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ayaghmour2 · 11-19-2021, 03:36 PM

The Stars are currently two wins away from a championship, but we'll take a look at each of our minor league clubs, including three teams with a championship of their own. I imagine writing a variety of pieces the next couple of days, ideally an Amateur Report, The Cougars that Never Were, and potentially an End of the Season Review before the season ends and I'll be able to start on our top prospect list.

AAA Milwaukee Blues (Century League): 98-42 (.700)
Milwaukee has had a lot of success in the last few seasons, securing back-to-back pennants and in four of the las six seasons. The pitching was outstanding, ranking first in each category except walks (2nd) and strikeouts (3rd) while they were tied for least homers allowed. The ace of the staff was "El Conejo" Juan Pomales, who finished a team best 15-6 with a 3.84 ERA (131 ERA+), 1.27 WHIP, 38 walks, and 99 strikeouts in 171 innings pitched. Pomales did an excellent job lowering his walks and increasing his strikeouts, all while maintaining similar ERAs and WHIPs. Of course, he also hits and fields well, slashing .310/.397/.458 (117 OPS+) with 25 doubles, 10 triples, 9 homers, 23 steals, and 65 RBIs with efficiencies of 1.065, 1.011, and 1.064 in left, center, and right. This might be his last full season in the minors, and I expect Pomales to try and take the right field job out of camp next season.

Del Burns also had a decent season in Milwaukee before his promotion, finishing 11-3 with a 4.10 ERA (122 ERA+), 1.28 WHIP, 43 walks, and 126 strikeouts in 160.1 innings. Like Pomales, he dropped his walks and increased his strikeouts. He was worth almost a full five wins above replacement with help from his lowest minor league WHIP and highest K/9. Lefty Walker Pearce had a breakout season, 14-8 with a 4.01 ERA (125 ERA+), 1.33 WHIP, 51 walks, and 74 strikeouts in 179.2 innings pitched. He did have 13 less effective Milwaukee starts last season, and he looks to have earned a 40-man roster spot. He has the tools to start, a polished sinker, slider, change mix, but I think his future may end up in the pen. He'll look to take Cal Knight's roster spot, but my scout thinks Pearce is the best reliever in our system. Pug Bryan and Joe Brown both spent about half the season in Milwaukee, but Pug was good and Brown was not. Pug was 5-2 with a 3.48 ERA (144 ERA+), 1.44 WHIP, 35 walks, and 39 strikeouts in 64.1 innings pitched, but Brown was 7-3 with a 5.04 ERA (100 ERA+), 1.51 WHIP, 15 walks, and 54 strikeouts in 89.1 innings pitched. Neither pitched well, and both will need to secure a roster spot next season as they are out of options.

The offense had a lot of top hitters, including 40-man players Johnny Waters and Bobby Mills. Waters hit .358/.417/.524 (139 OPS+) with 22 doubles, 4 triples, 12 homers, and 79 RBIs while Mills slashed .340/.414/.596 (155 OPS+) with 35 doubles, 2 triples, 19 homers, and 99 RBIs. Larry Robison had a nice little breakout, slashing .328/.399/.478 (123 OPS+) with 37 doubles, 5 triples, 7 homers, 36 steals, and 82 RBIs. John Johnson got his first taste of AAA, and the 25-year-old center fielder hit .285/.389/.452 (114 OPS+) with 9 doubles, 6 triples, 10 homers, 14 steals, and 46 RBIs. Hal Wood also had a successful first try, batting .324/.405/.429 (112 OPS+) with 13 doubles, a triple, 4 homers, 3 steals, and 51 RBIs while getting some time at second and third while Freddie Bennett was at short. We had a lot of good offensive production from a group of what should be a lot of productive regulars.

