[ayaghmour2]

July 25th, 1904: Cincinnati 2B Carlos Ruiz and Brooklyn SS Matt Strong were Players of the Week.

Down in St. Joseph, 2B Mike Shaddox, who played in Detroit last year, was Player of the Week. The 36-year-old hit .481 with 2 homers, 7 RBI's, and 10 runs scored.

We remained 6th in the Power Rankings. At 53-47, we are 15 out of first and 4.5 out of second.

We're about to have the toughest stretch of the season, and what likely determines the fate of the season, with three road games in St. Louis, a day off, and then three road games in New York.

Nate McCue (5-4, 3.97 ERA, 1.15 WHIP) looked to stay hot in the opener against the struggling Eddie Long (11-6, 3.71 ERA, 1.11 WHIP). We didn't get off on the right foot, and we dropped the opener 7-3.

McCue pitched longer then he should've, allowing 14 hits and 7 runs with 5 strikeouts in 7 innings.

Justin Arrington was 3-for-4 with a double. Pete McCoy was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Jonathan Simmons was 1-for-4 with a double and run scored. Jeremy Bell was 1-for-4 with an RBI double. Jesus Camargo was 2-for-3 with a hit by pitch.

Baltimore SP Dan Bishop tossed a 4-hut shutout in a 4-0 win over Newark.

July 26th, 1904: Two bottom feeders in Chicago and Newark linked up for a minor deal. Chicago sent RHP Manny Melgosa and RHP Rual Ibarra to Newark for RHP Alfonso Cortez.

Melgosa, 27, is both the best player and only player with big league experience. The former 3rd Overall Pick out of Oregon State in 1899, Melgosa never really turned into what the Bearcats expected when they picked him. In 93 big league games (22 starts) he's 11-17 with a 6.25 ERA, 1.63 WHIP, and 220 strikeouts in 253.1 innings.

Ibarra, 21, isn't really any good, and recently tore his rotator cuff. He's got an elite change, plus fastball, and average slider, but he doesn't really have any control. And it's not the effectively wild either.

Cortez, 23, was Newark's 2nd Round selection out of UCF in last year's draft. He's pitched 8 really good starts in Class D Fairfield, going 5-1 with a 2.56 ERA and 1.03 WHIP with 48 strikeouts in 45.2 innings. He pitched a little in Class C last year, and has back-of-the rotation upside. He has a really good three pitch arsenal with a plus fastball and plus-plus change and knuckle curve. He doesn't throw to hard, but he's got average control and can pitch deep into games.

We looked to even the series back up with Josh Fisher (2-7, 4.21 ERA, 1.26 WHIP) taking on Matt Nesgoda (10-2, 2.60 ERA, 1.01 WHIP). Despite a late scare in the 9th, we held off our hosts to win 5-2.

Fisher looked really good, 8+ innings with 4 hits, a run, 4 walks, and 11 strikeouts. Rhett Wigmore allowed 2 hits and a run with a strikeout in 0.1 innings. Tobias Laranjeira got the save, walking one in 0.2 innings.

Jonathan Simmons was 2-for-3 with a homer, 2 runs, 2 walks, and 2 RBI's. Omar Atillio was 2-for-4 with a two run homer. Jesus Camargo was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Pete McCoy was 2-for-5 with a double.

Buffalo's Jake Doherty tossed a 4-hit shutout with 9 strikeouts in a 5-0 win over the Patriots.

July 27th, 1904: Andy Palme was back from his suspension as Eric Thomas (9-6, 3.77 ERA, 1.28 WHIP) took on Bobby Brosius (11-5, 2.31 ERA, 0.93 WHIP) in the rubber match. Neither pitcher has won against the opponent, with Thomas 0-3 with a 4.50 ERA and Brosius 0-2 with a 3.13 ERA. Brosius was just too good tonight, and we dropped the finale 4-2.

Thomas went 8 with 9 hits, 4 runs (3 earned), and 7 strikeouts.

Giobbe Capuana was 2-for-4 with a double and run scored. Seth Bland was 1-for-3 with a double, walk, and 2 RBI's. Justin Arrington was 1-for-4 with a run scored.

