Chicago Cougars (FABL) - Page 43

ayaghmour2 · 06-22-2022, 09:35 PM

Most FABL fans would have believed the most surprising move of the offseason was the trade of Hank Barnett, but that may have just been the cause of something even bigger. After the first bad season of his big league career, the now 40-year-old John Lawson decided his bat is not what it once was, and instead of being a part-time player, he would serve his country and enlist in the United States Navy. There's no chance the surefire Hall of Famer will see conflict, he's likely set for a cushy instructor role, but "Jack the Ripper" may have finished off a historic career. 1942 was the only full season of Lawson's career where he finished with a below average stat line, batting just .274/.314/.353 (92 OPS+) with 15 doubles, 8 homers, and 62 RBIs. Before this season, he had 14 consecutive seasons with an OPS+ and WRC+ above 130, and Lawson completed 12 seasons with a WRC+ above 135 in 150 or more games.

Lawson wasn't always destined to be the star he developed into, as the prolific third basemen was just a 4th Round Pick of the Pioneers back in 1923. Lawson saw his drafting team make mistakes in Chick Prendergast, Bobby Johnson, and King James before him, but the bigger mistake occurred before the 1925 season, where they cut the young third basemen. He spent time with the Independent Portland Maroons and then the Philadelphia Sailors, before signing with the Chicago Cougars on the final day of August. Unfortunately, his Cougar career would not last much longer, and while they didn't release him, the fledgling Cougar GM made the mistake of sending him and Joe Snider to the New York Stars for promising young pitcher Johnny Douglas. At the time it looked like a good trade for both teams, as Lawson wasn't considered a top prospect and Douglas was a very talented, however, often injured, hurler and the Cougars were in desperate need of pitching.

Unfortunately, this turned into one of the most lopsided deals in the human era, as Lawson entered the top 100 at the start of the 1927 season before a cup of coffee in September. Lawson broke out as a 25-year-old, slashing an elite .344/.404/.518 (152 OPS+) with 33 doubles, 4 triples, 22 homers, and 106 RBIs. Lawson was worth an outstanding 7.9 wins above replacement and cracked the 700 plate appearance mark for the first of five times, and he took off from there. In 1930 he won his first of three Whitney Awards, hitting a robust .392/.442/.613 (165 OPS+) with 45 doubles, 5 triples, 28 homers, and 137 RBIs on a very good Stars team. He led the league in average, hits (247), and WAR (8.7), something he did the following year (.359, 231, 6.9) as well as he won the award yet again. 1932 he made it thee batting titles in a row, leading in hits (246), doubles (49), and RBIs (150) as well, slashing .377/.417/.557 (160 OPS+) with 19 homers and an 8.2 WAR. That year still stings for Cougar fans, as they watched the prospect they let get away lead their rivals to a pennant, preventing them from repeating. In 1933 he was selected to the first annual All Star game, and his 8 All Star selections are currently tied for the most of any FABL player, and he would have been a lock for a selection in each of his first five seasons. Lawson spent the next three seasons in New York, but in 1935 their controversial general manager gave their star far less time then he deserved. He started just 94 games and made just 481 trips to the plate, while still hitting a well above average .343/.393/.510 (138 OPS+) with 29 doubles, 4 triples, 12 homers, and 77 RBIs.

Looking to right a past wrong, the now experienced Cougar general manager enquired on the superstar slugger, and managed to bring him back to the Windy City. The Cougars parted with Chick Stickels, Dick Earl, Frank Gordon, and George K. Brooks to bolster a roster in need of a star. Lawson finished his Stars career with a .358/.408/.521 (149 OPS+) with 313 doubles, 33 triples, 133 homers, and 894 RBIs while worth 55.9 wins above replacement in 1,204 games. The trade worked well for the Cougars, as while Stickels has been a regular for the Stars since 1938, Lawson helped bring the Cougars back to relevance. Lawson did not miss a beat in 1936, slashing .330/.391/.491 (136 OPS+) with 39 doubles, 20 homers, and 93 RBIs. It was the first of six seasons worth of elite production, as Lawson took home his fourth batting title (.327) in 1937 and once again led the league in hits (210). That happened again in 1940, where Lawson almost willed the Cougars to the postseason and took home his third Whitney. The then 37-year-old hit an elite .345/.399/.507 (154 OPS+) with 17 homers and a league high 48 doubles and 111 RBIs. He followed that up with another strong season, hitting .314/.368/.515 (146 OPS+) as he led the Cougars to their first World Championship Series since 1933. Lawson again led the league in RBIs (129), and was worth 6.3 WAR with 34 doubles and a career best 29 home runs. Unfortunately his Cougars fell short, as did Lawson's performance.

This most recent was the first bad season Lawson had, as he was worth -0.4 WAR, nearly 5 WAR worse then his previous low of 4.4 in his "shortened" 1935 season. His glove completely vanished, as the generally competent defender had a -20.8 zone rating and .848 efficiency while his bat disappeared as well. Lawson struck out a career worst 87 times with a career low 32 walks, and he failed to crack double digits for homers for the first time, as well as failing to reach 75 RBIs. His 15 doubles were almost half as many as his previous low (29) in '35 and his 141 hits were the first time he failed to hit safely at least 150 times. Unless he returns to the Cougars after the war, he'll finish his Cougar career with a .318/.372/.477 (136 OPS+) line in 1,051 games. He tallied 245 doubles, 136 homers, and 714 RBIs while worth 35.2 wins above replacement.

He will have a spot if he wants it when he returns from service, but unless he takes some tips from "Father Time" Dave Trowbridge, he is likely to hang up the cleats. If he does, it will be the end of a historic 2,255 game career where he tallied nearly 10,000 plate appearances with a superb .339/.391/.500 (145 OPS+) career line. Lawson ended with 558 doubles, 43 triples, 269 homers, 1,431 runs, 1,608 RBIs, 3,060 hits, and 750 walks while worth almost a centuries worth (91.1) in WAR. Lawson is one of just 11 players with over 3,000 career hits, and the only one who debuted after the 1915 season. He's also tied for 8th with Hank Eason for homers and 4th All time in RBIs. He's all over the Stars and Cougars leaderboards, and for the Stars ranks #1 in average (.358), #2 in OBP (.408), slugging (.521), and OPS (.929), 3rd in homers (133), 5th in RBIs (894), 7th in hits (1,709), doubles (313), and total bases (2,487), 9th in WAR (.55.9) and runs (775) all while ranking outside of the top 10 for games. His 1930 slugging (.613), total bases (386), and hits (247) are Stars records, as well as his 1932 singles (172) and RBIs (150). For the Cougars, he's tied with Bill Ashbaugh (136) for the most homers in franchise history, 4th in OPS (.849), 6th in doubles (245) and slugging (.477), 7th in average (.318), 8th in hits (1,351) and RBIs (714), 9th in runs (656), while again, outside the top 10 for games played.

John Lawson will surely be remembered by fans well after he's retired, not just by those who support the Stars and Cougars, but even the casual observers. One of the best sluggers of his generation, Lawson always gave a professional at bat and had a knack for putting the ball and play and hitting it hard. An outstanding career for the pride of Cresskill, New Jersey unfortunately ended on a bit of a sour note, but when he officially retires, the Cougars will be sure to honor him, and while his #16 may not end up in the rafters, Jack the Ripper will never have to pay for drinks in Chicago again. It's just too bad they couldn't give him one more title...

ayaghmour2 · 06-23-2022, 01:15 PM

Big news on the callup front, as not only are we down John Lawson, but talented young righty Donnie Jones was drafted into the Army. This is a huge loss for us, as Jones was 15-13 with a 2.48 ERA (137 ERA+), 1.15 WHIP, 92 walks, and 122 strikeouts in 243.1 innings as a rookie. With him in the military, we now will have competition for the 5 spot in the rotation between his brother Johnnie, Ed Wilkinson, Ken Matson, Danny Goff Jr., and any other number of young arms and veteran journeymen. Of course, there is always the chance of a trade acquisition, but I do think we have enough internal options if we can't find one to our liking. Our #3 prospect Otto Christian announced last sim he too was drafted into the Air Force with Ray Ford, so now 2 of our top 3 prospects are out of the organization. He wasn't likely to be a factor in the big leagues before 1946 anyways so it's not the biggest lost, but we will anxiously wait for the young sluggers return.

LHP Oliver Allen (282nd Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 60th Overall (1938)
Alma Mater: Layton Lancers

The 22-year-old southpaw had a very split season, dominating a Class A Lincoln while getting his brains beat out at AA Mobile. Allen made 14 of his 22 starts with the Legislators, an impressive 7-1 with a 1.70 ERA (228 ERA+), 1.21 WHIP, 38 walks, and 51 strikeouts. His luck quickly soured, as he was just 1-5 with a 10.15 ERA (43 ERA+) and 2.10 WHIP with the Commodores, while walking (30) three times as many hitters as he struck out (10). His BB/9 jumped 2.3 points while his K/9 plummeted from an elite 6.2 to a pedestrian 2.3. This was Allen's first stint of any length where he had a below average ERA+, so it seems like if he's going to do something wrong, he's going to do it in extraordinary fashion. A strong second half of the season could have earned him a 40-man roster spot, but instead he'll be left unprotected, as his stock has dropped significantly. He now ranks as a bullpen pitcher instead of a starter, although he is throwing harder and can graze triple digits. If the walk rise was a temporary blip, he could end up a decent pen arm, as he can blow by hitters and should be a big time strike out arm. Once one of our more exciting prospects, Allen is more just filler, and his lack of attention may have hurt his personality a bit, as he's turned into a rather selfish pitcher who always puts himself first.

RF Harry Harris (293rd Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 7th Round, 108th Overall (1939)
Alma Mater: DuPont Manual Crimsons

No baseball for Harry Harris this year, as the now 22-year-old corner player was busy serving his country in the Army. Before this season, the 3B/RF spent two and a half seasons with La Crosse, hitting a respectable .304/.388/.418 (111 OPS+) with 68 doubles, 8 triples, 11 homers, 8 steals, and 167 RBIs. He was never much above average, but he always hit better then the average C ball hitter, and started to see his homer total tick up. He was ticketed for a chance in San Jose this season, but instead the switch hitter will look to break back in at the upper minors. He looks like a bench bat now, and the loss of playing time may detail his young career before it got off the ground.

RF Ducky Cole (295th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 7th Round, 97th Overall (1942)
Alma Mater: Long Beach Jaguars

Our 7th Round pick in the most recent draft, Ducky Cole got into just 26 games for the Lions as a pair of sprains (groin and ankle) cost him about two months of the season. When healthy, however, the hard working lefty was extremely effective, slashing .404/.450/.535 (143 OPS+) with 6 doubles, 2 triples, a homer, and 19 RBIs. High averages should be expected for the 18-year-old, who twice passed .500 at Long Beach and his high school low for average was .476 as a sophomore. A natural center fielder, we gave Ducky most of defensive time in right, where the early returns were not great. It's just a 154.2 inning sample, but his -3.2 zone rating and .890 efficiency left a lot to be desired. His bat is his calling card, as he projects to be an elite hitter, albeit with no power. He has quick hands and a smooth swing, and excels at swinging at the right pitches. He'll lay off the hard pitches and offer at those he knows he can do something with, and Cole will consistently put the ball in play. One of the hardest workers in the organization, I'd bet on Ducky exceeding most scouts expectations, and with a bat like him, it'll be hard to keep him from an eventual big league debut.

LHP Ed Wilkinson (319th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 55th Overall (1938)
Alma Mater: CC Los Angeles Coyotes

One of the few players who was probably happy when they heard the news about Donnie Jones being drafted was the soon-to-be 26-year-old Ed Wilkinson, who realized he now had a shot of cracking the Cougars Opening Day rotation. Clyde Meyer would give the five spot to him, despite just 1 big league inning last year. He was impressive in 24 starts with Milwaukee, going 16-6 with a 3.14 ERA (120 ERA+), 1.29 WHIP, 53 walks, and 109 strikeouts. A talented five pitch pitcher, Wilkinson has solid stuff and a low 90s fastball he's gotten really good at locating. His control is very reliable, which should help limit free passes, and his stuff and movement are both average. All three combined give him the makeup of a low upside back end starter, and Tom thinks he's reached that ceiling already. I'd say the former 4th Rounder is the odds on favorite for the final rotation spot, although I can see him and Johnnie Jones splitting starts until one of them takes the job and runs with it. Wilkinson is one of those reliable innings eater that can really make a managers job easier, and he'd probably have a rotation spot secured on a team that needed pitching.

RHP Bill Ballantine (323rd Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 6th Round, 91st Overall (1941)
Alma Mater: Fenger Titans

Nicknamed the "Windy City Whip," Bill Ballantine seems destined to have a career closing out games for the Cougars, and the young righty checks in as our 30th ranked prospect to start the offseason. A 20-year-old from Chicago, Ballantine was a reliever all of last season, but half of his 22 appearances for the Lions this year saw him start the game. The slender righty was extremely effective, a perfect 6-0 with 3 saves, a 2.43 ERA (216 ERA+), 1.24 WHIP, 18 walks, and 32 strikeouts in 66.2 innings pitched. Ballantine doesn't have much stamina, topping out at 89 pitches and failing to pitch more then 7 at one time, but with all the players away from the organization, he's going to be one of our better options to start games. Ballantine doesn't throw as hard as you might think, but he upped his velo to 92-94, and both his fastball and slider are really good pitches. He gets good movement, although sometimes fails to located his pitches, which in time will turn into a lot of homers. Flyballs are a problem for the Windy City Whip, as he'll occasionally hang a pitch he shouldn't, but in small samples it shouldn't hurt him too much. I think expecting him to be a starter is just wishful thinking, but even in an era where back end relievers aren't all that important, I can see Ballantine being one of the first truly dominant closers, likely surpassing former stopper Bill Mendine's team record of 137 saves.

ayaghmour2 · 06-29-2022, 07:29 PM

Our commish was on vacation and then returned sick, so there hasn't been much action recently. We're back on track, and while the military draft carries on, we'll have the Rule-5 Draft early next week. We got some bad news, losing two outfielders and two pitchers, but the small silver lining is it's only three players. Each player had a chance to contribute next year, but the loss of soon-to-be 27-year-old Carlos Montes will be a tough pill to swallow. Sure, he gets injured every season, but the talented center fielder is still one of the best center fielders out there, and has played anywhere between 90 and 127 games since debuting at 21 in 1927. Montes is coming off his best season, setting career highs for games, PAs (579), hits (138), triples (10), and WAR (5.7) while matching his previous bests for walks (52) and RBIs (55). Montes is an elite defender in center, last season making all routine plays and a 21 zone rating upped his career tally to 86.5. I did try and acquire center field depth earlier in the offseason, and may look to do so again, but we have a few options on hand.

Orlin Yates (.236, 5, 1) and Bunny Hufford (.280, 5) will compete for the starting center field job in the Spring, and it will be a choice between Yates' glove and Hufford's upside with the bat. Both are lefties, so they can't really platoon, but one out of the box option for center is Billy Hunter. There's no guarantee he'll be healthy for active day, not because he isn't on track in his recovery from a ruptured tendon in his foot, but because he tends to get injured early and often during the season. The soon-to-be 28-year-old has only played 140 games in the past three seasons, but he's hit well when healthy, slashing .301/.356/.439 (121 OPS+) in parts of six seasons. Hunter has never played an inning in the outfield dating all the way back to his high school days, but he has good speed and good range at short, so there is a chance he could be somewhat decent out in center. Our infield is full, with the Jones-Car platoon at second, Skipper at short, and big acquisition Hank Barnett at third, so this may be the best way to get Hunter's bat in the lineup. A lot could change, but right now Hunter is penciled in for center for the Spring.

The other two enlisting with Montes in the Navy are southpaw Ed Wilkinson and potential two-way star Danny Goff Jr. Both were in competition for the #5 spot in the rotation, and I really thought Wilkinson would be a sneaky good #5 for us next year. The former 4th Rounder didn't play in Chicago this year, and threw just one inning last season, but he was an impressive 16-6 with a 3.14 ERA (120 ERA+), 1.29 WHIP, 55 walks, and 103 strikeouts in 24 starts for the Blues. He was also Clyde Meyer's pick for the #5 spot, and is a durable innings eater who was look like a reliable back end arm. Goff also had a really good shot to break camp with us, as even if he didn't make the rotation, he could pitch in double headers while also filling in at first, left, center, and right if needed. The 24-year-old lefty/righty had a great debut month, allowing just 5 runs in 23.2 innings while reaching base in half of his 20 plate appearances. With both of them gone, there will be far less competition for that final rotation spot, and we're likely to yet again have our #5 starter as a rookie Jones. I can't imagine Johnnie will get be anywhere near as dominant as Donnie was, but if the talented young lefty can get his walks under control, he could have a big breakout season while his brother is overseas. Johnnie has already walked 45 hitters in just 38 big league innings, but he gets a lot of strikeouts and can keep the ball in the park. I still may try to grab an arm from somewhere else, but teams have been very hesitant to trade, and some teams are waiting until after the enlistments cease for the year.

We're still likely to lose a few players, but with all the losses, I added King Price and Hod Seagroves to the 40-man roster, taking up two empty spots. There are still a few more guys I'm mulling adding, but for now our 40 will sit at 34 players. Both have only suited up for teams in our organization, but Price was the only one we drafted. Our 9th Rounder in 1939, the Bluegrass State alum made his way up to Milwaukee this season, and has had relatively solid results on his journey to Chicago. He was much better in Mobile (10-4, 3.78, 78) then Milwaukee (4-2, 3.90, 39), but he'll get a shot to crack the Opening Day roster. The 25-year-old is one of 14 pitchers on the 40, but Joe Crosby, Ira Hawker, and Hooks Camp are all set to begin next year in Milwaukee, while Grover Donahue, Cal Knight, and Ben Curtin are only options for the pen. Seagroves, on the other hand, is an infielder from Chicago who was originally a 3rd Round selection by the Dynamos. We acquired him just a few months after the 1937 draft, and the now 25-year-old spent his entire season in Mobile. It wasn't great, hitting a slightly below average .307/.379/.378 (97 OPS+) with 28 doubles, 3 triples, and 86 RBIs. Unlike Price, he won't be looking to make the team out of the Spring with numerous options in front of him, but with so many free spots I didn't want to lose him. Seagroves is one of the hardest players to strike out, just 7 in 562 PAs last year and just 13 in the last three seasons. He's a good defender at first, second, and third, and he will be useful upper minors depth with the chance to make a cameo in September or if we get hard with injuries.

ayaghmour2 · 07-06-2022, 12:00 PM

We lost two and added four, netting two to the organization size after the completion of the 1942 Draft. I can't envision a scenario where I keep all four, but I can see two guys cracking the Opening Day roster. The two we lost were both veteran minor leaguers, with Johnnie Williamson going to the Cannons and Bobby Bond to the Chiefs. I'm not mad about Bond, he's just in our system for the leadership, and the 35-year-old made just 5 starts in his two seasons with AA Mobile. He's not the only Rule-5 Pick of ours the Chiefs are carrying, as they also have Bob Worley, who they grabbed last year. He ruptured his MCL in Spring, so since he didn't spend any time on the active roster, the Chiefs will need to keep him active for the first 90 days of 1942 to retain his rights. He does have some experience in center, but both are lefty swingers who spend most of their time in right. Williamson hurts a bit more, I was hoping he could hang around as depth for the Blues. I was more worried that Gene Lee (22) or Walter Loera (24) would get snapped up instead, so I guess it works out. Below are the four new members of the Cougar organization.

RF Dan Rogers (Brooklyn Kings): Handsome Dan was one of three players we selected out of the Kings organization. A 26-year-old former 1st Round Pick, Rogers was one of the more exciting power prospects, slashing 9 homers as a senior in high school. Unfortunately for Rogers, his minor league career hasn't gone too great, he does have 93 minor league home runs and 10 FABL plate appearances to his credit. I wish he could play center, but there weren't many center fielders to pick from. He's a corner outfielder only, and not a very good one by that. His bat is his strength, slashing .301/.387/.459 (112 OPS+) with 12 doubles, 3 triples, 12 homers, and 48 RBIs in 401 PAs with AA Knoxville. Not the most inspiring numbers, but scout Tom Weinstock loves his bat, thinking his bat could lead him into a big league role. He'll hit for a high average and has lot of power, and as a flyball hitter our park is perfect for him. We have a lot of lefty outfield bats, so the righty Rogers may give us another look off the bench. We could run with six outfield bats, and spots are only guaranteed to Leo Mitchell, Rich Langton, and Cliff Moss, leaving a lot of spots up for the taking. There's still a chance for more enlistments or natural injuries, so Rogers may be able to hit his way in.

RHP Angel Lopez (Brooklyn Kings): He didn't have the greatest season in the Kings organization, but with Lopez I'm chasing upside and four excellent pitches. Tom Weinstock raves about his slider, and thinks he could end up filling a back end rotation role. He had a 4.2 K/9 in AA and 5.0 in AAA, but control issues ruined his overall output. He walked 102 hitters in just 166 innings pitched, which inflated his ERA to 4.66 and 6.28 with Knoxville and Jersey City. A former 10th Round Pick, Lopez has had an up and down minor league career, mixing good stints and bad ones, but his peripherals at Knoxville weren't as bad as the final results. He had a 3.87 FIP and 85 FIP-, far better then his 4.66 ERA and 97 ERA+. If we can get his walks under control, I think Lopez could be a good pen arm, but he did manage to throw 120 or more pitches in 7 consecutive starts, leading me to believe he can pitch multiple innings if needed. We will be running with 9 pitchers this coming season, and with the multiple losses we've suffered, we have four spots available on the staff.

C Ed Wallace (Boston Minutemen): The only non-King selected, the soon-to-be 26-year-old is our Harry Mead insurance. The former 8th Rounder spent most of his season in AA Worcester, hitting .293/.345/.395 (114 OPS+) with 21 doubles, 8 homers, and 74 RBIs. He was also worth 4.1 WAR, which could be due to being a great defender. His bat is decent too, with an above average contact tool and some power. I'm not sure he has a chance to make the roster unless one of our catchers gets hurt, but I do think he's a better option then Steve Mountain or Clem Bliss.

LHP Manny Franco (Brooklyn Kings): Our final pick and third from the Kings, Manny Franco is a guy I've had my eye on for a long time. As a junior in high school, he went a perfect 10-0 with a 0.62 ERA, 0.72 WHIP, 20 walks, and 172 strikeouts. That was after an 11-1 with a 1.01 ERA, but the prospect people were never a big fan, and after a down junior year (by his standards), he was selected by the Kings in the 5th Round of the 1936 draft. 25 in February, Franco is a polished four pitch pitcher who looked average in 19 starts for AA Knoxville. He was 9-9 with a 4.55 ERA (100 ERA+), 1.71 WHIP, 99 walks, and 79 strikeouts. A common theme here with control issues, as his 6.0 BB/9 could definitely be improved on. Of course, he also gets a lot of strikeouts, featuring a low 90s fastball and outstanding slider that cuts through the zone. As a lefty, he's extremely tough on lefty hitters, and Johnnie Jones and Cal Knight are the only other lefties on the 40. This could make it possible for him to secure one of our open pen spots, as we need depth options and he could be a decent option to eat innings out of us from the pen.

ayaghmour2 · 07-13-2022, 11:40 AM

The slow paced offseason drags on, but we're now at the point were nearly all military callups have been completed. In total, 67 members of our 224 player organization have joined one of the five branches of the military, headlined by star pitchers Pete Papenfus and Donnie Jones, everyday hitters Ray Ford, John Lawson, and Carlos Montes, and top 100 prospects Duke Bybee, Otto Christian, Leo Hayden, Danny Goff Jr., and Eddie Howard. With all the enlistments, are minor league system will look a lot different, and that means some of our middling prospects will be valued much higher just because they can actually make it to Chicago in the next few years. Plus with the conversion to 23, a lot of the prospect rankings have drastically changed, so I thought this would be a good time to cover some of our top 500 prospects that I didn't get in the annual offseason top 30. Here are some of the remaining Cougar prospects I'll be covering at some point this week:

RHP Foster Smith (10th, 148th)
RHP Ken Matson (20th, 255th)
RHP Pinch Lenhart (22nd, 262nd)
LF Bill Rich (23rd, 276th)
RHP Angel Lopez (29th, 303rd)
SS Eddie Curtis (32nd, 321st)
RHP Rube Finnegan (36th, 394th)
RHP Stan Flanders (37th, 395th)
RHP Jimmy Ballard (39th, 415th)
RHP Joe Swank (40th, 418th)
RHP Ron Sexton (42nd, 439th)
RHP Charlie Kelsey (43rd, 447th)

The first portion of the draft is now underway, as the Cleveland Foresters will be picking first in the Winter portion. As custom for the past few seasons, we run the first two rounds first, then a third regional round, before finishing the rest of the draft in June. This year I have no intention of trading my first, but I also can't see us adding another pick, giving us the 13th and 29th picks.

ayaghmour2 · 07-13-2022, 08:17 PM

RHP Foster Smith (148th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 6th Round, 96th Overall (1942)
Alma Mater: Henderson Bulldogs

No one in our organization jumped up the prospect rankings post-conversion as much as Foster Smith, who now ranks 10th in our system and inside the league's top 150. "The Thin Man" was our 6th Round pick last year, and made 11 starts between La Crosse and San Jose for us in his first pro season. Rather surprisingly, his 7 starts in San Jose were infinitely better then the 4 in La Crosse. Smith really struggled in 21 innings, with an inflated 9.86 ERA (52 ERA+) and 2.00 WHIP with 9 walks and 13 strikeouts. I only promoted him because every other Lions rotation member had the red arrow in San Jose, and we needed to fill an injury, so despite performance he got a promotion. It seemed to work, as Smith went 2-1 with a 2.55 ERA (130 ERA+), 1.13 WHIP, 10 walks, and 20 strikeouts. Just 18, Smith is a very polished pitcher for his age, already featuring an average or better fastball, sinker, and change. This is all while just throwing in the 86-88 range, so any velocity boosts should make a huge impact on his ability. He did already add a mile in the offseason, and his sinker and fastball are really good pitches. It's a little concerning for those to be your 1-2, as that almost screams reliever, but 1940s pitching is not quite how it is now. Smith does a great job keeping the ball on the ground, and after a homer a start in La Crosse, he had just one in (0.2 HR/9) in San Jose. Tom Weinstock thinks he can develop into a back-end starter, and if he continues to have success in the low minors and doesn't get drafted, he could find himself pitching in Chicago far sooner then I would have ever expected.