AA Mobile Commodores (Dixie League): 79-61(.564)
The only team of ours not to finish at least tied for first place, the Commodores kept up the trend of being the worst Cougar farm team. We did have the best rotation in the league, led by 22-year-old southpaw Harl Haines. He made 16 of his 23 starts in Mobile, going 11-5 with a 2.84 ERA (163 ERA+), 1.21 WHIP, 31 walks, and 68 strikeouts in 133 strong innings pitched. Former 2nd Rounder Doc Smith had one more start and 147.1 innings pitched, going 11-4 with a 3.60 ERA (128 ERA+), 1.52 WHIP, 59 walks, and 59 strikeouts. Art Saunders was effective when healthy, 10-2 with a 2.64 ERA (175 ERA+), 1.04 WHIP, 14 walks, and 59 strikeouts in 119.1 innings pitched. Johnny Ruby split his time between Mobile and Lincoln, 7-5 in 13 starts with a 4.10 ERA (113 ERA+), 1.52 WHIP, 48 walks, and 59 strikeouts. Johnnie Jones started his Cougar career in Mobile, but "The Patron Saint of Groundballs" has been roughed up in his nine starts. He was an even 4-4 with a 6.60 ERA (83 ERA+), 1.60 WHIP, 22 walks, and 20 strikeouts.

The offense wasn't great, I had a handful of guys who may have been a level high, plus they lost the biggest piece of the offense in Chubby Hall midseason. He it an outstanding .399/.455/.592 (174 OPS+) with 16 doubles, a triple, 8 homers, and 36 RBIs. Skipper Schneider only got into 44 games because of the draft and the injury, but he hit an impressive .349/.387/.509 (134 OPS+) with 14 doubles, 4 triples, 2 homers, 3 steals, and 31 RBIs in just under 200 trips to the plate. Tony Mullis spent half his season in Mobile too, hitting .313/.365/.436 (110 OPS+) with 20 doubles, 8 triples, 5 steals, and 46 RBIs. Same for Marv Smith, who hit .319/.415/.435 (124 OPS+) with 6 doubles, 3 triples, 5 homers, 7 steals, and 35 RBIs. Hal Wood hit a similar .310/.375/.464 (120 OPS+) with 16 doubles, 8 triples, 2 homers, and 38 RBIs. Mobile won the league in 1933 and 1936 and hasn't finished below third in a season since 1932, but I'm hoping we'll be able to get over the hump shortly.

A Lincoln Legislators (Heartland League): 83-57 (.592)
A 10-14 September capped off with a late four game sweep by the Terre Haute Brewers who came back to tie us for first, Lincoln will own a share of the 1939 Heartland League title. They won the title last year too, but it was the first time since 1927. Lincoln didn't have any qualified hitters, as the team saw a lot of movement. Jocko Pollard had a huge season for them, slashing .330/.384/.571 (132 OPS+) with 25 doubles, 2 triples, 21 homers, and 102 RBIs. Chick Browning spent most of his season as Pollard's teammate, batting .328/.397/.532 (127 OPS+) with 24 doubles, 2 triples, 14 homers, and 60 RBIs in just shy of 400 PAs. This years 6th Rounder Arnie Scurlock spent most of his time in Lincoln, hitting .346/.414/.447 (112 OPS+) with 14 doubles, 4 triples, 4 steals, and 29 RBIs. Tony Mullis came close to .400 in his 278 Lincoln PAs, hitting .387/.450/.512 (136 OPS+) with 20 doubles, 4 triples, a homer, and 41 RBIs.

We allowed the fewest amount of runs in a hitter friendly league where a 4.71 team ERA was also the best. Ray Wilcox was the only qualified pitcher, going 12-7 with a 5.23 ERA (102 ERA+), 1.55 WHIP, 48 walks, and 84 strikeouts in 151.1 innings pitched. Ray McNeil finished the season in Mobile, but his Lincoln numbers were better. He was 5-3 with a 3.22 ERA (166 ERA+), 1.39 WHIP, 9 walks, and 32 strikeouts in his 10 starts. Same goes for Johnny Ruby, who was 5-3 with a 3.66 ERA (147 ERA+), 1.38 WHIP, 37 walks, and 65 strikeouts in his 11 starts. Billy Seawood spent time with both San Jose and Mobile as well, but he had more innings (85) with the Legislators then the other two spots combined. Seawood was 6-4 with a 3.60 ERA (149 ERA+), 1.29 WHIP, 24 walks, and 32 strikeouts. I'm hoping we can hold first on our own next season, but I think if I just held a few more guys down, Lincoln would have been the sole recipient of first place.