We get tomorrow off, and I may try to swing a trade or two.

July 28th, 1904: I decided to make a splash, acquiring the powerful 3B Ben Etienne from the Cardinals for SP Mark Gibson, SS Pete McCoy, and RP Rhett Wigmore.

Etienne, 31, is under contract till 1910, and has a monster deal making $3,400 this year, $3,920 next year, and then $4,400 every year until 1910. Half of it is being picked up by the Cardinals, which will lessen the blow to my financials. Originally the 1st Overall Pick by Detroit in 1893 out of Cerro Coso Community College, this is the third stint for Etienne with the Chargers. He's a career .282/.342/.574 hitter with 264 homers and 625 RBI's. One of the best power hitters in the league, he hit 50 or more from 1900-1902 and launched 47 last year. This season, he's hitting just .265/.336/.508 with 25 homers and 54 RBI's, but the Cardinals lineup had no other dangerous hitters.

Gibson, 20, was the 9th Overall Pick last year, but he's already dropped to a 2*. He's got elite stamina and plus-plus stuff with a solid three pitch arsenal. He has an elite fastball that sits in the 95-97 range with a plus-plus curve and change.

McCoy, 24, has been an absolute stud since being claimed off waivers from St. Louis. He's a great defender at short and he's got plus-plus contact and gap power. He has a crappy eye, but he nearly never strikes out. The lefty was hitting .343/.359/.495 with 2 homers and 17 RBI's in 99 at bats, with most coming off the bench.

Wigmore, 25, hasn't really panned out well for us this year, working to a 8.40 ERA and 2.00 WHIP with 12 walks and 12 strikeouts in 15 innings. He made 8 relief appearances and one spot start. He's still got middle-of-the-rotation potential, but it won't be with Detroit.

That wasn't the only acquisition I made, as I sent CF Chris Altman to the Patriots for former Charger Tyler Bienvenu. I also had Boston pick up half of his remaining deal, which ends at the end of this season.

Bienvenu, 32, is a durable lefty who's spent a little time closing with Boston, who he spent 1894-1902 with. A former 3rd Round Pick by Washington in 1890, Bienvenu has a 3.89 ERA and 1.32 WHIP with 575 strikeouts and 156 saves in 559.2 innings. This year, he has a 4.70 ERA, 1.79 WHIP, and 30 strikeouts with 6 saves in 30.2 innings. He's rated a 3.5*, and he costed me basically nothing.

Altman, 25, was an undrafted free agent who signed a minor league deal with Detroit in 1902. He hasn't really done much of anything in the minors, but he's got a ton of speed.

Bienvenu would pitch as a lefty specialist and Etienne will play third, pushing Jesus Camargo to second and Andy Palme to a utility role.

Off to New York for three with the Rebels. At 58-44, they are 11.5 out of first and hold a 4.5 game lead over us. We'd see Antonio Gonzalez (4-0, 1.36 ERA), Erik Pike (11-4, 4.22 ERA), and Kevin Miller (11-8, 3.93 ERA) to finish the month of July.

July 29th, 1904: Today was a busy day for trade, with a total of three transactions made:

Cleveland sent LF Jordan Mondragon and CF John Bello to Newark for RHP Chris Reynolds and CF John Yates.

Mondragon, 37, is a long time vet who's been playing since 1890 where he debuted with the Bearcats. A former 2nd Round selection in 1886, the lefty has slashed .299/.360/.538 with 330 homers and 1,011 RBI's. He's not fast anymore, but has 140 career steals after five consecutive seasons (1890-1894) in the double digits. He's been strictly a pinch hitter this year, hitting .229/.339/.354 with 2 homers and 4 RBI's in 57 games off the bench.

Bello, 22, was Cleveland's 6th Round pick out of Sacramento County Day High Schooli n 1899. He's got starter potential, and has elite range and an elite arm in the outfield. He's a plus defender in center and an elite defender in right. He's got elite speed and a well rounded bat. He reached Class B for the first time this year, hitting .304/.368/.463 with 8 homers, 11 steals, and 35 RBI's in 72 games.