RHP Ken Matson (255th Overall)
Acquired: Via Trade with Brooklyn (1942)
Drafted: 10th Round, 160th Overall (1936)
Alma Mater: Henderson Bulldogs

One of our Rule-5 Picks last season, I knew I couldn't keep both him and Hooks Camp, so I worked a minor trade to bring Matson into our organization. He looked really good in the minors, making 12 strong starts with both AA Mobile and AAA Milwaukee. Matson went 11-7 between the two stops with 108 strikeouts and 57 walks, with similar ERAs, 3.48 (127 ERA+) and 3.31 (114 ERA+). He had more innings (95.2) and a better WHIP (1.16) in AAA compared to AAA (70.2, 1.53), but Matson did a great job pitching deep into games and getting outs. He'll be 25 once Spring Training starts, and with all the arms on the 40 leaving for the draft, he could find himself in our pen or even as the fifth starter. Matson is a hard thrower, sitting in the 95-97 range with his cutter, and while it's a good pitch, his curve and change are far superior. He'll strike out a ton of hitters with his curve, and just when you're thinking fastball, the change will get you to swing out of your shoes. His raw stuff is so good that he'll always find a spot on a staff, but he doesn't have too high of a ceiling. Tom thinks he's currently a back-end guy, but probably won't get much better. That's still a valuable piece, and you can never have too much pitching.

RHP Pinch Lenhart (148th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 9th Round, 139th Overall (1941)
Alma Mater: Bloomfield Mustangs

Taken in the 9th Round of the 1941 Draft, this last season was the first full season for the young righty. He split his season between La Crosse and San Jose, and just like Smith, was much better in San Jose. Now in Lenhart's case it wasn't because he was awful in his 16 La Crosse starts; 7-2 with a 4.11 ERA (124 ERA+), 1.32 WHIP, 32 walks, and 56 strikeouts is nothing to scoff at, but because he was so good in San Jose. In the 7 up in San Jose, Pinch was a perfect 5-0 with a 1.49 ERA (124 ERA+) and 1.01 WHIP in 48.1 innings. The one downside was the 20 walks to 21 strikeouts, but command issues are something we were expecting with Lenhart. His stuff is really reliable, as he'll strike out a ton of hitters, and his pitches are very advanced for his age. It's not great enough to overcome his command issues, so he'll want to get that under control, but if he can harness his stuff he'll be a really good pitcher. Right now his upside is just a back-end starter, but he's already shown great improvements in our system. He added a sinker last offseason and upped his velo to 88-90 this offseason, and I'd love for him to continue that trend as he works his way up the organizational ladder.

LF Bill Rich (276th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 3rd Round, 44th Overall (1940)
Alma Mater: Grange College Mustangs

Despite a superb season at the plate, Bill Rich has not gotten much love from the prospect pickers. Rich started the season in Lincoln, and hit an elite .343/.393/.532 (154 OPS+) with 15 doubles, 12 homers, and 70 RBIs. The power didn't quite hold up after the promotion, and in a few less games he had just 5 homers. Regardless, he hit a still impressive .349/.403/.504 (134 OPS+) with 20 doubles, 43 RBIs, and even 5 steals. An Illinois native, Rich has moved off of center to left, and while not great there, he should be more Rich Langton then Leo Mitchell. What will determine his success isn't the glove, but the power, as if he can hit 15+ homers at the FABL level, he will be an extremely valuable corner bat. The high average is a plus, but a bit of a breakthrough, as in nearly identical PAs at Lincoln last season (299 vs 303) he hit just .246. I haven't decided where to place Rich yet for next season, as we could have an open outfield spot in AAA if Bunny Hufford makes the team. I think he'll hit his way up there by the end of the season, and he's probably set to debut in 1944.

RHP Angel Lopez (303rd Overall)
Acquired: Via Rule-5 Draft from Brooklyn (1942)
Drafted: 10th Round, 159th Overall (1939)
Alma Mater: Brookings State College Bisons

A player with shocking parallels to Ken Matson, Angel Lopez is a Rule-5 Pick from the Kings who was initially a 10th Rounder. If it was just one pick later, they would have been taken with identical picks (albeit, different teams) three seasons apart. I don't think I'll trade for Lopez, and I'm not even sure he'll make the Opening Day roster, but the short righty from Rhinelander, Wisconsin is a very interesting pitcher. He's a soft tosser, sitting at just 84-86, and one of those guys you would think would have eventually gotten a velo bump. He's gotten by with his stuff, as his fastball, splitter, curve, and slider are all quality offerings, he just had no luck locating them this season. He's always had control issues, but his 7.2 BB/9 in 61.2 innings up in AAA are very concerning. I'm hoping it's a case of having an awful catcher, as Harry Mead can help nearly any pitcher locate his pitches better and steal a few with his framing. We really only have 11 options for 9 spots on our staff, numbers that really work in Lopez's favor, so he might just have to beat two of Matson, Hooks Camp, and fellow Rule-5 pick and King Manny Franco. Franco is a lefty, which will give him a slight advantage, but Lopez has far more upside.

SS Eddie Curtis (321st Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 7th Round, 990th Overall (1936)
Alma Mater: Milligan College Buffaloes

Eddie Curtis spent most of his season in AAA, hitting .313/.353/.403 (109 OPS+) in 632 PAs for the Blues, but I don't think he cares much about that. Sure, he had 20 doubles, 12 triples, 3 homers, 18 steals, and 55 RBIs, but the biggest takeaway for the young middle infielder is that he can tell all his friends that he is an FABL player. Curtis may have only played in one game, but that's something you can never take away from the Memphis native. He went 0-for-3 at the plate, but a perfect 3-for-3 at second in a 6-5 loss to the Stars. It was a long journey up for Curtis, but discounting his first pro season, he's had an 100 OPS+ and WRC+ at each stint since. He has a quick bat and should hit for a high average, and despite the nickname "Slick Eddie," he's one of those defenders whose versatility doesn't mean quality defense. Second is really his only plus position, but he won't kill you anywhere else. I think our bench is set, but there is rumblings that one of our infielders may be on the move, and you have to account for the consistent walking injury known as Billy Hunter. An Opening Day roster spot is a longshot, but I'd be surprised if Curtis big league game total ends at 1.

ayaghmour2 · 07-14-2022, 08:35 PM

1st Round, 13th Overall: RHP Tommy Seymour
School: Olathe
1942: N/A
Career: N/A

This was a really tough pick for me. I really liked the top end of the draft, and I thought picking 13th there was a shot I'd end up with one of mine or my scouts top picks. Instead, 10 of the top 11 players on Tom Weinstock's list were already selected, with the remaining guy #9. I don't think he's first round worthy, as did everyone else, and I'm debating if I want to take him with my second rounder or hope that he lasts until the regional round. I eventually settled on making a selection that I have never done in the Winter draft; take a player without stats.

Our first round selection will be a 17-year-old righty who won't turn 18 until August, and was one of the ~90 prospects that were generated right before the draft, who will get their first line of stats this June. A skinny six foot righty out of Manhattan, Kansas; Tommy Seymour. A three pitch pitcher, Seymour is a soft tosser for the moment, with his fastball sitting in just the 83-85 range. Of course, most young pitchers eventually start throwing harder, and you don't have to look any further the U.S. Marine Corps very own Duke Bybee. Currently the #6 prospect in all of baseball, when Bybee was 17, he too was throwing 83-85, but the now 20-year-old southpaw is lighting up the radar gun and topping out at 97. Of course, I'm not saying that's Seymour's future; Bybee is a crazy hard worker and team captain who is more-or-less the perfect mold of a pitching prospect, but there is a ton to like about Seymour. Even though Weinstock isn't the biggest fan of his upside, he raves about his elite change up and he thinks the splitter and fastball are decent too. Add in great movement, and while not a groundballer, he won't give up many home runs. Next sim I'll have a fresh scouting report of Seymour (of course he has to have 2 days left...), and since Tom's accuracy on him is "Very Low" I'm not sold on him just being a spot starter.

OSA raves about the young hurler, labeling his change as "off the charts" and his splitter as "excellent." The scouting bureau raves about his strike throwing ability and movement as well, projecting him to easily front a team's rotation. I'm really betting on their version of reality, and since I couldn't access Plan A through I, I'm willing to role the dice on a young pitcher who can join our already elite collection of young aces. The only concern, besides the obvious risk that comes with drafting young high school pitchers, as well as the conflict in Europe, is his rather cryptic personality. I get slight Billy Hunter vibes from seeing "Much of what happens in his career arc will be up to him," but I do my absolute best to stack the farm with good personalities, and cut bait with potential bad influences. Behind the captain Bybee, La Crosse currently has eight other leaders, and that's exactly where Seymour will start his minor league career. If we can get him on the right track, and instill some work ethic into the talented teen, the sky truly could be the limit.

ayaghmour2 · 07-15-2022, 12:28 PM

2nd Round, 29th Overall: SS Al Clement
School: De Pere
1942: .487/.543/.850, 129 PA, 18 2B, 4 3B, 5 HR, 37 RBI, 24 SB
Career: .482/.554/.819, 234 PA, 30 2B, 8 3B, 7 HR, 61 RBI, 52 SB

For my first round pick, I was debating between a pair of 17-year-olds; the eventual selection of Tommy Seymour, and shortstop Al Clement. My thought was that there was little to no chance Seymour last another 16 rounds, as our lead tends to take pitchers early and often, so I settled on him. Clement, a Wisconsin native, ranked #9 on my scouts list and was the only remaining player in his top 10 when my first came up, and since I had luck doing this with Mel Haynes and Don Lee, I thought it was worth the risk. Turns out I made the right choice, as 16 picks later, the skinny 6'1'' infielder was still ripe for the taking.

Clement showed a ton of power as a junior, launching five homers and recording 27 extra base hits in his 25 games. His .850 slugging was the highest of any draft eligible player last season, and his 1.393 OPS was second to only the currently undrafted corner outfielder Mike Scott, who hit a remarkable .523/.581/.830. It's really tough to project power potential for high schoolers, but if Clement can maintain even half of the power he showed here, it will play really well at our stadium. Clement hits a lot of fly balls and to all fields, but when it comes to grounders he's more of a pull hitter. He's a strong runner who can beat out a lot of balls hit to the right size. Not a lot of slow rollers, as he has a quick bat that allows him to hit the ball hard. Tom Weinstock is a big fan, expecting him to hit around .290 with strong pitch recognition. The thing I'm worried about is that his homer totals were high more because of his developed power instead of power potential, but there is a lot to like here. Another thing I'm more unsure about is his defense, as neither Tom or OSA mention it. With Skipper Schneider entrenched at short for hopefully a very long time, it's okay if Clement ends up at third or second instead.

Both of our picks were chasing upside despite the risk of enlistment, but I'm much more satisfied with our picks this year as opposed to last. Even if I didn't get trade my first pick, whoever I would have selected I'd much rather prefer Clement. First two rounds are now complete as well, and the regional round also looks to have a lot of decent options. We have gotten decent picks the past few seasons, but this year we seem to have a lot more quality options. We likely won't figure out who our selection is until after the weekend, but I'll finish up the second part of the additional prospects before then.

ayaghmour2 · 07-17-2022, 05:39 PM

RHP Rube Finnegan (394th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 11th Round, 172nd Overall (1938)
Alma Mater: Lane State Emeralds

One thing I've noticed about 23, is they are starting to rank more relievers in the prospect lists. Rube Finnegan has never started a game in our system despite 42 in 53 college appearances, and the 57 innings he threw this year were the most he has in our system. He spent some time closing for Lincoln, going 5-3 with 9 saves, a 3.16 ERA (123 ERA+), 1.19 WHIP, 23 walks, and 39 strikeouts. A big strikeout arm despite low velocity, Finnegan tends to stay below 90, mixing five pitches around to fool lesser hitters. Walks can be an issue for him, but he's got the ability to roll up a double play when needed. He's really nothing more then a middle reliever, so it may make it tough for him to make it up to Chicago. He could probably pitch in our AAA pen, but he's a guy I move around depending on which level needs innings.

RHP Stan Flanders (395th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 10th Round, 157th Overall (1941)
Alma Mater: New Haven Bulldogs

Originally a catcher in high school, I used a 10th Rounder on him back in 1941 with the intention of using him as a pitcher. He did alright last year, going 3-5 with a 4.37 ERA (92 ERA+) and 1.15 WHIP with 18 walks and just 3 strikeouts in 68 innings pitched. He got another shot at La Crosse this season, and he took huge strides forward. Flanders went 15-4 with a 3.59 ERA (142 ERA+), 1.33 WHIP, 36 walks, and 33 strikeouts through 135.1 innings pitched. A soft tosser, the 20-year-old's fastball sits in the 84-86 range, but it and his curve and change aren't the most polished offerings. His control is improving, and could be one of his better features, but there's a lot of room between his floor and ceiling. He's a consistent worker, but will need to have a big showing this year to work his way into a potential future rotation.

RHP Jimmy Ballard (415th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 6th Round, 84th Overall (1939)
Alma Mater: Donora Bombers

After a rough debut season in 1939 for Jimmy Ballard, things were starting to look up in 1940. He made 7 starts with the Lions, going 2-1 with a 3.28 ERA (132 ERA+), 1.30 WHIP, 21 walks, and 29 strikeouts. Unfortunately, 7 starts is all he could make, as he missed over a year with a torn rotator cuff, and made just 7 more starts in 1941. This year, however, Ballard stayed healthy, and made 17 starts in San Jose with 5 in Lincoln sandwitched between. He looked good for the Cougars, going 8-7 with a 2.55 ERA (130 ERA+), 1.15 WHIP, 44 walks, and 48 strikeouts in 116.2 innings pitched. The best thing here was he stayed healthy, as last year shoulder inflammation ended his season early as well. 21 in April, Ballard has already had more injuries then most, and the sidewinder will have to stay healthy again this year to make up for lost development time. He does have an okay low 90s fastball he pairs with a nice slider and tough change, which allows him to get a lot of swings and misses. His control does get in the way, and the injuries didn't help that, leading me to believe that it will be hard for him to make more then the occasional start. Standing at 6'4'', he's a very intimidating presence, and that could help him in the late innings, as he's a guy who shows up when counted on.

RHP Joe Swank (418th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 7th Round, 107th Overall (1941)
Alma Mater: Rhodes Rams

It was a great first full season for Joe Swank, who was an effective arm for the Lions this season. He finished 13-3 with a 3.88 ERA (132 ERA+), 1.50 WHIP, 66 walks, and 37 strikeouts in 21 solid starts. The issue here is the walks, as Swank had a 4.1 BB/9 this season which is just a tenth of a point better then last season. He did up his K/9 about a point and a half, but it's still below 2.5. Another soft tosser, Swank could use a velo bump or two, as his fastball isn't too effective right now. He has a great circle change and a solid curveball, so with a harder fastball he could develop into a really nice pitcher. He has his work cut out for him before he develops into a reliable starter.

RHP Ron Sexton (439th Overall)
Acquired: Via Trade with Pittsburgh (1939)
Drafted: 5th Round, 79th Overall (1938)
Alma Mater: Canarsie Chiefs

Another guy with injury issues, Ron Sexton missed almost a full calendar year with a torn UCL. He did stay healthy this season, but the results were mixed. He was dominant in San Jose, going 7-3 with a 1.85 ERA (179 ERA+), 1.06 WHIP, 18 walks, and 37 strikeouts in 82.2 innings pitched. This earned him a promotion to Lincoln, but things didn't go as well. He threw 8 more innings and went 6-6 with a 4.37 ERA (89 ERA+), 1.44 WHIP, 28 walks, and 30 strikeouts. I'm hoping he'll have more success this time around in Lincoln, as he has good enough stuff to compete. He has a nice low 90s fastball and mixes it well with his curve, slider, and change. His walk rates could use some work, but if Sexton can stay healthy, he could work his way up to AA this season, and then a potential big league promotion the year after.

RHP Charlie Kelsey (447th Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 9th Round, 140th Overall (1938)
Alma Mater: Lancaster Buckskins

Rounding out our non-enlisted or previously-mentioned top 500, we have another reliever in Charlie Kelsey. A 21-year-old from Pennsylvania, Kelsey was a workhorse out of the pen, tallying 107 innings for San Jose. He finished 10-6 with 18 saves, a 2.78 ERA (119 ERA+), 1.18 WHIP, 39 walks, and 39 strikeouts. The walks were a bit high, but he managed to throw almost two innings an appearance and win us a lot of games. He definitely has the stamina to start, but he's really just a sinker-fastball guy with the occasional change up. He keeps the ball on the ground and doesn't throw too hard, relying a lot on his infield defense. At just 21, he has some time to add a fourth pitch or add velocity, but he's likely just a depth arm who will get innings because he's not off to war.

ayaghmour2 · 07-18-2022, 12:27 PM

3rd Round, 45th Overall: RHP Dick Garcia
School: Geneva
1942: 6-3, 90.1 IP, 2.29 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 36 BB, 73 K
Career: 13-6, 188 IP, 1.19 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 56 BB, 179 K

The January portion of the draft is now over, and we have moved on to the preseason. We went with a pitcher again this year, grabbing another high schooler in 18-year-old Dick Garcia. He didn't have a great junior season, but Garcia was much better as a sophomore, going 7-3 with a 1.57 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 20 walks, and 106 strikeouts. A three pitch pitcher from East Chicago, Indiana, Garcia is liked by scout Tom Weinstock, who thinks he can develop into a serviceable back of the rotation piece. An extreme groundballer, Garcia features an impressive mid 80s sinker and pairs it well with an average cut and change. He has good command and should be able to keep the ball in the park, and while his stuff isn't much more then average now, some timely velocity boosts can solve that problem. Another thing working for him is his work ethic, as his coaches at Geneva high school in Illinois reported that on his off days he'll stay after the game to lift weights. This gives be belief that the extra strength will pay off, and he'll be able to throw harder once he fills out his frame. The regional picks are always tough to make, especially with our very low priority the past couple of seasons, but we have seemed to do okay with them. Bill Chapman and Jim Dickinson rank inside the top 200 and 14 and 15 in our system, while Bill Rich has recently jumped up to 20 and has absolutely raked in the minors. We have a lost of ton of talented young pitchers, and if Garcia avoids the draft, he will be a crucial part of La Crosse's rotation in the second half of the seaosn.

ayaghmour2 · 07-21-2022, 09:08 PM

Baseball is back! After what seems like the longest offseason in FABL history, I cannot be more ready for the new season to start. The fine folks at TWIFB think the Cougars will face the Chiefs in another crosstown series, and I think we have all the pieces to return to the postseason. We lost a lot of talented players, including Carlos Montes, Ray Ford, and Donnie Jones, but for the most part we should be able to cover our losses with internal depth. Adding Hank Barnett will be a huge boost to the lineup, and if we can get a good season from our vets and Donnie's brother Johnnie, we could be popping Champaign in September. Of course, we still have to play the games, and injuries, underperformance, and overperformance have a way to shake up the landscape.

We have a smaller group in camp because of all the enlistments, but we have more battles then usual:

RHP Bill Anderson
RHP Augie Bertrand
RHP Joe Brown*
RHP Pug Bryan
RHP Hooks Camp
RHP Ben Curtin
RHP Grover Donahue
LHP Manny Franco
RHP Ira Hawker
LHP Johnnie Jones*
LHP Cal Knight
RHP John Little
RHP Jim Lonardo*
RHP Angel Lopez
LHP Dick Lyons*
RHP Ken Matson
RHP Harry Parker*
RHP Allen Purvis
RHP Bill Tuttle
C Clem Bliss
C Harry Mead*
C Steve Mountain
C Mike Taylor
C Ed Wallace
1B Cuno Myer
1B Dick Walker*
2B Clark Car*
2B Billy Hunter
2B Freddie Jones*
2B Walt Layton
3B Hank Barnett*
3B Steve Jones
3B Ollie Page
SS Eddie Curtis
SS Bill Graham
SS Tip Harrison
SS Skipper Schneider*
LF Huck Hanes
LF Leo Mitchell*
LF Oscar Panduro
CF Bunny Hufford
CF Aart MacDonald
CF Jim Madsen
CF Orlin Yates
RF Chick Browning
RF Rich Langton*
RF Cliff Moss*
RF Dan Rogers

*Denotes guaranteed roster spot

Camp Battles
Center Field: 2
Inside Edge: Orlin Yates
50/50: Billy Hunter, Bunny Hufford, Aart MacDonald
Outside Looking In: Chick Browning, Cliff Moss, Jim Madsen

We usually have to cover at bats for Carlos Montes anyways because he's always hurt, but now we need to find a way to do it for a whole season. The easy solution would be to let Orlin Yates take over, as he has since debuting in 1937. Yates made 83 trips to the plate for us last year, hitting .236/.337/.264 (80 OPS+) with 2 doubles, 5 RBIs, and a steal. Yates didn't show much power in the small sample, but he's always been really good at drawing walks. He walked 10 times which makes his 94 WRC+ look much better, and he's a pretty capable defender as well. In 159 innings out in center he tallied a 4.2 zone rating, good for a 1.043 efficiency. Yates is a career .238/.338/.307 (81 OPS+) hitter through 889 PAs with 28 doubles, 6 triples, 4 homers, 13 steals, 71 RBIs, and 109 walks. He has a better line in AAA, slashing .254/.349/.358 (105 OPS+), and the pitchers he'll see this year will be more similar to the AAA guys with a lot of really good pitchers at war and even more double headers. He's almost guaranteed a roster spot, but there are so many moving pieces right now that really nothing is certain.

One option I really want to try is Billy Hunter, the talented yet-always-injured former 1st Rounder. It's crazy to think he's already 28, but has just 470 FABL games under his belt. A natural infielder, third is taken by Barnett, short by Skipper, and second by the platoon of the top two second basemen Freddie Jones and Clark Car. This doesn't leave an easy entrance to playing time, so I'd love to see if the fleet footed Hunter can make it work on the outfield grass. He's never played at any outfield spot, but a lot of time shortstops can be passable in the outfield too. I'm not sure if he'll be passable and I wish we got to see ratings for this part, but before spring Clyde Meyer made him the #1 backup for both left and right. If center doesn't work out, he could work into a super utility role, getting time at short, third, left, and right.

If he was a better defender, or even right handed, Bunny Hufford would be a frontrunner, as he can't really platoon with Yates and his bat isn't developed enough yet to make up for the glove. He got a cup of coffee last year, hitting .280/.321/.360 (103 OPS+) with 2 doubles and 5 RBIs. Of course, he's a much better minor league hitter, slashing .310/.389/.427 (134 OPS+) with 24 doubles, 5 triples, 8 homers, 9 steals, and 78 RBIs. His 68-to-21 walk-to-strike out ratio is extremely impressive, but his -10.2 zone rating and .963 efficiency needs improvement. We also have the exact opposite of him in Aart MacDonald, all glove not bat. In the equivalent of a full season, he's hit just .197/.309/.293 (66 OPS+) with 28 doubles, 6 triples, 2 homers, 20 steals, and 46 RBIs. Of course, his 13 zone rating in 910.1 innings out in center is much better. We have a few other options to look at, as Cliff Moss has had a few games in center, and could fill in as a part time player. Chick Browning and Jim Madsen could be emergency fill ins if absolutely necessary, but I think we will end up with much better options.

Catcher: 1
Inside Edge: Mike Taylor
50/50: Steve Mountain, Ed Wallace
Outside Looking In: Clem Bliss

Harry Mead will be the starter, but we need someone to back him up and play in a lot of double headers. The obvious solution is team leader Mike Taylor, but he's now 36 and coming off a season where he hit just .192/.285/.208 (48 OPS+). I still think he's got something in him, but we have other interesting options as well. Steve Mountain doesn't hit a lick, but the 25-year-old is a lefty as well, and an elite defender. The former 9th Rounder played in one game for us back in 1941, giving him 1,757 less then Taylor. Also in the conversation is Ed Wallace, who is basically injury insurance. If Harry Mead gets hurt, I'd like to have another option, and the former Minutemen farmhand hit a productive .293/.345/.395 (119 OPS+) with 21 doubles, 8 homers, and 74 RBIs. Last but not least is switch hitter Clem Bliss, who was a regular for the Dynamos back in 1938, and owns a career .230/.344/.304 (77 OPS+) line with 7 homers and 69 RBIs in 262 FABL games. I think Taylor should be able to hold onto his job, but this will be an interesting one to follow.

Bullpen: 4
Inside Edge: Ken Matson, Ben Curtin, Pug Bryan
50/50: Angel Lopez, Manny Franco, Cal Knight
Outside Looking In: Bill Anderson, Hooks Camp, Allen Purvis, Grover Donahue, John Little

Danny Goff Jr. would have came in huge here, as he would have allowed me to carry 10 pitchers and 14 hitters, coming up very clutch in double header situations. Instead, he's off to war, and we're likely carrying just 4 pen arms instead of 5 for the season. Ben Curtin has slipped a bit, as the 37-year-old clubhouse leader isn't as dominant as he once was. He did alright last year, going 4-4 with 6 saves, a 3.04 ERA (108 ERA+), 1.56 WHIP, 29 walks, and 11 strikeouts. I don't envision him to be our stopper this year, but Curtin is set for a lot of late inning outings. His roster spot isn't quite secure, but his experience pays dividends and he's great for the young guys. One of those being Ken Matson, who I think is going to replace him as the team stopper while also filling in if the starting five gets too tired. Harry Parker and Joe Brown should have no problem going every four games, but I'm not as convinced by the youngest and oldest members of our rotation. With Johnnie Jones its more his production, as even though he can go every four days, I'm not sure that I want him to do it. His control will be very interesting to watch this Spring, as it will be an excellent measure of his offseason progress. With Lyons, he's never had much stamina, and at 42, he's eventually going to run out of gas. His scouting report of mid-rotation starter is now just average, and in a few days I'll know what Tom Weinstock thinks now. He is coming off a respectable year, 6-8 with a 3.06 ERA (108 ERA+), 1.23 WHIP, 34 walks, and 15 strikeouts in 23 starts.

