[ayaghmour2]

Starters
1B Gene Case (23, .288, 21, 77, 8 - graduated #14 prospect)
3B Mooney Vetter (27, .282, 12, 68; .285, 36, 182)

Homegrown first round picks make up the corner infield, with second year lefty Gene Case at first, and two-time Diamond Defense Award winner Mooney Vetter at third. Ironic enough, both guys were taken 8th in back-to-back years, with Vetter coming out of college in '55 and Case in high school in '56.

Despite his youth, Case is already one of the top hitters on the team, boasting an elite eye with plus-plus power, gap, power and avoid K ability. He's also reasonably fast and an an excellent baserunner, and with his ability to rope liners to the gaps, he can often find himself on second and third base. In 509 PAs as a rookie he hit 48 extra base hits with an elite 77-to-42 walk-to-strikeout rate, producing a 136 WRC+ that matched his OPS+. He may not be done developing either, as his power could push him into 30+ home run territory. As a converted outfielder, there is still a lot of athleticism left over, and he could be an anchor in our lineup for years to come.

Vetter doesn't have the upside of Case, he a local hero and already beloved by the Cougars fan base. Debuting in 1958, 1962 will be his fifth season, and he'll enter it with a solid .285/.313/.425 (94 OPS+) career triple slash. Known best for his tremendous work at the hot corner, he's also a fine contact hitter, who swings early and often. He puts the ball in play and almost never strikes out, but his main weakness is his tendency to swing at pitches he shouldn't. Despite decent power, he'll probably never get past 20 homers in a season, as he doesn't work the count enough to get pitches he can handle. One of our weaker starters, we could end up looking to upgrade over him, but he's still a top 10 starter. You can certainly do worse then him in the seven spot, and unless we just can't get over the hump with him, or his production starts to sour, I plan on sticking with him. Even then, he'd be unlikely to lose his roster spot, as he plays plus defense at all three skill position, and at 6'1'' first would be easy to pick up.

Bench Options
1B Jim Chaplin (30, .333, 1; .269, 12, 114)
1B Jack Drake (23, .000)
1B Moe Holt (34, .222, 2, 4; .274, 77, 480, 60)
3B Bob Decker (34, .000; .000)
3B George McKee (24, .284, 1, 10; .281, 2, 11)

The AI absolutely loves first basemen, so it's no surprise we have a lot of options there. Each has varying use, from being optionable for Jim Chaplin, to being a long-time organization member like Moe Holt. Of course, the most value comes from the yet to be mentioned Jack Drake, who's just 23 and could be a useful left handed bat off the bench. A former 3rd Rounder of the Pioneers, we got him in exchange for former Cougar 6th Rounder Foster Smith, who was in his second stint with the organization. Drake then worked his way up to Chicago, debuting last September where he went 0-for-2 in two pinch hit opportunities. Likely to add to that this year, it may be best to first use one of his last two remaining options, as he can get regular time in Milwaukee. A solid gap hitter, he still has a little room for growth, and we don't need multiple first basemen.

Chaplin seems the least likely to make the team, and aside form hitting .269/.336/.354 (93 OPS+) in 951 PAs between the Wolves and Cougars, he doesn't have much going for him. He's one of the guys on the edge of the 40, very easy to DFA, but with an option remaining it's not a necessity. Holt's the likeliest to crack the roster, as aside from his six seasons with the club, he's passable at first, second, third, left, and right. A former New York Star, LA Star, and postseason hero, Holt came to the Windy City in 1955 for a pair of prospects. At the time, he owned a nice .288/.354/.440 (122 OPS+) batting line, compiling 120 doubles, 34 triples, 41 homers, and 288 RBIs in 563 FABL games. In each of his four full seasons, he had an OPS+ and WRC+ above 100, and looked to be a useful add to a team that needed some help. Instead, he posted his worst two seasons as a starter, and was relegated to a rotational role in 1958. Since then, he's seen his seen his playing time dwindle, with just 56 PAs last year. It's surprising, as he's a solid hitter and good baserunner, so I'm not sure why they couldn't make more time for him.

