Chicago Cougars (FABL) - Page 73

ayaghmour2 · 06-10-2024, 01:38 PM

It's here once again! The beginning of a new season! Which means it's time for Cougars baseball!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Will we win more games then we lose? Is there a pennant on the horizon? Are we going to finally play up to our standards? Will this be the year the team officially drives me crazy???

As they say in my favorite television series Hollywoo Stars and Celebrities: What Do They Know? Do They Know Things??

Let's find out!!!!!!!!!

On paper, this team is better then the rest of the Continental Association, but that was the case last season too. This year our players are ranked even higher, with only Eddie Howard not ranking in the top 6 in his respective position. Led by the top rotation and pen, we also have the second best farm system, meaning that not only should we perform well in the big league level, but if something bad happens, we have the ammunitions to make a major addition. Led by a pair of top 10 prospects in Jerry Smith (5th) and Bob Allen (7th), we have 167 points, which isn't too close to the Minutemen (213) and their quartet of top 15 prospects. Despite that, we have more top 100 prospects then them, with 10% of that group. The depth is there too, with 24 in the top 250 and 47 of the top 500. This may also be the first team where we're the only team with more then 40 top 500 prospects, which is less about our system being super deep, and more about the rest of the league having deeper systems. There are usually a handful of teams with less then 20 and more with less then 30, but everyone has at least 20 while most are in the the 30-39 range.

Enough about prospects though, let's see those 24 Cougars who are representing the Windy City in 1951:

LHP Duke Bybee
RHP Donnie Jones
LHP Johnnie Jones
RHP Charlie Kelsey
LHP Jim Kenny
RHP David Molina
LHP Jim Morrison
RHP Pete Papenfus
LHP Buzz Turner
C Eddie Howard
C Harry Mead
1B Red Bond
2B Billy Hunter
2B George Sutterfield
3B Otto Christian
3B Al Clement
3B Hal Wood
SS Skipper Schneider
LF Chubby Hall
LF Leo Mitchell
CF Don Lee
CF John Moss
RF Jimmy Hairston
RF Sal Pestilli

Buzz Turner ended up with the final pen spot, beating out Joe Quade (DFA) and Dizzy Danforth (returned to Cincy), while I sided with the Cougar draftees in Al Clement and Otto Christian for the bench. Frank Davis wouldn't accept optional assignment, so he's DFA'd, though Clement may not last long on the roster if my claim of a player that shouldn't have been waived goes through. I think Quade should clear, giving us an extra arm in Milwaukee, but I'd love for Davis to be claimed to save me the cash of cutting him. Even if it's something we can easily afford.

The preseason predictions, as always, are quite fond of the Cougs, claiming we'll edge out the Foresters by two games. They think we'll pick up 88 wins, led by the pitching of Donnie Jones (16-14, 3.27, 124), Johnnie Jones (13-10, 3.27, 94), and Pete Papenfus (15-10, 3.74, 150), which is our best chance of success. They have us as the only staff to allow fewer then 600 runs, while our 630 runs scored would be fewer then everyone but Toronto (595) and Washington (611). What ever happened to the offense!?!?!?

They're first test will be at home, where Donnie, Pap, and Johnnie will take on the New York Stars. The finale will be quite special, where we honor new Hall-of-Famer Gil Hice, and hopefully pull off a sweep. The Stars can change their rotation, but right now Ed Cornett (11-10, 3.62, 75) is scheduled for Opening Day, followed by Vern Hubbard (12-12, 4.62, 73) and Eli Panneton (17-14, 3.88, 104). As always, the staff doesn't matter too much, as stopping the super slugging quartet of Jack Welch (.267, 29, 85), Mack Sutton (.251, 30, 106), Bill Barrett (.316, 20, 94), and Bill Barnett (.281, 33, 93) is almost impossible, especially in Chicago, and if he plays well I may regret sending them Charlie Woodbury (.320, 6, 32) who is expected to start at the keystone. I'm also curious if this is the year former #2 pick Ralph Hanson (.331, 16, 4) plays everyday, though he's done great in a utility role and Paul Watson (.257, 5, 75) held his own in year one as an everyday shortstop. We need to get off on the right foot here, as home wins are essential, but the Stars play us better here then the Big Apple, and I'm afraid we'll start below .500.

We'll quickly head on the road, where the Montreal Saints will host us for three in their home opener. Lucky for us, they have a double header on Thursday, so we'll get a rested Ted Coffin (0-1, 6.39, 5), who I'm psyched to see made the team, followed by the potentially short rested Bert Cupid (13-16, 3.90, 125) and Pat Weakly (12-8, 2.81, 86). Granted, they could give Pete Ford (10-14, 3.59, 85) a spot start, which could also work in our favor. I mean Morrison and Bybee are basically #2s, so getting those against fives or short rested 2s works well, leaving us to focus most on keeping the Saints off the basepaths. Especially with Joe Austin (.234, 6, 44, 29), who can quickly start a rally with his wheels. He'll have Gordie Perkins (.284, 8, 56), Otis O'Keefe (.284, 15, 83), and Maurice Carter (.267, 24, 86) ready to drive him in, giving the Saints an excellent front four in terms of run production.

Funny enough, this is the same start to our season as last year, except the locations are reversed, so I fully expect another 3-3 start. I'm worried there will be a lot of those this year (and 4-3; 3-4), which might be better then the crazy weekly streaks we dealt with last season, but I'm somewhat worried that we're going to be painfully mediocre. But then again, what do I know? How many times have I said we're winning the pennant just to finish anywhere other then first...

StLee · 06-10-2024, 07:37 PM

Hopefully, the results match the predictions this season!

ayaghmour2 · 06-11-2024, 12:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StLee

Hopefully, the results match the predictions this season!

Let's hope! I almost wish we weren't predicted to win since it seems like it happens each season. But Opening Day is the best time for unnecessary optimism! This is our year!

ayaghmour2 · 06-11-2024, 04:51 PM

Weekly Record: 4-2
Seasonal Record: 4-2 (1st, 0.5 GA)
Stars of the Week
Sal Pestilli : 22 AB, 7 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .318 AVG, .990 OPS
Leo Mitchell : 20 AB, 7 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .350 AVG, .759 OPS
Johnnie Jones : 1 Win, 8.0 IP, 4 BB, 5 K, 0.00 ERA

Schedule
4-17: Win vs Stars (1-3)
4-18: Win vs Stars (1-3)
4-19: Win vs Stars (3-7)
4-20: Loss at Saints (1-5)
4-21: Win at Saints (6-1)
4-22: Loss at Saints (3-4): 10 innings

Recap
Hey, would you look at that! The Cougars are in first place!