Reynolds, 33, hasn't appeared in the majors since 1900, and has pitched in parts of 1895 and 1896 as well. He has managed only 27.1 innings with Chicago and Buffalo, working to a 5.93 ERA and 1.72 WHIP in 5 starts and 5 relief appearances. Pitching strictly as a reliever with Class A Jersey, he had a 1.65 ERA and 0.89 WHIP with 40 strikeouts and 12 walks in 32.2 innings. He's just a 1* as a reliever, but the former 23rd Overall Pick out of Florida Atlantic may earn himself another shot at the big leagues.

Yates, 22, was a 4th Round Pick by Philadelphia in the 1903 draft out of Arizona. He was just recently sent to Newark on the 15th in the Francisco Garcia trade. He's still basically the same player, super fast and super good at defense, but with not bat.

Next was Washington acquiring RHP Carl Firestone and RHP Jose Munoz, and RHP Jim Johnson for 2B Andy Boyko.

Firestone, 36, spent most of his career with the Red Hawks before signing a 1-year, $2,100 contract with Chicago in the offseason. It didn't go as planned, as he had a 5.80 ERA and 1.60 WHIP with 29 strikeouts in 35.2 innings. He did manage 21 saves, but the iron man was 0-5 as well. In his 12 year career, he has a 4.37 ERA and 1.35 WHIP with 679 strikeouts in 659 career innings. The 24th overall selection by Baltimore in 1891, a change of scenery should do well for him, as he's got talent.

Munoz, 19, is a native of the Dominican Republic who's got middle relief potential. He has plus-plus stuff with plus control and average movement. He's got an elite fastball and elite slider, but a poor change and low stamina prevents him from starting. He's a groundballer who sits in the 94-96 range, but age could increase his speed as well.

Johnson, 23, was Chicago's 5th Round Pick in 1899. An Illinois native, he's got swing man potential, but doesn't really have the stamina to start. He's got average control, stuff, and movement, and can graze triple digits with a plus-plus fastball. He's also got a plus-plus curve and plus change, making him an interesting starting pitching option. He's got a little experience at second, first, and short, and could possibly make it as a hitter, but it's unknown if Washington has plans to use him as a two-way guy.

Boyko, 26, is the only guy going to Chicago. He reminds me of Andy Palme, as they have near identical fielding and position ratings. He's got great speed, a plus eye, and slightly below average hitting ratings across the board. He's spent time with St. Louis and Washington, hitting just .198/.291/.298 with 3 homers, 6 steals, and 23 RBI's in 258 big league at bats. The former 2nd Round Pick was selected out of Richardson High School in 1896 by the Lightning, and he does have starter upside in what could be a decent middle infield of former Lightning draft picks with Pete McCoy.

The final trade of the day saw Newark send LHP Sean Till to Buffalo for RHP Marvin Portillo and C Alex Rod.

Till, 24, was a 13th Round Pick out of Texas A&M in 1902. I don't see much in him, but the lefty has an interesting four pitch arsenal with an average fastball, cutter, change, and forkball. He doesn't have much movement or control, and really just looks like minor league depth. He also hasn't pitched past Class C.

Portillo, 30, was a salary that Buffalo didn't really want to pay. A journeyman multiple inning guy with elite control and plus-plus stuff, but with just 18 movement. He's an extreme groundballer who doesn't throw too hard, but he does an excellent job placing his elite change. He's got a plus split and average fastball that sits in the 89-91 MPH range as well. The Iron Man from the D.R. has a 5.30 ERA and 1.36 WHIP with 521 strikeouts in 642.1 innings, split between New Orleans, Detroit, Cincy, and Buffalo. He has made 60 starts, but has spent most of his time in the pen. in 30 relief appearances and 1 start this year, he has a 3.97 ERA and 1.21 WHIP with 44 strikeouts in 45.1 innings.

Rod, 19, isn't the best catching prospect, but the youngster from the D.R. has done decent in Class C this year, hitting .250/.271/.368 with 9 RBI's in 68 at bats. He's not much of a hitter or defender, but catching prospects of any ability are valuable.

