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ayaghmour2 · 04-28-2022, 09:03 PM

Baseball is back! Sure, the Spring games are meaningless, but after a long offseason filled with a lot of stress for FABL GMs, the start of Spring always brings excitement and fresh optimism in the baseball world. After coming a game away from a championship, the Cougars feel like there is a lot of unfinished business, and they want to return to the finals. Even without Pete Papenfus, the Cougars are the odds on favorite to win the Continental Association, and if the rumors are true on Bill Barrett's enlistment, there may not be a very exciting pennant race in store. As always, the Cougars invite a lot of non-roster players (listed below), and unlike last season, there will be a few interesting roster battles; most notably in the rotation.

RHP Bill Anderson
RHP Augie Bertrand
RHP Joe Brown*
RHP Pug Bryan
RHP Hooks Camp
RHP Joe Crosby
RHP Ben Curtin*
RHP George DeForest
RHP Grover Donahue
LHP Joe Ferrara
RHP Milt Fritz*
RHP Ira Hawker
RHP Donnie Jones
LHP Johnnie Jones
LHP Cal Knight
RHP John Little
RHP Jim Lonardo*
LHP Dick Lyons*
RHP Ken Matson
RHP Harry Parker*
RHP Allen Purvis
RHP Eddie Quinn
LHP Ed Wilkinson
C Harry Mead*
C Steve Mountain
C Mike Taylor*
1B Ray Ford*
1B Cuno Myer
1B Dick Walker*
2B John Banks
2B Clark Car*
2B Larry Colaianni
2B Ossie Grogan
2B Freddie Jones*
2B Ollie Page*
3B Bill Dickens
3B Bill Graham
3B John Lawson*
3B Johnny McDowell
3B Jocko Pollard
SS Eddie Curtis
SS Tip Harrison
SS Skipper Schneider*
LF Al Heard
LF Leo Mitchell*
LF Oscar Panduro
CF Doug Bennett
CF Bunny Hufford
CF Aart MacDonald
CF Jim Madsen
CF Carlos Montes*
CF Orlin Yates
RF Chick Browning
RF Rich Langton*
RF Cliff Moss*

* Denotes guaranteed roster spot

Camp Battles
Rotation Spots: 2
Inside Edge: Joe Brown
50/50: Milt Fritz, Donnie Jones
Outside Looking In: Eddie Quinn, Bill Anderson, Johnnie Jones

Even with the enlistment of Pete Papenfus and then the drafting of Harl Haines, Chicago has a lot of depth in the rotation. Late inning arm Joe Brown has made just 4 starts in the past two seasons and 8 since debuting in 1937, but he's always shown the ability to start games, and it can be argued that on most teams he'd fit comfortably in the middle of their rotation. Tom Weinstock is a huge fan, declaring him to be a solid #2, and manager Clyde Meyer has Brown slotted behind Jim Lonardo and Harry Parker in his rotation. Barring injury, the 28-year-old will close out our opening series in Montreal, and the rotation spot will be his to lose during the season.

The bigger question is who will be our 5; veteran Milt Fritz or top prospect Donnie Jones. Back in August of 1940, Milt Fritz was just two wins away from his second 20 win season, while surpassing the 200 inning mark for the 11th time. But then on the final day of the month, he tore his rotator cuff, the first injury of more then three weeks in his career. Fritz was just a shell of his former self last year, with his ERA and WHIP rising from 2.84 (139 ERA+) and 1.33 to 4.01 (98 ERA+) and 1.60, while his BB/9 nearly doubled from 3.7 to 6.5. His control was erratic at best, walking more then four times as many hitters as he struck out, and his velocity was down a full 5 miles per hour in his return. He went from a potential 300 win pitcher to lucky if he can get 200, and "Big Cat" will have to hold off the "Mole Killer" in Spring to secure our final spot. He's in no jeopardy of losing a roster spot, and would transition into a long man/spot starter, but Frtiz's best days may be behind them. Jones, however, is a decade younger and currently ranked as the FABL's 6th best prospect. Clyde Meyer is giving the youngster the edge, and neutrals around the league would love to see the talented youngster start the season in the Cougars rotation. I want him getting regular starts, so he won't be an option out of the pen, and with his leadership and upside, he could be exactly what we need to replace Peter the Heater. Jones did debut last season, and while it wasn't pretty, our staff has noted he's made huge strides in the offseason, raving about his elite stuff and top of the rotation talent, with manager Clyde Meyer giving him the 5 spot in the rotation. If Jones can pitch effectively in the Spring, he'll look to take the ball every 5 games, while potentially moving to a closer role when we don't need a full rotation.