Now can we stay there, please???

As you'd might expect, the pitching was elite, as only Jim Morrison (6 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, K) allowed more then two runs in his start, and we held a very good Stars offense to just five runs at Cougars Stadium. We swept them out of town, the best way to honor new Hall-of-Famer Gil Hice, though the Saints managed to take the series in Montreal with a walk-off in the 10th despite us breaking the 2-2 tie first.

Though the biggest surprise of the week has to be Leo Mitchell, who leads all FABL players with 3 steals in the opening week. Yes, the 37-year-old lumbering veteran who entered the season with 54 steals in 1,943 games is out-stealing every other FABL player in this extremely small sample size. I have no clue if this will continue, but he's always been an excellent base runner, and our veteran star is off to a 7-for-20 starts with a run, 2 RBIs, and 2 walks. One of our other stars, Sal Pestilli, homered in his 5th game of the season, and was easily our most productive hitter in a week we didn't really do much scoring. Sal went 7-for-22, adding a double, 3 RBIs, 4 runs, 5 walks, and a steal of his own. The only other bat with an above average week was Hal Wood, who went 6-for-18 with a double, 2 runs, 3 walks, and 3 RBIs. We're going to need way more offense if we want to stand a chance, but it is somewhat encouraging that while still below average, John Moss has a 91 WRC+. I'd love for him to return to the ~110 hitter he was in Brooklyn, but even in the 90s he'll be effective with his outstanding defensive capabilities.

Obviously the pitching was great, and I already touched on Johnnie's outing, while brother Donnie was just as good. He picked up the win on Opening Day, going 8 with 5 hits, a run, and a walk with 7 strikeouts before David Molina threw a scoreless ninth. The lack of offense cost him on Sunday, as the vet pitched well enough to win, 8 innings with 7 hits, 2 runs, 3 walks, and 4 strikeouts. Again, Molina threw a scoreless ninth, but he couldn't get an out in the 10th, allowing the Saints to put up two after we scored in the bottom of the 10th. It was his first blemish, as our stopper also shut down the Stars for Pap, following up his 8 innings of 6 hit, 1 run, 5 walk, and 8 strikeout ball with a scoreless ninth. Duke Bybee didn't need any help in his start, as the 28-year-old southpaw picked up our first complete game victory of the season. He was great in the 6-1 win over the Saints, allowing just 6 hits and a run with no walks and 4 strikeouts. The last three guys on the staff each pitched an inning, with a nice debut for Buzz Turner. He threw a bunch of pitches and allowed a walk, but he struck out his first ever batter, Luke Weaver, swinging to start the eighth.

Looking Ahead
The question now is can we stay in first, as we start with three against the Kings. I doubt George Oddo (5-11, 5.05, 70) will start in the series, as the Stars bashed him for three homers on the 20th, and they recently picked up Roy Schaub (7-10, 3.81, 58) from the Dynamos in a 1-for-1 swap that sent Pat Petty (.277, 12, 81) to Detroit. This allowed Brooklyn to keep both Chuck Collins (.230, 8, 32) and initial Player of the Week Fred Miller (.247, 6, 47) in the lineup, both of which who homered in strong opening weeks despite Brooklyn's 3-4 record. The Cougar draftees let them down, as along with Oddo, ace Ron Berry (20-11, 3.12, 149) and Leo Hayden (13-13, 4.25, 109) have not been sharp. I'm expecting some order of Schaub, Hayden, and Bob Arman (17-13, 4.19, 155), luckily avoiding Berry, who absolutely dominated us last season, and Joe Potts (12-11, 3.42, 96), who has quietly become a top pitcher in the league. Those two would be tough for our potentially awful lineup to best, and when you have to keep the always dangerous Ralph Johnson (.320, 19, 89) from causing damage, you already have your hands full. I think this Kings team might be the best in the CA in what will be their last season in Brooklyn, and this will be a tough test for us at home.

Following that the Stars will look for some revenge, as they host us for a quick two game series at Dyckman Stadium. The Stars actually swept the Kings after getting swept by us, including a 3-2 win where former Cougar draftee Bill Chapman (1-2, 2.30, 3) threw a complete game victory in his first big league start. The former 3rd Rounder did debut last season, making 12 appearances out of the pen, and he beat out fellow southpaw Richie Hughes (9-13, 4.21, 90) for the fifth spot in the rotation. He's scheduled to start the series, followed by Ed Cornett (11-10, 3.62, 75) who allowed three runs in both his loss to us, and his win against the King. The pitching isn't what worries me, its always the hitting, and they have 12 homers with Charlie Woodbury (.320, 6, 32), Jack Welch (.267, 29, 85), Mack Sutton (.251, 30, 106), Bill Barrett (.316, 20, 94), and Bill Barnett (.281, 33, 93) -- their two through six -- all already with two or more longballs. As a team we have just three, as aside from Sal (.261, 6, 44), Eddie Howard (.287, 1, 57), who had one all of last year, and Jimmy Hairston (.200), who got his as a pinch hitter, each have one so far.

But guess what?!?!?! Leo Mitchell has more steals then their entire team combined!!! Take that!!!

I'm hoping we'll also take this series, but with their ability to hit homers, and some of our guy's propensity to allow them, I'm always nervous when we have to face that deadly lineup.

The week then finishes with the first two of three with the Saints back in Chicago. They play the Stars before us, before two with the Kings, and are 3-4 after the Kings took three of four from them in Brooklyn. Montreal is second in scoring, but second to last in runs allowed, so they're actually sporting a -4 run differential. One of the few pitchers who did well was rookie Ted Coffin (0-1, 6.39, 5), who allowed just 2 hits, a run, and 3 walks with 4 strikeouts in an 8 inning win over us on 4/20. He's expected to pitch Monday, while we'll see Wally Reif (16-14, 3.12, 104) and Doyle (10-13, 3.98, 135) assuming no rotation alterations. Both have home run issues, which should help us in Chicago, hopefully sparking an offense in need of a jolt. They do most of their scoring with small ball, aside from the slugger Maurice Carter (.267, 24, 86), so if we can limit the mistake pitches, I think we'll be able to flip the script back home.

