Chicago Cougars (FABL) - Page 63

ayaghmour2 · 10-23-2023, 10:28 PM

The Rule-5 Draft will happen tomorrow morning, and for once I actually didn't even look at the pool. It's not just because we have a full 40-man roster, but I just don't see room for a Rule-5 Pick on the active roster. We have a lot of guys who deserve to play in the majors and I'm probably going to be making some tough cuts this spring.

Man I miss draft pick trading...

RHP Zane Kelley (#231 Overall)
Acquired: Via Trade with Kings (1947)
AAA: 13-8, 188.2 IP, 4.15 ERA (109 ERA+), 1.49 WHIP, 61 BB, 61 K
CWL: 2-0, SV, 20 IP, 0.90 ERA (508 ERA+), 0.80 WHIP, 7 BB, 9 K

Start one was great. Start two was amazing! Zane Kelley kept runners off the base all game, allowing just 2 hits and 4 walks with 3 strikeouts in a game where he needed to be perfect. He only picked up the win since he didn't allow a run, as the Stallions gave him just one run of support. This extended the team win streak to four, giving them a division best 5-2 record. Kelley also pitches out of the pen for some reason, but he excelled in both of those outings too. He got each of the last two hitters out to earn a save, and then threw an inning and a third hitless innings with a walk and three strikeouts. If there were Player of the Weeks, he would have won it, as he allowed just two hits and five walks with six strikeouts in eleven scoreless innings. Obviously it's way too early to talk about league leaders, but his 0.90 ERA (508 ERA+) is best in the league and no pitcher has thrown more innings then him. The CWL appears to be an excellent place for Kelley to showcase himself, and if his 3.00 FIP (65 FIP-) is any indication, he's going to have an excellent string of starts as the Stallions look to win their first ever division title.

ayaghmour2 · 10-24-2023, 07:29 PM

The Rule-5 draft came and went, and to my surprise, three of our players were selected. I was actually really happy with one of them, as the Chiefs selected Bill Martin with the first pick of the draft. I didn't even consider that "Mr. Semi-Automatic" would be selected, as he spent all season in Class B San Jose. 23 in December, he could have been in Lincoln or even Mobile, but we had Mike Bordes (who was added to the 40) and Garland Phelps ahead of him. The former 7th Rounder was worth nearly 6 WAR (5.8) with a 146 WRC+ in 132 games. He hit an impressive .323/.439/.476 (137 OPS+) and supplied 25 doubles, 7 triples, 10 homers, and 71 RBIs. The most impressive thing might have been his 91-to-25 walk-to-strikeout ratio, owning a robust 16.6 BB% to just a 4.6 K%. Despite all this, Martin was absent from the top 500 prospect list, but the new version does seem to be be harsh to catchers (just seven top 100 prospects and only six prospects from 75th to 500th). I still thought he had value as a backup catcher, but the reason I'm happy with losing him is he'll get to play with his dad on the Chiefs. 42 on Opening Day, Bob Martin is still kicking it, as he plans to return to the field despite a torn PCL ending his season in July. Bob may still get starts, but Bill will be All-Star Pete Casstevens (.279, 26, 76), backup who doesn't take many days off. Coming off a 61-93 season, there's no risk for the Chiefs adding a young backup catcher. I expect Martin to last all season, and I'm expecting him and his father to become the second father-son duo in FABL history.

While I didn't expect any losses, one guy I thought was most likely to be lost was Billy Biggar, who will rather surprisingly join the New York Stars. Biggar didn't have a spot with us, and after hitting .396/.449/.546 (154 OPS+) with 52 doubles, 10 triples, 5 homers, and 109 RBIs in 138 games with the Commodores. I guess he could stick on the bench, but they have both Bill Barnett (.307, 16, 40) and Freddie Jones (.281, 3, 25, 3) at first base. It's a tough ask for Biggar to beat out two guys with plenty of big league experience, and I'd love for him to return. The last loss is an AI favorite, Reginald Westfall (.220, 1, 4), who was drafted and later returned by the Foresters last season. He'll join the Cannons, who plan on using him over Sam Brown (.303, 9, 57). I don't expect Westfall to last the season in Cincinnati, but I'd be happy for the soon-to-be 35-year-old getting one last hoorah in the big leagues.

RHP Harry Beardsley (#123 Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 10th Round, 156th Overall (1946)
AA: 10-12, 180 IP, 3.75 ERA (116 ERA+), 1.33 WHIP, 76 BB, 96 K
CWL: 1-1, 13.2 IP, 1.98 ERA (230 ERA+), 1.54 WHIP, 10 BB, 7 K

Harry Beardsley's first start didn't go so well. He allowed 6 hits, 4 walks, and 3 runs, chased out by the Palms with two outs in the fifth. But as the calm and collected righty normally does, he bounced right back when given the chance. He had his stuff going to open the week, as a four one 1st helped Beardsley cruise to a complete game victory. If it wasn't for Jimmy Hairston's (.333, 1, 6) fourth inning error, it would have been a shutout, as the only two runs for Cienfuegos came after the error. Beardsley struck out 4 with 5 hits and 6 walks, evening his record at 1-1 for the first place Stallions. Beardsley dropped his ERA way down to 1.98 (230 ERA+), and he's struck out 7 in 13.2 inning pitched. One thing that is shocking is the 10 walks, as his BB% has jumped from a respectable 9.7% in Mobile to an elevated 16.7. He's never posted a BB% that high, and the former 10th Rounder tends to strikeout more hitters then he walks. Ranked just outside the top 100 prospect list, Beardsley doesn't project to have walk issues, but Dixie Marsh views his command as just average. It's good enough to get by, as when he locates his fastball, his change up does all the work. It's his best pitch and a tough one to hit, so if he keeps the ball in the zone he's going to have success in the majors. He'll never be a top of the rotation arm, even in a rotation that's not as skilled as ours, but he looks like a durable back-end starter who gives you a chance to win each day. He's got the perfect mindset for a pitcher, working to improve his game and unphased by past failures. He may be our most advanced prospect, and if he keeps pitching like this, I don't think I can start him anywhere other then the Blues rotation.t

2B Bob Schmelz (#175 Overall)
Acquired: Via Trade with Detroit (1945)
FABL: .000/.000/000 (-100 OPS+), 4 PA
AAA: .324/.429/.498 (134 OPS+), 494 PA, 20 2B, 6 3B, 13 HR, 75 RBI
CWL: .353/.436/.529 (143 OPS+), 39 PA, 3 2B, HR, 6 RBI

Another Cuban League veteran, Bob Schmelz had a decent go of it last year for the Stallions, hitting .262/.376/.467 (104 OPS+) in 197 trips to the plate. The former 1st Rounder added 9 doubles, 2 triples, 7 homers, and 24 RBIs with almost twice as many walks (30) as strikeouts (17). This season has been a noticeable improvement, as while it's still just ten games, his 158 WRC+ trails only Milwaukee teammate Jimmy Hairston (171) in the Stallions lineup. Schmelz has hit an impressive .353/.436/.529 (143 OPS+) and has yet to strike out in 39 trips to the plate. He's walked five time and has added three doubles, six runs, six RBIs, and a home run. Part of the reason Billy Biggar was unprotected is Schmelz's presence with the club, as the "second basemen" has spent all his innings at first. He's never been much of a defender, but his gifted bat has carried him to Chicago. A big showing here would help him make a case to break camp this Spring, as both first and second could theoretically be open. As a righty, he can platoon with Red Bond, and the Clark Car/Billy Hunter platoon that's been so good in the past seems uninspiring going into 1949. It's a longshot for the Charleroi native, but if he can stay healthy he's going to be a very useful hitter for a big league team.

ayaghmour2 · 10-25-2023, 08:46 PM

RHP Harry Beardsley (#81 Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 10th Round, 156th Overall (1946)
AA: 10-12, 180 IP, 3.75 ERA (116 ERA+), 1.33 WHIP, 76 BB, 96 K
CWL: 1-1, 20.2 IP, 1.74 ERA (258 ERA+), 1.31 WHIP, 14 BB, 11 K

Look who's back in the top 100! With one bad start and one good start, I wasn't quite sure what to expect from Harry Beardsley this week, but he did a good job keeping the Cienfuegos lineup in check for the rematch. He left after seven, allowing 2 hits, a run, and 4 walks with 4 strikeouts. No win for Beardsley, as the Stallions only supplied him with an Elmer Grace (.258, 4) RBI single, and the Crocs got to Curt Campbell (1-1, 6.00, 5) for four after Beardsley left. The walks are still concerning, but Beardsley has struck out 12.6% of hitters he faced Walks seem to be up all around int he CWL, so there may be no cause for concern, but start three was the first time he didn't walk more batters then he struck out. He'll get another start on Saturday, so I'll be watching to see how well he can command the zone. Between him and Kelley, Santa Clara has a deadly 1-2 punch, and if we can finally get Ron Berry (1-2, 5.25, 12) going, the Stallions may be able to win their first Western Division title.

RF Jimmy Hairston (#141 Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 61st Overall (1943)
AAA: .268/.365/.424 (100 OPS+), 558 PA, 21 2B, 3 3B, 16 HR, 72 RBI
CWL: .372/.500/.488 (153 OPS+), 54 PA, 2 2B, HR, 7 RBI

Very few players can do what Jimmy Hairston has done so far: reach base every other plate appearance while walking at a 20.4 % clip. As crazy as that sounds, that's exactly what Hairston has done so far, as he's posted a 176 WRC+ in his first 13 games for the first place Stallions. It's hard to believe they'd be in the lead without him, as his .372/.500/.488 line is best on the team, leading Santa Clara in average, OBP, OPS (.988), and WAR (0.7). One thing he doesn't lead in is, ironically, walks, as leadoff man Johnny Peters (.283, 11, 1) has 13 in 74 PAs (12.8%), but Hairston's BB% clears quite easily. Only three players, including Sailors starting outfielder Joe Scott (.368, 1, 11, 2), have a higher OBP then Hairston and his 153 OPS+ is sixth in the league. It's a long winter season, but Hairston has got off to an enviable start, and there's nothing that would lead me to believe that he's going to slow down any time soon. Despite being ranked outside of the top 100, he's an extremely gifted young player, who should be able to maintain high triple slashes in the majors, even without the double digit power you prefer in a corner bat.

RHP Zane Kelley (#225 Overall)
Acquired: Via Trade with Kings (1947)
AAA: 13-8, 188.2 IP, 4.15 ERA (109 ERA+), 1.49 WHIP, 61 BB, 61 K
CWL: 3-0, SV, 33 IP, 1.36 ERA (330 ERA+), 1.00 WHIP, 10 BB, 15 K

I really don't want to cover every Zane Kelley start, but if he keeps pitching like this, how can I stop? Make it a third complete game victory for the former 7th Rounders, who was excellent in the Stallions 8-2 win over the Matanzas Buccaneers. The 11 hits were the most he's allowed so far, but he walked just one with two earned runs, striking out 4 to improve to 3-0. Last week he also made a pair of relief outings, allowing just 3 hits, a run, and 2 walks with 2 strikeouts in 4 innings pitched. Now in 33 innings, Kelley owns a 1.36 ERA (330 ERA+), good for second in the CWL, while his 1.00 WHIP is best down south. Early on he's made plenty of improvements, as he's kept his BB% similar (7.4 to 7.6) while increasing his K% (7.4 to 11.4) by four. There's still plenty of season left, but it's great seeing Kelley succeed in both a starter and pen role. We don't have an obvious opening in our rotation, but our pen doesn't really have any spots guaranteed. His options will work against him, but it's hard to ignore his dominance in the winter.

ayaghmour2 · 10-26-2023, 08:10 PM

It's almost draft time! If everything goes as planned, the lottery will be run tomorrow with the draft starting up on the weekend, and despite finishing in 2nd place this is very exciting for Cougar fans. The only plus to last year's awful season and not winning the title this year is three lottery balls for the first two rounds, as our 14-win increase was best in the association. This class is really good, especially at the top, so as much as I want to win the first round lottery, winning the second round iteration may be better. There are a lot more then twenty guys I'd love to add to the system, but being able to potentially add two guys from our top ten will be huge. Otherwise, we'll be picking 13th in each round, as my favorite draft pick trades are no longer allowed. I can't remember the last time we only had all 25 of our picks, as you have to go back all the way to 1937 just to find a draft where we had only our four picks in the first four rounds, although without further exploration it does look like we only had our 25 selections.

RHP Zane Kelley (#224 Overall)
Acquired: Via Trade with Kings (1947)
AAA: 13-8, 188.2 IP, 4.15 ERA (109 ERA+), 1.49 WHIP, 61 BB, 61 K
CWL: 4-0, SV, 43.2 IP, 1.03 ERA (454 ERA+), 0.94 WHIP, 17 BB, 20 K

"I really don't want to cover every Zane Kelley start, but if he keeps pitching like this, how can I stop?"

Generally something like that is bound to come with a curse us Cougar fans have endured season after season. This would result in a ten-run blowout or a poorly timed ruptured UCL.

But there's a different air in the Windy City now, as the Chicago Wildcats got revenge on the New York Stars for an embarrassing finals shutout, throttling the Stars at Cougars Park (man I wish we did that!) in a gross, windy, and snowy gridiron match. Then the Chicago Packers, who have went from first to worst, finally won two games in a row, something they've only done one other time in their miserable cellar dwelling season.

And now Zane Kelley has a no-hitter!

Crazy enough, it wasn't even his sharpest start, but the 23-year-old righty scattered seven walks and struck out four in a 3-0 victory. This expanded the Stallions lead over the Crocs to three games, now 13-6 as we inch closer to the New Year. No pitcher has thrown more innings then Kelley, who also threw an inning and two thirds of scoreless ball earlier in the week. He now has the lowest ERA, a sparkly 1.03 (454 ERA+) that is now two points lower then the World Champion Ralphie Spiers (4-1, 1.05, 27), and Kelley's 0.94 WHIP trails just Samuel Harris (3-0, 2.52, 14), a Keystone farmhand with an impressive 0.84 WHIP and 5.3 K/BB. Walks seem to be the only thing Kelley doesn't excel at, as he has 17 in 43.2 innings, while surrendering just 24 hits. He's still striking out (20) more hitters, but there's a reason his 3.51 FIP (75 FIP-) is so high. At least relatively.

I want to promise this is the last Kelley shoutout, at least until next week, but it's clear. This man can't be stopped! The only question now, is how does he fit into our staff? Do we run with a six-man rotation? There's no way I can even briefly consider him supplanting George Oddo, who went 10-9 with a 3.09 ERA (127 ERA+), 1.17 WHIP, and 116 strikeouts in his first 200 inning season, but how do I ignore Kelley's dominance? Even Duke Bybee (3-6, 3.58, 46) wasn't this dominant in Cuba, and he's coming off a 21-win season with a 2.75 ERA (143 ERA+), 1.12 WHIP, and 108 strikeouts. Kelley can't be better then Duke, can he? Something's got to give soon, right?

Oh well, for now I'm just going to sit back, relax, and enjoy the surprise emergence of Santa Clara legend Zane Kelley!

Thanks Hank Barnett!

ayaghmour2 · 10-27-2023, 08:34 PM

I was so excited going into this morning because we had three balls in the lottery. But as luck would have it, those were the last three selected, as we will be picking exactly where we would have been had their been no lottery at all. Pick 13... There was less then a one percent (0.3497!) chance of that happening, and with no draft pick trading it is a devastating blow considering the guy I want is still available at ten.

Luckily this draft is extremely deep, and I will still get someone of talent at pick thirteen. My scout still has four players remaining on his top ten, so if I really wanted I could be guaranteed one of his top selections. We faired a bit better in the second lottery, moving up from 13 to 7, but considering we had three balls in every round we faired extremely poor. We should still be able to improve some on 85 wins, but we had a really good chance to get two top twenty picks and instead we'll draft like a team that finished second in their association.

Man I miss draft pick trading...

SS Rupert Heinbaugh (#338 Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 7th Round, 107th Overall (1945)
AA: .352/.414/.455 (122 OPS+), 190 PA, 12 2B, 3B, HR, 16 RBI, SB
A: .318/.385/.475 (128 OPS+), 357 PA, 23 2B, 7 3B, 4 HR, 47 RBI, 5 SB
CWL: .262/.351/.429 (94 OPS+), 97 PA, 6 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, SB

After having his way with in his stays a Lincoln (128 WRC+) and Mobile (132 WRC+), Rupert Heinbaugh has ran into his first minor road block in Santa Clara. The now 22-year-old has still been good enough to start, playing an excellent third base (3.4, 1.099) with a more then respectable .262/.351/.429 (94 OPS+) in 97 trips to the plate. He's added 6 doubles, a triple, 2 homers, 7 RBIs, and a steal. He's walked (12) a bit more then he's struck out (8), but his BB% (12.4) isn't on the level of Johnny Peters (16.8) and Jimmy Hairston (18.3). All told, it's a noticeable improvement on his 1947 Winter, where he hit just .239/.348/.321 (64 OPS+) in 42 games. As you can tell from the OBP, he's always been able to draw walks, and it's not rare to see his BB% above 9. Last year his hits weren't landing as frequent, hitting just .237 in San Jose and .179 in Lincoln, so I'm curious to see how he responds in the New Year. Will he return to the level of offense he displayed in his breakout season? Or was 1948 just quick detour on the route to becoming a utility infielder.

I couldn't do another Zane Kelley write up, but the all powerful righty picked up his fifth victory of the season, retiring all eleven hitters he faced in the Stallions 8-4 extra inning win. Kelley allowed a hit and a strikeout in an inning the game before, and he hasn't allowed a run since December 15th. That accounts for 17.1 scoreless innings, as Kelley improved his league leading ERA and WHIP to 0.93 (510 ERA+) and 0.87 WHIP in a league high 48.1 innings pitched.

ayaghmour2 · 10-28-2023, 04:45 PM

1st Round, 13th Overall: 2B Biff Tiner
School: Elkin Elks
1948: .520/.574/.867, 116 PA, 14 2B, 7 3B, 2 HR, 28 RBI, 33 SB
Career: .511/.571/.856, 373 PA, 44 2B, 18 3B, 10 HR, 95 RBI, 81 SB

I'll be honest, my excitement for this draft went from 100 to 0 about as quickly as it could. With three lottery balls, I thought we had a really good chance to pick in the top five, so falling all the way down to 13th was a gut punch mixed with a stab in the heart all followed up by a curb stomp from lady luck when it looked like things were starting to go right for the city.

The worst part is towards the end I got my hopes up because one of the guys I really wanted was still available at ten, a pick we had to wake a while for, and on command, that was the pick where the Eagles crushed my heart once more by selecting "Smokestack Lightning" from Lane State. How can you resist a name like that!

Tom Perkins, who turns 22 in May, will be a three year starter at short, and is coming off a season where he hit .329 with 13 doubles, 9 triples, 3 homers, 33 RBIs, 40 steals and an excellent 23-to-5 walk-to-strikeout ratio. Yes, we have Skipper at short, but Perkins looks to be a five-tool player -- if the power comes through -- and he could be ready for the big leagues after draft day. He would have been an awesome addition to the roster, playing at third against lefties, but instead we had to go back to the drawing board.

Call it drafting for need, listening to my scout, going with the best available, or being tired on a Saturday morning after a thrilling game one, but the eventual first pick for us be Biff Tiner, a 17-year-old second basemen from Burlington, North Carolina. We didn't have a first round pick last year, which may be the last time that happens, but this makes four consecutive drafts where our first pick came from the high school ranks.

Now don't get my sadness/disappointment mistaken for a lack of talent, as even in a class like this, missing out on your top targets always stings. It would have been better in a non-lottery world, as picking 13th would be expected and I would have planned my draft accordingly. But I've never been a fan of taking non SP/CF/SS/C with an early pick.

Still, once the disappointment finally fades, it will be a lot easier to appreciate Biff Tiner, even if he doesn't end up going the Bob Allen route and become a top 10 prospect. A four year starter at Elkin, Tiner is a very intriguing prospect despite being a natural second basemen with no experience elsewhere. Standing at 6'2'', Tiner has the chance to be elite, and Dixie Marsh even goes ahead and says so. He loves his speed, contact tool, and even potential power, saying he profiles as a "potential elite second basemen on a contending team." Second base is one of our few weak spots right now. even if Clark Car actually ranks 7th according to OSA, as him and Billy Hunter are both 34 and won't be around forever. Sure, someone like George Sutterfield or Elmer Grace could shift over to the keystone, but neither of them have the bat of Tiner.

