HR, 4 RBI, .364 AVG, .985 OPS

Schedule
7-11: Win at Cannons (12-6)
7-12: Loss at Cannons (3-5)
7-13: Loss at Cannons (1-2): 13 innings
7-14: Win at Wolves (6-3)
7-14: Win at Wolves (11-2)

Recap
Generally speaking, outscoring your opponents 33-18 means you had an excellent week, but since close game losses were back on the menu, we only came out of the break 3-2. We crushed Charlie Warren (2.1 IP, 5 H, 7 ER, 4 BB, 3 K) in the opener, but after the 4th inning of game 2, we only scored 2 total runs. Dropping that long extra-inning game was tough, but we couldn't string any runs together. Thankfully, we handled the Wolves like I thought, crushing them 17-5 in the double header, scoring more in each game then they did during the day. We have one more with them after, but we're back to 8 out as the Kings bring a 4-game win-streak into their finally in Cincinnati.

Before our road trip, there was the All-Star game, and all for Cougars made an appearance. None really impressed, as Henry Watson was held hitless in his three at bats. I like to think he was getting the outs out of him, as Watson went 9-for-25 as a Cougar, clubbing three more homers and 8 RBIs to give him 21 and 72 on the season. Those RBIs are third most in the CA, and he's just surpassed the 5 WAR (5.1) mark for the first time this season. Gene Case was 0-for-1 as a pinch hitter, staying in at first, while Jack Gibson just came in during the 7th to play second base. Pug White didn't pitch well, 3 hits to 2 outs, but he was able to fight back with three scoreless in our extra inning loss.

Gibson probably had the best week, as our slugger was 7-for-18 with 2 doubles, 2 homers, 6 RBIs, 3 runs, and a walk. A homer ahead of Watson on the season, his 22 longballs are 5th in the CA, but they've came in just 62 games and 254 PAs. Aside from those two, we only had two other homers, both to unlikely sources. The first was the first of the year from Chappy Sanders, who got to make a pair of starts during the week. 3-for-10, he had a walk and 9th inning grand slam, giving us a comfortable 11-2 lead in game two of the double header. The other was Cal Randall, who was 4-for-16 with a walk, 2 runs, and 7 RBIs. We also got a lot of production from Gene Case, 8-for-22 with a steal, 3 walks, and 4 runs, doubles, and RBIs, as we had guys on base often.

Our starters weren't great, but on the bright side, Don Griffin went 99 pitches! Sure, he allowed 10 hits, 6 runs, and 3 homers, walking 1 and striking out 2 in 4.1 innings, but 99 pitches! And his arm didn't fall off! It might not be a great thing, there's a chance he won't be fully rested for his start on Tuesday, but he's at least passed 80 in 4 of his last 5 starts. Our 2 stamina ace, it's a nice preview considering our 1st Rounder Hub Russell saw his stamina dip from 3 to 2. Doc was never at 3, so at least Hub seemingly can go deeper then him, but despite this recent ERA and WHIP bump he's been a reliable presence in the rotation. Not at the level of Ken Stone, who again went 7 innings, allowing just 4 hits, a run, and a walk with 4 strikeouts. An All-Star worthy pitcher, Stone did not record a decision, but he lowered his ERA and WHIP to 2.66 (155 ERA+) and 1.26 on the season. John Mitchell made an excellent spot start, 8 innings with 6 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, and 5 strikeouts in his return to FABL. Hank Walker pitched his second complete game of the season, allowing 5 hits, 3 runs, and 5 walks, striking out 5 to win his 8th straight decision. Our well ran clubhouse (thanks Cal, Henry, and Bob Decker!) has really controlled Walker's antics this season, and it's allowed him to return to an excellent mid-rotation presence.

Over the break, we also extended all of our FABL coaches with expiring deals, with a lot of our minor league coaches being left unsigned. Five of the FABL staff was retained, all coaches in their second year, and all but one got two year extensions. The holdout was Earle Robinson, who I'd love to upgrade on, but "Outstanding" former Sailors pitching coach Howie Eades rather not get paid then work with one of the best pitching staffs in the league. His loss! Even with the extension, I'd consider replacing Robinson after the season ends, but he's at least excellent when it comes to pitching and we certainly can do worse. Extending AGM Tommy Byerly was more just because he's a good scout, but the rest were big moves. We locked in "Outstanding" hitting coach Joe Clark, as well as teaching gurus Elmer de Gray and Bob Harris. de Gray will return as bench coach, and he currently handles catching (outstanding) and outfield (legendary). Harris then returns as third base coach, and he has outstanding across the board for teaching. The biggest pulls are the running, outstanding teachers are very rare, and even excellent in-game runners like Harris are tough to fine. We're lucky to have him and John J. Wilson, as the legendary infield teacher is also an excellent in-game runner, which to have had a great impact on our top baserunners.

Looking Ahead
One more in Toronto, as we'll look to Dick Champ (4-9, 4.93, 63) for his first start of the second half. Who he faces is yet to be determined, as while Bill Medley (10-7, 3.68, 82) is the scheduled starter, he pitched four days ago in a double header with the Kings. Their pen is absolutely gassed too, playing six games and four days, and all six regular members of the pen are gassed. This could lead to one of their AAA Georges, Adams (3-1, 5.05, 33) or Hoxworth (2-6, 8.82, 32), getting recalled for a spot start. Hoxworth no longer looks like a 2-Time All-Star, and Adams was roughed up in the Wolves pen, but both guys are rested, and both can eat innings for them. While they haven't pitched well, they have plenty of threats in the lineup, including All-Star snubs Chick Reed (.317, 25, 61) and Ed Savage (.311, 13, 49). Reed is super entertaining, as 3 of his 4 walks this season came during a five game stretch, and he it took 192 PAs for the first one. Him, Savage, and Sid Cullen (.299, 12, 37) form a talented outfield, while Tom Reed (.230, 11, 43) is starting to hit better and Phil Story (.273, 10, 29, 9) is starting to break out in year three. Finishing off the sweep would be nice, and in all honesty probable, but unless you're playing the Imps and Wranglers, wins have not come easy this year.

Speaking of not coming easy, the only thing easy about our next series would be losing it, as we'll welcome the powerhouse Kings for three games. Like Toronto, they're dealing with a lot of double headers, so perhaps the front three in our rotation can take advantage of a tired team. Granted, I don't think anyone can take advantage of Hank Williams (.373, 26, 85), and their lineup gets a little better with the return of Tom Hicks (.303, 3, 23, 7). More importantly, there defense gets better, as Hicks has some of the highest range in the outfield, a 5 for range and CF defense at 20. KC will also be without Allie Boone (5-4, 3.23, 97) and Beau McClellan (7-9, 3.69, 99), both of which pitched in their double header sweep of the Cannons. We'll get stuck with Gene Bailey (14-2, 2.82, 101), but I think the rest of the games will go to short-rested guys or young, beatable pitchers. The focus then goes on stopping Williams, Pat Davis (.298, 8, 54, 22) and Ken Newman (.297, 17, 55, 5), which is no easy task. I'm definitely nervous, but we're playing nearly .700 ball at Cougars Park, 31-14 (.689) compared to 21-24 on the road. If we're going to beat the Kings, it's this series, but I know better then to put my faith in the Cougars doing what we should do!

Okay, I do have faith in us handling the Imperials, as at 30-62 they're just percentage points above the 29-61 Wranglers for last. We'll deal with the Imps in New York, playing four games in three days, a double header proceeding our Monday off day. The slowest team in baseball, they have just 8 steals, less then McMillan (16), Dode (12), and Case (10) on their own. Even Buddy Byrd has 5 in just 48 PAs, good enough to break the Walt tie between Bantle (.250, 2, 16, 3) and Denny (.253, 3, 25, 3) for the team lead. Denny is actually an interesting player, even if he has a 78 WRC+ and -1.0 WAR, as I not only tried to claim him off waivers last August, but trade for him during the offseason. A speedy switch hitter who puts the ball in play a ton, he's got 4 contact and 5 gap, he just doesn't walk or hit home runs. A rangy outfielder, he's excellent in the corners, but he's had some struggles out in center. That's a common theme, the struggling, as now that Frankie Sawyer (5-6, 3.71, 71), their rotation consists only of pitchers with ERAs above 5.25. The offense is a bit better, mostly because of Turk Ramsey (.286, 24, 65), but Vern Reynolds (.278, 9, 29) and Del Gaines (.260, 7, 16) are both useful 26-year-olds. Gaines is another target of mine, I wanted him as a free agent but the Imps could doffer a little more money, so at least they have some young guys to get excited about. Regardless, they're an easy opponent and the perfect team to face after the Kings, allowing us a chance to recover on the road if we flounder at home.

Minor League Report
3B Mooney Vetter (AAA Century League): A return to the Century League was perfect for Mooney Vetter, who quickly won himself a Player of the Week. Appearing in all seven games for the Blues, he was 12-for-29 with a double, 2 homers, and 4 RBIs giving him more homers this week then he had hits in 8 games with us. Now hitting .340/.361/.504 (140 OPS+), Vetter has returned to his customary third base, as we recently picked up defensive star Elmer Walters to handle short. I may eventually give him some reps at second, opening short back up for Vetter, but he's an excellent third basemen and provides us with good defense wherever he plays.

If only he could hit like he does in AAA in Chicago...

CF Bill Reinhard (A Rockford Wildcats): A guy who I totally thought was in Little Rock, it's a good thing Bill Reinhard won Player of the Week, or else he'd still be in Rockford for the foreseeable future. A potentially FABL ready hitter, Reinhard has better visual ratings then Dode Caudill, and is hitting an absurd .332/.457/.561 (171 OPS+) with 14 doubles, 6 triples, 12 homers, 51 RBIs, 56 runs, and 58 walks. This comes after his 14-for-23 week, as Reinhard launched 3 homers with a triple, 2 doubles, 5 walks, 10 runs, and 11 RBIs. Currently ranked 9th in our system and 170th overall, he's ahead of most of the new draftees, with just our potential future aces (Kern 32, Hub 44) and Clem Barney (165) ahead of him on the league's list. An improving defender, he's showing the range for center, while also playing decent corner infield defense. His defensive profile is somewhat similar to Watson, another center fielder who can handle the corner infield, it's just Watson is a hair taller and a better outfield defender. Rule-5 eligible in the offseason, he's nearly a lock to be protected, and depending on how things go he could get a callup in September. Until then, he'll join Orlando Benitez and Cliff Coleman in the Little Rock outfielders, two other outfield prospects in our top-10.

ayaghmour2 · 03-22-2025, 09:14 PM

21st Round, 411th Overall: C Rube Britten
School: Schenley Spartans
1963: .436/.471/.638, 174 PA, 14 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR, 41 RBI
Career: .436/.471/.638, 174 PA, 14 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR, 41 RBI

A little late to finishing off the draft recaps (I wanted to wait for the weekend), that means some guys have played a few minor league games, including 21st Rounder Rube Britten. Starting a pair of games as the Lions backup catcher, the now 18-year-old is 3-for-8 with a run scored. A one year starter at Schenley, he celebrated his birthday two days after being drafted, and hit .436 with 5 homers and 41 RBIs as a senior for Schenley. He's not much of a defender, but he's smart and hard working, and I guess people are inspired him. This late in the draft, Britten may actually be a steal, as we forever have the perfect backup catcher. I'm just going to focus most of his efforts on defense, and hope at some point in time he learns how to frame pitches. That's enough to be a backup catcher, and with Champ Sanders it's very easy to carry a third catcher. He can serve as a backup outfielder, and he at least has 2 contact to kick things off.

22nd Round, 431st Overall: 3B Claude King
School: Bergen College Knickerbockers
1963: .284/.350/.356, 294 PA, 7 2B, 4 HR, 49 RBI, SB
Career: .289/.350/.340, 565 PA, 14 2B, 4 HR, 94 RBI, 2 SB

Claude King didn't homer as a sophomore, which kind of gives you a feel for his overall talent. Right now he's roster filler, but his range is surprisingly good for a third basemen. He's not a very good fielder, but he's the type that always gets one or finds ways to keep balls in the infield. Kind of cool? He'll be a backup this year. Probably for more. Not all years will have a class this deep.

23rd Round, 451st Overall: RF Bill Patchen
School: Maryland State Bengals
1963: .243/.325/.351, 252 PA, 7 2B, 3B, 5 HR, 39 RBI, 4 SB
Career (COL): .244/.307/.329, 893 PA, 18 2B, 3 3B, 15 HR, 122 RBI, 13 SB
Career (HS): .364/.401/.483, 162 PA, 6 2B, 4 HR, 36 RBI, 4 SB

Another college bat, Bill Patchen has a pretty solid eye, and has already drawn walks in half of his plate appearances. Sure, that's just 3 walks, but that's also his eye rating, and the defense isn't too bad either. He's sort of useful now, and I could probably put him in San Jose if there was a spot. I'm already having trouble releasing players, so his best hope is someone in the outfield gets hurt and he gets a chance to make the move up.

24th Round, 471st Overall: C Jack Stanley
School: Hamman Mountaineers
1963: .232/.278/.327, 338 PA, 7 2B, 3B, 7 HR, 42 RBI, 3 SB
Career: .235/.277/.326, 621 PA, 13 2B, 2 3B, 12 HR, 85 RBI, 6 SB

About as filler catcher as you can get, Jack Stanley has been useful off the bench, 3-for-7 with a homer, walk, 2 RBIs, and 3 runs. Despite being a catcher, he's actually an amazing base stealer, so I think he's going to get some pinch running opportunities. He's a poor defender, and when he pinch hits he doesn't usually stay for defense. Once his luck inevitably runs out, he'll get back to the edges of the roster, and be at risk of an eventual release.

25th Round, 491st Overall: CF Ralph McCormack
School: Alabama Gulf Coast Privateers
1963: .246/.274/.315, 241 PA, 4 2B, 4 3B, 32 RBI
Career (COL): .245/.276/.321, 733 PA, 11 2B, 14 HR, 103 RBRI
Career (HS): .366/.395/.477, 162 PA, 4 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 33 RBI

Like Bill Patchen, Ralph McCormack was undrafted out of high school, and he finds himself this year as our final pick in the draft. Not much of a hitter at either level, he at least plays good center field defense, and he always tries his hardest. For now that's enough to get him the rare game off the bench, but he'll need a lot of luck to take himself up the organizational ladder.

ayaghmour2 · 03-23-2025, 05:00 PM

Weekly Record: 7-1
Seasonal Record: 59-39 (3rd, 6.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
Dode Caudill : 35 AB, 18 H, 2 HR, 8 RBI, .514 AVG, 1.353 OPS
Dutch Miller : 25 AB, 10 H, 3 HR, 8 RBI, .400 AVG, 1.324 OPS
Jerry McMillan : 33 AB, 12 H, 2 HR, 5 RBI, .364 AVG, 1.084 OPS

Schedule
7-15: Win at Wolves (9-6)
7-16: Win vs Kings (3-5)
7-17: Win vs Kings (5-10)
7-18: Loss vs Kings (5-4): 10 innings
7-19: Win at Imperials (5-4)
7-20: Win at Imperials (12-3)
7-21: Win at Imperials (9-3)
7-21: Win at Imperials (10-4)

Recap
The Cougars are hot!

Too bad no one other then us can beat the Kings...

There's no typo, we went 7-1 this week, but the only problem is we made up just a game and a half and still sit 6.5 games out of first. An impressive 20 games over .500, we're now tied for third in runs scored while continuing to lead the association in runs allowed, and our expected record would give us a half game lead over both Kansas City and Los Angeles. Both teams had great weeks, as the Stars were 6-1 and the Kings 5-2, as the two losses we gave them were there only losses on the week.

Even if it was an extra inning, nail-biter, one-run loss, I can't be mad about anything this week, as the 5-4 game we kept battling back in was one that we have our all. I really wish Buck let Ken Stone go more then 6, as the 23-year-old was at 84 pitches and had allowed just 3 hits and a walk with 4 strikeouts. Pug then came in, allowing 4 hits, and 2 runs with a walk and 3 strikeouts. That blew a 1-0 lead before it went to 2-1, and then errors got Arch Wilson tagged with a loss. 2 of the 3 runs he allowed were unearned, but the veteran did allow 4 hits and 2 walks in his 2 innings. Surprisingly 2-6, he's still been one of our better late inning guys, picking up a save and 7 holds with his 2.78 ERA (150 ERA+), 1.32 WHIP, and 20 strikeouts. His 45.1 innings are lowest on the roster, but he's always ready when he needs to be called upon, and one loss here won't change that one bit.

I have to argue that Dode Caudill should have won Player of the Week, as our budding superstar went 18-for-35 with 2 triples, 2 homers, 3 walks, 4 steals, 8 RBIs, and 13 runs scored. He's been outstanding in July, now batting .388/.464/.565 (176 OPS+) with a double, 4 triples, 2 homers, 10 RBIs, 12 walks, 8 steals, and 27 runs scored. It's harder to do much better then that, but he's stuck in a deep rookie class. A lot can happen in a week and a half, and he's fighting Henry Woods (.355, 16, 58, 6), Mark Boyd (.294, 22, 52), Ed Savage (.306, 14, 54), and Otis Haldeman (.297, 15, 74, 4), not to mention Kings lefty Johnnie Higgins (7-6, 3.16, 97). Barring a breakout that takes us to the playoffs, his best chance at hardware is a monthly award, but his first career Player of the Week certainly would have been nice.

It should be quite obvious that everyone hit this week, as all eight regulars had either a WRC+ or OPS+ of 145 or better. This include Tom Halliday (153 WRC+) and Cal Randall (173 WRC+), who combined to go 21-for-57 with 3 doubles, 9 RBIs, 7 runs, and 4 walks. Always helping on defense, Randall homered and Halliday stole two bases, and it was nice to see the left side of our infield providing value at the plate. If these guys keep hitting, we can make up some games very quickly. I wouldn't expect repeats often, and the same would go for Dutch Miller. Our catcher isn't going to have many more 3 homers weeks, but I love the 18-for-35 effort from our veteran. Driving in 8, he scored 5 runs and drew 2 walks, improving his season line to .246/.345/.375 (94 OPS+). His 105 WRC+ is now slightly above average, as our offseason free agent signing has done well in his new home.

Doc Griffin won both his starts, beating the Kings in Chicago and the Imperials in New York. Against the Conti leaders, Griffin went 5, scattering 3 hits with 2 runs, a walk, and 2 strikeouts before handing it off to Arch Wilson (HLD, 3 IP, 3 H, ER, K) and Pug White (SV, IP, BB). He got six against the Imps, allowing 5 hits with 3 runs and 2 strikeouts. Now 8-3 in his 20 starts, I'm starting to change my approach, as I think I'm now going to give him extra rest when it makes sense. I'm thinking more rest means more innings, and when he pitches he's effective. Home runs are tough, but his 2.1 K/BB is above average and his 1.19 WHIP is 6th in the CA. His two start starter partner was Dick Champ, who had two starts with 1 walk and 3 strikeouts. The first was in the slugfest with the Wolves, as Toronto tagged him for 8 hits and 5 runs, just 4 innings before the pen had to take over. He made up for it before our double header, as Champ went all nine in the 12-3 crushing. Efficient, he needed just 110 pitches to get the job done, allowing us to win a game that was never in doubt.

Earle Turner deserves a shout out to, as he was called on 4 times and responded with 5.2 scoreless innings. Allowing 8 hits and a walk, he struck out 7 to increase his season total to 41. The best starting pitcher on the team according to Dixie Marsh, Turner lowered his season ERA and FIP to 1.09 (380 ERA+) and 2.39 (57 FIP-), and somehow ranks third on the team in WAR (1.3).The 28-year-old picked up his 3rd win and 2nd save, and continues to deliver when called upon. He's two outs away from 50 innings, already the second most innings he's throw in a season. His deceptive sidearm motion works well at our park, as hitters try to elevate and they just roll over his sinker. Lefties see him a little better, but against righties he's pretty much a poor man's Frenchy Mack and batters are they're hitting just .216/.279/.245 against him. An underrated weapon, he's also great in the clubhouse, as he's everyone's friend and he helps the captains keep everything light and under control.

Looking Ahead
Off to start the week, it's a nice seven game homestand with a double header on the 28th. Our first guests are the Cannons (50-51), who just got swept by the team that comes after them, the Wolves (51-48). That one's a little surprising, as the Cannons have one of the better lineups in the game. Dallas Berry (.285, 21, 72, 7) is a perennial Whitney candidate, and when he no longer is, it looks like Bonnie Chapin (.341, 20, 67) or Mark Boyd (.294, 22, 52) could keep up the tradition. Joe Case (.318, 16, 47, 10) is still productive, even if he cooled off some, but there really aren't many weak spots in the lineup. Jim York (5-7, 3.35, 81) has been their best starter, but the rest has been either ineffective or replaced. Our 7-run outing against Charlie Warren (8-7, 4.10, 103) sent him in a tailspin, as he allowed 17 hits, 11 runs, and 7 walks across the two starts that followed. I hope he doesn't get a chance for revenge in the finale, but with an off-day they'll be able to re-arrange their rotation. The Chicagoan may relish the opportunity to pitch in the Windy City as well, as I'm sure he'll have plenty of family in attendance cheering him on.

Toronto doesn't have anyone that fits the bill, but I'm sure they'll want to beat us all the same. I'm hoping they can tire out the Kings with a sweep, and then let their guard down so we can ambush them before the Sunday double header. With so many games we're almost guaranteed to see Arnie Smith (8-5, 4.65, 83) and Phil Colantuono (10-6, 2.86, 91) in the clash. We need to take advantage of the rest of the staff, as I think our guys may struggle with their lefty heavy top five. Chick Reed (.321, 28, 67) is the only right at two, with Sid Cullen (.303, 13, 41), Ed Savage (.306, 14, 54), and Tom Reed (.234, 13, 51) behind. Phil Story (.281, 11, 34, 10) leads it all off, and despite getting swept by us they all got their hits. It's just no one behind them did much of anything, so we were able to get out of Toronto with a crucial sweep.

Minor League Report
CF Bill Reinhard (AA Little Rock Commodores): Yeah. Bill Reinhard was definitely ready for AA!