StLee · 06-11-2024, 08:12 PM

WTG, Cougars! Keep up the great work!

ayaghmour2 · 06-12-2024, 05:10 PM

Weekly Record: 4-3
Seasonal Record: 8-5 (2nd, 0.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
Skipper Schneider : 25 AB, 11 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .440 AVG, 1.222 OPS
Red Bond : 10 AB, 5 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .500 AVG, 1.543 OPS
Sal Pestilli : 27 AB, 8 H, 2 HR, 3 RBI, .296 AVG, .937 OPS

Schedule
4-23: Win vs Kings (3-9)
4-24: Loss vs Kings (12-7)
4-25: Win vs Kings (1-5)
4-26: Loss at Stars (5-9)
4-27: Win at Stars (9-3)
4-28: Loss vs Saints (5-2)
4-29: Win vs Saints (4-5): 10 innings

Recap
Sure, we're no longer in first place, but there were tons of exciting signs from week two. And no, I'm not just talking about two more Leo Mitchell steals to match his season total from last year, but we took the series with the Kings, split with the Stars in New York, and after reversing the script and pulling off a one-run walk-off win against the Saints in the 10th to finish the week, we are now able to win that series with Jim Morrison (1-1, 2.57, 4) set to take on Ted Coffin (1-0, 2.51, 7). Morrison greatly improved this week, an unearned run was the lone blemish in 8 innings of 6 hit, 1 walk, 3 strikeout play, while Sal Pestilli launched two out of the park and the offense actually started scoring runs. Heck, John Moss went 7-for-23 with 7 runs and is now hitting .292/.382/.417 (113 OPS+) with 7 walks, one of each extra base hit, and a 126 WRC+

Vindication!!!!!!!

Overall, the pitching was good, but both Donnie Jones and David Molina blew up. Jones got hit hard by the Stars, as the "Extreme Groundball" pitcher allowed three homers in 5.1 innings, finishing with 11 hits, 7 runs, 2 walks, and just 1 strikeout. Molina was awful in the 12-2 loss to the Kings, allowing 2 homers of his own off 3 hits, 2 walks, and 6 runs (5 earned), recording just one out. He then allowed 3 hits, 2 runs (another homer...), and a walk with 2 strikeouts in 2.2 innings. Another extreme groundballer with three homers! Thankfully he fixed things in the 5-4 extra inning win, tossing 2 scoreless innings, but his 10.12 ERA (41 ERA+), 10.15 FIP (241 FIP-), 2.25 WHIP, and 0.2 K/BB are just awful. I'm not sure what happened here, but maybe that means he's not going to allow a run for the next 15 innings??? Please????

Otherwise errors seemed to do in our guys, as Pap and Johnnie had 4 and 6 unearned runs respectively, as for a team with the best defensive efficiency (.736) and third best zone rating (+10.4), our 16 errors are tied for worst in the league. The errors cost Johnnie one of his starts, while Pap won and loss despite of the errors, as our 2 and 3 have ERAs of 1.80 (231 ERA+) and 1.64 (254 ERA+) that don't even add up to Donnie's inflated 4.22 ERA (98 ERA+). That measure is remarkably almost average, while the other four members of the rotation have an ERA+ of 162 or higher. Love this staff!

The offense had a major power surge, as not only did Sal hit two homers, and go for 8-for-27 with 2 doubles, 3 RBIs, 8 runs, 2 walks, and 3 steals, but Chubby Hall hit two out of the park too. With a lot of lefties he played a bunch, going 5-for-17 with a triple, 2 homers, 9 RBIs, 4 runs, and 3 walks. Red Bond hit one out too, as did John Moss, with Bond an even 5-for-10 with 4 walks, 4 RBIs, and 3 runs while Moss was 7-for-23 with a double, 4 RBIs, 5 walks, and 7 runs. The last homer went to Skipper Schneider, who had an excellent 11-for-25 week with a double, 2 triples, 5 RBIs, 8 runs, and 3 steals. We're stealing a ton this season, leading the CA with 13, and it's not just because we're stealing every chance we get. Sure, it's more then the other seven teams, but our 76.5 SB% is just over a point shy of the association leader, meaning we're picking our times well. Aside from Sal, and George Sutterfield who hasn't attempted a steal yet, we don't really have any fleet-footed base stealers, so I'm curious to see if this trend holds.

Last notes are on waivers, as all three of our guys cleared. I was really hoping we'd get Marion Boismenu, who the Sailors surprisingly waived, but him and Ed Reyes will instead continue their careers in Toronto. Winners of the last six batting titles, the Sailors decided to part way with the vets in favor of some younger bench players, though it hasn't stopped them from going 8-4. Among our players, I knew Bill Ballantine would clear, but I'm very happy Joe Quade cleared. He's not overly talented, but he's an excellent depth option to eat innings, and he'll hang out in the minors. His innings may come out of the pen, though for now he's starting in Milwaukee, as we have a lot of younger guys that need the innings more. he's the perfect guy if a starter goes down for a short period and I don't want to burn an option, though we may see AA starters Dixie Gaines and Bob Allen at some point if someone goes down for longer. Allen could spot start, though I'd prefer not bouncing him around. Unfortunately I did have to cut Frank Davis, though I hope he'll come back on a minor league deal.

Looking Ahead
One more with the Saints, who sit half a game behind us and a game behind the first place Sailors. The rubber match will see veteran southpaw Jim Morrison (1-1, 2.57, 4) take on rookie southpaw Ted Coffin (1-0, 2.51, 7) in what could be an exciting battle at Cougars Park. Montreal is now tied for 2nd in runs scored (69) despite the worst batting average (.230) in the association, and we'll face the starter with the best ERA on the third worst staff in terms of runs allowed (63). The pen has helped, as stopper Lee Richardson (2-1, 2, 1.86, 5) has done a great job late in games, so we'll have to get to Coffin before seeing him. Early on the offense has been led by Otis O'Keefe (.320, 1, 6) and Luke Weaver (.300, 2, 10

, though it's catcher Jess Garman (.206, 3, 7) who's provided the most slug. Regardless, I like our chances here, and I think after getting bested by Coffin in Montreal, our sluggers will send a few of his pitches over the fence, making the day of a few Cougar fans seated in the outfield.

