[ayaghmour2]

Baseball is back! After what seems like the longest offseason in FABL history, I cannot be more ready for the new season to start. The fine folks at TWIFB think the Cougars will face the Chiefs in another crosstown series, and I think we have all the pieces to return to the postseason. We lost a lot of talented players, including Carlos Montes, Ray Ford, and Donnie Jones, but for the most part we should be able to cover our losses with internal depth. Adding Hank Barnett will be a huge boost to the lineup, and if we can get a good season from our vets and Donnie's brother Johnnie, we could be popping Champaign in September. Of course, we still have to play the games, and injuries, underperformance, and overperformance have a way to shake up the landscape.

We have a smaller group in camp because of all the enlistments, but we have more battles then usual:

RHP Bill Anderson
RHP Augie Bertrand
RHP Joe Brown*
RHP Pug Bryan
RHP Hooks Camp
RHP Ben Curtin
RHP Grover Donahue
LHP Manny Franco
RHP Ira Hawker
LHP Johnnie Jones*
LHP Cal Knight
RHP John Little
RHP Jim Lonardo*
RHP Angel Lopez
LHP Dick Lyons*
RHP Ken Matson
RHP Harry Parker*
RHP Allen Purvis
RHP Bill Tuttle
C Clem Bliss
C Harry Mead*
C Steve Mountain
C Mike Taylor
C Ed Wallace
1B Cuno Myer
1B Dick Walker*
2B Clark Car*
2B Billy Hunter
2B Freddie Jones*
2B Walt Layton
3B Hank Barnett*
3B Steve Jones
3B Ollie Page
SS Eddie Curtis
SS Bill Graham
SS Tip Harrison
SS Skipper Schneider*
LF Huck Hanes
LF Leo Mitchell*
LF Oscar Panduro
CF Bunny Hufford
CF Aart MacDonald
CF Jim Madsen
CF Orlin Yates
RF Chick Browning
RF Rich Langton*
RF Cliff Moss*
RF Dan Rogers

*Denotes guaranteed roster spot

Camp Battles
Center Field: 2
Inside Edge: Orlin Yates
50/50: Billy Hunter, Bunny Hufford, Aart MacDonald
Outside Looking In: Chick Browning, Cliff Moss, Jim Madsen

We usually have to cover at bats for Carlos Montes anyways because he's always hurt, but now we need to find a way to do it for a whole season. The easy solution would be to let Orlin Yates take over, as he has since debuting in 1937. Yates made 83 trips to the plate for us last year, hitting .236/.337/.264 (80 OPS+) with 2 doubles, 5 RBIs, and a steal. Yates didn't show much power in the small sample, but he's always been really good at drawing walks. He walked 10 times which makes his 94 WRC+ look much better, and he's a pretty capable defender as well. In 159 innings out in center he tallied a 4.2 zone rating, good for a 1.043 efficiency. Yates is a career .238/.338/.307 (81 OPS+) hitter through 889 PAs with 28 doubles, 6 triples, 4 homers, 13 steals, 71 RBIs, and 109 walks. He has a better line in AAA, slashing .254/.349/.358 (105 OPS+), and the pitchers he'll see this year will be more similar to the AAA guys with a lot of really good pitchers at war and even more double headers. He's almost guaranteed a roster spot, but there are so many moving pieces right now that really nothing is certain.

One option I really want to try is Billy Hunter, the talented yet-always-injured former 1st Rounder. It's crazy to think he's already 28, but has just 470 FABL games under his belt. A natural infielder, third is taken by Barnett, short by Skipper, and second by the platoon of the top two second basemen Freddie Jones and Clark Car. This doesn't leave an easy entrance to playing time, so I'd love to see if the fleet footed Hunter can make it work on the outfield grass. He's never played at any outfield spot, but a lot of time shortstops can be passable in the outfield too. I'm not sure if he'll be passable and I wish we got to see ratings for this part, but before spring Clyde Meyer made him the #1 backup for both left and right. If center doesn't work out, he could work into a super utility role, getting time at short, third, left, and right.

If he was a better defender, or even right handed, Bunny Hufford would be a frontrunner, as he can't really platoon with Yates and his bat isn't developed enough yet to make up for the glove. He got a cup of coffee last year, hitting .280/.321/.360 (103 OPS+) with 2 doubles and 5 RBIs. Of course, he's a much better minor league hitter, slashing .310/.389/.427 (134 OPS+) with 24 doubles, 5 triples, 8 homers, 9 steals, and 78 RBIs. His 68-to-21 walk-to-strike out ratio is extremely impressive, but his -10.2 zone rating and .963 efficiency needs improvement. We also have the exact opposite of him in Aart MacDonald, all glove not bat. In the equivalent of a full season, he's hit just .197/.309/.293 (66 OPS+) with 28 doubles, 6 triples, 2 homers, 20 steals, and 46 RBIs. Of course, his 13 zone rating in 910.1 innings out in center is much better. We have a few other options to look at, as Cliff Moss has had a few games in center, and could fill in as a part time player. Chick Browning and Jim Madsen could be emergency fill ins if absolutely necessary, but I think we will end up with much better options.