Celebrating his promotion with another Player of the Week, Reinhard went 7-for-16 with a double, 3 homers, 6 RBIs, and 3 walks. This all translates to a .436/.526/.1.062 (315 OPS+) triple slash, that really pops off the page. Combined with his Rockford numbers he now has 15 doubles, 6 triples, 15 homers, and 57 RBIs, and his presence will let Orlando Benitez get more experience in the corners. He's getting some time in left, and after a few more weeks we'll put him in right. Benitez is the better overall defender, but the defense isn't quite at the level of McMillan and Watson. For Reinhard range is his specialty, so the more time in center he gets the better chance he has of becoming a fourth outfielder.

RF Harry Cummins (C La Crosse Lions): One of the best hitters you've probably never heard of, Harry Cummings hit .343/.488/.636 (178 OPS+) for the Lions last year and is hitting .417/.514/.700 (167 OPS+) in his first 16 games this year. A former 11th Round Pick, he took home Player of the Week, going 11-for-23 with a double, 2 homers, 9 RBIs, 5 runs, 3 walks, and a steal. Known for his speed and arm in right, he's lucky we didn't get more then just Phil Weeks (.338, 1, 5, 7) and Bob Adams (.310, 2, 11, 4), else he'd probably be on the bench due to his lack of prospect status. Probably already at his peak, the 20-year-old isn't expected to be much more then a complementary player, and if there was room in the San Jose outfield I'd expect him to struggle. I rather play him every day here then have him sit on the baby Cougars bench, as he's contributing to the Lions 2nd place standing.

ayaghmour2 · 03-25-2025, 06:31 PM

Weekly Record: 5-2
Seasonal Record: 64-41 (3rd, 7.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
Dode Caudill : 25 AB, 12 H, 2 HR, 2 RBI, .480 AVG, 1.447 OPS
Chappy Sanders : 8 AB, 5 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .625 AVG, 1.750 OPS
Pug White : 1 Win, 2 Saves, 5.0 IP, 1 BB, 6 K, 0.00 ERA

Schedule
7-23: Win vs Cannons (4-7)
7-24: Win vs Cannons (6-9)
7-25: Loss vs Cannons (6-5)
7-26: Win vs Wolves (2-5)
7-27: Loss vs Wolves (5-2)
7-28: Win vs Wolves (1-3)
7-28: Win vs Wolves (0-4)

Recap
I hate the Kings. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. HATE. THE. KINGS.

20-7. 20-7 in July so far. And we've made up one. Half. GAME.

THAT'S IT!?!?!?!?! HALF A STINKIN' GAMEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!

Well, at least we're a real good ballclub playing real good baseball. And Dode Caudill is starting to welcome his self to the league!

With two games left he's a near lock for Rookie of the Month, as Dode went 12-for-25 to raise his July line to .409/.488/.636 (200 OPS+). He added 4 doubles, 2 homers, 5 walks, and 7 runs, giving him 13 extra base hits, 34 runs, 17 walks, 8 steals, and 12 RBIs. The ultimate stat-sheet stuffer, he's now got 16 doubles, 11 triples, 15 homers, 45 walks, 46 RBIs, 78 runs, and 16 steals in the first 103 games of his career. Dode has now slashed .314/.381/.519 (139 OPS+), and after spending all season ranked in the bottom half of the left field rankings, OSA finally decided to place him at 6th. That doesn't mean too much, he's pretty much the same guy he was Opening Day (don't forget he started the season really well), but at least now it seems like our new cornerstone is starting to get the recognition he deserves. The Caudill-McMillan-Watson outfield could remain mostly unchanged for a long time, aside from potentially flipping center and right. Regardless of alignment, this defense will be excellent, and they're all capable in the box, and even if we come short this year, 1964 could be when everything clicks.

Our double header this week was fascinating, as we didn't need to use either of our relievers, as Roy Ellis and John Mitchell combined for 8 hits, 4 walks, 13 strikeouts, and just a single run allowed. That came in Ellis' start, as he held the Wolves to 3 hits and 2 walks, striking out 8 hitters for the second time in his three game win streak. He had a rough start to the month, but when he's not allowing home runs he's dominating. Ellis has walked three hitters in a game just once -- and it's his game high on the season. 13 of his 20 starts have seen him strikeout at least four hitters for each walk, as his command is among the league's best. His 2.6 K/BB is sixth in the Conti, while his 5.9 BB% is right below Doc Griffin (5.8) for seventh. Still on place for a second 200 inning season, it hasn't always gone the way he's wanted, but as we look to cut the deficit he could push the needle if he keeps it in the park.

Mitchell getting the shutout is kind of ironic, as he's the only pitcher that won't get a start this week. We get an off day and no double header, and instead of demoting him, I'm going to give him a week in the pen. The 26-year-old has won pretty much every start he's made, a combined 11-2 between Milwaukee and Chicago. Yesterday he threw his second shutout, allowing just 5 hits and 2 walks with 5 strikeouts. Mitchell is riding a five game win streak, with four of those coming in Chicago. The competition hasn't been great, but he's delivered when called upon, and 5 of his 8 starts have gone 8 or more innings. That was completely unexpected, but he's always shown the ability to eat innings. Generally they aren't as effective, but in 63.1 this season he's worked to a 2.84 ERA (146 ERA+), 3.41 FIP (81 FIP-), and 1.09 WHIP. As is all would be easy career bests, and with three more starts on the horizon he's got a chance to keep these values pretty close. He's rolled with all the punches so far, and I can just sense a big outing coming from the crafty righty.

Pitching was the strength in most of our wins, but both our catchers were valuable on offense and defense. Dutch Miller continued his outstanding July, going 4-for-12 with a homer, 3 walks, and 4 RBIs. The 34-year-old veteran is hitting .299/.388/.552 (149 OPS+) in 21 July games, easily his best month of the season. 4 of his 9 homers and 14 of his 34 RBIs have came this month, as he finally seems to settled into Chicago. It's coincided with Chappy Sanders addition, and the backup was 5-for-8 with a double, homer, 3 runs, and 4 RBIs. Since his July 4th call up, he's hit an impressive .323/.389/.645 (172 OPS+). It's just 36 PAs, but he already has 3 homers and 10 RBIs. A position that was weak most of the season, we're finally seeing some production.

Looking Ahead
Off to start the week before we start what could be our biggest series of the season. A quick three game detour in Kansas City, we have our second best chance to actually cut into the seemingly insurmountable deficit ahead of us. We took advantage of a tired Kings squad, but this time they seem to be ready for action. Somewhat lucky for us, even if there wasn't an off day we'd get 2-3-4, with Jack Halbur (11-3, 2.53, 89), Allie Boone (6-4, 3.27, 107), and Beau McClellan (9-9, 3.87, 116). Ace Gene Bailey (16-3, 3.12, 120) picked up his FABL leading 16th win on Sunday, so he'd be missed regardless. For most that's good, but we're his third loss and worst start. No one in their rotation is an easy pull, so runs will be tough, which is not something to say about Hank Williams (.368, 32, 103). This dude is simply the best hitter in baseball, and he almost deserves to win a pennant. Yet to play in the postseason, the 3-Time Whitney winner is doing his best this season, as he's hoping year six as a starter is the one where he finally gets to the postseason. They just added Stan Kleminski (.260, 2, 35, 12), the postseason hit leader, in a depth building effort, but he won't be available for us. With pretty much only righties on our staff, we may struggle with the lefty-heavy lineup, and I'm worried that Earle Turner's (3-3, 2, 1.01, 45) scoreless month will come to a close. I'm extremely nervous for this series, as I think they're the best in the league, and we just aren't quite there yet.

But I am wrong often...

Back home to finish the week, three with the Sailors before another Monday off-day. San Francisco sits in fourth, and at 59-45 they're more then double digit games behind the Kings. Still an excellent team, they've got one of the best outfields, featuring veteran Edwin Hackberry (.268, 13, 52, 17), first-time All-Star John Kingsbury (.318, 14, 77, 6), and rookie sensation Otis Haldeman (.295, 15, 75, 4). Carlos Jaramillo (.265, 4, 37, 22) needs no introduction and Heinie Spitler (.373, 5, 60, 10) is the only thing between Hank Williams and a batting title, giving them arguably the top middle infield. Catching is an obvious weakness, as Larry McLaren (.229, 4, 8) fractured his rib and Bill Jenkins (.198, 1, 24) has a pitcher's batting line, but they're strong almost everywhere else. One guy I haven't really touched on before his graduated #35 prospect Allan Griffen (.290, 7, 38, 4), who's gone from released 20th Round pick to useful corner infielder. The 25-year-old has spent most of his season at first, hitting .290/.377/.448 (119 OPS+) with 24 extra base hits, 32 runs, 36 walks, and 38 RBIs. One of the toughest guys to strike out, he fits in with the Sailors general look, and they continue to get the most about players that some wouldn't give a second look to. With a good lineup, we'll have to exploit their pitching staff, and I think we'll draw Zane Kelley (7-4, 4.40, 78) and Sam Franklin (4-3, 4.88, 52). Our lineup should have a field day, especially if we can elevate their mistake pitches.

Minor League Report
CF Bob Adams (C La Crosse Lions): After being selected 131st in the most recent draft, Bob Adams has shown he's ready for pro baseball, off to a nice start to his minor league career. Adams got a little reward, as in week four he took home Player of the Week. Hitting a strong 15-for-29, he added 5 runs, a double, 2 triples, 2 homers, 7 RBIs, 3 walks, and 4 steals. 23 games into his La Crosse career, Adams has hit an impressive .379/.460/.598 (136 OPS+) with 3 doubles, 4 homers, 18 RBIs, 13 walks, 18 runs, and 8 steals. The speedster has also played tremendous defense, collecting a 4.4 zone rating (1.111 EFF) in under 200 innings. 20 in August, he's looking more then ready for a new challenge, but there's no room in the San Jose outfield. To get him playing everyday, he might have to wait longer then he deserves, but that doesn't mean he's not an important prospect in our system .Ranked 17th on the team and 305th overall, he could turn into a useful fourth outfielder, and his speed makes him a weapon late game. At worst a designated pinch runner, he has a nice high floor, and seems likely to end up on a FABL roster.ea

RHP Johnny Maples (C La Crosse Lions): Perhaps overshadowed by aces in the making Johnny Kern and Hub Russell, Johnny Maples has been the 1963 draftee off to the best start, as the 10th Round pick has allowed 3 or fewer runs in each of his 4 starts, including a 3-hit shutout of the Moline Pioneers. Ranked 20th in our system and 316th overall, he's our six ranked pitching prospect, the recently 20-year-old may not spend too much time in La Crosse. 3-1 with a 1.87 ERA (314 ERA+), 1.10 WHIP, and 16 strikeouts, he's been extremely effective, and with a few more starts like this he'll be on his way up. There's not a lot of room in the San Jose rotation, but Maples is a guy I could make room for, as his development is important to our future success. A little more then just pure depth, he could be a useful FABL starter, commanding the zone with his mid 80s sinker. Best for groundballs, he profiles well in our park, and he doesn't project to deal with command issues. The stuff isn't great, but only imperfect pitchers are available in the 10th Round, and he has plenty going for him with his movement and work ethic.

ayaghmour2 · 03-26-2025, 05:39 PM

Weekly Record: 3-3
Seasonal Record: 67-44 (3rd, 8.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
Cal Randall : 20 AB, 10 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .500 AVG, 1.174 OPS
Bob Allen : 2 Wins, 6.0 IP, 2 BB, 2 K, 1.50 ERA
Gene Case : 19 AB, 6 H, 2 HR, 6 RBI, .316 AVG, 1.172 OPS

Schedule
7-30: Win at Kings (5-3)
7-31: Loss at Kings (1-10)
8-1: Loss at Kings (0-3)
8-2: Win vs Sailors (5-11)
8-3: Loss vs Sailors (7-1)
8-4: Win vs Sailors (5-6)

Recap
Yeah...

Of course...

The Kings are just too good...

At least we won one of the last two July games, so at 21-8, we were ever-so-slightly ahead of the 21-9 Kings for July, but those Kings were just too much to handle. They took two of three from us, then the Stars, almost cementing a Continental pennant with two months to go.

We played our best ball in July, as did Dode Caudill, though this week he was better in August (5-15, 2 2B, HR, 2 RBI, 3 R, 3 BB), helping us take the Sailors series with a huge game (3-5, 2B, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI) to get thing started. Named Rookie of the Month for September, are young star hit .390/.467/.602 (185 OPS+), totaling 5 doubles, 4 triples, 3 homers, 12 RBIs, 17 walks, 9 steals, and an absurd 35 runs scored in 29 games. Still a longshot for the Kellogg, he has all the counting stats you can count, 82 runs, 18 doubles, 11 triples, 16 homers, 48 RBIs, 48 walks, 17 steals, and 4 WAR, helping us win games in whatever way he can. Sure, the .311/.379/.516 (138 OPS+) batting line isn't quite as good as Boyd and Woods, but he's done everything well as he establishes himself among the better players in the game.

One thing I was really hoping for this week was some revenge from former King Cal Randall, and at least in the opener he made a difference. Hitting his 8th homer of the season, Randall was a perfect 3-for-3, more then making up for his 11th error of the season. 1-for-3 and 2-for-4 in the losses, he finished the week an even 10-for-20, upping his season line to a more respectable .273/.303/.381 (83 OPS+). Aside from Randall, we didn't do much hitting, though Gene Case provided some pop in the heart of the order. 6-for-19, he added a double and 2 homers, drawing 4 walks with 3 runs and 6 RBIs. Now with 20 homers on the season, the second-time All-Star has hit .289/.386/.535 (145 OPS+) on the season, and still has an outside chance for his second 30 home run season. We'll need more to get back on track this week, but it was tough watching Jack Gibson (6-24, 4 RBI, 2 R, BB) and Henry Watson (4-23, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, 3 R, 2 BB) cool when we needed them most.

Same can be said for the staff, though I am thankful that Ken Stone's oblique strain was mild. He was off to a good start in the opener with the Kings, allowing 3 hits and 2 unearned runs with 2 strikeouts, leaving with one out in the 4th. Deemed fine to make his next start, he got his 5th consecutive no decision in our 6-5 win over the Sailors, chased out with 10 hits, 5 runs, 3 walks, and 4 strikeouts in 6 innings. Dick Champ was the only starter with real success, as the guy we acquired for the Fed's July Rookie of the Month got an unlucky loss, 5 hits, a run, and 2 strikeouts in 6.2 innings, as we could not do anything with our 10 hits off Beau McClellan (10-9, 3.63, 126). The pen was mostly solid, even if the Kings ruined Earle Turner's perfect July, as on the last day of the month he allowed 6 hits, 5 runs (3 earned), and a walk with just one strikeout in 3 innings. Despite the clunker, he finished with a 1.27 ERA (329 ERA+), 2.05 FIP (49 FIP-), and 1.12 WHIP, striking out 17 in 21.1 outstanding innings. Bob Allen picked up two wins, including the game Stone left early, where he went 4 with 5 hits, a run, and 2 strikeouts. The win against the Sailors wasn't as smooth, scattering 4 hits and 2 walks in 2 innings, but Allen is now 5-3 after 69.2 innings, working to a 2.58 ERA (161 ERA+) and 0.99 WHIP with 15 walks and 32 strikeouts. After two scoreless from Arch Wilson, our entire pen is now back below a 3 ERA, as it's about all that we can do better then KC. And they still have the #2 pen.

Looking Ahead
It's not quite panic time, but since the Kings don't play us or the Stars until the last few days of August, and they only have one series with the Sailors, I just don't see us making up even four games in August. We at least start with what should be an easy matchup, as our quick six game homestand finishes with three against the Wranglers. With a Monday off-day, rotations can be reset, but all their starters are easy to hit, and ace Steve Miller (5-14, 4.24, 75) won't be ready till Friday. In better Wrangler news, they moved All-Star bench bat Elmer Piper (.374, 5, 31) to the starting lineup, and the 29-year-old has hit a productive .374/.396/.508 (137 OPS+) in 202 PAs. Him and Ken Hudson (.251, 15, 41) can do some damage, but overall the Wranglers are closer to the Blues then us, and anything less then a sweep will be a let-down.

Things get tougher on the weekend, as we'll have to visit LA for four games in three days. Like us, they're off to start the week, but they'll host the Wolves before we come to town. LA has started to slip, as ace Floyd Warner (11-5, 4.11, 105) has been hit hard and none of their bats showed up in KC. Star slugger Lou Allen (.298, 27, 89) had a rare hitless week, 0-for-18 with 3 walks, and despite the best efforts of their deep lineup, runs were tough against the Kings staff that's back to allowing the fewest runs. I'm hoping that means their lineup struggles with our staff, as we should be able to put runs on their pitchers. Harry Stout (10-6, 3.41, 128) has had a major breakout at 22, and I think we're stuck facing him. A deadly fastball/slider pitcher, he might quickly emerge as the Stars top option, and I'm worried that he'll have no issues carving through our lineup on the road. 27-26 away from home, we just play like a much different team, and I can easily see us sweeping the Wranglers before doing no better then a split in LA.

Minor League Report
CF Orlando Benitez (AA Little Rock Governors): Despite being just 20-years-old, Orlando Benitez continues to dominate minor league pitching, capturing Batter of the Month in the Dixie League. Now with 3s across the board for offense, and improving defense at third and all three outfield spots, he's starting to push for a FABL spot, and he probably should be in the Century League already, but there's just no rush to bring him to Chicago. In July, Benitez hit an excellent .292/.398/.667 (177 OPS+) with 11 homers and 27 RBIs, homering more then Hank Williams in four less games. The power has really shown through lately, as the 36th ranked prospect now has 23 in 88 games, hitting .297/.410/.563 (155 OPS+) with 12 doubles, 12 steals, 60 runs, and 78 RBIs. Most impressive may be the eye, as he's drawn 64 walks to just 38 strikeouts, improving what at once might have been considered a weakness of his. The strengths are evident, he's a gifted athlete with legit pop and blazing speed, but everything is starting to come together this year. Dixie thinks has more upside then Henry Watson and is just above or below Jerry McMillan, and if all breaks right Benitez could be among our top players, and his improvements at third base open up an easier avenue for playing time.

SS Bill Grimm (A Rockford Wildcats): Our top ranked prospect and #22 in baseball, Bill Grimm is looking like a steal at 10, as only four players from his draft class rank ahead of him. Sure, John Edwards (.266, 3, 35) has debuted and projects to be a building block in Minnesota, but every other pick in the draft is listed behind him. He's doing us proud so far, crushing San Jose to the tune of .342/.382/.561 (160 OPS+) in 55 games before his promotion to Rockford. Reunited with Sam Pratt, he's playing more then just short, with starts at first, second, third, and even center. It hasn't impacted his hitting, as in 147 PAs he's hitting .285/.381/.423 (116 OPS+) with 5 doubles, 3 triples, 2 homers, 13 RBIs and 3 steals. Combined with his time in San Jose, he's picked up 58 runs, 36 extra base hits, 35 walks, and 53 RBIs. Like Benitez, the 19-year-old is very advanced for his age, with 3s everywhere but Avoid Ks and Contact. Once he cuts down on the strikeouts, he's going to be a really good hitter, and he can get into the lineup anywhere. He's no worse then a 3 potential for each position he plays, everywhere but catcher and pitcher so far. With speed, power, and a great eye, he's oozing with potential, and he has all the tools to be among the best in the game.

ayaghmour2 · 03-28-2025, 06:42 PM

Week 1 Record: 4-3
Stars of the Week
Gene Case : 27 AB, 12 H, 4 HR, 10 RBI, .444 AVG, 1.457 OPS
Dode Caudill : 30 AB, 12 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .400 AVG, .971 OPS
Jack Gibson : 28 AB, 9 H, 3 HR, 8 RBI, .321 AVG, 1.000 OPS

Schedule
8-6: Win vs Wranglers (2-5)
8-7: Win vs Wranglers (2-10)
8-8: Win vs Wranglers (3-11)
8-9: Loss at Stars (2-5)
8-10: Loss at Stars (1-9)
8-11: Win at Stars (5-2)
8-11: Loss at Stars (9-15)

Week 2 Record: 2-4
Seasonal Record: 73-51 (3rd, 14 GB)
Stars of the Week
Jerry McMillan : 30 AB, 10 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .333 AVG, .767 OPS
Dick Champ : 1 Win, 9.0 IP, 0 BB, 6 K, 0.00 ERA
Jack Gibson : 23 AB, 5 H, 2 HR, 8 RBI, .217 AVG, .728 OPS

Schedule
8-14: Loss at Saints (1-4)
8-15: Win at Saints (9-3)
8-16: Win at Cannons (7-0)
8-17: Loss at Cannons (3-5)
8-18: Loss at Cannons (4-9)
8-18: Loss at Cannons (1-2): 12 innings

Recap
I'm a bit behind and our season is lone done so I'm just going to combine the last two weeks. I've already been thinking of doing monthly or even biweekly so this is a nice little test run. Since we stopped playing well and the Kings are just too much better then everyone else, and even if we were still playing at an elite level we wouldn't be any closer to them then the Stars are. On the bright side, Dode Caudill's big month was not by chance, as OSA alerted me that Dixie might be a bit behind on his reports. After taking another look at him, Dixie upgraded him from straight 3s to 4s at Contact, Avoid Ks, Power, and Eye. This is a huge upgrade for our new cornerstone, who seems like a lock for a 20/20 rookie season. Through 122 games, he has 17 homers and 20 steals, hitting .313/.378/.508 (136 OPS+) with 97 runs, 20 doubles, 12 triples, 56 RBIs, 55 walks, and 4.4 WAR. In most seasons that's good enough for the Kellogg, but he needs a big August and September to come close. If only he can drag us to the playoffs!

Gene Case took home Player of the Week in the first week, going 12-for-27 with a double, 4 homers, 10 RBIs, 6 runs, 4 walks, and a steal. That improved his season line to .298/.396/.559 (153 OPS+), as he continues to show that he deserved his All-Star selection. He cooled a little this week, but through 124 games he's still played in each one, collecting 24 doubles, 8 triples, 25 homers, 81 runs, 87 RBIs, 73 walks, 13 steals, and 4.4 WAR. The production hasn't been impacted, his 154 WRC+ would be a career high, and it's just a shame he doesn't get more attention. It would help if we were if we were in a pennant race, but we're starting to gather a nice collection of young players all entering their prime, giving us hope for better times.

