[ayaghmour2]

Weekly Record: 2-5
Seasonal Record: 38-30 (3rd, 3 GB)
Stars of the Week
Harry Mead : 24 AB, 9 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .375 AVG, .965 OPS
Art White : 1 Win, 9.0 IP, 2 BB, 1 K, 0.00 ERA
Skipper Schneider : 28 AB, 8 H, 0 HR, 6 RBI, .286 AVG, .680 OPS

Schedule
6-18: Loss vs Saints (11-2)
6-19: Loss at Stars (3-4)
6-20: Loss at Stars (7-8)
6-21: Loss at Stars (1-6)
6-22: Win vs Kings (0-9)
6-23: Loss vs Kings (4-3)
6-24: Win vs Kings (1-3)

Recap
This was an awful week, and in more then one way. Not only was the on field performance rough, as we dropped another against the Saints before being swept by the Stars, but Cliff Moss sprained his ankle and will miss about a month of action. Moss has really slumped in June, hitting just .207/.309/.207 (49 OPS+) in 68 trips to the plate, but was still by and large our most effective offensive player. The now 39-year-old slugger is hitting .317/.387/.504 (153 OPS+) with 6 doubles, 3 triples, 10 homers, and 44 RBIs. We'll need a stopgap for this sim, but this could open the door back for Johnny Peters, who could join the roster in two weeks. We don't really have a good replacement for Moss, so Chick Browning and Bill Rich will platoon for the time being. Browning has started just 1 of his 21 appearances, hitting just .235/.381/.235 (78 OPS+) with 4 walks and 6 RBIs. His WRC+ (101) is much higher due to the walks, but not having a single extra base hit really hurts his case. Rich, who's first at bat would be his debut, has spent 56 games with the Blues, batting .270/.337/.407 (108 OPS+) with 15 doubles, 2 triples, 4 homers, and 32 RBIs. While this duo will get most of the playing time, Don Lee may get a few games in right, with Orlin Yates manning center. The former 2nd Rounder continues to hit well, with his .294/.407/.441 (142 OPS+) line leaps and bounds better then the rest of the hitters left in the lineup.

The pitching was inconsistent, as there were some very good starts, and some very poor ones. Art White befuddled his former employers, tossing a brilliant 2-hit shutout with just 2 walks and a strikeout for his tied for CA-leading 9th win. Harry Parker made two excellent starts, but was left with just a win and no decision. Despite 7.1 scoreless innings with 5 hits, a walk, 3 strikeouts, and a 3-0 lead, he didn't get a win against the Stars, as the normally reliable Ben Curtin collapsed in the ninth. Curtin did get two quick outs in the 8th, but the Stars piled on a walk and five hits, leading to four runs and a walk-off loss. He did save Parker's other start, as the big righty went 8 with 9 hits, a run, 2 walks, and 2 strikeouts against the Kings. Parker has seemingly shaken off his slow start, now 7-5 while working to a 3.06 ERA (118 ERA+), 1.13 WHIP, and 3.19 FIP (88 FIP-) with 24 walks and 56 strikeouts.

George Oddo had a rough week, dropping starts to both the Saints and the Kings. He really struggled against the Saints, allowing four homers against a team with just one player boasting more then four home runs on he season. Oddo left after 6 with 7 hits, 6 runs, 2 walks, and 2 strikeouts. He was better against the Kings, going 8 with 4 hits, 4 walks, 3 runs (2 earned), and 5 strikeouts. The 22-year-old has held his own so far, going 3-3 with a 4.09 ERA (88 ERA+) and 1.30 WHIP in his 6 starts. The walks (19) and homers (7) have been a bit concerning, but I'm still going to give him a few more starts. If he can't cut it, Mike Thorpe will get the chance, as the soon-to-be 23-year-old has done really great with the Blues this season. Thorpe is 9-1 with a 2.87 ERA (132 ERA+) and 1.23 WHIP in 87.2 innings pitched. His strikeouts (17) are down from 3.8 per 9 to 1.7, but his pitches are really tough to hit hard. I don't expect him to be a strikeout arm, more of an Art White type where the defense will be working. He's not a groundballer, but has yet to allow a homer in 306 innings between college, AA, and AAA. Oddo has at least one more start left, but we're in need of wins, so if he can't give them to us Thorpe will get a chance.

Rusty Petrick was hit hard, allowing 10 hits, 8 runs, and 7 walks with 4 strikeouts in just 5.2 innings pitched. In terms of innings, it was his shortest start of the season, as well as season worsts for hits, runs, and walks. Billy Riley continued his struggles, as the Stars had their way with him at Dyckman stadium. He allowed 4 hits, 6 runs (4 earned), and 4 walks with just one strikeout in 7 innings pitched. After a great May, Riley has lost four of his five starts in June, and allowed 6 or more runs in each of the last three. We need him at his best if we cant to catch the Wolves and Cannons, as his recent poor stretch has raised his ERA and WHIP to 3.93 (92 ERA+) and 1.23 on the season. Ken Matson struggled out of the pen, allowing 5 hits, 5 runs, and 4 walks with 2 strikeouts in 4 innings pitched. Our stretch of poor play has hurt our run differential, and we've failed to take advantage of teams behind us in the standings.

With no Cliff Moss we'll need someone to step up from the lineup, and I'm hoping that's going to be Harry Mead and Dick Walker. They were the only two hitters that had above average weeks, and are two of the most dangerous bats left. Mead looked like the Mead from last year, going 9-for-24 with a double, homer, 2 walks, 2 RBIs, and 4 runs scored. Dick Walker went 6-for-26 with a double, homer, 3 steals, 4 RBIs, 6 runs, and 7 walks. Skipper and Ollie Page did alright, as the middle infield duo combined to go 13-for-45 with 2 doubles, 4 walks, 5 runs, and 6 RBIs. Steve Rosko's debut week didn't go too great, just 1-for-6 with a double, walk, run, and RBI. Ken Mayhugh's week was far worse, 5-for-29 with a homer, 2 runs, and 2 RBIs. I'm hoping for more from him, as we have too many weak spots in the lineup already.

Looking Ahead
We get a two day break to prepare for a huge series with the Cincinnati Cannons in Chicago. It's a three game set that they'll look to use to jump over the Wolves for first place. Cincinnati is 39-26 and half a game behind Toronto, who lead us by three. The off days mean that the Cannons can have fun with their rotation, so that means Rufus Barrell! Unlike Harry Parker, who was previously never injured before, Rufus Barrell has shown no side affects, as the oft-injured former first pick can still throw 120 pitches without any worries. The hard thrower is 6-2 with a 2.12 ERA (174 ERA+), 0.88 WHIP, 10 walks, and 37 strikeouts as he looks to capture his third Allen Award. I also expect us to deal with Tom Barrell (8-1, 2.78, 30), who has has looked like himself in his prime. That leaves either Dan Adams (7-4, 1, 2.33, 32) or Sam Sheppard (7-1, 1, 3.10, 22) for the third start. This does not bode well for our crippled offense, and I am very worried we will get embarrassed at home. We'll get our front three, but their offense is very tough to stop. Al Wheeler (.345, 14, 52) is mashing like its the 1930s and they have three other excellent outfielders in Gail Gifford (.321, 7, 30, 10), Sam Brown (.311, 2, 32), and the returned Fred Galloway (.278, 1, 4). I'd love to add any of those guys to our lineup, as they could all fill the Cliff Moss sized hole. Cincy also features talented hitters like Denny Andrews (.283, 8, 24), Chuck Adams (.299, 9, 46), Tom Bird (.274, 2, 21), and Jack Cleaves (.344, 3, 23), with Skipper's clone Jim Hensley (.251, 1, 26) rounding out the dangerous lineup. We need plenty of luck here, something we haven't had much of this month.

For the weekend we'll welcome in the Sailors for one on Saturday and a double header on Sunday. The Sailors offense has really struggled, ranked 7th in the league in runs scored, despite a rather decent lineup. Ed Reyes (.351, 2, 32) has somehow managed to replicate Marion Boismenu's bat, while Frank Covarrubias (.336, 4, 30) has followed up his breakout season with one that's a bit better. Chick Wilhelm (.279, 3, 20, 5), Joseph Mills (.296, 5, 34), and Bill Watson (.266, 4, 21) all boast a WRC+ above 110. They've made an adjustment to the lineup since we last met, adding 28-year-old rookie Addie Allman (.365, 20). The switch hitter has done well in 128 trips to the plate, putting up a 145 WRC+ while getting starts at all three outfield spots. Their run prevention has helped them be a game over .500, with Win Lewis (6-4, 2.44, 46) leading a solid rotation. 25-year-old Art Hull is a newer addition, starting 6 of his 21 appearances while going 3-5 with 4 saves, a 2.60 ERA (140 ERA+), 1.41 WHIP, 35 walks, and 32 strikeouts. Ray McCarthy (3-7, 3.47, 20) has managed to stay healthy and Doc Newell (9-6, 3.70, 43) has started to turn things around and he's always good for inning eating. We can't avoid all of these guys, but even without Cliff Moss I think we can outscore them.

Minor League Report
RF Dan Collins (AA Mobile Commodores): Even before I knew he was Player of the Week, Dan Collins was headed up to Milwaukee to replace Bill Rich who got the call. Collins has raked all season long for the Commodores, slashing .330/.441/.450 (136 OPS+) with 10 doubles, 2 triples, 3 homers, and 32 RBIs. He hit a similar .335/.415/.442 (137 OPS+) with the Commodores last season, but his 143 WRC+ this season is 5 points higher. Now 26, the former 7th Rounder is a clubhouse stalwart, renowned for his leadership, work ethic, and intelligence. His teammates have extreme respect for him, and he's the perfect guy to keep as depth. Looking back at the week that gave him the award, Collins went an impressive 16-for-24 with 5 runs, 2 doubles, a homer, 5 walks, and 5 RBIs. The big lumbering corner outfielder has plenty of value at the plate, but he's not much of a defender. A pinch hit role seems like his destiny, as he offers excellent plate recognition and a solid contact tool, and while the power hasn't surfaced much recently, he did hit 22 homers in A ball two seasons ago. I don't expect him to debut this season, but he should hang around and fight for a late season bench spot.

1B Billy Biggar (B San Jose Cougars): It was a great week for Billy Biggar, who was an even 11-for-22 with with 4 doubles, 2 homers, and 5 RBIs, and he celebrated his 21st birthday with a 3-for-5 day where he was just a triple away from the cycle. Despite his young age, he's mashed this season in San Jose, slashing .327/.379/.515 (153 OPS+) with 13 doubles, 6 homers, and 25 RBIs. I was worried he'd have some struggles this season, as he had a down arrow last year when I wanted to move him in San Jose. With his bat coming to life, he'll be able to secure a lineup spot even with all the outfielders that will need some playing time. A lean and strong lefty, Biggar has a great hit tool and he could end up trying to compete for batting titles if he reaches his ceiling. His hit tool is really his only pull right now, as his discipline isn't great and I'm not sure if his power will stick with him as he moves up the minor league ladder. He's young and has a long way to go, but he could develop into a bottom half starter at first if he continues to hit the ball hard and on a line.