Catcher: 1
Inside Edge: Mike Taylor
50/50: Steve Mountain, Ed Wallace
Outside Looking In: Clem Bliss

Harry Mead will be the starter, but we need someone to back him up and play in a lot of double headers. The obvious solution is team leader Mike Taylor, but he's now 36 and coming off a season where he hit just .192/.285/.208 (48 OPS+). I still think he's got something in him, but we have other interesting options as well. Steve Mountain doesn't hit a lick, but the 25-year-old is a lefty as well, and an elite defender. The former 9th Rounder played in one game for us back in 1941, giving him 1,757 less then Taylor. Also in the conversation is Ed Wallace, who is basically injury insurance. If Harry Mead gets hurt, I'd like to have another option, and the former Minutemen farmhand hit a productive .293/.345/.395 (119 OPS+) with 21 doubles, 8 homers, and 74 RBIs. Last but not least is switch hitter Clem Bliss, who was a regular for the Dynamos back in 1938, and owns a career .230/.344/.304 (77 OPS+) line with 7 homers and 69 RBIs in 262 FABL games. I think Taylor should be able to hold onto his job, but this will be an interesting one to follow.

Bullpen: 4
Inside Edge: Ken Matson, Ben Curtin, Pug Bryan
50/50: Angel Lopez, Manny Franco, Cal Knight
Outside Looking In: Bill Anderson, Hooks Camp, Allen Purvis, Grover Donahue, John Little

Danny Goff Jr. would have came in huge here, as he would have allowed me to carry 10 pitchers and 14 hitters, coming up very clutch in double header situations. Instead, he's off to war, and we're likely carrying just 4 pen arms instead of 5 for the season. Ben Curtin has slipped a bit, as the 37-year-old clubhouse leader isn't as dominant as he once was. He did alright last year, going 4-4 with 6 saves, a 3.04 ERA (108 ERA+), 1.56 WHIP, 29 walks, and 11 strikeouts. I don't envision him to be our stopper this year, but Curtin is set for a lot of late inning outings. His roster spot isn't quite secure, but his experience pays dividends and he's great for the young guys. One of those being Ken Matson, who I think is going to replace him as the team stopper while also filling in if the starting five gets too tired. Harry Parker and Joe Brown should have no problem going every four games, but I'm not as convinced by the youngest and oldest members of our rotation. With Johnnie Jones its more his production, as even though he can go every four days, I'm not sure that I want him to do it. His control will be very interesting to watch this Spring, as it will be an excellent measure of his offseason progress. With Lyons, he's never had much stamina, and at 42, he's eventually going to run out of gas. His scouting report of mid-rotation starter is now just average, and in a few days I'll know what Tom Weinstock thinks now. He is coming off a respectable year, 6-8 with a 3.06 ERA (108 ERA+), 1.23 WHIP, 34 walks, and 15 strikeouts in 23 starts.

Matson, however, is a 25-year-old who pitched really well in both AAA and AA last season and is just a year away from topping 200 innings in the Kings organization. Matson has the stamina to start, but his cutter tops out at 97 and would play really well at the end of the game. His secondary stuff is arguably better, allowing Matson to strike out nearly 6 per 9 as a starter over the past two seasons. He initially looked set to start the season in AAA, but with Goff and Ed Wilkinson off to war, there aren't many pitchers out of the rotation that are better then him. Another option to start is Pug Bryan, who finally had a good season out of the pen last year. The 29-year-old went 2-3 with a 2.22 ERA (148 ERA+), 1.40 WHIP, 18 walks, and 6 strikeouts and managed to survive another season without getting waived. Pug is a good guy to keep in the clubhouse and once showed signs of being a great starter, so his length could help him soak up multiple innings when we need a reliever.

There are plenty more options to fill out the pen, including a pair of Rule-5 Picks in Angel Lopez and Manny Franco. Lopez currently ranks 25th in our system and 219th overall, but doesn't quite have the build of a relief pitcher. He's a Dick Lyons like soft tosser, sitting in the mid 80s with a four pitch mix. He has some control issues, but I'm a big fan his stuff and I think he could end up starting in the big leagues. Him and Franco both came from Brooklyn, and the only real advantage Franco has is he's a lefty. Besides Lyons and Jones, there aren't many lefties in the staff, and Franco has superior velocity to Loepz. They share walk issues, but their fates likely aren't going to be based on each other. For Franco, he'll have to compete more with Cal Knight, who OSA surprisingly ranks as the #6 relief pitcher in the FABL. Knight is out of options, but had a really good season in 1939. He went 2-1 with a 2.20 ERA (196 ERA+), 1.80 WHIP, 35 walks, and 17 strikeouts. The WHIP and walks were concerning, part of why he's only pitched 2.1 big league inning since. Knight doesn't throw too hard, but he's another good clubhouse guy and as a former starter he can pitch as often as needed.