Dick Champ has really turned things around, as after seeing Bob Starr breakout across town, he's been at his best on the mound. That continued at the end of the period, as Champ got our only win in Cincy. A truly dominant effort, he had 6 hits and 6 strikeouts, shutting out the Cannons is a commanding 7-0 opening win. After a brutal patch in the midseason, he's allowed three or fewer runs in 7 of his last 8 starts. Somehow his 4.18 ERA (100 ERA+) is the third best among our five regular starters, trailing just Ken Stone (2.95, 141) and Hank Walker (3.71 112). Don Griffin was having issues, even losing his starter role, role, but he bounced back with a nice outing against the Saints. Going 5 innings he had just 3 hits, a run, and walk to improve to 10-4 on the season. The issue was he only struck out one, and lowered his ERA to 4.20 (99 ERA+). I'm not sure why he's struggled as he isn't walking anyone and he's not really allowing more homers then usual, so I'm hoping it's just bad luck and not a drop in his overall effectiveness.

Arch Wilson has really fell into rough times, seeing his ERA jump from 2.90 to 4.47 (93 ERA+) in just three outings. This includes 11 hits, 10 runs, and a walk with just 3 strikeouts in 2.2 innings pitched. Unable to get batters out, he cost us the extra inning one-run game, and has shown the volatility of reliever ERA. Just a few bad innings can wreck the stats, and if he can straighten up the rest of the way he'll finish with more respectable totals. We still have the lowest pen ERA in the Conti, but we've been leaky the past two weeks, with all four members allowing runs. They'll get John Mitchell a lot the rest of the way, just one double header left on the season, and I may bring up an arm or two once rosters expand. At 58-55, Milwaukee isn't a real threat in the Century League pennant race, so I'm fine getting a few filler players to bring some reinforcements for our final month.

Jack Gibson became the first Cougar to hit 30 homers this season, as our second basemen homered in back-to-back days to hit the milestone. The third time he's reached this, he's been relatively healthy after his lengthy absence, slashing .287/.314/.575 (132 OPS+) in 92 games. Providing us with 61 runs and 83 RBIs, he's one of our best run producers, even if he is pretty much homer or bust. He's got just 17 walks, 10 doubles, and 2 triples, and won't steal any bases. The defense is a plus, as he's got an outstanding 9.2 zone rating and 1.094 efficiency at second. If we just had this last season, we'd be the disappointing defending pennant winners, instead of again shifting our focus to the next season.

Looking Ahead
Just six games tis week, and since we'll be at home, I think we can actually win some. A tale of two teams, we're 43-18 in the confines of Cougars Park, but a dreadful 30-33 away from it. At least we get more home games the rest of the way, and after a Monday off day we start a nice long homestand that runs until roster expansion. It starts with three must-win games, as we'll host the Imperials before a tough set in LA. Two totally different teams, the Imps are second to last and recently eliminated, while the Stars are second and trying to pull off a miraculous comeback. 9.5 games out, they can still pull off the impossible, but I think we'll do our part in spoiling. Sure, they outplayed us in California, but the Windy City is where we play best, even if they will be able to hit home runs off us.

Minor League Report
CF Orlando Benitez (AA Little Rock Governors): Depending on how you look at it, this most recent one was a good one for Orlando Benitez. One of the top Dixie League hitters this season, Benitez won his second Player of the Week, 7-for-19 with 6 runs, a double, a triple, 3 homers, 6 RBIs, and 5 walks. The only problem is his back started to tighten up on him during Friday's 2-1 win in Knoxville. Benitez did make both starts over the weekend, 3-for-8 with 3 runs, 2 RBIs, and a walk, double, and triple, but in an abundance of caution, I'm placing the 20-year-old on the IL.

Now ranked as the 37th best prospect in FABL, he's a potential star in the making, and I don't want him to develop injury problems early. Taken 10th in the 1961 draft, he's hitting an impressive .299/.411/.581 (162 OPS+) in 450 PAs, showcasing his explosive tools. An advanced hitter for his age, he's clubbed 27 homers and swiped 12 bases, providing the third place Governors with 69 runs, 15 doubles, 5 triples, 86 RBIs, and 72 walks. A natural center fielder, he's shown improvements in left and right, and I'm leaning on playing him at third when he returns from what should be a quick IL stint. Our outfield is full at the big league level, and if Benitez can take the Dode Caudill route to the majors, we'll have a huge upgrade on offense. Cal Randall can stick around to play late game defense, while giving off-days to the entire infield. Benitez can help in the outfield too, and there's always the chance someone gets hurt. With no need to rush him, he'll finish out the year in Little Rock, but if the Cuban native ends up int he minors again next season, it will be in Milwaukee and not Little Rock, and I'd be very surprised if he does not get a callup to the big league club next season.

SS Sam Pratt (A Rockford Wildcats): Sam Pratt continued his dream season, as he joined Gene Case in winning a Player of the Week. In the same time period, Pratt was 12-for-27 with 2 doubles, a homer, 6 RBIs, and 6 walks. Despite not getting much recognition from the prospect rankers, he continues to be one of our most effective hitters this season. Ranked just outside the top 30 and 500, Pratt is now hitting .353/.433/.548 (162 OPS+) with 14 doubles, 5 triples, 11 homers, 57 RBIs, 40 walks, 55 runs, and 10 steals in 337 PAs with Rockford. Combined with his 27 game sample in San Jose, he's been worth 5.4 WAR with 39 extra base hits, 46 walks, 69 runs, 63 RBIs, and 13 steals, making appearances at all four infield positions. If we didn't have a surplus of outfielders, he could fill any of those three spots either, as he's got all the makings of a Swiss army knife utility man. Quick, able to work the count, and grind out at bats, he's a high floor guy that's trying to push the limits of his ceiling.

RF Harry Cummings (C La Crosse Lions): Somehow the best hitter the UMVA has ever seen, the uninspiring Harry Cummings continues to torment the league and it's pitching staffs. Capturing another Player of the Week, the unranked former 11th Rounder had back-to-back 4-hit games, finishing 14-for-21 with 3 doubles, 3 homers, 10 RBIs, 3 walks, and 3 steals. Through 190 PAs he now boasts a robust .442/.547/.779 (196 OPS+), earning 16 doubles, 3 triples, 10 homers, 44 RBIs, 33 walks, 38 runs, and 8 steals. With three weeks left in the season, he'll finish out a three year career with the Lions. Currently a .389/.515/.710 (189 OPS+) hitter, there's really no explanation for why he looks like Hank Williams' reincarnation, and he could finish with some team or even league records once the year finishes.

ayaghmour2 · 04-01-2025, 08:05 PM

Two Week Record: 9-3
Seasonal Record: 82-54 (3rd, 12 GB)
Stars of the Weeks
Henry Watson : 47 AB, 18 H, 5 HR, 18 RBI, .383 AVG, 1.197 OPS
Dode Caudill : 51 AB, 17 H, 2 HR, 9 RBI, .333 AVG, .939 OPS
Gene Case : 41 AB, 11 H, 5 HR, 9 RBI, .268 AVG, 1.087 OPS

Schedule
8-20: Win vs Imperials (8-9): 11 innings
8-21: Win vs Imperials (6-7)
8-22: Loss vs Imperials (4-3)
8-23: Win vs Stars (4-5)
8-24: Win vs Stars (4-5)
8-25: Loss vs Stars (5-2)
8-27: Loss vs Saints (4-7)
8-28: Win vs Saints (8-11)
8-29: Win vs Saints (2-3)
8-30: Win vs Foresters (2-3)
8-31: Win vs Foresters (3-7)
9-1: Win vs Foresters (1-6)

Recap
It's funny that right after we got behind and I did two weeks, we accidentally had a two week sim, before taking a little time off as our commish is on vacation. This allowed me to catch up without rush, and why the post came so late.

We're basically the hottest team that isn't the Kings right now, ranked 2nd in the Power Rankings and even making up a pair of games since the last report. This is despite playing five consecutive one-run games, as we were able to escape with four wins. Finally, we've won (24) more of those then we lost (22), but just not as often as we win regular games. Playing at home certainly helped, as we're basically unbeatable at Cougars Park, so I really shouldn't be surprised we finished August so well. Despite the slow start, 16-12 is passable, but our worst month since April and we're not nearly close enough to first for it to matter much.

On the bright side, we'll surpass our 86 wins from last year and we have a reasonable chance to win the most games for the franchise since our 92-win 1946 season saw us lose a 1-game playoff. I can't see us getting 97, how much we won in our 1941 pennant season, but 90 is in reach and a nice milestone for a pretty quality club. It's also the first season in team history where we've had three players hit 30 or more home runs, as with just under a month to play, the trio of Jack Gibson, Henry Watson, and Gene Case all have reached 30. Barring an absurd October, that's all we'll have, but with Johnny McMillan and Dode Caudill both at 19, we could easily have a full house of homers with 2 in the 20s and 3 in the 30s.

Case got to 30 in dramatic fashion, homering in each of his first three at bats of our 7-3 win over the Foresters. The first three-homer game of his career, Case was a perfect 3-for-3 with a walk and 5 RBIs, and the dangerous slugger is batting an outstanding .292/.393/.560 (152 OPS+) on the season. On track to appear in all 162 of our games this year, Case has collected 24 doubles, 9 triples, 96 RBIs, 92 runs, 82 walks, and 14 steals, worth an even 5 wins above replacement in 136 games. A disciplined hard worker with an elite eye, booming power, and blazing speed, Case does everything except play defense at a useful position, and the former 8th overall pick should continue to be an important part of our team success.

Same goes for Gibson and Watson, who have both surprised for various reasons. With Gibson it's the availability, not the pop, as he's hammered the over on the 75 games I was expecting to get from him this year. Already at 104, he's slugged when healthy, leading the club with 33 homers to go with elite second base defense (10.8, 1.099). His .285/.316/.566 (130 OPS+) batting line would technically be a career low, but the Mitchell-esque hitter is pretty much always in the 131-141 WRC+ range, and all I truly cared about this year was having him on the field. Yes, disaster could strike in the last month, but he's been worth 4.5 WAR with 69 runs and 93 RBIs, and took home his second All-Star nod. Watson, meanwhile, was expected to play, but a .328/.367/.568 (146 OPS+) batting line and 6.9 WAR exceeded even my highest expectations. Attempting to shine as a star, Watson has clubbed 23 doubles, 31 homers, and 108 RBIs, adding 6 triples, 10 steals, and 90 runs scored. Paired with equally elite defense (14.2, 1.095), the club leader really cemented his place on the roster as one of our most valuable options.

We didn't really pitch well in August, which certainly contributed to our struggles on the road. Just three members of the staff were really all that reliable, with one being swingman John Mitchell. An out shy of 20 innings, he started 2 of his 7 outings, going 2-0 with a save, 3.66 ERA (115 ERA+), 1.02 WHIP, and 10 strikeouts. It was Hank Walker then that led the staff, 4-1 in his 5 starts with a 3.31 ERA (127 ERA+), 3.40 FIP (81 FIP-), and 1.30 WHIP, striking out 27 to just 12 walks. Since June, he's been our best pitcher, and in 24 starts on the season he's 12-4 with a 3.66 ERA (115 ERA+), 1.34 WHIP, and 103 strikeouts. Outperforming Roy Ellis and Doc Griffin, both who have had their issues this summer, he's gone from fighting for a rotation spot to almost unbeatable, and he'll keep pitching meaningful innings for us. Dick Champ's road was different, as he has been wildly inconsistent, but his August was almost as good. His 2-2 record looks worse then the 3.21 ERA (131 ERA+), 3.36 FIP (79 FIP-), and 1.13 WHIP, as Champ set down 19 with 7 walks. His 4.44 ERA (94 ERA+) and 4.48 FIP (106 FIP-) on the season are approaching average, and he was arguably more valuable for us in 14 starts last season. Thing is, when he's on he's on, and he's had a lot of huge wins for us and he should continue to be a mostly reliable veteran arm in the rotation.

Looking Ahead
So what's in the way of our quest to 90? A lot of road games! It starts with our final double header of the season on Monday, kicking off a road-trip with the Sailors (3), Wrangles (3), Foresters (3), and Wolves (4). If we lose to the Wranglers, we really are cursed on the road, but expect losses in the rest of the series. We only have three more home series, hosting the Cannons (3), Kings (3), and Wolves (2) before the season ends. Between the Cannons and Kings is the Imperials, and we finish the season with three in Kansas City against a team that likely has the playoffs locked up.

Or maybe we win all six against them and steal the crown! That's possible, right!?!?!

At least on paper it is!

Minor League Report
Traditionally when rosters expand, I do a cover on each player coming up, but this also coincides with a large time jump so some of this will look a little different then usual. With AAA's season ending in two weeks, there will be more callup slater in the month, but we will add a few reinforcements. What we won't have is a third catcher, as I didn't have time to sign a minor league free agent to replace a would be callup. We might have one by next sim.

LHP Doc Cook: The pen gets an extra arm for the rest of the way, as the Blues aren't likely making up 9 games in the Century League, and won't really miss Doc Cook. For us, it keeps guys rested, as the short-stint lefty could get us out of a jam or two. Nearly all his time came in Milwaukee this year, as Cook was 4-2 with 12 holds in 40 appearances spanning 60.1 innings pitched. Walking 19 and striking out 42, he had a 2.09 ERA (174 ERA+), 2.93 FIP (80 FIP-), and 1.14 WHIP, an extremely effective branch option. A guy who only throws low 90s fastballs, he's the prototypical AAAA pitcher, though in a weaker pen he'd be a useful lefty specialist. He's now out of options, so this year could be his last in our organization. I'd love to keep him as depth if he doesn't make the roster next season, and I don't think he's likely to be claimed if exposed.

1B Jack Drake: The only callup from AA, Jack Drake will get what likely amounts to his final September callup, as the 25-year-old final option was used this season. Recently 25, he was back in Little Rock, where he hit .271/.367/.460 with 18 homers and 68 RBIs. He's now made nearly 1,500 PAs (1,441) with the Governors, hitting a middling .255/.357/.415 (108 OPS+) with 33 homers and 179 RBIs. A first basemen without much power, more then half of his homers came this year, which at least gives him hope for earning a roster spot. We don't really have a natural back up first basemen, and the threat to go deep could be enough for Drake to get an extended look. He's never starting over Gene Case, who's just a month and a half older, but he should get a chance to make his 6th at-bat his first hit.

3B Mooney Vetter: His first go around in Chicago didn't go well, but at least in the second he won't be relied on for anything. With everyone healthy, we can use Mooney Vetter on the bench, as the recently turned 29-year-old is a 2-Time Diamond Defense winner at second. An improved shortstop, he can man their and second too, but we have other guys more suited for the middle infield. Appearing in 8 games for the big league club, his .043/.043/.043 (-77 OPS+) batting line might be the worst among players with 23 or more PAs, which is far from his AAA output. In 102 games he slashed an impressive .302/.330/.476 (126 OPS+), notching 22 doubles, 16 homers, and 63 RBIs. With an option year left, he may get another go in Milwaukee next season, but he could end up stealing Buddy Byrd's spot on the bench. A tough guy to strike out, when he's hitting homers he can be useful, but the .272/.309/.375 (81 OPS+) he hit last year was simply not up to standard.

LF Jim Barton: Not only was Jim Barton a Player of the Week and Batter of the Month, but he now got what he desired far more then any minor league award. Another chance to play in the Cougar outfield.

The unlucky odd man out, Barton saw Dode Caudill take over left field and never look back, and when I realized we needed ten pitchers with all the double headers, Barton was the one who was sent down to the Century League. At first, he struggled as he was demotivated, but he's improved in each month, culminating in a return to Chicago. Barton hit an impressive .350/.385/.610 (178 OPS+) in 109 PAs, upping his season line to .275/.319/.439 (112 OPS+) with 25 doubles, 12 triples, 7 homers, 48 RBIs, and 57 runs. With the rest of his season coming in Chicago, he'll get a chance to improve his 2-for-15 from earlier in the season, where Barton played minimally and added a double, homer, 2 runs, 3 RBIs, and 4 strikeouts. A strong defender who once hit .338/.393/.569 (151 OPS+) with 35 doubles, 17 triples, and 17 homers, I could probably waive him and he'd go unclaimed, but I don't think I'll end up doing that next spring. An overqualified 4th outfielder, part of me believes there's still a useful hitter hiding, but barring injury there just isn't room for him. I hope he gets used to the bench, as he could be a useful roster member for a really good 1964 Cougar team.

SS Bill Grimm (A Rockford Wildcats): Expected to be our top ranked prospect for the foreseeable future, Bill Grim was also the top player in the Heartland League. Despite bouncing all around the diamond, Grimm's bat has remained steady, as last year's first rounder hit .283/.450/.587 (177 OPS+) with 3 doubles, 2 triples, 7 homers, 25 RBIs, 21 runs, 18 walks, and 4 steals. A legitimate five-tool player, the 20th ranked prospect has gotten very comfortable at second and third, and he's hit .300/.423/.505 (148 OPS+) in 62 Class A games. An advanced hitter for his age, Grimm has great speed, an excellent arm, exciting power potential, a great eye, and a solid contact tool. Before August, he was striking out a ton, but he was set down in just 10.8% of PAs to lower his Rockford line to 16.2. Quickly becoming an option for us at third base, I'm leaning towards starting him in Little Rock next season. With star potential, he could be a huge boost for our lineup, and a capable shortstop option if I ever want to move away from Tom Halliday's glove. It's too early to rush him, but if he keeps producing and we need some offense, Grimm could find himself in a Cougar uniform in no time.

RHP George Spencer (C La Crosse): Not only did George Spencer's two weeks have a shutout, but he also took home Pitcher of the Month in the UMVA. A 5th Round Pick in 1961, Spencer put up numbers that aren't usually seen in the hitter friendly league, a perfect 4-0 with a 0.66 ERA (853 ERA+), 1.18 WHIP, and 42 strikeouts. Now in 9 starts he's 5-2, holding an elegant 2.34 ERA (242 ERA+) and 3.68 FIP (65 65 FIP-) in 65.1 innings. The young righty has a tidy 1.33 WHIP with 48 walks and 69 strikeouts, and will now head up to San Jose. Ranked 22nd in our system and 398th overall, he doesn't project to pitch like this often, but he does have the chance to develop into a spot starter role. With solid stuff and movement, his fatal flaw is control, as walks and homers will always be an issue. On the plus side, he has the stamina to survive high pitch counts, and his fastball, curve, and change are all really good pitches. He's at least worth an eventual look in the pen, as his stuff and ability to eat innings could be honed into something of use.

RF Harry Cummings (C La Crosse Lions): We swept the UMVA awards, as Lions superstar Harry Cummings did his best Hank Williams impersonation in August. The 20-year-old outfielder hit an almost unfathomable .505/.612/.952 (249 OPS+) with 13 doubles, 10 homers, 23 walks, 28 runs, and 41 RBIs. A historic mark, he's got a chance to set multiple league and team records, hitting .448/.560/.811 (206 OPS+) with 20 doubles, 15 homers, 67 RBIs, 50 runs, 45 walks, 11 steals, and 4.2 WAR. He has just one week left to add to his totals and maintain his rate stats, before leaving La Crosse until he inevitably returns as a coach to teach future Lions the secret to hitting at this level.

StLee · 04-01-2025, 09:12 PM

It's crazy that you have over a .600 winning percentage yet nowhere near 1st place in the division. In a 162-game season, you would have around 100 wins. Crazy.

ayaghmour2 · 04-02-2025, 09:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StLee

It's crazy that you have over a .600 winning percentage yet nowhere near 1st place in the division. In a 162-game season, you would have around 100 wins. Crazy.

Yep the Kings are just way too good. They will run away with it. But we'll come out of the year with a lot of positives. Just need something to get on their level

ayaghmour2 · Yesterday, 08:23 PM

Weekly Record: 2-6
Seasonal Record: 84-60 (3rd, 17.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
Jack Gibson : 24 AB, 7 H, 5 HR, 8 RBI, .292 AVG, 1.263 OPS
Gene Case : 25 AB, 8 H, 3 HR, 6 RBI, .320 AVG, 1.177 OPS
Cal Randall : 24 AB, 10 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .417 AVG, 1.083 OPS

Schedule
9-2: Loss at Sailors (5-8)
9-2: Loss at Sailors (6-8)
9-3: Loss at Sailors (2-5)
9-4: Loss at Wranglers (5-7)
9-5: Win at Wranglers (10-5)
9-6: Loss at Foresters (6-9)
9-7: Win at Foresters (11-1)
9-8: Loss at Foresters (0-5)

Recap
Ha. Sure. Yeah.

We just can't win on the road. It's just not possible.

I don't know why, but the 1963 Chicago Cougars just do not know how to win anywhere that isn't Cougars Park.

What I do know is that Jack Gibson might be the closest thing between Hank Williams and a triple crown, as our slugger hit five homer homers, including two two-homer games in Cleveland. If the Kings slugger ends up winning, an oblique strain and load management could be the cause, as in 110 games Gibson has 38 homers while the leader's 40 come in 139. If he can stay healthy he'll keep starting, and our second basemen health may determine a much tighter pennant race next year.

About equal games home and road, and for fun I'm just keeping a six man rotation. It looks like Buck Cuppett will go with John Mitchell against the Wolves to start the week, and I'm for giving guys who aren't fully rested an extra day off. There's no need to risk injury at this point, and none of our pitchers have a chance for any sort of award. Besides, Mitchell has pitched well, and he could end up a member of next years rotation. Or more importantly, his presence could allow us to trade a pitcher for a big bat or a truly dominant starter. No one pitched like an ace, and I don't want to bet on regression to catch a really good team.

The offense did show up most of the time, as Gibson was far from the only one producing runs. Gene Case stayed hot, 8-for-25 with a double, 3 homers, 6 RBIs, 8 runs, 7 walks, and a steal. The RBIs put him over 100 for the season, now 102 in 144 games. Case has plenty of other counting stats -- 25 doubles, 9 triples, 33 homers, 100 runs, 89 walks, and 15 steals -- and a small, small part of me thinks the could turn into a Hank Williams-esque player. Recently 25, he's an exemplary worker and he keeps getting better each year. I'm really excited to see what he comes up with next, as he's yet to reveal his true ceiling.