A two-time .500 hitter, Biff owns an impressive .511/.571/.856 line in 73 games with 72 extra base hits and 81 steals. He walks at a near 10% rate (9.9) and strike out just over 5% (5.1) of the time, and his hard work has paid off. He's the first guy in and the last guy to leave, spending countless hours in the cage as he works on his swing. This should help him develop above average power, as he has the frame for it just not yet the muscle. Leaning what pitches he can and can't handle will be the next step, as since he swings with such authority, when he makes contact he shoots frozen ropes to the pull side and has the speed to take advantage of his hits in the gaps. He should be a great base stealer, can take advantage of weak grounders in the infield, and is always looking to take the extra base. What may have hurt us last year, well, aside from the one-run games and league worst OBP, is the fact that we clogged up the bases with old vets like Mitchell, Sharp, Pack, and Mead, so adding some speed and excitement on the bases is something I've wanted to do.

Since he doesn't turn 18 until July, Tiner won't be a reinforcement anytime soon, but he's the type of guy who seems destined to have a long career in the majors. Elite may be a stretch, but second base is a weak position and he has a chance to be the best one. Dixie likes him enough to rank him in his top five for the pool, and while I don't think he'll crack the top 25 right away, he seems likely to rank in the top 100 until he's ready to debut. What will determine stardom for Tiner is the power, and the combination of work ethic, our development squad, and his height, it gives be all the belief I need that he can develop into a top-three second basemen. He'll hit for a high average, won't strike out, and should be more then capable of playing an excellent second base. The more I write about him, the more sold I am we'll be alright, but part of me believes that he still would have been available when our second pick came up. But with most of the guys I like already gone, I knew I had to take him when the opportunity came, and we should be very grateful with the player he turns into.

But he doesn't have a cool nickname like Smokestack Lightning...

Biff... Biff... Biff...

Can we make that cool?

Burlington Biff? Does that work?

Oh well, I have a few seasons to brainstorm!

ayaghmour2 · 10-29-2023, 12:48 AM

2nd Round, 23rd Overall: RHP Wilson McKinney
School: Colonel White Cougars
1948: 4-0, 52.1 IP, 1.38 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 13 BB, 85 K
Career: 4-0, 52.1 IP, 1.38 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 13 BB, 85 K

Again, the pick in the moment felt devastating, but just like with Biff we still get a very talented player. There were two pitchers I really wanted with this pick. The first was Ike Brannan, who went 19th, and then I kid you not, Dick Champ, who was taken directly ahead of us by the Miners. Champ is a very interesting prospect, who Dixie Marsh not only calls a "#2 starter", but played short, third, second, and left in his three years at Middlesex in New Jersey. Two way players are always fun, and he was talented enough to make it to FABL either way.

I'm not as high on Wilson McKinney as Dixie Marsh, who lists him as the 9th best player in the draft. That's a bit high, but in a deep class like this one there are plenty of good players available, and despite minimal innings as a junior, he gives off some Harry Parker vibes. No, he's not a lazy towering righty who's arm doesn't work anymore, but he's a five pitch prep arm who looks to be far more development then the rest of his class. He doesn't have the "Starter" current rating, but McKinney has five intriguing pitches and his cutter already hits 89. He added a knuckle curve this winter, but the crown jewel is his splitter. He's an athletic kid with elite stuff and his command (5.8 BB%; 6.5 K/BB) has impressed in his small sample of innings. There's a lot of risk chasing someone like this, but he's a brilliant kid who will always look to find ways to improve. I think him and Garland Phelps may be the perfect combo, as their combined brainpower would put most to shame. They have the mental aspect of the game mastered and could end up fooling the best of batters. If they can share their knowledge with the team, they could make those around them better, but in the minors I'm okay with focusing on themselves. The kids eager to learn and I could even see a sixth pitch coming in his future. Depending on how his senior year goes, he could start with a second Cougar team, San Jose, as if all goes well he could be a quick riser in the system.

Our next pick won't come until 45th, and for the remaining eight rounds we'll be picking 13th in the round. Depending on what the other teams do, we may get a lot of players I like, as this is one of the deeper classes in recent years. There's a lot of guys left I would have taken here had McKinney been taken as well, so we should get a few more useful pieces to add to the third ranked system. I've also been thinking some about the season, as it looks less and less likely that we're going to be making any additional acquisitions. There aren't many players available, so we'll have to run it back with most of what we have. My idea now is to move Hal Sharp to left, allowing Carlos Montes to play every day in right field. Chubby Hall and Luke Berry can fight for the right side of the left field platoon, pushing Leo Mitchell back to the bench. It's sad to see a team legend end up this way, but he's no longer the same hitter he once was. We need to win a title, and this may give us the best shot in the coming season.

ayaghmour2 · 10-30-2023, 03:30 PM

The draft went slowly on the weekend, and we're likely to finish it up tonight or tomorrow. Since there is still plenty of time before Spring Training, I'll slowly go through the guys we've selected. This one will cover two picks while the final two will have three a piece. I'll still do daily CWL writeups, and guess what? Zane Kelley did something amazing again! You're stuck hearing about him again later!

3rd Round, 45th Overall: CF Fred Crawford
School: Hardwick Friars
1948: .548/.567/.835, 127 PA, 18 2B, 6 3B, HR, 35 RBI, 32 SB
Career: .541/.564/.808, 253 PA, 35 2B, 10 3B, 2 HR, 70 RBI, 67 SB

I really didn't want to take a center fielder here, I wanted Dick Houston who went 8th in the Round to the Minutemen, but Fred Crawford isn't your average center fielder. In both of his seasons at Hardwick, he hit at least .535, he's about as fast as it gets, and always is putting extra effort in the cage and on the field. That includes taking groundballs, as along with all three outfield positions, Crawford has spent time at second and third base, allowing him to play almost anywhere a need is. Short may be the only position he can't play, but that could be something we work on for him. One thing for sure, is Crawford is going to be in the lineup, probably in the leadoff spot, and he made a huge step forward in the power department. He added a double and two triples in one more trip to the plate, and he had 25 extra base hits in 25 games. The speedster from Massachusetts projects to be a well above average player, with an excellent combination of athleticism and hit tool. He does hit the ball on the ground a lot, but that's not the worth thing, as his grounders down the line can turn into triples and a chopper on the infield grass is 50/50 for an extra base hit. He puts the ball in play almost every at bat, which should lead to an average in the .330s. Add in potentially elite defense and almost no strikeouts, and he gives you everything except power from center field. Depending on how his senior year goes, I may try to push him to San Jose to start his pro career, but wherever Crawford ends up, he'll be playing most days of the week while we look to capitalize off of his versatility.

4th Round, 61st Overall: LHP Buster Clark
School: Santa Cruz Pirates
1948: 4-0, SV, 58 IP, 1.09 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 11 BB, 94 K
Career: 4-0, SV, 58 IP, 1.09 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 11 BB, 94 K

There were a lot of pitchers in this class I liked, but didn't love, and we were running out of those guys. I snapped up southpaw Buster Clark, who like Wilson McKinney, just played as a junior and didn't throw many innings. No extra pitches were gained for Clark, but he already five, with an above average slider the best of the bunch. He uses his sinker a lot as well, which allows him to generate a lot of groundballs and keep the ball in the yard. In a nice change of pace for Cougar hurlers, he already has strong command, which Dixie thinks will develop into "pinpoint command" and he likes his movement enough to expect it to "limit the number of home runs he allows." Despite all the praise, he views him as more as a back of the rotation arm, and I think that may be a little harsh. He's not an ace, and not really a #2, but I think he has all the tools to fill the middle of a rotation. I'm a big fan of guys with strong K/BB numbers, and he seems likely to excel in that metric. At times he can graze 90, and if we can get him in the 91-93 range like a George Oddo, I'd find it very hard to keep a guy like Clark out of a rotation. He does come with risk, including a huge difference between his current and potentials, but he's on the lazier side. That's not to say he doesn't put in the work, he just doesn't do any extra, and needs an extra push to put in the work. Like most prep arms, he'll start his career out in La Crosse, and I'm hoping we can get the most of him.

ayaghmour2 · 10-30-2023, 05:52 PM

SS Elmer Grace (#57 Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 47th Round, 52nd Overall (1948)
AA: .320/.366/.399 (96 OPS+), 311 PA, 14 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 42 RBI, SB
CWL: .241/.354/.315 (73 OPS+), 127 PA, 2 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI

It's been a slow start in the winter league for 4th Rounder Elmer Grace, who has just a 86 WRC+ in 27 games, but he's coming off the best week of his winter. Along with a walk-off double (more below) for the first place Stallions, Grace went 6-for-15 with a homer, another double, 3 runs, 2 walks, and 2 RBIs. Grace has now hit safely in five consecutive games, with three of them two-hit efforts. Despite this hot stretch, the switch hitting middle infielder is hitting just .241/.354/.315 (73 OPS+) in 127 trips to the plate. He has walked (19) a bit more then he's struck out (15), but for someone who should be big league ready, I was expecting a lot more production at the plate. What is nice though is the natural shortstop has spent all but four innings at the keystone, a position I already wanted him to get additional work at. Short is locked up with Skipper, but second could be up for the taking as early as midseason, and Grace is one of our more interesting candidates for a full-time job. The #57 prospect is an excellent defender who can hold his own at the plate. He has a good eye and can work the count to his benefit, but he's still not adept at dealing with the close pitches. I'd like to see him make a bit more contact, as .300 in FABL may be just out of reach, and without much power (2 HR in 311 AA PAs), he's either going to have play defense like Skipper or hit consistently above .300. I'm hoping he can ride this hot streak into a strong end of the season, and if he finishes on a good note, he could join the big league club in the spring for a few extra reps.

RHP Zane Kelley (#221 Overall)
Acquired: Via Trade with Kings (1947)
AAA: 13-8, 188.2 IP, 4.15 ERA (109 ERA+), 1.49 WHIP, 61 BB, 61 K
CWL: 6-0, SV, 58.1 IP, 0.93 ERA (488 ERA+), 0.81 WHIP, 18 BB, 27 K

I already alluded to it earlier, but yet again, Zane Kelley showed out and dominated. He didn't get any run support in his duel against 23-year-old Ray Hatch (1-5, SV, 4.55, 57), so after nine innings the game was tied at one. Kelley came back for the 10th and again kept runs off the board, and after an easy extra frame Kelley had just 4 hits, a run, a walk, and 4 strikeouts. Set to leadoff the bottom of the 10th, Stallions manager Fred Spears let Kelley hit for himself. He was 0-for-3, but managed to draw a leadoff walk, which he himself knows that those tend to bite you in the butt. This turned the order for Johnny Peters (.235, 2, 16, 2), but the former 3rd Pick could not get the job done. Lucky for Kelley, Elmer Grace (241, 2, 7) was ready to go home, and he got a hold of a Hatch pitch, sending Kelley around the bases to score the winning run on Grace's double. This kept Kelley at a perfect 6-0 with a league best 0.93 ERA (488 ERA+) and 0.81 WHIP, with the next closest at 1.71 (265 ERA+) and 1.09. His 3.7 rWAR is a full win and a half above replacement against the next highest and batters are hitting just .148 against him -- just a bit higher then his .125 average. Kelley still leads the circuit with 58.1 innings and his 3.22 FIP (71 FIP-) is third this winter. Every time I think he's done flexing his skill on unsuspecting hitters, he manages to do even more, and at this point I don't know how I can not put him on the big league roster. It may make my life more difficult, sure, but the unexpected breakout of the young righty has managed to deepen an already stellar pitching corps.

ayaghmour2 · 10-31-2023, 11:55 AM

The draft just finished as I was prepping this post, but I'll still do the final three picks sometime tomorrow. We're still about two months away from Spring Training, but the Cuban Winter League will keep me interested for the next month or so. Zane Kelley finally had a hiccup, well, two, and it's caused the Stallions to fall out of first. More on that tonight!

5th Round, 77th Overall: SS Freddie Hutchison
School: North Carolina Tech Techster
1948: .281/.367/.384, 212 PA, 8 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 37 RBI, 39 SB
Career (COL): .268/.359/.367, 456 PA, 15 2B, 3 3B, 6 HR, 67 RBI, 76 SB
Career (HS): .422/.508/.620, 506 PA, 42 2B, 9 3B, 7 HR, 110 RBI, 118 SB

It took not only five rounds for a shortstop, but also a college player, as Freddie Hutchison was the first Cougar selection enrolled in a collegiate institution this fall. This is not the first selection for Hutchison, who has made great strides since being selected by the Sailors in the 23rd Round out of high school. It could be a reach here at five, but there were very few exciting shortstops left and and OSA was a huge fan of him last year. They credit his speed, contact, and eye, predicting him to be a "reliable hitter in the organization's grand scheme." That's more Tom Perkins or John Wells then Freddie Hutchison, but he made significant strides from his freshman to sophomore season. His average jumped up from .257 to .281 and upped his OPS 45 points. This increase in contact ability could help forward his career, as he now has another tool to pair with his discipline and speed. If he can follow up or even improve his performance as a junior, he could be another Elmer Grace type, going up quick the organizational ladder quick due to his defense and approach at the plate. Hutchison is similar, just only from the left side, which could allow them to become the new Billy Hunter and Clark Car. It's a stretch to expect him to rank in the top 100, but I think they have similar floors and ceilings. I'm not as keen on his glove as I am with Grace, so he'll have to hit to keep his spot. I'll play him at short until he tells me he can't. There's plenty of risk with this pick, but I like enough of our later picks to think that taking him is worth the chance.

6th Round, 93rd Overall: CF Lou Jackson
School: College of San Diego Friars
1948: .267/.333/.427, 232 PA, 9 2B, 9 3B, 2 HR, 25 RBI, 73 SB
Career (COL): .268/.336/.451, 434 PA, 17 2B, 16 3B, 7 HR, 48 RBI, 73 SB
Career (HS): .425/.487/.736, 224 PA, 21 2B, 12 3B, 5 HR, 54 RBI, 63 SB

One of the most interesting prospects in the draft, Lou Jackson is a switch hitter who's appeared at games not only in center, but in left, right, second, first, and short. Another college kid, Jackson has also been drafted previously, selected 209th Overall by the Chiefs back in 1946. An athletic outfielder from California, he's yet to truly breakout at the plate, but I couldn't resist his versatility. A gifted athlete, Jackson has excelled in center field and he's one of the fastest guys on the field. I may want to get him a lot of innings on the infield to see how he can handle it, but his best position may still be center field. He doesn't have a ton of upside and profiles mainly as a utility man, but he's 6'2'' and could develop legitimate power if he can fix his workout routines. He doesn't put the ball in play enough to be a light hitter too, but with his speed and plate discipline he could really succeed as a slugger. He gives off some Carlos Montes vibes, who if you remember used to play the infield too, but without the power Montes displayed out of the gate. That's the absolute best case for Jackson, but there's a reason he lasted long, as the chance of him becoming that are quite low.

7th Round, 109th Overall: C Danny Noonan
School: Huntington State Miners
1948: .272/.359/.417, 211 PA, 8 2B, 6 HR, 35 RBI, 13 SB
Career (COL): .272/.372/.431, 412 PA, 13 2B, 14 HR, 71 RBI, 27 SB
Career (HS): .444/.547/.650, 345 PA, 25 2B, 4 3B, 8 HR, 78 RBI, 21 SB

That's three-for-three! After no college picks, the last three have all been college bats, The only difference between Danny Noonan and the other two, are he actually fell in the draft. A three year starter at Sts. John and Paul in Ohio, Noonan was on our draft list for 1946, but he was selected in the 3rd Round by the Pioneers. When he couldn't agree to terms with them, he went to Huntington State, and probably had his eye set on the first two rounds this year. Instead, Noonan slipped and slipped, before we finally made the backstop our 7th Round selection. 21 in February, Dixie thinks he can develop into an average big leaguer, but I'd be happy with a useless backup who can hit a little to go with a great glove. Both Dixie and OSA comment on his plus defense, and that alone should allow him to stick in our system until potentially earning a big league callup. The bat is unrefined, as he doesn't make enough contact, but his patient approach at the plate should lead to a lot of good at bats. He takes the tough pitches and works his share of walks, and in college he walked (54) more then he struck out (35). He's shown a little power too, and its always good for backup catchers to be able to put one over the fence. With Bill Martin leaving the system, there is some room for catchers, and Noonan has a chance to secure a majority of at bats at one of our minor league levels. At worst, he'll get a timeshare with someone like Ernie Frost or Alex O'Dailey, but I could see him moving up the system quick and caddying Garland Phelps in a season or two.

ayaghmour2 · 10-31-2023, 08:28 PM

CF Johnny Peters (#41 Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 1st Round, 3rd Overall (1945)
FABL: .250/.423/.450 (134 OPS+), 26 PA, 2B, HR, RBI
AAA: .320/.415/.462 (122 OPS+), 623 PA, 26 2B, 5 3B, 13 HR, 63 RBI, 7 SB
CWL: .246/.371/.381 (93 OPS+), 145 PA, 7 2B, 3 HR, 17 RBI, 3 SB

Very few went right for the Stallions this week, as Santa Clara dropped all four games, now losers of six in a row. This has dropped the Cougars/Eagles squad to two games out of first, as for the most part the offense has completely dried up. That did not apply to Johnny Peters.

The former 3rd Pick had an excellent week, going 5-for-16 with a double, homer, and four walks. That translated to a .312/.450/.562 (158 OPS+) weekly line which upped his season line to a more respectable .246/.371/.381 (93 OPS+), and his 102 WRC+ is back above average after he slipped below for the past few weeks. A natural center fielder, Peters has been spending his time out in left, which like Grace playing second, works well for us as I somewhat want Peters to grab ahold of the left field job at sometime this season. A disciplined hitter, Peters has matched his walk and strikeout totals with 24 in 145 trips to the plate. He hasn't made a lot of contact, but the extra base hits are huge, as he's clubbed 7 doubles and 3 homers while swiping 3 bases too. This more then makes up for the lack of singles, especially considering that like our stadium, the Stallions' is on the small side. Dixie expects him to hit around .300, like the .320 he posted in Milwaukee, so I'm not overly worried about the small average now. What's good is when he's putting the ball in play, he's hitting it hard, and his 16.6 BB% is higher then each of his stints excluding his freshman year of college (17.0) and his 9 game cup of coffee this September (23.1). He's got exciting tools and its on full display this winter, even if he's not performing exactly as expected. This excellent week is as good as he's been, and I'm hoping he can stay hot the rest of the way.

ayaghmour2 · 11-01-2023, 06:28 PM

CF Johnny Peters (#41 Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 1st Round, 3rd Overall (1945)
FABL: .250/.423/.450 (134 OPS+), 26 PA, 2B, HR, RBI
AAA: .320/.415/.462 (122 OPS+), 623 PA, 26 2B, 5 3B, 13 HR, 63 RBI, 7 SB
CWL: .272/.383/.463 (115 OPS+), 164 PA, 8 2B, 6 HR, 242 RBI, 3 SB

"This excellent week is as good as he's been, and I'm hoping he can stay hot the rest of the way."

I wrote that yesterday. I probably should have waited until today!

Peters brought the power today, as the recently turned 25-year-old doubled his home run total in just four games. The former 3rd Pick hit three out of the park, going 8-for-18 in 4 games with a double, walk, and 7 RBIs as the Stallions won three of four to improve to 19-16 on the season. He's now hitting a comfortably above average .272/.383/.463 (115 OPS+) and overtook Mickey Holloway (.227, 5, 33) for the team lead in homer. Peters now has a strong 123 WRC+ due to 25 walks and 8 doubles, and he's been worth 1.1 WAR while providing solid left field defense (0.9, 1.014). As good as he's been, Dixie Marsh doesn't think he's ready to enter out starting lineup, and Max Wilder still prefers Hal Sharp and Chubby Hall in left. Despite that, I'm starting to think it may be worth starting the season with him in the lineup. A gifted hitter, Peters profiles as a potential .300/.400/.500 hitter, and if he can cut down his strikeouts a bit, there's Whitney votes in his future. Despite all this, he still feels underdeveloped for his age. A little more seasoning may be what it takes to get that star level production, so if our group of corner outfielders doesn't impress, Peters may finish the year as our every day left fielder.

