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Foresters AA Affiliate
Portland Pipers (1929-1930)
Toledo Tornados (1907-1928)
As the FABL re-organized its minor league system in off-season after the 1928 season, the Foresters AA affiliate changed from the Toledo Tornados to the Portland Pipers. Late Forester owner Harold Marshall was against this idea as he liked having his top 3 clubs in the state of Ohio. It made it easy for his staff to review minor league players at AA and AAA and the costs were reduced since the travel was in state. Despite his protests the FABL completed the reorganization after his death in July of 1928. Toledo was moved to become a Class AAA affiliate but was not placed in the Union League for a nature rivalry with the Cincinnati Steamers. Instead they were placed in the Century League.
Portland (RI) was then offered the opening in the Eastern League and placed as the AA affiliate of the Cleveland Foresters. The arrangement seems to be working out okay as the Pipers went 74-66 in their first season (4th place in the Eastern Association) and attracted 285,000. This year the team is currently in first place with a 48-21 record and well on pace to beat the attendance that they set last year. Half-way through the season they have already had 204,000 fans come to the games.
Cleveland AA Affiliate Record in the Martin Years
1926 80-60 5GB 3rd Place (Toledo)
1927 77-63 27GB 4th Place (Toledo)
1928 84-56 ---- League Champion (Toledo)
1929 74-66 20GB 4th Place (Portland)
1930 43-20 ----- Leading the Eastern Association by 3 ½ games
Overall 358-265 .575
This season the Pipers are buoyed by there 28-8 home record as the best mark in the Eastern Association. In 1-run games they are 21-11 so they are winning a lot of close games. The team ERA is 2nd in the league (Starters 3rd, Bullpen 4th) and that seems to be carrying them. The offense is 4th overall in many categories and runs scored 385 but with the best runs against in the EA 289 they have a positive run differential of +96.
Key Batting Prospects
#1 Foresters Prospect LF/3B Ray Cochran B-R Age-24 (not on 40-man roster)
Cochran was a 4th round choice (#57 overall) in the 1927 draft. He started his minor league career at Reading in 1928 and returned to start the 29 season there as well. Power is not his forte, but solid defense and the ability to led off with an high OBP is a key. He was tried as a 3B in the minors after spending most of college at the corner OF. His defensive work at the hot corner left a lot to be desired and it appears that experiment is off. Might be blocked getting to the big leagues by Pidgeon and Perret in the corner spots, but could be a versatile bench bat.
#3 Foresters Prospect 2B Brooks Meeks B-R Age-21 (not on 40-man roster)
A big part of the return in the October 29 trade with Pittsburgh that gave the Miners the #2 overall pick in the 1929 draft. Drafted out of high school by Pittsburgh in 3rd round (41st overall) of the 1927 draft youngster enters AA this year in his debut with the Cleveland Organization. Had a great spring and if he was a little older might have broken camp with the big-league team. Currently he has started to adjust to AA ball playing against older players. After a slow start he has his average up to 263 with Portland. A realistic ETA for his arrival in Cleveland is Opening Day 1932.
Forester Pitching Prospects
#12 Prospect Carl Bragg RHSP Age-22 (not on 40-man roster)
Bragg was drafted in the 9th Rd (#129 overall) in the 1926 draft out of high school. Was considered a project and has slowly worked his way up the ladder. He spent 2 full seasons in Class B Savannah 23-16 ERA 5+ and then went to Class A Reading where he went 12-13 with a 4.21 ERA in 29. This year in Portland he is having his best minor league season at 5-3 with a 3.46 ERA. He will likely work at Portland all year and then give AAA a shot next season. After next season we will have to make a call on if he is ready to be on the 40-man roster.
#13 Prospect RHSP Tom Spradlin Age -25
The tall (6’3) righty was another product of our 1st draft as a 12th rounder in 1926 (#177 overall). We really did find a few late round gems in that draft. He’s been stuck at AA now for his 3rd season but has pitched a bit at AAA Cincinnati in 10 relief innings. He has been blocked a bit by the young talent at AAA but if he gets a break, he will go up there this season. He is probably having his best season as a minor leaguer with an 8-4 record in 24 games (10 starts) as he has been the swing man for the Pipers all season. He might start at Cincinnati or could work the bullpen as he tries to find a roll and a way to Cleveland.
Other Players to Watch
SP/C Al Howell LHP B-L Age 24
Someone we really wanted in the deal that sent Lawrence and Robinson to Detroit last season. He is a 2-way player and we have let him continue with that. Our hope is that he could be a really solid starter and then backup catcher at the big-league level. His bat has cooled off a bit since coming over as he has hit in the 260’s at Portland but he is a solid defensive catcher. He is pitching well at Portland over this year and last with a 13-8 record and 3 saves with a 3.40 ERA. His versatility and solid pitching make him a likely candidate in Cleveland within the next season or two. Look for a callup to Cincinnati as the organization might make room for him and release a veteran catcher.
SP Stan Harrison RHSP Age-26
Drafted in the 1924 draft by GM Martin’s predecessor, Harrison has often been overlooked but has simply deliver wins on the mound. He is in his 3rd season at the AA level having won 42-20 with an ERA below 3.00. He deserves a shot at AAA for the rest of the season.
CF Leon Drake B-R Age 21
Drake doesn’t show on the prospects list because he was a Rule 5 pickup last season and spent the year in Cleveland. He was the #54 prospect in all of baseball prior to losing prospect status. He struggled in limited playing time at Cleveland last year when he was 20 so is playing everyday at Portland. He is hitting 284/390/914 with 10 homeruns and 46 RBI’s and 50 runs scored. He needs to work a bit on his defense as he has allowed a few too many errors this season, but he has a very bright future.
1B Alex Thompson B-R Age 23
The just turned 23-year-old Thompson has struggled to live up to the hype of former Foresters Scouting Director Robert “Dingy” Batson. The last pick of Batson before he was fired by GM Martin during the 1925 draft (#14 overall). The hype was Thompson would develop power which the Foresters desperately crave at 1B has just not happened. His best HR season was last year where he hit 7 between Ottumwa and Savannah. Whether his lack of at-bats in the 27-28 seasons set him back or it was just meant to be. Thompson appears to be a bust as a 1st rounder.
Final Thoughts – We are encouraged mainly by the pitching here in Portland and just the grit and makeup of the team that has won so many close games. Several of the players noted will eventually get a shot in Cleveland and we are still very much intrigued by Al Howell.
Drake and Meeks hopefully makeup a core of our middle defense in years to come. Both are very young and I would like to see get a full season next year in AAA Cincinnati to be sure they are ready. They would both be 23 if they made the Foresters Opening Day roster in 1932.
There are a couple of more pitchers on this team that might make some noise at least in Cincinnati that we didn’t cover here.
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