Big weeks also came from Cal Randall and Dode Caudill, while a collection of bench pieces impressed in limited time. Randall hit his 10th homer of the season, 10-for-24 with a double, triple, and 5 runs scored and driven in, while Dode hit his 20th longball and collected a triple, steal, 6 runs, 3 RBIs, and 3 walks in an 11-for-31 effort. Obviously Dode has been great all year long, but since returning from the IL Randall has slashed a strong .304/.353/.429 with 6 doubles, 5 homers, 22 runs, 32 BRIs, 14 walks, and a triple. This has improved his season line to a more respectable .269/.309/.377 (83 OPS+), and if we can get add a bat to the lineup he's making himself look like an easier plan B. If we do add someone, he could join Pete Meany (5-11, 2B, 2 RBI, R, 3 BB), Chappy Sanders (3-10, 2B, HR, RBI, 3 R, BB), and Mooney Vetter (1-5, HR, 3 RBI) in competition for a bench role. All three made the most of their time this week, but the life of a bench player is not always that easy.

Looking Ahead
More losses are in the forecast to start the week, as we'll be in Toronto for a long four game series. The Wolves are one of seven teams mathematically eliminated from postseason contention, but I'm sure by the end of the series we'll join them. At 74-70, they're going for their first season above .500 since 1948, and they should easily surpass their 77 wins from last season's .500 finish. It's been in spite of struggles from Arnie Smith (12-9, 4.40, 130), Tom Reed (.239, 17, 67), and George Hoxworth (4-7, 7.68, 40), and they again had to deal with a Phil Colantuono (13-7, 2.62, 111) injury. He's healthy again, and likely to face us, so unless he's rusty we'll really struggle there. With solid overall hitting and pitching, they should play us well, and I'm nervous about our effectiveness here.

Sunny skies should follow, as we'll return home to host the Cannons for three games. At 75-71, they've been extremely inconsistent, going on long stretches of winning and losing. Bonnie Chapin's (.349, 25, 76) torn labrum was a major blow, even if Charlie Ham (.258, 18, 44) isn't a bad replacement, as few can provide what Bonnie can. Like Toronto they can pitch and hit, but in Chicago we're tough to best. Whether it's luck, familiarity, or skill, we just do better, and can make up for them taking three of four from us last month in the Queen City. That was even without Chapin, as they still have 30-home run hitters Dallas Berry (.298, 34, 105, 12) and Mark Boyd (.281, 31, 84), both of who I'd love to have in a Cougar uniform.

Minor League Report
RHP Bob Burdick: I bought up two more players as minor league seasons are starting to wind down, and I added a few free agents to get a few guys here early. The first is veteran Bob Burdick, who can be a last resort type arm. Already 35, 78 of his 81.1 came with the Blues, where he held a 3.46 ERA (105 ERA+) and 1.31 WHIP with 32 walks and 49 strikeouts. A useful member of the pen last year, he was edged out this season since he was optionable. Our pen has been consistently effective, but it never hurts to add a guy with a 3.58 FABL ERA (127 ERA+). Unfortunately for him, his future is most likely an option or DFA, but he'll have one final chance to state his case.

C Milt Payne: As uninspiring as Burdick is, Milt Payne is that times five, as the career bench warmer will be our emergency third catcher. After being DFA'd, he hit .207/.233/.390 (74 OPS+) with 4 doubles, a triple, 3 homers, and 10 RBIs. Still way better then what he did with us this year, he's now an emergency third backup. This also allows us to get Chappy some time in the outfied, as his lefty bat off the bench could be useful.

03-16-2025, 01:40 PM	#1621
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,974	1963 Draft: Rounds 11 and 12 11th Round, 211th Overall: CF Phil Weeks School: CC Los Angeles Coyotes 1963: .270/.324/.428, 340 PA, 9 2B, 2 3B, 12 HR, 58 RBI, 39 SB Career: .277/.327/.413, 979 PA, 27 2B, 6 3B, 28 HR, 160 RBI, 112 SB We get two extra live picks this year! Which means two more useful prospects! Or at least that's the hope! 21 in September, I'm a fan of the three-year outfielder, as Phil Weeks is a useful defender with elite speed and a nice bat. Breaking out with 12 homers as a junior, Weeks had a pretty consistent college career, hitting .277 with 28 homers, 160 RBIs, and 112 steals. A rangy defender, despite being a 4/4/3 Dixie only has him as a 2 in center, but I care more about that range rating then the positional one. Plus, with a 4/4/3 OSA has him as a 3, so he's at least close to average in center. A 4th outfield or platoon type, OSA thinks he could be a useful supplemental piece, and I think his above average contact tool could allow him to fill a lineup spot. When he puts the ball in play, good things happen, and he has a good feel for the zone. With a quick bat, he can catch up to most fastballs, so once he masters breaking pitches, he has a chance to be a useful roster piece who can get some hits and take a few away. 12th Round, 231st Overall: RHP Tom McDaniel School: Rabouin Falcons 1963: 2-0, 9 SV, 30.2 IP, 0.59 ERA, 0.72 WHIP, 6 BB, 52 K Career: 2-0, 9 SV, 30.2 IP, 0.59 ERA, 0.72 WHIP, 6 BB, 52 K A fascinating pitcher, Tom McDaniel is a bit of an unusual pick, as he's one of the rare reliever prospects that have started to show up. A guy Dixie has wanted for a while, I decided to make the "Fearless" stopper what proved to be the last live pick. A one year prep arm, the 17-year-old started just 2 of his 13 appearances, picking up 9 saves with a 0.59 ERA, 0.72 WHIP, and 52-to-6 strikeout-to-walk ratio. A sinker/slider pitcher, he's a one inning guy, but the stuff is good and he's tough to elevate. A groundballer, his sinker sits in the 88-90 range, and both it and his slider are both quality offerings. With the tools to contribute in a FABL pen, the 6'2'' righty has room to fill out, and he seemed worth the lottery ticket this late. If he had better stamina, I'd have grabbed him as early as the 6th or 7th, but there's a reason he's listed as a stopper, and he's got the makeup to succeed in high leverage opportunities. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

03-17-2025, 09:55 PM	#1622
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,974	1963 Draft: Rounds 13-16 We got back to simming today, and while I do plan on getting a weekly writeup after this one, I wanted to at least knock out some of the new draft prospects. There's at least one solid one in the AI rounds, but what's more important is where my guys ended up. Bill Grimm is now our top prospect, ranked 22nd after Dode graduated at 2, though our top two picks check in at two and three. That would be Hub Russell (31st) and Johnny Kern (34th), who while not top-25 prospects are still in the top-50. We didn't hit with any other high picks, but there are plenty to fill out the top 500. 5th Rounder Ralph Tuomi (9th, 182nd) and 4th Rounder Clem Barney (10th, 198th) crack the top-200, with eight more in the top 500. The big surprise is 12th Rounder Tom McDaniel (11th, 212th), who is joined by 3rd Rounder Art Strait (12th, 217th), 7th Rounder Bob Adams (13th, 228th), 10th Rounder Johnny Maples (16th, 263rd), 6th Rounder George Jones (17th, 265th), 11th Rounder Phil Weeks (20th, 337th), 15th Rounder Tony Nino (19th, 318th), and 9th Rounder Horace Stewart (21st, 402nd). That's a pretty solid haul, with just 8th Rounder Alex Perry outside our top-250, and he's the guy who's a current starter with insane stuff. Pretty great draft so far! 13th Round, 252st Overall: 3B Charlie Arnold School: Bluegrass State Mustangs 1963: .256/.289/.398, 266 PA, 10 2B, 3B, 8 HR, 49 RBI, 6 SB Career: .263/.297/.388, 607 PA, 20 2B, 2 3B, 16 HR, 113 RBI, 12 SB The last guy on my list, we got Charlie Arnold in the 13th Round, a two year starter for Bluegrass State. 23 in September, he hit .263 with 16 homers and 113 RBIs, and while he may not start, I could move him up to San Jose to start his prep career. A versatile hard worker, he's played some catcher, first, third, left, center, and right, and I really like the arm at third. That, first, or left is his best position, and since he does find the gaps he could start at any of them. While not a star by any means, he could at least be a useful bench role, and at this part of the draft that has a lot of value. We have one more sim until La Crosse starts things up, so there's plenty of time to see where he best fits. 14th Round, 271st Overall: RHP Dick Porter School: Taft Blue Devils 1963: 8-1, 99.1 IP, 1.72 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 21 BB, 116 K Career: 8-1, 99.1 IP, 1.72 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 21 BB, 116 K The AI wanted a pitcher next, going with high school right Dick Porter. A one year starter, Porter was 8-1 in 13 starts, coming just two outs shy of 100 innings. The senior had a strong 1.72 ERA and 1.92 FIP, and doesn't turn 18 until January. A three pitch pitcher, he doesn't throw very hard, so it's going to be tough for him to earn a starting spot. His cutter and fastball are okay, but neither can overpower, so his success is tied to his change up. It could be a wipeout pitch, but without much else going for him, I don't see future starter here. 15th Round, 291st Overall: 3B Tony Nino School: Xavier Prep Yellow Jackets 1963: .441/.506/.657, 166 PA, 15 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 38 RBI, 13 SB Career: .441/.506/.657, 166 PA, 15 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 38 RBI, 13 SB A guy Dixie wanted to get a hold of, perhaps I should have saved Arnold for a later round, as Tony Nino ranks 19th in our system and 318th overall. Another one year starter, Nino is actually an Illinois native, he was born about 80 miles west of Chicago in Rochelle, though his high school ball came in Louisiana. A speedy infielder, he spent some time at short too, and I'm sure if needed second would be solid as well. While not great defensively, he doesn't do anything wrong, and is one of the hardest workers there is. That could improve the bat, as while he hits for average power and swings a quick bat, he doesn't project as more then a bench player. He swings too often, so unless he improves his approach he'll have a limited offensive ceiling. Lucky for him, there's plenty of lineup spots available, and he'll get into games for the Lions once the season starts. 16th Round, 311th Overall: RHP Don Smith School: Penobscot State Pirates 1963: 4-7, 108.1 IP, 6.06 ERA, 1.95 WHIP, 95 BB, 99 K Career: 8-15, 223.1 IP, 6.21, 1.97 WHIP, 197 BB, 198 K Another right handed pitcher, this time it came from college, as we picked up Don Smith from Penobscot State. The results weren't great, but you can say that about almost any of the guys available here. What I don't like is the stuff, as he's just got four middling pitches. His slider might be alright, but even in the 93-95 range his fastball and cutter don't overwhelm. Likely to fill a pen role, it hasn't quite hit him that he's not FABL material, and I'm hoping some early struggles can knock some sense in to him. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

03-18-2025, 02:06 PM	#1623
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,974	Week 12: June 17th-June 23rd Weekly Record: 5-1 Seasonal Record: 42-31 (3rd, 5.5 GB) Stars of the Week Jack Gibson : 20 AB, 7 H, 4 HR, 9 RBI, .350 AVG, 1.348 OPS Tom Halliday : 19 AB, 9 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .474 AVG, 1.132 OPS Jerry McMillan : 26 AB, 9 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .346 AVG, 1.008 OPS Schedule 6-18: Win vs Foresters (4-5) 6-19: Win vs Foresters (6-7) 6-20: Loss vs Foresters (3-2) 6-21: Win vs Imperials (1-8) 6-22: Win vs Imperials (3-4) 6-23: Win vs Imperials (3-10) Recap It is good to be back! Another 5-win week for the Cougars, and this time we actually made up ground! A full game and a half on the first place Kings, who now lead us by just 5.5. LA is two above us, and without getting too far ahead of ourselves, they're our next opponent. Instead, let's reflect on the impressive homestand, as we took two of three from the Foresters before sweeping the Imperials out of Chicago. I cannot believe I'm writing this, but one-run games were actually the highlight of the week, as we won two of the three with the Foresters, before winning our fourth of the week on Saturday. After the abysmal start, we've won 6 of our last 7 one-run games, a more respectable 12-15 on the season. A healthy Jack Gibson is apart of it, as he homered in two of the one-run victories and each of his last four games. Now with 19 in just 188 PAs, he's still fourth in the CA and five off the lead. Gibson drove in 9, 7-for-20 with 6 runs, a double, a walk, and 9 RBIs. With a .306/.335/.688 (168 OPS+) season line, he's making a push for All-Star consideration, though I can't see him starting over the batting title leader Heinie Spitler (.381, 5, 42, 9). Henry Watson will be there for sure, as after a 6-for-23 week he's been worth exacting 4 WAR in 71 games. Adding a triple, two homers, seven RBIs, and a steal, he's hitting an outstanding .337/.380/.588 (157 OPS+) with 13 doubles, 6 triples, 15 homers, 19 walks, 5 steals, 43 runs, and 55 RBIs. What will be a second nod, Watson turned 25 last month, and currently ranks as the #1 right fielder and FABL's 19th best player overall. 1963 has been a huge breakout year for our young outfielder, solidifying himself in the lineup despite the emergence of the now graduated 2nd ranked prospect. Tom Halliday got to hitting this week, 9-for-19 with a walk, 2 runs, and 3 RBIs. More importantly, he hit his third home run, already topping his total in 151 games last year. The slick fielding defender has also passed +10 for zone rating (10.4), and his .315/.393/.493 (138 OPS+) June line is turning some heads. It's improved his season line to a solid .262/.335/.373 (91 OPS+), and the 24-year-old is trying to prove he's more then just good for defense. We got a ton of home runs from everyone, with Jerry McMillan (9-26, 2 2B, 3B, 5 RBI, 4 R, 2 BB), Dode Caudill (9-26, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI, 4 R, BB, 2 SB), Gene Case (7-25, 3 3B, 2 RBI, 6 R, BB), and George McKee (3-14, 5 RBI, R, 2 BB) all added a home run. I want to single out Caudill's, as it was his 10th on the season. He's got 28 extra base hits, 25 walks, 32 RBIs, and 43 runs, giving us a glimpse of the star he could become. Add another quality start for Hank Walker, as the now 31-year-old righty has allowed two or fewer runs in four of his last five starts. He's won each of those five, improving to 6-2 with 7 flashy innings. Walker allowed just 5 hits, a run, and 2 walks, striking out 6 in an 8-1 win over the Imperials. This run lowered his ERA to 3.83 (108 ERA+) in 80 innings, striking out 47 with 35 walks and a 1.36 WHIP. Overshadowed by Ken Stone (8-2, 2.46, 55) and Don Griffin (5-3, 3.30, 42), Walker has quietly been one of our most productive starters, and he's continued to show why he deserves to pitch every fifth game. Stone (W, 7 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K) and Griffin (W, 11 IP, 12 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 5 K) both pitched well this week, and we won the three games they started, but with Roy Ellis allowed 5 runs in three of his last 5 starts, and Dick Champ's continued inconsistency, a reliable Walker has allowed us to keep winning games. Of course, a reliable Pug White helps too, as the anchor of our pen continues to lock down games. It was another win and save for Pug, going 6 innings with 7 hits, 2 runs, 3 walks, and 5 strikeouts. The only other reliever to allow a run was Bob Allen, and his came in 4 innings with 2 hits and 5 strikeouts. Earle Turner tossed 4.1 scoreless innings, allowing 2 hits and a walk with 4 strikeouts, while Arch Wilson picked up his first win, a two inning outing with a hit and two strikeouts. Doc Cook's 1963 debut was similar, 2 innings with a hit and two strikeouts, but in an 8-1 win he had little stress starting his third FABL season. Even if his time is short, Cook will be a useful stopgap to get us outs when needed. With the draftees all joining the system, there was a lot of trimming needed, but luckily Class C doesn't start until July 5th. This gives me time to wait for the inevitable injuries, but one move that couldn't wait was regarding John Morrison. After clearing waivers, he wouldn't go to AAA, so the recently turned 34-year-old will have to look for employment elsewhere. 1962 was good for him, hitting .342/.419/.658 (180 OPS+), but he was just 2-for-12 to start the season. With little time for at bats he couldn't get into the same groove, and I doubt he'll be able to find a FABL job elsewhere. Looking Ahead We get a pair of off days to keep us rested, with a two game series in LA in between. At 45-30, they're the only team between us and the Kings, and it sucks we have to beat up on each other here. Luckily it's a short series, and their ace Floyd Warner (8-3, 3.64, 63) would have been rested regardless of the off day. Then in the finale we seemed to have lucked out, as their most rested candidate is 28-year-old Earl Wright (2-3, 4.71, 27), who's a very exploitable weakness. You can't say the same thing about the Conti's top scoring offense, so a weak pitching matchup will make up for dealing with Ralph Barrell (.319, 17, 49, 6), Lou Allen (.291, 20, 56), Bobby Garrison (.313, 9, 39, 9), and Bob Griffin (.328, 4, 41, 3). Roy Ellis (6-4, 3.97, 59) and Hank Walker (6-2, 3.83, 47) will have their work cut out for them, and I'm worried we may struggle to survive. Our next stop should be easier, as even on the road a 29-45 Saints team should be easy for us to handle. We tend to struggle against them when they're not very good, so even though they're 8th in runs scored and allowed they won't play like it against us. Runs aside, Henry Woods (.352, 13, 41, 6) makes them better, as the Kellogg frontrunner has hit .352/.423/.601 (171 OPS+) with 26 extra base hits, 33 runs, 41 RBIs, and 25 walks. Firing on all cylinders, the 20-year-old graduated as the #3 prospect, just behind our exciting left fielder. Woods may be more valuable coming from the catching position, but he would love someone like Dode hitting with him. Old pal Ham Flanders (.264, 6, 32, 12) is fighting what you could classify as a sophomore slump, while infielder Andy Gilman (.215, 12, 41) is enduring the worst season of his career. Pitching isn't much better, as 24-year-old Bob Nelson (4-8, 4.70, 74) hasn't take the step needed this season, and the days of Jim Montgomery (4-8, 5.14, 54) befuddling FABL hitters seems to be firmly in the past. These are must win games for us here, as we'll get one more chance at these two teams next week before the All-Star game. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

03-18-2025, 05:57 PM	#1624
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,974	1953 Draft: Rounds 17-20 17th Round, 331st Overall: LF Tex Hathaway School: Swoyersville Bluejays 1963: .450/.494/.588, 180 PA, 11 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 40 RBI Career: .441/.503/.590, 785 PA, 55 2B, 4 3B, 13 HR, 181 RBI A four year starter at Swoyersville, Tex Hathaway had a bit of an up-and-down career, doing better in the odd years then the even ones. His best season came as a sophomore, where he hit a nice .462/.527/.618 with 15 doubles, 4 homers, and 50 RBIs. Picking up bests in most of his stats, the towering 6'7'' outfielder looked on the verge of breakout but he hasn't been able to reach the lofty potential his height could have suggested. An extremely undeveloped hitter, he doesn't play any defense, so his bat will be an important part of his future success. 18 in July, I can dream of his power potential, but for now that's all it seems to be. He may end up the tallest singles hitter out there, and bench roles could be all he ends up filling. 18th Round, 351st Overall: RHP George Lars School: Lehighton Indian 1963: 6-4, 96 IP, 2.25 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 29 BB, 74 K Career: 12-7, 186.2 IP, 2.70 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 70 BB, 143 K A high school pitcher with stats closer to the top college arms, he really struggled as a junior, 6-3 with a 3.18 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, and 69 strikeouts. He did improve as a senior, but 6-4 with a 2.25 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and 74 strikeouts sill aren't great. Aside from his studious work habits, things don't look great for George Lars, who has a middling arsenal with no obvious strength. He gives up too many homers, doesn't have great command, and won't overpower, about the worst trio you can get when it comes to pitching. Lucky for him, I don't cut recent draftees unless I really have to, so the righty should hang around for at least one season. Worst off, he's the last pitcher we grabbed, so we're stuck with a lot of low upside hitters the rest of the way. 19th Round, 371st Overall: 1B Chief Morrison School: Texas Panhandle Cowboys 1963: .281/.349/.340, 321 PA, 8 2B, 3 HR, 42 RBI, 3 SB Career: .285/.351/.333, 635 PA, 15 2B, 4 HR, 82 RBI, 6 SB Ralph Tuomi may end up playing some first base, but 19th Rounder Chief Morrison is the only natural first basemen we selected in the draft. A two year starter at Texas Panhandle, he doesn't have the slug for first base, and it's not because he's a speedster either. Poor at both, his best skill is his eye, as he'll draw enough walks that his OBP will out place his slugging. Not the best combination, his offensive potential is limited, and he won't do much in the field either. Instead, he's mostly filler, and there's a chance he doesn't even finish out the season in our organization. The only thing working for him is no real first basemen in San Jose, as the few guys I've tried haven't been up for the task. 20th Round, 391st Overall: SS Fred Maxwell School: Milford Warriors 1963: .404/.457/.590, 186 PA, 10 2B, 3 3B, 5 HR, 45 RBI, 9 SB Career: .417/.468/.572, 389 PA, 23 2B, 5 3B, 7 HR, 88 RBI, 18 SB More valuable then some of the guys taken before him, Fred Maxwell spent two seasons on the Milford varsity roster, hitting .417/.468/.572 in 78 games. I didn't love the .404 average as a senior, but he did hit 5 of his 7 home runs, and he dropped his K% from 5.9 to 3.8. A disciplined hitter, he doesn't have the speed I like at short, but he has the range to stick. With a plus-plus arm, he's best suited for third, but he can handle those two positions and second when needed. Focus can be a problem for him, but he can swing from both sides of the plate, and he offers a club some versatility. You don't get much value out of late picks like this, so a useful bench bat isn't a bad outcome, and he could get some time this season. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