Matson, however, is a 25-year-old who pitched really well in both AAA and AA last season and is just a year away from topping 200 innings in the Kings organization. Matson has the stamina to start, but his cutter tops out at 97 and would play really well at the end of the game. His secondary stuff is arguably better, allowing Matson to strike out nearly 6 per 9 as a starter over the past two seasons. He initially looked set to start the season in AAA, but with Goff and Ed Wilkinson off to war, there aren't many pitchers out of the rotation that are better then him. Another option to start is Pug Bryan, who finally had a good season out of the pen last year. The 29-year-old went 2-3 with a 2.22 ERA (148 ERA+), 1.40 WHIP, 18 walks, and 6 strikeouts and managed to survive another season without getting waived. Pug is a good guy to keep in the clubhouse and once showed signs of being a great starter, so his length could help him soak up multiple innings when we need a reliever.

There are plenty more options to fill out the pen, including a pair of Rule-5 Picks in Angel Lopez and Manny Franco. Lopez currently ranks 25th in our system and 219th overall, but doesn't quite have the build of a relief pitcher. He's a Dick Lyons like soft tosser, sitting in the mid 80s with a four pitch mix. He has some control issues, but I'm a big fan his stuff and I think he could end up starting in the big leagues. Him and Franco both came from Brooklyn, and the only real advantage Franco has is he's a lefty. Besides Lyons and Jones, there aren't many lefties in the staff, and Franco has superior velocity to Loepz. They share walk issues, but their fates likely aren't going to be based on each other. For Franco, he'll have to compete more with Cal Knight, who OSA surprisingly ranks as the #6 relief pitcher in the FABL. Knight is out of options, but had a really good season in 1939. He went 2-1 with a 2.20 ERA (196 ERA+), 1.80 WHIP, 35 walks, and 17 strikeouts. The WHIP and walks were concerning, part of why he's only pitched 2.1 big league inning since. Knight doesn't throw too hard, but he's another good clubhouse guy and as a former starter he can pitch as often as needed.

A longshot might be one of the better pitchers, 34-year-old veteran Bill Anderson. He's on a minor league deal, working against him. But Clyde Meyer wants him to function as our stopper this Spring. Anderson was once a very good pitcher who never really produced. Part of that was pitching for the Wolves and Eagles, neither of who were good while he was there. Anderson went 84-101 with a 4.61 ERA (93 ERA+), 1.49 WHIP, 481 walks, and 548 strikeouts in over 1,500 FABL innings. He hasn't pitched in the big leagues since 1939, and spent the last three seasons in the minors. He threw 54 innings for the Milwaukee Blues, but was just 3-2 with 4 saves, a 3.17 ERA (119 ERA+), 1.39 WHIP, 14 walks, and 32 strikeouts. Being off the 40 goes against him, as guys like Knight and Grover Donahue are out of options. Donahue, like Knight and Pug Bryan, is a former 2nd Rounder, yet he has thrown just 2.1 innings in the FABL. That came in two games with us in 1941, as Donahue allowed a hit and got a strikeout. He stopped for the Blues last year, throwing an impressive 107.2 innings in 61 games. He was just average in terms of ERA+ with a 3.76 ERA, but other metrics paint a much better pitcher. Donahue was 9-4 with 18 saves, a 1.37 WHIP, 30 walks, and 29 strikeouts. He had a much better 3.16 FIP (83 FIP-) and with a strong Spring, could earn himself his first real chance as a big leaguer. Donahue is also a team leader, and when it comes to pen spots, that is a huge advantage.

Other options include last year's Rule-5 Pick Hooks Camp, longtime Cougar reliever Allen Purvis, and former 5th Rounder John Little. Bill Tuttle and Ira Hawker are both on the 40, but set to start games in the minors, but there are a multitude of potential combinations to fill our pen to start the season.

Bench: 5
Inside Edge: Billy Hunter, Ollie Page, Tip Harrison, Orlin Yates
50/50: Aart MacDonald, Dan Rogers, Bunny Hufford
Outside Looking In:Eddie Curtis, Chick Browning, Cuno Myer, Walt Layton, Steve Jones, Jim Madsen, Oscar Panduro

The bench construction relies on a lot of other races, but Ollie Page and Orlin Yates shouldn't have too much to worry about. Page spent nearly all of last season in AAA learning third base, and the excellent defender is now more then capable of backing up second, third, or short. He's shown some promise in his 8-year career as a Cougar, hitting .252/.332/.365 (90 OPS+) with 63 doubles, 46 triples, 33 homers, 26 steals, and 248 RBIs. He's walked (268) more then he's struck out (242), but at 32 he's no longer the exciting young shortstop he once was. Him and Yates are nearly guaranteed a spot, as their versatility allows us to cut corners with the rest of the options. Yates could also start, opening a bench spot, as the same goes with Billy Hunter. I'm not too sure what I'm going to do with him, and I might actually try to send the 28-year-old to AAA. I really want to see what he can do out in center, as a loose platoon between him and Yates or Bunny Hufford could almost replace Carlos Montes' production.

The out of options Tip Harrison holds an interesting role, as the 31-year-old journeyman had his first full season in the big leagues last year after making appearances in each season since '38. The Bluegrass State alum didn't hit much, but he appeared at every position except catcher and pitcher last season. He's the ultimate utility man, and could be very useful as a defensive replacement during one of the many double headers. Other not-optionable possibilities include the out-of-options Aruban Aart MacDonald and Rule-5 Pick Handsome Dan Rogers. I like Rogers' pop, but he's a corner guy who isn't someone you want manning center. He hits a lot of flyballs and hit 12 homers down in AA. Our walls are easy to clear, and with a lot of lefties in the lineup, a righty who can tie up games with a swing of the bat can be huge in tight contests.

Behind them are a few non-roster invitees that are more then capable of playing in the big leagues. Walt Layton has experience with the Kings, and guys like Cuno Myer, Oscar Panduro, Chick Browning, Jim Madsen, Steve Jones, and Bill Graham could all be functionable bench players. One really interesting option is Huck Hanes, one of our 4th Rounders from 1941. He's never been the highest ranked prospect, but he hit really well with both Mobile and Milwaukee. In AA he hit a really good .347/.430/.443 (132 OPS+) with 19 doubles, 2 homers, and 35 RBIs with an elite 39-to-6 walk-to-strikeout ratio. He slowed down a bit in AAA, but his .303/.349/.371 (106 OPS+) is still above average. He did have 2 more homers, 11 doubles, and 31 RBIs with a still impressive 18-to-8 walk-to-strikeout ratio. I'm not sure he's ready for the big leagues yet, but if Leo Mitchell gets hurt (or enlists), Hanes could see playing time open up for him. We have a lot of bench options assuming we don't get hurt to hard by injuries, which should make for an interesting few weeks before the season starts.

ayaghmour2 · 07-22-2022, 10:21 AM

Like four of our CA counterparts, we picked up four wins in six tries, leading the early spring tables with Cincinnati, Philadelphia, and Toronto. Both losses came at the hand of Grover Donahue, who is not quite making a case for the big league roster. The 28-year-old righty allowed 2 hits, 3 runs, and 2 walks in an inning against the Cannons, and then 2 hits, 2 runs (1 earned), and a walk in an inning against the Kings. Otherwise, we did pretty well as we look to get back into playing shape.

On the mound, two of our starters pitched four inning shutouts. Joe Brown went 4 with 3 hits, 2 walks, and 3 strikeouts. Jim Lonardo allowed just 2 hits and a walk. Ken Matson would have joined if it wasn't for a Freddie Jones error, as he allowed 4 hits, a walk, and unearned run with 3 strikeouts against the Stars. Harry Parker went 5 innings in his start, charged with 5 hits, a run, and a strikeout. Hooks Camp did well out of the pen, 4 scoreless with 4 hits, a walk, and 2 strikeouts. Allen Purvis struck out 1 in 3 perfect innings. Bill Anderson and Augie Bertrand both threw two scoreless. Manny Franco had some troubles, 5 innings with 4 hits, 3 runs, 6 walks, and 2 strikeouts. Johnnie Jones also had issues with his walks, 5 in 4 with 2 hits, 2 runs, and 2 strikeouts.

No errors for Billy Hunter, who already has a positional rating in center field. We don't keep track of fielding stats in Spring Training (not sure you can anyways), so no way to know how well he's done, but hitting .182/.167/.455 isn't doing him any favors either. Hank Barnett had a big first week as a Cougar, going 4-for-10 with a double, triple, run, 2 RBIs, and 3 walks. Cliff Moss was 4-for-9 with 2 walks, 3 runs, and a pair of solo homers. Dick Walker was 4-for-9 with a walk, RBI, and 2 runs scored. Freddie Jones is dealing with minor back spasms, but went 3-for-7 with a double and two walks. Not much else went well, with Skipper, Harry Mead, Orlin Yates, Rich Langton, and a bunch of bench bats all hitting .200 or lower, plus Moss was the only hitter to go deep. All that matters is we stayed more-or-less healthy, and won a few games.

ayaghmour2 · 07-25-2022, 12:15 PM

Another 4-2 week for the Cougars, so now just us and the Cannons are atop the Continental Association. Ken Matson more-or-less secured his roster spot, making an impressive 5.2 inning start. He allowed 3 hits, a run, and a walk with 2 strikeouts. He was one of three pitchers who managed 5 innings, with both Jim Lonardo and Joe Brown allowing 2 in 5. Lonardo allowed 4 hits and 3 walks while Brown allowed 3 hits, a run, and a walk with 2 strikeouts. Johnnie Jones looked a million times better this time, going 4 innings with 5 hits, a run, walk, and strikeout. Dick Lyons had a near identical outing, just with one extra strike out. Unfortunately Harry Parker had a terrible start, charged with 5 hits, 5 runs, and 4 walks without a strikeout in 3.1 innings pitched. I'm not the least bit concerned for Parker, so I guess if it had to happen to someone, better then him instead of Jones or Lyons, who each come with their own concerns. In the pen, Cal Knight may have sabotaged himself, allowing 6 hits, 4 runs, and a walk with a strikeout in 3.2 innings pitched. NRI John Little also hurt himself, allowing 3 hits, 4 runs, and 2 walks in 1.2 innings pitched.

We had a surprising best performer on the offense, with Steve Mountain putting together a huge week. The young catcher went 5-for-11 with a walk and 3 RBI. Hank Barnett and Cliff Moss both went 3-for-10, with Barnett driving in 2, scoring 4, and walking 3 times while Moss walked twice and drove and scored a single run. Freddie Jones went 4-for-9 with a walk and 5 runs. Rich Langton was 4-for-7 with a run, RBI, and 2 walks. It wasn't all great, as Clark Car went just 1-for-11 with a walk, 2 runs, and 2 RBIs. Leo Mitchell was 2-for-11 with a walk and RBI. Orlin Yates went just 1-for-9 with a walk. I'm hesitant to say Billy Hunter had another great week in center, but he still doesn't have an error out in center. He also hit well, 3-for-8 with 2 walks and 2 runs. With Yates hitting just .150/.261/.150, it's looking more and more likely that Billy Hunter will be our Opening Day center fielder.

ayaghmour2 · 07-26-2022, 12:24 PM

Another four win week for the Cougars, but with seven games it meant three losses instead of the usual two. We remain atop the CA Spring Standings, this week tied with the Wolves at 12-7. The injury bug hit us this week too, but it's one we can survive and it makes roster construction a little bit easier. Veteran catcher Mike Taylor strained his hamstring, and he'll not only miss Opening Day, but 5-6 weeks while recovering. Worst part is the 36-year-old was having a nice Spring, hitting .438/.500/.750 with a triple, homer, and 4 RBIs. This is great news for Rule-5 Pick Ed Wallace, who's chance of breaking with the big league camp grew exponentially. It will come down between him and Steve Mountain, who will duke it out this week for the final spot. Both have their benefits of making the roster, as Mountain hits from the left side (Mead the right), but can be optioned. Wallace needs to stay on the active roster, and can also play a little first base.

Huge week for Leo Mitchell, who went 9-for-13 with 2 doubles, 3 RBIs, and 6 runs scored. Clark Car bounced back, 7-for-14 with a double, 2 steals, 2 RBIs, and 3 runs scored. Skipper went 4-for-14 with a homer and 4 RBIs. Billy Hunter went 4-for-12 with a double, RBI, and 3 runs scored, but did make his first error out in center. Hank Barnett went 5-for-9 with a double, run, and walk. Freddie Jones was 3-for-7 with an RBI, 2 runs, and 3 walks. Ollie Page went 3-for-8 with a walk, RBI, and pair of runs scored. Harry Mead was 3-for-8 with 2 doubles. He won't play much this week, as I want Wallace and Mountain to get most of the playing time. Rich Langton was 4-for-5 with a double, walk, run, and 3 RBIs. We did have some struggles, with Cliff Moss 0-for-13, Tip Harrison 1-for-12, and Dick Walker 2-for-13. Harrison is making it really hard to roster him, as he's hitting just .118/.189/.118 in 37 PAs.

On the mound, Harry Parker continues to get roughed up, 15 hits, 8 runs, and a walk with 6 strikeouts in 8.2 innings. He won't get another start this Spring, finishing 2-1, but with a 7.41 ERA and 1.76 WHIP. Lonardo and Jones both struggled, with Jim going 3.2 with 8 hits, 5 runs (3 earned), and 3 walks while Johnnie went 3.1 with 4 hits, 5 runs (2 earned), 4 walks, and a strikeout. Dick Lyons went 5 with 7 hits, 2 runs (1 earned), a walk, and 2 strikeouts. Joe Brown threw 4 scoreless with 2 hits, a walk, and 2 strikeouts. Ken Matson went 4 with 3 hits, a run, walk, and 4 strikeouts. Augie Bertrand made two outings, going 4.1 innings with 4 hits, an unearned run, earned run, walk, and 2 strikeouts. John Little matched his innings, hits, strikeouts, and unearned runs, but with 2 earned runs and 2 walks. Angel Lopez allowed 4 hits and 2 runs with 2 strikeouts in his only inning. Pug Bryan threw 3 shutout innings with 2 walks and 2 strikeouts.

ayaghmour2 · 07-27-2022, 12:07 PM

We finished the Spring with a 3-2 week, ending the exhibition games 15-9 and a game behind the Cannons for first. We led nearly all month, but a great 5-0 week to end it gave them the Spring crown. We did finish with a few injuries too, with Tip Harrison suffering a foot contusion and Cliff Moss dealing with back spasms. Despite just a week for injury time, Tip will go on the IL, giving us a lot more flexibility with the Opening Day roster. Moss has an unknown recovery time, so he too will join Harrison on the IL. It was also announced that the Chiefs returned Rule-5 Pick Bob Worley to us.

Johnnie Jones ended the Spring with a great start, going 6 innings with 7 hits, a run, walk, and 2 strikeouts. Ken Matson also finished out on the right foot, 4 innings with 3 hits, a walk, 3 strikeouts, and an unearned run. Joe Brown went 4 with 6 hits, 2 runs, and 2 strikeouts. Dick Lyons went 4 with 5 hits and 2 runs. Jim Lonardo went just 3.2 with 3 hits, 5 runs (2 earned), and 4 walks. Angel Lopez had a rough final outing, allowing 5 hits and 4 runs in an inning.

Billy Hunter was back to an errorless week, and went 5-for-9 with a walk and 2 RBIs. Leo Mitchell was 4-for-8 with 3 runs, a walk, and an RBI. Ed Wallace went 3-for-11 with a run while Steve Mountain went 1-for-5 with a triple, walk, and run. Ollie Page went 3-for-8 with 3 walks and 4 runs. Dick Walker was 0-for-9 with a walk and run. Hank Barnett was 1-for-6 with 3 walks and an RBI.

Tomorrow is just a one day sim to Opening Day, and I'll announce the roster then!

ayaghmour2 · 07-28-2022, 11:48 AM

Time for another season of Chicago Cougar baseball! The BNN predictions think we'll finish second, 95-59 and 3 games out of first place. Around the league, however, a majority of the predictions have us listed first, the others second, with the most common prediction a Cougars vs. Chiefs crosstown classic. Three of our pitchers; Joe Brown, Harry Parker, and Jim Lonardo rank in the top 10 for the predictions while both Leo Mitchell and Hank Barnett rank for the hitters. Mitchell is actually the projected Whitney Winner, with a .341/.385/.431 batting line and 7 homers and 70 RBIs. Our farm system leads off the bottom tier, ranked 9th with 104 points. Most of them come from Duke Bybee, the game's current #4 prospect. Despite the low ranking, we have 7 top 100 Prospects, 27 top 250, and 49 in the top 500.

Below are the 24 players representing the Cougars on Opening Day:
RHP Joe Brown
RHP Pug Bryan
RHP Ben Curtin
LHP Johnnie Jones
LHP Cal Knight
RHP Jim Lonardo
RHP Angel Lopez
LHP Dick Lyons
RHP Ken Matson
C Harry Mead
C Steve Mountain
1B Dick Walker
2B Clark Car
2B Freddie Jones
3B Hank Barnett
3B Ollie Page
SS Skipper Schneider
LF Leo Mitchell
CF Billy Hunter
CF Aart MacDonald
CF Orlin Yates
RF Rich Langton
RF Dan Rogers

We're rolling with ten pitchers to start, but this will likely change once Cliff Moss is healthy. I'll also have to open up one more spot once Tip Harrison returns, but he'll likely take up all 20-days on a rehab assignment. We start the season in Chicago, hosting the Saints for a quick two game series. Below is our Opening Day lineup against lefty Jake DeYoung:
1B Dick Walker
RF Rich Langton
LF Leo Mitchell
3B Hank Barnett
CF Billy Hunter
2B Freddie Jones
SS Skipper Schneider
C Harry Mead
RHP Harry Parker

After the two in Montreal, we get an early day off before another two game series with the Stars. We don't need a fifth starter this week, so Johnnie Jones will start the season in the pen.

ayaghmour2 · 07-29-2022, 12:15 PM

Weekly Record: 1-3
Seasonal Record: 1-3 (t-6th, 2 GB)
Stars of the Week
Leo Mitchell : 18 AB, 8 H, 0 HR, 4 RBI, .444 AVG, .944 OPS
Rich Langton : 17 AB, 5 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .294 AVG, 1.000 OPS
Freddie Jones : 8 AB, 3 H, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .375 AVG, 1.250 OPS

Schedule
4-21: Win vs Saints (6-7)
4-22: Loss vs Saints (3-2): 12 innings
4-24: Loss vs Stars (6-5)
4-25: Loss vs Stars (5-3)

Recap
We're back for another season of baseball! Or at least we should be, as it looks like no one told the Cougars! After winning a one run game on Opening Night, we decided it would be more fun to lose. We dropped a one run game in extras to finish the Saints series, and then lost both games where we hosted the Stars. Another one run loss and a two run loss did us in, and we're tied for last with the Sailors and Foresters after the first week.

Overall we hit well, but we didn't really do enough scoring. Our keystone duo was impressive, with Clark Car going 4-for-9 with a double and Freddie Jones 3-for-8 with a solo homer. Leo Mitchell went 8-for-18 with a double, run, and 4 RBI. Rich Langton was 5-for-17 with with 2 triples, a homer, 2 runs, and 3 RBIs. Billy Hunter went 5-for-17 with 2 doubles, 2 runs, and an RBI, but he made a pair of errors. It didn't cost any runs, but we'll hope for better performance in the outfield for him. Steve Mountain picked up his first big league hit, going 1-for-3 with a double and run scored. Dan Rogers had a great first week as a Cougar, 1-for-2 with a solo homer. Hank Barnett, however, didn't have a good first week, just 4-for-16 with a run and 2 walks. Dick Walker was just 2-for-14, but with 4 steals, 5 runs, and 6 walks. We'll need more timely scoring to get back on track, but the pitching probably needs more work.

We only had one good start, coming from Joe Brown in the extra inning loss. He got a no decision, going 10 with 7 hits, 2 runs, a walk, and 2 strikeouts. Harry Parker already got a no decision this year, after just one injury shortened no decision last year, allowing 10 hits, 6 runs (5 earned), a walk, and 2 strikeouts in 8 innings. Jim Lonardo was roughed up, 8 hits, 6 runs, and a walk with a pair of strikeouts in just 4 innings pitched. Dick Lyons didn't do much better, 6 innings with 8 hits and 5 runs. Ken Matson made four appearances out of the pen, going 1-1 with 6 hits, a run, 2 walks, and 5 strikeouts in 6 innings pitched. Johnnie Jones pitched 3 innings out of the pen, walking none with 2 hits and 3 strikeouts. He'll get a start this week, but it was definitely an encouraging sign. Ben Curtin pitched a pair of scoreless innings with just a single hit charged to him. We will need someone to step up next week, as we can't keep getting 5 run starts.

Looking Ahead
Off to start the week before three games in New York with the Stars. They already swept us, but that came after they got swept by the lowly Kings. We'll send our three best against their three best, and while I do like our rotation, Billy Riley (21-5, 2.18, 90) is far better then any of our non-enlisted pitcher. Vern Hubbard (17-5, 2.75, 89) is alright, but Chris Clarke (8-3, 3, 2.08, 18) wouldn't crack our rotation. The offense looks a lot difference without Lew Seals (.251, 16, 73, 10), Joe Angevine (.294, 1, 75, 16), and of course, the all-worldly outfielder Bill Barrett (.345, 27, 91), who has been worth 23.1 WAR in the past two seasons, and could conceivably lead the FABL in WAR over a three year period including the 1943 season. So who's left? Well, Dave Trowbridge (.280, 17, 79) be 44, but he's already 5-for-10 with a walk and RBI. Former Cougar draftee Chubby Hall (.231, 1, 13) will get his first chance to start every day, and Chink Stickels (.248, 4, 65, 13) and Garry Carmichael (.318, 3, 16) are in line for a more prominent role in the offense. We should be able to keep them off the board, but after the first two games, I'm not sure we'll dominate as much as we should.

We'll also face the Saints again, who are also an even 2-2. We'll get four games in three days with Montreal. I think the Saints will be competitive all season, as they have a lot of young talent and didn't lose too many valuable players. Wally Doyle (13-13, 3.71, 156) and Red Bond (.254, 16, 81) are both off to war, but they both struggled last season and may not miss them too much. Pat Weakley, a top 5 prospect and former 1st Rounder, made his big league debut, going 9.1 innings in their extra inning win over us with 9 hits, 2 runs, a walk, and 6 strikeouts. We'll likely have to deal with him again, and he's going to be one of the best arms in baseball. With him and Jake DeYoung (18-11, 2.90, 96) at the top of the rotation, they could win a lot of games, plus they have the bats to support them. Jake Hughes (.319, 2, 57, 16) and Bert Lass (.321, 5, 93) will always hit, and if youngsters Charlie Woodbury (289, 5, 39) and Bill Greene (.243, 4, 54, 9) take the next step, they will have a very formidable offense. This will be a tough week for us, and I'd love to avoid an awful start that will take a lot of work to climb out of.

ayaghmour2 · 08-01-2022, 06:46 PM

Weekly Record: 5-2
Seasonal Record: 6-5 (5th, 2 GB)
Stars of the Week
Leo Mitchell : 33 AB, 11 H, 1 HR, 6 RBI, .333 AVG, .838 OPS
Hank Barnett : 30 AB, 10 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .333 AVG, .911 OPS
Skipper Schneider : 27 AB, 10 H, 0 HR, 5 RBI, .370 AVG, .948 OPS

Schedule
4-27: Loss at Stars (1-2): 12 innings
4-28: Win at Stars (5-3): 14 innings
4-29: Win at Stars (7-2)
4-30: Win at Saints (5-4)
5-1: Loss at Saints (4-7)
5-2: Win at Saints (8-4)
5-2: Win at Saints (9-2)

Recap
Despite the vastly improved record this week, we're still two games out of first. It was a very weird week, starting with a 12 inning loss followed by a 14 inning win. We then took the finale against the Stars and three of four from the Saints, sweeping the double header to jump above .500. We did get our first injury of the regular season, but it's just a sprained finger for Freddie Jones. It will just affect his throwing, and for about a week, so I think I'm going to nurse him through it. If things get worse, I can bring up Tip Harrison, who will start a rehab assignment. His injury buddy Cliff Moss is healthy too, so to make room for him, Aart MacDonald was DFA'd.

Jim Lonardo picked up a historic win, earning #250 in our 7-2 win over the Stars. Lonardo went the distance, allowing 7 hits, 2 runs, and a walk. It's much better then his first start, which saw 8 hits, 6 runs, a walk, and 2 strikeouts in just 4 innings pitched. This was Lonardo's 488th career game, now 250-178 with a 3.58 ERA (120 ERA+), 1.27 WHIP, 762 walks, and 1,321 strikeouts in nearly 4,000 innings pitched. He'll be 39 in June, and despite his age, he was pretty reliable last season. Our vet went 17-12 with a 2.94 ERA (112 ERA+), 1.19 WHIP, 69 walks, and 47 strikeouts in 279 innings pitched. Lonardo has been a Cougar since July of 1939, going 60-42 with a 3.45 ERA (111 ERA+), 1.26 WHIP, 175 walks, and 240 strikeouts. All 116 of his appearances have been starts, and he's about 50 innings away from 1,000 in a Cougar uniform. We're hoping for a big season from Lonardo, but his velocity is down from high 80s to mid 80s, and for the first time since joining us he is not listed as one of our top two pitchers.