A longshot might be one of the better pitchers, 34-year-old veteran Bill Anderson. He's on a minor league deal, working against him. But Clyde Meyer wants him to function as our stopper this Spring. Anderson was once a very good pitcher who never really produced. Part of that was pitching for the Wolves and Eagles, neither of who were good while he was there. Anderson went 84-101 with a 4.61 ERA (93 ERA+), 1.49 WHIP, 481 walks, and 548 strikeouts in over 1,500 FABL innings. He hasn't pitched in the big leagues since 1939, and spent the last three seasons in the minors. He threw 54 innings for the Milwaukee Blues, but was just 3-2 with 4 saves, a 3.17 ERA (119 ERA+), 1.39 WHIP, 14 walks, and 32 strikeouts. Being off the 40 goes against him, as guys like Knight and Grover Donahue are out of options. Donahue, like Knight and Pug Bryan, is a former 2nd Rounder, yet he has thrown just 2.1 innings in the FABL. That came in two games with us in 1941, as Donahue allowed a hit and got a strikeout. He stopped for the Blues last year, throwing an impressive 107.2 innings in 61 games. He was just average in terms of ERA+ with a 3.76 ERA, but other metrics paint a much better pitcher. Donahue was 9-4 with 18 saves, a 1.37 WHIP, 30 walks, and 29 strikeouts. He had a much better 3.16 FIP (83 FIP-) and with a strong Spring, could earn himself his first real chance as a big leaguer. Donahue is also a team leader, and when it comes to pen spots, that is a huge advantage.

Other options include last year's Rule-5 Pick Hooks Camp, longtime Cougar reliever Allen Purvis, and former 5th Rounder John Little. Bill Tuttle and Ira Hawker are both on the 40, but set to start games in the minors, but there are a multitude of potential combinations to fill our pen to start the season.

Bench: 5
Inside Edge: Billy Hunter, Ollie Page, Tip Harrison, Orlin Yates
50/50: Aart MacDonald, Dan Rogers, Bunny Hufford
Outside Looking In:Eddie Curtis, Chick Browning, Cuno Myer, Walt Layton, Steve Jones, Jim Madsen, Oscar Panduro

The bench construction relies on a lot of other races, but Ollie Page and Orlin Yates shouldn't have too much to worry about. Page spent nearly all of last season in AAA learning third base, and the excellent defender is now more then capable of backing up second, third, or short. He's shown some promise in his 8-year career as a Cougar, hitting .252/.332/.365 (90 OPS+) with 63 doubles, 46 triples, 33 homers, 26 steals, and 248 RBIs. He's walked (268) more then he's struck out (242), but at 32 he's no longer the exciting young shortstop he once was. Him and Yates are nearly guaranteed a spot, as their versatility allows us to cut corners with the rest of the options. Yates could also start, opening a bench spot, as the same goes with Billy Hunter. I'm not too sure what I'm going to do with him, and I might actually try to send the 28-year-old to AAA. I really want to see what he can do out in center, as a loose platoon between him and Yates or Bunny Hufford could almost replace Carlos Montes' production.

The out of options Tip Harrison holds an interesting role, as the 31-year-old journeyman had his first full season in the big leagues last year after making appearances in each season since '38. The Bluegrass State alum didn't hit much, but he appeared at every position except catcher and pitcher last season. He's the ultimate utility man, and could be very useful as a defensive replacement during one of the many double headers. Other not-optionable possibilities include the out-of-options Aruban Aart MacDonald and Rule-5 Pick Handsome Dan Rogers. I like Rogers' pop, but he's a corner guy who isn't someone you want manning center. He hits a lot of flyballs and hit 12 homers down in AA. Our walls are easy to clear, and with a lot of lefties in the lineup, a righty who can tie up games with a swing of the bat can be huge in tight contests.

Behind them are a few non-roster invitees that are more then capable of playing in the big leagues. Walt Layton has experience with the Kings, and guys like Cuno Myer, Oscar Panduro, Chick Browning, Jim Madsen, Steve Jones, and Bill Graham could all be functionable bench players. One really interesting option is Huck Hanes, one of our 4th Rounders from 1941. He's never been the highest ranked prospect, but he hit really well with both Mobile and Milwaukee. In AA he hit a really good .347/.430/.443 (132 OPS+) with 19 doubles, 2 homers, and 35 RBIs with an elite 39-to-6 walk-to-strikeout ratio. He slowed down a bit in AAA, but his .303/.349/.371 (106 OPS+) is still above average. He did have 2 more homers, 11 doubles, and 31 RBIs with a still impressive 18-to-8 walk-to-strikeout ratio. I'm not sure he's ready for the big leagues yet, but if Leo Mitchell gets hurt (or enlists), Hanes could see playing time open up for him. We have a lot of bench options assuming we don't get hurt to hard by injuries, which should make for an interesting few weeks before the season starts.