[ayaghmour2]

Weekly Record: 0-7
Seasonal Record: 26-19 (t-3rd, 4 GB)
Stars of the Week
Gene Case : 28 AB, 11 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .393 AVG, .951 OPS
Jerry McMillan : 27 AB, 7 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .259 AVG, .792 OPS
Tom Halliday : 27 AB, 7 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, .259 AVG, .681 OPS

Schedule
5-28: Loss vs Stars (9-4)
5-29: Loss vs Stars (3-1)
5-30: Loss at Foresters (0-2)
5-31: Loss at Foresters (5-7)
6-1: Loss at Foresters (0-5)
6-2: Loss vs Saints (10-1)
6-3: Loss vs Saints (3-2)

Recap
Yep...

It all fell apart...

Classic Cougars!

I wouldn't be all that mad if it was just losses to the Stars and Foresters, but the Saints!?!?!?! The lowly, pathetic, barely better then an expansion team and worse then the other Saints!?!?!!? Come on guys...

From two up to four out, we pretty much fell to where we should be, and now we can focus soley on the draft (already made my first pick and I think it's a good one!) and trying to finish above .500. Though really I'm not sure what was worse, losing both against the Saints, or getting shut out twice against the Foresters. But when you lose all seven games, it's not like there was much that went right anyways.

I guess Gene Case went well, our young first basemen had an excellent week, and was the only hitter that was better then average. The young lefty was 11-for-28, adding 3 doubles, a triple, a steal, 3 runs, and 3 RBIs. He's had an up-and-down start, but he had a huge game in our finale of May. Obviously we lost, but 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles, runs, and RBIs is impressive regardless of result. Jerry McMillan added another homer and steal, but the outfielder was just 7-for-27. Despite the low average, he made it count, providing us with a double, triple, 2 walks, 2 runs, and 3 RBIs. It's nice these two didn't take the week off, but McMillian in particular needs to pick it up, as a lot of success has to do with how he leads the lineup.

Pitching was better then you'd think, though Pug White and Phil Means got blown up multiple times. Pug allowed 8 hits, 5 runs, and 4 walks, striking out 5 while taking two losses in three appearances. Means only lost one of his three, throwing 9.1 innings with 9 hits, 7 runs, 4 walks, and 8 strikeouts. His kryptonite was the longball, allowing 4 of them including a pair in our 10-1 loss to the Saints. We did get two solid starts from Roy Ellis, but of course, no win for the control artist. Both were deserved, but at least he didn't get a loss. Against the Stars, he went 7 with 4 hits, a run, 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts. He had more issues against the Saints, walking 5 and allowing 4 hits in 6.1 innings. Again, he allowed a run with 4 strikeouts, lowering his ERA to 3.55 (126 ERA+) with a 1.26 WHIP, 19 walks, and 38 strikeouts. His 2 K/BB is best in the rotation, but he's just 2-2 in 10 starts. We got another great start from John Mitchell, who despite zero strikeouts, went 8 with 8 hits, 2 runs, and 3 walks. It's his first start without a punchout, dropping his K% to 10.3, but his ERA is now below 3 at 2.97 (151 ERA+) with a 1.27 WHIP and 29 strikeouts. More starts like this are big, as he's starting to come into his own at 25.

On the bright side, we had one of the most surprising Pitcher of the Month selections, as high leverage arm Arch Wilson took home the award for May. He didn't pitch too much, just 12.2 innings in 10 appearances, but Wilson was a perfect 4-0 with 2 saves and didn't allow a single run. A lot of it was luck, he allowed 12 hits and 8 walks with just 7 strikeouts, but hey! No runs! And four wins! That's what I call a Pitcher of the Month! Arch didn't allow any runs in his two June innings either, and he's now 6-1 on the season with a 0.43 ERA (1045 ERA+), 1.48 WHIP, and 11 strikeouts. Don't look too far past that, he has 14 walks and a 4.37 FIP (97 FIP-) that is more average then good, but the long-time stopper seems much more comfortable in his current role.

Looking Ahead
If we get swept by the Saints at home??? Well... Let's just pretend it's not going to happen!

Even after beating us twice, they still have twice as many losses (30) then wins (15), and only the lowly Imperials (10-35) are five or fewer games away from them. In an absolute must win game, the red-hot John Mitchell (3-2, 2.97, 29) will look to snap our losing streak against rookie Duke Edin (2-2, 3.41, 18). Edin started his season with a pair of AAA starts, but he replaced the injured Phil Murry (0-1, 5.29, 13) and really impressed. Picked up by the Saints about a year after the Minutemen took him in the 12th Round, Edin is an innings eater with a deep arsenal and a nice fastball, but we should be able to score off them. They'll score runs too, in fact, they're 5th in runs scored, as Andy Gilman (.298, 10, 37) is on pace for a 30-homer season and former Cougar draftee Ham Flanders (.376, 5, 30, 2) is looking like a contender for the batting title. Another former Cougar draftee, Garland Phelps (.293, 4, 29), has a 124 WRC+, while a third former Cougar draftee Art Robbins (.286, 6, 29, 3) is having a solid season at short. Their lineup is deep, and probably better then ours, so you know what? Maybe we are going to get swept...