LHP Ron Berry (#80 Overall)
Acquired: Via Draft: 7th Round, 112th Overall (1944)
AA: 7-4, 104 IP, 2.94 ERA (148 ERA+), 1.20 WHIP, 41 BB, 51 K
A: 7-3, 81 IP, 2.11 ERA (192 ERA+), 1.00 WHIP, 19 BB, 59 K
CWL: 2-4, SV, 4.71 ERA (99 ERA+), 1.61 WHIP, 33 BB, 28 K

Very few pitchers had a better 1948 season then Ron Berry, who was dominant at both AA and A ball for us this year. Berry went 14-7 in 24 starts, posting ERA+ of 192 and 148 with FIP- of 66 and 88. These are remarkable numbers for a 22-year-old, as all the hard work he put in the offseason paid dividends this year. Now 23, Berry returned to the Santa Clara Stallions, where he threw 5.2 inning out of the pen for them in the inaugural 1946 season. This time around they're using him where he belongs, the rotation, but the early returns have been mixed. In his first five starts, he allowed four or more runs, including a pair of starts with six earned runs. His last three appearances have been far better, as he has 2.2 scoreless innings out of the pen and an excellent 8 inning start in the Stallions 8-1 win over the Holguin Hawks, who lead the other division. Berry looked like the pitcher he did stateside, allowing just 2 hits, a run, and 3 walks with 5 strikeouts to improve to 2-4 in 9 appearances (6 starts). His 4.71 ERA doesn't look very good, but that's just two percent below average in the high scoring CWL, where only one pitcher (I'm sure you can guess who!) has an ERA below 2.45.

For Berry, it's nice seeing him get extra innings this season, as he's getting every so close to big league ready. We don't need to rush him, but it's great to see how he does against hitters who are more advanced and experienced then him. There are a lot of guys down South who spent their entire seasons in AA or AAA, and since he missed almost two months last season, he's a bit behind in terms of innings for guys from his class. I already planned on giving him a chance to crack the Blues opening day rotation, and a few more starts like his most recent and I think he'll be a lock to start there. The Stallions front three of Kelley-Beardsley-Berry may be the same for the Blues, giving them a pretty exciting rotation in terms of both prospect potential and current ability. Berry has the most upside of the three, but all are current starters and have FABL rotation potential. Berry could be a borderline ace, as long as his command is closer to his Lincoln days (3.1 K/BB) then his Mobile days (1.2 K/BB). The stuff is great, he keeps the ball in the park, and if he's able to master the strike zone too, he's going to carve out a very nice career for himself.

ayaghmour2 · 11-01-2023, 07:05 PM

8th Round, 125th Overall: CF Frank Falcao
School: Mishawaka Pilots
1948: .436/.505/.734, 111 PA, 13 2B, 3 3B, 3 HR, 30 RBI, 23 SB
Career: .436/.505/.734, 111 PA, 13 2B, 3 3B, 3 HR, 30 RBI, 23 SB

I've spoken plenty about our abundance of outfield draft, but after eight rounds, I could no longer pass on Chicagoan Frank Falcao. Nicknamed "Fireball", Falcao is a Chicago kid who went to high school in Indiana, and played varsity for the Mishawka Pilots for the first time as a junior. He didn't have the greatest season, hitting just .436 with 3 homers, 30 RBIs, and 23 steals, but don't let the pedestrian line fool you. There's a lot to like about this kid. If I needed a center fielder, he probably could have gone four rounds earlier, and I like his upside a lot more then the last three guys we selected. A switch hitting outfielder, Falcao is an excellent defender out in center, and the speed translates well on the bases. He's an extremely raw prospect, but with a little work he could develop into a legit five tool prospect. He hits the ball hard, puts the ball in play a lot, and has an excellent eye. Dixie thinks he can draw upwards of 70 walks a year as he has a great feel for the strike zone. The one thing lacking right now is power, but most teenagers aren't hitting the ball 400 feet from home. The difference between becoming a fourth outfielder and an All-Star for Fireball is the home run power. If he can start elevating the ball, he'll be an excellent hitter, but for now his value comes from drawing walks, stealing bases, and snagging liners on the grass.

9th Round, 141st Overall: RHP Luke Wright
School: LaSalle Cavaliers
1948: 8-1, 94.2 IP, 1.81 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 35 BB, 138 K
Career: 8-1, 94.2 IP, 1.81 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 35 BB, 138 K

It's back-to-back Chicagoans for us here, as we picked up LaSalle righty Luke Wright, who moved from the city to the burbs to pitch. Like Falcao, he only played as a junior, and while his 1.81 ERA was on the high side, he struck out 138 hitters in 94.2 innings with just 35 walks. We got a bit lucky here as well, as Dixie's brand new report is better then when we drafted him, noticing his fastball is up a mile to 88-90, and Marsh thinks he can "pitch his way into a back-end rotation opportunity." Like our other two pitchers selected, Wright has a deep five pitch arsenal and there's a chance all five could be big league quality offerings. The increased velocity is huge, as he features both a fastball and sinker, and his change and splitter will get even tougher as he continues to add speed to the hard stuff. Wright doesn't have a best pitch yet, so unless one emerges from the group, his success will come from mixing up his offerings more then overpowering hitters. His command isn't a plus tool, but it's good enough where he shouldn't have to worry too much about walks. Wright doesn't turn 18 until August, so he's even more underdeveloped then the average prep arm. That's not a worry for me, we can take our time working out his kinks, and with his work ethic and quest for learning I'd bet on his dedication and heart to pitch his way up to his hometown team.

10th Round, 157th Overall: RF Delos Williams
School: Lincoln Tigers
1948: .448/.505/.688, 107 PA, 10 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 28 RBI, 9 SB
Career: .436/.493/.660, 344 PA, 32 2B, 6 3B, 8 HR, 89 RBI, 22 SB

Our tenth pick was the hardest to make, as there were a lot of players I wanted and even more worth the selection. In the end, I settled on Delos Williams, a 6'3'' lefty swinging outfielder from LA. Set to be a four year starter at Lincoln, Delos has appeared at all three outfield spots, but he's likely best suited for right. OSA is a huge fan of the 18-year-old, saying he can "be penciled in for a lion's share of starts at his position" and I'm positive he wouldn't have lasted this long if he played a more premium position. Dixie and I aren't as keen as the league's scouting organization, but this is a big strong kid who really put a charge into a ball. He's got the raw power that's desired in project type prospects, and if we can get him a quality workout regimen his average power potential could resemble the power that Sal Pestilli or Red Bond have made famous. Unlike Falcao, he's still got double digit pop as is, with the chance to hit 15 or so out in a season. He has all the tools to hit his way into a big league lineup, and he's got a nice personal makeup. When he talks, people listen, and while still young he's already looking like a locker room leader. Despite being our last picks, he's got a legit shot of ranking high on our prospect list and he could end up as one of the more productive players we'll get out of this class.

ayaghmour2 · 11-02-2023, 09:37 PM

I guess this is it, the last week of the Cuban Winter league. It really caught up on me as I thought we still had a few weeks left, and we're once again without baseball. Fortunately for Chicago sports fans, there's still stuff to follow, as the Panthers (23-10, 1st, 3 GA) and Packers (18-20-3, 3rd, 39 PTS) are holding playoff spots and Wildcats fans are still celebrating their 31-0 thrashing of the hated New York Stars, winning their third championship in franchise history. It really made up for 1946 -- a season fans of the Wildcats and Cougars would like to forget. In both baseball and football, the New York Stars crushed Chicagoan's dreams, as the football version throttled the Wildcats 28-0 and the baseball version got to Billy Riley in game 145 to keep the Cougars title droughts extended.

Unfortunately, for the Stallions, they will not be continuing play, but they finished above .500 for the first time (20-19) and finished two games out and in second place. It's a noticeable improvement over last season, and a lot of our players showed plenty of promise. I'm giving out some organizational "awards", going out to some of the players that stood out. A lot of these guys will return to action on March 6th when the big league camp starts back up. They'll have about a month to rest up and prepare, and I cannot wait to get back started. It's been a slow offseason on the baseball front, which might work in our favor. We have a really good team and OSA thinks there are only two positions (RF, 9th; RP, 13th) where one of our players does not rank in the top seven.

Best Pitcher: RHP Zane Kelley
6-2, SV, 79.1 IP, 2.27 ERA (204 ERA+), 1.15 WHIP, 32 BB, 35 K, 1.7 WAR

This was the most obvious choice as Zane Kelley was dominant most of the season. After winning his first six starts, he did lose back-to-back games, allowing 23 hits, 12 runs, and 7 walks. He did finish on a high note with two separate shutout relief outings, and with how excellent he started the season, Kelly still led the CWL in ERA (2.27), rWAR (3.4) and ERA+ (204) in a league high 79.1 innings. He lost the lead in WHIP (1.15) to Samuel Harris (0.99), but still finished second while ranking top five in shutouts (t-1st, 2), WAR (2nd, 1.7), complete games (2nd, 6), FIP (5th, 3.64), and opponent batting average (4th, .208). Of course on the Stallions, he led pretty much every category, and now has positioned himself as a legitimate FABL pitcher. I'm not sure how easy it will be to keep him on the big league roster, but he'll get some starts in the Spring and if he stays hot who knows what's going to happen. The tough part is we already have five starters and I want to see what Eddie Howard could do as well. Even so, Kelley could be a stopper and even make a spot start if we're stuck with double headers. The staff has four openings behind our rotation, and the 23-year-old has given him a jump start on his competition.

Best Hitter: RF Jimmy Hairston
.300/.469/.373 (117 OPS+), 145 PA, 5 2B, HR, 9 RBI, 144 WRC+, 1.2 WAR

Technically this could be best walker, as that's what Jimmy Hairston did best. He walked at a whopping 23.4% clip, best among qualified Cuban Winter League hitters. He led the Stallions with a 144 WRC+ and hit an above average .300/.469/.373 (117 OPS+) while playing plus defense in left field (2.9, 1.010). He walked in nearly every game, drawing 34 in 36, and hit 5 doubles and a homer in 145 trips to the plate. As surprising as this may be, Hairston's always had an outstanding eye, frequently walking over ten percent of the time in the minors. Like Kelley, he's on the 40-man roster and will be in spring camp, but I don't think he's got much of a chance for a bench role. He just turned 24 two weeks ago, and should still be playing every day in the minors. His .268/.365/.424 (100 OPS+) triple slash was exactly league average, but it was nice to see him slug 16 homers. The home run power wasn't to be seen down south, despite the Stallions having an extremely homer friendly stadium. One way or another, I expect him to make his big league debut this season, and he'll have one option left for 1950 as well.

Second Half Star: LF Johnny Peters
.275/.381/.477 (118 OPS+), 184 PA, 10 2B, 7 HR, 28 RBI, 124 WRC+, 1.4 WAR

Johnny Peters hit just .250/.370/.383 (92 OPS+) in 16 December games and an even lower .261/.346/.261 (57 OPS+) in 5 November games. Once the Calendar turned to 1949, Peters was a new hitter, slashing an excellent .300/.402/.629 (160 OPS+) with 6 of his 7 homers, adding on 14 runs, 5 doubles, 12 walks, and 13 RBIs. The outstanding month allowed Peters to finish with a solid .275/.381/.477 (118 OPS+) batting line, and with decent defense out in left (1.4, 1.018) he ended up being worth 1.4 wins above replacement, although almost a full win (0.9) came in his January. I'll admit, I was nervous when he was hitting just .236/.359/.377 as late as January 10th, but now Peters will look to ride the hot streak to a return to the majors. He hit 5-for-20 with a solo homer in his cup of coffee this September, and will look to steal at bats away from some number of Hal Sharp, Leo Mitchell, Luke Berry, Carlos Montes, and Chubby Hall in the Spring. None of them have the upside of the former 3rd Pick, but Dixie Marsh think currently they're all further along then Peters. If he starts the season in Milwaukee, we'll rotate him around all three outfield spots, so if an injury strikes he can be ready to enter anywhere.

Best Cheerleader: LHP Ben Clough

The Santa Clara Stallions did something that no other team did. They just completely neglected their bullpen. The Eagles Dick Greenhalgh (0-0, 21.60) was rocked in two innings, allowing 5 hits, 4 runs, and a walk in just an inning and two thirds. Ben Clough? The guy with a 1.99 ERA (222 ERA+) and 1.15 WHIP with 45 strikeouts in 49.2 innings out of the pen? He didn't get to face a single batter. Every other team used at least one reliever for 10 or more innings while while just two of those seven teams not having each reliever throw double digit innings. So it's not like this was a league wide thing. Manager Fred Spears just decided not to use anyone that wasn't in his rotation. I was really hoping for Clough to get some extra innings as he threw just 12.1 innings after being selected in the 1947 draft. Even with a decent size workload (120 innings), I was hoping for more, as he was starting to emerge as a legit prospect. I do want to give him more starts in the minors, but he's probably best suited for the pen and he could have helped Santa Clara in some of their losses. It's sad he didn't get much out of being selected, but at least he got to bond with his teammates and support them as they recorded the first winning season in the Stallions' short history.

ayaghmour2 · 11-06-2023, 04:27 PM

Just a quick post as we are just under a month away from Spring Training. Turns out I was wrong on the CWL, there was actually one game left, so Zane Kelley's numbers ended up a bit worse then whatever I mentioned. The Stallions lost, finishing at .500, but still best in their three seasons. The eventual winner was the Cienfuegos Crocodiles, who beat the Stallions by three games in the Western Division.

The most interesting thing going on right now is Hall of Fame voting, as we have a rather "controversial" class. I think it's clear, Tom Bird should be in the hall, he's the best offensive catcher of his time, but there's a faction that doesn't want him as a first ballot guy. Statistically, he's leaps and bounds better then everyone else, but with a short career I can sort of see a slim case against him. As long as that lead to an empty ballot, as even though my ballot has three other players, Bird is clearly the class. There's also a veterans ballot so hopefully some of those guys get in, most notably John Cook, who was worth 143.1 WAR in 18 seasons with a 127 WRC+, 2,505 hits, and 454 steals.

There has been a little action on the trade front, but mainly players going to the Fed. I can't wait for the spring, mainly because we need to get back to playing as I can't wait to erase the annoying season we just endured. Again, we'll head into the season as the favorite for the association, but the odds of us meeting expectations? Well, don't get your hopes up...

Oh well, it's almost Peter the Heater time again! And OSA thinks he's the second best pitcher again! Donnie 6, Duke 11. Even Skipper (8th) and Sal (13th) are getting love for position players!

ayaghmour2 · 11-10-2023, 12:03 AM

You know what time it is! It's the return of fake baseball!!!!!!!!!!!

All 16 FABL teams have reported to their spring homes, as a crisp wind of optimism and excitement engulfs the team's training camp. This is the best time of the year. Where everyone is level and all 16 teams can believe that this is truly their year. As always, we hope and think that this one is ours, but with little movement in the Continental Association, we'll once again enter the season with the best roster. On paper.

That means there's very little left to decide. I know what our rotation will look like. The lineup is pretty much set one through seven, and the eighth is about as secure as it gets. Unless we have an injury or a fringe starter (please be Leo Mitchell) has an insane spring, all the movement will be on the edges. The most interesting man in camp might be 42-year-old Doc Love, who was at one time one of the best hitters in our lineup. That was, at least until a 25-year-old future team leader stole the starting left field job and held that spot until, well... Now.

Love won't make the team, but when I saw him sitting around in free agency, I had to tender him a minor league contract. One way or another, the 1937 All-Star will make his 4,043rd FABL plate appearance. He may not have been the greatest player to play the game, but he was a key contributor for four seasons. A 6th Round Pick from the 1927 draft, he debuted at 24 with the Dynamos in 1931. The outfielder spent his first three seasons on their bench, despite above average OPS+ numbers. More importantly he had a 151 WRC+ in 1932 followed by a near identical 150, this time with nine more trips to the plate.

In need of another bat after our embarrassing series with the Minuteman, I paid a premium to acquire the slugger with just two career home runs. Jose Serna and our 3rd Round Pick went to Detroit, and his career finally took off. After just 259 PAs split across three seasons, Love stepped into the box 662 times, and hit an outstanding .325/.381/.511 (142 OPS+). He slugged 21 homers with 22 doubles and 13 triples while walking (57) twice as often as he struck out (24). He drove in 98 runs and scored an impressive 109 times, and was worth 4.4 WAR in 149 games. The next three seasons followed the same pattern, and while he never quite replicated that stellar production, he ended his Cougar career with an excellent .313/.359/.478 (126 OPS+) batting line in nearly 3,000 plate appearances. I'll cover him more either when he appears in a game or ends up retiring, but he had a truly interesting career that will span twenty four seasons.

Doc will be one of 57 players in camp, but I'm sure he'll be in line for plenty of the autographs. Below are the players and their positions, and as always, players denoted with an asterisk are locks for the final 24-man roster.

RHP Bill Ballantine
RHP Harry Beardsley
LHP Ron Berry
RHP Roscoe Brown
LHP Duke Bybee*
RHP Harry Carter
RHP Joe Foote
RHP Jack Hale
LHP Bob Hobbs
RHP Donnie Jones*
LHP Johnnie Jones*
RHP Zane Kelley
RHP Charlie Kelsey
LHP Jim Kenny
RHP Harry MacRae
RHP Ken Matson
RHP George Oddo*
RHP Pete Papenfus*
RHP Harry Parker
RHP Bill Ross
LHP Frank Sartori
RHP Chet Williams
C Mike Bordes
C Eddie Howard*
C Harry Mead*
C Bob Mundy
1B Red Bond*
1B Ray Ford
1B Lou Thomas
2B Clark Car*
2B Johnny Carlisle
2B Al Clement
2B Eddie Curtis
2B Billy Hunter*
2B Bob Schmelz
3B Otto Christian
3B Jim Jenkins
3B Walt Pack*
SS Joe Dackett
SS George Dawson
SS Elmer Grace
SS Bill Graham
SS Skipper Schneider*
SS George Sutterfield
LF Luke Berry
LF Ducky Cole
LF Chubby Hall
LF Don Jeppsen
LF Leo Mitchell*
LF Hal Sharp*
CF Don Lee
CF Sal Pestilli*
CF Johnny Peters
RF Bob Allen
RF Jimmy Hairston
RF Doc Love
RF Carlos Montes*

Theoretically, this could be the end (or at least a pause) for a lot of multi-year roster members, as we have a lot of interesting options fighting for spots on the bench or in the pen. I'm not sure which one is more exciting, but there are some exciting players to watch. I'm interested in what Zane Kelley and Johnny Peters will do, as while I don't expect either making the final roster, a strong spring could change my mind. With a full 40, I wouldn't be opposed to DFA'ing a few guys, which could leave an opening for either of these CWL standouts. I'm leaning towards starting the season with Hal Sharp in left and Carlos Montes in right, but if Johnny Peters keeps hitting dingers, why not give him a shot in a starting role. He just turned 25, he's a former 3rd Pick, and has spent time as a top-25 prospect. The talents always been there and he's hit well in the upper levels too. He deserves a shot, but it's hard to give him time with all the good vets we have in camp. If they struggle, he'll come up as long as he's himself, but it's hard to cut bait on guys who have been with you for a long time.

We'll get a week of games tomorrow, but with the weekend following it will feel like a tease. With a full seven games, Peter the Heater will start twice, with all five rotation members following the opener with the Stars. The previously mentioned Zane Kelley will start game six against the Cannons, and depending on how it goes he may get a few more. I definitely want to see Eddie Howard make a start, and that'll likely come next week, but if Kelley looks good he'll get the start following. He has a chance for the rotation and the pen, as with a decent amount of double headers this year I might opt to use a sixth starter at times. But at just 23, he might still be best suited starting every day in the minors, and a full slate of three options will work against him with all the out-of-options arms I don't want to say good bye to yet. I hope we can stay healthy, but luckily with our depth we should be able to weather a few injuries from our non-star players.

