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RHP Harry Parker (126st Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 7th Round, 108th Overall (1934)
Alma Mater: Bushwick

Despite being a 7th Round selection, I've given a lot of love to Harry Parker in my report already. He was a guy I bet really hard on last draft, and of those picks, just last year's first Carlos Montes ranks ahead of him. I do think Pug Bryan is the better pitcher, but Parker has really blossomed in his first season with us. He's sitting comfortably in the 91-93 range with his fastball and cutter, but he has three really good secondary pitch. He also throws a curveball, the only pitch my scout doesn't think is average or better. That may not sound like much, but since we are in the 30s, the stuff ratings of our pitchers are very low. The fact that my scout says Parker has four average pitches and a good changeup, is a pretty high compliment. Parker is 20, so a little older then most high school draftees, but that's really helped him climb the ladder. The 6'6'' righty started the year in San Jose and made 9 strong starts. He was 6-3 with a 2.39 ERA (190 ERA+), 0.94 WHIP, 13 walks, and 36 strikeouts in 75.1 innings before a promotion up to Class A Lincoln. Parker continued to excel there, and even against the tougher competition was 6-5 with a 4.15 ERA (133 ERA+), 1.43 WHIP, 29 walks, and 48 strikeouts in 93.1 innings pitched. Parker's strikeout numbers are really strong and he did a great job limiting walks. Of course, there is a downside to every pitcher, and for Parker, it's his flyball tendencies. Still, I'm not even phased. He may be good enough that it won't even matter.

While I'm pretty confident of nearly every player I ever draft, I don't think I've ever been so convinced from draft day that a late round pick would develop into one. It all started in the later rounds of the 1934 draft, when I was browsing the pitchers for guys with a current role of "Starter" in the pool. While that alone is no guarantee of talent, in Stats Only, you take what you can get. To be a current starter, you (generally) have to have three big league quality pitches, but very few draft eligible players ever get this high mark. While clicking through some hundred arms, I stumbled on an absolute unit of a man from New Jersey who had that mark. But what really stood out was the age; he was still in high school.

I'm not sure how Parker slipped through the cracks and 107 players were selected before him, but all I can do is be thankful that we were able to snag such an outstanding young pitcher. Parker wasn't always a top 100 prospect, but after dominance at 20 in San Jose (6-3, 2.39, 36) and Lincoln (6-5, 4.15, 48) in his first pro season, Parker cracked the top 200 for the 1935 offseason. In his first two seasons, his 134 ERA+ in Lincoln in '34 was his lowest ERA+ in four stints, and he reached AAA as a 22-year-old in 1937 where he had an absurd 65 FIP- and 4.9 WAR in 152.2 innings pitched. Despite that, he returned to Milwaukee for 14 more starts, going 7-5 with a 3.79 ERA (118 ERA+), 1.21 WHIP, 24 walks, and 57 strikeouts. Those proved to be the last starts he'd ever make in the minors, and Parker got a midseason callup in 1938 at 23. He struggled, as he often does, with the longball, allowing 15 in 130.2 innings pitched, but he held his own on the mound. The intimidating six pitch righty finished 7-8 with a 3.99 ERA (99 ERA+) and 1.15 WHIP with 29 walks and 69 strikeouts. While average overall, there was plenty to be excited by, as the WHIP was great, his 4.8 K/9 was excellent, and his 2.4 K/BB was among the best in the league.

From that day on, Parker became a mainstay in the rotation, and since 1939 he's put up an above average or better ERA+ in each subsequent season. As a sophomore the home run issues lingered, as he allowed a league high 36, but the durable giant went 14-11 with a 4.19 ERA (102 ERA+) and 1.32 WHIP. His K/BB dropped to 1.5, as he walked 68 while striking out 103. The 2.6 BB/9 is still the highest mark he's put together, and he's just once past 2.0 since. Year three Parker took another step forward, but still led the CA with 30 homers allowed. He dropped his BB/9 to 1.7, and finished 16-10 with a 3.67 ERA (109 ERA+), 1.23 WHIP, 49 walks, and 108 strikeouts. He cracked 250 innings (255.1) for the first time in his young career, and he led the league with 21 complete games.