B San Jose Cougars (California-Oregon-Washington League): 99-41 (.707)
One more win and the Cougars would have won 100 games! No, not the Chicago one... The much better San Jose Cougars! San Jose led the league in nearly offensive and pitching category, but didn't have a single qualifier for hitters or pitchers. Hod Seagroves really came along this season, hitting .334/.417/.454 (131 OPS+) with 23 doubles, 4 triples, 4 homers, 3 steals, and 62 RBIs while spending his time split between first and second. Chick Browning only got 30 games there, but his .398/.492/.743 (224 OPS+) line complimented by 5 doubles, 2 triples, 10 homers, and 35 RBIs. Sammy Dillon got a few more games, 51 to his name, and hit .272/.415/.462 (132 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 8 homers, and 32 RBIs. Former 6th Rounder Harry Avery had a breakout season, hitting an impressive .315/.463/.486 (151 OPS+) with 19 doubles, 2 triples, 9 homers, 16 steals, and 65 RBIs while getting significant time at second, third, and first. Danny Goff Jr. spent most of his time after the draft in San Jose, and hit .338/.432/.461 (136 OPS+) with 11 doubles, a triple, 2 homers, 5 steals, and 30 RBIs at the plate, while 5-1 with a 4.62 ERA (105 ERA+), 1.89 WHIP, 34 walks, and 19 strikeouts.

Other starters like Boney Joe Crosby had better seasons on the mound, 8-5 with a 3.32 ERA (147 ERA+), 1.28 WHIP, 37 walks, and 55 strikeouts in 103 innings pitched. Oliver Allen was a perfect 10-0 after a 6-0 in La Crosse, working to a 3.52 ERA (139 ERA+), 1.33 WHIP, 27 walks, and 39 strikeouts. Willie Gonzalez Jr. had 13 excellent starts of his own, 4-1 with a 2.65 ERA (184 ERA+), 1.21 WHIP, 27 walks, and 43 strikeouts across 71.1 innings pitched. Lefty John Johnson was 8-4 with a 4.01 ERA (122 ERA+), 1.59 WHIP, 51 walks, and 34 strikeouts in 94.1 innings pitched. Ed Wilkinson started his season with the Cougars, and did better there then in Lincoln, 8-2 with a 3.77 ERA (129 ERA+), 1.22 WHIP, 23 walks, and 59 strikeouts in half of his 24 starts on the season. The Baby Cougars have now won three of the last four C-O-W League Titles, and this was their best season yet.

C La Crosse Lions (Upper Mississippi Valley Association): 90-50 (.643)
La Crosse had one of the best offenses in the league, and while a lot of their talent kept moving up, they had a few reliable bats who lasted the entire season. 19-year-old Solly Skidmore missed some time with injury, but hit a strong .342/.419/.484 (109 OPS+) with 16 doubles, 11 homers, and 72 RBIs in just shy of 400 plate appearances. Harry Carr hit .335/.397/.478 (102 OPS+) with 14 doubles, 7 triples, 11 homers, 58 RBIs, and 44 steals. Jasper Wright spent most time out in center while slashing .320/.442/.467 (111 OPS+) with 27 doubles, 12 triples, 7 homers, 37 steals, and 62 RBIs. Max Rucker spent about half his season with the Lions, batting .355/.405/.573 (125 OPS+) with 11 doubles, 2 triples, 13 homers, 10 steals, and 62 RBIs. There weren't too many guys who stood out from the pack in the lineup, but there wasn't a real weak spot and each of the players could help extend an inning.

It was tough to be a good pitcher in C ball, as Ron Sexton's 5.91 ERA was actually 5 points better then the adjusted league average. He was the lone qualifier, as the 19-year-old we acquired from Pittsburgh finished 11-7 with a 1.72 WHIP, 66 walks, and 55 strikeouts in 163 innings pitched. Oliver Allen made just 8 starts, but was 6-0 with a stunning 2.72 ERA (228 ERA+), 1.11 WHIP, 15 walks, and 37 strikeouts in an out shy of 50 innings. Willie Gonzalez Jr. looked good too, 3-2 with a 3.88 ERA (160 ERA+), 1.21 WHIP, 17 walks, and 32 strikeouts through 60.1 innings. After just one start last season and fresh off injury recovery, Gonzalez did an outstanding job getting back on track. There was a lot of turnover, 30 different pitchers throwing an inning for the Lions, and I expect that trend to continue with the midseason drafts.