On the other side of the diamond, we have a really useful young infielder in George McKee, who's nothing short of an elite defensive third basemen. He's got one of the strongest arms in the game and almost never makes any errors, all while turning way more then his share of double plays. If he does have a knock, it's that his range is just good, but if it was anything better he'd probably have been a shortstop. The 24-year-old doesn't have as much value at the plate, he's your prototypical light hitter who doesn't strike out much, but he hit a productive .294/.359/.395 (98 OPS+) with a 104 WRC+ in 109 AA games . He also got a significant callup, making 109 PAs in 30 games with the big league club. All but three came as the starting third basemen, and the former 6th Rounder hit a respectable .284/.330/.392 with a 98 WRC+. As solid as that was, he hit just 8-for-48 in AAA, and still has some work to become a more polished hitter. He'd be a really nice bench piece to compliment the right Vetter, but with his potential upside he's best getting everyday playing time. Another thing an optional assignment would do is allow him to increase his versatility, as he profiles as a plus corner outfielder. He's even played some center, but aside from that and a few games at first he's really only handled the hot corner. He'd be effective in the middle infield too, and I may end up moving McKee all around the diamond so we can get looks at some of the guys looking to separate from the pack.

One of those is Bob Decker, though the also 24-year-old has plenty of experience at all four infield spots. He's plus or better all around, with a very similar defensive profile to the starter Vetter. An elite baserunner who very quick and can swipe a decent amount of bases, he could be a very useful pinch runner in the late games. He also does a great job bringing out the best in others, making up for his average to below average offensive ability. That of course could change, Dixie Gaines thinks he'd be a viable contact hitter with solid discipline, but don't expect much power from him. Decker can no longer be optioned, so to get him to Milwaukee he'd have to be DFA'd, though I think he'd be able to sneak through due to his undeveloped bat. Granted, that might not be a risk I want to take, and with his glove and speed he's about as good of a utility guy as it gets.

Next Men Up
1B Bob Mills (35, DNP; .233, 1, 3)
1B Andy Robinson (29, DNP; .259, 1, 9)

Not much to look at down in Milwaukee, but that's mainly because a lot of the guys on the 40 were there last year. In another world, Andy Robinson would have been a starting second basemen, but our former 1st Rounder ended up a big 'ol bust who's best served as an emergency first basemen. Ranked as high as 12th on the prospect list, he did get an audition as the starting second basemen, but he played woeful defense (-7.7 ZR, .847) and hit just 264/.296/.336 (81 OPS+) in 115 PAs. The year after he spent a little time on the bench, but between subpar minor league numbers and his struggles in the field, he hasn't gotten a chance to get back up. I hope that continues to be the case, but him and Bob Mills, a 35-year-old from Chicago, are all we really have in a worst case scenario. Mills at least has an elite eye, but neither can do much hitting or fielding, and I'm sure the wire could provide better.

Down on the Farm
5th/83rd: 3B Ricardo Castillo (20, Trade with Chiefs, 1961)
7th/111th: 3B George McKee (24, 6th Round Pick, 1954)
22nd/382nd: 1B Carlos Morales (23, Trade with Dynamos, 1957)
23rd/403rd: 3B Bob Decker (24, 3rd Round Pick, 1954)
27th/428th: 1B Jack Drake (23, Trade with Pioneers, 1958)

Three of the five guys in our top 30 are already on the 40, so the farm doesn't have too much to offer. What it does have is Carlos Morales, who we got in a trade that's looked quite good for us. We parted with Ted Beaven, a back of the pen arm, and a young pitcher Sammy Whipps who has yet to debut, getting Morales, Doug Stearns, and Roy Ellis. Ellis of course, pitched in our rotation and led the CA in K/BB, making the trade an easy win, though Morales looks pretty solid too. "El Gato" has a useful bat that produces above average bat-speed. At 23 he's still not a finished product, but he has Jim Chaplin beat and can play decent defense. Granted, he may be the slowest guy on the field, but he's strong and can put the ball in play. He won't replace Gene Case anytime soon, but he could be a decent right handed compliment and an arm strong enough for third. I wish we had more then just him,

The gem of the group is Ricardo Castillo, though calling him a third basemen doesn't really do him justice. Sure, it might be his best position, and he certainly has the arm for it, but I'll be working him out at short, and he's already got experience at second and all three outfield positions. The perfect type of utility player, he's set himself a high floor, and at 20 he's already a top-100 prospect and near FABL quality hitter. Aside from his power, he's average or better all around, and he projects to have a really strong bat. He could hit around .300 and he's an above average runner, and with his bat and hustle he seems destined for a major league role. I'm really hoping it's as a starter, potentially at third, but he might be destined for that utility role. It would fit him well, he's always the first guy up on the dugout steps cheering for whoever's batting or making plays in the field, and if he pinch runs he can replace whoever he took out. He's one of my favorite prospects early on, I just wish we could make his infield defense a little better before he's ready to debut.