[ayaghmour2]

Weekly Record: 5-2
Seasonal Record: 80-57 (2nd, 3 GB)
Stars of the Week
Leo Mitchell : 31 AB, 14 H, 2 HR, 11 RBI, .452 AVG, 1.097 OPS
Carlos Montes : 31 AB, 10 H, 1 HR, 8 RBI, .323 AVG, .817 OPS
Skipper Schneider : 28 AB, 10 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .357 AVG, .893 OPS

Schedule
9-2: Win at Stars (8-1)
9-2: Loss at Stars (2-8)
9-4: Win at Kings (11-1)
9-5: Loss at Kings (0-4)
9-6: Win at Kings (9-4)
9-7: Win vs Saints (3-11)
9-8: Win vs Saints (0-5)

Recap
5-2 weeks are right, don't get me wrong, but it doesn't hit the same when the Stars also go 5-2, so we're stuck at two games out. We split the double header in New York, as Pap was dominant while Donnie, well, pitched like this new Donnie I don't like very much. Luckily, he made up for it (more on that later), but a double header sweep would have brought us within two. With the offensive explosion, we also returned to the dreaded -6 expected record, as well as clinching our tenth consecutive winning season. We won #78 on the 6th against the Kings, and are on pace for our most wins since the 97 we put up to win the pennant back in 1941. I think we can potentially get 93, but that would be an impressive 13-4 finish. Anything shy of that, and it will be tough to catch the Stars, but those three games in Chicago the final week of the season could be all we need to return to the postseason.

After a brutal August where he hit just .217/.265/.330 (71 OPS+), Leo Mitchell has taken it upon himself to will us back to the postseason. Our star outfielder took home the first Player of the Week in September, going 14-for-31 with 2 homers, 7 runs, and 11 RBIs. That brought his season line back up to .323/.360/.497 (145 OPS+), ranking third in all three triple crown categories (22 HR, 80 RBI). Fellow lefties Dick Walker and Clark Car provided support, 13-for-34 with 2 doubles, a triple, 4 steals, 3 RBIs, 11 runs, and 4 walks. Hank Barnett has started to turn things around as well, this week 8-for-27 with a double, 3 walks, 6 runs, 2 homers, and 8 RBIs. This upped his WRC+ to 102, and he now has 13 homers and 55 RBIs in 550 trips to the plate. Skipper had himself a nice week, 10-for-28 with a steal, 2 doubles, a homer, 4 RBIs, and 6 runs scored. Carlos Montes was productive as well, 10-for-31 with 2 doubles, a homer, 8 RBIs, and 5 runs scored. Hal Sharp remains second in the batting race, going 6-for-18 with a double, walk, RBI, and two runs scored. We need the offense to step up like this if we want to play in October, and I know the lineup is capable of producing. We just need to muster up a little luck...

Peter the Heater continues to solidify his campaign for his second Allen Award, picking up win #19 and 20, stretching his complete game win streak to six games. Pap allowed 4 hits in each start, with a run, walk, and 6 strikeouts in New York, and 3 runs, 2 walks, and 9 strikeouts in Chicago against the Saints. Pap continues to lead in wins (20), ERA (2.24), and strikeouts (176), and is an inning away from his second 250 inning season. I think he'll hit 200 strikeouts too, as we're going to give him plenty of starts the rest of the way. I want Donnie Jones to get a bunch too, but when you allow 9 hits, 8 runs (4 earned), and 3 walks against the Stars, and haven't looked like a co-ace, it's tough. He did strike out six, so that's a plus, but at least he dominated against the Saints. He threw our first shutout in over a month, tossing a 6-hit shutout with 3 walks and 5 strikeouts to improve to 17-10 in 27 starts. Donnie's second half hasn't been great, as he's alternated dominant starts with 8 run ones. We need Jones to pick things up, as when he's on, really only Pap can keep up with him.

