[ayaghmour2]

Weekly Record: 2-5
Seasonal Record: 21-25 (t-5th, 7 GB)
Stars of the Week
Leo Mitchell : 24 AB, 10 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .417 AVG, 1.065 OPS
George Sutterfield : 23 AB, 9 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .391 AVG, 1.027 OPS
Sal Pestilli : 19 AB, 6 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .316 AVG, .988 OPS

Schedule
5-30: Loss vs Stars (2-1)
5-30: Loss vs Stars (5-4)
6-1: Win at Wolves (7-6): 10 innings
6-2: Loss at Wolves (2-7)
6-3: Win at Wolves (5-2)
6-4: Win at Cannons (7-2)

Recap
Thankfully, May is over, as we were 12-17 in that stupid month. June brought joy, as we won three of four, and that was enough to actually improve our position in the standings by a game and a half. We're still tied for fifth with the Saints and Wolves, and we beat the now first place Cannons! So maybe things are starting to look up!

For starters, at least Max Wilder is starting to use David Molina right, as after a few more tweaks I think I'm going to have his usage perfect. It's good that Max is starting to catch on, as I was seriously considering firing him if he kept doing dumb stuff! Thankfully, he used our stopper four times this week, and even though one of the outings didn't go quite as plan, the decision to call on him made sense each time! One thing I was worried about was Molina taking away legit complete game opportunities from guys who deserved it, but Wilder made the right call in Johnnie Jones' start. We were up 5-2 going into the ninth, and Wilder made the right choice of letting Jones out for the ninth. When I saw he took him out with 8.2 innings, I was starting to worry, but fear not! It was the right call! It wasn't the "oh he got two outs he can't get the third," but it was Johnnie got the first two, put two runners on (one as an error), and Molina was brought in to stop the bleeding. That was the final of his 5 innings, as Molina allowed 3 hits, 2 runs, and 3 walks with 4 strikeouts, picking up a win and save for his efforts. I'm finally confident in us late in games, even if we lost some more one-run games!

When it comes to the lineup, the only thing I'm confident in is Leo Mitchell showing everyone else up, as yet again, the veteran superstar is our top performer. Mitchell hit 10-for-24, which actually lowered his lofty average ever-so-slightly, adding a homer, 3 runs, 5 RBIs, and a triple. Mitchell has maintained a .429/.477/.571 (183 OPS+) triple slash, and is remarkably a tenth of a win away from the 2 WAR mark, the same total he had in 110 games last year. There was some support elsewhere, as George Sutterfield had a nice week, going 9-for-23 with a double, homer, steal, 2 RBIs, 3 walks, and 7 runs. Charlie Woodbury got a full slate of starts after crushing it on the bench, going a respectable 7-for-21 with 2 doubles, 2 runs, a walk, and RBI. Sal Pestilli went 6-for-19 with 4 doubles, 3 RBIs, and 5 runs, but through 136 PAs he's still searching for his first home run. He does have 9 doubles, 3 triples, 7 steals, and 17 walks, so it's not like he hasn't been useful, but just imagine how much better his .296/.381/.426 (118 OPS+) line would look without a missing value in the home run department. For a guy with 55 homers in the last two seasons, you think he'd have no trouble when he plays most of his games at Cougars Park, but the veteran has not been slugging like he used to. He did have a nice moment this week, as his 1,000th career RBI came in our 7-2 win over the Cannons, as Sal doubled home Sutterfield with a 108.1 MPH line drive in the four run fourth.

The pitching wasn't great, but we got some decent outings from Pete Papenfus, who split his two starts. They were pretty similar outings, despite the different outcomes, as each time he threw 8 innings with 2 runs, 2 walks, 3 strikeouts, and a home run. There was a slight difference, as he allowed more hits in his win (9) then in his loss (6). That's baseball for you sometimes, as despite his 4-5 record, he's been as good as ever. Pap's 7.3 BB% is a clear best, and he owns a 3.25 ERA (123 ERA+) and 1.27 WHIP with 44 strikeouts in 80.1 innings pitched. If it wasn't for Donnie Jones, who was uncharacteristically awful (we aren't going into this...), Pap would be the clear ace and top preforming pitcher, but our fireballer will have to settle for the best-man this year, though I'm not going to tell him that. Let him keep pitching like an ace!

Lastly, the initial mock draft was published today, and if the creator is worth his salt, we got the 4th best player in the pool. I do love Andy Robinson, who hit .542 with 4 homers and 37 RBIs as a senior, but the mock loves to change its mind almost as much as it likes to underrate pitchers. He's clearly skilled, and I'll cover him in more detail in a stand-alone amateur report with the other nine new members, some of which are on the mock themselves. Ike Soeur (2.10), Dave Hall (3.13), Ed Freeman (4.10), Ernie Tisdale (5.4), and Frank Hernandez (5.16) are all there now, and come draft day I'm sure the order will be completely different. Dixie Marsh is pretty happy with the draft, as Robinson is his 7th ranked player, and he has Tisdale (27th) and Soeur (28th) towards the end of his 32 player first round list. Plenty more rank on his longer ones, and this could be a better then expected class to restock some depth we traded away.

