[ayaghmour2]

Weekly Record: 5-2
Seasonal Record: 24-17 (t-2nd, 7 GB)
Stars of the Week
Carlos Montes : 28 AB, 14 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .500 AVG, 1.196 OPS
Skipper Schneider : 22 AB, 9 H, 0 HR, 7 RBI, .409 AVG, .962 OPS
Leo Mitchell : 28 AB, 10 H, 0 HR, 1 RBI, .357 AVG, .829 OPS

Schedule
5-18: Win vs Cannons (4-5): 10 innings
5-19: Win vs Cannons (1-3)
5-20: Win vs Wolves (2-9)
5-21: Win vs Wolves (0-7)
5-22: Loss at Saints (2-3): 11 innings
5-23: Loss at Saints (0-3)
5-24: Win at Saints (6-3): 11 innings

Recap
Despite back-to-back 5-2 weeks, we've now dropped a game and a half in the standings, and sit 7 games behind the New York Stars, who we get for a single game to start the week. We looked great at home, sweeping the Wolves and finishing off the sweep of the Cannons, but we struggled with the Saints in Montreal. They took two of three, including a shutout at the hands of Jake DeYoung.

Carlos Montes picked up right where he left off, leading the offense with an even 14-for-28 week. It felt Player of the Week worthy, more so then Fred Barrell who won it with 11 at bats (albeit, elite ones), and he added 2 doubles, a homer, 4 runs, and 4 RBIs. Montes is now hitting a Whitney Level .372/.419/.513 (168 OPS+) with 6 doubles, 2 triples, 2 homers, 2 steals, and 17 RBIs. He's not the only one who hit well, as Skipper Schneider was 9-for-22 with a steal, 2 runs, 3 doubles, and 7 RBIs. Leo Mitchell kept things going, 10-for-28 with 2 doubles, 2 runs, and an RBI with 6 more strikeouts. Mitchell dropped out of the top 3 for RBIs, but he's now leading the CA batting race with a .346 average as well as a league high .932 OPS. Dick Walker went 5-for-15 with a double, walk, 3 RBIs, and 4 runs scored. Freddie Jones was decent, 5-for-17 with 5 walks, 3 runs, and 2 RBIs. His other half Clark Car didn't play too much, but was 3-for-9 with a double and triple. Harry Mead barely hit over .200, 5-for-24, but he added 2 homers and 4 runs scored and driven in. He's now on a 19 homer pace despite setting a career high for homers last year with just six. Unfortunately, John Lawson struggles again, just 6-for-25 with 3 runs and 4 RBIs. Him and Ray Ford, who was 5-for-24 with a triple, have really struggled this season, and we'll need to get more production from our slugging corner infielders. Now we're top three in all offensive categories except strikeouts, but it might not matter if New York keeps shooting for the Stars.

There was a great week of pitching, and a big moment for Donnie Jones, who tossed a shutout against the team that traded him. He allowed 9 hits and a walk with 7 strikeouts as we beat the Wolves 7-0. It's been an up-and-down season for the rookie, but "Mole Killer" is 3-4 with a 3.09 ERA (110 ERA+), 1.08 WHIP, 15 walks, and 30 strikeouts. He's done a great job striking out hitters, and he's kept walks down, all while keeping runs off the board. His development this year has been excellent, and I'm really liking the poise our youngster has showed early on. Speaking of poise, that's something veteran Dick Lyons has in bulk. After getting humiliated against the Sailors, he put together two strong starts against the Cannons and Saints. He beat Cincy, going all nine with 5 hits, a run, a walk, and 2 strikeouts. He got a no decision in Montreal, but went 7 with 7 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, and a strikeout in our lone win north of the border. His potential replacement, Milt Fritz, looked alright, picking up a no decision with 8 innings, 8 hits, 4 runs (3 earned), and 3 walks in our 5-4 win over the Cannons. He also tossed a perfect inning of relief in our 11 inning win over the Saints, picking up career win #187.