Oh yeah, and the WRC+ adjustments did their thing again. Leo Mitchell was now an above average (101) hitter last year. Yay? I guess we could use another above average hitter!

ayaghmour2 · 11-10-2023, 08:14 PM

Weekly Record: 4-3
Overall Record: 4-3 (3 GA)

Notable Stories
Zane Kelley is Him: Pretty much all our starters pitched great, with Duke Bybee's 3.60 ERA the highest, but CWL standout Zane Kelley joined the Jones brothers with four shutout innings in their spring debuts. Donnie had the best outing, striking out 7 with 3 hits and a walk, but greatness is expected from an Allen Winner and 2-Time All-Star. Kelley was effective none the less, and the Cannons, who OSA predicted to finish a game behind us for first, got just 4 hits and a walk while Kelley got Chuck Adams (.261, 24, 97) looking and Denny Andrews (.265, 16, 59) whiffing. Yeah, it wasn't the scrubs who were trying to best Kelly. Obviously they didn't play the whole game, but along with the star studded duo, regulars Charlie Rivera, Fred Galloway, Adam Mullins, and Gail Gifford were all still in the game when Kelley was relieved, and Gifford was the only one who didn't face him twice. It's extremely encouraging to see him pitch so well against some very talented players. As mentioned yesterday, he's not getting a start this week, as it's Eddie Howard's turn to impress. He hasn't pitched since he's getting a lot of reps behind the plate, but Kelley will be available out of the pen for the week I'm sure Max Wilder will use him somehow, as all 22 pitchers (now 21 since Bill Ross is out for the year) in camp threw.

Race for the Pen Begins: With four open spots for pitchers, every pitcher in camp feels like they could make the final roster. The early results saw one of the camp favorites dominate, as Harry MacRae allowed just a hit and a walk with five strikeouts in four scoreless innings. The 27-year-old is out of options, and I don't think he's really in risk of being designated for assignment. He's coming off a superb season in Milwaukee, going 8-4 with 23 saves in 94.1 innings pitched. He made 73 appearances, working to an impressive 2.10 ERA (215 ERA+) and 1.25 WHIP with 32 walks and 48 strikeouts. He has some stopping experience as well, but he's always performed much better in the Century League then when he's been with the Cougs. Other standouts were longtime farmhand Chet Williams (4 IP, 2 H, 5 K, HBP), fellow Harry's Parker (2 IP, K) and Beardsley (2 IP, SV, 2 H, K), and Frank Sartori (SV, 2 IP, BB, 4 K). The only guy who hurt his stock was Harry Carter, who allowed 5 hits, 3 walks, and 2 runs in 4.1 innings pitched. He did strike out 3, something that could be useful out of the pen, but he's going to need to right ship quickly with so many talented pitchers in camp.

The Offense is Inconsistent, Again: So much of last year was wasted because the offense couldn't string enough runs together. Sal Pestilli (.417, HR, 2 R) was as good as ever, and Walt Pack (.500, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R) and Red Bond (.400, 2B, R) are still very good, but it wasn't a common theme. Shortstops Skipper Schneider and George Sutterfield combined to go just 4-for-29, and just Sutterfield (run scored and driven in) added anything positive to the scorecard. And in the outfield, none of Carlos Montes (.250, HR, BB, 2 R), Chubby Hall (.200, RBI), Leo Mitchell (.143, BB, R), Hal Sharp (.000, R), Don Lee (.182, RBI, BB), and Luke Berry (.000) did anything to standout. There's plenty of time left, but if we want to win this season we are going to have to hit. As good as our pitching is, there are plenty of good offenses in the Continental Association, and there will be games they get to us. If we can score consistently, we'll be in any game, but for one reason or another this bunch seems to come up short when faced with any sort of adversity. This is a big year for second season Manager Max Wilder, as his contract is up at season's end. It's a prove it year for the former pitching coach, who won 14 more games then his predecessor. Still, 85 wins is disappointing for a team that allowed the fewest runs in the association while scoring the third most runs. I don't see myself panic firing if we get off to a slow start, but the only thing to guarantee Max Wilder a second year is a pennant. Otherwise, it's anyone's guess what the future lies for Wilder.

ayaghmour2 · 11-14-2023, 07:51 PM

Weekly Record (2): 3-3
Weekly Record (3): 4-3
Overall Record: 11-9 (3 GB)

Well, here's something new! I forgot to do a writeup! Honestly can't remember the last time that happened, but hey, here we are! I'm blaming it on the Bills. I'm still shook after last night. I don't know when that's going to change. But we missed out on some awesome headlines like "The J-0nes Brothers" (Donnie and Johnnie threw 17 shutout innings in two weeks), "Not So Sharp" (Harry Sharp was 0-for-13 with 5 Ks), and something about how Zane Kelley and Eddie Howard both didn't allow a run. Instead, we'll pick things up after three weeks of exhibition games.

Is Zane Kelley an Alien Who Mastered Pitching?: 4 more innings, another shutout. The former King struck out 4 and allowed just 2, now up to 11 scoreless innings in Spring Training. He has the longest shutout streak on the squad so far, and as good as he's been, it's time for another Eddie Howard start. Like Kelley, Howard hasn't allowed a run, but it's came in just 4.2 innings, walking (4) more guys then he struck out (2). Kelley, however, has just 1 walk to 7 strikeouts, allowing 9 hits in those 11 scoreless innings. I think this week more or less secured Kelley's spot on the active roster, assuming he doesn't allow 5 runs in 10 innings or something along those lines. This make things difficult for some of the out of options guys like Charlie Kelsey, Jim Kenny, and Harry MacRae, along with last year's stopper Ken Matson who may be optioned for the first time since 1944. It's time for him to step up and assert himself on the staff, hopefully the missing piece we need to finally break through.

The Odd(o) Man Out: Nothing is going to happen to George Oddo, but of our five main starting pitchers, he's the only one with an ERA above 3. In Oddo's defense, it was a single bad outing, as in his first two he went 5 innings each against the two Canadian teams. He held the Wolves to 3 hits and a run with no walks and 7strikeouts, while the Saints got 3 hits, 2 runs, and 2 walks with 6 strikeouts. The strikeouts were working again in start three against the Sailors, 4 in 3.2 innings, but the defending pennant winners piled on 7 hits, a walk, and 5 runs in their 8-6 win. This ballooned the 26-year-olds ERA to 5.27 (75 ERA+) despite a stellar 3.27 FIP, 1.17 WHIP, 28.8 K% and 5.7 K/BB in 13.2 innings. That's the long way of say he's been okay. But with how good the rest of the rotation has been, he sticks out like a sore thumb. Donnie and Johnnie both allowed 2 runs in a start, but Donnie didn't allow a run in 15 of the 17 innings he pitched and Johnnie has 12 strikeouts to just 2 walks. Pap and Duke haven't allowed more then 2 runs in a start, and the sixth spot has gotten three shutouts. The pitching has been known to be a strength of the team, but it's always great seeing such stellar performance after a long offseason. And even with how "Odd(o)" George's start has been, he's looked great under the hood and should once again be a key piece of our rotation.

Mitchell Magic?: Last season Leo Mitchell hit just four home runs. This week he homered in back-to-back games. Mitchell hit a grand slam off veteran journeyman Lee Marshall in the 8-6 loss, and then followed it up with a solo-homer against the Saints that put the Cougars up 2-0, a lead that would shrink to one before Charlie Kelsey recorded the 27th out. It was a nice bounce back for the veteran, who hit .158 entering the game. Things have trended upwards, as he's recorded a hit in five of his last seven appearances where he recorded at least one at bat. The 35-year-old is now hitting a respectable .240/.321/.480 with 3 walks and 7 RBIs. Fellow veteran Hal Sharp erased his o'fer this week, going 4-for-11 with a double, walk, and run. Right now, him and Mitchell are in competition for at bats, as Sharp is penciled in as the every day left fielder. He can always move to right, but I like Carlos Montes' speed and defense, which was on full display this past week. He went 3-for-11 with a steal, a triple, 2 runs, and 3 walks. But the biggest impediment in to Mitchell right now is top prospect Johnny Peters, who went 3-for-7 with a double and is now hitting .333/.429/.556 with a homer and two RBIs. Even Chubby Hall (.320, 3 2B, 3 RBI) has impressed, so Mitchell's long reign as an Opening Day starter may be reaching its natural end.

Second Seems Solid: No, I don't mean second place. Although that's what the standings tend to say. I'm talking about second base. One of the few "question marks" we had entering the offseason, we've gotten excellent production from the Clark Car/Billy Hunter platoon thus far. Car's offense has been most impressive, as the 35-year-old veteran is hitting .400/.423/.480 -- equal to a 150 WRC+ in 27 trips to the plate. The former Cannon and Star added a pair of doubles, swiped two bags, and has driven in three. Hunter hasn't matched that overall production, but he's coming off a 5-for-13 week with a double and 3 RBIs, raising the spring line to a strong .345/.394/.379 in 33 PAs. Age is a question for both of them, but there would be plenty of internal options if age catches up with them. George Sutterfield (.250, 2B, 3 RBI) could shift to second if needed, and he's more then talented enough as a defender. Everyday playing time could finally help him break out, and another young shortstop Elmer Grace (.200, BB) is already big league ready despite being in college at this time last year. While it would have been nice to add a Buddy Schneider or Jim Adams Jr. in the offseason, the odds of a deal for either player are low. And there aren't many other options better then this duo. If the spring stats are any indication of the upcoming season, we should be getting steady and reliable results from a pair of well traveled veterans. And that should help us in close games.

ayaghmour2 · 11-15-2023, 08:42 PM

Weekly Record: 3-3
Overall Record: 14-12 (3 GB)

Veteran Injuries Deplete Roster: With two weeks to go, we'll be two players short, as veterans Billy Hunter and Harry Parker sprained their knees. For Hunter it will be just day-to-day, and he could theoretically return for Opening Day, but Harry Parker is set to miss the next two months. His injury is one that should be easy to swallow, as our pen was crowded enough as is, and this allows me to kick the can down the road a bit. Formerly one of the best pitchers in the Continental Association, Parker owns a 3.25 ERA (115 ERA+) and 1.17 WHIP in nearly 2,000 (1,977.1) FABL innings, but after a elbow injury during the 1943 season, he's no longer the innings eater he once was. In fact, he's thrown just 59 innings across the past two seasons, allowing a whopping 14 home runs. Last year broke his ten-year stretch of seasons with a big league start, and he has just 25 since leading the league with 36 in 1945. Now 34, he's been held to the bullpen, and his next innings will be at Milwaukee instead of Chicago.

Hunter, on the other hand, was in line for big league at bats, and he was hitting .364/.405/.424 with 2 doubles and 5 RBIs this spring. He was looking for a bounce back season, hitting just .274/.309/.386 (91 OPS+) in 79 games last year. Hunter has always dealt with injuries, so him missing time is not the least bit surprising, but it's tough to come after the 34-year-old was really getting it going. He looked good in 1947, but after posting a WRC+ above 105 in each of his first eight seasons, in two of the last three seasons he's posted one below 95. In his absence, George Sutterfield seems in line for the right side of the second base platoon, and him and Skipper would make an outstanding defensive duo. Even if Hunter isn't ready and Sutterfield has some struggles, Clark Car seems more then capable of making a difference. He's coming off a 4-for-6 week with a double, triple, walk, steal, and 2 RBIs, and is now slashing an absurd .452/.485/.613 in 35 trips to the plate. He has 5 extra base hits, 3 steals, 4 runs, and 5 RBIs, and his 193 WRC+ is best on the team among players with 20 or more PAs so far. With Montreal first on the schedule, there's a good chance we start the season with a righty, so Car would be in line for the nod on Opening Day. Barring setbacks, Hunter should be back with the club before May, if we're lucky he starts the season in Chicago.

Donniemant: I'm sure this pun isn't half as funny as I think it is, but when you're pitching like Donnie Jones is, the work speaks for itself. He finished the week, and retired all fifteen Wolves he faced, three of which were set down on strikes. The Former Allen Winner has been simply spectacular in 22 innings, allowing just 9 hits, 2 runs, and 4 walks with 22 strikeouts. This all equates to a miniscule 0.82 ERA (484 ERA+) and 0.59 WHIP with a stellar 5.1 K/BB. Even his 1.75 FIP (44 FIP-) is absurd, exactly half (88) of his still impressive FIP-. Entering today as the 6th best pitcher in FABL, he's the second of three Cougars in the top 15 (Pap 2, Bybee 11), and will pitch the middle game against the Saints to open the season. I'm hoping for a big season from "Mole Killer," who posted career worsts in ERAs (3.36), ERA+ (113), WHIP (1.30), wins (13), and win percentage (52%), despite bests in FIP- (86) and WAR (5.3). Last year broke his stretch of consecutive All-Star selections as well, but it's hard to imagine that he won't return sometime soon. After Pap and him had down years, I'm expecting Duke Bybee to be next, so we'll really need our co-ace to put his best foot forward.

Pitching Continues to Impress: There's one less competitor in the race for the staff, and with plenty of worthy candidates, it's going to make my decision a little easier. Six pitchers have thrown 15 or more innings, and five of them have ERAs below 2.60. Looking towards the pen, we have a few arms who have yet to allow a run, with Harry MacRae's nine scoreless frames lead the way. Other competition includes Harry Carter (2-0, HLD, 2.89, 3), Bob Hobbs (0-3, 2 SV, 2 HLD, 1.17, 9), Frank Sartori (1-1, SV, HLD, 2.57, 9), Charlie Kelsey (3 SV, 2 HLD, 1.50, 7), Jim Kenny (2 HLD, 0.00, 2), and Ken Matson (HLD, 0.00, 4), and all of these guys aren't able to make the team. With four spots to secure, at least three of these guys won't remain on the team. Not all can be sent down to Milwaukee without waivers, so in the case of Kelsey and Kenny they're fighting for their spot on the 40-man roster as well. There are still two weeks to be played, and an injury can muddy the waters, but the most likely combination seems to be MacRae, Carter, Kelsey, and Matson. But as a lefty, there's value to Jim Kenny being included instead. Oh yeah, and don't forget about Zane Kelley (1-1, SV, 1.69, 13) We have no need for ten pitchers, especially since Eddie Howard will be on hand as well, so there's real risk we'll lose a guy who doesn't make the final roster.

ayaghmour2 · 11-16-2023, 09:11 PM

Weekly Record: 5-2
Overall Record: 19-14 (1 GB)

Camp Begins to Thin: With just three games left in the spring, we made our first set of large scale cuts. Most of the guys going down are non-roster guys, but some of the younger 40-man players were set down. This includes Ron Berry (2-0, 5.52, 19), Mike Bordes (.000), Al Clement (.000), Elmer Grace (.235, 1, 1), and Jimmy Hairston (.200). This leaves us with 35 players in camp, with two non-roster players in camp. Both are pitchers, as Bob Hobbs (0-3, 2, 1.54, 12) and Chet Williams (1-1, 3.27, 11) have both really impressed. I still don't expect either to make it, but they'll fight till the end against Zane Kelley (2-1, 1, 1.42, 16), Harry Carter (2-0, 2.38, 3), Jim Kenny (0.00, 3), Charlie Kelsey (4, 1.29, 8), and Ken Matson (0.00, 7). Harry MacRae has secured the first of four pen spots, as the former 7th Rounder has thrown 11 shutout innings with 11 strikeouts and just 2 hits and 1 walk. Frank Sartori (2-1, 1, 5.62, 11) is hanging around for extra depth, but he'll start in Milwaukee. And while the bench only has 40-man members, there's a lot up in the air, with six more cuts left to be made.

The Best Rotation in Baseball: There are some who believe the Pioneers have the best staff in the game. And they're allowed to believe that. But OSA (has our three ahead of their three) disagrees, and while I understand that their top three is great, I don't see how Dick Long is on the level of Johnnie Jones or even George Oddo. Regardless, our three headed monster of Pete Papenfus, Donnie Jones, and Duke Bybee is as good as it gets, and the trio each threw their 6th start of the spring this week. As has been the case, Donnie was dominant, allowing just a single hit and walk with three more strikeouts in 4 more shutout innings. They also threw nearly identical innings, with Pap getting 26.1, Donnie an even 26, and Duke at 25.2. In total, the 2nd, 6th, and 11th ranked starting pitchers (The 3-Hs are 4th, 8th, and 13th) hurled 78 innings, allowing just 54 hits, 18 walks, and 16 runs with 85 strikeouts. That all totals up to a 1.85 ERA and 0.92 WHIP with a stellar 4.7 K/BB, as our co-aces were already in midseason form. While Donnie was superb, none of the three guys had an ERA or WHIP above 2.45 and 1.18, a BB/9 above 2.4, or a K/9 below 8.7. Obviously spring starts don't mean too much, but when you have good pitchers, you always want them pitching well. And that's what these guys should do. They say pitching and defense wins championships, and since we do both of those extremely well, maybe one of these years the old adage will ring true. But for now, we just have to hope that our pitchers continue to retire.

Even when you zoom out from the top three, the staff has been amazing. If you take out George Oddo's 5 run outing, he threw 18 innings with 14 hits, 4 runs, and 4 walks with 23 strikeouts. That's pretty much what the other three were doing. Then there's Johnnie Jones, the most overqualified 4th starter, who has a 1.17 ERA and 0.96 WHIP with 17 hits and 22 strikeouts. And you know those walk problems he usually has? Just 5 so far! And then there's the six starter, two Howard starts and three Kelley starts. The backup catcher did get a pair of innings out of relief, and when including those he had 12.1 scoreless innings with 8 hits, 4 walks, and 5 strikeouts. Kelley has allowed runs, but in 19 innings split between three starts and relief outings, he's got a tiny 1.42 ERA and 0.5 WHIP with 16 strikeouts and just 3 walks. No matter who has toed the rubber this spring, they've excelled, and we should once again lead all of baseball in runs allowed.

The Outfield Remains Crowded: After a brutal 0-for-13 start to the spring, Hal Sharp has responded by going 8-for-20 (.400) with a pair of doubles, more-or-less securing at bats against righties to open the season. Otherwise, very few have done much to separate, which has opened the door for 24-year-old Ducky Cole. He quietly had an excellent season in Milwaukee last year, slashing .345/.396/.497 (132 OPS+) in just shy of 500 PAs with 34 doubles, 8 homers, and 70 RBIs. He walked (37) just as often as he struck out (37), and he picked up 5 triples and 62 runs while worth an impressive 3.8 WAR in 110 games. Cole has managed an even better .389/.450/.556 in his 20 opportunities so far, and again he' walked (2) just as often as he's struck out (2). Ducky's even homered and scored four times, while his 164 WRC+ trails only the resurgent Ray Ford (265), who has earned another season, potentially even regaining at bats against lefties at first base.

Another guy who's done well is Luke Berry. The former Miner has hit .278/.381/.389 with a triple in 21 trips to the plate. He's going to be on the team one way or another, but it's looking like he may get a chance against lefties. First, left, and right all need filling, and in limited time with us last season he produced a 133 WRC+ with 6 doubles and a homer. With Johnny Peters (.250, 1, 4) cooling down and middling production from Chubby Hall (.244, 1, 4) and Leo Mitchell (.238, 2, 8). And as good as Carlos Montes' glove is, a .182/.262/.345 line isn't enough to make up for it. Don Lee's (.179, 1, 3) hitting his way to his first optional assignment since 1944 so at least one of the eight outfielders left won't break camp with the team. Carrying seven outfielders may be tough, and there's already an extra spot with Billy Hunter (.364, 5, 1) still recovering. He'll be eligible to return for Opening Day, but there's a chance he won't be healthy by then. Since he plays the outfield as well, there's less reason to keep extra. There is still a little time left to make an impact, but I don't think Johnny Peters is ready to play everyday and I can use the start of the minor league season to get him more comfortable in the corners.