03-19-2025, 04:32 PM	#1625
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,974	Week 13: June 24th-June 30th Weekly Record: 2-3 Seasonal Record: 44-34 (4th, 8 GB) Stars of the Week Henry Watson : 21 AB, 8 H, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .381 AVG, .905 OPS Dutch Miller : 17 AB, 5 H, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .294 AVG, .839 OPS Tom Halliday : 18 AB, 4 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .222 AVG, .819 OPS Schedule 6-25: Loss at Stars (3-6) 6-26: Loss at Stars (2-4) 6-28: Loss at Saints (1-2) 6-29: Win at Saints (6-2) 6-30: Win at Saints (4-3) Recap Man... Just when we started to get momentum... Dropped to 4th and 8 out, we let the Stars sweep us in the two game set, luckily bouncing back in Montreal with a series win. We've done a lot of that in June, as aside from the Stars sweep, the only other one we lost was three in Montreal to start the month. An 18-11 month was impressive, even if we didn't make up any ground, and I'm at least glad that we're comfortably over .500. We pitched well this week too, just one game with more then 4 runs allowed, but aside from our likely All-Star lock, we didn't do much hitting. That, of course, is Henry Watson, who I don't think has had a bad week all years. More average by his lofty standards this year, he was 8-for-21, picking up a steal, 4 runs, and his 16th homer of the season. After just 6 homers in the first two month, Watson hit 10 in June, and is hitting a strong .340/.380/.583 (156 OPS+) with 13 doubles, 6 triples, 47 runs, and 56 RBIs. He's also matched his 6 steals from last year, coming in 7 attempts compared to the 17 in 1962. A few other role players had success, with Dutch Miller 5-for-17 with a homer, 2 walks, and 3 RBIs. George McKee made use of his new partial starting role, 4-for-10 with a double, walk, and 2 runs. Randall still isn't quite healthy, a minor setback places him probably a week from his return, so McKee will get to keep upping his now .241/.297/.345 (73 OPS+) batting line. The defense at third is elite, but aside from the past two weeks he hasn't done much hitting for us. I could have skipped starts with the off days, but with a double header before the break I thought I'd keep guys on a relative five game schedule. Aside from Roy Ellis (5 IP, 8 5 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 8 K) allowing too many runs, the starters were great, making up from a little hiccough in the pen. Hank Walker deserved his seventh straight win, going 6 with 3 hits, 2 runs, 4 walks, and 5 strikeouts, but we only had two runs when he left. That was the same when the game ended, so for the first time since May 10th we lost a game Walker started. Our two wins came from Ken Stone and Dick Champ, with the for some reason ineligible to be voted for the All-Star game Stone improving to 9-2 in 14 starts. He went 7, scattering 5 hits, 2 runs, and 4 walks while striking out 6. Dixie's bumped his BABIP to 4, as he's second in ERA at 2.45 (168 ERA+) and tied for third in wins. Champ has had far less success, owning a team high 5.12 ERA (80 ERA+), but he went 6 with 4 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, and 2 strikeouts. Though none of the stars can hold a candle to Pug White, who spun 7 scoreless frames in 3 separate outings. Earning his 11th save, Pug allowed just 4 hits, striking out 4 to give him 50 on the season. He finished June with just two runs allowed, working to a 0.62 ERA (662 ERA+) and 1.10 WHIP in 29 innings pitched. Two roster moves were made as well, with the first the expected swap of Doc Cook for John Mitchell. Cook got into just the one game last week, while Mitchell was excellent in a pair of Century League starts. He's dominated the lesser competition, 5-1 with a 1.41 ERA (262 ERA+), 1.12 WHIP, and 25 strikeouts in 51 innings, and if all goes to plan he may spend the rest of his season in Chicago. We need a sixth starter in each of our four July weeks, with two more double headers waiting in August. There is a small period to send him back down to keep him in the rotation, but if his next four starts are anything like the first four, he's going to be a useful piece the rest of the way. The other was sort of alluded to before our break, as I decided to cut Milt Payne in favor for Chappy Sanders. Payne, 27, spent about a year and a half as our backup catcher, as the only player to debut from the Jerry Smith package hit a pitiful .179/.188/.238 (13 OPS+) in 85 PAs. The 20 last year were good, he was 6-for-20 with 2 doubles and his only home run, but he has a -20 OPS+ and -29 WRC+ in 65 PAs this season. Pretty much each time he was in the lineup, he got out, and his defense isn't anything to write home about. Chappy, meanwhile, has been working on his blocking, and after a slow start he started blasting balls in the Century League. In 63 games, Chappy slashed .289/.358/.524 (144 OPS+) with 16 doubles, 11 homers, and 42 RBIs, and he's a huge upgrade over Payne. Recently named Batter of the Month, he hit .348/.410/.697 (204 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 7 homers, and 25 RBIs, a good way to end his most recent minor league stint. He'll stay in a reserve role for now, able to fill in behind the plate and in the outfield. Miller's 10 extra base hits and 13.4 BB% will keep him in the lineup for now, but if Chappy works in some of his minor league magic, he'll find himself in the lineup more frequently then initially anticipated. Looking Ahead The last week of the first half starts with an off day, as we'll look to build off our mini two game win streak at home. We'll get a quick chance for revenge, as the Stars will be in town for three. Expect the now healthy Dewey Allcock (3-1, 4.10, 26) in one of the games and Floyd Warner 9-3, 3.62, 67) in another, with Sy Dunn (6-4, 3.75, 72) likely closing the series out. It's there top three starters, and Warner just beat us, going 8 with 7 hits, 3 runs, and 4 strikeouts, surviving the two homers he surrendered. Stopper and Chicagoan Ted Ferguson (8-6, 11, 3.21, 58) finished us off twice, once a save and once a win, as we could not stop the Ralph Barrell (.321, 18, 52, 6), Lou Allen (.298, 21, 60), and Bobby Garrison (.319, 10, 45, 9) combo. At least at home we'll have the fans at our back, and I can't see Jack Gibson (.290, 19, 41) having another homerless week, but winning this series is an absolute must if we want any chance of contending in the second half. What comes after is important too, as we finish off the first half with four games in three days against Montreal. We knocked them down to 33-47, as the 8th place Saints are one of just three Continental teams below .500. Kellogg frontrunner Henry Woods (.348, 14, 45, 6) caused problems as expected, including a 3-for-4 showing in their 2-1 win, but otherwise we did pretty well. We hit former 1st Rounder Gene Faulkenberry (8-4, 5, 3.13, 75) better then most, and held them to just 7 runs in the series. As the better team and the home team, I love our chances here, but I know all too well that this could be a trap series if we don't come in and give it our best. The double header should help us a lot, as their pitching is nowhere near ours, and even Mitchell is better then most of the guys they'll be trotting out. Minor League Report CF Orlando Benitez (AA Little Rock Governors): Remember when I said Orlando Benitez wasn't ready for AAA? I might have been wrong! Named the top hitter of the Dixie League for the week, our 20-year-old former 1st Rounder hit an excellent .309/.395/.577 (157 OPS+) in June with 4 doubles, 2 triples, 6 homers, 27 RBIs, 19 runs, and 15 walks, swiping 4 bases to round out an all-around effort. Half his homers came last week, as he was 10-for-22 with 5 runs, 5 extra base hits, 10 RBIs, and a steal. Now ranked 40th among FABL prospects and 4th in our system, Benitez is now hitting a healthy .297/.414/.530 (150 OPS+) line in 266 trips to the plate. He's got a nice bundle of counting stats too, 11 doubles, 2 triples, 12 homers, 37 runs, 45 walks, 51 RBIs, and 7 steals, worth nearly 3 (2.8) wins above replacement. As good as the bat has been, I'm actually happiest about the defense, as he's got a nice 6.3 zone rating and 1.030 efficiency. Since the draft his bat has been advanced for his age, but seeing the progress with the glove is huge. I think the next step is improving his versatility, as I think I'll take advantage of his arm in right. I'm leaning towards moving him to Milwaukee, but at least for one more week, he'll continue to hit cleanup for the Governors. LHP Whitey Gates (A Rockford Wildcats): A guy Dixie Marsh can't quite get a hold of, Whitey Gates has the intangibles I love, and now he's got a Pitcher of the Month to go with him. A good way to celebrate his 22nd birthday, the June 5th born Gates was a perfect 5-0 in 5 starts, now 9-1 on the season. Throwing 36 innings, he held a 2.00 ERA (212 ERA+), 2.72 FIP (64 FIP-) and 1.44 WHIP, lowering those metrics to 3.52 (121 ERA+), 3.20 (75 FIP-), and 1.55 on the season. The WHIP is high due to his 12.8 BB%, something I didn't expect, but with a 17.8 K% he has been able to work around it. Add in his 5 ranked stamina, and he's got a 132-pitch complete game and ten other starts where he crossed the century mark for pitch count. A leader on and off the field, what's impressed me most is his poise, as he's shown up to every challenge and put his team into a position to win each time out. Dropping to 20th in our system and 379th overall, he's behind eleven of our 1963 draftees, but that shouldn't be a knock on him. A durable innings eater, he's exactly the type of pitcher a bad team would want to soak up innings, and since he sits in the mid 90s he's not easy to knock around. Once he masters the walks, he can be considered for a FABL role, and his next step will be handling Dixie League hitters with the Governors. SS Sam Pratt (A Rockford Wildcats): A recent Player of the Week winner, Sam Pratt also took home June's Batter of the Month, helping the Cats sweep the June awards. For June, Pratt hit .374/.464/.654 (198 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 2 triples, 6 homers, 24 RBIs, 27 runs, 17 walks, and 5 steals. All but 5 of his A-ball games came in the past month, so his .354/.436/.608 (179 OPS+) season line isn't too far away. An athletic and quick 20-year-old, Pratt's been playing excellent shortstop defense, but with Bill Grimm's promotion last week he'll see less time at his most comfortable position. He'll remain the primary, as I want Grimm to improve his versatility a bit, but even if we had four other shortstops Pratt would be able to find time on the field. Able to play anywhere but catcher, he's got outstanding range in the infield and outfield, and even at short he's a top-notch defender. With 4s across the board for infield ratings, he's at least a 4 at each infield spot, and aside from Tom Halliday and maybe Tom Glenn and Cal Randall, Pratt's our best infielder. A deep class may have kicked him out of the top-500, but this is a guy who I'd take over a lot of other players. His floor of a super utility player entices, but if he can keep putting the ball in play, he'd be a superb table setter and there's a chance he'd carve out a long career for himself. LHP Jay Hughs (B San Jose Cougars): With an influx of new arms in the system, I've transitioned our Class A and B teams to six-man rotations like I did in Class C last year (and all levels pre-fast forward), so a few guys who weren't starting just entered the rotation. This includes Jay Hughs, who after 21 relief outings, delivered an outstanding start. Just one hit away from a perfect game, Hughs struck out 8, effortlessly silencing the Tacoma Captains in San Jose's 4-0 victory. His first start since 1961, the minor league signing is showing that maybe he should have been starting all along. Once a 14th rounder of the Cannons, Hughs was stuck in the independent carousel before we saved him, though he did get 3.1 innings in 1960 for the Class A Topeka Jayhawks. A guy I haven't given much look to, he's a lefty with six pitches, and five of them are at least average. The movement and control isn't great, hence why he's been spending his time in the pen, but including his start he's got 34.2 effective innings. 3-0 with a save, his 2.34 ERA (153 ERA+) and 3.02 FIP (84 FIP-) are quite strong, but the 0.81 WHIP and 25-to-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio are what stands out most. There might be something here to improve on, though all that it may turn into is upper minors depth. Attached Images __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

03-20-2025, 04:27 PM	#1626
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,974	Week 14: July 1st-July 7th Weekly Record: 5-2 Seasonal Record: 49-36 (3rd, 7.5 GB) Stars of the Week Dode Caudill : 30 AB, 12 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .400 AVG, .938 OPS Henry Watson : 26 AB, 9 H, 2 HR, 8 RBI, .346 AVG, .982 OPS Jerry McMillan : 29 AB, 9 H, 2 HR, 5 RBI, .310 AVG, .895 OPS Schedule 7-2: Win vs Stars (4-5): 10 innings 7-3: Win vs Stars (3-10) 7-4: Win vs Stars (5-6) 7-4: Loss vs Stars (2-5) 7-5: Win vs Saints (6-8) 7-6: Loss vs Saints (3-2) 7-7: Win vs Saints (3-4) Recap 5 more wins! Our lucky number! We lost a one-run game, one a few more, and finish the first half of the season 49-36, back in third place where we've sat more often then I've wanted. Of course, it's better then being below .500 and further down, but so often we are good, just not good enough, and 1963 seems like another one of those years. Kansas City holds a 7.5 game advantage over us, and they just look unstoppable. KC led the Conti with five All-Star selections, though we were tied with the Cannons with four for second most. Henry Watson will start in right, receiving all but one of the right field votes, while stopper Pug White took the most votes among relievers. Our two most valuable players so far, both deserved to start, with Watson ranked 2nd among Continental players in WAR (4.7) and Pug the second half save (14) leader. Watson is on pace to set many personal bests, as the 2-Time All-Star is hitting an excellent .340/.379/.586 (156 OPS+) with 14 doubles, 6 triples, 18 homers, 64 RBIs, 50 runs, and 6 steals. He won't get much Whitney consideration, but the former 5th pick is on pace for a near 9 WAR season. A captain in the clubhouse, he's really emerged into a star player, and OSA declares him the top left fielder in baseball. Pug is only third for stoppers, but the 33-year-old vet is almost a qualified pitcher. With 83.1 innings in 40 games, he's been dominant nearly all season long. The 3-Time All-Star enters the break 8-3 with a 2.48 ERA (166 ERA+), 1.12 WHIP, and 58 strikeouts. The only pitcher representing us, I'd almost prefer him to get the three days off, but just an inning shouldn't be an issue for our ironman stopper. Gene Case and Jack Gibson will join them, as while both were certainly good enough to earn the start, there were just elite players at their positions. For Case it's back-to-back selections, as our star first basemen has completely erased his 63 WRC+ April. Now up to 147, Case is hitting .288/.380/.534 (143 OPS+) with 19 doubles, 3 triples, 17 homers, 54 RBIs, 54 runs, and 9 steals. 25 last month, Dixie has upped his eye to a 5, even with a career low 13.1 BB% and career high 10.6 K%. His speed and power mix continues to be lethal, and if it wasn't for Hank Williams (.362, 23, 77), Case would have been the starter. For Gibson, it's because of Heinie Spitler (.386, 5, 52, 9), though missing a few weeks didn't help his case either. Hitting his 20th homer this week, Gibson has slashed .280/.311/.601 (139 OPS+) in 58 games. If he can stay healthy, 30 homers is a lock, and I can see him pushing 40 if we can get him into 120 games. It'll be tough, but if he's healthy he could capture the home run title. Our biggest snub has to be Ken Stone, who certainly deserved to join his teammates in Minneapolis. All the 23-year-old has done is go 10-2 with a 2.75 ERA (150 ERA+), 1.29 WHIP, and 64 strikeouts, picking up a win or quality start in all but 2 of his 15 outings. That 2.75 ERA ranks 3rd in the Continental while he's tied for 2nd in wins, but I guess that wasn't enough to impress the league. Other deserving candidates include Don Griffin (6-3, 3.31, 49), Earle Turner (1-3, 1, 1.41, 30), Bob Allen (2-2, 2, 2.70, 29), and Dode Caudill (.289, 11, 36, 9), but there aren't enough pitching spots and there's just too many good outfielders out there. Even Tom Halliday (.258, 5, 33, 2) has a case at short, but the CA decided to go just with the deserved starter Carlos Jaramillo (.277, 4, 33, 19). Joining us after the break will be Cal Randall, who last played on June 16th where he strained his Achilles. Already off to a slow start, he'll return with a .238/.268/.330 (60 OPS+) batting line, but his clubhouse presence and defensive ability have been as advertised. Mooney Vetter will go down, as the 28-year-old was just 1-for-23 with a -87 WRC+ with five strikeouts. I was really hoping last year's third basemen would have more success, but in June before his promotion he was hitting just .245/.259/.377 (77 OPS+), nothing near his Player of the Month performance. Looking Ahead Just three off days for the break, and with a double header on Sunday we'll still play five games. I'd love a 5-0, but we'll be on the road before a big home series. Our first three games come in Cincinnati, where we'll face the 47-42 Cannons. They sent their entire outfield to the All-Star game, as Dallas Berry (.290, 20, 70, 7) will make his 8th trip with Joe Case (.316, 14, 41, 8) and Bonnie Chapin (.330, 17, 59) making their first trips. For Chapin, it's way overdo, as he's never had WRC+ below 142 and won the batting title in 1961. Not many career .333/.413/.550 (153 OPS+) hitters have only one appearance, but their is no shortage of elite offensive talent on the grass. Not appearing at the game is ace Charlie Warren (8-4, 3.35, 91), so him and Doc will square off in the opener. After that, it looks like Jack Meeks (4-9, 4.86, 86) and Jim York (4-7, 3.70, 68), as both teams should be using their top three. The double header won't have our 4 and 5, as it will be Hank Walker (7-2, 3.79, 54) and John Mitchell (3-1, 3.38, 22), with Dick Champ (4-9, 4.93, 63) penciled in for the finale in Toronto. They start the second half with a double header hosting the Kings, so we could luck out with either tired pitchers or spot starters. Toronto's pitching has struggled, with Arnie Smith (7-4, 4.83, 72) not looking like the ace he is. First-time All-Star Phil Colantuono (9-5, 2.60, 78) has had to carry most of the weight, but I think we'll miss him and Bill Medley (9-7, 3.78, 74). Then we have to keep them in the park, as despite playing at Dominion Stadium the Wolves are 2nd in longballs. Chick Reed's (.315, 23, 55) breakout is a big part, as the slugger is recently coming off a 3-homer game, and another one of the surprise All-Star omissions. Ed Savage (.320, 13, 49) dealt with the same fate, as both have been lethal at the plate and have nothing to show for it. Almost anyone in the lineup can go yard, but we're the better team, and we should be winning this series. Minor League Report LHP Jim Place (C La Crosse Lions): Last year's 2nd Rounder started the season in San Jose, but he looked completely overmatched in his three starts, and he quickly retreated back to La Crosse. The ace of the Lions last year, this season he's pitching behind Hub Russell (W, 7.2 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 4 K) and Johnny Kern (7,2 IP, 11 H, 3 ER, 5 BB, 2 K), and was the starter in the finale of our opening week series. Scoring the only run of the game, Place didn't get much support, but the young lefty kept Waterloo scoreless in a 1-0 shutout. Scattering 8 hits and 4 walks, Place struck out 2, as his Lions held their hosts to just seven runs in three games. Temporarily bumped out of the top-100, he regained his place in the bottom half, checking in at 5th in our system and 86th overall. A 7-pitch pitcher, the stuff has really come in, as Dixie is willing to declare him a current starter. He gave him a very favorable report, boosting the velo to 92-94 and his control to 2. Now a 3-2-2, he's got 3 rated pitches and a 4-rrated screwball, and Dixie believes he can fit comfortably in the middle of a FABL rotation. I'm liking the sounds of that, and if he can put together a few more starts like this, I'll give him another go at UMVA hitting. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe Last edited by ayaghmour2; 03-21-2025 at 01:04 PM.