Parker fully broke out in 1941, where he was selected to his first of shockingly just two All-Star games, going 19-10 with a 3.19 ERA (124 ERA+), 1.18 WHIP, 66 walks, and 107 strikeouts. He once again led the league in complete games, this time with 24 in 31 starts, threw a then personal most 262.1 innings, and was a crucial member of our pennant winning staff. With Peter the Heater enlisting after our embarrassing title defeat, Parker was the staff ace, and won 21 games to go with a 2.92 ERA (113 ERA+), 1.13 WHIP, 40 walks, 105 strikeouts, and an elite 2.6 K/BB. His 0.8 HR/9 in 258.2 innings pitched. Parker was off to a similar start in 1943, working to a 2.89 ERA (113 ERA+) and 1.14 WHIP, but he dealt with a sore shoulder in May, his first injury lasting more then five days. That was a harbinger of chaos, as Parker left his 12th start of the season with a torn flexor tendon, ending his season and the Cougars pennant hopes.

That brought plenty of anxiety for the 1944 season, where the 29-year-old was healthy enough to return to the rotation. There were plenty of worries about his quality, but Parker quickly silenced the doubters. Selected to another All-Star game, Parker was robbed of a much deserved Allen Award, and shockingly received just one first place vote despite having much better stats then eventual winner Butch Smith. What hurt Parker was his record, just 16-10 while Smith won 20 games, but he had an elite 2.19 ERA (159 ERA+) in 250.1 innings pitched with league best's in WHIP (0.99), K/BB (2.9), FIP- (74), and WAR (6.7) while just a few outs shy of Smith's matching 2.19 ERA. The thing was, Parker was not the same pitcher as he was pre-injury, as his 13 complete games were lower then each previous season excluding his 16 start debut year and 12 start injury-shortened season.

While Smith endured an awful 1945 season, Parker was still one of the best pitchers in the FABL, but was not represented as an All-Star in Chicago. Parker made a league high 36 starts and led the league with 27 quality starts, but his 4 complete games were even less then his 6 in the injury shortened year. The rest of the numbers were great, as the 30-year-old went 15-9 with a 2.77 ERA (127 ER), 1.13 WHIP, 58 walks, and 130 strikeouts in a career high 266.2 innings. He had an excellent 87 FIP- and 5.3 WAR to go with his 2.2 K/BB, the fourth consecutive season where he's struck out twice as many batters as he walked. Parker ranked top three in ERA, strikeouts, K/BB, WHIP, and rWAR (7.3), and was one of the few bright spots on a Cougar team that did not have much luck.

Despite potentially a decade more of pitching, Parker is already one of the best Cougars pitchers, 114-71 in 222 starts and 3 relief appearances. His 3.1 ERA (118 ERA+) and 1.16 WHIP are impressive for a 1,760.2 inning sample, and he's struck out 801 batters with just 372 walks. He's tied for 1st in K/BB (2.2), 4th in WHIP, tied for 4th win Allen Award namesake Allen Allen in shutouts (17) despite half as many innings pitched, 5th in wins and rWAR (40.6), tied for 6th in BB/9 (1.9), 7th in strikeouts and K/9 (4.1), 8th in winning percentage (.616) and innings, 9th in WAR (26.8) and starts, 10th in complete games (121). Parker has emerged as one of the most talented and reliable starters in the FABL, and will be a member of our staff for years to come. No matter how the rest of his career, he'll get Dick Lyons treatment, and I'd be surprised if Parker's #48 isn't hanging at Cougars Park once he's ready to call it quits. There have been very few OOTP players I've ever been as attached to as I am to Parker, and I'm hoping he can solidify our rotation for at least eight more years.

2B Tommy Wilson (129th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 2nd Round, 31st Overall (1933)
Alma Mater: Elmira HS Emeralds

I really thought the 1933 draft class was going to be a decent one, until I realized all the guys I thought were good were actually eligible for the 1934 draft. That really threw off my draft strategy, so the fact that I was able to salvage Tommy Wilson in the 2nd is a blessing. A natural shortstop, the recently turned 20-year-old spent nearly all season at second base with the extremely gifted fielder (and next ranked prospect) Ivan Cameron spending time at short. I do think Wilson has the glove to stick at short, and his numbers at second (with no prior experience) were elite. He had a +13.2 zone rating and 1.069 efficiency. He had an okay season at the plate, batting .277/.349/.456 (89 OPS+) with 13 homers, 14 steals, and 76 RBI's. It can take a few seasons for a young hitter to get off the ground in C ball as there tend to be a lot of older prospects on the mound, but Wilson has shown strong plate discipline, 102 strikeouts and walks in his two seasons with the Lions. I'm not yet sure if he's going to move up before the season starts, but I do know that even with a lot of new bodies entering the system, Wilson will not get lost in the shuffle.