10-23-2023, 10:28 PM	#1241
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,758	Cuban Winter League: Week 2 The Rule-5 Draft will happen tomorrow morning, and for once I actually didn't even look at the pool. It's not just because we have a full 40-man roster, but I just don't see room for a Rule-5 Pick on the active roster. We have a lot of guys who deserve to play in the majors and I'm probably going to be making some tough cuts this spring. Man I miss draft pick trading... RHP Zane Kelley (#231 Overall) Acquired: Via Trade with Kings (1947) AAA: 13-8, 188.2 IP, 4.15 ERA (109 ERA+), 1.49 WHIP, 61 BB, 61 K CWL: 2-0, SV, 20 IP, 0.90 ERA (508 ERA+), 0.80 WHIP, 7 BB, 9 K Start one was great. Start two was amazing! Zane Kelley kept runners off the base all game, allowing just 2 hits and 4 walks with 3 strikeouts in a game where he needed to be perfect. He only picked up the win since he didn't allow a run, as the Stallions gave him just one run of support. This extended the team win streak to four, giving them a division best 5-2 record. Kelley also pitches out of the pen for some reason, but he excelled in both of those outings too. He got each of the last two hitters out to earn a save, and then threw an inning and a third hitless innings with a walk and three strikeouts. If there were Player of the Weeks, he would have won it, as he allowed just two hits and five walks with six strikeouts in eleven scoreless innings. Obviously it's way too early to talk about league leaders, but his 0.90 ERA (508 ERA+) is best in the league and no pitcher has thrown more innings then him. The CWL appears to be an excellent place for Kelley to showcase himself, and if his 3.00 FIP (65 FIP-) is any indication, he's going to have an excellent string of starts as the Stallions look to win their first ever division title. __________________ Check out my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of the FABL!: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...12#post4571312

10-24-2023, 07:29 PM	#1242
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,758	Cuban Winter League: Week 3 The Rule-5 draft came and went, and to my surprise, three of our players were selected. I was actually really happy with one of them, as the Chiefs selected Bill Martin with the first pick of the draft. I didn't even consider that "Mr. Semi-Automatic" would be selected, as he spent all season in Class B San Jose. 23 in December, he could have been in Lincoln or even Mobile, but we had Mike Bordes (who was added to the 40) and Garland Phelps ahead of him. The former 7th Rounder was worth nearly 6 WAR (5.8) with a 146 WRC+ in 132 games. He hit an impressive .323/.439/.476 (137 OPS+) and supplied 25 doubles, 7 triples, 10 homers, and 71 RBIs. The most impressive thing might have been his 91-to-25 walk-to-strikeout ratio, owning a robust 16.6 BB% to just a 4.6 K%. Despite all this, Martin was absent from the top 500 prospect list, but the new version does seem to be be harsh to catchers (just seven top 100 prospects and only six prospects from 75th to 500th). I still thought he had value as a backup catcher, but the reason I'm happy with losing him is he'll get to play with his dad on the Chiefs. 42 on Opening Day, Bob Martin is still kicking it, as he plans to return to the field despite a torn PCL ending his season in July. Bob may still get starts, but Bill will be All-Star Pete Casstevens (.279, 26, 76), backup who doesn't take many days off. Coming off a 61-93 season, there's no risk for the Chiefs adding a young backup catcher. I expect Martin to last all season, and I'm expecting him and his father to become the second father-son duo in FABL history. While I didn't expect any losses, one guy I thought was most likely to be lost was Billy Biggar, who will rather surprisingly join the New York Stars. Biggar didn't have a spot with us, and after hitting .396/.449/.546 (154 OPS+) with 52 doubles, 10 triples, 5 homers, and 109 RBIs in 138 games with the Commodores. I guess he could stick on the bench, but they have both Bill Barnett (.307, 16, 40) and Freddie Jones (.281, 3, 25, 3) at first base. It's a tough ask for Biggar to beat out two guys with plenty of big league experience, and I'd love for him to return. The last loss is an AI favorite, Reginald Westfall (.220, 1, 4), who was drafted and later returned by the Foresters last season. He'll join the Cannons, who plan on using him over Sam Brown (.303, 9, 57). I don't expect Westfall to last the season in Cincinnati, but I'd be happy for the soon-to-be 35-year-old getting one last hoorah in the big leagues. RHP Harry Beardsley (#123 Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 10th Round, 156th Overall (1946) AA: 10-12, 180 IP, 3.75 ERA (116 ERA+), 1.33 WHIP, 76 BB, 96 K CWL: 1-1, 13.2 IP, 1.98 ERA (230 ERA+), 1.54 WHIP, 10 BB, 7 K Harry Beardsley's first start didn't go so well. He allowed 6 hits, 4 walks, and 3 runs, chased out by the Palms with two outs in the fifth. But as the calm and collected righty normally does, he bounced right back when given the chance. He had his stuff going to open the week, as a four one 1st helped Beardsley cruise to a complete game victory. If it wasn't for Jimmy Hairston's (.333, 1, 6) fourth inning error, it would have been a shutout, as the only two runs for Cienfuegos came after the error. Beardsley struck out 4 with 5 hits and 6 walks, evening his record at 1-1 for the first place Stallions. Beardsley dropped his ERA way down to 1.98 (230 ERA+), and he's struck out 7 in 13.2 inning pitched. One thing that is shocking is the 10 walks, as his BB% has jumped from a respectable 9.7% in Mobile to an elevated 16.7. He's never posted a BB% that high, and the former 10th Rounder tends to strikeout more hitters then he walks. Ranked just outside the top 100 prospect list, Beardsley doesn't project to have walk issues, but Dixie Marsh views his command as just average. It's good enough to get by, as when he locates his fastball, his change up does all the work. It's his best pitch and a tough one to hit, so if he keeps the ball in the zone he's going to have success in the majors. He'll never be a top of the rotation arm, even in a rotation that's not as skilled as ours, but he looks like a durable back-end starter who gives you a chance to win each day. He's got the perfect mindset for a pitcher, working to improve his game and unphased by past failures. He may be our most advanced prospect, and if he keeps pitching like this, I don't think I can start him anywhere other then the Blues rotation.t 2B Bob Schmelz (#175 Overall) Acquired: Via Trade with Detroit (1945) FABL: .000/.000/000 (-100 OPS+), 4 PA AAA: .324/.429/.498 (134 OPS+), 494 PA, 20 2B, 6 3B, 13 HR, 75 RBI CWL: .353/.436/.529 (143 OPS+), 39 PA, 3 2B, HR, 6 RBI Another Cuban League veteran, Bob Schmelz had a decent go of it last year for the Stallions, hitting .262/.376/.467 (104 OPS+) in 197 trips to the plate. The former 1st Rounder added 9 doubles, 2 triples, 7 homers, and 24 RBIs with almost twice as many walks (30) as strikeouts (17). This season has been a noticeable improvement, as while it's still just ten games, his 158 WRC+ trails only Milwaukee teammate Jimmy Hairston (171) in the Stallions lineup. Schmelz has hit an impressive .353/.436/.529 (143 OPS+) and has yet to strike out in 39 trips to the plate. He's walked five time and has added three doubles, six runs, six RBIs, and a home run. Part of the reason Billy Biggar was unprotected is Schmelz's presence with the club, as the "second basemen" has spent all his innings at first. He's never been much of a defender, but his gifted bat has carried him to Chicago. A big showing here would help him make a case to break camp this Spring, as both first and second could theoretically be open. As a righty, he can platoon with Red Bond, and the Clark Car/Billy Hunter platoon that's been so good in the past seems uninspiring going into 1949. It's a longshot for the Charleroi native, but if he can stay healthy he's going to be a very useful hitter for a big league team. __________________ Check out my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of the FABL!: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...12#post4571312

10-25-2023, 08:46 PM	#1243
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,758	Cuban Winter League: Week 4 RHP Harry Beardsley (#81 Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 10th Round, 156th Overall (1946) AA: 10-12, 180 IP, 3.75 ERA (116 ERA+), 1.33 WHIP, 76 BB, 96 K CWL: 1-1, 20.2 IP, 1.74 ERA (258 ERA+), 1.31 WHIP, 14 BB, 11 K Look who's back in the top 100! With one bad start and one good start, I wasn't quite sure what to expect from Harry Beardsley this week, but he did a good job keeping the Cienfuegos lineup in check for the rematch. He left after seven, allowing 2 hits, a run, and 4 walks with 4 strikeouts. No win for Beardsley, as the Stallions only supplied him with an Elmer Grace (.258, 4) RBI single, and the Crocs got to Curt Campbell (1-1, 6.00, 5) for four after Beardsley left. The walks are still concerning, but Beardsley has struck out 12.6% of hitters he faced Walks seem to be up all around int he CWL, so there may be no cause for concern, but start three was the first time he didn't walk more batters then he struck out. He'll get another start on Saturday, so I'll be watching to see how well he can command the zone. Between him and Kelley, Santa Clara has a deadly 1-2 punch, and if we can finally get Ron Berry (1-2, 5.25, 12) going, the Stallions may be able to win their first Western Division title. RF Jimmy Hairston (#141 Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 4th Round, 61st Overall (1943) AAA: .268/.365/.424 (100 OPS+), 558 PA, 21 2B, 3 3B, 16 HR, 72 RBI CWL: .372/.500/.488 (153 OPS+), 54 PA, 2 2B, HR, 7 RBI Very few players can do what Jimmy Hairston has done so far: reach base every other plate appearance while walking at a 20.4 % clip. As crazy as that sounds, that's exactly what Hairston has done so far, as he's posted a 176 WRC+ in his first 13 games for the first place Stallions. It's hard to believe they'd be in the lead without him, as his .372/.500/.488 line is best on the team, leading Santa Clara in average, OBP, OPS (.988), and WAR (0.7). One thing he doesn't lead in is, ironically, walks, as leadoff man Johnny Peters (.283, 11, 1) has 13 in 74 PAs (12.8%), but Hairston's BB% clears quite easily. Only three players, including Sailors starting outfielder Joe Scott (.368, 1, 11, 2), have a higher OBP then Hairston and his 153 OPS+ is sixth in the league. It's a long winter season, but Hairston has got off to an enviable start, and there's nothing that would lead me to believe that he's going to slow down any time soon. Despite being ranked outside of the top 100, he's an extremely gifted young player, who should be able to maintain high triple slashes in the majors, even without the double digit power you prefer in a corner bat. RHP Zane Kelley (#225 Overall) Acquired: Via Trade with Kings (1947) AAA: 13-8, 188.2 IP, 4.15 ERA (109 ERA+), 1.49 WHIP, 61 BB, 61 K CWL: 3-0, SV, 33 IP, 1.36 ERA (330 ERA+), 1.00 WHIP, 10 BB, 15 K I really don't want to cover every Zane Kelley start, but if he keeps pitching like this, how can I stop? Make it a third complete game victory for the former 7th Rounders, who was excellent in the Stallions 8-2 win over the Matanzas Buccaneers. The 11 hits were the most he's allowed so far, but he walked just one with two earned runs, striking out 4 to improve to 3-0. Last week he also made a pair of relief outings, allowing just 3 hits, a run, and 2 walks with 2 strikeouts in 4 innings pitched. Now in 33 innings, Kelley owns a 1.36 ERA (330 ERA+), good for second in the CWL, while his 1.00 WHIP is best down south. Early on he's made plenty of improvements, as he's kept his BB% similar (7.4 to 7.6) while increasing his K% (7.4 to 11.4) by four. There's still plenty of season left, but it's great seeing Kelley succeed in both a starter and pen role. We don't have an obvious opening in our rotation, but our pen doesn't really have any spots guaranteed. His options will work against him, but it's hard to ignore his dominance in the winter. __________________ Check out my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of the FABL!: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...12#post4571312

10-26-2023, 08:10 PM	#1244
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,758	Cuban Winter League: Week 5 It's almost draft time! If everything goes as planned, the lottery will be run tomorrow with the draft starting up on the weekend, and despite finishing in 2nd place this is very exciting for Cougar fans. The only plus to last year's awful season and not winning the title this year is three lottery balls for the first two rounds, as our 14-win increase was best in the association. This class is really good, especially at the top, so as much as I want to win the first round lottery, winning the second round iteration may be better. There are a lot more then twenty guys I'd love to add to the system, but being able to potentially add two guys from our top ten will be huge. Otherwise, we'll be picking 13th in each round, as my favorite draft pick trades are no longer allowed. I can't remember the last time we only had all 25 of our picks, as you have to go back all the way to 1937 just to find a draft where we had only our four picks in the first four rounds, although without further exploration it does look like we only had our 25 selections. RHP Zane Kelley (#224 Overall) Acquired: Via Trade with Kings (1947) AAA: 13-8, 188.2 IP, 4.15 ERA (109 ERA+), 1.49 WHIP, 61 BB, 61 K CWL: 4-0, SV, 43.2 IP, 1.03 ERA (454 ERA+), 0.94 WHIP, 17 BB, 20 K "I really don't want to cover every Zane Kelley start, but if he keeps pitching like this, how can I stop?" Generally something like that is bound to come with a curse us Cougar fans have endured season after season. This would result in a ten-run blowout or a poorly timed ruptured UCL. But there's a different air in the Windy City now, as the Chicago Wildcats got revenge on the New York Stars for an embarrassing finals shutout, throttling the Stars at Cougars Park (man I wish we did that!) in a gross, windy, and snowy gridiron match. Then the Chicago Packers, who have went from first to worst, finally won two games in a row, something they've only done one other time in their miserable cellar dwelling season. And now Zane Kelley has a no-hitter! Crazy enough, it wasn't even his sharpest start, but the 23-year-old righty scattered seven walks and struck out four in a 3-0 victory. This expanded the Stallions lead over the Crocs to three games, now 13-6 as we inch closer to the New Year. No pitcher has thrown more innings then Kelley, who also threw an inning and two thirds of scoreless ball earlier in the week. He now has the lowest ERA, a sparkly 1.03 (454 ERA+) that is now two points lower then the World Champion Ralphie Spiers (4-1, 1.05, 27), and Kelley's 0.94 WHIP trails just Samuel Harris (3-0, 2.52, 14), a Keystone farmhand with an impressive 0.84 WHIP and 5.3 K/BB. Walks seem to be the only thing Kelley doesn't excel at, as he has 17 in 43.2 innings, while surrendering just 24 hits. He's still striking out (20) more hitters, but there's a reason his 3.51 FIP (75 FIP-) is so high. At least relatively. I want to promise this is the last Kelley shoutout, at least until next week, but it's clear. This man can't be stopped! The only question now, is how does he fit into our staff? Do we run with a six-man rotation? There's no way I can even briefly consider him supplanting George Oddo, who went 10-9 with a 3.09 ERA (127 ERA+), 1.17 WHIP, and 116 strikeouts in his first 200 inning season, but how do I ignore Kelley's dominance? Even Duke Bybee (3-6, 3.58, 46) wasn't this dominant in Cuba, and he's coming off a 21-win season with a 2.75 ERA (143 ERA+), 1.12 WHIP, and 108 strikeouts. Kelley can't be better then Duke, can he? Something's got to give soon, right? Oh well, for now I'm just going to sit back, relax, and enjoy the surprise emergence of Santa Clara legend Zane Kelley! Thanks Hank Barnett! __________________ Check out my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of the FABL!: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...12#post4571312

10-27-2023, 08:34 PM	#1245
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,758	Cuban Winter League: Week 6 I was so excited going into this morning because we had three balls in the lottery. But as luck would have it, those were the last three selected, as we will be picking exactly where we would have been had their been no lottery at all. Pick 13... There was less then a one percent (0.3497!) chance of that happening, and with no draft pick trading it is a devastating blow considering the guy I want is still available at ten. Luckily this draft is extremely deep, and I will still get someone of talent at pick thirteen. My scout still has four players remaining on his top ten, so if I really wanted I could be guaranteed one of his top selections. We faired a bit better in the second lottery, moving up from 13 to 7, but considering we had three balls in every round we faired extremely poor. We should still be able to improve some on 85 wins, but we had a really good chance to get two top twenty picks and instead we'll draft like a team that finished second in their association. Man I miss draft pick trading... SS Rupert Heinbaugh (#338 Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 7th Round, 107th Overall (1945) AA: .352/.414/.455 (122 OPS+), 190 PA, 12 2B, 3B, HR, 16 RBI, SB A: .318/.385/.475 (128 OPS+), 357 PA, 23 2B, 7 3B, 4 HR, 47 RBI, 5 SB CWL: .262/.351/.429 (94 OPS+), 97 PA, 6 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, SB After having his way with in his stays a Lincoln (128 WRC+) and Mobile (132 WRC+), Rupert Heinbaugh has ran into his first minor road block in Santa Clara. The now 22-year-old has still been good enough to start, playing an excellent third base (3.4, 1.099) with a more then respectable .262/.351/.429 (94 OPS+) in 97 trips to the plate. He's added 6 doubles, a triple, 2 homers, 7 RBIs, and a steal. He's walked (12) a bit more then he's struck out (8), but his BB% (12.4) isn't on the level of Johnny Peters (16.8) and Jimmy Hairston (18.3). All told, it's a noticeable improvement on his 1947 Winter, where he hit just .239/.348/.321 (64 OPS+) in 42 games. As you can tell from the OBP, he's always been able to draw walks, and it's not rare to see his BB% above 9. Last year his hits weren't landing as frequent, hitting just .237 in San Jose and .179 in Lincoln, so I'm curious to see how he responds in the New Year. Will he return to the level of offense he displayed in his breakout season? Or was 1948 just quick detour on the route to becoming a utility infielder. I couldn't do another Zane Kelley write up, but the all powerful righty picked up his fifth victory of the season, retiring all eleven hitters he faced in the Stallions 8-4 extra inning win. Kelley allowed a hit and a strikeout in an inning the game before, and he hasn't allowed a run since December 15th. That accounts for 17.1 scoreless innings, as Kelley improved his league leading ERA and WHIP to 0.93 (510 ERA+) and 0.87 WHIP in a league high 48.1 innings pitched. __________________ Check out my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of the FABL!: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...12#post4571312

10-28-2023, 04:45 PM	#1246
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,758	1949 Draft: Round 1 1st Round, 13th Overall: 2B Biff Tiner School: Elkin Elks 1948: .520/.574/.867, 116 PA, 14 2B, 7 3B, 2 HR, 28 RBI, 33 SB Career: .511/.571/.856, 373 PA, 44 2B, 18 3B, 10 HR, 95 RBI, 81 SB I'll be honest, my excitement for this draft went from 100 to 0 about as quickly as it could. With three lottery balls, I thought we had a really good chance to pick in the top five, so falling all the way down to 13th was a gut punch mixed with a stab in the heart all followed up by a curb stomp from lady luck when it looked like things were starting to go right for the city. The worst part is towards the end I got my hopes up because one of the guys I really wanted was still available at ten, a pick we had to wake a while for, and on command, that was the pick where the Eagles crushed my heart once more by selecting "Smokestack Lightning" from Lane State. How can you resist a name like that! Tom Perkins, who turns 22 in May, will be a three year starter at short, and is coming off a season where he hit .329 with 13 doubles, 9 triples, 3 homers, 33 RBIs, 40 steals and an excellent 23-to-5 walk-to-strikeout ratio. Yes, we have Skipper at short, but Perkins looks to be a five-tool player -- if the power comes through -- and he could be ready for the big leagues after draft day. He would have been an awesome addition to the roster, playing at third against lefties, but instead we had to go back to the drawing board. Call it drafting for need, listening to my scout, going with the best available, or being tired on a Saturday morning after a thrilling game one, but the eventual first pick for us be Biff Tiner, a 17-year-old second basemen from Burlington, North Carolina. We didn't have a first round pick last year, which may be the last time that happens, but this makes four consecutive drafts where our first pick came from the high school ranks. Now don't get my sadness/disappointment mistaken for a lack of talent, as even in a class like this, missing out on your top targets always stings. It would have been better in a non-lottery world, as picking 13th would be expected and I would have planned my draft accordingly. But I've never been a fan of taking non SP/CF/SS/C with an early pick. Still, once the disappointment finally fades, it will be a lot easier to appreciate Biff Tiner, even if he doesn't end up going the Bob Allen route and become a top 10 prospect. A four year starter at Elkin, Tiner is a very intriguing prospect despite being a natural second basemen with no experience elsewhere. Standing at 6'2'', Tiner has the chance to be elite, and Dixie Marsh even goes ahead and says so. He loves his speed, contact tool, and even potential power, saying he profiles as a "potential elite second basemen on a contending team." Second base is one of our few weak spots right now. even if Clark Car actually ranks 7th according to OSA, as him and Billy Hunter are both 34 and won't be around forever. Sure, someone like George Sutterfield or Elmer Grace could shift over to the keystone, but neither of them have the bat of Tiner. A two-time .500 hitter, Biff owns an impressive .511/.571/.856 line in 73 games with 72 extra base hits and 81 steals. He walks at a near 10% rate (9.9) and strike out just over 5% (5.1) of the time, and his hard work has paid off. He's the first guy in and the last guy to leave, spending countless hours in the cage as he works on his swing. This should help him develop above average power, as he has the frame for it just not yet the muscle. Leaning what pitches he can and can't handle will be the next step, as since he swings with such authority, when he makes contact he shoots frozen ropes to the pull side and has the speed to take advantage of his hits in the gaps. He should be a great base stealer, can take advantage of weak grounders in the infield, and is always looking to take the extra base. What may have hurt us last year, well, aside from the one-run games and league worst OBP, is the fact that we clogged up the bases with old vets like Mitchell, Sharp, Pack, and Mead, so adding some speed and excitement on the bases is something I've wanted to do. Since he doesn't turn 18 until July, Tiner won't be a reinforcement anytime soon, but he's the type of guy who seems destined to have a long career in the majors. Elite may be a stretch, but second base is a weak position and he has a chance to be the best one. Dixie likes him enough to rank him in his top five for the pool, and while I don't think he'll crack the top 25 right away, he seems likely to rank in the top 100 until he's ready to debut. What will determine stardom for Tiner is the power, and the combination of work ethic, our development squad, and his height, it gives be all the belief I need that he can develop into a top-three second basemen. He'll hit for a high average, won't strike out, and should be more then capable of playing an excellent second base. The more I write about him, the more sold I am we'll be alright, but part of me believes that he still would have been available when our second pick came up. But with most of the guys I like already gone, I knew I had to take him when the opportunity came, and we should be very grateful with the player he turns into. But he doesn't have a cool nickname like Smokestack Lightning... Biff... Biff... Biff... Can we make that cool? Burlington Biff? Does that work? Oh well, I have a few seasons to brainstorm! __________________ Check out my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of the FABL!: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...12#post4571312