Our long homestand then continues with the Sailors, who are off to start the week and have the fewest losses in the association. The series can be for first, and for the first time in seemingly forever we'll face the Sailors without Reyes and Boismenu. The new third basemen is Rip Lee (.189, 2, 4), as Les Cunha (.370, 1, 6) is taking short, as Joe Scott's (.169, 1, 8, 1) move from the outfield to first allows Cotton Dillon (.282, 1, 3, 1) to return to right field. I still don't like the move, I certainly would have sent a prospect to the Sailors for Boismenu, and I think someone would have made the move for Reyes, but considering how well they're playing perhaps moving on had a positive effect on the rest of the team? Granted, I don't buy this small sample success, this isn't really a good team, but that doesn't mean they can't give us trouble. Billy Forbes (.263, 2, 4) is well on his way to becoming a star, George Rutter (.280, 1, 9) could be one too, and perhaps Cunha has regained his form from when he was a first-year starter. I'm hoping we're the ones who end their early season success.

Finishing off the week is three with the Cleveland Foresters, who at 5-8 have the worst winning percentage (.385) in our association. Believe it or not, they have a slugger who has the same amount of homers as wins, as new center fielder Frenchy Sonntag (.296, 5, 11) has reached half of his home run total from last year where he appeared in 55 games as a rookie. I didn't understand the move, he entered the season as a slightly below average defensive center fielder, but somehow has a 4.5 zone rating and 1.105 efficiency in a tiny 115.1 inning sample. Full disclosure, I was fully expecting to talk about how poor his defense was, so I'm quite surprised he's been beyond elite. I thought Sherry Doyal (.377, 2, 4) was the superior fielder, and he's been great in right (1.9, 1.074), so if Sonntag's newfound range is legit, this outfield is going to be insane. That's because #4 prospect Joe Wood (.293, 2, 6) is extremely talented too, and is off to an excellent start to his young career. An outfield like that can make up for what may be a one or two man pitching staff, as I don't trust any of their SPs that aren't Adrian Czerwinski (1-2, 3.33, 13), even if Larry Beebe (0-1, 1.31, 6) could be a stud and Ducky Davis (0-1, 5.16, 9) is reliable, if unspectacular. We might have got them at the right time, as the fabled World Championship Series hangover is in full effect.

Minor League Report
RHP Cliff Wallace (AA Little Rock Governors): Remember how Cliff Wallace threw a bunch of shutouts last year? Well, he's back at it again!

It took just one start for Cliff Wallace to throw a shutout, as he allowed just 3 hits and a walk with 5 strikeouts. Last season, Wallace had five shutouts, going an impressive 17-7 with a 2.57 ERA (155 ERA+), 1.24 WHIP, and 114 strikeouts. You might be thinking, "why wouldn't he be in AAA," but we have a ton of of arms in Milwaukee that deserve starts. That being said, Wallace isn't finishing in Little Rock, at least as long as he stays healthy, and the borderline top 500 prospect has managed to hang on to his starting role even when he wasn't ranked. Currently 47th in our system and 485th overall, he's the second to last member of ours in the top 500, as he's still working out his arsenal. The pitches are good enough to face minor leaguers, but his side armed slider only works against righties, and even then it's nowhere near as good as his change. The fastball is decent, jumped up from 88-90 to 90-92 over the offseason, as the 6'5'' righty keeps adding speed to the hard stuff. He's the guy we'd be calling on if we were a rebuilding team in need of an arm, but unfortunately his best chance to pitch as a Cougar is as a low leverage reliever.

LF Harry Austin (AA Little Rock Governors): If you reach all the way back to last summer, Harry Austin has recorded a hit in 25 consecutive Dixie League games. Just four of those came this season, where he's off to a 6-for-17 start with 2 doubles, 2 runs, and 3 RBIs. That's good for a .353/.333/.471 (115 OPS+) -- yes, he has a sacrifice and no walks -- with a similar 114 WRC+. He's added 2 runs, 2 doubles, and 3 RBIs, heling the defending champs get off to a 5-0 start. What could hurt his streak is the fact that him and Roxy Hilts platoon, so there's always the chance that he loses his streak on a pinch hit opportunity. In fact, he came in as a defensive replacement on Opening Day, but since he didn't get an at bat the streak continued. I'm not going to stop the platoon in favor of the streak, I need Hilts to get reps too, but I'm really hoping former King, Keystone, and Dynamo Buck Sargent leaves him on the bench when he doesn't start.

Do it for the streak!

CF Phil Boyes (B San Jose Cougars): Entering the season, Phil Boyes was at risk of losing his playing time. So how would he respond?

Well with a Player of the Week of course!

The former 5th Rounder started his season about as good as you could, going 8-for-16 with 3 runs, 3 doubles, a triple, 2 RBIs, and 5 walks. This equates to an elite .500/.619/.812 (306 OPS+) batting line that looks like something you'd only get if you played The Show on Rookie mode. Considering he's 23 at in Class B for the fourth time, it's a little less impressive, but for a guy who hit .245/.348/.344 (84 OPS+) last year even this tiny sample of offense is exciting. Now the regular center fielder, Boyes will look to rebuild the value he once had as a top 200 prospects, and he's now completely outside the top 200. Dixie has soured on him as well, and he used to be a big fan, while OSA thinks his best case is as a fourth outfielder. That's probably what his future always held, as we have so many talented outfielders, and Boyes will now need to do whatever he can to hold off all the other talented youngsters we have and will continue to add.

ayaghmour2 · 06-14-2024, 05:56 PM

Weekly Record: 3-4
Seasonal Record: 11-9 (2nd, 2.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
Red Bond : 19 AB, 8 H, 2 HR, 4 RBI, .421 AVG, 1.237 OPS
John Moss : 25 AB, 7 H, 3 HR, 6 RBI, .280 AVG, 1.007 OPS
Donnie Jones : 2 Wins, 17.0 IP, 8 BB, 9 K, 1.59 ERA

Schedule
4-30: Loss vs Saints (16-4)
5-1: Win vs Sailors (1-2)
5-2: Loss vs Sailors (3-0)
5-3: Loss vs Foresters (8-7)
5-4: Win vs Foresters (9-10): 10 innings
5-5: Loss vs Foresters (4-3)
5-6: Win vs Wolves (2-6)

Recap
This was a painful week...

Sure, we were just 3-4, but all the games were at home, we got blown out by the Saints, suffered through three one-run games with the Foresters, and saw the staff get absolutely hammered (aside from Donnie who was the one getting hammered) as we dropped to 2.5 games out of first since we were the only team to not lose a series to the Sailors this week. And it was just a split.

On the plus side, John Moss may be back, as the veteran center fielder has already matched his 1950 home run total after hitting three out of the park this week. Moss has 4 in 13 games, and finished his week 7-for-25 with 4 walks, 6 runs, and 6 RBIs. He now has a 135 WRC+ and 3.1 zone rating (1.034 eff) on the season, hitting 6 extra base hits, scoring 15 runs, and drawing 11 walks in 85 trips to the plate. After such an awful debut season, it's nice to see Moss off to such a great start, as I don't think he had a stretch like this at any point last year. He was one of six Cougars this week to hit a home run, though no one matched his three. Red Bond had two, with the better overall week, 8-for-19 with 4 runs, 4 RBIs, and 3 walks. He's been red hot to start the season, with a perfect 3-for-3 against the Wolves upping his season line to .375/.483/.604 (181 OPS+) with 3 homers, 10 RBIs, and 10 walks. Moss' backup Don Lee had a pair of homers, going 3-for-7 with a trio of RBIs in a start and three appearances off the bench. Otto Christian and Billy Hunter both hit homers, starting two games a piece on the week, while George Sutterfield hit one in his first good week of the year. Sutterfield finished 8-for-22 with a triple, 2 runs, 2 walks, and 2 RBIs.

Leo Mitchell didn't have a good week, just 4-for-22 with a triple, but that didn't stop him from adding two more steals to his FABL leading seven. He's now surpassed his five from last season, and is on pace to swipe 54 bases -- the same amount he swiped in the first 8,074 plate appearances he took as a Cougar. He seems destined to shatter his record of 9 stolen bases, and that came in 1938 when he was just 9-for-14. He has been caught just once, as Cougars hold the top three spots in the CA. Both Skipper and Sal have stolen five bases, with Skipper getting two and Sal one in weeks they struggled at the plate. It's no surprise Sal is stealing a ton of base, but seeing him tied with Skipper and behind Mitchell is rather funny, but it's been a blast having a team that is so lethal on the bases. Seven teams have seven or less steals on the year, while the only other CA team with double digit steals is the 11 the first place Sailors have recorded.

I also might have overstated how poor our pitching was, we still rank 1st in a bunch of those categories like starter's ERA and strikeouts, but that's because there were some bad outings and our pen has been brutal. Charlie Kelsey is making me wish I DFA'd him, as he couldn't get an out, allowing 5 runs on 4 hits and a walk. To be fair, the other three relievers gave up runs too, with David Molina allowing 9 off 10 hits and 5 walks in 5.1 innings. I don't know what's wrong with him, as his 2.48 WHIP looks like his ERA and his 12.15 ERA looks like someone was beating in the Rockies pitching at Coors on Rookie difficulty. He's on pace for 100 walks due to an elevated 17.6 BB%, and I'm afraid the conversion absolutely destroyed him. That's made worse considering Amos Peterson is now a top 20 prospect, but I just don't know what happened. Crazy thing is, he still ranks 3rd among relievers, down from 1st when the year started, so I guess it's bad luck? Is he about to bless us with 50 shutout innings as we win a pennant? Please!!!

Buzz Turner was the "best" reliever, as he allowed just 2 runs in 2 innings, allowing a pair of hits with a walk and strikeout. And despite picking up a win, Jim Kenny was roughed up too, with 7 hits, 5 runs (4 earned), 3 walks and 4 strikeouts in his 3 innings. Somehow the relievers allowed 21 runs to the rotation's 22, and I'm sure you can guess who had more innings...

Donnie Jones was brilliant, even if he walked too many guys, as he beat both the Sailors and Wolves. He went all nine against Philly, finishing with 6 hits, a run, 3 walks, and 2 strikeouts. He then went 8 against the Wolves, charged with 4 hits, 2 runs, and 5 walks, but the vet sent 7 down on strikes to improve to 3-1. Believe it or not, his 3.05 ERA (143 ERA+) is worst on the staff, as the other four starters rank 3rd through 6th in the CA. His brother Johnnie leads the team, even after allowing 8 hits, 5 runs (4 earned), and 7 walks with 5 strikeouts in a no-decision. Duke Bybee continued his great start, despite getting the loss, as he went 8 with 6 hits, 3 runs, a walk, and 4 strikeouts. Two homers did him in, he's already allowed 5 in 24.2 innings, but his 0.93 WHIP and 2.8 K/BB are excellent. Jim Morrison had a good start and a bad start, and if he could have just finished the good one, we would have came out victorious. He came an out away from a complete game, allowing just 2 hits, a run, and 2 walks with 2 strikeouts. Unfortunately Molina allowed the inherited run (Eddie Morris' eight pitch walk) and three more to score, and we went down without a whimper in the 9th. Morison has done well for us, most importantly allowing just one homer in 28.2 innings, and so far he's made me quite glad I decided to keep him for 1951.

Looking Ahead
We have our first chance for a sweep, as if we can beat the Wolves to start the week, we'll pick up a nice two game sweep. I'm really hoping they go with old friend Frank Sartori (0-2, 5.59, 8), who they took from us in the Rule-5 draft. The thing is, George Garrison (0-3, 3.00, 9) is also fully rested, but he's pitched more recently then Sartori. Regardless, they'll have to outduel the most overqualified fifth starter in existence, Duke Bybee (2-1, 2.55, 14), who should have no trouble with an offense that ranks bottom two in pretty much everything. It's let down an offense that's actually allowed less runs then us, though that's more because of the pen then the starters. Initially I would have been worried about Marion Boismenu, who the Wolves traded to Brooklyn for a pair of prospects including former Cougar 2nd Rounder Carl Clark, but now the only guy I'm really worried about is Kirby Copeland (.375, 1, 9, 2). He's done a good job carrying the load, as Fred McCormick (.231, 1, 8) looks 41, but at least Hank Giordano (.317, 2, 8, 2) is starting to rebuild some of his value. This really should be an easy win, we've gotten good at beating the Wolves, but you can never underestimate a FABL opponent.