Harry Parker did a complete 180 from last week, making a pair of starts. He got an unlucky no decision in our 12 inning loss, charged with just 4 hits, a run, and 2 walks with 7 strikeouts in 11 impressive innings pitched. He then picked up his first decision, tossing a complete game win over the Saints. All 4 of his runs were unearned due to a Skipper error, and Parker finished with 11 hits, a walk, and 5 strikeouts. We also got two good starts from Joe Brown, who also got a win and extra inning no decision. He went 9.1 in our 14 inning game, charged with 5 hits, 3 runs, and 5 walks with 2 strikeouts. He then beat the Saints, 6 hits, 2 runs (1 earned), and 3 walks with 4 strikeouts in a complete game win. Dick Lyons looked good despite leaving with two outs in the seventh, allowing 6 hits, a run, and a walk with 2 strikeouts. Johnnie Jones had a rough first start, charged with 12 hits, 7 runs, and 2 walks with 5 strikeouts in 7.2 innings pitched. The hits and runs are concerning, but there are signs of promise, as he walked just 2. In 24.2 innings last year, he walked 23, so just 2 walks in 10.2 innings pitched is a million times better. All the walks went to Ken Matson, who threw 5 innings in 4 games. He walked 7 with 6 hits, 4 runs, ,a win, and a loss. We're eventually going to need to move a pitcher down when Tip Harrison comes back, so if Matson doesn't turn things around, his option could work against him.

Harry Mead switched from worst to best, going 8-for-21 with 3 doubles, 2 runs, and 6 RBIs. Orlin Yates had a nice week, 5-for-12 with a triple, run, walk, steal, and 4 RBIs. Leo Mitchell kept things up, 11-for-33 with 2 doubles, a homer, 6 RBIs, 8 runs, a walk, and a steal. Sure he struck out 7 times, but that's always something we can live with. Hank Barnett had a good week, hitting his first Cougar homer while going 10-for-30 with a double, 5 RBIs, 6 walks, and 7 runs scored. Skipper went 10-for-27 with 3 doubles, a triple, steal, 4 runs, and 5 RBIs. Dick Walker had a rough week, going just 4-for-30 with a steal, RBI, 3 walks, and 4 runs scored. Billy Hunter didn't hit great, just 5-for-20 with a double, 2 runs, and 5 RBIs. He did do well in center, no errors this week and he's making most of the plays out in center. He's 28-for-30 on routine plays, 2-for-2 on likely, and 1-for-2 on even. Sure, he's no Carlos Montes, but as long as he doesn't hurt us too much in the field, it's likely to work well for us.

Looking Ahead
Our stretch of 15 games in 13 days continues with another series with the Stars. This time we'll get four games in Chicago as we return home. They're a game behind us and 5-6, and have gotten very little production from their lineup. Despite being a respectable 4th in runs scored, they rank last in the CA with a .216/.293/.289 batting line. A lot of that is due to the enlistment of Bill Barrett, as their outfield has been abysmal early on. Former Cougar farmhands Chink Stickels (.204, 1, 9, 1) and Chubby Hall (.146, 2) have been ice cold, and former Rule-5 Pick Howie Smith (.171, 3) hasn't been any better. Even Dave Trowbridge (.200, 2) hasn't got things going. The surprising star of the offense is Mel Hancock (.324, 1, 7), who is coming off a season where he hit just .236/.316/.285 (79 OPS+) in just under 500 trips to the plate. Their pitching still is outstanding, led by one of the game's best pitchers in Billy Riley (1-1, 1.96, 9). Vern Hubbard (1-1, 3.12, 13) and Chris Clarke (1-1, 3.79, 3) returned to starting roles while newcomer Bill Keith (1-0, 2.65, 7) has looked good in his first two big league starts. I'm hoping we do better this time at home then we did Opening Week, and with all these games in a row, our pitching depth may prove crucial.

It will take 15 games before we take on a team who isn't Montreal or New York, where we'll head to Brooklyn for four games in three days. The Kings have been off to a surprisingly hot start, 8-3 and a game and a half ahead of the Cannons, Sailors, and Wolves. I'd say their schedule is helping them, but that would be a disservice for us, as they've played the Saints and Stars just like us. Former Cougar Jim Crawford has led the way for Brooklyn, a perfect 3-0 with a 0.89 ERA (375 ERA+) and 0.93 WHIP, but it comes with 5 walks and not a single strikeout. Harry Barrell (.312, 9) and Al Wheeler (.289, 1, 5) have to lead the offense by themselves as two of their best hitters Rats McGonigle and Joe Herman are off to war. They'll need guys like Tim Hopkins (.267, 3) or maybe even Vince D'Alessandro (.429, 3) to step it up if they want to compete, as well as a bounce back from ace Art White (0-1, 5.40, 4) who's last season ended early with injury. We should be their first real test, and I think we're come away with at a series win, or at least a split.

ayaghmour2 · 08-02-2022, 06:53 PM

Weekly Record: 7-1
Seasonal Record: 13-6 (t-1st, 2 GA)
Stars of the Week
Dick Walker : 26 AB, 11 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .423 AVG, 1.235 OPS
Clark Car : 19 AB, 9 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .474 AVG, 1.320 OPS
Hank Barnett : 31 AB, 10 H, 2 HR, 9 RBI, .323 AVG, .905 OPS

Schedule
5-3: Win vs Stars (0-5)
5-4: Win vs Stars (2-12)
5-5: Loss vs Stars (5-3)
5-6: Win vs Stars (1-4)
5-7: Win at Kings (2-1)
5-8: Win at Kings (15-6)
5-9: Win at Kings (13-3)
5-9: Win at Kings (4-1)

Recap
I can get used to weeks like this! The Cougars were firing on all cylinders, taking three of four from the Stars in Chicago before sweeping the Kings in Brooklyn. The only game we lost was a Ken Matson spot start that was needed with all the double headers, and we outscored our opponents by 37 runs in 8 games. We're technically in first, although the Cannons have a better win percentage due to one less win and loss, and we've scored the most runs (114) while allowing fewer runs (63) then everyone but the Cannons. We did get some bad news with Billy Hunter, who played just one game this week due to a torn hamstring. His first of likely many IL trips will cost him 7 weeks. Hunter made 43 trips to the plate, hitting .317/.326/.415 (115 OPS+) while playing passable center field defense. That gave most of the starts in center this week to Orlin Yates, who was an impressive 9-for-28 with 2 doubles, 2 walks, 3 runs, and 5 RBIs. Yates is off to a real nice start to his season, batting .350/.395/.450 (147 OPS+) with 2 doubles, a triple, a steal, and 9 RBIs. The Hunter injury makes me wish I hung on to Aart MacDonald, who will likely clear waivers tomorrow. I may bring the glove only outfielder back after he clears, but for now Bunny Hufford will head back to Chicago. The 25-year-old currently ranks as the #74 prospect in baseball, and has hit .310/.383/.452 (139 OPS+) with 6 doubles in 11 games for the Blues.

We obviously scored a lot of runs this week, but what made the difference was the consistent quality from our rotation. Jim Lonardo rode the momentum from career win 250, adding 251 and 252 this week. He was brilliant against the Stars, tossing a 5-hit shutout with 2 walks and a strikeout. He wasn't as perfect in Brooklyn, but threw 7 quality innings with 7 hits, 3 runs (2 earned), 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts. After a rough first start, he's won three in a row and allowed just 4 earned runs in 25 innings pitched with 5 walks and strikeouts. Dick Lyons was arguably more impressive, picking up wins against both teams as well. He almost threw a complete game, going 8.1 innings on 100 pitches in our 12-2 win over the Stars. Both runs he allowed were unearned, allowing 6 hits with a walk and a strikeout. Then in Brooklyn he went 7 with 7 hits, a run, a walk, and 2 strikeouts. It is just four starts, but the 42-year-old veteran is 2-1 with a 2.25 ERA (147 ERA+) and 1.07 WHIP in 28 innings pitched.

Harry Parker continues to stay hot, tossing a complete game victory with 8 hits, a run, a walk, and 3 strikeouts. Johnnie Jones came close, leaving in the 9th of a 4-1 game. He did walk 5, but allowed just 4 hits and a single run with 4 strikeouts. Joe Brown had a shaky start, but still finished 7.1 innings with 9 hits, 6 runs (3 earned), 4 walks, and 4 strikeouts as we cruised to a 15-6 win. Ken Matson picked up the lone loss, going the distance in Chicago with 7 hits, 5 runs, 2 walks, and 3 strikeouts. He then picked up a pair of relief outings, going 2.2 innings with 3 hits, a walk, strikeout, and save. Matson hasn't been great this season, now 2-3 with a 3.97 ERA (83 ERA+), 1.50 WHIP, 12 walks, and 9 strikeouts. He's got two weeks to make his case for the big league roster, as our other four relievers have combined for 9 scoreless innings.

A lot of the bats had huge weeks, including Dick Walker, who raised his season line from .136/.283/.136 to .243/.386/.343. The veteran first basemen went 11-for-26 with 2 triples, a homer, a steal, 5 RBIs, 8 walks, and 12 runs scored. Clark Car managed to accumulate a full win above replacement in just five games, going 9-for-19 with a triple, homer, 8 runs, 5 RBIs, 5 walks, and 3 steals. Car is on a 9 WAR pace now, hitting .383/.453/.532 (187 OPS+) with 2 doubles, a triple, homer, 3 steals, and 6 RBIs. Hank Barnett showcased his power, going 10-for-31 with 2 homers, 9 RBIs, 4 runs, and 4 walks. Cliff Moss impressed in his first week back, 7-for-24 with 3 doubles, 4 runs, 5 walks, and 5 RBIs. Skipper Schneider went 9-for-30 with a homer, 4 walks, 7 runs, and 7 RBIs. His 1.5 WAR is the best in the CA three weeks in, and he's on pace for a Bill Barrett-esque 12.2 for the season. We did have struggles from Mead, Mitchell, and the now healthy Freddie Jones, but there is really nothing to complain about this week offensively, as we rank 1st in each category except wOBA (2nd), base running (2nd), and of course, strikeouts (8th). Our 114 runs are best in all of baseball, and over double compared to the 56 the last place Miners have scored.

Looking Ahead
We get two off days to start the week, and we get to spend them at home while we prepare for a three game set with the Sailors. Philly is off to an okay start, 8-9 and 4 games behind us and the Cannons. They have the lowest scoring offense in the league, scoring nearly half of our runs with just 58. Most of this has to do with just one home run as a team, courtesy of backup outfielder Bennie Griffith, as they do have four .300 hitters in their lineup. One of those is Joseph Mills, who is off to a tremendous start, hitting .366/.447/.561 (180 OPS+) with 6 doubles, a triple, steal, and 7 RBIs in his first 48 trips to the plate. Besides him, leadoff man Harvey Brown (.319, 8, 2), and catcher Woody Stone (.328, 7), everyone is providing below average production in their starting 8. That includes Marion Boismenu, who's batting line dropped from .310/.355/.419 (130 OPS+) last season to .203/.217/.254 (31 OPS+) in his first 15 games this year. They have gotten good pitching, as Karl Wallace (1-2, 2.61, 11) picked off where he left off, while Doc Newell (2-1, 2.00, 8) has looked like a good pitcher again. Unfortunately, Chuck Murphy (0-2, 8.78, 1) and Tom Cipolla (0-2, 10.38, 10) been hit really hard, and former waiver claim Paul Richardson (0-1, 2.76, 7) isn't likely to keep things up. These are important must win games here, as our next test will be far more difficult.

That's because we'll host the Cannons for three games over the weekend. Cincinnati is 12-5, and riding a six game win streak. The pitching in Cincinnati has been elite, led by Rufus Barrell and his all out war against opposing hitters. The soon-to-be 26-year-old Barrell, who is better then all pitchers who aren't named Pete, has allowed just one run in 30 innings. He has been a bit lucky, as his 1.10 WHIP is far higher then his 0.30 ERA (1,125 ERA+), and he's walked 12 with just 5 walks. He's one of four Cannon starters with sub 1.50 ERAs, as Butch Smith (3-0, 1.04, 12) is back to his old self, and Rule-5 Pick Red Nokes (2-1, 1.44, 15) has surpassed even the loftiest expectations for the 25-year-old. It's kind of cheap to consider Jesse Bowen (1-0, 1.08, 5), as it's just one start, but no matter who the Cannons have been pitching, they've been keeping runs off the board. It helps when you have a ton of run support as the Cannons can give their guys a comfortable cushion. Star catcher Adam Mullins has shook off a tough Spring, slashing an astronomical .397/.493/.672 (231 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 3 triples, 2 homers, and 11 RBIs with 10 times the walks (10) as strikeouts (1). They aren't a one man wrecking crew either, as Chuck Adams (.312, 4, 14) supplies plenty of power and Fred Galloway (.292, 1, 3) seems to always be on base when Mullins is hitting. They could need a little boost as Leo Clark (.269, 1, 7) and reigning Player of the Week Bob Griffith (.365, 8, 1) are vastly over performing, but the Cannons will likely be a thorn in our side all season long.

Minor League Report
1B Adolph Jacobson (A Lincoln Legislators): May 4th was a big day for slugger Adolph Jacobson, who was instrumental in the Legislators 11-4 win over the Cedar Rapids Chiefs. The eventual Player of the Week went 4-for-5 and hit for the cycle while driving in six runs. He then finished the week 14-for-29 with 3 doubles, 2 triples, 2 homers, and 10 RBIs. In 11 games this year, the former lottery pick is slashing a superb .426/.500/.830 (240 OPS+) with 3 doubles, 2 triples, 4 homers, and 17 RBIs. This is his second go at A ball, as he spent all of last season with the Legislators. The now 23-year-old hit .297/.355/.529 (146 OPS+) with 33 doubles, 18 triples, 9 homers, and 73 RBIs. An extra base machine, Jacobson hits the ball with authority, lining the ball to all sides of the field. He should be able to hit more then his share of home runs, and he's a very good defensive first basemen who can play a little second base too. He's not one of our more exciting prospects, and not the greatest member of the clubhouse, but Colorado native just hits. Perhaps some of the dislike has to do with his first name and outspoken tendencies, but if he keeps hitting like this, I'm sure his teammates can learn to tolerate him. Just don't expect the boys to invite him out for drinks after the game...

ayaghmour2 · 08-03-2022, 07:07 PM

Weekly Record: 4-2
Seasonal Record: 17-8 (1st, 1 GA)
Stars of the Week
Cal Knight : 2 Wins, 4.0 IP, 1 BB, 2 K, 0.00 ERA
Hank Barnett : 21 AB, 9 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .429 AVG, .996 OPS
Dick Walker : 28 AB, 8 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .286 AVG, .839 OPS

Schedule
5-12: Loss vs Sailors (7-1)
5-13: Win vs Sailors (2-4)
5-14: Win vs Sailors (1-2): 19 innings
5-15: Win vs Cannons (1-3)
5-16: Loss vs Cannons (9-3)
5-16: Win vs Cannons (8-7): 11 innings

Recap
The Cougars kept on rolling with four wins in six games, but it wasn't as exciting as you might think. Yes, we took two out of three from both the Sailors and the Cannons, but our opponents matched our run totals, and we needed two extra inning walk-offs to secure the series. Both of our losses weren't close, losing by six each time, but we now hold a game lead over the Cannons. We even got to Deuce, scoring 7 runs off 7 hits and 5 walks against the guy who had only one run allowed prior. The injury bug hit us hard this week, as seven Cougars were diagnosed with some sort of ailment. The one that hurt the most was the generally durable Harry Parker, who left his first start with a sore shoulder. He then pitched in the finale against the Cannons, but to avoid further issues he'll head to the IL for hopefully no more then two weeks. Parker allowed 11 runs (9 earned) in 13 innings this week with 17 hits, 6 walks, and 7 strikeouts. It ended a nice three start run, but for the season he is a still strong 2-1 with a 2.88 ERA (121 ERA+), 1.22 WHIP, 11 walks, and 24 strikeouts.

Replacing Parker in the rotation will be Ken Matson, who now won't have to worry about losing his roster spot until Parker is back and healthy. Matson has pitched most of our innings out of the pen, and made three appearances this week. He went 5.1 innings with just 2 hits, a run, 4 walks, and 6 strikeouts. His numbers on the season are close to average, 2-3 with 2 saves, a 3.54 ERA (98 ERA+), 1.43 WHIP, 16 walks, and 14 strikeouts in 28 innings pitched. 12 of his 13 appearances have came from the pen, but he'll now get a few more chances to start. With nine pitchers now on the staff, we won't need to call anyone up from AAA, and I can instead return Tip Harrison to the big league club a weak early. Injured in the Spring, he played 13 games down in Milwaukee on rehab. The versatile 31-year-old hit a productive .327/.407/.385 (121 OPS+) with 3 doubles, 5 steals, and 5 RBIs. When Parker returns, he'll take the roster spot of either Matson or Bunny Hufford, who went 2-for-12 with a walk and 2 runs scored this week.

With Parker gone, we'll need a lot of production from the remainder of the staff, which had their work cut out for them with his initial injury and 12 extra innings. Jim Lonardo was dominant yet again, but was stuck with a no decision. He pitched 11 in our 19 inning win, allowing just 4 hits, a walk, and strikeout with an unearned run. Yes, if Clark Car had just not botched Oscar King's ground out, we would have saved ourselves a full game, but it really allowed Lonardo to show he's just as good as any 25-year-old pitcher. He was actually the only guy to pitch 9 innings on the week, with Joe Brown coming an out short. He still got the win, giving up 4 hits, 2 runs, and 3 walks with 6 strikeouts. Dick Lyons went just 6 with 7 hits and a run to pick up his 3rd win of the season. Him, Lonardo, and Brown all have 3 wins and Lonardo's 2.25 is the highest of the trio. Johnnie Jones' ERA, however, is now almost higher then the three of them combined (6.17 vs. 6.60), as he allowed 9 hits, 8 runs, and 3 walks with 3 strikeouts in just 4 innings.

Looking at the pen, everyone actually pitched this week, the first time that's happened this season. Last year it took a few months before Pug Bryan got innings, but each arm threw at least three innings, and Pug himself doubled that mark. He wasn't great, 6 innings with 9 hits, 2 runs, a walk, and 4 strikeouts. I had no plans of giving him a start this year, but if we need a 6th man, he's probably our best option. He hasn't started a big league game since 1938, but was a 23 start pitcher as a rookie. The other option would be Angel Lopez, who threw 3 innings with 2 hits, a run, and 2 walks. It was his first run in now 5.2 innings, and Lopez did start 24 games in the minors last season. The double headers make things difficult, but with an off day after a double header on Sunday, I think we can survive this week with just five starters. Cal Knight won't start, but he did pick up two wins, tossing 4 hitless innings with a walk and 2 strikeouts. Ben Curtin picked up a save, going 5 with 2 hits and 2 strikeouts. Curtin will return to the stopper role, but despite it belonging to Matson, he does lead the team with 3 saves and he has yet to allow a run in 9.1 innings pitched.

The bats were ice cold, but most of that can be blamed on the 19 inning game. One guy who didn't slump was Hank Barnett, who went 9-for-21 with a double, 4 runs, 4 walks, and 2 RBIs. The beloved superstar has been on a tear since joining the Cougars, slashing .337/.426/.449 (153 OPS+) with 2 doubles, 3 homers, and 16 RBIs. His .401 wOBA is identical to his Whitney Season last year, and his 162 WRC+ would be a career high. Dick Walker put together another nice week, 8-for-28 with 3 doubles, a triple, 2 RBIs, 4 runs, 4 walks, and his league leading 7th steal. Rich Langton didn't play much, but hit well when he did, 3-for-7 with a double, RBI, 4 runs, and 4 walks. Our only other hitter with a decent week was Leo Mitchell, but he was just 7-for-25 with a homer, 2 runs, and 3 RBIs. (A fun little tidbit on Mitchell, who has developed into arguably the most consistent hitter in baseball. From 1937 to 1942, he has recorded an OPS+ of 130, 132, or 135, and he has not spent a day on the IL). Skipper, Moss, and Car all really struggled, with the trio combining to go just 11-for-63. Car and Skipper both doubled and drove in two, with Car swiping two bases, but we'll need more production from them next week. Orlin Yates came back down to earth, just 4-for-17 with a walk and pair of runs scored. We'll need to hit better next week if we want to stay in first, but we've been so good in May it's really hard to complain.

Looking Ahead
Our homestand continues with four hosting Toronto, who we have yet to face this season. The Wolves have gotten off to a decent start, 13-10 and tied for third with the Kings. Losing George Garrison was killer for the Wolves, but his co-ace Joe Hancock has still been excellent. The 30-year-old is 3-1 with a 2.72 ERA (133 ERA+), 1.07 WHIP, 9 walks, and 20 strikeouts. Hancock is one of the best pitchers in the game, and Bernie Johnson (2-1, 2.10, 4) has pitched well for them too. Beyond that, the pitching situation is rather murky, as Chick Wirtz (1-3, 4.02, 8) looks like his old self and Bob Walls (2-1, 5.40, 10) has been hit hard. Former Cougar prospect Juan Pomales (0-2, 9.69, 2) has looked awful on the mound, but the starting center fielder is hitting a much better .303/.361/.408 (113 OPS+) with a double, 2 triples, a homer, 2 steals, and 11 RBIs. He leads the team in batting average and is one of the few Wolves hitters producing, as Charlie Artuso (.210, 1, 6) has been ice cold, Walt Pack (.243, 1, 7) is looking like the 1940 version of himself, and corner outfielders Reginald Westfall (.187, 1, 8) and Larry Vestal (219, 3) have sub 70 OPS+. At least Mike Rollison (.301, 2, 10) is hitting like he did before an injury ended his rookie season, but the Wolves offense has a lot of holes, and we should be able to keep them off the board. Joe Hancock pitched yesterday, so we might lucky out and miss him, which should make this a very exciting series for Cougar fans.

Our homestand and long run of games ends with the Foresters, who we'll host for four games in three days. Like the Wolves, we have not seen the Foresters, but they are in their familiar home at the cellar of the CA. At 6-17, they are already 10 games behind us, and anything less then a sweep will be utter disappointment. They've scored the fewest amount of runs and are tied for the most given up, which is generally not the recipe for success. It's hard to find a bright spot on the big league club, as all members of the rotation have a sub 100 ERA+, and potential trade pieces in Hank Stratton (.253, 11) and Dan Fowler (.207, 2, 4) both aren't hitting much. That being said, they have a few productive hitters, with leadoff man Cal Howe (.298, 7, 2) and Rule-5 Pick Bill Carr (.305, 1, 7, 1) off to great starts. Beyond that there's not too much going right, and rookie shortstop Chuck Harrington (.180, 6, 1) is the only batter younger then 26, and he's already 25. The Cleveland farm has some pieces, but they only have 2 of their top 10 prospects in AAA, and both of them (Pete Sigmund and Wally Fuller) are out to war. The Foresters are a long way from competing, and probably won't be close until top prospect Hiram Steinberg finishes up in the Navy.

It's also almost draft time, as the pool will be revealed next sim, and my guess is we will complete the draft over the weekend. I am really excited to see how first rounder Tommy Seymour does in his first season, as the 17-year-old righty from Kansas is a pitcher I think will end up ranking very high on the prospect lists. I run a new draft list frequently through the season, and while Al Clement is no longer in Weinstock's top 10, he ranks 16th Overall and 13th for position players, and Seymour is listed as his last option in the first round. On the pitcher list, Seymour ranks 6th and regional draftee Dick Garcia 14th. All three are high schoolers, so their stats won't be the most telling, but I'll cover all three in tomorrow's write up. As always, I'll be looking to pick up picks, but it might be hard to find a match. We don't have many extra picks this year, with just the Miners 10th Rounder to go with the 13th Pick in each round.

Minor League Report
CF Jim Madsen (AA Mobile Commodores): Things haven't quite gone the right for the now 26-year-old Jim Madsen, who despite all the enlistments still finds himself back in AA. He had 19 games in AAA in 1940 and 12 more last year, but he's hit just .179/.246/.188 (25 OPS+) with a double, steal, and 5 RBIs. Still, the former 8th Rounder has just put his nose to the grindstone, and is trying to prove that he deserves a larger sample at our highest level. Madsen is off to a great start this season, slashing .349/.423/.540 (153 OPS+) with 3 doubles, 3 homers, and 16 RBIs. This most recent week was one of his personal bests, as the center fielder took home Player of the Week in the Dixie League. Madsen went 10-for-25 with a homer, 5 runs, and 8 RBIs. A very disciplined hitter, Madsen has never struck out more then he walked in a season, but he also rarely provides above average overall production at the plate. And since his glove isn't much better then average out in center, he will need to hit more as there is no shot of him sticking in a corner. Tom Weinstock has always been a fan, but even he now thinks Madsen is no more then a 4th outfielder. With a lack of depth at the center field position, Madsen may force his way into a cup of coffee, but unless Bunny Hufford stays up in Chicago longer then the Parker injury, the Blues won't have a need for a light hitting center fielder.

2B Bob Griffen (C La Crosse Lions): With all the enlistments and injuries, there are a lot of guys getting playing time that they generally would not have. For most, they perform poorly and don't take advantage of it, but that has not been the case for Bob Griffen. Griffen, our 16th Rounder from 1940, did get some playing time last season before the draft, but it eventually went away. He hit really well in 320 trips to the plate, slashing .335/.412/.502 (137 OPS+) with 26 doubles, 4 triples, 4 homers, 4 steals, and 61 RBIs with an impressive 38-to-5 walk-to-strikeout ratio. It's just 50 PAs this year, but Griffen has taken it to the next level, batting an otherworldly .419/.500/.721 (189 OPS+) with 2 doubles, a triple, 3 homers, 2 steals, and 15 RBIs. A strictly right side of the infield player, Griffen is manning second with Billy Biggar at first, but he doesn't really have the glove to stick at second in the upper levels. The 20-year-old's bat is what excites, as he makes good contact, won't whiff, and hopefully generates power as he fills in. At least one C ball lineup slot will be filled by 2nd Rounder Al Clement, but if Griffen keeps hitting like this, I'll be able to find a spot for him somewhere, perhaps up in San Jose where both first and second are up for grabs.