10-29-2023, 12:48 AM	#1247
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,758	1949 Draft: Round 2 2nd Round, 23rd Overall: RHP Wilson McKinney School: Colonel White Cougars 1948: 4-0, 52.1 IP, 1.38 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 13 BB, 85 K Career: 4-0, 52.1 IP, 1.38 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 13 BB, 85 K Again, the pick in the moment felt devastating, but just like with Biff we still get a very talented player. There were two pitchers I really wanted with this pick. The first was Ike Brannan, who went 19th, and then I kid you not, Dick Champ, who was taken directly ahead of us by the Miners. Champ is a very interesting prospect, who Dixie Marsh not only calls a "#2 starter", but played short, third, second, and left in his three years at Middlesex in New Jersey. Two way players are always fun, and he was talented enough to make it to FABL either way. I'm not as high on Wilson McKinney as Dixie Marsh, who lists him as the 9th best player in the draft. That's a bit high, but in a deep class like this one there are plenty of good players available, and despite minimal innings as a junior, he gives off some Harry Parker vibes. No, he's not a lazy towering righty who's arm doesn't work anymore, but he's a five pitch prep arm who looks to be far more development then the rest of his class. He doesn't have the "Starter" current rating, but McKinney has five intriguing pitches and his cutter already hits 89. He added a knuckle curve this winter, but the crown jewel is his splitter. He's an athletic kid with elite stuff and his command (5.8 BB%; 6.5 K/BB) has impressed in his small sample of innings. There's a lot of risk chasing someone like this, but he's a brilliant kid who will always look to find ways to improve. I think him and Garland Phelps may be the perfect combo, as their combined brainpower would put most to shame. They have the mental aspect of the game mastered and could end up fooling the best of batters. If they can share their knowledge with the team, they could make those around them better, but in the minors I'm okay with focusing on themselves. The kids eager to learn and I could even see a sixth pitch coming in his future. Depending on how his senior year goes, he could start with a second Cougar team, San Jose, as if all goes well he could be a quick riser in the system. Our next pick won't come until 45th, and for the remaining eight rounds we'll be picking 13th in the round. Depending on what the other teams do, we may get a lot of players I like, as this is one of the deeper classes in recent years. There's a lot of guys left I would have taken here had McKinney been taken as well, so we should get a few more useful pieces to add to the third ranked system. I've also been thinking some about the season, as it looks less and less likely that we're going to be making any additional acquisitions. There aren't many players available, so we'll have to run it back with most of what we have. My idea now is to move Hal Sharp to left, allowing Carlos Montes to play every day in right field. Chubby Hall and Luke Berry can fight for the right side of the left field platoon, pushing Leo Mitchell back to the bench. It's sad to see a team legend end up this way, but he's no longer the same hitter he once was. We need to win a title, and this may give us the best shot in the coming season. __________________ Check out my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of the FABL!: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...12#post4571312

10-30-2023, 03:30 PM	#1248
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,758	1949 Draft: Rounds 3 and 4 The draft went slowly on the weekend, and we're likely to finish it up tonight or tomorrow. Since there is still plenty of time before Spring Training, I'll slowly go through the guys we've selected. This one will cover two picks while the final two will have three a piece. I'll still do daily CWL writeups, and guess what? Zane Kelley did something amazing again! You're stuck hearing about him again later! 3rd Round, 45th Overall: CF Fred Crawford School: Hardwick Friars 1948: .548/.567/.835, 127 PA, 18 2B, 6 3B, HR, 35 RBI, 32 SB Career: .541/.564/.808, 253 PA, 35 2B, 10 3B, 2 HR, 70 RBI, 67 SB I really didn't want to take a center fielder here, I wanted Dick Houston who went 8th in the Round to the Minutemen, but Fred Crawford isn't your average center fielder. In both of his seasons at Hardwick, he hit at least .535, he's about as fast as it gets, and always is putting extra effort in the cage and on the field. That includes taking groundballs, as along with all three outfield positions, Crawford has spent time at second and third base, allowing him to play almost anywhere a need is. Short may be the only position he can't play, but that could be something we work on for him. One thing for sure, is Crawford is going to be in the lineup, probably in the leadoff spot, and he made a huge step forward in the power department. He added a double and two triples in one more trip to the plate, and he had 25 extra base hits in 25 games. The speedster from Massachusetts projects to be a well above average player, with an excellent combination of athleticism and hit tool. He does hit the ball on the ground a lot, but that's not the worth thing, as his grounders down the line can turn into triples and a chopper on the infield grass is 50/50 for an extra base hit. He puts the ball in play almost every at bat, which should lead to an average in the .330s. Add in potentially elite defense and almost no strikeouts, and he gives you everything except power from center field. Depending on how his senior year goes, I may try to push him to San Jose to start his pro career, but wherever Crawford ends up, he'll be playing most days of the week while we look to capitalize off of his versatility. 4th Round, 61st Overall: LHP Buster Clark School: Santa Cruz Pirates 1948: 4-0, SV, 58 IP, 1.09 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 11 BB, 94 K Career: 4-0, SV, 58 IP, 1.09 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 11 BB, 94 K There were a lot of pitchers in this class I liked, but didn't love, and we were running out of those guys. I snapped up southpaw Buster Clark, who like Wilson McKinney, just played as a junior and didn't throw many innings. No extra pitches were gained for Clark, but he already five, with an above average slider the best of the bunch. He uses his sinker a lot as well, which allows him to generate a lot of groundballs and keep the ball in the yard. In a nice change of pace for Cougar hurlers, he already has strong command, which Dixie thinks will develop into "pinpoint command" and he likes his movement enough to expect it to "limit the number of home runs he allows." Despite all the praise, he views him as more as a back of the rotation arm, and I think that may be a little harsh. He's not an ace, and not really a #2, but I think he has all the tools to fill the middle of a rotation. I'm a big fan of guys with strong K/BB numbers, and he seems likely to excel in that metric. At times he can graze 90, and if we can get him in the 91-93 range like a George Oddo, I'd find it very hard to keep a guy like Clark out of a rotation. He does come with risk, including a huge difference between his current and potentials, but he's on the lazier side. That's not to say he doesn't put in the work, he just doesn't do any extra, and needs an extra push to put in the work. Like most prep arms, he'll start his career out in La Crosse, and I'm hoping we can get the most of him. __________________ Check out my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of the FABL!: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...12#post4571312 Last edited by ayaghmour2; 11-01-2023 at 02:15 PM.

10-30-2023, 05:52 PM	#1249
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,758	Cuban Winter League: Week 7 SS Elmer Grace (#57 Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 47th Round, 52nd Overall (1948) AA: .320/.366/.399 (96 OPS+), 311 PA, 14 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 42 RBI, SB CWL: .241/.354/.315 (73 OPS+), 127 PA, 2 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI It's been a slow start in the winter league for 4th Rounder Elmer Grace, who has just a 86 WRC+ in 27 games, but he's coming off the best week of his winter. Along with a walk-off double (more below) for the first place Stallions, Grace went 6-for-15 with a homer, another double, 3 runs, 2 walks, and 2 RBIs. Grace has now hit safely in five consecutive games, with three of them two-hit efforts. Despite this hot stretch, the switch hitting middle infielder is hitting just .241/.354/.315 (73 OPS+) in 127 trips to the plate. He has walked (19) a bit more then he's struck out (15), but for someone who should be big league ready, I was expecting a lot more production at the plate. What is nice though is the natural shortstop has spent all but four innings at the keystone, a position I already wanted him to get additional work at. Short is locked up with Skipper, but second could be up for the taking as early as midseason, and Grace is one of our more interesting candidates for a full-time job. The #57 prospect is an excellent defender who can hold his own at the plate. He has a good eye and can work the count to his benefit, but he's still not adept at dealing with the close pitches. I'd like to see him make a bit more contact, as .300 in FABL may be just out of reach, and without much power (2 HR in 311 AA PAs), he's either going to have play defense like Skipper or hit consistently above .300. I'm hoping he can ride this hot streak into a strong end of the season, and if he finishes on a good note, he could join the big league club in the spring for a few extra reps. RHP Zane Kelley (#221 Overall) Acquired: Via Trade with Kings (1947) AAA: 13-8, 188.2 IP, 4.15 ERA (109 ERA+), 1.49 WHIP, 61 BB, 61 K CWL: 6-0, SV, 58.1 IP, 0.93 ERA (488 ERA+), 0.81 WHIP, 18 BB, 27 K I already alluded to it earlier, but yet again, Zane Kelley showed out and dominated. He didn't get any run support in his duel against 23-year-old Ray Hatch (1-5, SV, 4.55, 57), so after nine innings the game was tied at one. Kelley came back for the 10th and again kept runs off the board, and after an easy extra frame Kelley had just 4 hits, a run, a walk, and 4 strikeouts. Set to leadoff the bottom of the 10th, Stallions manager Fred Spears let Kelley hit for himself. He was 0-for-3, but managed to draw a leadoff walk, which he himself knows that those tend to bite you in the butt. This turned the order for Johnny Peters (.235, 2, 16, 2), but the former 3rd Pick could not get the job done. Lucky for Kelley, Elmer Grace (241, 2, 7) was ready to go home, and he got a hold of a Hatch pitch, sending Kelley around the bases to score the winning run on Grace's double. This kept Kelley at a perfect 6-0 with a league best 0.93 ERA (488 ERA+) and 0.81 WHIP, with the next closest at 1.71 (265 ERA+) and 1.09. His 3.7 rWAR is a full win and a half above replacement against the next highest and batters are hitting just .148 against him -- just a bit higher then his .125 average. Kelley still leads the circuit with 58.1 innings and his 3.22 FIP (71 FIP-) is third this winter. Every time I think he's done flexing his skill on unsuspecting hitters, he manages to do even more, and at this point I don't know how I can not put him on the big league roster. It may make my life more difficult, sure, but the unexpected breakout of the young righty has managed to deepen an already stellar pitching corps. __________________ Check out my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of the FABL!: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...12#post4571312

10-31-2023, 11:55 AM	#1250
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,758	1949 Draft: Rounds 5-7 The draft just finished as I was prepping this post, but I'll still do the final three picks sometime tomorrow. We're still about two months away from Spring Training, but the Cuban Winter League will keep me interested for the next month or so. Zane Kelley finally had a hiccup, well, two, and it's caused the Stallions to fall out of first. More on that tonight! 5th Round, 77th Overall: SS Freddie Hutchison School: North Carolina Tech Techster 1948: .281/.367/.384, 212 PA, 8 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 37 RBI, 39 SB Career (COL): .268/.359/.367, 456 PA, 15 2B, 3 3B, 6 HR, 67 RBI, 76 SB Career (HS): .422/.508/.620, 506 PA, 42 2B, 9 3B, 7 HR, 110 RBI, 118 SB It took not only five rounds for a shortstop, but also a college player, as Freddie Hutchison was the first Cougar selection enrolled in a collegiate institution this fall. This is not the first selection for Hutchison, who has made great strides since being selected by the Sailors in the 23rd Round out of high school. It could be a reach here at five, but there were very few exciting shortstops left and and OSA was a huge fan of him last year. They credit his speed, contact, and eye, predicting him to be a "reliable hitter in the organization's grand scheme." That's more Tom Perkins or John Wells then Freddie Hutchison, but he made significant strides from his freshman to sophomore season. His average jumped up from .257 to .281 and upped his OPS 45 points. This increase in contact ability could help forward his career, as he now has another tool to pair with his discipline and speed. If he can follow up or even improve his performance as a junior, he could be another Elmer Grace type, going up quick the organizational ladder quick due to his defense and approach at the plate. Hutchison is similar, just only from the left side, which could allow them to become the new Billy Hunter and Clark Car. It's a stretch to expect him to rank in the top 100, but I think they have similar floors and ceilings. I'm not as keen on his glove as I am with Grace, so he'll have to hit to keep his spot. I'll play him at short until he tells me he can't. There's plenty of risk with this pick, but I like enough of our later picks to think that taking him is worth the chance. 6th Round, 93rd Overall: CF Lou Jackson School: College of San Diego Friars 1948: .267/.333/.427, 232 PA, 9 2B, 9 3B, 2 HR, 25 RBI, 73 SB Career (COL): .268/.336/.451, 434 PA, 17 2B, 16 3B, 7 HR, 48 RBI, 73 SB Career (HS): .425/.487/.736, 224 PA, 21 2B, 12 3B, 5 HR, 54 RBI, 63 SB One of the most interesting prospects in the draft, Lou Jackson is a switch hitter who's appeared at games not only in center, but in left, right, second, first, and short. Another college kid, Jackson has also been drafted previously, selected 209th Overall by the Chiefs back in 1946. An athletic outfielder from California, he's yet to truly breakout at the plate, but I couldn't resist his versatility. A gifted athlete, Jackson has excelled in center field and he's one of the fastest guys on the field. I may want to get him a lot of innings on the infield to see how he can handle it, but his best position may still be center field. He doesn't have a ton of upside and profiles mainly as a utility man, but he's 6'2'' and could develop legitimate power if he can fix his workout routines. He doesn't put the ball in play enough to be a light hitter too, but with his speed and plate discipline he could really succeed as a slugger. He gives off some Carlos Montes vibes, who if you remember used to play the infield too, but without the power Montes displayed out of the gate. That's the absolute best case for Jackson, but there's a reason he lasted long, as the chance of him becoming that are quite low. 7th Round, 109th Overall: C Danny Noonan School: Huntington State Miners 1948: .272/.359/.417, 211 PA, 8 2B, 6 HR, 35 RBI, 13 SB Career (COL): .272/.372/.431, 412 PA, 13 2B, 14 HR, 71 RBI, 27 SB Career (HS): .444/.547/.650, 345 PA, 25 2B, 4 3B, 8 HR, 78 RBI, 21 SB That's three-for-three! After no college picks, the last three have all been college bats, The only difference between Danny Noonan and the other two, are he actually fell in the draft. A three year starter at Sts. John and Paul in Ohio, Noonan was on our draft list for 1946, but he was selected in the 3rd Round by the Pioneers. When he couldn't agree to terms with them, he went to Huntington State, and probably had his eye set on the first two rounds this year. Instead, Noonan slipped and slipped, before we finally made the backstop our 7th Round selection. 21 in February, Dixie thinks he can develop into an average big leaguer, but I'd be happy with a useless backup who can hit a little to go with a great glove. Both Dixie and OSA comment on his plus defense, and that alone should allow him to stick in our system until potentially earning a big league callup. The bat is unrefined, as he doesn't make enough contact, but his patient approach at the plate should lead to a lot of good at bats. He takes the tough pitches and works his share of walks, and in college he walked (54) more then he struck out (35). He's shown a little power too, and its always good for backup catchers to be able to put one over the fence. With Bill Martin leaving the system, there is some room for catchers, and Noonan has a chance to secure a majority of at bats at one of our minor league levels. At worst, he'll get a timeshare with someone like Ernie Frost or Alex O'Dailey, but I could see him moving up the system quick and caddying Garland Phelps in a season or two. __________________ Check out my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of the FABL!: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...12#post4571312

10-31-2023, 08:28 PM	#1251
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,758	Cuban Winter League: Week 8 CF Johnny Peters (#41 Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 1st Round, 3rd Overall (1945) FABL: .250/.423/.450 (134 OPS+), 26 PA, 2B, HR, RBI AAA: .320/.415/.462 (122 OPS+), 623 PA, 26 2B, 5 3B, 13 HR, 63 RBI, 7 SB CWL: .246/.371/.381 (93 OPS+), 145 PA, 7 2B, 3 HR, 17 RBI, 3 SB Very few went right for the Stallions this week, as Santa Clara dropped all four games, now losers of six in a row. This has dropped the Cougars/Eagles squad to two games out of first, as for the most part the offense has completely dried up. That did not apply to Johnny Peters. The former 3rd Pick had an excellent week, going 5-for-16 with a double, homer, and four walks. That translated to a .312/.450/.562 (158 OPS+) weekly line which upped his season line to a more respectable .246/.371/.381 (93 OPS+), and his 102 WRC+ is back above average after he slipped below for the past few weeks. A natural center fielder, Peters has been spending his time out in left, which like Grace playing second, works well for us as I somewhat want Peters to grab ahold of the left field job at sometime this season. A disciplined hitter, Peters has matched his walk and strikeout totals with 24 in 145 trips to the plate. He hasn't made a lot of contact, but the extra base hits are huge, as he's clubbed 7 doubles and 3 homers while swiping 3 bases too. This more then makes up for the lack of singles, especially considering that like our stadium, the Stallions' is on the small side. Dixie expects him to hit around .300, like the .320 he posted in Milwaukee, so I'm not overly worried about the small average now. What's good is when he's putting the ball in play, he's hitting it hard, and his 16.6 BB% is higher then each of his stints excluding his freshman year of college (17.0) and his 9 game cup of coffee this September (23.1). He's got exciting tools and its on full display this winter, even if he's not performing exactly as expected. This excellent week is as good as he's been, and I'm hoping he can stay hot the rest of the way. __________________ Check out my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of the FABL!: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...12#post4571312