All you can underestimate is the Cougars' chance of winning a title!

The long, sadly not-so-successful homestand then ends with three against the Cannons, who are 8-10 and tied on games back for 6th with the Wolves. The Cannons have four pitchers with an ERA above 4, with the potential Mickey Mills 2.0 Harry Thomas (2-0, 2.96, 11) the only pitcher having much success. The 26-year-old was awful in 12.2 innings out of the pen last year (7.82 ERA, 2.21 WHIP, 5 K), but his 3.76 FIP was more then half his inflated ERA. I don't buy his early success, even if the 3.44 FIP (76 FIP-) in 24.1 innings is pretty good, but the former 8th Rounder has been huge replacing the injured Jim Anderson. He's a hard thrower with a nice slider, but I think as the season goes on, his ERA and Rufus Barrell's (1-0, 4.34, 11) ERA will go in the opposite directions. Offensively the Cannons aren't scoring, 7th in the league, but that hasn't stopped Mike T. Taylor (.408, 3, 14, 3) and Chuck Adams (.356, 1, 12, 1) from tearing the cover off the ball. Unfortunately for the Cannon faithful, no one else has an average above .250, and only the disciplined Jim Hensley (.234, 1, 6), largely due to his 11-to-3 walk-to-strikeout ratio, has a WRC+ (106) above 100. This is a great matchup for us, and anything less then a series win will feel like a missed opportunity, even if we are stuck with Barrell and Thomas.

Our long stretch of games then ends with three in Brooklyn before an off day to start the week. Here we'll see Boismenu, who is shifting Ken Newman (.308, 2, 8, 1) to second and Chuck Lewis (.205, 1, 10) to short. That's in part due to the injury to Billy Bryant (.286, 8), who strained his hamstring and will miss at least the next two months. Lewis did come up as a shortstop, even if he wasn't great there, but I'm hoping we can take advantage of their infield defense. The Kings score a ton of runs, making up for all their pitchers having an ERA of 4 or higher, as each of their top six hitters are hitting above .300. Leadoff man Charlie Rogers (.416, 2, 20, 3) and his 188 WRC+ lead the way, while Ralph Johnson (.330, 6, 20, 1) and Chuck Collins (.347, 4, 14) have WRC+ above 150. It's still early, but I'm happy the Kings stuck with the 25-year-old Collins, who's been one of the best hitters early on. I don't think we have a chance of slowing down their bats, so the key will be piling on runs for whoever they send out. We're still middle of the pack in runs, but we are top four in all but three offensive categories. Sure, one is runs (97), where we're fifth, but aside from the struggling Hal Wood (.222, 6), we've hit pretty well as a team.

Let's see if we can keep it up!

Minor League Report
LF Clyde Parker (AAA Milwaukee Blues): It was an excellent week for young outfielder Clyde Parker, who took home Century League Player of the Week as he helped the Blues get within half a game of first. The red-hot Parker was an even 12-for-24 with 8 runs, a double, a homer, 7 RBIs, and 3 walks, increasing his lofty triple slash to .381/.429/.508 (182 OPS+) in 16 games. His WRC+ is a point away from being twice as good as the average hitter, as he's picked up 2 doubles, 2 homers, 10 RBIs, and 6 walks. The 24-year-old has dropped a bit in the prospect rankings, as the former top-100 spec is at 26th in the system and 258th overall, but both Dixie and OSA think he's a FABL quality player. The hit tool is great, as he'll be able ot hit over .300, but even as a member of the 40 he's stuck in a crowded outfield situation. It would take multiple injuries to get him in the starting lineup, though I could see him semi-platooning with Chubby Hall on the off chance iron man Leo Mitchell gets hurt stealing bases. He has another option after this year, so even at 25 he's likely in Milwaukee, but as long as he stays healthy he should be in Chicago at least for September. hopefully playing a big role off the bench in a pennant race that we finally win.

RHP Marty Czyzewski (B San Jose Cougars): After going 4-3 with a 4.50 ERA (98 ERA+), 1.73 WHIP, and 0.6 K/BB ratio in 8 starts for San Jose, Marty Czyzewski was at risk of his starting spot. So like some of the other guys on the fringes, he responded in a big way.

His season debut went about as well as you could expect, as the 21-year-old from Poland threw an 8-hit shutout with 3 walks and 4 strikeouts. A former 7th Rounder, he was actually demoted to La Crosse last season, and was the last starting pitcher to get a rotation spot on the four teams that started. With the injury to teammate Hal Lewis (0-2, 3.27, 8), who tore his meniscus and may miss the rest of the season, he now has a little breathing room, but with a few more starts like this he could have a more secure role on the staff. Just 21, he could have a little more in him, as he's got an interesting four pitch arsenal. A soft tosser in the mid 80s, he features a fastball and sinker, and his change may be the best pitch, but the stuff is so raw. He's going to be Rule-5 eligible, so at any point he could leave the organization. Even if he keeps pitching like this, I don't see him getting selected, as he'll have to work his way up the organizational ladder before I have to worry about that.

ayaghmour2 · 06-17-2024, 03:07 PM

Weekly Record: 3-4
Seasonal Record: 14-13 (t-3rd, 5.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
Chubby Hall : 19 AB, 10 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .526 AVG, 1.151 OPS
Sal Pestilli : 24 AB, 10 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .417 AVG, 1.023 OPS
Otto Christian : 16 AB, 7 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .438 AVG, 1.062 OPS

Schedule
5-7: Win vs Wolves (2-4)
5-8: Loss vs Cannons (4-3)
5-9: Win vs Cannons (4-6)
5-10: Loss vs Cannons (3-1)
5-11: Win at Kings (7-4)
5-12: Loss at Kings (2-3)
5-13: Loss at Kings (9-10)

Recap
We have already reached the point in the season where it has stopped being fun, as this absurdly frustrating team dropped three game this week by a single run, a fourth by two, and are now 5.5 games behind a team that waived two of their best players. 6 of our 13 losses are by a single run, and I'm already looking to next season as it seems like nothing will go right. Sure, I might be dramatic, as it's barely May and we have over 100 more chances to lose one run games, but I already had less confidence then normal going into this season, and there's been pretty much nothing aside from our great rotation that makes it seem like we'll end up a legitimate contender in the 1951 season.

I'd love to blame the offense, but this week they actually hit well, even if the run production wasn't always there. Red Bond has stayed hot, 5-for-13 with 2 doubles, a homer, 2 RBIs, 4 runs, and a walk, now hitting .377/.472/.639 (189 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 4 homers, and 12 RBIs. It helps that he plays against righties, and this week Otto did well against the lefties. He plays some third too, going 7-for-16 with 2 doubles, 2 runs, 2 walks, and 3 RBIs, upping his season line to an above average .268/.362/.415 (103 OPS+) in 47 trips to the plate. John Moss continues his offensive rebound, 6-for-23 with a double, 2 RBIs, 4 runs, and 5 walks to go with his team leading fifth home run. Sal Pestilli hit his fourth, 10-for-24 on the week with 3 walks, 4 RBIs, and 5 runs, and with 3 steals he jumped Leo Mitchell with a CA leading 8 bags swiped. Sal has been great, slashing .303/.369/.475 (120 OPS+) in 25 games, posting a 131 WRC+ with 9 extra base hits, 11 RBIs, 11 walks, and 19 runs scored. It's nice to see him back to his old tricks, but I know it will take far more then that to put us back in contention.

The pitching was fine, even if Pap got crushed (12 IP, 12 H, 9 R, 8 ER, 5 BB, 7 K) in his two starts, with another gem from Duke Bybee. In a 4-2 win over the Wolves he went 8, allowing 8 hits and 2 runs with 5 strikeouts. His second go around wasn't as sharp, walking 2 with 7 hits, 3 runs, and just one strikeout, but I'd make the case that it was good enough to win. He went 8, and probably could have gone nine had we gave him support, dropping to 3-2 despite his 2.66 ERA (161 ERA+) and 0.98 WHIP. Both Jones Brothers picked up a win despite 4 runs in 8.1 innings, though one of Donnie's runs was unearned. He allowed 5 hits and 5 walks with 8 strikeouts, while Johnnie finished with 6 hits, 3 walks, and 4 strikeouts. The duo is now 6-2 with ERAs of 3.09 (138 ERA+) and 2.82 (157 ERA+) on the season.

The staff will see an adjustment, as after 6 hits, 4 runs, and a walk in 3.2 innings, Charlie Kelsey will be designated for assignment. The former 9th Rounder struggled last season, and has already allowed 11 hits, 11 runs, and 4 walks in 7.1 innings this season, with 4 pitches he's thrown finding the seats. Now 29, it's probably a move I should have made a while ago, as in 186.2 FABL innings he has a 5.11 ERA (76 ERA+) and 1.49 WHIP in 70 relief appearances. I can't see him getting claimed, so he'll be decent AAA depth, and we'll replace him with a familiar face in Ken Matson. The hard throwing 33-year-old has done well in Milwaukee, picking up 4 saves in 10 outings with a 1.04 ERA (298 ERA+) and 1.21 WHIP. He's struck out 12 and walked 6 in 17.1 innings, and hopefully he can provide some stability to what has been the worst pen in baseball by a considerable margin.

Looking Ahead
So obviously it's not all doom and gloom, we're still a game over .500, and I know the Sailors aren't going to be playing .730 baseball all season. We're just a half game out of second, and finally get our first off day of the season, so perhaps the Cougars are just tired and in need of a day of rest. We'll use that off day to travel to Cincinnati, where we'll face the 11-14 Cannons. They just stopped the Sailors win streak at nine, scoring more runs in the win (4) then the three previous games (3) they dropped to the association leaders. They have an off-day of their own, allowing them to do what they want with the rotation, but since they're coming off a double header I'm pretty confident we'll see Rufus Barrell (2-0, 3.65, 12) in the opener, but he's not having a very Rufus like season. The CA leader in K/BB eight times in the last ten years, he's walked 22 hitters to just 12 strikeouts. Even crazier, he walked 7 Cougars in his most recent start, but we mustered up just one run in the 3-1 loss. He's walked 18 hitters with just 4 strikeouts in his last three outings, so I'm ready for him to strike out 12 without allowing a free pass.

After Barrell I'd expect the struggling Charlie Griffith (0-4, 6.95, 7) and Mickey Mills (1-3, 5.16, 17), who gave all his new found pitching talent to Harry Thomas (3-1, 2.92, 20), who just beat the Sailors for the first time in over a week. Lucky for us, even if they mostly keep us off the board, the lineup is brutal, scoring even less runs then us. That's in spite of Mike Taylor (.384, 4, 17, 4) and his 188 WRC+, as he's hit .384/.387/.712 (175 OPS+) in his 75 trips to the plate. Fred Galloway (.247, 7), Chuck Adams (.300, 2, 18, 1), and Jim Hensley (.258, 1, 7) have been decent, but they have three black holes in their lineups with WRC+ of 55 or lower. Aside from striking out, which they do the least, they're bottom four in all other offensive categories, and overall they're only top four in base running (3rd, +2.8), pitching walks (4th, 101), runs allowed (t-4th, 127), and zone rating (4th, +7.1). You think that this would be exactly what we needed to get back on track, but it's hard to score at Tice Memorial Stadium, and nothing goes better then us and not scoring!

Next stop is Toronto, where we'll take on the Wolves for two. At 9-15, they're only ahead of the Stars (10-17), who have surprisingly been awful at preventing runs. Toronto is awful at scoring them, we held them to two in each of our two wins, though Joe DeMott (.315, 8, 3), Harry Finney (.262, 3, 8), and Hank Giordano (.299, 2, 13, 2) have been solid, if unspectacular. This has put a lot of pressure on Kirby Copeland (.338, 1, 10, 2), who while arguably a top right fielder, isn't the type of guy you want leading your offense. They have off days too, allowing them to shuffle their rotation how they want, but I'm pretty sure we'll face George Garrison (0-5, 3.50, 16), a resurgent Jerry York (2-2, 2.60, 14), and old friend Zane Kelley (2-1, 5.51, 7) who has both started and relived two games already. Anything short of a sweep here is a wasted opportunity, especially with a double header coming up to end the weekend.