11-19-2021, 03:36 PM	#659
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,127	Minor League Report The Stars are currently two wins away from a championship, but we'll take a look at each of our minor league clubs, including three teams with a championship of their own. I imagine writing a variety of pieces the next couple of days, ideally an Amateur Report, The Cougars that Never Were, and potentially an End of the Season Review before the season ends and I'll be able to start on our top prospect list. AAA Milwaukee Blues (Century League): 98-42 (.700) Milwaukee has had a lot of success in the last few seasons, securing back-to-back pennants and in four of the las six seasons. The pitching was outstanding, ranking first in each category except walks (2nd) and strikeouts (3rd) while they were tied for least homers allowed. The ace of the staff was "El Conejo" Juan Pomales, who finished a team best 15-6 with a 3.84 ERA (131 ERA+), 1.27 WHIP, 38 walks, and 99 strikeouts in 171 innings pitched. Pomales did an excellent job lowering his walks and increasing his strikeouts, all while maintaining similar ERAs and WHIPs. Of course, he also hits and fields well, slashing .310/.397/.458 (117 OPS+) with 25 doubles, 10 triples, 9 homers, 23 steals, and 65 RBIs with efficiencies of 1.065, 1.011, and 1.064 in left, center, and right. This might be his last full season in the minors, and I expect Pomales to try and take the right field job out of camp next season. Del Burns also had a decent season in Milwaukee before his promotion, finishing 11-3 with a 4.10 ERA (122 ERA+), 1.28 WHIP, 43 walks, and 126 strikeouts in 160.1 innings. Like Pomales, he dropped his walks and increased his strikeouts. He was worth almost a full five wins above replacement with help from his lowest minor league WHIP and highest K/9. Lefty Walker Pearce had a breakout season, 14-8 with a 4.01 ERA (125 ERA+), 1.33 WHIP, 51 walks, and 74 strikeouts in 179.2 innings pitched. He did have 13 less effective Milwaukee starts last season, and he looks to have earned a 40-man roster spot. He has the tools to start, a polished sinker, slider, change mix, but I think his future may end up in the pen. He'll look to take Cal Knight's roster spot, but my scout thinks Pearce is the best reliever in our system. Pug Bryan and Joe Brown both spent about half the season in Milwaukee, but Pug was good and Brown was not. Pug was 5-2 with a 3.48 ERA (144 ERA+), 1.44 WHIP, 35 walks, and 39 strikeouts in 64.1 innings pitched, but Brown was 7-3 with a 5.04 ERA (100 ERA+), 1.51 WHIP, 15 walks, and 54 strikeouts in 89.1 innings pitched. Neither pitched well, and both will need to secure a roster spot next season as they are out of options. The offense had a lot of top hitters, including 40-man players Johnny Waters and Bobby Mills. Waters hit .358/.417/.524 (139 OPS+) with 22 doubles, 4 triples, 12 homers, and 79 RBIs while Mills slashed .340/.414/.596 (155 OPS+) with 35 doubles, 2 triples, 19 homers, and 99 RBIs. Larry Robison had a nice little breakout, slashing .328/.399/.478 (123 OPS+) with 37 doubles, 5 triples, 7 homers, 36 steals, and 82 RBIs. John Johnson got his first taste of AAA, and the 25-year-old center fielder hit .285/.389/.452 (114 OPS+) with 9 doubles, 6 triples, 10 homers, 14 steals, and 46 RBIs. Hal Wood also had a successful first try, batting .324/.405/.429 (112 OPS+) with 13 doubles, a triple, 4 homers, 3 steals, and 51 RBIs while getting some time at second and third while Freddie Bennett was at short. We had a lot of good offensive production from a group of what should be a lot of productive regulars. AA Mobile Commodores (Dixie League): 79-61(.564) The only team of ours not to finish at least tied for first place, the Commodores kept up the trend of being the worst Cougar farm team. We did have the best rotation