11-01-2023, 06:28 PM	#1252
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,758	Cuban Winter League: Week 9 CF Johnny Peters (#41 Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 1st Round, 3rd Overall (1945) FABL: .250/.423/.450 (134 OPS+), 26 PA, 2B, HR, RBI AAA: .320/.415/.462 (122 OPS+), 623 PA, 26 2B, 5 3B, 13 HR, 63 RBI, 7 SB CWL: .272/.383/.463 (115 OPS+), 164 PA, 8 2B, 6 HR, 242 RBI, 3 SB "This excellent week is as good as he's been, and I'm hoping he can stay hot the rest of the way." I wrote that yesterday. I probably should have waited until today! Peters brought the power today, as the recently turned 25-year-old doubled his home run total in just four games. The former 3rd Pick hit three out of the park, going 8-for-18 in 4 games with a double, walk, and 7 RBIs as the Stallions won three of four to improve to 19-16 on the season. He's now hitting a comfortably above average .272/.383/.463 (115 OPS+) and overtook Mickey Holloway (.227, 5, 33) for the team lead in homer. Peters now has a strong 123 WRC+ due to 25 walks and 8 doubles, and he's been worth 1.1 WAR while providing solid left field defense (0.9, 1.014). As good as he's been, Dixie Marsh doesn't think he's ready to enter out starting lineup, and Max Wilder still prefers Hal Sharp and Chubby Hall in left. Despite that, I'm starting to think it may be worth starting the season with him in the lineup. A gifted hitter, Peters profiles as a potential .300/.400/.500 hitter, and if he can cut down his strikeouts a bit, there's Whitney votes in his future. Despite all this, he still feels underdeveloped for his age. A little more seasoning may be what it takes to get that star level production, so if our group of corner outfielders doesn't impress, Peters may finish the year as our every day left fielder. LHP Ron Berry (#80 Overall) Acquired: Via Draft: 7th Round, 112th Overall (1944) AA: 7-4, 104 IP, 2.94 ERA (148 ERA+), 1.20 WHIP, 41 BB, 51 K A: 7-3, 81 IP, 2.11 ERA (192 ERA+), 1.00 WHIP, 19 BB, 59 K CWL: 2-4, SV, 4.71 ERA (99 ERA+), 1.61 WHIP, 33 BB, 28 K Very few pitchers had a better 1948 season then Ron Berry, who was dominant at both AA and A ball for us this year. Berry went 14-7 in 24 starts, posting ERA+ of 192 and 148 with FIP- of 66 and 88. These are remarkable numbers for a 22-year-old, as all the hard work he put in the offseason paid dividends this year. Now 23, Berry returned to the Santa Clara Stallions, where he threw 5.2 inning out of the pen for them in the inaugural 1946 season. This time around they're using him where he belongs, the rotation, but the early returns have been mixed. In his first five starts, he allowed four or more runs, including a pair of starts with six earned runs. His last three appearances have been far better, as he has 2.2 scoreless innings out of the pen and an excellent 8 inning start in the Stallions 8-1 win over the Holguin Hawks, who lead the other division. Berry looked like the pitcher he did stateside, allowing just 2 hits, a run, and 3 walks with 5 strikeouts to improve to 2-4 in 9 appearances (6 starts). His 4.71 ERA doesn't look very good, but that's just two percent below average in the high scoring CWL, where only one pitcher (I'm sure you can guess who!) has an ERA below 2.45. For Berry, it's nice seeing him get extra innings this season, as he's getting every so close to big league ready. We don't need to rush him, but it's great to see how he does against hitters who are more advanced and experienced then him. There are a lot of guys down South who spent their entire seasons in AA or AAA, and since he missed almost two months last season, he's a bit behind in terms of innings for guys from his class. I already planned on giving him a chance to crack the Blues opening day rotation, and a few more starts like his most recent and I think he'll be a lock to start there. The Stallions front three of Kelley-Beardsley-Berry may be the same for the Blues, giving them a pretty exciting rotation in terms of both prospect potential and current ability. Berry has the most upside of the three, but all are current starters and have FABL rotation potential. Berry could be a borderline ace, as long as his command is closer to his Lincoln days (3.1 K/BB) then his Mobile days (1.2 K/BB). The stuff is great, he keeps the ball in the park, and if he's able to master the strike zone too, he's going to carve out a very nice career for himself. __________________ Check out my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of the FABL!: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...12#post4571312

11-01-2023, 07:05 PM	#1253
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,758	1949 Draft: Rounds 8-10 8th Round, 125th Overall: CF Frank Falcao School: Mishawaka Pilots 1948: .436/.505/.734, 111 PA, 13 2B, 3 3B, 3 HR, 30 RBI, 23 SB Career: .436/.505/.734, 111 PA, 13 2B, 3 3B, 3 HR, 30 RBI, 23 SB I've spoken plenty about our abundance of outfield draft, but after eight rounds, I could no longer pass on Chicagoan Frank Falcao. Nicknamed "Fireball", Falcao is a Chicago kid who went to high school in Indiana, and played varsity for the Mishawka Pilots for the first time as a junior. He didn't have the greatest season, hitting just .436 with 3 homers, 30 RBIs, and 23 steals, but don't let the pedestrian line fool you. There's a lot to like about this kid. If I needed a center fielder, he probably could have gone four rounds earlier, and I like his upside a lot more then the last three guys we selected. A switch hitting outfielder, Falcao is an excellent defender out in center, and the speed translates well on the bases. He's an extremely raw prospect, but with a little work he could develop into a legit five tool prospect. He hits the ball hard, puts the ball in play a lot, and has an excellent eye. Dixie thinks he can draw upwards of 70 walks a year as he has a great feel for the strike zone. The one thing lacking right now is power, but most teenagers aren't hitting the ball 400 feet from home. The difference between becoming a fourth outfielder and an All-Star for Fireball is the home run power. If he can start elevating the ball, he'll be an excellent hitter, but for now his value comes from drawing walks, stealing bases, and snagging liners on the grass. 9th Round, 141st Overall: RHP Luke Wright School: LaSalle Cavaliers 1948: 8-1, 94.2 IP, 1.81 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 35 BB, 138 K Career: 8-1, 94.2 IP, 1.81 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 35 BB, 138 K It's back-to-back Chicagoans for us here, as we picked up LaSalle righty Luke Wright, who moved from the city to the burbs to pitch. Like Falcao, he only played as a junior, and while his 1.81 ERA was on the high side, he struck out 138 hitters in 94.2 innings with just 35 walks. We got a bit lucky here as well, as Dixie's brand new report is better then when we drafted him, noticing his fastball is up a mile to 88-90, and Marsh thinks he can "pitch his way into a back-end rotation opportunity." Like our other two pitchers selected, Wright has a deep five pitch arsenal and there's a chance all five could be big league quality offerings. The increased velocity is huge, as he features both a fastball and sinker, and his change and splitter will get even tougher as he continues to add speed to the hard stuff. Wright doesn't have a best pitch yet, so unless one emerges from the group, his success will come from mixing up his offerings more then overpowering hitters. His command isn't a plus tool, but it's good enough where he shouldn't have to worry too much about walks. Wright doesn't turn 18 until August, so he's even more underdeveloped then the average prep arm. That's not a worry for me, we can take our time working out his kinks, and with his work ethic and quest for learning I'd bet on his dedication and heart to pitch his way up to his hometown team. 10th Round, 157th Overall: RF Delos Williams School: Lincoln Tigers 1948: .448/.505/.688, 107 PA, 10 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 28 RBI, 9 SB Career: .436/.493/.660, 344 PA, 32 2B, 6 3B, 8 HR, 89 RBI, 22 SB Our tenth pick was the hardest to make, as there were a lot of players I wanted and even more worth the selection. In the end, I settled on Delos Williams, a 6'3'' lefty swinging outfielder from LA. Set to be a four year starter at Lincoln, Delos has appeared at all three outfield spots, but he's likely best suited for right. OSA is a huge fan of the 18-year-old, saying he can "be penciled in for a lion's share of starts at his position" and I'm positive he wouldn't have lasted this long if he played a more premium position. Dixie and I aren't as keen as the league's scouting organization, but this is a big strong kid who really put a charge into a ball. He's got the raw power that's desired in project type prospects, and if we can get him a quality workout regimen his average power potential could resemble the power that Sal Pestilli or Red Bond have made famous. Unlike Falcao, he's still got double digit pop as is, with the chance to hit 15 or so out in a season. He has all the tools to hit his way into a big league lineup, and he's got a nice personal makeup. When he talks, people listen, and while still young he's already looking like a locker room leader. Despite being our last picks, he's got a legit shot of ranking high on our prospect list and he could end up as one of the more productive players we'll get out of this class. __________________ Check out my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of the FABL!: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...12#post4571312

11-02-2023, 09:37 PM	#1254
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,758	Cuban Winter League: Week 10 I guess this is it, the last week of the Cuban Winter league. It really caught up on me as I thought we still had a few weeks left, and we're once again without baseball. Fortunately for Chicago sports fans, there's still stuff to follow, as the Panthers (23-10, 1st, 3 GA) and Packers (18-20-3, 3rd, 39 PTS) are holding playoff spots and Wildcats fans are still celebrating their 31-0 thrashing of the hated New York Stars, winning their third championship in franchise history. It really made up for 1946 -- a season fans of the Wildcats and Cougars would like to forget. In both baseball and football, the New York Stars crushed Chicagoan's dreams, as the football version throttled the Wildcats 28-0 and the baseball version got to Billy Riley in game 145 to keep the Cougars title droughts extended. Unfortunately, for the Stallions, they will not be continuing play, but they finished above .500 for the first time (20-19) and finished two games out and in second place. It's a noticeable improvement over last season, and a lot of our players showed plenty of promise. I'm giving out some organizational "awards", going out to some of the players that stood out. A lot of these guys will return to action on March 6th when the big league camp starts back up. They'll have about a month to rest up and prepare, and I cannot wait to get back started. It's been a slow offseason on the baseball front, which might work in our favor. We have a really good team and OSA thinks there are only two positions (RF, 9th; RP, 13th) where one of our players does not rank in the top seven. Best Pitcher: RHP Zane Kelley 6-2, SV, 79.1 IP, 2.27 ERA (204 ERA+), 1.15 WHIP, 32 BB, 35 K, 1.7 WAR This was the most obvious choice as Zane Kelley was dominant most of the season. After winning his first six starts, he did lose back-to-back games, allowing 23 hits, 12 runs, and 7 walks. He did finish on a high note with two separate shutout relief outings, and with how excellent he started the season, Kelly still led the CWL in ERA (2.27), rWAR (3.4) and ERA+ (204) in a league high 79.1 innings. He lost the lead in WHIP (1.15) to Samuel Harris (0.99), but still finished second while ranking top five in shutouts (t-1st, 2), WAR (2nd, 1.7), complete games (2nd, 6), FIP (5th, 3.64), and opponent batting average (4th, .208). Of course on the Stallions, he led pretty much every category, and now has positioned himself as a legitimate FABL pitcher. I'm not sure how easy it will be to keep him on the big league roster, but he'll get some starts in the Spring and if he stays hot who knows what's going to happen. The tough part is we already have five starters and I want to see what Eddie Howard could do as well. Even so, Kelley could be a stopper and even make a spot start if we're stuck with double headers. The staff has four openings behind our rotation, and the 23-year-old has given him a jump start on his competition. Best Hitter: RF Jimmy Hairston .300/.469/.373 (117 OPS+), 145 PA, 5 2B, HR, 9 RBI, 144 WRC+, 1.2 WAR Technically this could be best walker, as that's what Jimmy Hairston did best. He walked at a whopping 23.4% clip, best among qualified Cuban Winter League hitters. He led the Stallions with a 144 WRC+ and hit an above average .300/.469/.373 (117 OPS+) while playing plus defense in left field (2.9, 1.010). He walked in nearly every game, drawing 34 in 36, and hit 5 doubles and a homer in 145 trips to the plate. As surprising as this may be, Hairston's always had an outstanding eye, frequently walking over ten percent of the time in the minors. Like Kelley, he's on the 40-man roster and will be in spring camp, but I don't think he's got much of a chance for a bench role. He just turned 24 two weeks ago, and should still be playing every day in the minors. His .268/.365/.424 (100 OPS+) triple slash was exactly league average, but it was nice to see him slug 16 homers. The home run power wasn't to be seen down south, despite the Stallions having an extremely homer friendly stadium. One way or another, I expect him to make his big league debut this season, and he'll have one option left for 1950 as well. Second Half Star: LF Johnny Peters .275/.381/.477 (118 OPS+), 184 PA, 10 2B, 7 HR, 28 RBI, 124 WRC+, 1.4 WAR Johnny Peters hit just .250/.370/.383 (92 OPS+) in 16 December games and an even lower .261/.346/.261 (57 OPS+) in 5 November games. Once the Calendar turned to 1949, Peters was a new hitter, slashing an excellent .300/.402/.629 (160 OPS+) with 6 of his 7 homers, adding on 14 runs, 5 doubles, 12 walks, and 13 RBIs. The outstanding month allowed Peters to finish with a solid .275/.381/.477 (118 OPS+) batting line, and with decent defense out in left (1.4, 1.018) he ended up being worth 1.4 wins above replacement, although almost a full win (0.9) came in his January. I'll admit, I was nervous when he was hitting just .236/.359/.377 as late as January 10th, but now Peters will look to ride the hot streak to a return to the majors. He hit 5-for-20 with a solo homer in his cup of coffee this September, and will look to steal at bats away from some number of Hal Sharp, Leo Mitchell, Luke Berry, Carlos Montes, and Chubby Hall in the Spring. None of them have the upside of the former 3rd Pick, but Dixie Marsh think currently they're all further along then Peters. If he starts the season in Milwaukee, we'll rotate him around all three outfield spots, so if an injury strikes he can be ready to enter anywhere. Best Cheerleader: LHP Ben Clough The Santa Clara Stallions did something that no other team did. They just completely neglected their bullpen. The Eagles Dick Greenhalgh (0-0, 21.60) was rocked in two innings, allowing 5 hits, 4 runs, and a walk in just an inning and two thirds. Ben Clough? The guy with a 1.99 ERA (222 ERA+) and 1.15 WHIP with 45 strikeouts in 49.2 innings out of the pen? He didn't get to face a single batter. Every other team used at least one reliever for 10 or more innings while while just two of those seven teams not having each reliever throw double digit innings. So it's not like this was a league wide thing. Manager Fred Spears just decided not to use anyone that wasn't in his rotation. I was really hoping for Clough to get some extra innings as he threw just 12.1 innings after being selected in the 1947 draft. Even with a decent size workload (120 innings), I was hoping for more, as he was starting to emerge as a legit prospect. I do want to give him more starts in the minors, but he's probably best suited for the pen and he could have helped Santa Clara in some of their losses. It's sad he didn't get much out of being selected, but at least he got to bond with his teammates and support them as they recorded the first winning season in the Stallions' short history. __________________ Check out my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of the FABL!: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...12#post4571312

11-06-2023, 04:27 PM	#1255
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,758	Offseason Notes Just a quick post as we are just under a month away from Spring Training. Turns out I was wrong on the CWL, there was actually one game left, so Zane Kelley's numbers ended up a bit worse then whatever I mentioned. The Stallions lost, finishing at .500, but still best in their three seasons. The eventual winner was the Cienfuegos Crocodiles, who beat the Stallions by three games in the Western Division. The most interesting thing going on right now is Hall of Fame voting, as we have a rather "controversial" class. I think it's clear, Tom Bird should be in the hall, he's the best offensive catcher of his time, but there's a faction that doesn't want him as a first ballot guy. Statistically, he's leaps and bounds better then everyone else, but with a short career I can sort of see a slim case against him. As long as that lead to an empty ballot, as even though my ballot has three other players, Bird is clearly the class. There's also a veterans ballot so hopefully some of those guys get in, most notably John Cook, who was worth 143.1 WAR in 18 seasons with a 127 WRC+, 2,505 hits, and 454 steals. There has been a little action on the trade front, but mainly players going to the Fed. I can't wait for the spring, mainly because we need to get back to playing as I can't wait to erase the annoying season we just endured. Again, we'll head into the season as the favorite for the association, but the odds of us meeting expectations? Well, don't get your hopes up... Oh well, it's almost Peter the Heater time again! And OSA thinks he's the second best pitcher again! Donnie 6, Duke 11. Even Skipper (8th) and Sal (13th) are getting love for position players! __________________ Check out my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of the FABL!: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...12#post4571312

11-10-2023, 12:03 AM	#1256
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,758	Start of Spring Training! You know what time it is! It's the return of fake baseball!!!!!!!!!!! All 16 FABL teams have reported to their spring homes, as a crisp wind of optimism and excitement engulfs the team's training camp. This is the best time of the year. Where everyone is level and all 16 teams can believe that this is truly their year. As always, we hope and think that this one is ours, but with little movement in the Continental Association, we'll once again enter the season with the best roster. On paper. That means there's very little left to decide. I know what our rotation will look like. The lineup is pretty much set one through seven, and the eighth is about as secure as it gets. Unless we have an injury or a fringe starter (please be Leo Mitchell) has an insane spring, all the movement will be on the edges. The most interesting man in camp might be 42-year-old Doc Love, who was at one time one of the best hitters in our lineup. That was, at least until a 25-year-old future team leader stole the starting left field job and held that spot until, well... Now. Love won't make the team, but when I saw him sitting around in free agency, I had to tender him a minor league contract. One way or another, the 1937 All-Star will make his 4,043rd FABL plate appearance. He may not have been the greatest player to play the game, but he was a key contributor for four seasons. A 6th Round Pick from the 1927 draft, he debuted at 24 with the Dynamos in 1931. The outfielder spent his first three seasons on their bench, despite above average OPS+ numbers. More importantly he had a 151 WRC+ in 1932 followed by a near identical 150, this time with nine more trips to the plate. In need of another bat after our embarrassing series with the Minuteman, I paid a premium to acquire the slugger with just two career home runs. Jose Serna and our 3rd Round Pick went to Detroit, and his career finally took off. After just 259 PAs split across three seasons, Love stepped into the box 662 times, and hit an outstanding .325/.381/.511 (142 OPS+). He slugged 21 homers with 22 doubles and 13 triples while walking (57) twice as often as he struck out (24). He drove in 98 runs and scored an impressive 109 times, and was worth 4.4 WAR in 149 games. The next three seasons followed the same pattern, and while he never quite replicated that stellar production, he ended his Cougar career with an excellent .313/.359/.478 (126 OPS+) batting line in nearly 3,000 plate appearances. I'll cover him more either when he appears in a game or ends up retiring, but he had a truly interesting career that will span twenty four seasons. Doc will be one of 57 players in camp, but I'm sure he'll be in line for plenty of the autographs. Below are the players and their positions, and as always, players denoted with an asterisk are locks for the final 24-man roster. RHP Bill Ballantine RHP Harry Beardsley LHP Ron Berry RHP Roscoe Brown LHP Duke Bybee* RHP Harry Carter RHP Joe Foote RHP Jack Hale LHP Bob Hobbs RHP Donnie Jones* LHP Johnnie Jones* RHP Zane Kelley RHP Charlie Kelsey LHP Jim Kenny RHP Harry MacRae RHP Ken Matson RHP George Oddo* RHP Pete Papenfus* RHP Harry Parker RHP Bill Ross LHP Frank Sartori RHP Chet Williams C Mike Bordes C Eddie Howard* C Harry Mead* C Bob Mundy 1B Red Bond* 1B Ray Ford 1B Lou Thomas 2B Clark Car* 2B Johnny Carlisle 2B Al Clement 2B Eddie Curtis 2B Billy Hunter* 2B Bob Schmelz 3B Otto Christian 3B Jim Jenkins 3B Walt Pack* SS Joe Dackett SS George Dawson SS Elmer Grace SS Bill Graham SS Skipper Schneider* SS George Sutterfield LF Luke Berry LF Ducky Cole LF Chubby Hall LF Don Jeppsen LF Leo Mitchell* LF Hal Sharp* CF Don Lee CF Sal Pestilli* CF Johnny Peters RF Bob Allen RF Jimmy Hairston RF Doc Love RF Carlos Montes* Theoretically, this could be the end (or at least a pause) for a lot of multi-year roster members, as we have a lot of interesting options fighting for spots on the bench or in the pen. I'm not sure which one is more exciting, but there are some exciting players to watch. I'm interested in what Zane Kelley and Johnny Peters will do, as while I don't expect either making the final roster, a strong spring could change my mind. With a full 40, I wouldn't be opposed to DFA'ing a few guys, which could leave an opening for either of these CWL standouts. I'm leaning towards starting the season with Hal Sharp in left and Carlos Montes in right, but if Johnny Peters keeps hitting dingers, why not give him a shot in a starting role. He just turned 25, he's a former 3rd Pick, and has spent time as a top-25 prospect. The talents always been there and he's hit well in the upper levels too. He deserves a shot, but it's hard to give him time with all the good vets we have in camp. If they struggle, he'll come up as long as he's himself, but it's hard to cut bait on guys who have been with you for a long time. We'll get a week of games tomorrow, but with the weekend following it will feel like a tease. With a full seven games, Peter the Heater will start twice, with all five rotation members following the opener with the Stars. The previously mentioned Zane Kelley will start game six against the Cannons, and depending on how it goes he may get a few more. I definitely want to see Eddie Howard make a start, and that'll likely come next week, but if Kelley looks good he'll get the start following. He has a chance for the rotation and the pen, as with a decent amount of double headers this year I might opt to use a sixth starter at times. But at just 23, he might still be best suited starting every day in the minors, and a full slate of three options will work against him with all the out-of-options arms I don't want to say good bye to yet. I hope we can stay healthy, but luckily with our depth we should be able to weather a few injuries from our non-star players. Oh yeah, and the WRC+ adjustments did their thing again. Leo Mitchell was now an above average (101) hitter last year. Yay? I guess we could use another above average hitter! __________________ Check out my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of the FABL!: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...12#post4571312 Last edited by ayaghmour2; 11-10-2023 at 12:10 AM.