A part of the blockbuster deal for Freddie Jones that included the next prospect, Ivan Cameron, Tommy Wilson was shipped off in the 1938 offseason and spent every day sense play for the St. Louis Pioneers. Now 30, Wilson has proved himself as one of the premier defensive third basemen in the FABL, and 1945 was the first season he failed to appear in 140 or more games. "Weed" debuted as a 23-year-old, and hit a respectable .276/.341/.375 (93 OPS+) with 24 doubles, 8 triples, 6 homers, 66 RBIs, and 12 steals. He walked (59) more then he struck out (30), and was worth 3.5 WAR due to a 3.7 zone rating and second and a 5.5 at third. Wilson did have a sophomore slump, and it was his worst season to date. He hit just .223/.300/.300 (70 OPS+) in 142 games, but the rebuilding squad gave him time to fix things up.

The former 2nd Rounder had a breakout in 1941, slashing .290/.360/.418 (115 OPS+) with 29 doubles, 8 triples, 9 homers, and 75 RBIs as he made an appearance in all 154 of the Pioneers games. He had a matching 115 WRC+ to go with a 16.9 zone rating and 1.086 efficiency at the hot corner, leading to his first five WAR season. Wilson took it to one step further and represented the Pioneers at the All Star Game. Wilson finished the season worth 6.7 wins above replacement and a 123 WRC+, starting all but one of the Pioneers games. He hit 34 doubles, 9 triples, 4 homers, and 68 RBIs with an outstanding 72-to-36 walk-to-strikeout ratio. His .281/.359/.394 (118 OPS+) batting line was a career best in terms of OPS+, WRC+, and wOBA (.355).

Wilson has yet to match that production, as he put together back-to-back below average seasons (95 and 93 WRC+) at the plate. He did provide stellar defense, leading to a combined 7.8 WAR and 27.1 zone rating at third, and contributed 88 extra base hits while still walking (134) more frequently then he struck out (99). This year didn't go to well for him either, hitting just .243/.307/.350 (81 OPS+) in a career low 529 trips to the plate. The pioneers have show confidence in Wilson, recently declaring third base his position, and the veteran has definitely deserved it. He owns a career .259/.332/.361 (96 OPS+) batting line with a 99 WRC+ and has accumulated nearly 100 (95.5) zone rating in 907 games at third. He's still an elite defender too, with his 1.082 efficiency tied for second best in his career. While it would have been nice to hold onto him, Freddie Jones did give us solid production at the plate and third base was covered by All-Stars John Lawson and Hank Barnett.

SS Ivan Cameron (131st Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 3rd Round, 74th Overall (1934)
Alma Mater: Meridian

I really thought the 1933 draft class was going to be a decent one, until I realized all the guys I thought were good were actually eligible for the 1934 draft. That really threw off my draft strategy, so the fact that I was able to salvage Tommy Wilson in the 2nd is a blessing. A natural shortstop, the recently turned 20-year-old spent nearly all season at second base with the extremely gifted fielder (and next ranked prospect) Ivan Cameron spending time at short. I do think Wilson has the glove to stick at short, and his numbers at second (with no prior experience) were elite. He had a +13.2 zone rating and 1.069 efficiency. He had an okay season at the plate, batting .277/.349/.456 (89 OPS+) with 13 homers, 14 steals, and 76 RBI's. It can take a few seasons for a young hitter to get off the ground in C ball as there tend to be a lot of older prospects on the mound, but Wilson has shown strong plate discipline, 102 strikeouts and walks in his two seasons with the Lions. I'm not yet sure if he's going to move up before the season starts, but I do know that even with a lot of new bodies entering the system, Wilson will not get lost in the shuffle.

One thing I'll never understand is why Ivan Cameron was so bad at shortstop. In the minors he was amazing, putting up efficiencies above 1.100 in three separate 100 games samples, but that didn't translate to gameplay in the Fed. He never had a zone rating above 0, even posting a -17.6 (.916 efficiency) in a full time role in 1940. Also part of the Freddie Jones trade, he debuted in 1939, and has appeared in a game in six of the last seven seasons. His best season came as a rookie, where he appeared in every game and hit .276/.340/.369 (92 OPS+) with 33 doubles, 2 triples, 5 homers, and 71 RBIs. He hasn't matched that production since, and owns a career .250/.311/.312 (76 OPS+) batting line in exactly 2,400 trips to the plate. He's added 96 doubles, 5 triples, 10 homers, and 232 RBIs with 183 walks and 86 strikeouts. With players returning from the war and his lack of upside, his FABL career may stop right where he is.