in the league, led by 22-year-old southpaw Harl Haines. He made 16 of his 23 starts in Mobile, going 11-5 with a 2.84 ERA (163 ERA+), 1.21 WHIP, 31 walks, and 68 strikeouts in 133 strong innings pitched. Former 2nd Rounder Doc Smith had one more start and 147.1 innings pitched, going 11-4 with a 3.60 ERA (128 ERA+), 1.52 WHIP, 59 walks, and 59 strikeouts. Art Saunders was effective when healthy, 10-2 with a 2.64 ERA (175 ERA+), 1.04 WHIP, 14 walks, and 59 strikeouts in 119.1 innings pitched. Johnny Ruby split his time between Mobile and Lincoln, 7-5 in 13 starts with a 4.10 ERA (113 ERA+), 1.52 WHIP, 48 walks, and 59 strikeouts. Johnnie Jones started his Cougar career in Mobile, but "The Patron Saint of Groundballs" has been roughed up in his nine starts. He was an even 4-4 with a 6.60 ERA (83 ERA+), 1.60 WHIP, 22 walks, and 20 strikeouts. The offense wasn't great, I had a handful of guys who may have been a level high, plus they lost the biggest piece of the offense in Chubby Hall midseason. He it an outstanding .399/.455/.592 (174 OPS+) with 16 doubles, a triple, 8 homers, and 36 RBIs. Skipper Schneider only got into 44 games because of the draft and the injury, but he hit an impressive .349/.387/.509 (134 OPS+) with 14 doubles, 4 triples, 2 homers, 3 steals, and 31 RBIs in just under 200 trips to the plate. Tony Mullis spent half his season in Mobile too, hitting .313/.365/.436 (110 OPS+) with 20 doubles, 8 triples, 5 steals, and 46 RBIs. Same for Marv Smith, who hit .319/.415/.435 (124 OPS+) with 6 doubles, 3 triples, 5 homers, 7 steals, and 35 RBIs. Hal Wood hit a similar .310/.375/.464 (120 OPS+) with 16 doubles, 8 triples, 2 homers, and 38 RBIs. Mobile won the league in 1933 and 1936 and hasn't finished below third in a season since 1932, but I'm hoping we'll be able to get over the hump shortly. A Lincoln Legislators (Heartland League): 83-57 (.592) A 10-14 September capped off with a late four game sweep by the Terre Haute Brewers who came back to tie us for first, Lincoln will own a share of the 1939 Heartland League title. They won the title last year too, but it was the first time since 1927. Lincoln didn't have any qualified hitters, as the team saw a lot of movement. Jocko Pollard had a huge season for them, slashing .330/.384/.571 (132 OPS+) with 25 doubles, 2 triples, 21 homers, and 102 RBIs. Chick Browning spent most of his season as Pollard's teammate, batting .328/.397/.532 (127 OPS+) with 24 doubles, 2 triples, 14 homers, and 60 RBIs in just shy of 400 PAs. This years 6th Rounder Arnie Scurlock spent most of his time in Lincoln, hitting .346/.414/.447 (112 OPS+) with 14 doubles, 4 triples, 4 steals, and 29 RBIs. Tony Mullis came close to .400 in his 278 Lincoln PAs, hitting .387/.450/.512 (136 OPS+) with 20 doubles, 4 triples, a homer, and 41 RBIs. We allowed the fewest amount of runs in a hitter friendly league where a 4.71 team ERA was also the best. Ray Wilcox was the only qualified pitcher, going 12-7 with a 5.23 ERA (102 ERA+), 1.55 WHIP, 48 walks, and 84 strikeouts in 151.1 innings pitched. Ray McNeil finished the season in Mobile, but his Lincoln numbers were better. He was 5-3 with a 3.22 ERA (166 ERA+), 1.39 WHIP, 9 walks, and 32 strikeouts in his 10 starts. Same goes for Johnny Ruby, who was 5-3 with a 3.66 ERA (147 ERA+), 1.38 WHIP, 37 walks, and 65 strikeouts in his 11 starts. Billy Seawood spent time with both San Jose and Mobile as well, but he had more innings (85) with the Legislators then the other two spots combined. Seawood was 6-4 with a 3.60 ERA (149 ERA+), 1.29 WHIP, 24 walks, and 32 strikeouts. I'm hoping we can hold first on our own next season, but I think if I just held a few more guys down, Lincoln would have been the sole recipient of first place. B San Jose Cougars (California-Oregon-Washington League): 99-41 (.707) One more win and