03-21-2025, 06:21 PM	#1627
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,974	Week 15: July 8th-July 14th Weekly Record: 3-2 Seasonal Record: 52-38 (3rd, 8 GB) Stars of the Week Henry Watson : 28 AB, 9 H, 3 HR, 8 RBI, .321 AVG, .988 OPS Jack Gibson : 18 AB, 7 H, 2 HR, 6 RBI, .389 AVG, 1.254 OPS Gene Case : 22 AB, 8 H, 0 HR, 4 RBI, .364 AVG, .985 OPS Schedule 7-11: Win at Cannons (12-6) 7-12: Loss at Cannons (3-5) 7-13: Loss at Cannons (1-2): 13 innings 7-14: Win at Wolves (6-3) 7-14: Win at Wolves (11-2) Recap Generally speaking, outscoring your opponents 33-18 means you had an excellent week, but since close game losses were back on the menu, we only came out of the break 3-2. We crushed Charlie Warren (2.1 IP, 5 H, 7 ER, 4 BB, 3 K) in the opener, but after the 4th inning of game 2, we only scored 2 total runs. Dropping that long extra-inning game was tough, but we couldn't string any runs together. Thankfully, we handled the Wolves like I thought, crushing them 17-5 in the double header, scoring more in each game then they did during the day. We have one more with them after, but we're back to 8 out as the Kings bring a 4-game win-streak into their finally in Cincinnati. Before our road trip, there was the All-Star game, and all for Cougars made an appearance. None really impressed, as Henry Watson was held hitless in his three at bats. I like to think he was getting the outs out of him, as Watson went 9-for-25 as a Cougar, clubbing three more homers and 8 RBIs to give him 21 and 72 on the season. Those RBIs are third most in the CA, and he's just surpassed the 5 WAR (5.1) mark for the first time this season. Gene Case was 0-for-1 as a pinch hitter, staying in at first, while Jack Gibson just came in during the 7th to play second base. Pug White didn't pitch well, 3 hits to 2 outs, but he was able to fight back with three scoreless in our extra inning loss. Gibson probably had the best week, as our slugger was 7-for-18 with 2 doubles, 2 homers, 6 RBIs, 3 runs, and a walk. A homer ahead of Watson on the season, his 22 longballs are 5th in the CA, but they've came in just 62 games and 254 PAs. Aside from those two, we only had two other homers, both to unlikely sources. The first was the first of the year from Chappy Sanders, who got to make a pair of starts during the week. 3-for-10, he had a walk and 9th inning grand slam, giving us a comfortable 11-2 lead in game two of the double header. The other was Cal Randall, who was 4-for-16 with a walk, 2 runs, and 7 RBIs. We also got a lot of production from Gene Case, 8-for-22 with a steal, 3 walks, and 4 runs, doubles, and RBIs, as we had guys on base often. Our starters weren't great, but on the bright side, Don Griffin went 99 pitches! Sure, he allowed 10 hits, 6 runs, and 3 homers, walking 1 and striking out 2 in 4.1 innings, but 99 pitches! And his arm didn't fall off! It might not be a great thing, there's a chance he won't be fully rested for his start on Tuesday, but he's at least passed 80 in 4 of his last 5 starts. Our 2 stamina ace, it's a nice preview considering our 1st Rounder Hub Russell saw his stamina dip from 3 to 2. Doc was never at 3, so at least Hub seemingly can go deeper then him, but despite this recent ERA and WHIP bump he's been a reliable presence in the rotation. Not at the level of Ken Stone, who again went 7 innings, allowing just 4 hits, a run, and a walk with 4 strikeouts. An All-Star worthy pitcher, Stone did not record a decision, but he lowered his ERA and WHIP to 2.66 (155 ERA+) and 1.26 on the season. John Mitchell made an excellent spot start, 8 innings with 6 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, and 5 strikeouts in his return to FABL. Hank Walker pitched his second complete game of the season, allowing 5 hits, 3 runs, and 5 walks, striking out 5 to win his 8th straight decision. Our well ran clubhouse (thanks Cal, Henry, and Bob Decker!) has really controlled Walker's antics this season, and it's allowed him to return to an excellent mid-rotation presence. Over the break, we also extended all of our FABL coaches with expiring deals, with a lot of our minor league coaches being left unsigned. Five of the FABL staff was retained, all coaches in their second year, and all but one got two year extensions. The holdout was Earle Robinson, who I'd love to upgrade on, but "Outstanding" former Sailors pitching coach Howie Eades rather not get paid then work with one of the best pitching staffs in the league. His loss! Even with the extension, I'd consider replacing Robinson after the season ends, but he's at least excellent when it comes to pitching and we certainly can do worse. Extending AGM Tommy Byerly was more just because he's a good scout, but the rest were big moves. We locked in "Outstanding" hitting coach Joe Clark, as well as teaching gurus Elmer de Gray and Bob Harris. de Gray will return as bench coach, and he currently handles catching (outstanding) and outfield (legendary). Harris then returns as third base coach, and he has outstanding across the board for teaching. The biggest pulls are the running, outstanding teachers are very rare, and even excellent in-game runners like Harris are tough to fine. We're lucky to have him and John J. Wilson, as the legendary infield teacher is also an excellent in-game runner, which to have had a great impact on our top baserunners. Looking Ahead One more in Toronto, as we'll look to Dick Champ (4-9, 4.93, 63) for his first start of the second half. Who he faces is yet to be determined, as while Bill Medley (10-7, 3.68, 82) is the scheduled starter, he pitched four days ago in a double header with the Kings. Their pen is absolutely gassed too, playing six games and four days, and all six regular members of the pen are gassed. This could lead to one of their AAA Georges, Adams (3-1, 5.05, 33) or Hoxworth (2-6, 8.82, 32), getting recalled for a spot start. Hoxworth no longer looks like a 2-Time All-Star, and Adams was roughed up in the Wolves pen, but both guys are rested, and both can eat innings for them. While they haven't pitched well, they have plenty of threats in the lineup, including All-Star snubs Chick Reed (.317, 25, 61) and Ed Savage (.311, 13, 49). Reed is super entertaining, as 3 of his 4 walks this season came during a five game stretch, and he it took 192 PAs for the first one. Him, Savage, and Sid Cullen (.299, 12, 37) form a talented outfield, while Tom Reed (.230, 11, 43) is starting to hit better and Phil Story (.273, 10, 29, 9) is starting to break out in year three. Finishing off the sweep would be nice, and in all honesty probable, but unless you're playing the Imps and Wranglers, wins have not come easy this year. Speaking of not coming easy, the only thing easy about our next series would be losing it, as we'll welcome the powerhouse Kings for three games. Like Toronto, they're dealing with a lot of double headers, so perhaps the front three in our rotation can take advantage of a tired team. Granted, I don't think anyone can take advantage of Hank Williams (.373, 26, 85), and their lineup gets a little better with the return of Tom Hicks (.303, 3, 23, 7). More importantly, there defense gets better, as Hicks has some of the highest range in the outfield, a 5 for range and CF defense at 20. KC will also be without Allie Boone (5-4, 3.23, 97) and Beau McClellan (7-9, 3.69, 99), both of which pitched in their double header sweep of the Cannons. We'll get stuck with Gene Bailey (14-2, 2.82, 101), but I think the rest of the games will go to short-rested guys or young, beatable pitchers. The focus then goes on stopping Williams, Pat Davis (.298, 8, 54, 22) and Ken Newman (.297, 17, 55, 5), which is no easy task. I'm definitely nervous, but we're playing nearly .700 ball at Cougars Park, 31-14 (.689) compared to 21-24 on the road. If we're going to beat the Kings, it's this series, but I know better then to put my faith in the Cougars doing what we should do! Okay, I do have faith in us handling the Imperials, as at 30-62 they're just percentage points above the 29-61 Wranglers for last. We'll deal with the Imps in New York, playing four games in three days, a double header proceeding our Monday off day. The slowest team in baseball, they have just 8 steals, less then McMillan (16), Dode (12), and Case (10) on their own. Even Buddy Byrd has 5 in just 48 PAs, good enough to break the Walt tie between Bantle (.250, 2, 16, 3) and Denny (.253, 3, 25, 3) for the team lead. Denny is actually an interesting player, even if he has a 78 WRC+ and -1.0 WAR, as I not only tried to claim him off waivers last August, but trade for him during the offseason. A speedy switch hitter who puts the ball in play a ton, he's got 4 contact and 5 gap, he just doesn't walk or hit home runs. A rangy outfielder, he's excellent in the corners, but he's had some struggles out in center. That's a common theme, the struggling, as now that Frankie Sawyer (5-6, 3.71, 71), their rotation consists only of pitchers with ERAs above 5.25. The offense is a bit better, mostly because of Turk Ramsey (.286, 24, 65), but Vern Reynolds (.278, 9, 29) and Del Gaines (.260, 7, 16) are both useful 26-year-olds. Gaines is another target of mine, I wanted him as a free agent but the Imps could doffer a little more money, so at least they have some young guys to get excited about. Regardless, they're an easy opponent and the perfect team to face after the Kings, allowing us a chance to recover on the road if we flounder at home. Minor League Report 3B Mooney Vetter (AAA Century League): A return to the Century League was perfect for Mooney Vetter, who quickly won himself a Player of the Week. Appearing in all seven games for the Blues, he was 12-for-29 with a double, 2 homers, and 4 RBIs giving him more homers this week then he had hits in 8 games with us. Now hitting .340/.361/.504 (140 OPS+), Vetter has returned to his customary third base, as we recently picked up defensive star Elmer Walters to handle short. I may eventually give him some reps at second, opening short back up for Vetter, but he's an excellent third basemen and provides us with good defense wherever he plays. If only he could hit like he does in AAA in Chicago... CF Bill Reinhard (A Rockford Wildcats): A guy who I totally thought was in Little Rock, it's a good thing Bill Reinhard won Player of the Week, or else he'd still be in Rockford for the foreseeable future. A potentially FABL ready hitter, Reinhard has better visual ratings then Dode Caudill, and is hitting an absurd .332/.457/.561 (171 OPS+) with 14 doubles, 6 triples, 12 homers, 51 RBIs, 56 runs, and 58 walks. This comes after his 14-for-23 week, as Reinhard launched 3 homers with a triple, 2 doubles, 5 walks, 10 runs, and 11 RBIs. Currently ranked 9th in our system and 170th overall, he's ahead of most of the new draftees, with just our potential future aces (Kern 32, Hub 44) and Clem Barney (165) ahead of him on the league's list. An improving defender, he's showing the range for center, while also playing decent corner infield defense. His defensive profile is somewhat similar to Watson, another center fielder who can handle the corner infield, it's just Watson is a hair taller and a better outfield defender. Rule-5 eligible in the offseason, he's nearly a lock to be protected, and depending on how things go he could get a callup in September. Until then, he'll join Orlando Benitez and Cliff Coleman in the Little Rock outfielders, two other outfield prospects in our top-10. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

03-22-2025, 09:14 PM	#1628
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,974	1963 Draft: Rounds 21-25 21st Round, 411th Overall: C Rube Britten School: Schenley Spartans 1963: .436/.471/.638, 174 PA, 14 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR, 41 RBI Career: .436/.471/.638, 174 PA, 14 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR, 41 RBI A little late to finishing off the draft recaps (I wanted to wait for the weekend), that means some guys have played a few minor league games, including 21st Rounder Rube Britten. Starting a pair of games as the Lions backup catcher, the now 18-year-old is 3-for-8 with a run scored. A one year starter at Schenley, he celebrated his birthday two days after being drafted, and hit .436 with 5 homers and 41 RBIs as a senior for Schenley. He's not much of a defender, but he's smart and hard working, and I guess people are inspired him. This late in the draft, Britten may actually be a steal, as we forever have the perfect backup catcher. I'm just going to focus most of his efforts on defense, and hope at some point in time he learns how to frame pitches. That's enough to be a backup catcher, and with Champ Sanders it's very easy to carry a third catcher. He can serve as a backup outfielder, and he at least has 2 contact to kick things off. 22nd Round, 431st Overall: 3B Claude King School: Bergen College Knickerbockers 1963: .284/.350/.356, 294 PA, 7 2B, 4 HR, 49 RBI, SB Career: .289/.350/.340, 565 PA, 14 2B, 4 HR, 94 RBI, 2 SB Claude King didn't homer as a sophomore, which kind of gives you a feel for his overall talent. Right now he's roster filler, but his range is surprisingly good for a third basemen. He's not a very good fielder, but he's the type that always gets one or finds ways to keep balls in the infield. Kind of cool? He'll be a backup this year. Probably for more. Not all years will have a class this deep. 23rd Round, 451st Overall: RF Bill Patchen School: Maryland State Bengals 1963: .243/.325/.351, 252 PA, 7 2B, 3B, 5 HR, 39 RBI, 4 SB Career (COL): .244/.307/.329, 893 PA, 18 2B, 3 3B, 15 HR, 122 RBI, 13 SB Career (HS): .364/.401/.483, 162 PA, 6 2B, 4 HR, 36 RBI, 4 SB Another college bat, Bill Patchen has a pretty solid eye, and has already drawn walks in half of his plate appearances. Sure, that's just 3 walks, but that's also his eye rating, and the defense isn't too bad either. He's sort of useful now, and I could probably put him in San Jose if there was a spot. I'm already having trouble releasing players, so his best hope is someone in the outfield gets hurt and he gets a chance to make the move up. 24th Round, 471st Overall: C Jack Stanley School: Hamman Mountaineers 1963: .232/.278/.327, 338 PA, 7 2B, 3B, 7 HR, 42 RBI, 3 SB Career: .235/.277/.326, 621 PA, 13 2B, 2 3B, 12 HR, 85 RBI, 6 SB About as filler catcher as you can get, Jack Stanley has been useful off the bench, 3-for-7 with a homer, walk, 2 RBIs, and 3 runs. Despite being a catcher, he's actually an amazing base stealer, so I think he's going to get some pinch running opportunities. He's a poor defender, and when he pinch hits he doesn't usually stay for defense. Once his luck inevitably runs out, he'll get back to the edges of the roster, and be at risk of an eventual release. 25th Round, 491st Overall: CF Ralph McCormack School: Alabama Gulf Coast Privateers 1963: .246/.274/.315, 241 PA, 4 2B, 4 3B, 32 RBI Career (COL): .245/.276/.321, 733 PA, 11 2B, 14 HR, 103 RBRI Career (HS): .366/.395/.477, 162 PA, 4 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 33 RBI Like Bill Patchen, Ralph McCormack was undrafted out of high school, and he finds himself this year as our final pick in the draft. Not much of a hitter at either level, he at least plays good center field defense, and he always tries his hardest. For now that's enough to get him the rare game off the bench, but he'll need a lot of luck to take himself up the organizational ladder. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

03-23-2025, 05:00 PM	#1629
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,974	Week 16: July 15th-July 21st Weekly Record: 7-1 Seasonal Record: 59-39 (3rd, 6.5 GB) Stars of the Week Dode Caudill : 35 AB, 18 H, 2 HR, 8 RBI, .514 AVG, 1.353 OPS Dutch Miller : 25 AB, 10 H, 3 HR, 8 RBI, .400 AVG, 1.324 OPS Jerry McMillan : 33 AB, 12 H, 2 HR, 5 RBI, .364 AVG, 1.084 OPS Schedule 7-15: Win at Wolves (9-6) 7-16: Win vs Kings (3-5) 7-17: Win vs Kings (5-10) 7-18: Loss vs Kings (5-4): 10 innings 7-19: Win at Imperials (5-4) 7-20: Win at Imperials (12-3) 7-21: Win at Imperials (9-3) 7-21: Win at Imperials (10-4) Recap The Cougars are hot! Too bad no one other then us can beat the Kings... There's no typo, we went 7-1 this week, but the only problem is we made up just a game and a half and still sit 6.5 games out of first. An impressive 20 games over .500, we're now tied for third in runs scored while continuing to lead the association in runs allowed, and our expected record would give us a half game lead over both Kansas City and Los Angeles. Both teams had great weeks, as the Stars were 6-1 and the Kings 5-2, as the two losses we gave them were there only losses on the week. Even if it was an extra inning, nail-biter, one-run loss, I can't be mad about anything this week, as the 5-4 game we kept battling back in was one that we have our all. I really wish Buck let Ken Stone go more then 6, as the 23-year-old was at 84 pitches and had allowed just 3 hits and a walk with 4 strikeouts. Pug then came in, allowing 4 hits, and 2 runs with a walk and 3 strikeouts. That blew a 1-0 lead before it went to 2-1, and then errors got Arch Wilson tagged with a loss. 2 of the 3 runs he allowed were unearned, but the veteran did allow 4 hits and 2 walks in his 2 innings. Surprisingly 2-6, he's still been one of our better late inning guys, picking up a save and 7 holds with his 2.78 ERA (150 ERA+), 1.32 WHIP, and 20 strikeouts. His 45.1 innings are lowest on the roster, but he's always ready when he needs to be called upon, and one loss here won't change that one bit. I have to argue that Dode Caudill should have won Player of the Week, as our budding superstar went 18-for-35 with 2 triples, 2 homers, 3 walks, 4 steals, 8 RBIs, and 13 runs scored. He's been outstanding in July, now batting .388/.464/.565 (176 OPS+) with a double, 4 triples, 2 homers, 10 RBIs, 12 walks, 8 steals, and 27 runs scored. It's harder to do much better then that, but he's stuck in a deep rookie class. A lot can happen in a week and a half, and he's fighting Henry Woods (.355, 16, 58, 6), Mark Boyd (.294, 22, 52), Ed Savage (.306, 14, 54), and Otis Haldeman (.297, 15, 74, 4), not to mention Kings lefty Johnnie Higgins (7-6, 3.16, 97). Barring a breakout that takes us to the playoffs, his best chance at hardware is a monthly award, but his first career Player of the Week certainly would have been nice. It should be quite obvious that everyone hit this week, as all eight regulars had either a WRC+ or OPS+ of 145 or better. This include Tom Halliday (153 WRC+) and Cal Randall (173 WRC+), who combined to go 21-for-57 with 3 doubles, 9 RBIs, 7 runs, and 4 walks. Always helping on defense, Randall homered and Halliday stole two bases, and it was nice to see the left side of our infield providing value at the plate. If these guys keep hitting, we can make up some games very quickly. I wouldn't expect repeats often, and the same would go for Dutch Miller. Our catcher isn't going to have many more 3 homers weeks, but I love the 18-for-35 effort from our veteran. Driving in 8, he scored 5 runs and drew 2 walks, improving his season line to .246/.345/.375 (94 OPS+). His 105 WRC+ is now slightly above average, as our offseason free agent signing has done well in his new home. Doc Griffin won both his starts, beating the Kings in Chicago and the Imperials in New York. Against the Conti leaders, Griffin went 5, scattering 3 hits with 2 runs, a walk, and 2 strikeouts before handing it off to Arch Wilson (HLD, 3 IP, 3 H, ER, K) and Pug White (SV, IP, BB). He got six against the Imps, allowing 5 hits with 3 runs and 2 strikeouts. Now 8-3 in his 20 starts, I'm starting to change my approach, as I think I'm now going to give him extra rest when it makes sense. I'm thinking more rest means more innings, and when he pitches he's effective. Home runs are tough, but his 2.1 K/BB is above average and his 1.19 WHIP is 6th in the CA. His two start starter partner was Dick Champ, who had two starts with 1 walk and 3 strikeouts. The first was in the slugfest with the Wolves, as Toronto tagged him for 8 hits and 5 runs, just 4 innings before the pen had to take over. He made up for it before our double header, as Champ went all nine in the 12-3 crushing. Efficient, he needed just 110 pitches to get the job done, allowing us to win a game that was never in doubt. Earle Turner deserves a shout out to, as he was called on 4 times and responded with 5.2 scoreless innings. Allowing 8 hits and a walk, he struck out 7 to increase his season total to 41. The best starting pitcher on the team according to Dixie Marsh, Turner lowered his season ERA and FIP to 1.09 (380 ERA+) and 2.39 (57 FIP-), and somehow ranks third on the team in WAR (1.3).The 28-year-old picked up his 3rd win and 2nd save, and continues to deliver when called upon. He's two outs away from 50 innings, already the second most innings he's throw in a season. His deceptive sidearm motion works well at our park, as hitters try to elevate and they just roll over his sinker. Lefties see him a little better, but against righties he's pretty much a poor man's Frenchy Mack and batters are they're hitting just .216/.279/.245 against him. An underrated weapon, he's also great in the clubhouse, as he's everyone's friend and he helps the captains keep everything light and under control. Looking Ahead Off to start the week, it's a nice seven game homestand with a double header on the 28th. Our first guests are the Cannons (50-51), who just got swept by the team that comes after them, the Wolves (51-48). That one's a little surprising, as the Cannons have one of the better lineups in the game. Dallas Berry (.285, 21, 72, 7) is a perennial Whitney candidate, and when he no longer is, it looks like Bonnie Chapin (.341, 20, 67) or Mark Boyd (.294, 22, 52) could keep up the tradition. Joe Case (.318, 16, 47, 10) is still productive, even if he cooled off some, but there really aren't many weak spots in the lineup. Jim York (5-7, 3.35, 81) has been their best starter, but the rest has been either ineffective or replaced. Our 7-run outing against Charlie Warren (8-7, 4.10, 103) sent him in a tailspin, as he allowed 17 hits, 11 runs, and 7 walks across the two starts that followed. I hope he doesn't get a chance for revenge in the finale, but with an off-day they'll be able to re-arrange their rotation. The Chicagoan may relish the opportunity to pitch in the Windy City as well, as I'm sure he'll have plenty of family in attendance cheering him on. Toronto doesn't have anyone that fits the bill, but I'm sure they'll want to beat us all the same. I'm hoping they can tire out the Kings with a sweep, and then let their guard down so we can ambush them before the Sunday double header. With so many games we're almost guaranteed to see Arnie Smith (8-5, 4.65, 83) and Phil Colantuono (10-6, 2.86, 91) in the clash. We need to take advantage of the rest of the staff, as I think our guys may struggle with their lefty heavy top five. Chick Reed (.321, 28, 67) is the only right at two, with Sid Cullen (.303, 13, 41), Ed Savage (.306, 14, 54), and Tom Reed (.234, 13, 51) behind. Phil Story (.281, 11, 34, 10) leads it all off, and despite getting swept by us they all got their hits. It's just no one behind them did much of anything, so we were able to get out of Toronto with a crucial sweep. Minor League Report CF Bill Reinhard (AA Little Rock Commodores): Yeah. Bill Reinhard was definitely ready for AA! Celebrating his promotion with another Player of the Week, Reinhard went 7-for-16 with a double, 3 homers, 6 RBIs, and 3 walks. This all translates to a .436/.526/.1.062 (315 OPS+) triple slash, that really pops off the page. Combined with his Rockford numbers he now has 15 doubles, 6 triples, 15 homers, and 57 RBIs, and his presence will let Orlando Benitez get more experience in the corners. He's getting some time in left, and after a few more weeks we'll put him in right. Benitez is the better overall defender, but the defense isn't quite at the level of McMillan and Watson. For Reinhard range is his specialty, so the more time in center he gets the better chance he has of becoming a fourth outfielder. RF Harry Cummins (C La Crosse Lions): One of the best hitters you've probably never heard of, Harry Cummings hit .343/.488/.636 (178 OPS+) for the Lions last year and is hitting .417/.514/.700 (167 OPS+) in his first 16 games this year. A former 11th Round Pick, he took home Player of the Week, going 11-for-23 with a double, 2 homers, 9 RBIs, 5 runs, 3 walks, and a steal. Known for his speed and arm in right, he's lucky we didn't get more then just Phil Weeks (.338, 1, 5, 7) and Bob Adams (.310, 2, 11, 4), else he'd probably be on the bench due to his lack of prospect status. Probably already at his peak, the 20-year-old isn't expected to be much more then a complementary player, and if there was room in the San Jose outfield I'd expect him to struggle. I rather play him every day here then have him sit on the baby Cougars bench, as he's contributing to the Lions 2nd place standing. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