Injuries can throw a wrench into any teams plan, especially with pitching, so we may need to dig a little deeper. I think Donnie's older brother Johnnie still needs more polishing before starting every five games, but he may get a start in the Spring. He had huge control issues last year, walking 22 in just 13.1 innings, and he has too much future potential to waste away in our pen. Veteran Eddie Quinn's best days may be behind him, but he's a veteran with a lot of experience who could take advantage of some of these younger and inexperienced guys FABL teams will be force to call upon. The real dark horse is former Toronto ace Bill Anderson, who Tom Weinstock is a big fan of and pitched out of the Commodores pen a bit last year. The 33-year-old won 22 games for the Eagles back in 1936 and has made 195 big league starts with a 84-101 record. He's not on the 40, which may hurt his chances, but Anderson will be a useful depth arm to hang on to.

Bullpen Spots: 2-3
Inside Edge: Eddie Quinn
50/50: Hooks Camp, Ken Matson
Outside Looking In: Pug Bryan, Bill Anderson, Allen Purvis, Grover Donahue, Cal Knight

The only pen arm with a guaranteed spot is Ben Curtin, but if Milt Fritz doesn't crack the rotation, one of the three potential spots will go to him. I debated giving Eddie Quinn a guaranteed spot, but I'm worried that we have better options. The 35-year-old is coming off the worst season of his career, with a 4.91 ERA (80 ERA+) and 1.59 WHIP to go with 40 walks and 17 strikeouts. Still, his veteran presence could be very helpful, and while he has all three options left, I can't see him accepting an assignment.

We have a pair of Rule-5 picks in camp, and I'd love to find a way to keep both. Ken Matson came over from Brooklyn, and checks in at 32nd in our system and 301st overall. Hooks Camp isn't rated, but Tom Weinstock thinks both of them could end up filling the back of a big league rotation. I'm not sure I want a pennant contending team relying on a pair of unproven youngsters, but the duo were effective in AA and could pitch well in low leverage situations. But keeping them both would likely spell the end to Pug Bryan's Cougar career. A 2nd Rounder back in 1934, Pug burst on to the scene as a rookie in 1937, going 8-9 with a 3.69 ERA (108 ERA+), 1.33 WHIP, 64 walks, and 68 strikeouts in 23 starts. The then 24-year-old seemed like a long term rotation fixture, but he had a huge sophomore slump, moving to the pen after 11 starts, and he hasn't made another one since. He's allowed 52 runs in just under 70 innings since, and has career ERA and WHIP have rose to 4.75 (84 ERA+) and 1.54. I've always been a huge Pug fan, but even with the need for players around the league, he may go unclaimed if waived.

Other options further down the line include the previously mentioned Bill Anderson, fellow non-roster invitee and former Cougar pen man Allen Purvis, as well as 40-man options in Grover Donahue and Cal Knight. Donahue is the only one without past big league success, but all four can be sent down to Milwaukee without issue. Unless injuries really put a damper on our Spring, these guys won't see much time.

Bench: 2
Inside Edge: Johnny McDowell
50/50: Orlin Yates, Aart MacDonald
Outside Looking In: Ossie Grogan, Eddie Curtis, Tip Harrison

Just a pair of bench spots up for grabs, and due to Orlin Yates' option, I think Johnny McDowell and Aart MacDonald will grab the last two spots. Aart got lucky that Fred Vargas was called away to service, or he'd be almost guaranteed to be designated for assignment. Aart is a great gloveman who has never hit much, and last year was about as bad of a season as you can expect. The soon-to-be 30-year-old from Aruba hit a paltry .176/.234/.200 (23 OPS+) in just shy of 100 PAs, while striking out (17) more frequently then he reached with a base hit (15). He's outstanding defensively, the only reason he's still with us, but I have to imagine his bat will eventually come around. In AAA he's a career .263/.377/.493 (137 OPS+) hitter and my scouts have always liked him. McDowell played a little less last year, but he hit a career best .379/.397/.439 (135 OPS+). Sure, the speedster hasn't stolen a base in the past two seasons (granted, just 132 PAs), but he's a reliable pinch runner late in game and his teammates love him. I debated making him a roster lock, but at least until Billy Hunter is healthy, he should be able to keep a spot on the club.

Orlin Yates could probably start for a few teams in center or right, but for now, he'll be either starting in AAA or spending most of his time on the bench. Of course, Carlos Montes hasn't been able to stay healthy over a full season, so Yates could be up when he inevitably takes his in-season vacation. He's a quality defender with a decent left handed bat, but it may be tough for him to find a lot of playing time. Ossie Grogan has tore the cover off the ball in the minors, and while he has struggled a bit in the big leagues, he could develop into a reliable second basemen. Like Yates, he's a bit lazy, and with the addition of Clark Car, he may struggle to break his way through. Tip Harrison and Eddie Curtis are both very versatile, which could help them steal a spot if an injury arises, and Tip is out of options. I don't want to waive him, but it may be tough to carry him without some roster shenanigans. Of course, Freddie Jones loves getting injured, so that make solve the bench situation for us, but I will have a few tough decisions to make.

04-28-2022, 09:03 PM	#787
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,046	Spring Training! Baseball is back! Sure, the Spring games are meaningless, but after a long offseason filled with a lot of stress for FABL GMs, the start of Spring always brings excitement and fresh optimism in the baseball world. After coming a game away from a championship, the Cougars feel like there is a lot of unfinished business, and they want to return to the finals. Even without Pete Papenfus, the Cougars are the odds on favorite to win the Continental Association, and if the rumors are true on Bill Barrett's enlistment, there may not be a very exciting pennant race in store. As always, the Cougars invite a lot of non-roster players (listed below), and unlike last season, there will be a few interesting roster battles; most notably in the rotation. RHP Bill Anderson RHP Augie Bertrand RHP Joe Brown* RHP Pug Bryan RHP Hooks Camp RHP Joe Crosby RHP Ben Curtin* RHP George DeForest RHP Grover Donahue LHP Joe Ferrara RHP Milt Fritz* RHP Ira Hawker RHP Donnie Jones LHP Johnnie Jones LHP Cal Knight RHP John Little RHP Jim Lonardo* LHP Dick Lyons* RHP Ken Matson RHP Harry Parker* RHP Allen Purvis RHP Eddie Quinn LHP Ed Wilkinson C Harry Mead* C Steve Mountain C Mike Taylor* 1B Ray Ford* 1B Cuno Myer 1B Dick Walker* 2B John Banks 2B Clark Car* 2B Larry Colaianni 2B Ossie Grogan 2B Freddie Jones* 2B Ollie Page* 3B Bill Dickens 3B Bill Graham 3B John Lawson* 3B Johnny McDowell 3B Jocko Pollard SS Eddie Curtis SS Tip Harrison SS Skipper Schneider* LF Al Heard LF Leo Mitchell* LF Oscar Panduro CF Doug Bennett CF Bunny Hufford CF Aart MacDonald CF Jim Madsen CF Carlos Montes* CF Orlin Yates RF Chick Browning RF Rich Langton* RF Cliff Moss* * Denotes guaranteed roster spot Camp Battles Rotation Spots: 2 Inside Edge: Joe Brown 50/50: Milt Fritz, Donnie Jones Outside Looking In: Eddie Quinn, Bill Anderson, Johnnie Jones Even with the enlistment of Pete Papenfus and then the drafting of Harl Haines, Chicago has a lot of depth in the rotation. Late inning arm Joe Brown has made just 4 starts in the past two seasons and 8 since debuting in 1937, but he's always shown the ability to start games, and it can be argued that on most teams he'd fit comfortably in the middle of their rotation. Tom Weinstock is a huge fan, declaring him to be a solid #2, and manager Clyde Meyer has Brown slotted behind Jim Lonardo and Harry Parker in his rotation. Barring injury, the 28-year-old will close out our opening series in Montreal, and the rotation spot will be his to lose during the season. The bigger question is who will be our 5; veteran Milt Fritz or top prospect Donnie Jones. Back in August of 1940, Milt Fritz was just two wins away from his second 20 win season, while surpassing the 200 inning mark for the 11th time. But then on the final day of the month, he tore his rotator cuff, the first injury of more then three weeks in his career. Fritz was just a shell of his former self last year, with his ERA and WHIP rising from 2.84 (139 ERA+) and 1.33 to 4.01 (98 ERA+) and 1.60, while his BB/9 nearly doubled from 3.7 to 6.5. His control was erratic at best, walking more then four times as many hitters as he struck out, and his velocity was down a full 5 miles per hour in his return. He went from a potential 300 win pitcher to lucky if he can get 200, and "Big Cat" will have to hold off the "Mole Killer" in Spring to secure our final spot. He's in no jeopardy of losing a roster spot, and would transition into a long man/spot starter, but Frtiz's best days may be behind them. Jones, however, is a decade younger and currently ranked as the FABL's 6th best prospect. Clyde Meyer is giving the youngster the edge, and neutrals around the league would love to see the talented youngster start the season in the Cougars rotation. I want him getting regular starts, so he won't be an option out of the pen, and with his leadership and upside, he could be exactly what we need to replace Peter the Heater. Jones did debut last season, and while it wasn't pretty, our staff has noted he's made huge strides in the offseason, raving about his elite stuff and top of the rotation talent, with manager Clyde Meyer giving him the 5 spot in the rotation. If Jones can pitch effectively in the Spring, he'll look to take the ball every 5 games, while potentially moving to a closer role when we don't need a full rotation. Injuries can throw a wrench into any teams plan, especially with pitching, so we may need to dig a little deeper. I think Donnie's older brother Johnnie still needs more polishing before starting every five games, but he may get a start in the Spring. He had huge control issues last year, walking 22 in just 13.1 innings, and he has too much future potential to waste away in our pen. Veteran Eddie Quinn's best days may be behind him, but he's a veteran with a lot of experience who could take advantage of some of these younger and