Harry Parker had a rare non-complete game, and you can blame that on a 66 minute rain delay. He was well on his way to another complete game shutout, but left with 5 hits and 4 strikeouts in just 7 innings. Hooks Camp came in, allowing a run in each of the last two innings with 3 hits, 2 runs, and 2 walks as we cruised past the Wolves 9-2. Jim Lonardo picked up an unlucky loss, 10.1 innings against the Saints where they walked us off 3-2. He allowed just 6 hits and 3 runs with 4 walks and a strikeout. Bill Greene walked him off with a homer, but Lonardo still owns an impressive 2.42 ERA (140 ERA+) and 1.14 WHIP despite a 22-to-9 walk-to-strikeout ratio. Joe Brown picked up the other loss, 11 hits, 3 runs, and 3 strikeouts in 8 innings. He pitched well, but since we couldn't hit Jake DeYoung, he would have needed a shutout of his own. Ben Curtin had a pair of shaky 2 inning relief outings, picking up a win despite 7 hits and 2 walks. No runs and two strikeouts, but he wasn't as sharp as usual. Pug finally got an outing, pitching in our 6-3 extra inning game. He walked one in a scoreless frame, picking up the save. It took 41 games for him to pitch his first inning, but I'd be surprised if it takes that long for the second.

Looking Ahead
One of the weirdest, yet most important series we'll have is the one to start the week, a single game hosting the Stars. At 31-10, they're on a sweltering pace to start the season, and they may run away with the division before the trade deadline. Of course, we'll look to stop that, but already seven games back, we can't afford for that lead to go to eight. Good news is Chuck Cole (6-4, 2.20, 27) and Vern Hubbard (4-0, 3.14, 22) pitched yesterday, so they can't be used. And while Billy Riley (8-1, 2.53, 37) is rested, he pitched three days ago against Brooklyn and isn't likely to be used. Avoiding their top three is huge, and while Lou Robertson (4-2, 2.33, 20) is pitching well, I'll take my chances with the inconsistent righty. As a rookie, he had one of the best starts to a career, before finishing his year 10-6 with a 3.17 (127 ERA+), 1.43 WHIP, 58 walks, and 49 strikeouts. He then suffered the always frightening sophomore slump, before being moved to the pen where he was much better. In 12 starts and 22 relief outings he was 6-9 with 3 saves, a 4.26 ERA (94 ERA+) and 1.50 WHIP with almost even walks (43) and strikeouts (42). This year he's started like his rookie year, with a 148 ERA+ and 1.19 WHIP, but again, with near even walks (21) and strikeouts (20). He's still a very good option as a back of the rotation arm, but with Harry Parker on the mound, we should be able to win this one. Of course, Parker on occasion struggles with homers, and considering reigning Whitney Winner Bill Barrett (.303, 3, 20) only has three this season, you can almost take it to the bank that he'll take Parker deep. In fact, Barrett has hit more homers off Parker (7) then he has against any player, and the kid can easily clear the high fences that protect our shorter left and right fields. He's not the only power threat, as Lew Seals (.239, 7, 33, 4) has hit more homers then any CA hitter not named Leo Mitchell, and Dave Trowbridge (.288, 4, 28) is more then a threat despite being 44 in August. That 2-3-4 is next to impossible to navigate, but of Parker can keep the ball in the park, the upset may be ours.