06-22-2022, 09:35 PM	#841
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,011	Hall of Famer Enlists in Navy Most FABL fans would have believed the most surprising move of the offseason was the trade of Hank Barnett, but that may have just been the cause of something even bigger. After the first bad season of his big league career, the now 40-year-old John Lawson decided his bat is not what it once was, and instead of being a part-time player, he would serve his country and enlist in the United States Navy. There's no chance the surefire Hall of Famer will see conflict, he's likely set for a cushy instructor role, but "Jack the Ripper" may have finished off a historic career. 1942 was the only full season of Lawson's career where he finished with a below average stat line, batting just .274/.314/.353 (92 OPS+) with 15 doubles, 8 homers, and 62 RBIs. Before this season, he had 14 consecutive seasons with an OPS+ and WRC+ above 130, and Lawson completed 12 seasons with a WRC+ above 135 in 150 or more games. Lawson wasn't always destined to be the star he developed into, as the prolific third basemen was just a 4th Round Pick of the Pioneers back in 1923. Lawson saw his drafting team make mistakes in Chick Prendergast, Bobby Johnson, and King James before him, but the bigger mistake occurred before the 1925 season, where they cut the young third basemen. He spent time with the Independent Portland Maroons and then the Philadelphia Sailors, before signing with the Chicago Cougars on the final day of August. Unfortunately, his Cougar career would not last much longer, and while they didn't release him, the fledgling Cougar GM made the mistake of sending him and Joe Snider to the New York Stars for promising young pitcher Johnny Douglas. At the time it looked like a good trade for both teams, as Lawson wasn't considered a top prospect and Douglas was a very talented, however, often injured, hurler and the Cougars were in desperate need of pitching. Unfortunately, this turned into one of the most lopsided deals in the human era, as Lawson entered the top 100 at the start of the 1927 season before a cup of coffee in September. Lawson broke out as a 25-year-old, slashing an elite .344/.404/.518 (152 OPS+) with 33 doubles, 4 triples, 22 homers, and 106 RBIs. Lawson was worth an outstanding 7.9 wins above replacement and cracked the 700 plate appearance mark for the first of five times, and he took off from there. In 1930 he won his first of three Whitney Awards, hitting a robust .392/.442/.613 (165 OPS+) with 45 doubles, 5 triples, 28 homers, and 137 RBIs on a very good Stars team. He led the league in average, hits (247), and WAR (8.7), something he did the following year (.359, 231, 6.9) as well as he won the award yet again. 1932 he made it thee batting titles in a row, leading in hits (246), doubles (49), and RBIs (150) as well, slashing .377/.417/.557 (160 OPS+) with 19 homers and an 8.2 WAR. That year still stings for Cougar fans, as they watched the prospect they let get away lead their rivals to a pennant, preventing them from repeating. In 1933 he was selected to the first annual All Star game, and his 8 All Star selections are currently tied for the most of any FABL player, and he would have been a lock for a selection in each of his first five seasons. Lawson spent the next three seasons in New York, but in 1935 their controversial general manager gave their star far less time then he deserved. He started just 94 games and made just 481 trips to the plate, while still hitting a well above average .343/.393/.510 (138 OPS+) with 29 doubles, 4 triples, 12 homers, and 77 RBIs. Looking to right a past wrong, the now experienced Cougar general manager enquired on the superstar slugger, and managed to bring him back to the Windy City. The Cougars parted with Chick Stickels, Dick Earl, Frank Gordon, and George K. Brooks to bolster a roster in need of a star. Lawson finished his Stars career with a .358/.408/.521 (149 OPS+) with 313 doubles, 33 triples, 133 homers, and 894 RBIs while worth 55.9 wins above replacement in 1,204 games. The trade worked well for the Cougars, as while Stickels has been a regular for the Stars since 1938, Lawson helped bring the Cougars back to relevance. Lawson did not miss a beat in 1936, slashing .330/.391/.491 (136 OPS+) with 39 doubles, 20 homers, and 93 RBIs. It was the first of six seasons worth of elite production, as Lawson took home his fourth batting title (.327) in 1937 and once again led the league in hits (210). That happened again in 1940, where Lawson almost willed the Cougars to the postseason and took home his third Whitney. The then 37-year-old hit an elite .345/.399/.507 (154 OPS+) with 17 homers and a league high 48 doubles and 111 RBIs. He followed that up with another strong season, hitting .314/.368/.515 (146 OPS+) as he led the Cougars to their first World Championship Series since 1933. Lawson again led the league in RBIs (129), and was worth 6.3 WAR with 34 doubles and a career best 29 home runs. Unfortunately his Cougars fell short, as did Lawson's performance. This most recent was the first bad season Lawson had, as he was worth -0.4 WAR, nearly 5 WAR worse then his previous low of 4.4 in his "shortened" 1935 season. His glove completely vanished, as the generally competent defender had a -20.8 zone rating and .848 efficiency while his bat disappeared as well. Lawson struck out a career worst 87 times with a career low 32 walks, and he failed to crack double digits for homers for the first time, as well as failing to reach 75 RBIs. His 15 doubles were almost half as many as his previous low (29) in '35 and his 141 hits were the first time he failed to hit safely at least 150 times. Unless he returns to the Cougars after the war, he'll finish his Cougar career with a .318/.372/.477 (136 OPS+) line in 1,051 games. He tallied 245 doubles, 136 homers, and 714 RBIs while worth 35.2 wins above replacement. He will have a spot if he wants it when he returns from service, but unless he takes some tips from "Father Time" Dave Trowbridge, he is likely to hang up the cleats. If he does, it will be the end of a historic 2,255 game career where he tallied nearly 10,000 plate appearances with a superb .339/.391/.500 (145 OPS+) career line. Lawson ended with 558 doubles, 43 triples, 269 homers, 1,431 runs, 1,608 RBIs, 3,060 hits, and 750 walks while worth almost a centuries worth (91.1) in WAR. Lawson is one of just 11 players with over 3,000 career hits, and the only one who debuted after the 1915 season. He's also tied for 8th with Hank Eason for homers and 4th All time in RBIs. He's all over the Stars and Cougars leaderboards, and for the Stars ranks #1 in average (.358), #2 in OBP (.408), slugging (.521), and OPS (.929), 3rd in homers (133), 5th in RBIs (894), 7th in hits (1,709), doubles (313), and total bases (2,487), 9th in WAR (.55.9) and runs (775) all while ranking outside of the top 10 for games. His 1930 slugging (.613), total bases (386), and hits (247) are Stars records, as well as his 1932 singles (172) and RBIs (150). For the Cougars, he's tied with Bill Ashbaugh (136) for the most homers in franchise history, 4th in OPS (.849), 6th in doubles (245) and slugging (.477), 7th in average (.318), 8th in hits (1,351) and RBIs (714), 9th in runs (656), while again, outside the top 10 for games played. John Lawson will surely be remembered by fans well after he's retired, not just by those who support the Stars and Cougars, but even the casual observers. One of the best sluggers of his generation, Lawson always gave a professional at bat and had a knack for putting the ball and play and hitting it hard. An outstanding career for the pride of Cresskill, New Jersey unfortunately ended on a bit of a sour note, but when he officially retires, the Cougars will be sure to honor him, and while his #16 may not end up in the rafters, Jack the Ripper will never have to pay for drinks in Chicago again. It's just too bad they couldn't give him one more title... Last edited by ayaghmour2; 06-23-2022 at 01:26 PM.

06-23-2022, 01:15 PM	#842
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,011	Top Prospects: 26-30 Big news on the callup front, as not only are we down John Lawson, but talented young righty Donnie Jones was drafted into the Army. This is a huge loss for us, as Jones was 15-13 with a 2.48 ERA (137 ERA+), 1.15 WHIP, 92 walks, and 122 strikeouts in 243.1 innings as a rookie. With him in the military, we now will have competition for the 5 spot in the rotation between his brother Johnnie, Ed Wilkinson, Ken Matson, Danny Goff Jr., and any other number of young arms and veteran journeymen. Of course, there is always the chance of a trade acquisition, but I do think we have enough internal options if we can't find one to our liking. Our #3 prospect Otto Christian announced last sim he too was drafted into the Air Force with Ray Ford, so now 2 of our top 3 prospects are out of the organization. He wasn't likely to be a factor in the big leagues before 1946 anyways so it's not the biggest lost, but we will anxiously wait for the young sluggers return. LHP Oliver Allen (282nd Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 60th Overall (1938) Alma Mater: Layton Lancers The 22-year-old southpaw had a very split season, dominating a Class A Lincoln while getting his brains beat out at AA Mobile. Allen made 14 of his 22 starts with the Legislators, an impressive 7-1 with a 1.70 ERA (228 ERA+), 1.21 WHIP, 38 walks, and 51 strikeouts. His luck quickly soured, as he was just 1-5 with a 10.15 ERA (43 ERA+) and 2.10 WHIP with the Commodores, while walking (30) three times as many hitters as he struck out (10). His BB/9 jumped 2.3 points while his K/9 plummeted from an elite 6.2 to a pedestrian 2.3. This was Allen's first stint of any length where he had a below average ERA+, so it seems like if he's going to do something wrong, he's going to do it in extraordinary fashion. A strong second half of the season could have earned him a 40-man roster spot, but instead he'll be left unprotected, as his stock has dropped significantly. He now ranks as a bullpen pitcher instead of a starter, although he is throwing harder and can graze triple digits. If the walk rise was a temporary blip, he could end up a decent pen arm, as he can blow by hitters and should be a big time strike out arm. Once one of our more exciting prospects, Allen is more just filler, and his lack of attention may have hurt his personality a bit, as he's turned into a rather selfish pitcher who always puts himself first. RF Harry Harris (293rd Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 7th Round, 108th Overall (1939) Alma Mater: DuPont Manual Crimsons No baseball for Harry Harris this year, as the now 22-year-old corner player was busy serving his country in the Army. Before this season, the 3B/RF spent two and a half seasons with La Crosse, hitting a respectable .304/.388/.418 (111 OPS+) with 68 doubles, 8 triples, 11 homers, 8 steals, and 167 RBIs. He was never much above average, but he always hit better then the average C ball hitter, and started to see his homer total tick up. He was ticketed for a chance in San Jose this season, but instead the switch hitter will look to break back in at the upper minors. He looks like a bench bat now, and the loss of playing time may detail his young career before it got off the ground. RF Ducky Cole (295th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 7th Round, 97th Overall (1942) Alma Mater: Long Beach Jaguars Our 7th Round pick in the most recent draft, Ducky Cole got into just 26 games for the Lions as a pair of sprains (groin and ankle) cost him about two months of the season. When healthy, however, the hard working lefty was extremely effective, slashing .404/.450/.535 (143 OPS+) with 6 doubles, 2 triples, a homer, and 19 RBIs. High averages should be expected for the 18-year-old, who twice passed .500 at Long Beach and his high school low for average was .476 as a sophomore. A natural center fielder, we gave Ducky most of defensive time in right, where the early returns were not great. It's just a 154.2 inning sample, but his -3.2 zone rating and .890 efficiency left a lot to be desired. His bat is his calling card, as he projects to be an elite hitter, albeit with no power. He has quick hands and a smooth swing, and excels at swinging at the right pitches. He'll lay off the hard pitches and offer at those he knows he can do something with, and Cole will consistently put the ball in play. One of the hardest workers in the organization, I'd bet on Ducky exceeding most scouts expectations, and with a bat like him, it'll be hard to keep him from an eventual big league debut. LHP Ed Wilkinson (319th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 55th Overall (1938) Alma Mater: CC Los Angeles Coyotes One of the few players who was probably happy when they heard the news about Donnie Jones being drafted was the soon-to-be 26-year-old Ed Wilkinson, who realized he now had a shot of cracking the Cougars Opening Day rotation. Clyde Meyer would give the five spot to him, despite just 1 big league inning last year. He was impressive in 24 starts with Milwaukee, going 16-6 with a 3.14 ERA (120 ERA+), 1.29 WHIP, 53 walks, and 109 strikeouts. A talented five pitch pitcher, Wilkinson has solid stuff and a low 90s fastball he's gotten really good at locating. His control is very reliable, which should help limit free passes, and his stuff and movement are both average. All three combined give him the makeup of a low upside back end starter, and Tom thinks he's reached that ceiling already. I'd say the former 4th Rounder is the odds on favorite for the final rotation spot, although I can see him and Johnnie Jones splitting starts until one of them takes the job and runs with it. Wilkinson is one of those reliable innings eater that can really make a managers job easier, and he'd probably have a rotation spot secured on a team that needed pitching. RHP Bill Ballantine (323rd Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 6th Round, 91st Overall (1941) Alma Mater: Fenger Titans Nicknamed the "Windy City Whip," Bill Ballantine seems destined to have a career closing out games for the Cougars, and the young righty checks in as our 30th ranked prospect to start the offseason. A 20-year-old from Chicago, Ballantine was a reliever all of last season, but half of his 22 appearances for the Lions this year saw him start the game. The slender righty was extremely effective, a perfect 6-0 with 3 saves, a 2.43 ERA (216 ERA+), 1.24 WHIP, 18 walks, and 32 strikeouts in 66.2 innings pitched. Ballantine doesn't have much stamina, topping out at 89 pitches and failing to pitch more then 7 at one time, but with all the players away from the organization, he's going to be one of our better options to start games. Ballantine doesn't throw as hard as you might think, but he upped his velo to 92-94, and both his fastball and slider are really good pitches. He gets good movement, although sometimes fails to located his pitches, which in time will turn into a lot of homers. Flyballs are a problem for the Windy City Whip, as he'll occasionally hang a pitch he shouldn't, but in small samples it shouldn't hurt him too much. I think expecting him to be a starter is just wishful thinking, but even in an era where back end relievers aren't all that important, I can see Ballantine being one of the first truly dominant closers, likely surpassing former stopper Bill Mendine's team record of 137 saves.

06-29-2022, 07:29 PM	#843
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,011	Roster Update Our commish was on vacation and then returned sick, so there hasn't been much action recently. We're back on track, and while the military draft carries on, we'll have the Rule-5 Draft early next week. We got some bad news, losing two outfielders and two pitchers, but the small silver lining is it's only three players. Each player had a chance to contribute next year, but the loss of soon-to-be 27-year-old Carlos Montes will be a tough pill to swallow. Sure, he gets injured every season, but the talented center fielder is still one of the best center fielders out there, and has played anywhere between 90 and 127 games since debuting at 21 in 1927. Montes is coming off his best season, setting career highs for games, PAs (579), hits (138), triples (10), and WAR (5.7) while matching his previous bests for walks (52) and RBIs (55). Montes is an elite defender in center, last season making all routine plays and a 21 zone rating upped his career tally to 86.5. I did try and acquire center field depth earlier in the offseason, and may look to do so again, but we have a few options on hand. Orlin Yates (.236, 5, 1) and Bunny Hufford (.280, 5) will compete for the starting center field job in the Spring, and it will be a choice between Yates' glove and Hufford's upside with the bat. Both are lefties, so they can't really platoon, but one out of the box option for center is Billy Hunter. There's no guarantee he'll be healthy for active day, not because he isn't on track in his recovery from a ruptured tendon in his foot, but because he tends to get injured early and often during the season. The soon-to-be 28-year-old has only played 140 games in the past three seasons, but he's hit well when healthy, slashing .301/.356/.439 (121 OPS+) in parts of six seasons. Hunter has never played an inning in the outfield dating all the way back to his high school days, but he has good speed and good range at short, so there is a chance he could be somewhat decent out in center. Our infield is full, with the Jones-Car platoon at second, Skipper at short, and big acquisition Hank Barnett at third, so this may be the best way to get Hunter's bat in the lineup. A lot could change, but right now Hunter is penciled in for center for the Spring. The other two enlisting with Montes in the Navy are southpaw Ed Wilkinson and potential two-way star Danny Goff Jr. Both were in competition for the #5 spot in the rotation, and I really thought Wilkinson would be a sneaky good #5 for us next year. The former 4th Rounder didn't play in Chicago this year, and threw just one inning last season, but he was an impressive 16-6 with a 3.14 ERA (120 ERA+), 1.29 WHIP, 55 walks, and 103 strikeouts in 24 starts for the Blues. He was also Clyde Meyer's pick for the #5 spot, and is a durable innings eater who was look like a reliable back end arm. Goff also had a really good shot to break camp with us, as even if he didn't make the rotation, he could pitch in double headers while also filling in at first, left, center, and right if needed. The 24-year-old lefty/righty had a great debut month, allowing just 5 runs in 23.2 innings while reaching base in half of his 20 plate appearances. With both of them gone, there will be far less competition for that final rotation spot, and we're likely to yet again have our #5 starter as a rookie Jones. I can't imagine Johnnie will get be anywhere near as dominant as Donnie was, but if the talented young lefty can get his walks under control, he could have a big breakout season while his brother is overseas. Johnnie has already walked 45 hitters in just 38 big league innings, but he gets a lot of strikeouts and can keep the ball in the park. I still may try to grab an arm from somewhere else, but teams have been very hesitant to trade, and some teams are waiting until after the enlistments cease for the year. We're still likely to lose a few players, but with all the losses, I added King Price and Hod Seagroves to the 40-man roster, taking up two empty spots. There are still a few more guys I'm mulling adding, but for now our 40 will sit at 34 players. Both have only suited up for teams in our organization, but Price was the only one we drafted. Our 9th Rounder in 1939, the Bluegrass State alum made his way up to Milwaukee this season, and has had relatively solid results on his journey to Chicago. He was much better in Mobile (10-4, 3.78, 78) then Milwaukee (4-2, 3.90, 39), but he'll get a shot to crack the Opening Day roster. The 25-year-old is one of 14 pitchers on the 40, but Joe Crosby, Ira Hawker, and Hooks Camp are all set to begin next year in Milwaukee, while Grover Donahue, Cal Knight, and Ben Curtin are only options for the pen. Seagroves, on the other hand, is an infielder from Chicago who was originally a 3rd Round selection by the Dynamos. We acquired him just a few months after the 1937 draft, and the now 25-year-old spent his entire season in Mobile. It wasn't great, hitting a slightly below average .307/.379/.378 (97 OPS+) with 28 doubles, 3 triples, and 86 RBIs. Unlike Price, he won't be looking to make the team out of the Spring with numerous options in front of him, but with so many free spots I didn't want to lose him. Seagroves is one of the hardest players to strike out, just 7 in 562 PAs last year and just 13 in the last three seasons. He's a good defender at first, second, and third, and he will be useful upper minors depth with the chance to make a cameo in September or if we get hard with injuries.

07-06-2022, 12:00 PM	#844
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,011	Rule-5 Draft! We lost two and added four, netting two to the organization size after the completion of the 1942 Draft. I can't envision a scenario where I keep all four, but I can see two guys cracking the Opening Day roster. The two we lost were both veteran minor leaguers, with Johnnie Williamson going to the Cannons and Bobby Bond to the Chiefs. I'm not mad about Bond, he's just in our system for the leadership, and the 35-year-old made just 5 starts in his two seasons with AA Mobile. He's not the only Rule-5 Pick of ours the Chiefs are carrying, as they also have Bob Worley, who they grabbed last year. He ruptured his MCL in Spring, so since he didn't spend any time on the active roster, the Chiefs will need to keep him active for the first 90 days of 1942 to retain his rights. He does have some experience in center, but both are lefty swingers who spend most of their time in right. Williamson hurts a bit more, I was hoping he could hang around as depth for the Blues. I was more worried that Gene Lee (22) or Walter Loera (24) would get snapped up instead, so I guess it works out. Below are the four new members of the Cougar organization. RF Dan Rogers (Brooklyn Kings): Handsome Dan was one of three players we selected out of the Kings organization. A 26-year-old former 1st Round Pick, Rogers was one of the more exciting power prospects, slashing 9 homers as a senior in high school. Unfortunately for Rogers, his minor league career hasn't gone too great, he does have 93 minor league home runs and 10 FABL plate appearances to his credit. I wish he could play center, but there weren't many center fielders to pick from. He's a corner outfielder only, and not a very good one by that. His bat is his strength, slashing .301/.387/.459 (112 OPS+) with 12 doubles, 3 triples, 12 homers, and 48 RBIs in 401 PAs with AA Knoxville. Not the most inspiring numbers, but scout Tom Weinstock loves his bat, thinking his bat could lead him into a big league role. He'll hit for a high average and has lot of power, and as a flyball hitter our park is perfect for him. We have a lot of lefty outfield bats, so the righty Rogers may give us another look off the bench. We could run with six outfield bats, and spots are only guaranteed to Leo Mitchell, Rich Langton, and Cliff Moss, leaving a lot of spots up for the taking. There's still a chance for more enlistments or natural injuries, so Rogers may be able to hit his way in. RHP Angel Lopez (Brooklyn Kings): He didn't have the greatest season in the Kings organization, but with Lopez I'm chasing upside and four excellent pitches. Tom Weinstock raves about his slider, and thinks he could end up filling a back end rotation role. He had a 4.2 K/9 in AA and 5.0 in AAA, but control issues ruined his overall output. He walked 102 hitters in just 166 innings pitched, which inflated his ERA to 4.66 and 6.28 with Knoxville and Jersey City. A former 10th Round Pick, Lopez has had an up and down minor league career, mixing good stints and bad ones, but his peripherals at Knoxville weren't as bad as the final results. He had a 3.87 FIP and 85 FIP-, far better then his 4.66 ERA and 97 ERA+. If we can get his walks under control, I think Lopez could be a good pen arm, but he did manage to throw 120 or more pitches in 7 consecutive starts, leading me to believe he can pitch multiple innings if needed. We will be running with 9 pitchers this coming season, and with the multiple losses we've suffered, we have four spots available on the staff. C Ed Wallace (Boston Minutemen): The only non-King selected, the soon-to-be 26-year-old is our Harry Mead insurance. The former 8th Rounder spent most of his season in AA Worcester, hitting .293/.345/.395 (114 OPS+) with 21 doubles, 8 homers, and 74 RBIs. He was also worth 4.1 WAR, which could be due to being a great defender. His bat is decent too, with an above average contact tool and some power. I'm not sure he has a chance to make the roster unless one of our catchers gets hurt, but I do think he's a better option then Steve Mountain or Clem Bliss. LHP Manny Franco (Brooklyn Kings): Our final pick and third from the Kings, Manny Franco is a guy I've had my eye on for a long time. As a junior in high school, he went a perfect 10-0 with a 0.62 ERA, 0.72 WHIP, 20 walks, and 172 strikeouts. That was after an 11-1 with a 1.01 ERA, but the prospect people were never a big fan, and after a down junior year (by his standards), he was selected by the Kings in the 5th Round of the 1936 draft. 25 in February, Franco is a polished four pitch pitcher who looked average in 19 starts for AA Knoxville. He was 9-9 with a 4.55 ERA (100 ERA+), 1.71 WHIP, 99 walks, and 79 strikeouts. A common theme here with control issues, as his 6.0 BB/9 could definitely be improved on. Of course, he also gets a lot of strikeouts, featuring a low 90s fastball and outstanding slider that cuts through the zone. As a lefty, he's extremely tough on lefty hitters, and Johnnie Jones and Cal Knight are the only other lefties on the 40. This could make it possible for him to secure one of our open pen spots, as we need depth options and he could be a decent option to eat innings out of us from the pen.

07-13-2022, 11:40 AM	#845
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,011	Offseason Updates! The slow paced offseason drags on, but we're now at the point were nearly all military callups have been completed. In total, 67 members of our 224 player organization have joined one of the five branches of the military, headlined by star pitchers Pete Papenfus and Donnie Jones, everyday hitters Ray Ford, John Lawson, and Carlos Montes, and top 100 prospects Duke Bybee, Otto Christian, Leo Hayden, Danny Goff Jr., and Eddie Howard. With all the enlistments, are minor league system will look a lot different, and that means some of our middling prospects will be valued much higher just because they can actually make it to Chicago in the next few years. Plus with the conversion to 23, a lot of the prospect rankings have drastically changed, so I thought this would be a good time to cover some of our top 500 prospects that I didn't get in the annual offseason top 30. Here are some of the remaining Cougar prospects I'll be covering at some point this week: RHP Foster Smith (10th, 148th) RHP Ken Matson (20th, 255th) RHP Pinch Lenhart (22nd, 262nd) LF Bill Rich (23rd, 276th) RHP Angel Lopez (29th, 303rd) SS Eddie Curtis (32nd, 321st) RHP Rube Finnegan (36th, 394th) RHP Stan Flanders (37th, 395th) RHP Jimmy Ballard (39th, 415th) RHP Joe Swank (40th, 418th) RHP Ron Sexton (42nd, 439th) RHP Charlie Kelsey (43rd, 447th) The first portion of the draft is now underway, as the Cleveland Foresters will be picking first in the Winter portion. As custom for the past few seasons, we run the first two rounds first, then a third regional round, before finishing the rest of the draft in June. This year I have no intention of trading my first, but I also can't see us adding another pick, giving us the 13th and 29th picks.