03-25-2025, 06:31 PM	#1630
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,974	Week 17: July 22nd-July 28th Weekly Record: 5-2 Seasonal Record: 64-41 (3rd, 7.5 GB) Stars of the Week Dode Caudill : 25 AB, 12 H, 2 HR, 2 RBI, .480 AVG, 1.447 OPS Chappy Sanders : 8 AB, 5 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .625 AVG, 1.750 OPS Pug White : 1 Win, 2 Saves, 5.0 IP, 1 BB, 6 K, 0.00 ERA Schedule 7-23: Win vs Cannons (4-7) 7-24: Win vs Cannons (6-9) 7-25: Loss vs Cannons (6-5) 7-26: Win vs Wolves (2-5) 7-27: Loss vs Wolves (5-2) 7-28: Win vs Wolves (1-3) 7-28: Win vs Wolves (0-4) Recap I hate the Kings. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. HATE. THE. KINGS. 20-7. 20-7 in July so far. And we've made up one. Half. GAME. THAT'S IT!?!?!?!?! HALF A STINKIN' GAMEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!! Well, at least we're a real good ballclub playing real good baseball. And Dode Caudill is starting to welcome his self to the league! With two games left he's a near lock for Rookie of the Month, as Dode went 12-for-25 to raise his July line to .409/.488/.636 (200 OPS+). He added 4 doubles, 2 homers, 5 walks, and 7 runs, giving him 13 extra base hits, 34 runs, 17 walks, 8 steals, and 12 RBIs. The ultimate stat-sheet stuffer, he's now got 16 doubles, 11 triples, 15 homers, 45 walks, 46 RBIs, 78 runs, and 16 steals in the first 103 games of his career. Dode has now slashed .314/.381/.519 (139 OPS+), and after spending all season ranked in the bottom half of the left field rankings, OSA finally decided to place him at 6th. That doesn't mean too much, he's pretty much the same guy he was Opening Day (don't forget he started the season really well), but at least now it seems like our new cornerstone is starting to get the recognition he deserves. The Caudill-McMillan-Watson outfield could remain mostly unchanged for a long time, aside from potentially flipping center and right. Regardless of alignment, this defense will be excellent, and they're all capable in the box, and even if we come short this year, 1964 could be when everything clicks. Our double header this week was fascinating, as we didn't need to use either of our relievers, as Roy Ellis and John Mitchell combined for 8 hits, 4 walks, 13 strikeouts, and just a single run allowed. That came in Ellis' start, as he held the Wolves to 3 hits and 2 walks, striking out 8 hitters for the second time in his three game win streak. He had a rough start to the month, but when he's not allowing home runs he's dominating. Ellis has walked three hitters in a game just once -- and it's his game high on the season. 13 of his 20 starts have seen him strikeout at least four hitters for each walk, as his command is among the league's best. His 2.6 K/BB is sixth in the Conti, while his 5.9 BB% is right below Doc Griffin (5.8) for seventh. Still on place for a second 200 inning season, it hasn't always gone the way he's wanted, but as we look to cut the deficit he could push the needle if he keeps it in the park. Mitchell getting the shutout is kind of ironic, as he's the only pitcher that won't get a start this week. We get an off day and no double header, and instead of demoting him, I'm going to give him a week in the pen. The 26-year-old has won pretty much every start he's made, a combined 11-2 between Milwaukee and Chicago. Yesterday he threw his second shutout, allowing just 5 hits and 2 walks with 5 strikeouts. Mitchell is riding a five game win streak, with four of those coming in Chicago. The competition hasn't been great, but he's delivered when called upon, and 5 of his 8 starts have gone 8 or more innings. That was completely unexpected, but he's always shown the ability to eat innings. Generally they aren't as effective, but in 63.1 this season he's worked to a 2.84 ERA (146 ERA+), 3.41 FIP (81 FIP-), and 1.09 WHIP. As is all would be easy career bests, and with three more starts on the horizon he's got a chance to keep these values pretty close. He's rolled with all the punches so far, and I can just sense a big outing coming from the crafty righty. Pitching was the strength in most of our wins, but both our catchers were valuable on offense and defense. Dutch Miller continued his outstanding July, going 4-for-12 with a homer, 3 walks, and 4 RBIs. The 34-year-old veteran is hitting .299/.388/.552 (149 OPS+) in 21 July games, easily his best month of the season. 4 of his 9 homers and 14 of his 34 RBIs have came this month, as he finally seems to settled into Chicago. It's coincided with Chappy Sanders addition, and the backup was 5-for-8 with a double, homer, 3 runs, and 4 RBIs. Since his July 4th call up, he's hit an impressive .323/.389/.645 (172 OPS+). It's just 36 PAs, but he already has 3 homers and 10 RBIs. A position that was weak most of the season, we're finally seeing some production. Looking Ahead Off to start the week before we start what could be our biggest series of the season. A quick three game detour in Kansas City, we have our second best chance to actually cut into the seemingly insurmountable deficit ahead of us. We took advantage of a tired Kings squad, but this time they seem to be ready for action. Somewhat lucky for us, even if there wasn't an off day we'd get 2-3-4, with Jack Halbur (11-3, 2.53, 89), Allie Boone (6-4, 3.27, 107), and Beau McClellan (9-9, 3.87, 116). Ace Gene Bailey (16-3, 3.12, 120) picked up his FABL leading 16th win on Sunday, so he'd be missed regardless. For most that's good, but we're his third loss and worst start. No one in their rotation is an easy pull, so runs will be tough, which is not something to say about Hank Williams (.368, 32, 103). This dude is simply the best hitter in baseball, and he almost deserves to win a pennant. Yet to play in the postseason, the 3-Time Whitney winner is doing his best this season, as he's hoping year six as a starter is the one where he finally gets to the postseason. They just added Stan Kleminski (.260, 2, 35, 12), the postseason hit leader, in a depth building effort, but he won't be available for us. With pretty much only righties on our staff, we may struggle with the lefty-heavy lineup, and I'm worried that Earle Turner's (3-3, 2, 1.01, 45) scoreless month will come to a close. I'm extremely nervous for this series, as I think they're the best in the league, and we just aren't quite there yet. But I am wrong often... Back home to finish the week, three with the Sailors before another Monday off-day. San Francisco sits in fourth, and at 59-45 they're more then double digit games behind the Kings. Still an excellent team, they've got one of the best outfields, featuring veteran Edwin Hackberry (.268, 13, 52, 17), first-time All-Star John Kingsbury (.318, 14, 77, 6), and rookie sensation Otis Haldeman (.295, 15, 75, 4). Carlos Jaramillo (.265, 4, 37, 22) needs no introduction and Heinie Spitler (.373, 5, 60, 10) is the only thing between Hank Williams and a batting title, giving them arguably the top middle infield. Catching is an obvious weakness, as Larry McLaren (.229, 4, 8) fractured his rib and Bill Jenkins (.198, 1, 24) has a pitcher's batting line, but they're strong almost everywhere else. One guy I haven't really touched on before his graduated #35 prospect Allan Griffen (.290, 7, 38, 4), who's gone from released 20th Round pick to useful corner infielder. The 25-year-old has spent most of his season at first, hitting .290/.377/.448 (119 OPS+) with 24 extra base hits, 32 runs, 36 walks, and 38 RBIs. One of the toughest guys to strike out, he fits in with the Sailors general look, and they continue to get the most about players that some wouldn't give a second look to. With a good lineup, we'll have to exploit their pitching staff, and I think we'll draw Zane Kelley (7-4, 4.40, 78) and Sam Franklin (4-3, 4.88, 52). Our lineup should have a field day, especially if we can elevate their mistake pitches. Minor League Report CF Bob Adams (C La Crosse Lions): After being selected 131st in the most recent draft, Bob Adams has shown he's ready for pro baseball, off to a nice start to his minor league career. Adams got a little reward, as in week four he took home Player of the Week. Hitting a strong 15-for-29, he added 5 runs, a double, 2 triples, 2 homers, 7 RBIs, 3 walks, and 4 steals. 23 games into his La Crosse career, Adams has hit an impressive .379/.460/.598 (136 OPS+) with 3 doubles, 4 homers, 18 RBIs, 13 walks, 18 runs, and 8 steals. The speedster has also played tremendous defense, collecting a 4.4 zone rating (1.111 EFF) in under 200 innings. 20 in August, he's looking more then ready for a new challenge, but there's no room in the San Jose outfield. To get him playing everyday, he might have to wait longer then he deserves, but that doesn't mean he's not an important prospect in our system .Ranked 17th on the team and 305th overall, he could turn into a useful fourth outfielder, and his speed makes him a weapon late game. At worst a designated pinch runner, he has a nice high floor, and seems likely to end up on a FABL roster.ea RHP Johnny Maples (C La Crosse Lions): Perhaps overshadowed by aces in the making Johnny Kern and Hub Russell, Johnny Maples has been the 1963 draftee off to the best start, as the 10th Round pick has allowed 3 or fewer runs in each of his 4 starts, including a 3-hit shutout of the Moline Pioneers. Ranked 20th in our system and 316th overall, he's our six ranked pitching prospect, the recently 20-year-old may not spend too much time in La Crosse. 3-1 with a 1.87 ERA (314 ERA+), 1.10 WHIP, and 16 strikeouts, he's been extremely effective, and with a few more starts like this he'll be on his way up. There's not a lot of room in the San Jose rotation, but Maples is a guy I could make room for, as his development is important to our future success. A little more then just pure depth, he could be a useful FABL starter, commanding the zone with his mid 80s sinker. Best for groundballs, he profiles well in our park, and he doesn't project to deal with command issues. The stuff isn't great, but only imperfect pitchers are available in the 10th Round, and he has plenty going for him with his movement and work ethic. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

03-26-2025, 05:39 PM	#1631
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,974	Week 18: July 29th-August 4th Weekly Record: 3-3 Seasonal Record: 67-44 (3rd, 8.5 GB) Stars of the Week Cal Randall : 20 AB, 10 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .500 AVG, 1.174 OPS Bob Allen : 2 Wins, 6.0 IP, 2 BB, 2 K, 1.50 ERA Gene Case : 19 AB, 6 H, 2 HR, 6 RBI, .316 AVG, 1.172 OPS Schedule 7-30: Win at Kings (5-3) 7-31: Loss at Kings (1-10) 8-1: Loss at Kings (0-3) 8-2: Win vs Sailors (5-11) 8-3: Loss vs Sailors (7-1) 8-4: Win vs Sailors (5-6) Recap Yeah... Of course... The Kings are just too good... At least we won one of the last two July games, so at 21-8, we were ever-so-slightly ahead of the 21-9 Kings for July, but those Kings were just too much to handle. They took two of three from us, then the Stars, almost cementing a Continental pennant with two months to go. We played our best ball in July, as did Dode Caudill, though this week he was better in August (5-15, 2 2B, HR, 2 RBI, 3 R, 3 BB), helping us take the Sailors series with a huge game (3-5, 2B, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI) to get thing started. Named Rookie of the Month for September, are young star hit .390/.467/.602 (185 OPS+), totaling 5 doubles, 4 triples, 3 homers, 12 RBIs, 17 walks, 9 steals, and an absurd 35 runs scored in 29 games. Still a longshot for the Kellogg, he has all the counting stats you can count, 82 runs, 18 doubles, 11 triples, 16 homers, 48 RBIs, 48 walks, 17 steals, and 4 WAR, helping us win games in whatever way he can. Sure, the .311/.379/.516 (138 OPS+) batting line isn't quite as good as Boyd and Woods, but he's done everything well as he establishes himself among the better players in the game. One thing I was really hoping for this week was some revenge from former King Cal Randall, and at least in the opener he made a difference. Hitting his 8th homer of the season, Randall was a perfect 3-for-3, more then making up for his 11th error of the season. 1-for-3 and 2-for-4 in the losses, he finished the week an even 10-for-20, upping his season line to a more respectable .273/.303/.381 (83 OPS+). Aside from Randall, we didn't do much hitting, though Gene Case provided some pop in the heart of the order. 6-for-19, he added a double and 2 homers, drawing 4 walks with 3 runs and 6 RBIs. Now with 20 homers on the season, the second-time All-Star has hit .289/.386/.535 (145 OPS+) on the season, and still has an outside chance for his second 30 home run season. We'll need more to get back on track this week, but it was tough watching Jack Gibson (6-24, 4 RBI, 2 R, BB) and Henry Watson (4-23, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, 3 R, 2 BB) cool when we needed them most. Same can be said for the staff, though I am thankful that Ken Stone's oblique strain was mild. He was off to a good start in the opener with the Kings, allowing 3 hits and 2 unearned runs with 2 strikeouts, leaving with one out in the 4th. Deemed fine to make his next start, he got his 5th consecutive no decision in our 6-5 win over the Sailors, chased out with 10 hits, 5 runs, 3 walks, and 4 strikeouts in 6 innings. Dick Champ was the only starter with real success, as the guy we acquired for the Fed's July Rookie of the Month got an unlucky loss, 5 hits, a run, and 2 strikeouts in 6.2 innings, as we could not do anything with our 10 hits off Beau McClellan (10-9, 3.63, 126). The pen was mostly solid, even if the Kings ruined Earle Turner's perfect July, as on the last day of the month he allowed 6 hits, 5 runs (3 earned), and a walk with just one strikeout in 3 innings. Despite the clunker, he finished with a 1.27 ERA (329 ERA+), 2.05 FIP (49 FIP-), and 1.12 WHIP, striking out 17 in 21.1 outstanding innings. Bob Allen picked up two wins, including the game Stone left early, where he went 4 with 5 hits, a run, and 2 strikeouts. The win against the Sailors wasn't as smooth, scattering 4 hits and 2 walks in 2 innings, but Allen is now 5-3 after 69.2 innings, working to a 2.58 ERA (161 ERA+) and 0.99 WHIP with 15 walks and 32 strikeouts. After two scoreless from Arch Wilson, our entire pen is now back below a 3 ERA, as it's about all that we can do better then KC. And they still have the #2 pen. Looking Ahead It's not quite panic time, but since the Kings don't play us or the Stars until the last few days of August, and they only have one series with the Sailors, I just don't see us making up even four games in August. We at least start with what should be an easy matchup, as our quick six game homestand finishes with three against the Wranglers. With a Monday off-day, rotations can be reset, but all their starters are easy to hit, and ace Steve Miller (5-14, 4.24, 75) won't be ready till Friday. In better Wrangler news, they moved All-Star bench bat Elmer Piper (.374, 5, 31) to the starting lineup, and the 29-year-old has hit a productive .374/.396/.508 (137 OPS+) in 202 PAs. Him and Ken Hudson (.251, 15, 41) can do some damage, but overall the Wranglers are closer to the Blues then us, and anything less then a sweep will be a let-down. Things get tougher on the weekend, as we'll have to visit LA for four games in three days. Like us, they're off to start the week, but they'll host the Wolves before we come to town. LA has started to slip, as ace Floyd Warner (11-5, 4.11, 105) has been hit hard and none of their bats showed up in KC. Star slugger Lou Allen (.298, 27, 89) had a rare hitless week, 0-for-18 with 3 walks, and despite the best efforts of their deep lineup, runs were tough against the Kings staff that's back to allowing the fewest runs. I'm hoping that means their lineup struggles with our staff, as we should be able to put runs on their pitchers. Harry Stout (10-6, 3.41, 128) has had a major breakout at 22, and I think we're stuck facing him. A deadly fastball/slider pitcher, he might quickly emerge as the Stars top option, and I'm worried that he'll have no issues carving through our lineup on the road. 27-26 away from home, we just play like a much different team, and I can easily see us sweeping the Wranglers before doing no better then a split in LA. Minor League Report CF Orlando Benitez (AA Little Rock Governors): Despite being just 20-years-old, Orlando Benitez continues to dominate minor league pitching, capturing Batter of the Month in the Dixie League. Now with 3s across the board for offense, and improving defense at third and all three outfield spots, he's starting to push for a FABL spot, and he probably should be in the Century League already, but there's just no rush to bring him to Chicago. In July, Benitez hit an excellent .292/.398/.667 (177 OPS+) with 11 homers and 27 RBIs, homering more then Hank Williams in four less games. The power has really shown through lately, as the 36th ranked prospect now has 23 in 88 games, hitting .297/.410/.563 (155 OPS+) with 12 doubles, 12 steals, 60 runs, and 78 RBIs. Most impressive may be the eye, as he's drawn 64 walks to just 38 strikeouts, improving what at once might have been considered a weakness of his. The strengths are evident, he's a gifted athlete with legit pop and blazing speed, but everything is starting to come together this year. Dixie thinks has more upside then Henry Watson and is just above or below Jerry McMillan, and if all breaks right Benitez could be among our top players, and his improvements at third base open up an easier avenue for playing time. SS Bill Grimm (A Rockford Wildcats): Our top ranked prospect and #22 in baseball, Bill Grimm is looking like a steal at 10, as only four players from his draft class rank ahead of him. Sure, John Edwards (.266, 3, 35) has debuted and projects to be a building block in Minnesota, but every other pick in the draft is listed behind him. He's doing us proud so far, crushing San Jose to the tune of .342/.382/.561 (160 OPS+) in 55 games before his promotion to Rockford. Reunited with Sam Pratt, he's playing more then just short, with starts at first, second, third, and even center. It hasn't impacted his hitting, as in 147 PAs he's hitting .285/.381/.423 (116 OPS+) with 5 doubles, 3 triples, 2 homers, 13 RBIs and 3 steals. Combined with his time in San Jose, he's picked up 58 runs, 36 extra base hits, 35 walks, and 53 RBIs. Like Benitez, the 19-year-old is very advanced for his age, with 3s everywhere but Avoid Ks and Contact. Once he cuts down on the strikeouts, he's going to be a really good hitter, and he can get into the lineup anywhere. He's no worse then a 3 potential for each position he plays, everywhere but catcher and pitcher so far. With speed, power, and a great eye, he's oozing with potential, and he has all the tools to be among the best in the game. Attached Images __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

03-28-2025, 06:42 PM	#1632
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,974	Weeks 19 and 20: August 5th-August 18th Week 1 Record: 4-3 Stars of the Week Gene Case : 27 AB, 12 H, 4 HR, 10 RBI, .444 AVG, 1.457 OPS Dode Caudill : 30 AB, 12 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .400 AVG, .971 OPS Jack Gibson : 28 AB, 9 H, 3 HR, 8 RBI, .321 AVG, 1.000 OPS Schedule 8-6: Win vs Wranglers (2-5) 8-7: Win vs Wranglers (2-10) 8-8: Win vs Wranglers (3-11) 8-9: Loss at Stars (2-5) 8-10: Loss at Stars (1-9) 8-11: Win at Stars (5-2) 8-11: Loss at Stars (9-15) Week 2 Record: 2-4 Seasonal Record: 73-51 (3rd, 14 GB) Stars of the Week Jerry McMillan : 30 AB, 10 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .333 AVG, .767 OPS Dick Champ : 1 Win, 9.0 IP, 0 BB, 6 K, 0.00 ERA Jack Gibson : 23 AB, 5 H, 2 HR, 8 RBI, .217 AVG, .728 OPS Schedule 8-14: Loss at Saints (1-4) 8-15: Win at Saints (9-3) 8-16: Win at Cannons (7-0) 8-17: Loss at Cannons (3-5) 8-18: Loss at Cannons (4-9) 8-18: Loss at Cannons (1-2): 12 innings Recap I'm a bit behind and our season is lone done so I'm just going to combine the last two weeks. I've already been thinking of doing monthly or even biweekly so this is a nice little test run. Since we stopped playing well and the Kings are just too much better then everyone else, and even if we were still playing at an elite level we wouldn't be any closer to them then the Stars are. On the bright side, Dode Caudill's big month was not by chance, as OSA alerted me that Dixie might be a bit behind on his reports. After taking another look at him, Dixie upgraded him from straight 3s to 4s at Contact, Avoid Ks, Power, and Eye. This is a huge upgrade for our new cornerstone, who seems like a lock for a 20/20 rookie season. Through 122 games, he has 17 homers and 20 steals, hitting .313/.378/.508 (136 OPS+) with 97 runs, 20 doubles, 12 triples, 56 RBIs, 55 walks, and 4.4 WAR. In most seasons that's good enough for the Kellogg, but he needs a big August and September to come close. If only he can drag us to the playoffs! Gene Case took home Player of the Week in the first week, going 12-for-27 with a double, 4 homers, 10 RBIs, 6 runs, 4 walks, and a steal. That improved his season line to .298/.396/.559 (153 OPS+), as he continues to show that he deserved his All-Star selection. He cooled a little this week, but through 124 games he's still played in each one, collecting 24 doubles, 8 triples, 25 homers, 81 runs, 87 RBIs, 73 walks, 13 steals, and 4.4 WAR. The production hasn't been impacted, his 154 WRC+ would be a career high, and it's just a shame he doesn't get more attention. It would help if we were if we were in a pennant race, but we're starting to gather a nice collection of young players all entering their prime, giving us hope for better times. Dick Champ has really turned things around, as after seeing Bob Starr breakout across town, he's been at his best on the mound. That continued at the end of the period, as Champ got our only win in Cincy. A truly dominant effort, he had 6 hits and 6 strikeouts, shutting out the Cannons is a commanding 7-0 opening win. After a brutal patch in the midseason, he's allowed three or fewer runs in 7 of his last 8 starts. Somehow his 4.18 ERA (100 ERA+) is the third best among our five regular starters, trailing just Ken Stone (2.95, 141) and Hank Walker (3.71 112). Don Griffin was having issues, even losing his starter role, role, but he bounced back with a nice outing against the Saints. Going 5 innings he had just 3 hits, a run, and walk to improve to 10-4 on the season. The issue was he only struck out one, and lowered his ERA to 4.20 (99 ERA+). I'm not sure why he's struggled as he isn't walking anyone and he's not really allowing more homers then usual, so I'm hoping it's just bad luck and not a drop in his overall effectiveness. Arch Wilson has really fell into rough times, seeing his ERA jump from 2.90 to 4.47 (93 ERA+) in just three outings. This includes 11 hits, 10 runs, and a walk with just 3 strikeouts in 2.2 innings pitched. Unable to get batters out, he cost us the extra inning one-run game, and has shown the volatility of reliever ERA. Just a few bad innings can wreck the stats, and if he can straighten up the rest of the way he'll finish with more respectable totals. We still have the lowest pen ERA in the Conti, but we've been leaky the past two weeks, with all four members allowing runs. They'll get John Mitchell a lot the rest of the way, just one double header left on the season, and I may bring up an arm or two once rosters expand. At 58-55, Milwaukee isn't a real threat in the Century League pennant race, so I'm fine getting a few filler players to bring some reinforcements for our final month. Jack Gibson became the first Cougar to hit 30 homers this season, as our second basemen homered in back-to-back days to hit the milestone. The third time he's reached this, he's been relatively healthy after his lengthy absence, slashing .287/.314/.575 (132 OPS+) in 92 games. Providing us with 61 runs and 83 RBIs, he's one of our best run producers, even if he is pretty much homer or bust. He's got just 17 walks, 10 doubles, and 2 triples, and won't steal any bases. The defense is a plus, as he's got an outstanding 9.2 zone rating and 1.094 efficiency at second. If we just had this last season, we'd be the disappointing defending pennant winners, instead of again shifting our focus to the next season. Looking Ahead Just six games tis week, and since we'll be at home, I think we can actually win some. A tale of two teams, we're 43-18 in the confines of Cougars Park, but a dreadful 30-33 away from it. At least we get more home games the rest of the way, and after a Monday off day we start a nice long homestand that runs until roster expansion. It starts with three must-win games, as we'll host the Imperials before a tough set in LA. Two totally different teams, the Imps are second to last and recently eliminated, while the Stars are second and trying to pull off a miraculous comeback. 9.5 games out, they can still pull off the impossible, but I think we'll do our part in spoiling. Sure, they outplayed us in California, but the Windy City is where we play best, even if they will be able to hit home runs off us. Minor League Report CF Orlando Benitez (AA Little Rock Governors): Depending on how you look at it, this most recent one was a good one for Orlando Benitez. One of the top Dixie League hitters this season, Benitez won his second Player of the Week, 7-for-19 with 6 runs, a double, a triple, 3 homers, 6 RBIs, and 5 walks. The only problem is his back started to tighten up on him during Friday's 2-1 win in Knoxville. Benitez did make both starts over the weekend, 3-for-8 with 3 runs, 2 RBIs, and a walk, double, and triple, but in an abundance of caution, I'm placing the 20-year-old on the IL. Now ranked as the 37th best prospect in FABL, he's a potential star in the making, and I don't want him to develop injury problems early. Taken 10th in the 1961 draft, he's hitting an impressive .299/.411/.581 (162 OPS+) in 450 PAs, showcasing his explosive tools. An advanced hitter for his age, he's clubbed 27 homers and swiped 12 bases, providing the third place Governors with 69 runs, 15 doubles, 5 triples, 86 RBIs, and 72 walks. A natural center fielder, he's shown improvements in left and right, and I'm leaning on playing him at third when he returns from what should be a quick IL stint. Our outfield is full at the big league level, and if Benitez can take the Dode Caudill route to the majors, we'll have a huge upgrade on offense. Cal Randall can stick around to play late game defense, while giving off-days to the entire infield. Benitez can help in the outfield too, and there's always the chance someone gets hurt. With no need to rush him, he'll finish out the year in Little Rock, but if the Cuban native ends up int he minors again next season, it will be in Milwaukee and not Little Rock, and I'd be very surprised if he does not get a callup to the big league club next season. SS Sam Pratt (A Rockford Wildcats): Sam Pratt continued his dream season, as he joined Gene Case in winning a Player of the Week. In the same time period, Pratt was 12-for-27 with 2 doubles, a homer, 6 RBIs, and 6 walks. Despite not getting much recognition from the prospect rankers, he continues to be one of our most effective hitters this season. Ranked just outside the top 30 and 500, Pratt is now hitting .353/.433/.548 (162 OPS+) with 14 doubles, 5 triples, 11 homers, 57 RBIs, 40 walks, 55 runs, and 10 steals in 337 PAs with Rockford. Combined with his 27 game sample in San Jose, he's been worth 5.4 WAR with 39 extra base hits, 46 walks, 69 runs, 63 RBIs, and 13 steals, making appearances at all four infield positions. If we didn't have a surplus of outfielders, he could fill any of those three spots either, as he's got all the makings of a Swiss army knife utility man. Quick, able to work the count, and grind out at bats, he's a high floor guy that's trying to push the limits of his ceiling. RF Harry Cummings (C La Crosse Lions): Somehow the best hitter the UMVA has ever seen, the uninspiring Harry Cummings continues to torment the league and it's pitching staffs. Capturing another Player of the Week, the unranked former 11th Rounder had back-to-back 4-hit games, finishing 14-for-21 with 3 doubles, 3 homers, 10 RBIs, 3 walks, and 3 steals. Through 190 PAs he now boasts a robust .442/.547/.779 (196 OPS+), earning 16 doubles, 3 triples, 10 homers, 44 RBIs, 33 walks, 38 runs, and 8 steals. With three weeks left in the season, he'll finish out a three year career with the Lions. Currently a .389/.515/.710 (189 OPS+) hitter, there's really no explanation for why he looks like Hank Williams' reincarnation, and he could finish with some team or even league records once the year finishes. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe Last edited by ayaghmour2; 04-01-2025 at 10:26 AM.