We're then off on Tuesday before a quick two game road trip out in Brooklyn. The Kings are in third, but at just 21-21, there are only two (us and the Stars) teams in the CA above .500. The thing holding the Kings back is their offense, as they cannot get runs on the board. They're 8th with 128, almost 100 (209) behind the Stars who lead the circuit. Nearly every King starter has a sub 100 OPS+, with Rats McGonigle's .269/.335/.400 (104 OPS+) easily the best on the team. Add in the 9 doubles, 3 triples, 2 homers, 4 steals, and 15 RBIs with more walks (16) then strikeouts (11) and you have a very productive table setter, but a team with Rats carrying the load is not one that will score much. Joe Herman (.262, 2, 13, 2) and Al Wheeler (.248, 5, 26) have slumped while Tiny Tim Hopkins (.238, 3, 11), Frank LeMieux (.265, 10), and Harry Barrell (.264, 1, 17) have been colder then an artic winter. It's tough because the Kings' brass is in a tough spot; a lot of talented players underperforming, so it's hard to upgrade to try to compete as the Stars seem to be blowing the competition out of the water. The top three in the staff has been elite, which has kept them in games, but they can't expect Bob Cummings to continue his production. The 29-year-old from Chicago is 6-1 with an FABL best 1.12 ERA (312 ERA+) to go with a 0.97 WHIP, 27 walks, and 33 strikeouts. With him, Art White (5-5, 2.40, 18), and a resurgent Jim Crawford (3-3, 2.76, 14), they do a great job keeping the team in games, which has allowed them to stay in the upper division. I like our chances in this one, as long as we are able to hit, we should be able to win the games.

Thinks get congested towards the end of the week and month, as we get five games in three days. They are all at home, with a single game on Friday and then double headers on Saturday and Sunday. The Sunday double header is against the Kings, while the first three games will be against the Saints. Montreal just bested us in Canada, and we better not let them do that to us on our home turf. Now 20-21, the Saints are in fourth place, and depending on how we play against the Kings, they may end the week in third. We allowed Bill Greene (.236, 1, 16, 3) to heat up a bit, while Red Bond (.225, 4, 16) was 5-for-13 with a homer against Cougar pitching, and this offense has to be taken seriously. Heinie Billings (..292, 1, 11) has cooled off a bit, but it's hard to keep Hughes (.336, 1, 13, 3), Lass (.333, 1, 23), and Woodbury (.295, 3, 9) off the bases. Even random catcher Mike Jones (.308, 1, 10), who sounds like an easy-to-see-through alias you would make up on the spot, has a 118 OPS+ with 3 doubles, 4 walks, and just 2 strikeouts in his first 70 PAs of the season. Their only "below average" hitters so far are Greene and Bond, but everyone knows they're not actually below average hitters. We already showed we can't hit Jake DeYoung (3-4, 2.24, 31) and Karl Weiss (1-2, 2.08, 7) has been surprisingly effective the past two seasons. I know we're the better team, but with Milt Fritz set for one of the games, I'm not as confident as I usually am when facing the Saints. This isn't their year, but if they can avoid losing too many productive players to the draft, the Saints may be a dark horse candidate for the pennant next year.

We're starting the draft today and it should finish over the weekend, so expect various draft pick posts in the coming days. Chances are some of these guys will be drafted again, into the military, but that should make it easier to not have to release players. Since stats were generated this sim, I will do an Amateur Report on both guys we've already selected at the end. Usually I am super excited for the draft, but for one reason or another, I am not as big a fan of this class. I still think we'll get some value, but this is the first class in a while where I wasn't targeting someone for my first, and I think the first season the Cougars have not made a selection in the first since I took over. You don't have to look much further back, as in 1923 the Cougars did not pick until the 3rd Round, where they grabbed William Sullivan 47th Overall out of Scranton HS. He did not pan out, hitting .143/.204/.222 (15 OPS+) in part of two seasons with the Lincoln Legislators (then lowest system) before being cut right before the AI lost control of the FABL teams. Since then, we've gone from Mack Deal to Otto Christian, with 17 other players between them, with a variety of hits and misses. You go from major fails like James Demastus (1930) and Harry Humphrey (1927), but the list also contains Bill Ashbaugh (1925), Fred Barrell (1926), Mike Murphy (1928), Tom Barrell (1929), Billy Hunter (1932), Carlos Montes (1934), Pete Papenfus (1936), and Skipper Schneider (1939), all how have been (and some still our) really good everyday players. We're approaching the 20 season anniversary of my first class, and since that's how long I like to wait before reviewing a draft class, we will start getting yearly Cougar draftee reviews to judge the picks made. Of course, come 1929, I can even quote myself, seeing which guys I got right, and the many more I got wrong.

Minor League Report
RHP Ken Matson (AA Mobile Commodores): He's on a roll! Sure, there was a start with 6 runs in 6 innings, but if you forget about that one, Ken Matson hasn't allowed a run in his last four starts. Matson had the strikeout pitch working against Memphis, striking out 9 with 5 hits and 2 walks as the Commodores shutout the Excelsiors 4-0. This was his second shutout of the season, and he's now 3-1 with a 1.93 ERA (242 ERA+), 0.95 WHIP, 12 walks, and 24 strikeouts in his first five starts as a Cougar prospect. One of the things I really like about Matson is how he's able to keep his walks under control. He has the stuff to rack up a ton of strikeouts as well, and in this facet, he reminds me a bit of Harry Parker. Matson doesn't nearly have the ceiling of Parker, Weinstock thinks spot starter and OSA has a similar prediction, but Matson is a very efficient pitcher, and he has shown the ability to go deep into games. Three of his four complete games he finished with fewer then 120 pitches, and he was able to toss in 145 as a Bill Graham error caused him a loss. Matson contributes to a lot of whiffs, by both blowing pitches by hitters and tricking them with the off-speed stuff. With a little more seasoning, I think we can develop him into a reliable starter, but he has the fallback of turning into a dominant late inning reliever who can come in the 7th and finish off the game.

Amateur Report
CF Henry Deveaux
School: Mississippi A&M
1942: .262/.344/.364, 241 PA, 9 2B, 5 3B, HR, 35 RBI, 35 SB
Career: .274/.353/.363, 723 PA, 24 2B, 13, 3B, 2 HR, 108 RBI, 101 SB

It wasn't a great junior season for Henry Deveaux, but the soon-to-be 22-year-old finished his college career with a .274/.353/.363 line against the toughest college league. Our 2nd Rounder was also a predicted 2nd Rounder in the Mock, expected to go two picks earlier to the Stars. The next in a long list of outfielders from Mississippi A&M, Deveaux did show some improvement, lowering his strikeouts, increasing his slugging, and hitting more extra base hits. He didn't walk as much and his average slumped a bit, but Deveaux did have a relatively consistent college career. This season he set personal bests for doubles and triples and matched his homer high, although just one this year and last, as well as steals. With his age and a potential need for players in the higher levels of the farm, Deveaux may breeze through our system with the blinding speed he shows on the field. He has impact baserunning skills, which I hope translates to outfield range. He has a good eye and could be one of those guys who has a few more walks then strikeouts. Carlos Montes is on another level this year, so there is no immediate need in center, but with his propensity to get injured, Deveaux could compete with Bunny Hufford as the injury replacement in a few seasons.

LHP Bill Chapman
School: Edina
Commit School: CC Los Angeles
1942: 5-0, 66.1 IP, 1.49 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 10 BB, 94 K
Career: 18-2, 249 IP, 1.59 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 53 BB, 318 K

A strong senior season from Bill Chapman to end his four year high school career, as the southpaw was a perfect 5-0 with a 1.49 ERA and 0.87 WHIP. He set career bests in both K/9 (12.8) and BB/9 (1.4) with many other positive stats second to his dominant 1940 season where he also went undefeated. Chapman announced he will sign, forgoing a trip to a JUCO as long we meet his $1,400 demand. It's more then worth paying, as Chapman is a young and athletic pitcher with nice stuff and a lot of room to grow. He has six different pitches, form an 89-91 mph fastball to a forkball, and while none of the six are dominant pitches, they are all effective and he mixes them well. No real issues with command yet, but he may be susceptible to home runs, something that is hard for pitchers to overcome at our park. To become a productive big league starter, Chapman will have to improve his stuff or keep the ball in the park, and if he does both we may have a nice future piece. He's a project arm for sure, but with regional picks the choices are slim, and Chapman is a guy I'd consider picking with one of my two fourth rounders.