07-13-2022, 08:17 PM	#846
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,011	Additional Prospects: Part 1 RHP Foster Smith (148th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 6th Round, 96th Overall (1942) Alma Mater: Henderson Bulldogs No one in our organization jumped up the prospect rankings post-conversion as much as Foster Smith, who now ranks 10th in our system and inside the league's top 150. "The Thin Man" was our 6th Round pick last year, and made 11 starts between La Crosse and San Jose for us in his first pro season. Rather surprisingly, his 7 starts in San Jose were infinitely better then the 4 in La Crosse. Smith really struggled in 21 innings, with an inflated 9.86 ERA (52 ERA+) and 2.00 WHIP with 9 walks and 13 strikeouts. I only promoted him because every other Lions rotation member had the red arrow in San Jose, and we needed to fill an injury, so despite performance he got a promotion. It seemed to work, as Smith went 2-1 with a 2.55 ERA (130 ERA+), 1.13 WHIP, 10 walks, and 20 strikeouts. Just 18, Smith is a very polished pitcher for his age, already featuring an average or better fastball, sinker, and change. This is all while just throwing in the 86-88 range, so any velocity boosts should make a huge impact on his ability. He did already add a mile in the offseason, and his sinker and fastball are really good pitches. It's a little concerning for those to be your 1-2, as that almost screams reliever, but 1940s pitching is not quite how it is now. Smith does a great job keeping the ball on the ground, and after a homer a start in La Crosse, he had just one in (0.2 HR/9) in San Jose. Tom Weinstock thinks he can develop into a back-end starter, and if he continues to have success in the low minors and doesn't get drafted, he could find himself pitching in Chicago far sooner then I would have ever expected. RHP Ken Matson (255th Overall) Acquired: Via Trade with Brooklyn (1942) Drafted: 10th Round, 160th Overall (1936) Alma Mater: Henderson Bulldogs One of our Rule-5 Picks last season, I knew I couldn't keep both him and Hooks Camp, so I worked a minor trade to bring Matson into our organization. He looked really good in the minors, making 12 strong starts with both AA Mobile and AAA Milwaukee. Matson went 11-7 between the two stops with 108 strikeouts and 57 walks, with similar ERAs, 3.48 (127 ERA+) and 3.31 (114 ERA+). He had more innings (95.2) and a better WHIP (1.16) in AAA compared to AAA (70.2, 1.53), but Matson did a great job pitching deep into games and getting outs. He'll be 25 once Spring Training starts, and with all the arms on the 40 leaving for the draft, he could find himself in our pen or even as the fifth starter. Matson is a hard thrower, sitting in the 95-97 range with his cutter, and while it's a good pitch, his curve and change are far superior. He'll strike out a ton of hitters with his curve, and just when you're thinking fastball, the change will get you to swing out of your shoes. His raw stuff is so good that he'll always find a spot on a staff, but he doesn't have too high of a ceiling. Tom thinks he's currently a back-end guy, but probably won't get much better. That's still a valuable piece, and you can never have too much pitching. RHP Pinch Lenhart (148th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 9th Round, 139th Overall (1941) Alma Mater: Bloomfield Mustangs Taken in the 9th Round of the 1941 Draft, this last season was the first full season for the young righty. He split his season between La Crosse and San Jose, and just like Smith, was much better in San Jose. Now in Lenhart's case it wasn't because he was awful in his 16 La Crosse starts; 7-2 with a 4.11 ERA (124 ERA+), 1.32 WHIP, 32 walks, and 56 strikeouts is nothing to scoff at, but because he was so good in San Jose. In the 7 up in San Jose, Pinch was a perfect 5-0 with a 1.49 ERA (124 ERA+) and 1.01 WHIP in 48.1 innings. The one downside was the 20 walks to 21 strikeouts, but command issues are something we were expecting with Lenhart. His stuff is really reliable, as he'll strike out a ton of hitters, and his pitches are very advanced for his age. It's not great enough to overcome his command issues, so he'll want to get that under control, but if he can harness his stuff he'll be a really good pitcher. Right now his upside is just a back-end starter, but he's already shown great improvements in our system. He added a sinker last offseason and upped his velo to 88-90 this offseason, and I'd love for him to continue that trend as he works his way up the organizational ladder. LF Bill Rich (276th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 3rd Round, 44th Overall (1940) Alma Mater: Grange College Mustangs Despite a superb season at the plate, Bill Rich has not gotten much love from the prospect pickers. Rich started the season in Lincoln, and hit an elite .343/.393/.532 (154 OPS+) with 15 doubles, 12 homers, and 70 RBIs. The power didn't quite hold up after the promotion, and in a few less games he had just 5 homers. Regardless, he hit a still impressive .349/.403/.504 (134 OPS+) with 20 doubles, 43 RBIs, and even 5 steals. An Illinois native, Rich has moved off of center to left, and while not great there, he should be more Rich Langton then Leo Mitchell. What will determine his success isn't the glove, but the power, as if he can hit 15+ homers at the FABL level, he will be an extremely valuable corner bat. The high average is a plus, but a bit of a breakthrough, as in nearly identical PAs at Lincoln last season (299 vs 303) he hit just .246. I haven't decided where to place Rich yet for next season, as we could have an open outfield spot in AAA if Bunny Hufford makes the team. I think he'll hit his way up there by the end of the season, and he's probably set to debut in 1944. RHP Angel Lopez (303rd Overall) Acquired: Via Rule-5 Draft from Brooklyn (1942) Drafted: 10th Round, 159th Overall (1939) Alma Mater: Brookings State College Bisons A player with shocking parallels to Ken Matson, Angel Lopez is a Rule-5 Pick from the Kings who was initially a 10th Rounder. If it was just one pick later, they would have been taken with identical picks (albeit, different teams) three seasons apart. I don't think I'll trade for Lopez, and I'm not even sure he'll make the Opening Day roster, but the short righty from Rhinelander, Wisconsin is a very interesting pitcher. He's a soft tosser, sitting at just 84-86, and one of those guys you would think would have eventually gotten a velo bump. He's gotten by with his stuff, as his fastball, splitter, curve, and slider are all quality offerings, he just had no luck locating them this season. He's always had control issues, but his 7.2 BB/9 in 61.2 innings up in AAA are very concerning. I'm hoping it's a case of having an awful catcher, as Harry Mead can help nearly any pitcher locate his pitches better and steal a few with his framing. We really only have 11 options for 9 spots on our staff, numbers that really work in Lopez's favor, so he might just have to beat two of Matson, Hooks Camp, and fellow Rule-5 pick and King Manny Franco. Franco is a lefty, which will give him a slight advantage, but Lopez has far more upside. SS Eddie Curtis (321st Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 7th Round, 990th Overall (1936) Alma Mater: Milligan College Buffaloes Eddie Curtis spent most of his season in AAA, hitting .313/.353/.403 (109 OPS+) in 632 PAs for the Blues, but I don't think he cares much about that. Sure, he had 20 doubles, 12 triples, 3 homers, 18 steals, and 55 RBIs, but the biggest takeaway for the young middle infielder is that he can tell all his friends that he is an FABL player. Curtis may have only played in one game, but that's something you can never take away from the Memphis native. He went 0-for-3 at the plate, but a perfect 3-for-3 at second in a 6-5 loss to the Stars. It was a long journey up for Curtis, but discounting his first pro season, he's had an 100 OPS+ and WRC+ at each stint since. He has a quick bat and should hit for a high average, and despite the nickname "Slick Eddie," he's one of those defenders whose versatility doesn't mean quality defense. Second is really his only plus position, but he won't kill you anywhere else. I think our bench is set, but there is rumblings that one of our infielders may be on the move, and you have to account for the consistent walking injury known as Billy Hunter. An Opening Day roster spot is a longshot, but I'd be surprised if Curtis big league game total ends at 1.

07-14-2022, 08:35 PM	#847
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,011	1943 Draft: Round 1 1st Round, 13th Overall: RHP Tommy Seymour School: Olathe 1942: N/A Career: N/A This was a really tough pick for me. I really liked the top end of the draft, and I thought picking 13th there was a shot I'd end up with one of mine or my scouts top picks. Instead, 10 of the top 11 players on Tom Weinstock's list were already selected, with the remaining guy #9. I don't think he's first round worthy, as did everyone else, and I'm debating if I want to take him with my second rounder or hope that he lasts until the regional round. I eventually settled on making a selection that I have never done in the Winter draft; take a player without stats. Our first round selection will be a 17-year-old righty who won't turn 18 until August, and was one of the ~90 prospects that were generated right before the draft, who will get their first line of stats this June. A skinny six foot righty out of Manhattan, Kansas; Tommy Seymour. A three pitch pitcher, Seymour is a soft tosser for the moment, with his fastball sitting in just the 83-85 range. Of course, most young pitchers eventually start throwing harder, and you don't have to look any further the U.S. Marine Corps very own Duke Bybee. Currently the #6 prospect in all of baseball, when Bybee was 17, he too was throwing 83-85, but the now 20-year-old southpaw is lighting up the radar gun and topping out at 97. Of course, I'm not saying that's Seymour's future; Bybee is a crazy hard worker and team captain who is more-or-less the perfect mold of a pitching prospect, but there is a ton to like about Seymour. Even though Weinstock isn't the biggest fan of his upside, he raves about his elite change up and he thinks the splitter and fastball are decent too. Add in great movement, and while not a groundballer, he won't give up many home runs. Next sim I'll have a fresh scouting report of Seymour (of course he has to have 2 days left...), and since Tom's accuracy on him is "Very Low" I'm not sold on him just being a spot starter. OSA raves about the young hurler, labeling his change as "off the charts" and his splitter as "excellent." The scouting bureau raves about his strike throwing ability and movement as well, projecting him to easily front a team's rotation. I'm really betting on their version of reality, and since I couldn't access Plan A through I, I'm willing to role the dice on a young pitcher who can join our already elite collection of young aces. The only concern, besides the obvious risk that comes with drafting young high school pitchers, as well as the conflict in Europe, is his rather cryptic personality. I get slight Billy Hunter vibes from seeing "Much of what happens in his career arc will be up to him," but I do my absolute best to stack the farm with good personalities, and cut bait with potential bad influences. Behind the captain Bybee, La Crosse currently has eight other leaders, and that's exactly where Seymour will start his minor league career. If we can get him on the right track, and instill some work ethic into the talented teen, the sky truly could be the limit.

07-15-2022, 12:28 PM	#848
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,011	1943 Draft: Round 2 2nd Round, 29th Overall: SS Al Clement School: De Pere 1942: .487/.543/.850, 129 PA, 18 2B, 4 3B, 5 HR, 37 RBI, 24 SB Career: .482/.554/.819, 234 PA, 30 2B, 8 3B, 7 HR, 61 RBI, 52 SB For my first round pick, I was debating between a pair of 17-year-olds; the eventual selection of Tommy Seymour, and shortstop Al Clement. My thought was that there was little to no chance Seymour last another 16 rounds, as our lead tends to take pitchers early and often, so I settled on him. Clement, a Wisconsin native, ranked #9 on my scouts list and was the only remaining player in his top 10 when my first came up, and since I had luck doing this with Mel Haynes and Don Lee, I thought it was worth the risk. Turns out I made the right choice, as 16 picks later, the skinny 6'1'' infielder was still ripe for the taking. Clement showed a ton of power as a junior, launching five homers and recording 27 extra base hits in his 25 games. His .850 slugging was the highest of any draft eligible player last season, and his 1.393 OPS was second to only the currently undrafted corner outfielder Mike Scott, who hit a remarkable .523/.581/.830. It's really tough to project power potential for high schoolers, but if Clement can maintain even half of the power he showed here, it will play really well at our stadium. Clement hits a lot of fly balls and to all fields, but when it comes to grounders he's more of a pull hitter. He's a strong runner who can beat out a lot of balls hit to the right size. Not a lot of slow rollers, as he has a quick bat that allows him to hit the ball hard. Tom Weinstock is a big fan, expecting him to hit around .290 with strong pitch recognition. The thing I'm worried about is that his homer totals were high more because of his developed power instead of power potential, but there is a lot to like here. Another thing I'm more unsure about is his defense, as neither Tom or OSA mention it. With Skipper Schneider entrenched at short for hopefully a very long time, it's okay if Clement ends up at third or second instead. Both of our picks were chasing upside despite the risk of enlistment, but I'm much more satisfied with our picks this year as opposed to last. Even if I didn't get trade my first pick, whoever I would have selected I'd much rather prefer Clement. First two rounds are now complete as well, and the regional round also looks to have a lot of decent options. We have gotten decent picks the past few seasons, but this year we seem to have a lot more quality options. We likely won't figure out who our selection is until after the weekend, but I'll finish up the second part of the additional prospects before then.

07-17-2022, 05:39 PM	#849
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,011	Additional Prospects: Part 2 RHP Rube Finnegan (394th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 11th Round, 172nd Overall (1938) Alma Mater: Lane State Emeralds One thing I've noticed about 23, is they are starting to rank more relievers in the prospect lists. Rube Finnegan has never started a game in our system despite 42 in 53 college appearances, and the 57 innings he threw this year were the most he has in our system. He spent some time closing for Lincoln, going 5-3 with 9 saves, a 3.16 ERA (123 ERA+), 1.19 WHIP, 23 walks, and 39 strikeouts. A big strikeout arm despite low velocity, Finnegan tends to stay below 90, mixing five pitches around to fool lesser hitters. Walks can be an issue for him, but he's got the ability to roll up a double play when needed. He's really nothing more then a middle reliever, so it may make it tough for him to make it up to Chicago. He could probably pitch in our AAA pen, but he's a guy I move around depending on which level needs innings. RHP Stan Flanders (395th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 10th Round, 157th Overall (1941) Alma Mater: New Haven Bulldogs Originally a catcher in high school, I used a 10th Rounder on him back in 1941 with the intention of using him as a pitcher. He did alright last year, going 3-5 with a 4.37 ERA (92 ERA+) and 1.15 WHIP with 18 walks and just 3 strikeouts in 68 innings pitched. He got another shot at La Crosse this season, and he took huge strides forward. Flanders went 15-4 with a 3.59 ERA (142 ERA+), 1.33 WHIP, 36 walks, and 33 strikeouts through 135.1 innings pitched. A soft tosser, the 20-year-old's fastball sits in the 84-86 range, but it and his curve and change aren't the most polished offerings. His control is improving, and could be one of his better features, but there's a lot of room between his floor and ceiling. He's a consistent worker, but will need to have a big showing this year to work his way into a potential future rotation. RHP Jimmy Ballard (415th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 6th Round, 84th Overall (1939) Alma Mater: Donora Bombers After a rough debut season in 1939 for Jimmy Ballard, things were starting to look up in 1940. He made 7 starts with the Lions, going 2-1 with a 3.28 ERA (132 ERA+), 1.30 WHIP, 21 walks, and 29 strikeouts. Unfortunately, 7 starts is all he could make, as he missed over a year with a torn rotator cuff, and made just 7 more starts in 1941. This year, however, Ballard stayed healthy, and made 17 starts in San Jose with 5 in Lincoln sandwitched between. He looked good for the Cougars, going 8-7 with a 2.55 ERA (130 ERA+), 1.15 WHIP, 44 walks, and 48 strikeouts in 116.2 innings pitched. The best thing here was he stayed healthy, as last year shoulder inflammation ended his season early as well. 21 in April, Ballard has already had more injuries then most, and the sidewinder will have to stay healthy again this year to make up for lost development time. He does have an okay low 90s fastball he pairs with a nice slider and tough change, which allows him to get a lot of swings and misses. His control does get in the way, and the injuries didn't help that, leading me to believe that it will be hard for him to make more then the occasional start. Standing at 6'4'', he's a very intimidating presence, and that could help him in the late innings, as he's a guy who shows up when counted on. RHP Joe Swank (418th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 7th Round, 107th Overall (1941) Alma Mater: Rhodes Rams It was a great first full season for Joe Swank, who was an effective arm for the Lions this season. He finished 13-3 with a 3.88 ERA (132 ERA+), 1.50 WHIP, 66 walks, and 37 strikeouts in 21 solid starts. The issue here is the walks, as Swank had a 4.1 BB/9 this season which is just a tenth of a point better then last season. He did up his K/9 about a point and a half, but it's still below 2.5. Another soft tosser, Swank could use a velo bump or two, as his fastball isn't too effective right now. He has a great circle change and a solid curveball, so with a harder fastball he could develop into a really nice pitcher. He has his work cut out for him before he develops into a reliable starter. RHP Ron Sexton (439th Overall) Acquired: Via Trade with Pittsburgh (1939) Drafted: 5th Round, 79th Overall (1938) Alma Mater: Canarsie Chiefs Another guy with injury issues, Ron Sexton missed almost a full calendar year with a torn UCL. He did stay healthy this season, but the results were mixed. He was dominant in San Jose, going 7-3 with a 1.85 ERA (179 ERA+), 1.06 WHIP, 18 walks, and 37 strikeouts in 82.2 innings pitched. This earned him a promotion to Lincoln, but things didn't go as well. He threw 8 more innings and went 6-6 with a 4.37 ERA (89 ERA+), 1.44 WHIP, 28 walks, and 30 strikeouts. I'm hoping he'll have more success this time around in Lincoln, as he has good enough stuff to compete. He has a nice low 90s fastball and mixes it well with his curve, slider, and change. His walk rates could use some work, but if Sexton can stay healthy, he could work his way up to AA this season, and then a potential big league promotion the year after. RHP Charlie Kelsey (447th Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 9th Round, 140th Overall (1938) Alma Mater: Lancaster Buckskins Rounding out our non-enlisted or previously-mentioned top 500, we have another reliever in Charlie Kelsey. A 21-year-old from Pennsylvania, Kelsey was a workhorse out of the pen, tallying 107 innings for San Jose. He finished 10-6 with 18 saves, a 2.78 ERA (119 ERA+), 1.18 WHIP, 39 walks, and 39 strikeouts. The walks were a bit high, but he managed to throw almost two innings an appearance and win us a lot of games. He definitely has the stamina to start, but he's really just a sinker-fastball guy with the occasional change up. He keeps the ball on the ground and doesn't throw too hard, relying a lot on his infield defense. At just 21, he has some time to add a fourth pitch or add velocity, but he's likely just a depth arm who will get innings because he's not off to war.

07-18-2022, 12:27 PM	#850
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,011	1943 Draft: Round 3 3rd Round, 45th Overall: RHP Dick Garcia School: Geneva 1942: 6-3, 90.1 IP, 2.29 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 36 BB, 73 K Career: 13-6, 188 IP, 1.19 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 56 BB, 179 K The January portion of the draft is now over, and we have moved on to the preseason. We went with a pitcher again this year, grabbing another high schooler in 18-year-old Dick Garcia. He didn't have a great junior season, but Garcia was much better as a sophomore, going 7-3 with a 1.57 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 20 walks, and 106 strikeouts. A three pitch pitcher from East Chicago, Indiana, Garcia is liked by scout Tom Weinstock, who thinks he can develop into a serviceable back of the rotation piece. An extreme groundballer, Garcia features an impressive mid 80s sinker and pairs it well with an average cut and change. He has good command and should be able to keep the ball in the park, and while his stuff isn't much more then average now, some timely velocity boosts can solve that problem. Another thing working for him is his work ethic, as his coaches at Geneva high school in Illinois reported that on his off days he'll stay after the game to lift weights. This gives be belief that the extra strength will pay off, and he'll be able to throw harder once he fills out his frame. The regional picks are always tough to make, especially with our very low priority the past couple of seasons, but we have seemed to do okay with them. Bill Chapman and Jim Dickinson rank inside the top 200 and 14 and 15 in our system, while Bill Rich has recently jumped up to 20 and has absolutely raked in the minors. We have a lost of ton of talented young pitchers, and if Garcia avoids the draft, he will be a crucial part of La Crosse's rotation in the second half of the seaosn.

07-21-2022, 09:08 PM	#851
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,011	Spring Training! Baseball is back! After what seems like the longest offseason in FABL history, I cannot be more ready for the new season to start. The fine folks at TWIFB think the Cougars will face the Chiefs in another crosstown series, and I think we have all the pieces to return to the postseason. We lost a lot of talented players, including Carlos Montes, Ray Ford, and Donnie Jones, but for the most part we should be able to cover our losses with internal depth. Adding Hank Barnett will be a huge boost to the lineup, and if we can get a good season from our vets and Donnie's brother Johnnie, we could be popping Champaign in September. Of course, we still have to play the games, and injuries, underperformance, and overperformance have a way to shake up the landscape. We have a smaller group in camp because of all the enlistments, but we have more battles then usual: RHP Bill Anderson RHP Augie Bertrand RHP Joe Brown* RHP Pug Bryan RHP Hooks Camp RHP Ben Curtin RHP Grover Donahue LHP Manny Franco RHP Ira Hawker LHP Johnnie Jones* LHP Cal Knight RHP John Little RHP Jim Lonardo* RHP Angel Lopez LHP Dick Lyons* RHP Ken Matson RHP Harry Parker* RHP Allen Purvis RHP Bill Tuttle C Clem Bliss C Harry Mead* C Steve Mountain C Mike Taylor C Ed Wallace 1B Cuno Myer 1B Dick Walker* 2B Clark Car* 2B Billy Hunter 2B Freddie Jones* 2B Walt Layton 3B Hank Barnett* 3B Steve Jones 3B Ollie Page SS Eddie Curtis SS Bill Graham SS Tip Harrison SS Skipper Schneider* LF Huck Hanes LF Leo Mitchell* LF Oscar Panduro CF Bunny Hufford CF Aart MacDonald CF Jim Madsen CF Orlin Yates RF Chick Browning RF Rich Langton* RF Cliff Moss* RF Dan Rogers Denotes guaranteed roster spot Camp Battles* Center Field: 2 Inside Edge: Orlin Yates 50/50: Billy Hunter, Bunny Hufford, Aart MacDonald Outside Looking In: Chick Browning, Cliff Moss, Jim Madsen We usually have to cover at bats for Carlos Montes anyways because he's always hurt, but now we need to find a way to do it for a whole season. The easy solution would be to let Orlin Yates take over, as he has since debuting in 1937. Yates made 83 trips to the plate for us last year, hitting .236/.337/.264 (80 OPS+) with 2 doubles, 5 RBIs, and a steal. Yates didn't show much power in the small sample, but he's always been really good at drawing walks. He walked 10 times which makes his 94 WRC+ look much better, and he's a pretty capable defender as well. In 159 innings out in center he tallied a 4.2 zone rating, good for a 1.043 efficiency. Yates is a career .238/.338/.307 (81 OPS+) hitter through 889 PAs with 28 doubles, 6 triples, 4 homers, 13 steals, 71 RBIs, and 109 walks. He has a better line in AAA, slashing .254/.349/.358 (105 OPS+), and the pitchers he'll see this year will be more similar to the AAA guys with a lot of really good pitchers at war and even more double headers. He's almost guaranteed a roster spot, but there are so many moving pieces right now that really nothing is certain. One option I really want to try is Billy Hunter, the talented yet-always-injured former 1st Rounder. It's crazy to think he's already 28, but has just 470 FABL games under his belt. A natural infielder, third is taken by Barnett, short by Skipper, and second by the platoon of the top two second basemen Freddie Jones and Clark Car. This doesn't leave an easy entrance to playing time, so I'd love to see if the fleet footed Hunter can make it work on the outfield grass. He's never played at any outfield spot, but a lot of time shortstops can be passable in the outfield too. I'm not sure if he'll be passable and I wish we got to see ratings for this part, but before spring Clyde Meyer made him the #1 backup for both left and right. If center doesn't work out, he could work into a super utility role, getting time at short, third, left, and right. If he was a better defender, or even right handed, Bunny Hufford would be a frontrunner, as he can't really platoon with Yates and his bat isn't developed enough yet to make up for the glove. He got a cup of coffee last year, hitting .280/.321/.360 (103 OPS+) with 2 doubles and 5 RBIs. Of course, he's a much better minor league hitter, slashing .310/.389/.427 (134 OPS+) with 24 doubles, 5 triples, 8 homers, 9 steals, and 78 RBIs. His 68-to-21 walk-to-strike out ratio is extremely impressive, but his -10.2 zone rating and .963 efficiency needs improvement. We also have the exact opposite of him in Aart MacDonald, all glove not bat. In the equivalent of a full season, he's hit just .197/.309/.293 (66 OPS+) with 28 doubles, 6 triples, 2 homers, 20 steals, and 46 RBIs. Of course, his 13 zone rating in 910.1 innings out in center is much better. We have a few other options to look at, as Cliff Moss has had a few games in center, and could fill in as a part time player. Chick Browning and Jim Madsen could be emergency fill ins if absolutely necessary, but I think we will end up with much better options. Catcher: 1 Inside Edge: Mike Taylor 50/50: Steve Mountain, Ed Wallace Outside Looking In: Clem Bliss Harry Mead will be the starter, but we need someone to back him up and play in a lot of double headers. The obvious solution is team leader Mike Taylor, but he's now 36 and coming off a season where he hit just .192/.285/.208 (48 OPS+). I still think he's got something in him, but we have other interesting options as well. Steve Mountain doesn't hit a lick, but the 25-year-old is a lefty as well, and an elite defender. The former 9th Rounder played in one game for us back in 1941, giving him 1,757 less then Taylor. Also in the conversation is Ed Wallace, who is basically injury insurance. If Harry Mead gets hurt, I'd like to have another option, and the former Minutemen farmhand hit a productive .293/.345/.395 (119 OPS+) with 21 doubles, 8 homers, and 74 RBIs. Last but not least is switch hitter Clem Bliss, who was a regular for the Dynamos back in 1938, and owns a career .230/.344/.304 (77 OPS+) line with 7 homers and 69 RBIs in 262 FABL games. I think Taylor should be able to hold onto his job, but this will be an interesting one to follow. Bullpen: 4 Inside Edge: Ken Matson, Ben Curtin, Pug Bryan 50/50: Angel Lopez, Manny Franco, Cal Knight Outside Looking In: Bill Anderson, Hooks Camp, Allen Purvis, Grover Donahue, John Little Danny Goff Jr. would have came in huge here, as he would have allowed me to carry 10 pitchers and 14 hitters, coming up very clutch in double header situations. Instead, he's off to war, and we're likely carrying just 4 pen arms instead of 5 for the season. Ben Curtin has slipped a bit, as the 37-year-old clubhouse leader isn't as dominant as he once was. He did alright last year, going 4-4 with 6 saves, a 3.04 ERA (108 ERA+), 1.56 WHIP, 29 walks, and 11 strikeouts. I don't envision him to be our stopper this year, but Curtin is set for a lot of late inning outings. His roster spot isn't quite secure, but his experience pays dividends and he's great for the young guys. One of those being Ken Matson, who I think is going to replace him as the team stopper while also filling in if the starting five gets too tired. Harry Parker and Joe Brown should have no problem going every four games, but I'm not as convinced by the youngest and oldest members of our rotation. With Johnnie Jones its more his production, as even though he can go every four days, I'm not sure that I want him to do it. His control will be very interesting to watch this Spring, as it will be an excellent measure of his offseason progress. With Lyons, he's never had much stamina, and at 42, he's eventually going to run out of gas. His scouting report of mid-rotation starter is now just average, and in a few days I'll know what Tom Weinstock thinks now. He is coming off a respectable year, 6-8 with a 3.06 ERA (108 ERA+), 1.23 WHIP, 34 walks, and 15 strikeouts in 23 starts. Matson, however, is a 25-year-old who pitched really well in both AAA and AA last season and is just a year away from topping 200 innings in the Kings organization. Matson has the stamina to start, but his cutter tops out at 97 and would play really well at the end of the game. His secondary stuff is arguably better, allowing Matson to strike out nearly 6 per 9 as a starter over the past two seasons. He initially looked set to start the season in AAA, but with Goff and Ed Wilkinson off to war, there aren't many pitchers out of the rotation that are better then him. Another option to start is Pug Bryan, who finally had a good season out of the pen last year. The 29-year-old went 2-3 with a 2.22 ERA (148 ERA+), 1.40 WHIP, 18 walks, and 6 strikeouts and managed to survive another season without getting waived. Pug is a good guy to keep in the clubhouse and once showed signs of being a great starter, so his length could help him soak up multiple innings when we need a reliever. There are plenty more options to fill out the pen, including a pair of Rule-5 Picks in Angel Lopez and Manny Franco. Lopez currently ranks 25th in our system and 219th overall, but doesn't quite have the build of a relief pitcher. He's a Dick Lyons like soft tosser, sitting in the mid 80s with a four pitch mix. He has some control issues, but I'm a big fan his stuff and I think he could end up starting in the big leagues. Him and Franco both came from Brooklyn, and the only real advantage Franco has is he's a lefty. Besides Lyons and Jones, there aren't many lefties in the staff, and Franco has superior velocity to Loepz. They share walk issues, but their fates likely aren't going to be based on each other. For Franco, he'll have to compete more with Cal Knight, who OSA surprisingly ranks as the #6 relief pitcher in the FABL. Knight is out of options, but had a really good season in 1939. He went 2-1 with a 2.20 ERA (196 ERA+), 1.80 WHIP, 35 walks, and 17 strikeouts. The WHIP and walks were concerning, part of why he's only pitched 2.1 big league inning since. Knight doesn't throw too hard, but he's another good clubhouse guy and as a former starter he can pitch as often as needed. A longshot might be one of the better pitchers, 34-year-old veteran Bill Anderson. He's on a minor league deal, working against him. But Clyde Meyer wants him to function as our stopper this Spring. Anderson was once a very good pitcher who never really produced. Part of that was pitching for the Wolves and Eagles, neither of who were good while he was there. Anderson went 84-101 with a 4.61 ERA (93 ERA+), 1.49 WHIP, 481 walks, and 548 strikeouts in over 1,500 FABL innings. He hasn't pitched in the big leagues since 1939, and spent the last three seasons in the minors. He threw 54 innings for the Milwaukee Blues, but was just 3-2 with 4 saves, a 3.17 ERA (119 ERA+), 1.39 WHIP, 14 walks, and 32 strikeouts. Being off the 40 goes against him, as guys like Knight and Grover Donahue are out of options. Donahue, like Knight and Pug Bryan, is a former 2nd Rounder, yet he has thrown just 2.1 innings in the FABL. That came in two games with us in 1941, as Donahue allowed a hit and got a strikeout. He stopped for the Blues last year, throwing an impressive 107.2 innings in 61 games. He was just average in terms of ERA+ with a 3.76 ERA, but other metrics paint a much better pitcher. Donahue was 9-4 with 18 saves, a 1.37 WHIP, 30 walks, and 29 strikeouts. He had a much better 3.16 FIP (83 FIP-) and with a strong Spring, could earn himself his first real chance as a big leaguer. Donahue is also a team leader, and when it comes to pen spots, that is a huge advantage. Other options include last year's Rule-5 Pick Hooks Camp, longtime Cougar reliever Allen Purvis, and former 5th Rounder John Little. Bill Tuttle and Ira Hawker are both on the 40, but set to start games in the minors, but there are a multitude of potential combinations to fill our pen to start the season. Bench: 5 Inside Edge: Billy Hunter, Ollie Page, Tip Harrison, Orlin Yates 50/50: Aart MacDonald, Dan Rogers, Bunny Hufford Outside Looking In:Eddie Curtis, Chick Browning, Cuno Myer, Walt Layton, Steve Jones, Jim Madsen, Oscar Panduro The bench construction relies on a lot of other races, but Ollie Page and Orlin Yates shouldn't have too much to worry about. Page spent nearly all of last season in AAA learning third base, and the excellent defender is now more then capable of backing up second, third, or short. He's shown some promise in his 8-year career as a Cougar, hitting .252/.332/.365 (90 OPS+) with 63 doubles, 46 triples, 33 homers, 26 steals, and 248 RBIs. He's walked (268) more then he's struck out (242), but at 32 he's no longer the exciting young shortstop he once was. Him and Yates are nearly guaranteed a spot, as their versatility allows us to cut corners with the rest of the options. Yates could also start, opening a bench spot, as the same goes with Billy Hunter. I'm not too sure what I'm going to do with him, and I might actually try to send the 28-year-old to AAA. I really want to see what he can do out in center, as a loose platoon between him and Yates or Bunny Hufford could almost replace Carlos Montes' production. The out of options Tip Harrison holds an interesting role, as the 31-year-old journeyman had his first full season in the big leagues last year after making appearances in each season since '38. The Bluegrass State alum didn't hit much, but he appeared at every position except catcher and pitcher last season. He's the ultimate utility man, and could be very useful as a defensive replacement during one of the many double headers. Other not-optionable possibilities include the out-of-options Aruban Aart MacDonald and Rule-5 Pick Handsome Dan Rogers. I like Rogers' pop, but he's a corner guy who isn't someone you want manning center. He hits a lot of flyballs and hit 12 homers down in AA. Our walls are easy to clear, and with a lot of lefties in the lineup, a righty who can tie up games with a swing of the bat can be huge in tight contests. Behind them are a few non-roster invitees that are more then capable of playing in the big leagues. Walt Layton has experience with the Kings, and guys like Cuno Myer, Oscar Panduro, Chick Browning, Jim Madsen, Steve Jones, and Bill Graham could all be functionable bench players. One really interesting option is Huck Hanes, one of our 4th Rounders from 1941. He's never been the highest ranked prospect, but he hit really well with both Mobile and Milwaukee. In AA he hit a really good .347/.430/.443 (132 OPS+) with 19 doubles, 2 homers, and 35 RBIs with an elite 39-to-6 walk-to-strikeout ratio. He slowed down a bit in AAA, but his .303/.349/.371 (106 OPS+) is still above average. He did have 2 more homers, 11 doubles, and 31 RBIs with a still impressive 18-to-8 walk-to-strikeout ratio. I'm not sure he's ready for the big leagues yet, but if Leo Mitchell gets hurt (or enlists), Hanes could see playing time open up for him. We have a lot of bench options assuming we don't get hurt to hard by injuries, which should make for an interesting few weeks before the season starts.