inexperienced guys FABL teams will be force to call upon. The real dark horse is former Toronto ace Bill Anderson, who Tom Weinstock is a big fan of and pitched out of the Commodores pen a bit last year. The 33-year-old won 22 games for the Eagles back in 1936 and has made 195 big league starts with a 84-101 record. He's not on the 40, which may hurt his chances, but Anderson will be a useful depth arm to hang on to. Bullpen Spots: 2-3 Inside Edge: Eddie Quinn 50/50: Hooks Camp, Ken Matson Outside Looking In: Pug Bryan, Bill Anderson, Allen Purvis, Grover Donahue, Cal Knight The only pen arm with a guaranteed spot is Ben Curtin, but if Milt Fritz doesn't crack the rotation, one of the three potential spots will go to him. I debated giving Eddie Quinn a guaranteed spot, but I'm worried that we have better options. The 35-year-old is coming off the worst season of his career, with a 4.91 ERA (80 ERA+) and 1.59 WHIP to go with 40 walks and 17 strikeouts. Still, his veteran presence could be very helpful, and while he has all three options left, I can't see him accepting an assignment. We have a pair of Rule-5 picks in camp, and I'd love to find a way to keep both. Ken Matson came over from Brooklyn, and checks in at 32nd in our system and 301st overall. Hooks Camp isn't rated, but Tom Weinstock thinks both of them could end up filling the back of a big league rotation. I'm not sure I want a pennant contending team relying on a pair of unproven youngsters, but the duo were effective in AA and could pitch well in low leverage situations. But keeping them both would likely spell the end to Pug Bryan's Cougar career. A 2nd Rounder back in 1934, Pug burst on to the scene as a rookie in 1937, going 8-9 with a 3.69 ERA (108 ERA+), 1.33 WHIP, 64 walks, and 68 strikeouts in 23 starts. The then 24-year-old seemed like a long term rotation fixture, but he had a huge sophomore slump, moving to the pen after 11 starts, and he hasn't made another one since. He's allowed 52 runs in just under 70 innings since, and has career ERA and WHIP have rose to 4.75 (84 ERA+) and 1.54. I've always been a huge Pug fan, but even with the need for players around the league, he may go unclaimed if waived. Other options further down the line include the previously mentioned Bill Anderson, fellow non-roster invitee and former Cougar pen man Allen Purvis, as well as 40-man options in Grover Donahue and Cal Knight. Donahue is the only one without past big league success, but all four can be sent down to Milwaukee without issue. Unless injuries really put a damper on our Spring, these guys won't see much time. Bench: 2 Inside Edge: Johnny McDowell 50/50: Orlin Yates, Aart MacDonald Outside Looking In: Ossie Grogan, Eddie Curtis, Tip Harrison Just a pair of bench spots up for grabs, and due to Orlin Yates' option, I think Johnny McDowell and Aart MacDonald will grab the last two spots. Aart got lucky that Fred Vargas was called away to service, or he'd be almost guaranteed to be designated for assignment. Aart is a great gloveman who has never hit much, and last year was about as bad of a season as you can expect. The soon-to-be 30-year-old from Aruba hit a paltry .176/.234/.200 (23 OPS+) in just shy of 100 PAs, while striking out (17) more frequently then he reached with a base hit (15). He's outstanding defensively, the only reason he's still with us, but I have to imagine his bat will eventually come around. In AAA he's a career .263/.377/.493 (137 OPS+) hitter and my scouts have always liked him. McDowell played a little less last year, but he hit a career best .379/.397/.439 (135 OPS+). Sure, the speedster hasn't stolen a base in the past two seasons (granted, just 132 PAs), but he's a reliable pinch runner late in game and his teammates love him. I debated making him a roster lock, but at least until Billy Hunter is healthy, he should be able to keep a spot on the club. Orlin Yates could probably start for a few teams in center or right, but for now, he'll be either starting in AAA or spending most of his time on the bench. Of course, Carlos Montes hasn't been able to stay healthy over a full season, so Yates could be up when he inevitably takes his in-season vacation. He's a quality defender with a decent left handed bat, but it may be tough for him to find a lot of playing time. Ossie Grogan has tore the cover off the ball in the minors, and while he has struggled a bit in the big leagues, he could develop into a reliable second basemen. Like Yates, he's a bit lazy, and with the addition of Clark Car, he may struggle to break his way through. Tip Harrison and Eddie Curtis are both very versatile, which could help them steal a spot if an injury arises, and Tip is out of options. I don't want to waive him, but it may be tough to carry him without some roster shenanigans. Of course, Freddie Jones loves getting injured, so that make solve the bench situation for us, but I will have a few tough decisions to make.