11-10-2023, 08:14 PM	#1257
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,758	Spring Training: Week 1 Weekly Record: 4-3 Overall Record: 4-3 (3 GA) Notable Stories Zane Kelley is Him: Pretty much all our starters pitched great, with Duke Bybee's 3.60 ERA the highest, but CWL standout Zane Kelley joined the Jones brothers with four shutout innings in their spring debuts. Donnie had the best outing, striking out 7 with 3 hits and a walk, but greatness is expected from an Allen Winner and 2-Time All-Star. Kelley was effective none the less, and the Cannons, who OSA predicted to finish a game behind us for first, got just 4 hits and a walk while Kelley got Chuck Adams (.261, 24, 97) looking and Denny Andrews (.265, 16, 59) whiffing. Yeah, it wasn't the scrubs who were trying to best Kelly. Obviously they didn't play the whole game, but along with the star studded duo, regulars Charlie Rivera, Fred Galloway, Adam Mullins, and Gail Gifford were all still in the game when Kelley was relieved, and Gifford was the only one who didn't face him twice. It's extremely encouraging to see him pitch so well against some very talented players. As mentioned yesterday, he's not getting a start this week, as it's Eddie Howard's turn to impress. He hasn't pitched since he's getting a lot of reps behind the plate, but Kelley will be available out of the pen for the week I'm sure Max Wilder will use him somehow, as all 22 pitchers (now 21 since Bill Ross is out for the year) in camp threw. Race for the Pen Begins: With four open spots for pitchers, every pitcher in camp feels like they could make the final roster. The early results saw one of the camp favorites dominate, as Harry MacRae allowed just a hit and a walk with five strikeouts in four scoreless innings. The 27-year-old is out of options, and I don't think he's really in risk of being designated for assignment. He's coming off a superb season in Milwaukee, going 8-4 with 23 saves in 94.1 innings pitched. He made 73 appearances, working to an impressive 2.10 ERA (215 ERA+) and 1.25 WHIP with 32 walks and 48 strikeouts. He has some stopping experience as well, but he's always performed much better in the Century League then when he's been with the Cougs. Other standouts were longtime farmhand Chet Williams (4 IP, 2 H, 5 K, HBP), fellow Harry's Parker (2 IP, K) and Beardsley (2 IP, SV, 2 H, K), and Frank Sartori (SV, 2 IP, BB, 4 K). The only guy who hurt his stock was Harry Carter, who allowed 5 hits, 3 walks, and 2 runs in 4.1 innings pitched. He did strike out 3, something that could be useful out of the pen, but he's going to need to right ship quickly with so many talented pitchers in camp. The Offense is Inconsistent, Again: So much of last year was wasted because the offense couldn't string enough runs together. Sal Pestilli (.417, HR, 2 R) was as good as ever, and Walt Pack (.500, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R) and Red Bond (.400, 2B, R) are still very good, but it wasn't a common theme. Shortstops Skipper Schneider and George Sutterfield combined to go just 4-for-29, and just Sutterfield (run scored and driven in) added anything positive to the scorecard. And in the outfield, none of Carlos Montes (.250, HR, BB, 2 R), Chubby Hall (.200, RBI), Leo Mitchell (.143, BB, R), Hal Sharp (.000, R), Don Lee (.182, RBI, BB), and Luke Berry (.000) did anything to standout. There's plenty of time left, but if we want to win this season we are going to have to hit. As good as our pitching is, there are plenty of good offenses in the Continental Association, and there will be games they get to us. If we can score consistently, we'll be in any game, but for one reason or another this bunch seems to come up short when faced with any sort of adversity. This is a big year for second season Manager Max Wilder, as his contract is up at season's end. It's a prove it year for the former pitching coach, who won 14 more games then his predecessor. Still, 85 wins is disappointing for a team that allowed the fewest runs in the association while scoring the third most runs. I don't see myself panic firing if we get off to a slow start, but the only thing to guarantee Max Wilder a second year is a pennant. Otherwise, it's anyone's guess what the future lies for Wilder. __________________ Check out my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of the FABL!: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...12#post4571312

11-14-2023, 07:51 PM	#1258
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,758	Spring Training: Week 2 and 3 Weekly Record (2): 3-3 Weekly Record (3): 4-3 Overall Record: 11-9 (3 GB) Well, here's something new! I forgot to do a writeup! Honestly can't remember the last time that happened, but hey, here we are! I'm blaming it on the Bills. I'm still shook after last night. I don't know when that's going to change. But we missed out on some awesome headlines like "The J-0nes Brothers" (Donnie and Johnnie threw 17 shutout innings in two weeks), "Not So Sharp" (Harry Sharp was 0-for-13 with 5 Ks), and something about how Zane Kelley and Eddie Howard both didn't allow a run. Instead, we'll pick things up after three weeks of exhibition games. Is Zane Kelley an Alien Who Mastered Pitching?: 4 more innings, another shutout. The former King struck out 4 and allowed just 2, now up to 11 scoreless innings in Spring Training. He has the longest shutout streak on the squad so far, and as good as he's been, it's time for another Eddie Howard start. Like Kelley, Howard hasn't allowed a run, but it's came in just 4.2 innings, walking (4) more guys then he struck out (2). Kelley, however, has just 1 walk to 7 strikeouts, allowing 9 hits in those 11 scoreless innings. I think this week more or less secured Kelley's spot on the active roster, assuming he doesn't allow 5 runs in 10 innings or something along those lines. This make things difficult for some of the out of options guys like Charlie Kelsey, Jim Kenny, and Harry MacRae, along with last year's stopper Ken Matson who may be optioned for the first time since 1944. It's time for him to step up and assert himself on the staff, hopefully the missing piece we need to finally break through. The Odd(o) Man Out: Nothing is going to happen to George Oddo, but of our five main starting pitchers, he's the only one with an ERA above 3. In Oddo's defense, it was a single bad outing, as in his first two he went 5 innings each against the two Canadian teams. He held the Wolves to 3 hits and a run with no walks and 7strikeouts, while the Saints got 3 hits, 2 runs, and 2 walks with 6 strikeouts. The strikeouts were working again in start three against the Sailors, 4 in 3.2 innings, but the defending pennant winners piled on 7 hits, a walk, and 5 runs in their 8-6 win. This ballooned the 26-year-olds ERA to 5.27 (75 ERA+) despite a stellar 3.27 FIP, 1.17 WHIP, 28.8 K% and 5.7 K/BB in 13.2 innings. That's the long way of say he's been okay. But with how good the rest of the rotation has been, he sticks out like a sore thumb. Donnie and Johnnie both allowed 2 runs in a start, but Donnie didn't allow a run in 15 of the 17 innings he pitched and Johnnie has 12 strikeouts to just 2 walks. Pap and Duke haven't allowed more then 2 runs in a start, and the sixth spot has gotten three shutouts. The pitching has been known to be a strength of the team, but it's always great seeing such stellar performance after a long offseason. And even with how "Odd(o)" George's start has been, he's looked great under the hood and should once again be a key piece of our rotation. Mitchell Magic?: Last season Leo Mitchell hit just four home runs. This week he homered in back-to-back games. Mitchell hit a grand slam off veteran journeyman Lee Marshall in the 8-6 loss, and then followed it up with a solo-homer against the Saints that put the Cougars up 2-0, a lead that would shrink to one before Charlie Kelsey recorded the 27th out. It was a nice bounce back for the veteran, who hit .158 entering the game. Things have trended upwards, as he's recorded a hit in five of his last seven appearances where he recorded at least one at bat. The 35-year-old is now hitting a respectable .240/.321/.480 with 3 walks and 7 RBIs. Fellow veteran Hal Sharp erased his o'fer this week, going 4-for-11 with a double, walk, and run. Right now, him and Mitchell are in competition for at bats, as Sharp is penciled in as the every day left fielder. He can always move to right, but I like Carlos Montes' speed and defense, which was on full display this past week. He went 3-for-11 with a steal, a triple, 2 runs, and 3 walks. But the biggest impediment in to Mitchell right now is top prospect Johnny Peters, who went 3-for-7 with a double and is now hitting .333/.429/.556 with a homer and two RBIs. Even Chubby Hall (.320, 3 2B, 3 RBI) has impressed, so Mitchell's long reign as an Opening Day starter may be reaching its natural end. Second Seems Solid: No, I don't mean second place. Although that's what the standings tend to say. I'm talking about second base. One of the few "question marks" we had entering the offseason, we've gotten excellent production from the Clark Car/Billy Hunter platoon thus far. Car's offense has been most impressive, as the 35-year-old veteran is hitting .400/.423/.480 -- equal to a 150 WRC+ in 27 trips to the plate. The former Cannon and Star added a pair of doubles, swiped two bags, and has driven in three. Hunter hasn't matched that overall production, but he's coming off a 5-for-13 week with a double and 3 RBIs, raising the spring line to a strong .345/.394/.379 in 33 PAs. Age is a question for both of them, but there would be plenty of internal options if age catches up with them. George Sutterfield (.250, 2B, 3 RBI) could shift to second if needed, and he's more then talented enough as a defender. Everyday playing time could finally help him break out, and another young shortstop Elmer Grace (.200, BB) is already big league ready despite being in college at this time last year. While it would have been nice to add a Buddy Schneider or Jim Adams Jr. in the offseason, the odds of a deal for either player are low. And there aren't many other options better then this duo. If the spring stats are any indication of the upcoming season, we should be getting steady and reliable results from a pair of well traveled veterans. And that should help us in close games. __________________ Check out my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of the FABL!: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...12#post4571312

11-15-2023, 08:42 PM	#1259
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,758	Spring Training: Week 4 Weekly Record: 3-3 Overall Record: 14-12 (3 GB) Veteran Injuries Deplete Roster: With two weeks to go, we'll be two players short, as veterans Billy Hunter and Harry Parker sprained their knees. For Hunter it will be just day-to-day, and he could theoretically return for Opening Day, but Harry Parker is set to miss the next two months. His injury is one that should be easy to swallow, as our pen was crowded enough as is, and this allows me to kick the can down the road a bit. Formerly one of the best pitchers in the Continental Association, Parker owns a 3.25 ERA (115 ERA+) and 1.17 WHIP in nearly 2,000 (1,977.1) FABL innings, but after a elbow injury during the 1943 season, he's no longer the innings eater he once was. In fact, he's thrown just 59 innings across the past two seasons, allowing a whopping 14 home runs. Last year broke his ten-year stretch of seasons with a big league start, and he has just 25 since leading the league with 36 in 1945. Now 34, he's been held to the bullpen, and his next innings will be at Milwaukee instead of Chicago. Hunter, on the other hand, was in line for big league at bats, and he was hitting .364/.405/.424 with 2 doubles and 5 RBIs this spring. He was looking for a bounce back season, hitting just .274/.309/.386 (91 OPS+) in 79 games last year. Hunter has always dealt with injuries, so him missing time is not the least bit surprising, but it's tough to come after the 34-year-old was really getting it going. He looked good in 1947, but after posting a WRC+ above 105 in each of his first eight seasons, in two of the last three seasons he's posted one below 95. In his absence, George Sutterfield seems in line for the right side of the second base platoon, and him and Skipper would make an outstanding defensive duo. Even if Hunter isn't ready and Sutterfield has some struggles, Clark Car seems more then capable of making a difference. He's coming off a 4-for-6 week with a double, triple, walk, steal, and 2 RBIs, and is now slashing an absurd .452/.485/.613 in 35 trips to the plate. He has 5 extra base hits, 3 steals, 4 runs, and 5 RBIs, and his 193 WRC+ is best on the team among players with 20 or more PAs so far. With Montreal first on the schedule, there's a good chance we start the season with a righty, so Car would be in line for the nod on Opening Day. Barring setbacks, Hunter should be back with the club before May, if we're lucky he starts the season in Chicago. Donniemant: I'm sure this pun isn't half as funny as I think it is, but when you're pitching like Donnie Jones is, the work speaks for itself. He finished the week, and retired all fifteen Wolves he faced, three of which were set down on strikes. The Former Allen Winner has been simply spectacular in 22 innings, allowing just 9 hits, 2 runs, and 4 walks with 22 strikeouts. This all equates to a miniscule 0.82 ERA (484 ERA+) and 0.59 WHIP with a stellar 5.1 K/BB. Even his 1.75 FIP (44 FIP-) is absurd, exactly half (88) of his still impressive FIP-. Entering today as the 6th best pitcher in FABL, he's the second of three Cougars in the top 15 (Pap 2, Bybee 11), and will pitch the middle game against the Saints to open the season. I'm hoping for a big season from "Mole Killer," who posted career worsts in ERAs (3.36), ERA+ (113), WHIP (1.30), wins (13), and win percentage (52%), despite bests in FIP- (86) and WAR (5.3). Last year broke his stretch of consecutive All-Star selections as well, but it's hard to imagine that he won't return sometime soon. After Pap and him had down years, I'm expecting Duke Bybee to be next, so we'll really need our co-ace to put his best foot forward. Pitching Continues to Impress: There's one less competitor in the race for the staff, and with plenty of worthy candidates, it's going to make my decision a little easier. Six pitchers have thrown 15 or more innings, and five of them have ERAs below 2.60. Looking towards the pen, we have a few arms who have yet to allow a run, with Harry MacRae's nine scoreless frames lead the way. Other competition includes Harry Carter (2-0, HLD, 2.89, 3), Bob Hobbs (0-3, 2 SV, 2 HLD, 1.17, 9), Frank Sartori (1-1, SV, HLD, 2.57, 9), Charlie Kelsey (3 SV, 2 HLD, 1.50, 7), Jim Kenny (2 HLD, 0.00, 2), and Ken Matson (HLD, 0.00, 4), and all of these guys aren't able to make the team. With four spots to secure, at least three of these guys won't remain on the team. Not all can be sent down to Milwaukee without waivers, so in the case of Kelsey and Kenny they're fighting for their spot on the 40-man roster as well. There are still two weeks to be played, and an injury can muddy the waters, but the most likely combination seems to be MacRae, Carter, Kelsey, and Matson. But as a lefty, there's value to Jim Kenny being included instead. Oh yeah, and don't forget about Zane Kelley (1-1, SV, 1.69, 13) We have no need for ten pitchers, especially since Eddie Howard will be on hand as well, so there's real risk we'll lose a guy who doesn't make the final roster. __________________ Check out my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of the FABL!: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...12#post4571312

11-16-2023, 09:11 PM	#1260
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,758	Spring Training: Week 5 Weekly Record: 5-2 Overall Record: 19-14 (1 GB) Camp Begins to Thin: With just three games left in the spring, we made our first set of large scale cuts. Most of the guys going down are non-roster guys, but some of the younger 40-man players were set down. This includes Ron Berry (2-0, 5.52, 19), Mike Bordes (.000), Al Clement (.000), Elmer Grace (.235, 1, 1), and Jimmy Hairston (.200). This leaves us with 35 players in camp, with two non-roster players in camp. Both are pitchers, as Bob Hobbs (0-3, 2, 1.54, 12) and Chet Williams (1-1, 3.27, 11) have both really impressed. I still don't expect either to make it, but they'll fight till the end against Zane Kelley (2-1, 1, 1.42, 16), Harry Carter (2-0, 2.38, 3), Jim Kenny (0.00, 3), Charlie Kelsey (4, 1.29, 8), and Ken Matson (0.00, 7). Harry MacRae has secured the first of four pen spots, as the former 7th Rounder has thrown 11 shutout innings with 11 strikeouts and just 2 hits and 1 walk. Frank Sartori (2-1, 1, 5.62, 11) is hanging around for extra depth, but he'll start in Milwaukee. And while the bench only has 40-man members, there's a lot up in the air, with six more cuts left to be made. The Best Rotation in Baseball: There are some who believe the Pioneers have the best staff in the game. And they're allowed to believe that. But OSA (has our three ahead of their three) disagrees, and while I understand that their top three is great, I don't see how Dick Long is on the level of Johnnie Jones or even George Oddo. Regardless, our three headed monster of Pete Papenfus, Donnie Jones, and Duke Bybee is as good as it gets, and the trio each threw their 6th start of the spring this week. As has been the case, Donnie was dominant, allowing just a single hit and walk with three more strikeouts in 4 more shutout innings. They also threw nearly identical innings, with Pap getting 26.1, Donnie an even 26, and Duke at 25.2. In total, the 2nd, 6th, and 11th ranked starting pitchers (The 3-Hs are 4th, 8th, and 13th) hurled 78 innings, allowing just 54 hits, 18 walks, and 16 runs with 85 strikeouts. That all totals up to a 1.85 ERA and 0.92 WHIP with a stellar 4.7 K/BB, as our co-aces were already in midseason form. While Donnie was superb, none of the three guys had an ERA or WHIP above 2.45 and 1.18, a BB/9 above 2.4, or a K/9 below 8.7. Obviously spring starts don't mean too much, but when you have good pitchers, you always want them pitching well. And that's what these guys should do. They say pitching and defense wins championships, and since we do both of those extremely well, maybe one of these years the old adage will ring true. But for now, we just have to hope that our pitchers continue to retire. Even when you zoom out from the top three, the staff has been amazing. If you take out George Oddo's 5 run outing, he threw 18 innings with 14 hits, 4 runs, and 4 walks with 23 strikeouts. That's pretty much what the other three were doing. Then there's Johnnie Jones, the most overqualified 4th starter, who has a 1.17 ERA and 0.96 WHIP with 17 hits and 22 strikeouts. And you know those walk problems he usually has? Just 5 so far! And then there's the six starter, two Howard starts and three Kelley starts. The backup catcher did get a pair of innings out of relief, and when including those he had 12.1 scoreless innings with 8 hits, 4 walks, and 5 strikeouts. Kelley has allowed runs, but in 19 innings split between three starts and relief outings, he's got a tiny 1.42 ERA and 0.5 WHIP with 16 strikeouts and just 3 walks. No matter who has toed the rubber this spring, they've excelled, and we should once again lead all of baseball in runs allowed. The Outfield Remains Crowded: After a brutal 0-for-13 start to the spring, Hal Sharp has responded by going 8-for-20 (.400) with a pair of doubles, more-or-less securing at bats against righties to open the season. Otherwise, very few have done much to separate, which has opened the door for 24-year-old Ducky Cole. He quietly had an excellent season in Milwaukee last year, slashing .345/.396/.497 (132 OPS+) in just shy of 500 PAs with 34 doubles, 8 homers, and 70 RBIs. He walked (37) just as often as he struck out (37), and he picked up 5 triples and 62 runs while worth an impressive 3.8 WAR in 110 games. Cole has managed an even better .389/.450/.556 in his 20 opportunities so far, and again he' walked (2) just as often as he's struck out (2). Ducky's even homered and scored four times, while his 164 WRC+ trails only the resurgent Ray Ford (265), who has earned another season, potentially even regaining at bats against lefties at first base. Another guy who's done well is Luke Berry. The former Miner has hit .278/.381/.389 with a triple in 21 trips to the plate. He's going to be on the team one way or another, but it's looking like he may get a chance against lefties. First, left, and right all need filling, and in limited time with us last season he produced a 133 WRC+ with 6 doubles and a homer. With Johnny Peters (.250, 1, 4) cooling down and middling production from Chubby Hall (.244, 1, 4) and Leo Mitchell (.238, 2, 8). And as good as Carlos Montes' glove is, a .182/.262/.345 line isn't enough to make up for it. Don Lee's (.179, 1, 3) hitting his way to his first optional assignment since 1944 so at least one of the eight outfielders left won't break camp with the team. Carrying seven outfielders may be tough, and there's already an extra spot with Billy Hunter (.364, 5, 1) still recovering. He'll be eligible to return for Opening Day, but there's a chance he won't be healthy by then. Since he plays the outfield as well, there's less reason to keep extra. There is still a little time left to make an impact, but I don't think Johnny Peters is ready to play everyday and I can use the start of the minor league season to get him more comfortable in the corners. __________________ Check out my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of the FABL!: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...12#post4571312