the Cougars would have won 100 games! No, not the Chicago one... The much better San Jose Cougars! San Jose led the league in nearly offensive and pitching category, but didn't have a single qualifier for hitters or pitchers. Hod Seagroves really came along this season, hitting .334/.417/.454 (131 OPS+) with 23 doubles, 4 triples, 4 homers, 3 steals, and 62 RBIs while spending his time split between first and second. Chick Browning only got 30 games there, but his .398/.492/.743 (224 OPS+) line complimented by 5 doubles, 2 triples, 10 homers, and 35 RBIs. Sammy Dillon got a few more games, 51 to his name, and hit .272/.415/.462 (132 OPS+) with 8 doubles, 8 homers, and 32 RBIs. Former 6th Rounder Harry Avery had a breakout season, hitting an impressive .315/.463/.486 (151 OPS+) with 19 doubles, 2 triples, 9 homers, 16 steals, and 65 RBIs while getting significant time at second, third, and first. Danny Goff Jr. spent most of his time after the draft in San Jose, and hit .338/.432/.461 (136 OPS+) with 11 doubles, a triple, 2 homers, 5 steals, and 30 RBIs at the plate, while 5-1 with a 4.62 ERA (105 ERA+), 1.89 WHIP, 34 walks, and 19 strikeouts. Other starters like Boney Joe Crosby had better seasons on the mound, 8-5 with a 3.32 ERA (147 ERA+), 1.28 WHIP, 37 walks, and 55 strikeouts in 103 innings pitched. Oliver Allen was a perfect 10-0 after a 6-0 in La Crosse, working to a 3.52 ERA (139 ERA+), 1.33 WHIP, 27 walks, and 39 strikeouts. Willie Gonzalez Jr. had 13 excellent starts of his own, 4-1 with a 2.65 ERA (184 ERA+), 1.21 WHIP, 27 walks, and 43 strikeouts across 71.1 innings pitched. Lefty John Johnson was 8-4 with a 4.01 ERA (122 ERA+), 1.59 WHIP, 51 walks, and 34 strikeouts in 94.1 innings pitched. Ed Wilkinson started his season with the Cougars, and did better there then in Lincoln, 8-2 with a 3.77 ERA (129 ERA+), 1.22 WHIP, 23 walks, and 59 strikeouts in half of his 24 starts on the season. The Baby Cougars have now won three of the last four C-O-W League Titles, and this was their best season yet. C La Crosse Lions (Upper Mississippi Valley Association): 90-50 (.643) La Crosse had one of the best offenses in the league, and while a lot of their talent kept moving up, they had a few reliable bats who lasted the entire season. 19-year-old Solly Skidmore missed some time with injury, but hit a strong .342/.419/.484 (109 OPS+) with 16 doubles, 11 homers, and 72 RBIs in just shy of 400 plate appearances. Harry Carr hit .335/.397/.478 (102 OPS+) with 14 doubles, 7 triples, 11 homers, 58 RBIs, and 44 steals. Jasper Wright spent most time out in center while slashing .320/.442/.467 (111 OPS+) with 27 doubles, 12 triples, 7 homers, 37 steals, and 62 RBIs. Max Rucker spent about half his season with the Lions, batting .355/.405/.573 (125 OPS+) with 11 doubles, 2 triples, 13 homers, 10 steals, and 62 RBIs. There weren't too many guys who stood out from the pack in the lineup, but there wasn't a real weak spot and each of the players could help extend an inning. It was tough to be a good pitcher in C ball, as Ron Sexton's 5.91 ERA was actually 5 points better then the adjusted league average. He was the lone qualifier, as the 19-year-old we acquired from Pittsburgh finished 11-7 with a 1.72 WHIP, 66 walks, and 55 strikeouts in 163 innings pitched. Oliver Allen made just 8 starts, but was 6-0 with a stunning 2.72 ERA (228 ERA+), 1.11 WHIP, 15 walks, and 37 strikeouts in an out shy of 50 innings. Willie Gonzalez Jr. looked good too, 3-2 with a 3.88 ERA (160 ERA+), 1.21 WHIP, 17 walks, and 32 strikeouts through 60.1 innings. After just one start last season and fresh off injury recovery, Gonzalez did an outstanding job getting back on track. There was a lot of turnover, 30 different pitchers throwing an inning for the Lions, and I expect that trend to continue with the midseason drafts.