04-01-2025, 08:05 PM	#1633
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,974	Weeks 21 and 22: August 19th-September 1st Two Week Record: 9-3 Seasonal Record: 82-54 (3rd, 12 GB) Stars of the Weeks Henry Watson : 47 AB, 18 H, 5 HR, 18 RBI, .383 AVG, 1.197 OPS Dode Caudill : 51 AB, 17 H, 2 HR, 9 RBI, .333 AVG, .939 OPS Gene Case : 41 AB, 11 H, 5 HR, 9 RBI, .268 AVG, 1.087 OPS Schedule 8-20: Win vs Imperials (8-9): 11 innings 8-21: Win vs Imperials (6-7) 8-22: Loss vs Imperials (4-3) 8-23: Win vs Stars (4-5) 8-24: Win vs Stars (4-5) 8-25: Loss vs Stars (5-2) 8-27: Loss vs Saints (4-7) 8-28: Win vs Saints (8-11) 8-29: Win vs Saints (2-3) 8-30: Win vs Foresters (2-3) 8-31: Win vs Foresters (3-7) 9-1: Win vs Foresters (1-6) Recap It's funny that right after we got behind and I did two weeks, we accidentally had a two week sim, before taking a little time off as our commish is on vacation. This allowed me to catch up without rush, and why the post came so late. We're basically the hottest team that isn't the Kings right now, ranked 2nd in the Power Rankings and even making up a pair of games since the last report. This is despite playing five consecutive one-run games, as we were able to escape with four wins. Finally, we've won (24) more of those then we lost (22), but just not as often as we win regular games. Playing at home certainly helped, as we're basically unbeatable at Cougars Park, so I really shouldn't be surprised we finished August so well. Despite the slow start, 16-12 is passable, but our worst month since April and we're not nearly close enough to first for it to matter much. On the bright side, we'll surpass our 86 wins from last year and we have a reasonable chance to win the most games for the franchise since our 92-win 1946 season saw us lose a 1-game playoff. I can't see us getting 97, how much we won in our 1941 pennant season, but 90 is in reach and a nice milestone for a pretty quality club. It's also the first season in team history where we've had three players hit 30 or more home runs, as with just under a month to play, the trio of Jack Gibson, Henry Watson, and Gene Case all have reached 30. Barring an absurd October, that's all we'll have, but with Johnny McMillan and Dode Caudill both at 19, we could easily have a full house of homers with 2 in the 20s and 3 in the 30s. Case got to 30 in dramatic fashion, homering in each of his first three at bats of our 7-3 win over the Foresters. The first three-homer game of his career, Case was a perfect 3-for-3 with a walk and 5 RBIs, and the dangerous slugger is batting an outstanding .292/.393/.560 (152 OPS+) on the season. On track to appear in all 162 of our games this year, Case has collected 24 doubles, 9 triples, 96 RBIs, 92 runs, 82 walks, and 14 steals, worth an even 5 wins above replacement in 136 games. A disciplined hard worker with an elite eye, booming power, and blazing speed, Case does everything except play defense at a useful position, and the former 8th overall pick should continue to be an important part of our team success. Same goes for Gibson and Watson, who have both surprised for various reasons. With Gibson it's the availability, not the pop, as he's hammered the over on the 75 games I was expecting to get from him this year. Already at 104, he's slugged when healthy, leading the club with 33 homers to go with elite second base defense (10.8, 1.099). His .285/.316/.566 (130 OPS+) batting line would technically be a career low, but the Mitchell-esque hitter is pretty much always in the 131-141 WRC+ range, and all I truly cared about this year was having him on the field. Yes, disaster could strike in the last month, but he's been worth 4.5 WAR with 69 runs and 93 RBIs, and took home his second All-Star nod. Watson, meanwhile, was expected to play, but a .328/.367/.568 (146 OPS+) batting line and 6.9 WAR exceeded even my highest expectations. Attempting to shine as a star, Watson has clubbed 23 doubles, 31 homers, and 108 RBIs, adding 6 triples, 10 steals, and 90 runs scored. Paired with equally elite defense (14.2, 1.095), the club leader really cemented his place on the roster as one of our most valuable options. We didn't really pitch well in August, which certainly contributed to our struggles on the road. Just three members of the staff were really all that reliable, with one being swingman John Mitchell. An out shy of 20 innings, he started 2 of his 7 outings, going 2-0 with a save, 3.66 ERA (115 ERA+), 1.02 WHIP, and 10 strikeouts. It was Hank Walker then that led the staff, 4-1 in his 5 starts with a 3.31 ERA (127 ERA+), 3.40 FIP (81 FIP-), and 1.30 WHIP, striking out 27 to just 12 walks. Since June, he's been our best pitcher, and in 24 starts on the season he's 12-4 with a 3.66 ERA (115 ERA+), 1.34 WHIP, and 103 strikeouts. Outperforming Roy Ellis and Doc Griffin, both who have had their issues this summer, he's gone from fighting for a rotation spot to almost unbeatable, and he'll keep pitching meaningful innings for us. Dick Champ's road was different, as he has been wildly inconsistent, but his August was almost as good. His 2-2 record looks worse then the 3.21 ERA (131 ERA+), 3.36 FIP (79 FIP-), and 1.13 WHIP, as Champ set down 19 with 7 walks. His 4.44 ERA (94 ERA+) and 4.48 FIP (106 FIP-) on the season are approaching average, and he was arguably more valuable for us in 14 starts last season. Thing is, when he's on he's on, and he's had a lot of huge wins for us and he should continue to be a mostly reliable veteran arm in the rotation. Looking Ahead So what's in the way of our quest to 90? A lot of road games! It starts with our final double header of the season on Monday, kicking off a road-trip with the Sailors (3), Wrangles (3), Foresters (3), and Wolves (4). If we lose to the Wranglers, we really are cursed on the road, but expect losses in the rest of the series. We only have three more home series, hosting the Cannons (3), Kings (3), and Wolves (2) before the season ends. Between the Cannons and Kings is the Imperials, and we finish the season with three in Kansas City against a team that likely has the playoffs locked up. Or maybe we win all six against them and steal the crown! That's possible, right!?!?! At least on paper it is! Minor League Report Traditionally when rosters expand, I do a cover on each player coming up, but this also coincides with a large time jump so some of this will look a little different then usual. With AAA's season ending in two weeks, there will be more callup slater in the month, but we will add a few reinforcements. What we won't have is a third catcher, as I didn't have time to sign a minor league free agent to replace a would be callup. We might have one by next sim. LHP Doc Cook: The pen gets an extra arm for the rest of the way, as the Blues aren't likely making up 9 games in the Century League, and won't really miss Doc Cook. For us, it keeps guys rested, as the short-stint lefty could get us out of a jam or two. Nearly all his time came in Milwaukee this year, as Cook was 4-2 with 12 holds in 40 appearances spanning 60.1 innings pitched. Walking 19 and striking out 42, he had a 2.09 ERA (174 ERA+), 2.93 FIP (80 FIP-), and 1.14 WHIP, an extremely effective branch option. A guy who only throws low 90s fastballs, he's the prototypical AAAA pitcher, though in a weaker pen he'd be a useful lefty specialist. He's now out of options, so this year could be his last in our organization. I'd love to keep him as depth if he doesn't make the roster next season, and I don't think he's likely to be claimed if exposed. 1B Jack Drake: The only callup from AA, Jack Drake will get what likely amounts to his final September callup, as the 25-year-old final option was used this season. Recently 25, he was back in Little Rock, where he hit .271/.367/.460 with 18 homers and 68 RBIs. He's now made nearly 1,500 PAs (1,441) with the Governors, hitting a middling .255/.357/.415 (108 OPS+) with 33 homers and 179 RBIs. A first basemen without much power, more then half of his homers came this year, which at least gives him hope for earning a roster spot. We don't really have a natural back up first basemen, and the threat to go deep could be enough for Drake to get an extended look. He's never starting over Gene Case, who's just a month and a half older, but he should get a chance to make his 6th at-bat his first hit. 3B Mooney Vetter: His first go around in Chicago didn't go well, but at least in the second he won't be relied on for anything. With everyone healthy, we can use Mooney Vetter on the bench, as the recently turned 29-year-old is a 2-Time Diamond Defense winner at second. An improved shortstop, he can man their and second too, but we have other guys more suited for the middle infield. Appearing in 8 games for the big league club, his .043/.043/.043 (-77 OPS+) batting line might be the worst among players with 23 or more PAs, which is far from his AAA output. In 102 games he slashed an impressive .302/.330/.476 (126 OPS+), notching 22 doubles, 16 homers, and 63 RBIs. With an option year left, he may get another go in Milwaukee next season, but he could end up stealing Buddy Byrd's spot on the bench. A tough guy to strike out, when he's hitting homers he can be useful, but the .272/.309/.375 (81 OPS+) he hit last year was simply not up to standard. LF Jim Barton: Not only was Jim Barton a Player of the Week and Batter of the Month, but he now got what he desired far more then any minor league award. Another chance to play in the Cougar outfield. The unlucky odd man out, Barton saw Dode Caudill take over left field and never look back, and when I realized we needed ten pitchers with all the double headers, Barton was the one who was sent down to the Century League. At first, he struggled as he was demotivated, but he's improved in each month, culminating in a return to Chicago. Barton hit an impressive .350/.385/.610 (178 OPS+) in 109 PAs, upping his season line to .275/.319/.439 (112 OPS+) with 25 doubles, 12 triples, 7 homers, 48 RBIs, and 57 runs. With the rest of his season coming in Chicago, he'll get a chance to improve his 2-for-15 from earlier in the season, where Barton played minimally and added a double, homer, 2 runs, 3 RBIs, and 4 strikeouts. A strong defender who once hit .338/.393/.569 (151 OPS+) with 35 doubles, 17 triples, and 17 homers, I could probably waive him and he'd go unclaimed, but I don't think I'll end up doing that next spring. An overqualified 4th outfielder, part of me believes there's still a useful hitter hiding, but barring injury there just isn't room for him. I hope he gets used to the bench, as he could be a useful roster member for a really good 1964 Cougar team. SS Bill Grimm (A Rockford Wildcats): Expected to be our top ranked prospect for the foreseeable future, Bill Grim was also the top player in the Heartland League. Despite bouncing all around the diamond, Grimm's bat has remained steady, as last year's first rounder hit .283/.450/.587 (177 OPS+) with 3 doubles, 2 triples, 7 homers, 25 RBIs, 21 runs, 18 walks, and 4 steals. A legitimate five-tool player, the 20th ranked prospect has gotten very comfortable at second and third, and he's hit .300/.423/.505 (148 OPS+) in 62 Class A games. An advanced hitter for his age, Grimm has great speed, an excellent arm, exciting power potential, a great eye, and a solid contact tool. Before August, he was striking out a ton, but he was set down in just 10.8% of PAs to lower his Rockford line to 16.2. Quickly becoming an option for us at third base, I'm leaning towards starting him in Little Rock next season. With star potential, he could be a huge boost for our lineup, and a capable shortstop option if I ever want to move away from Tom Halliday's glove. It's too early to rush him, but if he keeps producing and we need some offense, Grimm could find himself in a Cougar uniform in no time. RHP George Spencer (C La Crosse): Not only did George Spencer's two weeks have a shutout, but he also took home Pitcher of the Month in the UMVA. A 5th Round Pick in 1961, Spencer put up numbers that aren't usually seen in the hitter friendly league, a perfect 4-0 with a 0.66 ERA (853 ERA+), 1.18 WHIP, and 42 strikeouts. Now in 9 starts he's 5-2, holding an elegant 2.34 ERA (242 ERA+) and 3.68 FIP (65 65 FIP-) in 65.1 innings. The young righty has a tidy 1.33 WHIP with 48 walks and 69 strikeouts, and will now head up to San Jose. Ranked 22nd in our system and 398th overall, he doesn't project to pitch like this often, but he does have the chance to develop into a spot starter role. With solid stuff and movement, his fatal flaw is control, as walks and homers will always be an issue. On the plus side, he has the stamina to survive high pitch counts, and his fastball, curve, and change are all really good pitches. He's at least worth an eventual look in the pen, as his stuff and ability to eat innings could be honed into something of use. RF Harry Cummings (C La Crosse Lions): We swept the UMVA awards, as Lions superstar Harry Cummings did his best Hank Williams impersonation in August. The 20-year-old outfielder hit an almost unfathomable .505/.612/.952 (249 OPS+) with 13 doubles, 10 homers, 23 walks, 28 runs, and 41 RBIs. A historic mark, he's got a chance to set multiple league and team records, hitting .448/.560/.811 (206 OPS+) with 20 doubles, 15 homers, 67 RBIs, 50 runs, 45 walks, 11 steals, and 4.2 WAR. He has just one week left to add to his totals and maintain his rate stats, before leaving La Crosse until he inevitably returns as a coach to teach future Lions the secret to hitting at this level. Attached Images __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe

04-01-2025, 09:12 PM	#1634
StLee Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: NC Posts: 4,809	It's crazy that you have over a .600 winning percentage yet nowhere near 1st place in the division. In a 162-game season, you would have around 100 wins. Crazy. __________________ 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

Yesterday, 08:23 PM	#1636
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,974	Week 23: September 2nd-September 8th Weekly Record: 2-6 Seasonal Record: 84-60 (3rd, 17.5 GB) Stars of the Week Jack Gibson : 24 AB, 7 H, 5 HR, 8 RBI, .292 AVG, 1.263 OPS Gene Case : 25 AB, 8 H, 3 HR, 6 RBI, .320 AVG, 1.177 OPS Cal Randall : 24 AB, 10 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .417 AVG, 1.083 OPS Schedule 9-2: Loss at Sailors (5-8) 9-2: Loss at Sailors (6-8) 9-3: Loss at Sailors (2-5) 9-4: Loss at Wranglers (5-7) 9-5: Win at Wranglers (10-5) 9-6: Loss at Foresters (6-9) 9-7: Win at Foresters (11-1) 9-8: Loss at Foresters (0-5) Recap Ha. Sure. Yeah. We just can't win on the road. It's just not possible. I don't know why, but the 1963 Chicago Cougars just do not know how to win anywhere that isn't Cougars Park. What I do know is that Jack Gibson might be the closest thing between Hank Williams and a triple crown, as our slugger hit five homer homers, including two two-homer games in Cleveland. If the Kings slugger ends up winning, an oblique strain and load management could be the cause, as in 110 games Gibson has 38 homers while the leader's 40 come in 139. If he can stay healthy he'll keep starting, and our second basemen health may determine a much tighter pennant race next year. About equal games home and road, and for fun I'm just keeping a six man rotation. It looks like Buck Cuppett will go with John Mitchell against the Wolves to start the week, and I'm for giving guys who aren't fully rested an extra day off. There's no need to risk injury at this point, and none of our pitchers have a chance for any sort of award. Besides, Mitchell has pitched well, and he could end up a member of next years rotation. Or more importantly, his presence could allow us to trade a pitcher for a big bat or a truly dominant starter. No one pitched like an ace, and I don't want to bet on regression to catch a really good team. The offense did show up most of the time, as Gibson was far from the only one producing runs. Gene Case stayed hot, 8-for-25 with a double, 3 homers, 6 RBIs, 8 runs, 7 walks, and a steal. The RBIs put him over 100 for the season, now 102 in 144 games. Case has plenty of other counting stats -- 25 doubles, 9 triples, 33 homers, 100 runs, 89 walks, and 15 steals -- and a small, small part of me thinks the could turn into a Hank Williams-esque player. Recently 25, he's an exemplary worker and he keeps getting better each year. I'm really excited to see what he comes up with next, as he's yet to reveal his true ceiling. Big weeks also came from Cal Randall and Dode Caudill, while a collection of bench pieces impressed in limited time. Randall hit his 10th homer of the season, 10-for-24 with a double, triple, and 5 runs scored and driven in, while Dode hit his 20th longball and collected a triple, steal, 6 runs, 3 RBIs, and 3 walks in an 11-for-31 effort. Obviously Dode has been great all year long, but since returning from the IL Randall has slashed a strong .304/.353/.429 with 6 doubles, 5 homers, 22 runs, 32 BRIs, 14 walks, and a triple. This has improved his season line to a more respectable .269/.309/.377 (83 OPS+), and if we can get add a bat to the lineup he's making himself look like an easier plan B. If we do add someone, he could join Pete Meany (5-11, 2B, 2 RBI, R, 3 BB), Chappy Sanders (3-10, 2B, HR, RBI, 3 R, BB), and Mooney Vetter (1-5, HR, 3 RBI) in competition for a bench role. All three made the most of their time this week, but the life of a bench player is not always that easy. Looking Ahead More losses are in the forecast to start the week, as we'll be in Toronto for a long four game series. The Wolves are one of seven teams mathematically eliminated from postseason contention, but I'm sure by the end of the series we'll join them. At 74-70, they're going for their first season above .500 since 1948, and they should easily surpass their 77 wins from last season's .500 finish. It's been in spite of struggles from Arnie Smith (12-9, 4.40, 130), Tom Reed (.239, 17, 67), and George Hoxworth (4-7, 7.68, 40), and they again had to deal with a Phil Colantuono (13-7, 2.62, 111) injury. He's healthy again, and likely to face us, so unless he's rusty we'll really struggle there. With solid overall hitting and pitching, they should play us well, and I'm nervous about our effectiveness here. Sunny skies should follow, as we'll return home to host the Cannons for three games. At 75-71, they've been extremely inconsistent, going on long stretches of winning and losing. Bonnie Chapin's (.349, 25, 76) torn labrum was a major blow, even if Charlie Ham (.258, 18, 44) isn't a bad replacement, as few can provide what Bonnie can. Like Toronto they can pitch and hit, but in Chicago we're tough to best. Whether it's luck, familiarity, or skill, we just do better, and can make up for them taking three of four from us last month in the Queen City. That was even without Chapin, as they still have 30-home run hitters Dallas Berry (.298, 34, 105, 12) and Mark Boyd (.281, 31, 84), both of who I'd love to have in a Cougar uniform. Minor League Report RHP Bob Burdick: I bought up two more players as minor league seasons are starting to wind down, and I added a few free agents to get a few guys here early. The first is veteran Bob Burdick, who can be a last resort type arm. Already 35, 78 of his 81.1 came with the Blues, where he held a 3.46 ERA (105 ERA+) and 1.31 WHIP with 32 walks and 49 strikeouts. A useful member of the pen last year, he was edged out this season since he was optionable. Our pen has been consistently effective, but it never hurts to add a guy with a 3.58 FABL ERA (127 ERA+). Unfortunately for him, his future is most likely an option or DFA, but he'll have one final chance to state his case. C Milt Payne: As uninspiring as Burdick is, Milt Payne is that times five, as the career bench warmer will be our emergency third catcher. After being DFA'd, he hit .207/.233/.390 (74 OPS+) with 4 doubles, a triple, 3 homers, and 10 RBIs. Still way better then what he did with us this year, he's now an emergency third backup. This also allows us to get Chappy some time in the outfied, as his lefty bat off the bench could be useful. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe