[ayaghmour2]

Weekly Record: 4-3
Seasonal Record: 59-47 (3rd, 5 GB)
Stars of the Week
Cliff Moss : 20 AB, 9 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .450 AVG, 1.150 OPS
Harry Parker : 2 Wins, 12.0 IP, 5 BB, 9 K, 0.75 ERA
Rich Langton : 21 AB, 8 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .381 AVG, 1.006 OPS

Schedule
7-31: Loss at Stars (1-7)
8-1: Win at Stars (8-1)
8-2: Win at Stars (5-4)
8-3: Loss at Kings (1-4)
8-4: Loss at Kings (2-8)
8-5: Win at Kings (11-2)
8-5: Win at Kings (10-1)

Recap
Now this felt like a missed opportunity... It was a winning week, as we took two of three from the Stars and then split with the Kings, but I felt like we could have done so much better. We made no progress in the standings, still 5 out, but now behind both the Wolves and Cannons. I'm hoping the return home will help us make up some ground, as we're stuck dealing with the Cannons and Wolves in the near future. It's not going to get any easier, but with just two months left five games isn't out of reach and we have seven games remaining against each of the teams ahead of us. Infielder Jimmie James is now healthy, as the former 4th Rounder was out since June 16th with a bone bruise on his knee. The infield pitcher is plenty crowded now, so James will go on rehab until rosters expand. I want to improve his versatility, giving him starts at pretty much every position. Now 27, James didn't hit much when healthy, owning just a .269/.291/.327 (77 OPS+) triple slash in 111 trips to the plate.

Cliff Moss' return to the lineup went very well, as the veteran slugger went 9-for-20 with a double, homer, 3 RBIs, 2 walks, and 6 runs. He even had a 5-for-5 against the Stars, with his 11th homer the lone extra baes hit. I thought his return to the lineup would have helped our two most productive hitters, but Don Lee and Dick Walker really struggled. Lee had his worst week since April or May, going just 5-for-29, but with 2 doubles, 3 runs, 3 walks, 4 RBIs, and a steal. Walker hit an even worse 4-for-27, adding in a double, 2 steals, 2 RBIs, 7 walks, and 7 runs. Interesting enough, they were the only two hitters who struggled, as all the role players stepped up. Rich Langton was certainly aided by the return of his corner outfield partner, going 8-for-21 with a double, walk, homer, 3 runs, and 5 RBIs. Newcomer Rabbit Mudd had a superb week, 7-for-19 with a run, double, triple, 2 RBIs, and 3 walks. Ken Mayhugh went 6-for-19 with a double, homer, 3 walks, 4 RBIs, and 5 runs. Ollie Page and George Sutterfield combined to go 6-for-17 with 2 RBIs, 4 walks, and 4 runs scored. Skipper was 10-for-31 with with 2 doubles, 2 walks, 3 runs, and 4 RBIs. We did plenty of hitting this week, ironically almost strictly in the games where the pitching did well.

Harry Parker pitched himself a pair of gems, but neither lasted very long. He went just five against the Stars, allowing a single run with 4 hits, 4 walks, and 4 strikeouts. He was much better against the Kings, this time going 7 with 5 hits, a walk, unearned run, and 5 strikeouts. He's one three consecutive starts, and allowed an earned run fewer in each of his last four starts. Of course, he can't go below zero, but Parker has been impressive and I hope he can finish strong. George Oddo was our other two start starter after getting last week off, and the first start showed a little rust. He lost the lone game to the Stars, charged with 7 hits, 7 runs (5 earned), and 7 walks with just two strikeouts. He quickly turned things around against the Kings, picking up a complete game victory in our 11-2 win over the Kings. He allowed just 5 hits, 2 runs, and a walk with 4 strikeouts to even his record back up at five.

Billy Riley had another good start, but he was tagged with the loss as we could only provide one run. He went 8 with 8 hits, 4 runs (2 earned), a walk, and 7 strikeouts where one "bad" inning cost him the win. Rusty Petrick picked up a complete game win, allowing 8 hits, 4 runs, and 3 walks with 3 strikeouts. Mike Thorpe had a nightmare of a debut, as the Kings showed no mercy on the recently turned 23-year-old. The Kings piled on 10 hits, 8 runs, and 3 walks with just a single strikeout before leaving with two outs in the fifth. The pen got plenty of work, starting with Ken Matson, who made four appearances including some mop up for Thorpe. He allowed just a pair of walks and hit with 8 punchouts in 6.2 innings pitched. Merritt Thomas pitched a pair of outings, allowing 2 hits and 3 walks with a pair of strikeouts. Ben Curtin walked two and struck out one in a single inning. The only pitcher who didn't appear is Dick Lyons, who has gone two months without throwing an inning. Now 45, Lyons' still hasn't announced his retirement, but I can't see him coming back for an 18th season next year. 38 innings away from 4,000, it's very unlikely he'll reach that, but ranks 4th out of all pitchers who debuted after 1925. I'm not sure how many more innings he'll get, but if we fall out of things, there's a home game on September 23rd that I'm sure Cougar fans would want to see one more Dick Lyons start.

Looking Ahead
We're off the first two days of the week before hosting the Foresters in a four game set. They stayed rather quiet at the deadline, and at 39-63 they are a game behind the Kings for 7th in the Continental Association. With the trade of Lou Balk (.283, 9, 46, 3), the Foresters had an opening in center they filled with minor league journeyman Pat Carson. A former 15th Round selection of the Wolves back in 1934, Carson spent over a decade in the minors before his debut with the Foresters this season, and he's hit a decent .289/.347/.378 (99 OPS+) in his first 11 games. His 113 WRC+ is above average and he's added two doubles, a triple, 4 walks, and 5 RBIs. Another new face is top 10 prospect Richie Hughes, who has gone 1-3 with a 4.08 ERA (91 ERA+) and 1.64 WHIP in his first four starts. He's struck out 18 and walked 11 in 35.1 innings, and his 3.26 FIP (87 FIP-), while a small sample, is very close to Harry Parker's. The Chicago kid has immense future talent, and all the tools to anchor a rotation. Even if we face him, I like our chances, but we can't afford to drop a single game against Cleveland.

The homestand continues with a tough double header against the co-leaders in the CA, the Toronto Wolves. The Wolves are 63-41, with an extra win and loss compared to the Cannons. Toronto has scored more runs then everyone except the Cannons, and allowed fewer then everyone but them and us. They were linked to a few trades with the Minutemen, but ended up making just one addition to their roster. That would be minor league outfielder Ed Hamor, as a righty bat to platoon with Gus Hall (.217, 6, 54). They didn't necessarily need to make a move, same with Cincy, as their big moves were getting superstars Fred McCormick (.284, 8, 26, 2) and George Garrison (13-6, 2.88, 86) back. They have plenty of depth, with rookie starter Cookie Myers (13-1, 4, 2.35, 20) stealing Rookie of the Month from Don Lee. That's not to say he wasn't necessarily deserving, as he did go 4-0 with a 2.30 ERA (161 ERA+), but his 119 FIP- shows a lot of luck and he walked (13) twice as many hitters as he struck out (6). This will be a very tough series for us, and let me tell you, it won't get any easier next week...

Minor League Report
RHP Charlie Kelsey (AAA Milwaukee Blues): A rather interesting young pitcher in our system, Charlie Kelsey was listed as "Bullpen" or "Strictly Bullpen" pretty much since we selected him in the 9th Round back in 1940. Things have changed recently, as he jumped up the prospect ladder and is now a future "Starter." He hadn't made a single start in his minor league career until August, and it was somehow better then most of his shutdown relief outings. Kelsey came two outs shy from a complete game win, allowing just 3 hits, a run, and 2 walks with 4 strikeouts. This is how he celebrated being named Pitcher of the Month in the Century League, going 5-3 with 5 saves, a 2.35 ERA (157 ERA+), 0.98 WHIP, 6 walks, and 13 strikeouts. 24 in October, Kelsey ranked just outside the top 100 pre-draft, and now sits 13th in our system and 177th overall. He's been a shutdown stopper pretty much his entire minor league career, and this season was no different. Including the start, Kelsey is 8-6 with 22 saves in 90.1 innings pitched. His 1.69 ERA (218 ERA+) and 1.06 WHIP are elite, and he's walked (27) basically half as many batters as he's struck out (55). There's no luck involved either, as his 2.56 FIP (69 FIP-) is still elite, and discounting 8.2 innings post-draft in 1940, he's always had an above average ERA+ and FIP-. Set for a callup this September, Kelsey is another starting pitching option in our very deep system, and Tom Weinstock thinks he could be a back-of-the-rotation piece. There's no obvious spot for him, but I can see Kelsey, Harry MacRae, and Bill Ballantine forming a deadly pen. He's the only of the three on the 40, and while our staff will be crowded next season, he may be right behind Johnny Jones in terms of talent. There's a gap there, don't get me wrong, but I'd wager Kelsey ranks in our top nine for pitchers. His options work against him, but Kelsey has a very high floor, and he'll get a shot to steal a roster spot on Opening Day.

RHP Jim N Smith (B San Jose Cougars): A lot of the new draftees have struggled since joining the organization, but "Noodles" is the clear exception. One of the few pushed past C ball because he's ready, the soon-to-be 22-year-old has made 6 excellent starts for San Jose. He's an unlucky 2-3, but that comes with a 2.04 ERA (175 ERA+), 1.21 WHIP, 16 walks, and 35 strikeouts through 39.2 innings pitched. A five pitch pitcher, Smith lives in the mid 80s, and he uses his cutter well. His command of his secondary stuff isn't as good, but his curve, slider, change, and split are all used effectively. Without overpowering hitters, Smith keeps them off balance, and while his 7.9 K/9 is definitely unsustainable, it is actually a bit higher then his mark in college. Even if it dropped to 4 or 5, that's still really strong, but if he can keep striking out twice as many hitters as he walks, he'll be extremely effective. Smith isn't one of our highest rated specs, sneaking in at the back end of the top 500, but there is plenty to like with the righty. We don't need someone in A ball starting games, so he's likely finishing the season here, but I'd pencil him into the Lincoln rotation for 1946.