Looking Ahead
Despite being the seventh ranked offense, we managed to get seven runs off the top pitching staff in the CA. Holding a half game lead over the Stars, Cincinnati now leads the Continental Association, as the Cannons played just a little less bad then the Kings this week. Lucky for us, there's no worry of facing Rufus Barrell (5-4, 2.45, 36), as Cincinnati will send Tony Britten (4-3, 2.52, 21) and Mickey Mills (6-2, 2.81, 42) out to face us. I'm not too sure what to think of Mills, an inexperienced 28-year-old, as he might actually be good? It's a small sample, just 67.1 innings, but his 3.18 FIP (77 FIP-) is arguably more impressive then his 2.81 ERA (146 ERA+). Mills has a 15.3 K% and 1.6 K/BB, all while touching 99 with his fastball. I'm not sure where this guy was the past few seasons, as the Cannons had some less then optimal pitchers make starts, but the former 13th Rounder may have earned himself a permanent spot in the rotation. I'm curious to see if we can solve him, as the Cannons offense won't give much support, as they're the only team who's plated fewer runners then we have. Chuck Adams (.272, 7, 26) is the only guy they've been able to rely much on, though Denny Andrews (.232, 4, 15) and Fred Galloway (.230, 2, 13) have done alright, even if not at their regular levels. It's still shocking they're leading the CA in June, but if things go the way they should, we might be able to steal the series to start the week.

The road trip then continues with three in Philadelphia, where we'll face off against the 4th place Sailors. They're just three back of first, so if we beat the Cannons and they beat us, there's a chance they finish the series in first place. Though at just 23-22, the reverse outcome could be lethal, sending the Sailors right back down to the second division. They're hoping to improve on their first last place finish since 1920, as even if they don't win the pennant, they could be lottery favorites with a large increase in wins. To do so, the defense will need to improve, as all of their starters have been let down more then they can count. That hasn't stopped Win Lewis from an impressive rebound campaign, going 5-3 with a 2.64 ERA (156 ERA+) and 1.08 WHIP with 19 walks and 39 strikeouts. Behind him Al Duster (5-3, 3.26, 39) and Charlie Gordon (4-3, 3.74, 30) have impressed, but the back of their rotation has struggled to keep them in games. The offense isn't good enough to outslug top teams, though they can put up runs if they're getting men on base. They lead the CA in batting thanks to Marion Boismenu (.359, 2, 14, 2) and Ed Reyes (.525, 14), while many regulars are hitting above .275. While that's not the only measure of a good hitter, guys like Billy Forbes (.307, 2, 17, 8), Al Farmer (.295, 1, 16), and old friend Solly Skidmore (.283, 3, 19) have offered plenty at the plate. It's going to be a tough series for us here, and I'm worried we won't come away with more then one win.

Our week then ends with three games in two days out in Cleveland, where we'll look to beat the cellar dwelling Foresters. Despite their lack of wins against most of the association, they've beat us all four times, and that could forecast more of the same here. Especially considering they're playing a bit better then the record shows, likely more of a .500 team then one that is 19-26. Not everyone is doing great, but on the mound John Jackson (2-5, 2.80, 28) has looked good while Adrian Czerwinski (4-6, 3.94, 31) and Ducky Davis (2-5, 4.01, 19) have far better FIPs then ERAs. That's no surprise considering they rank last in both errors and efficiency, so however you slice it they've been the worst defenders in the Continental. One of the few plus defenders is one of their better hitters, young second basemen Jim Urquhart (.342, 19, 2), though no one is hitting better then fellow rookie Larry McClure. The 23-year-old catcher is batting .333/.382/.588 (151 OPS+) with 6 homers and 25 RBIs in his first 36 FABL games. With a double header, that means we likely see him in at most two of the three games, and last year's All-Star Mark Smith (.164, 6) hasn't looked like an All-Star in the slightest. That could be the difference in a close game, as depending on pitching matchups, there may not be too many runs to come about. In tight games, defense makes the difference, so you think we'd be able to come away with the series even on the road.

Minor League Report
2B Roxy Hilts (AA Little Rock Governors): With the Cunningham brothers in the middle infield, Roxy Hilts has been working on his versatility, appearing in 18 games at first and 19 at third, with ten more at his natural second base. Despite the constant movement, Hilts has been great, and even came home with the Dixie League Player of the Month, even named the Player of the Week here too. 22 in three days, Roxy hit an impressive .349/.441/.578 (162 OPS+) with 15 doubles, 2 triples, 2 homers, 18 RBIs, 18 walks, and 14 runs. This combined for a 181 WRC+, as he made 127 trips to the plate in 29 games. On the season, he's now hitting .337/.423/.556 (152 OPS+), though the most impressive part is the 20 doubles in 44 games. If he played 140, that would give him 64, an outstanding feat at any level. Since I'm not used to Little Rock Stadium, my first instinct was to check the park factors, but the doubles (1.018) factor there is pretty neutral. He is the type to put the ball in play often, and with his discipline he's done a good job picking his pitches. Milwaukee's infield is jammed pack, so a promotion doesn't seem imminent, but he's positioned himself well for a promotion if a lineup spot opens.