We remain home after the Saints leave, ending a long run of game with three with the Wolves. Toronto is now 24-21, just two games back of us and the Kings for third. Toronto just lost talented young starter George Hoxworth (5-2, 4.11, 41) for the season with a partially torn UCL, and they're already without another one of their top pitchers Phil Colantuono due to forearm inflammation suffered in the spring. This is huge for our lineup, as while we will face ace and former Allen winner Arnie Smith (4-1, 3.61, 67), the other two games shouldn't be too tough. My best guess is we get Jimmy Pepper (1-2, 5.40, 26), Smith, and whoever they call up to replace Hoxworth/move from the pen, which means the bigger goal is limiting their offense. That won't be easy, their offense is better then Montreal's, as they sport a potential .400 hitter in Tom Reed. The 4-Time All-Star selection and former Kellogg winner has slashed an impressive .409/.482/.673 (187 OPS+) with 14 doubles, 2 triples, 9 homers, 2 steals, 35 runs, and 33 RBIs. On track for over 9 WAR, it's a big season from their best player, and has helped elevate the production of Jim Allen (.327, 4, 20), Sid Cullen (.309, 8, 22), and yet another former Cougar draftee, Charlie Harvey (.324, 20). Lower in the lineup, rookie catcher Ty Rusconi (.321, 5, 27, 2) and rookie Rule-5 pick third basemen Clyde Fisher (.338, 4, 17, 2) have exceeded expectations, as the Wolves look for their first winning season since 1948.

After the off day we'll hit the road for the first two of three with the Kings, currently tied with us for third. Kansas City is the better team, evidenced by their top offense, and there are a lot of things I'd do to get a superstar like Hank Williams (.337, 15, 39). Probably the best hitter in baseball, the 2-Time Whitney winner is hitting .337/.428/.681 (178 OPS+) which is arguably worse then his career .353/.442/.618 (184 OPS+) line. Williams is also on pace for 51 homers and 133 RBIs, both of which would be career bests, and he continues to walk (27) more then he strikes out (23). Aside from BABIP, he has 4s or higher in the other offensive categories, and I think that's just because he hits so many home runs that there aren't any balls in play. Of course, he's not nearly the only threat in the lineup, as he's one of seven lineup members hitting above .280. Al Farmer (.302, 9, 30, 3) has really improved the lineup, while Ken Newman (.323, 8, 37, 6), Pat Davis (.311, 5, 26, 11), and even Bob Burge (.308, 3, 28) have been dangerous at the plate. The pitching matchups may favor us, Elmer Sullivan (4-1, 3.74, 39) is the only pitcher with a sub-4 ERA, but with how many runs they score, it might not matter who they start the game with.

Minor League Report
RHP George Chism (AA Little Rock Governors): With how pitching prospects we have, a 25-year-old like George Chism is considered a legit pitching prospect. Even if he hasn't really started much in the past few seasons. This year, despite his lower stamina, we've been running him out every fifth day, and he did something I never would have expected to finish his May. Chism put together an absurd 126-pitch, 4-hit, 10-inning shutout as the Governors survived the New Orleans Showboats 1-0. It was only his second win and he managed to lower his ERA below 5, but it was really nice to see him keep runners off the base and strike out 6 in an all-out team effort. New Orleans got him the next time out, chasing him out before six, but through eight starts he's 2-5 with a 4.50 ERA (92 ERA+). That's not great, but what is great is the 1.13 WHIP and 2.9 K/BB that goes with it. A four pitch pitcher, he has a really nice fastball, and he uses his sinker when he needs a double play. He's got average stuff, movement, and control, and while I don't love the stamina he's one of our highest priority replacement SPs. Since he's Rule-5 eligible in the offseason, I'm leaning on promoting him by the end of the season, and he'll be in the thick of it for a staff role in 1963 if he doesn't push his way in first.

CF Bob Starr (A Rockford Wildcats): A guy who keeps climbing up the prospect ladder, defensive specialist Bob Starr is up to 55th after taking home the Heartland Player of the Month. A former 10th Rounder, the Chicago native has been off to a sizzling start, and in his first full month he hit an exponential .375/.538/.688 (221 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 8 homers, 25 runs, 30 RBIs, 34 walks, and 3 steals. Paired with elite center field defense, he was worth 2.3 WAR for the month, and is currently on an absurd 12.8 pace in 136 games. Obviously, he won't get there, but through 37 games he's been hitting an equally elite .361/.538/.656 (213 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 10 homers, 38 runs, 43 RBIs, 48 walks, and 3 steals. A stellar total performance, Starr has showcased his already elite eye, that might already be the best in our system. Walking at an absurd 28.1% clip, he's already rated as a 5 there, tied for first with reserve outfielder Bill Irvin and AAA bat Andy Conklin. He does strike out a ton, something that you wouldn't expect from a guy with his eye, but that's in some part due to his big swing. He loves power, aiming for the fences in most cases, and the combo of eye, power, and range make him one of the most exciting young players in the system. He has all the tools to be a starting center fielder, and if all goes well, the 21-year-old could push McMillan to a corner, or make up an elite outfield with him and Henry Watson.

RHP Roy Weinberger (B San Jose Cougars): Another level lower, we took home a Pitcher of the Month, as the San Jose righty has been elite to get things going. He allowed just a single run in a 7-inning April win, and finished May 4-1 with a 0.97 ERA (348 ERA+), 0.88 WHIP, 2 walks, and 25 strikeouts. That makes the 20-year-old 5-1 with a mini 1.01 ERA (334 ERA+) and 0.96 WHIP, striking out 31 with just 3 walks in 53.1 innings pitched. At any level, that's amazing for a 15th Rounder, especially one that was taken just under two years ago. I can't get over his 1.4 BB%, especially since Dixie thinks he'll have control issues. I guess that means he's capped at the 2 he's at now, but something tells me that's hard to believe. I like the stuff too, it's already FABL ready, and he's got tremendous stamina. The issue is the stuff isn't really starter good, more good enough, but there's plenty of time for that to improve. At 6'4'', he's a towering righty who could end up throwing harder then the 92-94 he's at now. Despite his youth, he's penciled himself in as the next man up in case of a pitching injury, and I'd bet that if he stays healthy he won't finish his season in San Jose.