07-22-2022, 10:21 AM	#852
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,011	Spring Training: Week 1 Like four of our CA counterparts, we picked up four wins in six tries, leading the early spring tables with Cincinnati, Philadelphia, and Toronto. Both losses came at the hand of Grover Donahue, who is not quite making a case for the big league roster. The 28-year-old righty allowed 2 hits, 3 runs, and 2 walks in an inning against the Cannons, and then 2 hits, 2 runs (1 earned), and a walk in an inning against the Kings. Otherwise, we did pretty well as we look to get back into playing shape. On the mound, two of our starters pitched four inning shutouts. Joe Brown went 4 with 3 hits, 2 walks, and 3 strikeouts. Jim Lonardo allowed just 2 hits and a walk. Ken Matson would have joined if it wasn't for a Freddie Jones error, as he allowed 4 hits, a walk, and unearned run with 3 strikeouts against the Stars. Harry Parker went 5 innings in his start, charged with 5 hits, a run, and a strikeout. Hooks Camp did well out of the pen, 4 scoreless with 4 hits, a walk, and 2 strikeouts. Allen Purvis struck out 1 in 3 perfect innings. Bill Anderson and Augie Bertrand both threw two scoreless. Manny Franco had some troubles, 5 innings with 4 hits, 3 runs, 6 walks, and 2 strikeouts. Johnnie Jones also had issues with his walks, 5 in 4 with 2 hits, 2 runs, and 2 strikeouts. No errors for Billy Hunter, who already has a positional rating in center field. We don't keep track of fielding stats in Spring Training (not sure you can anyways), so no way to know how well he's done, but hitting .182/.167/.455 isn't doing him any favors either. Hank Barnett had a big first week as a Cougar, going 4-for-10 with a double, triple, run, 2 RBIs, and 3 walks. Cliff Moss was 4-for-9 with 2 walks, 3 runs, and a pair of solo homers. Dick Walker was 4-for-9 with a walk, RBI, and 2 runs scored. Freddie Jones is dealing with minor back spasms, but went 3-for-7 with a double and two walks. Not much else went well, with Skipper, Harry Mead, Orlin Yates, Rich Langton, and a bunch of bench bats all hitting .200 or lower, plus Moss was the only hitter to go deep. All that matters is we stayed more-or-less healthy, and won a few games.

07-25-2022, 12:15 PM	#853
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,011	Spring Training: Week 2 Another 4-2 week for the Cougars, so now just us and the Cannons are atop the Continental Association. Ken Matson more-or-less secured his roster spot, making an impressive 5.2 inning start. He allowed 3 hits, a run, and a walk with 2 strikeouts. He was one of three pitchers who managed 5 innings, with both Jim Lonardo and Joe Brown allowing 2 in 5. Lonardo allowed 4 hits and 3 walks while Brown allowed 3 hits, a run, and a walk with 2 strikeouts. Johnnie Jones looked a million times better this time, going 4 innings with 5 hits, a run, walk, and strikeout. Dick Lyons had a near identical outing, just with one extra strike out. Unfortunately Harry Parker had a terrible start, charged with 5 hits, 5 runs, and 4 walks without a strikeout in 3.1 innings pitched. I'm not the least bit concerned for Parker, so I guess if it had to happen to someone, better then him instead of Jones or Lyons, who each come with their own concerns. In the pen, Cal Knight may have sabotaged himself, allowing 6 hits, 4 runs, and a walk with a strikeout in 3.2 innings pitched. NRI John Little also hurt himself, allowing 3 hits, 4 runs, and 2 walks in 1.2 innings pitched. We had a surprising best performer on the offense, with Steve Mountain putting together a huge week. The young catcher went 5-for-11 with a walk and 3 RBI. Hank Barnett and Cliff Moss both went 3-for-10, with Barnett driving in 2, scoring 4, and walking 3 times while Moss walked twice and drove and scored a single run. Freddie Jones went 4-for-9 with a walk and 5 runs. Rich Langton was 4-for-7 with a run, RBI, and 2 walks. It wasn't all great, as Clark Car went just 1-for-11 with a walk, 2 runs, and 2 RBIs. Leo Mitchell was 2-for-11 with a walk and RBI. Orlin Yates went just 1-for-9 with a walk. I'm hesitant to say Billy Hunter had another great week in center, but he still doesn't have an error out in center. He also hit well, 3-for-8 with 2 walks and 2 runs. With Yates hitting just .150/.261/.150, it's looking more and more likely that Billy Hunter will be our Opening Day center fielder.

07-26-2022, 12:24 PM	#854
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,011	Spring Training: Week 4 Another four win week for the Cougars, but with seven games it meant three losses instead of the usual two. We remain atop the CA Spring Standings, this week tied with the Wolves at 12-7. The injury bug hit us this week too, but it's one we can survive and it makes roster construction a little bit easier. Veteran catcher Mike Taylor strained his hamstring, and he'll not only miss Opening Day, but 5-6 weeks while recovering. Worst part is the 36-year-old was having a nice Spring, hitting .438/.500/.750 with a triple, homer, and 4 RBIs. This is great news for Rule-5 Pick Ed Wallace, who's chance of breaking with the big league camp grew exponentially. It will come down between him and Steve Mountain, who will duke it out this week for the final spot. Both have their benefits of making the roster, as Mountain hits from the left side (Mead the right), but can be optioned. Wallace needs to stay on the active roster, and can also play a little first base. Huge week for Leo Mitchell, who went 9-for-13 with 2 doubles, 3 RBIs, and 6 runs scored. Clark Car bounced back, 7-for-14 with a double, 2 steals, 2 RBIs, and 3 runs scored. Skipper went 4-for-14 with a homer and 4 RBIs. Billy Hunter went 4-for-12 with a double, RBI, and 3 runs scored, but did make his first error out in center. Hank Barnett went 5-for-9 with a double, run, and walk. Freddie Jones was 3-for-7 with an RBI, 2 runs, and 3 walks. Ollie Page went 3-for-8 with a walk, RBI, and pair of runs scored. Harry Mead was 3-for-8 with 2 doubles. He won't play much this week, as I want Wallace and Mountain to get most of the playing time. Rich Langton was 4-for-5 with a double, walk, run, and 3 RBIs. We did have some struggles, with Cliff Moss 0-for-13, Tip Harrison 1-for-12, and Dick Walker 2-for-13. Harrison is making it really hard to roster him, as he's hitting just .118/.189/.118 in 37 PAs. On the mound, Harry Parker continues to get roughed up, 15 hits, 8 runs, and a walk with 6 strikeouts in 8.2 innings. He won't get another start this Spring, finishing 2-1, but with a 7.41 ERA and 1.76 WHIP. Lonardo and Jones both struggled, with Jim going 3.2 with 8 hits, 5 runs (3 earned), and 3 walks while Johnnie went 3.1 with 4 hits, 5 runs (2 earned), 4 walks, and a strikeout. Dick Lyons went 5 with 7 hits, 2 runs (1 earned), a walk, and 2 strikeouts. Joe Brown threw 4 scoreless with 2 hits, a walk, and 2 strikeouts. Ken Matson went 4 with 3 hits, a run, walk, and 4 strikeouts. Augie Bertrand made two outings, going 4.1 innings with 4 hits, an unearned run, earned run, walk, and 2 strikeouts. John Little matched his innings, hits, strikeouts, and unearned runs, but with 2 earned runs and 2 walks. Angel Lopez allowed 4 hits and 2 runs with 2 strikeouts in his only inning. Pug Bryan threw 3 shutout innings with 2 walks and 2 strikeouts.

07-27-2022, 12:07 PM	#855
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,011	Spring Training: Week 4 We finished the Spring with a 3-2 week, ending the exhibition games 15-9 and a game behind the Cannons for first. We led nearly all month, but a great 5-0 week to end it gave them the Spring crown. We did finish with a few injuries too, with Tip Harrison suffering a foot contusion and Cliff Moss dealing with back spasms. Despite just a week for injury time, Tip will go on the IL, giving us a lot more flexibility with the Opening Day roster. Moss has an unknown recovery time, so he too will join Harrison on the IL. It was also announced that the Chiefs returned Rule-5 Pick Bob Worley to us. Johnnie Jones ended the Spring with a great start, going 6 innings with 7 hits, a run, walk, and 2 strikeouts. Ken Matson also finished out on the right foot, 4 innings with 3 hits, a walk, 3 strikeouts, and an unearned run. Joe Brown went 4 with 6 hits, 2 runs, and 2 strikeouts. Dick Lyons went 4 with 5 hits and 2 runs. Jim Lonardo went just 3.2 with 3 hits, 5 runs (2 earned), and 4 walks. Angel Lopez had a rough final outing, allowing 5 hits and 4 runs in an inning. Billy Hunter was back to an errorless week, and went 5-for-9 with a walk and 2 RBIs. Leo Mitchell was 4-for-8 with 3 runs, a walk, and an RBI. Ed Wallace went 3-for-11 with a run while Steve Mountain went 1-for-5 with a triple, walk, and run. Ollie Page went 3-for-8 with 3 walks and 4 runs. Dick Walker was 0-for-9 with a walk and run. Hank Barnett was 1-for-6 with 3 walks and an RBI. Tomorrow is just a one day sim to Opening Day, and I'll announce the roster then!

07-28-2022, 11:48 AM	#856
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,011	Opening Day! Time for another season of Chicago Cougar baseball! The BNN predictions think we'll finish second, 95-59 and 3 games out of first place. Around the league, however, a majority of the predictions have us listed first, the others second, with the most common prediction a Cougars vs. Chiefs crosstown classic. Three of our pitchers; Joe Brown, Harry Parker, and Jim Lonardo rank in the top 10 for the predictions while both Leo Mitchell and Hank Barnett rank for the hitters. Mitchell is actually the projected Whitney Winner, with a .341/.385/.431 batting line and 7 homers and 70 RBIs. Our farm system leads off the bottom tier, ranked 9th with 104 points. Most of them come from Duke Bybee, the game's current #4 prospect. Despite the low ranking, we have 7 top 100 Prospects, 27 top 250, and 49 in the top 500. Below are the 24 players representing the Cougars on Opening Day: RHP Joe Brown RHP Pug Bryan RHP Ben Curtin LHP Johnnie Jones LHP Cal Knight RHP Jim Lonardo RHP Angel Lopez LHP Dick Lyons RHP Ken Matson C Harry Mead C Steve Mountain 1B Dick Walker 2B Clark Car 2B Freddie Jones 3B Hank Barnett 3B Ollie Page SS Skipper Schneider LF Leo Mitchell CF Billy Hunter CF Aart MacDonald CF Orlin Yates RF Rich Langton RF Dan Rogers We're rolling with ten pitchers to start, but this will likely change once Cliff Moss is healthy. I'll also have to open up one more spot once Tip Harrison returns, but he'll likely take up all 20-days on a rehab assignment. We start the season in Chicago, hosting the Saints for a quick two game series. Below is our Opening Day lineup against lefty Jake DeYoung: 1B Dick Walker RF Rich Langton LF Leo Mitchell 3B Hank Barnett CF Billy Hunter 2B Freddie Jones SS Skipper Schneider C Harry Mead RHP Harry Parker After the two in Montreal, we get an early day off before another two game series with the Stars. We don't need a fifth starter this week, so Johnnie Jones will start the season in the pen. Attached Images

07-29-2022, 12:15 PM	#857
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,011	Week 1: April 20th-April 25th Weekly Record: 1-3 Seasonal Record: 1-3 (t-6th, 2 GB) Stars of the Week Leo Mitchell : 18 AB, 8 H, 0 HR, 4 RBI, .444 AVG, .944 OPS Rich Langton : 17 AB, 5 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .294 AVG, 1.000 OPS Freddie Jones : 8 AB, 3 H, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .375 AVG, 1.250 OPS Schedule 4-21: Win vs Saints (6-7) 4-22: Loss vs Saints (3-2): 12 innings 4-24: Loss vs Stars (6-5) 4-25: Loss vs Stars (5-3) Recap We're back for another season of baseball! Or at least we should be, as it looks like no one told the Cougars! After winning a one run game on Opening Night, we decided it would be more fun to lose. We dropped a one run game in extras to finish the Saints series, and then lost both games where we hosted the Stars. Another one run loss and a two run loss did us in, and we're tied for last with the Sailors and Foresters after the first week. Overall we hit well, but we didn't really do enough scoring. Our keystone duo was impressive, with Clark Car going 4-for-9 with a double and Freddie Jones 3-for-8 with a solo homer. Leo Mitchell went 8-for-18 with a double, run, and 4 RBI. Rich Langton was 5-for-17 with with 2 triples, a homer, 2 runs, and 3 RBIs. Billy Hunter went 5-for-17 with 2 doubles, 2 runs, and an RBI, but he made a pair of errors. It didn't cost any runs, but we'll hope for better performance in the outfield for him. Steve Mountain picked up his first big league hit, going 1-for-3 with a double and run scored. Dan Rogers had a great first week as a Cougar, 1-for-2 with a solo homer. Hank Barnett, however, didn't have a good first week, just 4-for-16 with a run and 2 walks. Dick Walker was just 2-for-14, but with 4 steals, 5 runs, and 6 walks. We'll need more timely scoring to get back on track, but the pitching probably needs more work. We only had one good start, coming from Joe Brown in the extra inning loss. He got a no decision, going 10 with 7 hits, 2 runs, a walk, and 2 strikeouts. Harry Parker already got a no decision this year, after just one injury shortened no decision last year, allowing 10 hits, 6 runs (5 earned), a walk, and 2 strikeouts in 8 innings. Jim Lonardo was roughed up, 8 hits, 6 runs, and a walk with a pair of strikeouts in just 4 innings pitched. Dick Lyons didn't do much better, 6 innings with 8 hits and 5 runs. Ken Matson made four appearances out of the pen, going 1-1 with 6 hits, a run, 2 walks, and 5 strikeouts in 6 innings pitched. Johnnie Jones pitched 3 innings out of the pen, walking none with 2 hits and 3 strikeouts. He'll get a start this week, but it was definitely an encouraging sign. Ben Curtin pitched a pair of scoreless innings with just a single hit charged to him. We will need someone to step up next week, as we can't keep getting 5 run starts. Looking Ahead Off to start the week before three games in New York with the Stars. They already swept us, but that came after they got swept by the lowly Kings. We'll send our three best against their three best, and while I do like our rotation, Billy Riley (21-5, 2.18, 90) is far better then any of our non-enlisted pitcher. Vern Hubbard (17-5, 2.75, 89) is alright, but Chris Clarke (8-3, 3, 2.08, 18) wouldn't crack our rotation. The offense looks a lot difference without Lew Seals (.251, 16, 73, 10), Joe Angevine (.294, 1, 75, 16), and of course, the all-worldly outfielder Bill Barrett (.345, 27, 91), who has been worth 23.1 WAR in the past two seasons, and could conceivably lead the FABL in WAR over a three year period including the 1943 season. So who's left? Well, Dave Trowbridge (.280, 17, 79) be 44, but he's already 5-for-10 with a walk and RBI. Former Cougar draftee Chubby Hall (.231, 1, 13) will get his first chance to start every day, and Chink Stickels (.248, 4, 65, 13) and Garry Carmichael (.318, 3, 16) are in line for a more prominent role in the offense. We should be able to keep them off the board, but after the first two games, I'm not sure we'll dominate as much as we should. We'll also face the Saints again, who are also an even 2-2. We'll get four games in three days with Montreal. I think the Saints will be competitive all season, as they have a lot of young talent and didn't lose too many valuable players. Wally Doyle (13-13, 3.71, 156) and Red Bond (.254, 16, 81) are both off to war, but they both struggled last season and may not miss them too much. Pat Weakley, a top 5 prospect and former 1st Rounder, made his big league debut, going 9.1 innings in their extra inning win over us with 9 hits, 2 runs, a walk, and 6 strikeouts. We'll likely have to deal with him again, and he's going to be one of the best arms in baseball. With him and Jake DeYoung (18-11, 2.90, 96) at the top of the rotation, they could win a lot of games, plus they have the bats to support them. Jake Hughes (.319, 2, 57, 16) and Bert Lass (.321, 5, 93) will always hit, and if youngsters Charlie Woodbury (289, 5, 39) and Bill Greene (.243, 4, 54, 9) take the next step, they will have a very formidable offense. This will be a tough week for us, and I'd love to avoid an awful start that will take a lot of work to climb out of.

08-01-2022, 06:46 PM	#858
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,011	Week 2: April 26th-May 2nd Weekly Record: 5-2 Seasonal Record: 6-5 (5th, 2 GB) Stars of the Week Leo Mitchell : 33 AB, 11 H, 1 HR, 6 RBI, .333 AVG, .838 OPS Hank Barnett : 30 AB, 10 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .333 AVG, .911 OPS Skipper Schneider : 27 AB, 10 H, 0 HR, 5 RBI, .370 AVG, .948 OPS Schedule 4-27: Loss at Stars (1-2): 12 innings 4-28: Win at Stars (5-3): 14 innings 4-29: Win at Stars (7-2) 4-30: Win at Saints (5-4) 5-1: Loss at Saints (4-7) 5-2: Win at Saints (8-4) 5-2: Win at Saints (9-2) Recap Despite the vastly improved record this week, we're still two games out of first. It was a very weird week, starting with a 12 inning loss followed by a 14 inning win. We then took the finale against the Stars and three of four from the Saints, sweeping the double header to jump above .500. We did get our first injury of the regular season, but it's just a sprained finger for Freddie Jones. It will just affect his throwing, and for about a week, so I think I'm going to nurse him through it. If things get worse, I can bring up Tip Harrison, who will start a rehab assignment. His injury buddy Cliff Moss is healthy too, so to make room for him, Aart MacDonald was DFA'd. Jim Lonardo picked up a historic win, earning #250 in our 7-2 win over the Stars. Lonardo went the distance, allowing 7 hits, 2 runs, and a walk. It's much better then his first start, which saw 8 hits, 6 runs, a walk, and 2 strikeouts in just 4 innings pitched. This was Lonardo's 488th career game, now 250-178 with a 3.58 ERA (120 ERA+), 1.27 WHIP, 762 walks, and 1,321 strikeouts in nearly 4,000 innings pitched. He'll be 39 in June, and despite his age, he was pretty reliable last season. Our vet went 17-12 with a 2.94 ERA (112 ERA+), 1.19 WHIP, 69 walks, and 47 strikeouts in 279 innings pitched. Lonardo has been a Cougar since July of 1939, going 60-42 with a 3.45 ERA (111 ERA+), 1.26 WHIP, 175 walks, and 240 strikeouts. All 116 of his appearances have been starts, and he's about 50 innings away from 1,000 in a Cougar uniform. We're hoping for a big season from Lonardo, but his velocity is down from high 80s to mid 80s, and for the first time since joining us he is not listed as one of our top two pitchers. Harry Parker did a complete 180 from last week, making a pair of starts. He got an unlucky no decision in our 12 inning loss, charged with just 4 hits, a run, and 2 walks with 7 strikeouts in 11 impressive innings pitched. He then picked up his first decision, tossing a complete game win over the Saints. All 4 of his runs were unearned due to a Skipper error, and Parker finished with 11 hits, a walk, and 5 strikeouts. We also got two good starts from Joe Brown, who also got a win and extra inning no decision. He went 9.1 in our 14 inning game, charged with 5 hits, 3 runs, and 5 walks with 2 strikeouts. He then beat the Saints, 6 hits, 2 runs (1 earned), and 3 walks with 4 strikeouts in a complete game win. Dick Lyons looked good despite leaving with two outs in the seventh, allowing 6 hits, a run, and a walk with 2 strikeouts. Johnnie Jones had a rough first start, charged with 12 hits, 7 runs, and 2 walks with 5 strikeouts in 7.2 innings pitched. The hits and runs are concerning, but there are signs of promise, as he walked just 2. In 24.2 innings last year, he walked 23, so just 2 walks in 10.2 innings pitched is a million times better. All the walks went to Ken Matson, who threw 5 innings in 4 games. He walked 7 with 6 hits, 4 runs, ,a win, and a loss. We're eventually going to need to move a pitcher down when Tip Harrison comes back, so if Matson doesn't turn things around, his option could work against him. Harry Mead switched from worst to best, going 8-for-21 with 3 doubles, 2 runs, and 6 RBIs. Orlin Yates had a nice week, 5-for-12 with a triple, run, walk, steal, and 4 RBIs. Leo Mitchell kept things up, 11-for-33 with 2 doubles, a homer, 6 RBIs, 8 runs, a walk, and a steal. Sure he struck out 7 times, but that's always something we can live with. Hank Barnett had a good week, hitting his first Cougar homer while going 10-for-30 with a double, 5 RBIs, 6 walks, and 7 runs scored. Skipper went 10-for-27 with 3 doubles, a triple, steal, 4 runs, and 5 RBIs. Dick Walker had a rough week, going just 4-for-30 with a steal, RBI, 3 walks, and 4 runs scored. Billy Hunter didn't hit great, just 5-for-20 with a double, 2 runs, and 5 RBIs. He did do well in center, no errors this week and he's making most of the plays out in center. He's 28-for-30 on routine plays, 2-for-2 on likely, and 1-for-2 on even. Sure, he's no Carlos Montes, but as long as he doesn't hurt us too much in the field, it's likely to work well for us. Looking Ahead Our stretch of 15 games in 13 days continues with another series with the Stars. This time we'll get four games in Chicago as we return home. They're a game behind us and 5-6, and have gotten very little production from their lineup. Despite being a respectable 4th in runs scored, they rank last in the CA with a .216/.293/.289 batting line. A lot of that is due to the enlistment of Bill Barrett, as their outfield has been abysmal early on. Former Cougar farmhands Chink Stickels (.204, 1, 9, 1) and Chubby Hall (.146, 2) have been ice cold, and former Rule-5 Pick Howie Smith (.171, 3) hasn't been any better. Even Dave Trowbridge (.200, 2) hasn't got things going. The surprising star of the offense is Mel Hancock (.324, 1, 7), who is coming off a season where he hit just .236/.316/.285 (79 OPS+) in just under 500 trips to the plate. Their pitching still is outstanding, led by one of the game's best pitchers in Billy Riley (1-1, 1.96, 9). Vern Hubbard (1-1, 3.12, 13) and Chris Clarke (1-1, 3.79, 3) returned to starting roles while newcomer Bill Keith (1-0, 2.65, 7) has looked good in his first two big league starts. I'm hoping we do better this time at home then we did Opening Week, and with all these games in a row, our pitching depth may prove crucial. It will take 15 games before we take on a team who isn't Montreal or New York, where we'll head to Brooklyn for four games in three days. The Kings have been off to a surprisingly hot start, 8-3 and a game and a half ahead of the Cannons, Sailors, and Wolves. I'd say their schedule is helping them, but that would be a disservice for us, as they've played the Saints and Stars just like us. Former Cougar Jim Crawford has led the way for Brooklyn, a perfect 3-0 with a 0.89 ERA (375 ERA+) and 0.93 WHIP, but it comes with 5 walks and not a single strikeout. Harry Barrell (.312, 9) and Al Wheeler (.289, 1, 5) have to lead the offense by themselves as two of their best hitters Rats McGonigle and Joe Herman are off to war. They'll need guys like Tim Hopkins (.267, 3) or maybe even Vince D'Alessandro (.429, 3) to step it up if they want to compete, as well as a bounce back from ace Art White (0-1, 5.40, 4) who's last season ended early with injury. We should be their first real test, and I think we're come away with at a series win, or at least a split.

08-02-2022, 06:53 PM	#859
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,011	Week 3: May 3rd-May 9th Weekly Record: 7-1 Seasonal Record: 13-6 (t-1st, 2 GA) Stars of the Week Dick Walker : 26 AB, 11 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .423 AVG, 1.235 OPS Clark Car : 19 AB, 9 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .474 AVG, 1.320 OPS Hank Barnett : 31 AB, 10 H, 2 HR, 9 RBI, .323 AVG, .905 OPS Schedule 5-3: Win vs Stars (0-5) 5-4: Win vs Stars (2-12) 5-5: Loss vs Stars (5-3) 5-6: Win vs Stars (1-4) 5-7: Win at Kings (2-1) 5-8: Win at Kings (15-6) 5-9: Win at Kings (13-3) 5-9: Win at Kings (4-1) Recap I can get used to weeks like this! The Cougars were firing on all cylinders, taking three of four from the Stars in Chicago before sweeping the Kings in Brooklyn. The only game we lost was a Ken Matson spot start that was needed with all the double headers, and we outscored our opponents by 37 runs in 8 games. We're technically in first, although the Cannons have a better win percentage due to one less win and loss, and we've scored the most runs (114) while allowing fewer runs (63) then everyone but the Cannons. We did get some bad news with Billy Hunter, who played just one game this week due to a torn hamstring. His first of likely many IL trips will cost him 7 weeks. Hunter made 43 trips to the plate, hitting .317/.326/.415 (115 OPS+) while playing passable center field defense. That gave most of the starts in center this week to Orlin Yates, who was an impressive 9-for-28 with 2 doubles, 2 walks, 3 runs, and 5 RBIs. Yates is off to a real nice start to his season, batting .350/.395/.450 (147 OPS+) with 2 doubles, a triple, a steal, and 9 RBIs. The Hunter injury makes me wish I hung on to Aart MacDonald, who will likely clear waivers tomorrow. I may bring the glove only outfielder back after he clears, but for now Bunny Hufford will head back to Chicago. The 25-year-old currently ranks as the #74 prospect in baseball, and has hit .310/.383/.452 (139 OPS+) with 6 doubles in 11 games for the Blues. We obviously scored a lot of runs this week, but what made the difference was the consistent quality from our rotation. Jim Lonardo rode the momentum from career win 250, adding 251 and 252 this week. He was brilliant against the Stars, tossing a 5-hit shutout with 2 walks and a strikeout. He wasn't as perfect in Brooklyn, but threw 7 quality innings with 7 hits, 3 runs (2 earned), 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts. After a rough first start, he's won three in a row and allowed just 4 earned runs in 25 innings pitched with 5 walks and strikeouts. Dick Lyons was arguably more impressive, picking up wins against both teams as well. He almost threw a complete game, going 8.1 innings on 100 pitches in our 12-2 win over the Stars. Both runs he allowed were unearned, allowing 6 hits with a walk and a strikeout. Then in Brooklyn he went 7 with 7 hits, a run, a walk, and 2 strikeouts. It is just four starts, but the 42-year-old veteran is 2-1 with a 2.25 ERA (147 ERA+) and 1.07 WHIP in 28 innings pitched. Harry Parker continues to stay hot, tossing a complete game victory with 8 hits, a run, a walk, and 3 strikeouts. Johnnie Jones came close, leaving in the 9th of a 4-1 game. He did walk 5, but allowed just 4 hits and a single run with 4 strikeouts. Joe Brown had a shaky start, but still finished 7.1 innings with 9 hits, 6 runs (3 earned), 4 walks, and 4 strikeouts as we cruised to a 15-6 win. Ken Matson picked up the lone loss, going the distance in Chicago with 7 hits, 5 runs, 2 walks, and 3 strikeouts. He then picked up a pair of relief outings, going 2.2 innings with 3 hits, a walk, strikeout, and save. Matson hasn't been great this season, now 2-3 with a 3.97 ERA (83 ERA+), 1.50 WHIP, 12 walks, and 9 strikeouts. He's got two weeks to make his case for the big league roster, as our other four relievers have combined for 9 scoreless innings. A lot of the bats had huge weeks, including Dick Walker, who raised his season line from .136/.283/.136 to .243/.386/.343. The veteran first basemen went 11-for-26 with 2 triples, a homer, a steal, 5 RBIs, 8 walks, and 12 runs scored. Clark Car managed to accumulate a full win above replacement in just five games, going 9-for-19 with a triple, homer, 8 runs, 5 RBIs, 5 walks, and 3 steals. Car is on a 9 WAR pace now, hitting .383/.453/.532 (187 OPS+) with 2 doubles, a triple, homer, 3 steals, and 6 RBIs. Hank Barnett showcased his power, going 10-for-31 with 2 homers, 9 RBIs, 4 runs, and 4 walks. Cliff Moss impressed in his first week back, 7-for-24 with 3 doubles, 4 runs, 5 walks, and 5 RBIs. Skipper Schneider went 9-for-30 with a homer, 4 walks, 7 runs, and 7 RBIs. His 1.5 WAR is the best in the CA three weeks in, and he's on pace for a Bill Barrett-esque 12.2 for the season. We did have struggles from Mead, Mitchell, and the now healthy Freddie Jones, but there is really nothing to complain about this week offensively, as we rank 1st in each category except wOBA (2nd), base running (2nd), and of course, strikeouts (8th). Our 114 runs are best in all of baseball, and over double compared to the 56 the last place Miners have scored. Looking Ahead We get two off days to start the week, and we get to spend them at home while we prepare for a three game set with the Sailors. Philly is off to an okay start, 8-9 and 4 games behind us and the Cannons. They have the lowest scoring offense in the league, scoring nearly half of our runs with just 58. Most of this has to do with just one home run as a team, courtesy of backup outfielder Bennie Griffith, as they do have four .300 hitters in their lineup. One of those is Joseph Mills, who is off to a tremendous start, hitting .366/.447/.561 (180 OPS+) with 6 doubles, a triple, steal, and 7 RBIs in his first 48 trips to the plate. Besides him, leadoff man Harvey Brown (.319, 8, 2), and catcher Woody Stone (.328, 7), everyone is providing below average production in their starting 8. That includes Marion Boismenu, who's batting line dropped from .310/.355/.419 (130 OPS+) last season to .203/.217/.254 (31 OPS+) in his first 15 games this year. They have gotten good pitching, as Karl Wallace (1-2, 2.61, 11) picked off where he left off, while Doc Newell (2-1, 2.00, 8) has looked like a good pitcher again. Unfortunately, Chuck Murphy (0-2, 8.78, 1) and Tom Cipolla (0-2, 10.38, 10) been hit really hard, and former waiver claim Paul Richardson (0-1, 2.76, 7) isn't likely to keep things up. These are important must win games here, as our next test will be far more difficult. That's because we'll host the Cannons for three games over the weekend. Cincinnati is 12-5, and riding a six game win streak. The pitching in Cincinnati has been elite, led by Rufus Barrell and his all out war against opposing hitters. The soon-to-be 26-year-old Barrell, who is better then all pitchers who aren't named Pete, has allowed just one run in 30 innings. He has been a bit lucky, as his 1.10 WHIP is far higher then his 0.30 ERA (1,125 ERA+), and he's walked 12 with just 5 walks. He's one of four Cannon starters with sub 1.50 ERAs, as Butch Smith (3-0, 1.04, 12) is back to his old self, and Rule-5 Pick Red Nokes (2-1, 1.44, 15) has surpassed even the loftiest expectations for the 25-year-old. It's kind of cheap to consider Jesse Bowen (1-0, 1.08, 5), as it's just one start, but no matter who the Cannons have been pitching, they've been keeping runs off the board. It helps when you have a ton of run support as the Cannons can give their guys a comfortable cushion. Star catcher Adam Mullins has shook off a tough Spring, slashing an astronomical .397/.493/.672 (231 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 3 triples, 2 homers, and 11 RBIs with 10 times the walks (10) as strikeouts (1). They aren't a one man wrecking crew either, as Chuck Adams (.312, 4, 14) supplies plenty of power and Fred Galloway (.292, 1, 3) seems to always be on base when Mullins is hitting. They could need a little boost as Leo Clark (.269, 1, 7) and reigning Player of the Week Bob Griffith (.365, 8, 1) are vastly over performing, but the Cannons will likely be a thorn in our side all season long. Minor League Report 1B Adolph Jacobson (A Lincoln Legislators): May 4th was a big day for slugger Adolph Jacobson, who was instrumental in the Legislators 11-4 win over the Cedar Rapids Chiefs. The eventual Player of the Week went 4-for-5 and hit for the cycle while driving in six runs. He then finished the week 14-for-29 with 3 doubles, 2 triples, 2 homers, and 10 RBIs. In 11 games this year, the former lottery pick is slashing a superb .426/.500/.830 (240 OPS+) with 3 doubles, 2 triples, 4 homers, and 17 RBIs. This is his second go at A ball, as he spent all of last season with the Legislators. The now 23-year-old hit .297/.355/.529 (146 OPS+) with 33 doubles, 18 triples, 9 homers, and 73 RBIs. An extra base machine, Jacobson hits the ball with authority, lining the ball to all sides of the field. He should be able to hit more then his share of home runs, and he's a very good defensive first basemen who can play a little second base too. He's not one of our more exciting prospects, and not the greatest member of the clubhouse, but Colorado native just hits. Perhaps some of the dislike has to do with his first name and outspoken tendencies, but if he keeps hitting like this, I'm sure his teammates can learn to tolerate him. Just don't expect the boys to invite him out for drinks after the game...

08-03-2022, 07:07 PM	#860
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,011	Week 4: May 10th-May 16th Weekly Record: 4-2 Seasonal Record: 17-8 (1st, 1 GA) Stars of the Week Cal Knight : 2 Wins, 4.0 IP, 1 BB, 2 K, 0.00 ERA Hank Barnett : 21 AB, 9 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .429 AVG, .996 OPS Dick Walker : 28 AB, 8 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .286 AVG, .839 OPS Schedule 5-12: Loss vs Sailors (7-1) 5-13: Win vs Sailors (2-4) 5-14: Win vs Sailors (1-2): 19 innings 5-15: Win vs Cannons (1-3) 5-16: Loss vs Cannons (9-3) 5-16: Win vs Cannons (8-7): 11 innings Recap The Cougars kept on rolling with four wins in six games, but it wasn't as exciting as you might think. Yes, we took two out of three from both the Sailors and the Cannons, but our opponents matched our run totals, and we needed two extra inning walk-offs to secure the series. Both of our losses weren't close, losing by six each time, but we now hold a game lead over the Cannons. We even got to Deuce, scoring 7 runs off 7 hits and 5 walks against the guy who had only one run allowed prior. The injury bug hit us hard this week, as seven Cougars were diagnosed with some sort of ailment. The one that hurt the most was the generally durable Harry Parker, who left his first start with a sore shoulder. He then pitched in the finale against the Cannons, but to avoid further issues he'll head to the IL for hopefully no more then two weeks. Parker allowed 11 runs (9 earned) in 13 innings this week with 17 hits, 6 walks, and 7 strikeouts. It ended a nice three start run, but for the season he is a still strong 2-1 with a 2.88 ERA (121 ERA+), 1.22 WHIP, 11 walks, and 24 strikeouts. Replacing Parker in the rotation will be Ken Matson, who now won't have to worry about losing his roster spot until Parker is back and healthy. Matson has pitched most of our innings out of the pen, and made three appearances this week. He went 5.1 innings with just 2 hits, a run, 4 walks, and 6 strikeouts. His numbers on the season are close to average, 2-3 with 2 saves, a 3.54 ERA (98 ERA+), 1.43 WHIP, 16 walks, and 14 strikeouts in 28 innings pitched. 12 of his 13 appearances have came from the pen, but he'll now get a few more chances to start. With nine pitchers now on the staff, we won't need to call anyone up from AAA, and I can instead return Tip Harrison to the big league club a weak early. Injured in the Spring, he played 13 games down in Milwaukee on rehab. The versatile 31-year-old hit a productive .327/.407/.385 (121 OPS+) with 3 doubles, 5 steals, and 5 RBIs. When Parker returns, he'll take the roster spot of either Matson or Bunny Hufford, who went 2-for-12 with a walk and 2 runs scored this week. With Parker gone, we'll need a lot of production from the remainder of the staff, which had their work cut out for them with his initial injury and 12 extra innings. Jim Lonardo was dominant yet again, but was stuck with a no decision. He pitched 11 in our 19 inning win, allowing just 4 hits, a walk, and strikeout with an unearned run. Yes, if Clark Car had just not botched Oscar King's ground out, we would have saved ourselves a full game, but it really allowed Lonardo to show he's just as good as any 25-year-old pitcher. He was actually the only guy to pitch 9 innings on the week, with Joe Brown coming an out short. He still got the win, giving up 4 hits, 2 runs, and 3 walks with 6 strikeouts. Dick Lyons went just 6 with 7 hits and a run to pick up his 3rd win of the season. Him, Lonardo, and Brown all have 3 wins and Lonardo's 2.25 is the highest of the trio. Johnnie Jones' ERA, however, is now almost higher then the three of them combined (6.17 vs. 6.60), as he allowed 9 hits, 8 runs, and 3 walks with 3 strikeouts in just 4 innings. Looking at the pen, everyone actually pitched this week, the first time that's happened this season. Last year it took a few months before Pug Bryan got innings, but each arm threw at least three innings, and Pug himself doubled that mark. He wasn't great, 6 innings with 9 hits, 2 runs, a walk, and 4 strikeouts. I had no plans of giving him a start this year, but if we need a 6th man, he's probably our best option. He hasn't started a big league game since 1938, but was a 23 start pitcher as a rookie. The other option would be Angel Lopez, who threw 3 innings with 2 hits, a run, and 2 walks. It was his first run in now 5.2 innings, and Lopez did start 24 games in the minors last season. The double headers make things difficult, but with an off day after a double header on Sunday, I think we can survive this week with just five starters. Cal Knight won't start, but he did pick up two wins, tossing 4 hitless innings with a walk and 2 strikeouts. Ben Curtin picked up a save, going 5 with 2 hits and 2 strikeouts. Curtin will return to the stopper role, but despite it belonging to Matson, he does lead the team with 3 saves and he has yet to allow a run in 9.1 innings pitched. The bats were ice cold, but most of that can be blamed on the 19 inning game. One guy who didn't slump was Hank Barnett, who went 9-for-21 with a double, 4 runs, 4 walks, and 2 RBIs. The beloved superstar has been on a tear since joining the Cougars, slashing .337/.426/.449 (153 OPS+) with 2 doubles, 3 homers, and 16 RBIs. His .401 wOBA is identical to his Whitney Season last year, and his 162 WRC+ would be a career high. Dick Walker put together another nice week, 8-for-28 with 3 doubles, a triple, 2 RBIs, 4 runs, 4 walks, and his league leading 7th steal. Rich Langton didn't play much, but hit well when he did, 3-for-7 with a double, RBI, 4 runs, and 4 walks. Our only other hitter with a decent week was Leo Mitchell, but he was just 7-for-25 with a homer, 2 runs, and 3 RBIs. (A fun little tidbit on Mitchell, who has developed into arguably the most consistent hitter in baseball. From 1937 to 1942, he has recorded an OPS+ of 130, 132, or 135, and he has not spent a day on the IL). Skipper, Moss, and Car all really struggled, with the trio combining to go just 11-for-63. Car and Skipper both doubled and drove in two, with Car swiping two bases, but we'll need more production from them next week. Orlin Yates came back down to earth, just 4-for-17 with a walk and pair of runs scored. We'll need to hit better next week if we want to stay in first, but we've been so good in May it's really hard to complain. Looking Ahead Our homestand continues with four hosting Toronto, who we have yet to face this season. The Wolves have gotten off to a decent start, 13-10 and tied for third with the Kings. Losing George Garrison was killer for the Wolves, but his co-ace Joe Hancock has still been excellent. The 30-year-old is 3-1 with a 2.72 ERA (133 ERA+), 1.07 WHIP, 9 walks, and 20 strikeouts. Hancock is one of the best pitchers in the game, and Bernie Johnson (2-1, 2.10, 4) has pitched well for them too. Beyond that, the pitching situation is rather murky, as Chick Wirtz (1-3, 4.02, 8) looks like his old self and Bob Walls (2-1, 5.40, 10) has been hit hard. Former Cougar prospect Juan Pomales (0-2, 9.69, 2) has looked awful on the mound, but the starting center fielder is hitting a much better .303/.361/.408 (113 OPS+) with a double, 2 triples, a homer, 2 steals, and 11 RBIs. He leads the team in batting average and is one of the few Wolves hitters producing, as Charlie Artuso (.210, 1, 6) has been ice cold, Walt Pack (.243, 1, 7) is looking like the 1940 version of himself, and corner outfielders Reginald Westfall (.187, 1, 8) and Larry Vestal (219, 3) have sub 70 OPS+. At least Mike Rollison (.301, 2, 10) is hitting like he did before an injury ended his rookie season, but the Wolves offense has a lot of holes, and we should be able to keep them off the board. Joe Hancock pitched yesterday, so we might lucky out and miss him, which should make this a very exciting series for Cougar fans. Our homestand and long run of games ends with the Foresters, who we'll host for four games in three days. Like the Wolves, we have not seen the Foresters, but they are in their familiar home at the cellar of the CA. At 6-17, they are already 10 games behind us, and anything less then a sweep will be utter disappointment. They've scored the fewest amount of runs and are tied for the most given up, which is generally not the recipe for success. It's hard to find a bright spot on the big league club, as all members of the rotation have a sub 100 ERA+, and potential trade pieces in Hank Stratton (.253, 11) and Dan Fowler (.207, 2, 4) both aren't hitting much. That being said, they have a few productive hitters, with leadoff man Cal Howe (.298, 7, 2) and Rule-5 Pick Bill Carr (.305, 1, 7, 1) off to great starts. Beyond that there's not too much going right, and rookie shortstop Chuck Harrington (.180, 6, 1) is the only batter younger then 26, and he's already 25. The Cleveland farm has some pieces, but they only have 2 of their top 10 prospects in AAA, and both of them (Pete Sigmund and Wally Fuller) are out to war. The Foresters are a long way from competing, and probably won't be close until top prospect Hiram Steinberg finishes up in the Navy. It's also almost draft time, as the pool will be revealed next sim, and my guess is we will complete the draft over the weekend. I am really excited to see how first rounder Tommy Seymour does in his first season, as the 17-year-old righty from Kansas is a pitcher I think will end up ranking very high on the prospect lists. I run a new draft list frequently through the season, and while Al Clement is no longer in Weinstock's top 10, he ranks 16th Overall and 13th for position players, and Seymour is listed as his last option in the first round. On the pitcher list, Seymour ranks 6th and regional draftee Dick Garcia 14th. All three are high schoolers, so their stats won't be the most telling, but I'll cover all three in tomorrow's write up. As always, I'll be looking to pick up picks, but it might be hard to find a match. We don't have many extra picks this year, with just the Miners 10th Rounder to go with the 13th Pick in each round. Minor League Report CF Jim Madsen (AA Mobile Commodores): Things haven't quite gone the right for the now 26-year-old Jim Madsen, who despite all the enlistments still finds himself back in AA. He had 19 games in AAA in 1940 and 12 more last year, but he's hit just .179/.246/.188 (25 OPS+) with a double, steal, and 5 RBIs. Still, the former 8th Rounder has just put his nose to the grindstone, and is trying to prove that he deserves a larger sample at our highest level. Madsen is off to a great start this season, slashing .349/.423/.540 (153 OPS+) with 3 doubles, 3 homers, and 16 RBIs. This most recent week was one of his personal bests, as the center fielder took home Player of the Week in the Dixie League. Madsen went 10-for-25 with a homer, 5 runs, and 8 RBIs. A very disciplined hitter, Madsen has never struck out more then he walked in a season, but he also rarely provides above average overall production at the plate. And since his glove isn't much better then average out in center, he will need to hit more as there is no shot of him sticking in a corner. Tom Weinstock has always been a fan, but even he now thinks Madsen is no more then a 4th outfielder. With a lack of depth at the center field position, Madsen may force his way into a cup of coffee, but unless Bunny Hufford stays up in Chicago longer then the Parker injury, the Blues won't have a need for a light hitting center fielder. 2B Bob Griffen (C La Crosse Lions): With all the enlistments and injuries, there are a lot of guys getting playing time that they generally would not have. For most, they perform poorly and don't take advantage of it, but that has not been the case for Bob Griffen. Griffen, our 16th Rounder from 1940, did get some playing time last season before the draft, but it eventually went away. He hit really well in 320 trips to the plate, slashing .335/.412/.502 (137 OPS+) with 26 doubles, 4 triples, 4 homers, 4 steals, and 61 RBIs with an impressive 38-to-5 walk-to-strikeout ratio. It's just 50 PAs this year, but Griffen has taken it to the next level, batting an otherworldly .419/.500/.721 (189 OPS+) with 2 doubles, a triple, 3 homers, 2 steals, and 15 RBIs. A strictly right side of the infield player, Griffen is manning second with Billy Biggar at first, but he doesn't really have the glove to stick at second in the upper levels. The 20-year-old's bat is what excites, as he makes good contact, won't whiff, and hopefully generates power as he fills in. At least one C ball lineup slot will be filled by 2nd Rounder Al Clement, but if Griffen keeps hitting like this, I'll be able to find a spot for him somewhere, perhaps up in San Jose where both first and second are up for grabs.