Brother Johnnie got tagged with another loss, dropping to 9-13 with 8 innings, 8 hits, 4 runs (3 earned), 4 walks, and 4 strikeouts. His 2.62 ERA (129 ERA+) is still extremely impressive, but his 3.41 FIP (100 FIP-) is just average. He's the first Cougar to 100 walks, with 104 in 209.1 innings pitched. Billy Riley was an error away from a shutout of his own, but it really wasn't a great start. Luckily we gave him 11 runs of support, allowing him to work around 5 hits and 6 walks. Harry Parker had some struggles, but 9 runs was plenty for him. He left with two outs in the 6th, leaving with 8 hits, 3 runs, 3 walks, and 2 strikeouts. His record is even at nine, with Charlie Kelsey finishing the game off. The recent callup got his first big league save, as he went 3.1 innings with 5 hits, a run, and strikeout. This may be Parker's last start of the season, as I'm going to ride the hot arm of Joe Brown. The fifth spot may be skipped a bit to give Pap more starts, but we'll definitely need a fifth starter on occasion, and I need to make sure Pap and Jones are on the mound for the 23rd and 24th against the Stars, which then sets them up to pitch the final two games of the season. Parker will be unofficially shut down, but if we need an arm late, he's an option. With MacRae's dominance as a stopper, it might not be needed, but in a long extra inning game, having someone like Parker able to give 5+ solid innings could be huge.

Looking Ahead
Off to start the week, before hosting the Foresters for two. At 58-79, they have recently been eliminated, and have a 2.5 game cushion over the Kings for last. The Foresters have brought up top 100 prospect Ivey Henley with rosters expanding, and the former 5th Rounder went 7-for-17 in his debut week. He's not the only new face on the roster, as Henley is joined by former Cougar draftees Joe Crosby and Adolph Jacobson, as well as former 2nd Overall Pick Wally Fuller, who was part of the four player package for Mel Carroll. Fuller hasn't lived up to the hype, and doesn't even rank in the top 500 prospects in the FABL, as the 25-year-old may never be the replacement to Carroll Cleveland once thought he could be. With little to play for, the Foresters may give chances to some of the new faces, but since we're stuck with Richie Hughes (17-12, 3.25, 139) in the opener, it may be tough to earn the sweep. After Hughes, it's either "The Undertaker" (5-15, 3.67, 74) or "Auggie Doggie" (7-11, 4.60, 57), leading to a much more favorable matchup. These are must win games, but we haven't been that great against Cleveland (11-9), who will look to play spoiler in the Windy City.

Same goes for the Wolves, but they'll get three shots to dent our playoff hopes. I'm still a bit shocked they never turned things around, following a 9-18 July with a 11-17 August. They start the week with the Stars, and I'm hoping they skip #6 starter Jim Morrison (4-6, 1, 4.41, 41) to give George Garrison (10-14, 3.16, 83) and Joe Hancock (9-14, 3.86, 67) the ball in New York. That would leave us with the 3-4-5 of Bob Walls (11-11, 4.00, 25), Cougar Killer Cookie Myers (8-4, 2.76, 17), and Jimmy Gibbs (9-8, 3.48, 59). Zooming into Cookie, I think he's one of those guys that does good just to spite me, as there's really nothing about him that makes it look like he can start games at the highest level. The 127 ERA+ says otherwise, but it comes with just 17 strikeouts in 130.2 innings, with over twice as many walks (42). His 4.00 FIP (114 FIP-) agrees with me, but in two of his three starts against us this year, he's allowed just a single run. We cannot afford to let him best us yet again, but at least now the Wolves offense isn't doing much to help the staff. Walt Pack (.231, 8, 56) is hitting a little better, but Charlie Artuso's (.250, 9, 67) OPS+ is down to 88, with Juan Pomales' (.259, 2, 35, 7) just three points higher. Yes, they have Whitney Candidate Fred McCormick (.278, 16, 56, 5) and his 156 WRC+, and breakout outfielder Hank Giordano (.306, 5, 67, 17), but our staff will be tough to get runs off. We need to win these games, but last time the Wolves played us and the Stars, they swept us and then got swept by New York. Not this time, please? Thanks!

We finish the week with the first of three against the Cannons, who I'll cover more tomorrow. They've really struggled as well, just 71-65 and 11.5 games out of first. Beyond Rufus Barrell, they haven't pitched very well. "Deuce" is 15-8 with a 2.47 ERA (140 ERA+), 1.10 WHIP, 53 walks, and 109 strikeouts in his 28 starts. The fireballer has an elite 2.72 FIP and 78 FIP-, and he's matched his 5.7 WAR from last year in a few less innings. The lineup is dangerous, as they have plenty of sluggers who can impact the game with just one swing. Chuck Adams (.262, 25, 89) has surpassed 20 longballs for the third season in a row, and Denny Andrews (.279, 15, 70) set a personal best for homers. Al Wheeler's (.235, 14, 54) average has dipped, but he'll walk and homer enough to make up for it. The Cannons will be in New York for the two games before our series, so I'm hoping they'll be all tired out after a sweep, and they snooze their way through a series in the Chi.

Minor League Report
3B Otto Christian: With the Commodores out of a playoff run, I decided to get our first look at former 13th Overall Pick Otto Christian. The "Walla Walla Walloper" has appeared in 124 games for the Commodores, hitting .277/.339/.400 (106 OPS+) in 519 trips to the plate. He's mashed 19 doubles and 11 homers with 65 RBIs, while walking (44) one more time then he struck out (43). 24 on the 26th, Christian spent the past three seasons in the Air Force, and will now get a chance to make his big league debut. His power off the bench could be a game changer, as his raw power is off the charts. He's one of those guys that can hit the ball 450+ feet in batting practice, but Otto hasn't quite translated that into huge power numbers in the minors. He did lead the Commodores in homers, and was the only member of the team with more then five. The Dixie League as a whole suppresses power, as Otto is the only slugger with double digit longballs. It may be a few seasons before he's playing every day in Chicago, but I can see him hitting 20+ a year as long as he continues to swing at good pitches. He has a keen eye and makes decent contact. A .240 average may be the baseline, but I can see him getting it up to .270 in a better year. This cup of coffee will be his first audition for the hot corner, as Hank Barnett may have some competition in the Spring. Otto and George Sutterfield offer completely different profiles, and could co-exist despite both being righties. We could use Sutterfield with ground ballers on the mound and Otto when the fly ballers are out. They can pinch hit and defensive replace each other as well, depending on whether we are trailing or leading. I'm very excited for our first look at Christian, as while he has developed slowly, it's clear this kid's power potential is special.

LF Bill Rich: I had to release Bill Rich to afford some of our draft picks, but I was luckily able to bring the Chicagoan back into the fold on a minor league deal. He'll now return to the majors after hitting .283/.347/.363 (92 OPS+) in 92 games with 15 doubles, 4 triples, 2 homers, and 38 RBIs. Rich made 23 appearances for us last season, hitting an impressive .312/.371/.391 (120 OPS+) with 2 doubles, a homer, and 8 RBIs. Rich's stay on the 40 might be temporary, but we have Ducky Cole returning from injury, and this helps make room for everyone in the farm. He's a useful bat off the bench who can pinch hit late in games, especially against lefties.

RHP Harry Beardsley (B San Jose Cougars): Remember when I said I was really excited to get Harry Beardsley? This is why! Not your every day 10th Rounder, Beardsley currently ranks as the games 76th best prospect, and he's gotten off to a great start to his minor league career. He's made six starts, allowing zero runs in three of his last four. #4 was the best, a 3-hit, 1-walk shutout in a 5-0 Cougars win over the Vancouver Mounties. Beardsley struck out 3 and needed just 91 pitches to record all 27 outs. That improved the 21-year-old to 4-2 with a 2.68 ERA (149 ERA+), 1.27 WHIP, 13 walks, and 18 strikeouts. Already listed as a current "Starter", Beardsley may be a quick riser, and I can see him starting next season up in Lincoln. A four pitch pitcher, he projects to have above average stuff, and since June he's seen his velocity rise from 84-86 to 86-88. As a youngster with a fastball and sinker, any added velocity is crucial. He commands his pitches well, as he took a huge step forward from his Sophomore to Junior year. That's carried over to pro ball, maintaining a serviceable 3.2 BB/9. I'd like to see it go a little lower, but if he can keep striking guys out at the rate he is, we can live with it. Pitching depth isn't a concern of ours, but you know what they say; you can't have too much pitching!