RF Marty Roberts (135th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 2nd Round, 23rd Overall (1932)
Alma Mater: Brunswick Knights

Not too long ago Roberts was a top 70 prospect, but has dropped a lot since the season started. Roberts is a natural center fielder, but he struggled a little in Mobile last season so we moved him to right for this year. He spent about two thirds of his season with the Commodores, batting .282/.373/.443 (111 OPS+) with 7 homers, 6 steals, and 40 RBI's. The power dropped when he moved up to Milwaukee, but he doubled his steal total. His .289/.393/.397 (93 OPS+) batting line was deflated a bit as the power disappeared, but I'm hoping it's just adjusting to the competition. Last year in the same amount of games with AA Mobile (81), he also had just one homer and saw that jump up when he repeated the level. He's 24. and with the ability to play center, he'll have just as much of a shot as anyone to win the starting job. One thing he does do a good job of his walking, a combined 80 walks to just 21 strikeouts this season. He's patient, fast, and consistently drives and lines the ball through the left side of the infield. Even though the prospect evaluators have dimmed their view of Roberts, my opinion has not changed very much. I do think he'll end up in right now and the early results have been extremely promising.

Our 2nd Round pick in the 1932 class, he was one of the lower performing big leaguers, with guys like Rich Langton and Harry Mead selected in the next two rounds. Roberts debuted in 1936, hitting an impressive .306/.397/.510 (139 OPS+) with a double, 3 triples, a homer, and 9 RBIs. He didn't return to Chicago, as we sent the then 25-year-old to the Sailors at the 1937 deadline for now Dynamo Tony Mullis. He spent the rest of the season in Philly, but only made 58 trips to the plate. He made just nine the next season and none in 1939, but got a more permanent bench role in 1940. He hit an impressive .296/.374/.426 (122 OPS+) with 15 doubles, 6 triples, a homer, and 4 steals with 40 RBIs. He walked 30 times and struck out just 8 in 265 trips to the plate. It was his most productive season as a Sailor, but still got plenty of time the following season. Roberts hit .256/.328/.364 (92 OPS+) in a career high 271 trips to the plate. He appeared in just 35 games the next season, and has spent the last three seasons in the minor leagues. 34 in November, he's probably played his last big league game, likely retiring with a respectable .269./338/.394 (104 OPS+) batting line in 279 FABL games.

CF Roy Moore (137th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 63rd Overall (1931)
Alma Mater: Hartford HS Blue Sox

A poorly timed oblique strain cost him a late season callup to be the starting center fielder for the Chicago Cougars, but even though the 22-year-old is extremely adept with the glove, he didn't hit all that well this year. His .317/.380/.387 (87 OPS+) line wasn't that inspiring, and he watched his strikeouts spike up to 80 as it looked like he got them back down. Still, he swiped 30 bags and had a nice +8.0 zone rating and 1.054 efficiency out in center. He's a high intensity player with great instincts, but he's not as naturally talented as most prospects that reach AAA. I still have faith the bat will come around, but it may take a season or two of fighting big league pitchers before it happens. Like Roberts, Moore will be in the hunt for our starting center field job, and I'd argue Moore is one of the favorites.

Roy Moore did get plenty of starts in center for the Cougars in 1936, but that was really the only season he factors in the big leagues. Then 23, Moore hit .309/.356/.350 (88 OPS+) in 96 games. There were plenty of issues, as more hit just 8 extra base hits in 378 trips to the plate, and he struck out (68) more then twice as often as he walked (25). He did look good in the field, producing a 9.9 zone rating and 1.041 efficiency in 777 innings patrolling center. He spent the next two seasons shuffling between Chicago and Milwaukee, before being sent to the Miners before the 1939 season in a three piece package. He got very limited time with the Miners the next two seasons, and was waived prior to the 1942 season. He was claimed by the Dynamos, but made just 8 appearances before being released in July. He then signed with the Fort Worth Cattleman, and he's spent the last three and a half seasons in their lineup. He's actually put up back-to-back 4 WAR seasons in the Lone Star Association, which is equivalent to AA. He hit an impressive .369/.422/.452 (143 OPS+) last season with 23 doubles, 7 triples, a homer, 16 steals, and 57 RBIs. He could be a regular for the Cattleman, as he won't likely garner a big league role anytime soon.