Back to baseball as D.J. Ruhnke (13-9, 4.19 ERA, 1.17 WHIP) took on youngster Antonio Gonzalez (4-0, 1.36 ERA, 0.85 WHIP) to open the final series of July. The pitching was poor on both sides, but a Matt Clawson walk-off two run homer gave the Rebels a 9-8 victory.

Ruhnke pitched too much, 8 innings with 10 hits, 7 runs (6 earned...), 2 walks, and 3 strikeouts. Tobias Laranjeira blew the save, 3 hits with 2 runs, a walk, and 2 strikeouts in 0.2 innings.

Giobbe Capuana was 3-for-5 with a double homer, and 2 runs scored. Ben Etienne was 2-for-5 with a solo homer and two run homer in his first game back with us. Jesus Camargo was 2-for-4 with a solo homer. Damian Salcido was 1-for-5 with a solo homer.

I decided I had enough of Brett Hunter, and decided it was best to part ways. Replacing him would be Grand Rapids manager Willis Memmi, who was "Excellent" and better then the "Great" Hunter. Memmi has a "Slightly Quicker" hook of starters, so I'm hoping we get no more 7+ inning 7+ run games...

Memmi, 53, spent 1899-1904 as manager of the Grand Rapids Bulls, going 4603-344 with a Manager of the Year and title in 1900. He's never finished with less then 71 wins, and was 66-38 with the Bulls this year. He's excellent at developing pitchers as well.

July 30th, 1904: Memmi wouldn't be able to debut today, as out game was rained out, and a double header scheduled for tomorrow. Luckily, we have another off day on the 3rd, so I didn't need to find a spot starter.

July 31st, 1904: It was a quiet deadline, as no AI moves were made. If we get swept in this double header, expect big moves...

Or at least rentals being shopped out...

Willis Memmi made his UBL managing debut as Nate McCue (5-5, 4.34 ERA, 1.22 WHIP) took on the struggling Keivn Miller (11-8, 3.93 ERA, 1.07 WHIP) in game one of the double header. Tied at 1 after 9, Damian Salcido hit a solo homer in the 10th, and we held on to win 2-1.

McCue went 9 innings, allowing just 3 hits, a run, 3 walks, and 4 strikeouts. Tobias Laranheira struck out 2 in a perfect 9th for his 26th save.

Salcido was 1-for-4 with the go ahead solo homer. Giobbe Capuana was 1-for-4 with a solo homer. Jesus Camargo was 1-for-3.

The second game of the double header saw Matt Puckett (9-6, 4.60 ERA, 1.28 WHIP) take on Erik Pike (11-4, 4.22 ERA, 1.14 WHIP). We almost let this one get out of hand, allowing 4 in the 9th before finally getting the final out in a 5-4 win.

Nice start to the Willis Memmi regime!

Puckett went 8+ with 3 hits, a run, 2 walks, and 5 strikeouts. Matt Macias allowed 2 hits and 2 runs on just 2 pitches. Tobias Laranjeira got the save, 2 hits and a run with a strikeout in the 9th.

Ben Etienne was, who already had 4 career homers off Pike, was 3-for-4 with 2 more homers and 4 RBI's. Jesse Cheseley was 2-for-4 with 2 doubles and 2 runs scored. Giobbe Capuana was 1-for-4 with a solo homer.

Phildelphia SP Billy Hawkins tossed a 3-hit shutout in a 9-0 wino ver the Venom.

Washington 2B Pat Kesselman hit his 400th career homer. The 5th Overall Pick in 1886 by Brooklyn, the 36-year-old Kessleman has still found greatness with a myriad of injuries. In 1933 career games with Brooklyn, New Orleans, New York, and Washington, he's hit .264/.364/.502 with 187 steals and 1,074 RBI's. In 72 games this year, he's hitting just .226/.317/.448 with 12 homers and 25 RBI's in the 4th year of a 5 year deal.

It was a shaky July, but it's on to August, where last year, we got really hot. We'd start off with a three game set at home against the 37-66 Chicago Cardinals. They'd go with Bobby Goldberg (7-11, 5.34 ERA), Angel Garcia (3-7, 9.00 ERA), and Tony Downs (2-4, 3.91 ERA).