With an off day after the packed Sunday, we won't be using a spot starter, and I'm guessing that's exactly how the Foresters will proceed as well. Cleveland is currently tied with us for third, as the back of the rotation has really struggled. Even ace Adrian Czerwinski (3-2, 3.96, 24) hasn't been his dominant self, though I'm sure the Whitney College alum will again finish towards the top of the Allen race. What's helped the Foresters with his "struggles" is a great start from former 4th Pick Larry Beebe (2-2, 3.18, 12), who's looking to build off a strong rookie campaign where he finished 7-9 with a 3.60 ERA (110 ERA+) and 3.35 FIP (84 FIP-) in 18 starts. Best case would be missing both, worst would obviously be getting stuck with them in the double header, but what we'll no doubt struggle with is keeping them off the board. World Series MVP Sherry Doyal (.330, 4, 13) is off to a great start, and you can probably make the case that him, Frenchy Sonntag (.295, 8, 22), and Joe Wood (.292, 4, 17) is the best FABL outfield, as all three have positive zone ratings and WRC+ of 140 or higher. Doyal is dealing with wrist tendinitis, which could lead to a short IL placement, and a sore shoulder is making throws from second tough for Jim Urquhart (.297, 11, 6). This is where a Jim Adams Jr. (.274, 1, 9, 4) could be lethal, as the former 1st selection could bounce between second, third, left, and right, keeping guys fresh and allowing the DTD guys a few extra days off without a loss in lineup production. I'm expecting a tough pair of games, but anything can happen in a double header, and I think facing lesser starters on short rest could give us the edge, as all five of our guys have shown no issues on four days rest. I think a split is most likely, and if we can take the two series earlier in the week, that's more then acceptable as we look to work our way back into the hunt.

Minor League Report
LHP Tommy Wilde (B San Jose Cougars): One of the three players received in the five player trade with the King in the offseason, Tommy Wilde was coming off a rough season where he finished 7-15 with a 7.68 ERA (51 ERA+) in 24 starts. This came with the Kings Class A affiliate, and while the 5.65 FIP (145 FIP-) was better, it was still awful, and his 2.07 WHIP and 0.6 K/BB left plenty to be desired. Clearly overmatched, we sent our currently 43rd ranked prospect to San Jose, where the early results have been good. He picked up wins in his first two starts, working around 24 hits and 8 walks in 17 innings, before giving it his all when he was needed most. That came against the Salem Warriors, where all the support he received was a Dudley Sapp (.288, 5, 1) RBI single. The 21-year-old lefty honed in his command, allowing just 5 hits and 1 walk in a 7-strikeout shutout, improving to 3-0 with a 2.77 ERA (142 ERA+) in his first three starts. A former 5th Rounder of the Gothams, we attempted to trade for him a few times when he was in New York as well, as "Slick" is the projectable pitcher that we tend to get a lot out of. A towering 6'5'' sidearmer, he's got a wicked slider, and his high 80s sinker is a deceptive pitch, as it seemingly moves up then down due to his arm slot. If this was the 2000s, we'd focus on turning him into a LOOGY or high leverage lefty, but in this era he's going to start until he shows he can't. I'm not ready to promote him, it's just three starts, but him and trademate Jimmy Isgro (2-1, 2.08, 15) have been excellent a level down, and it's been nice seeing the young hurlers regain some of their confidence.

ayaghmour2 · 06-18-2024, 07:24 PM

Weekly Record: 2-5
Seasonal Record: 16-18 (4th, 8.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
George Sutterfield : 24 AB, 8 H, 1 HR, 6 RBI, .333 AVG, .971 OPS
Chubby Hall : 27 AB, 9 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .333 AVG, .898 OPS
Red Bond : 18 AB, 6 H, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .333 AVG, .984 OPS

Schedule
5-15: Loss at Cannons (4-8)
5-16: Win at Cannons (3-1)
5-17: Win at Cannons (3-2)
5-18: Loss at Wolves (3-4): 11 innings
5-19: Loss at Wolves (3-7)
5-20: Loss at Foresters (3-10)
5-20: Loss at Foresters (3-13)

Recap
This is probably going to be a quick one. We got swept by the Wolves and embarrassed by the Foresters. Simply put, we suck...

Is there anything worth mentioning?

I guess Jim Morrison pitched well, picking up a win with 8 innings, 7 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, and 3 strikeouts. Ken Matson struck out three of the four hitters he faced, all who failed to reach base. Leo Mitchell got his 8th steal. And Sal Pestilli was 2-for-4 with a homer before back spasms kept him out of the lineup. And George Sutterfield, Chubby Hall, and Red Bond all homered and hit well.

But none of that really matters. We can't win games and are nearly double digit games out already. A miserable season for my teams...

Looking Ahead
So we can't lose on Monday or Thursday, something to look forward to, but other then that I can't make any promises. Expect losses between that, as we'll be in Philly for two with the Sailors, who still have single digit losses due to somehow scoring the most runs (193) while simultaneously allowing the fewest (119). I don't get it, but that seems to be common right now, and I don't have much more to say beyond that. Then it's back home for three with the Kings, who at 16-19 have a worse record then us despite taking the recent three game set in Brooklyn. Maybe we should win? Maybe? But yeah, there hasn't been much of that since our short-lived nice start to the year where we went 8-5 to kick things off.

Minor League Report
Nothing major today, but Cliff Wallace is now 4-0 with a pair of shutouts! He allowed 5 hits with 3 walks and 4 strikeouts, lowering his ERA to 1.00 (377 ERA+) with a 0.86 WHIP and 18 strikeouts. Frank Reece won a Player of the Week, going 14-for-28 with 2 doubles, 3 triples, a homer, 4 walks, 2 steals, 6 runs, and 5 RBIs in as complete of a week as you can have. The 23-year-old is hitting .333/.369/.524 (136 OPS+), and is one of the 5 top 75 prospects on the Little Rock roster. Four of our top five specs are there, with the lone holdout 50th ranked Bob Allie.

ayaghmour2 · 06-19-2024, 06:41 PM

Weekly Record: 2-3
Seasonal Record: 18-21 (5th, 10.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
Leo Mitchell : 21 AB, 9 H, 3 HR, 5 RBI, .429 AVG, 1.478 OPS
John Moss : 22 AB, 7 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .318 AVG, .991 OPS
Red Bond : 19 AB, 5 H, 3 HR, 5 RBI, .263 AVG, 1.085 OPS

Schedule
5-22: Loss at Sailors (6-8)
5-23: Win at Sailors (10-3)
5-25: Loss vs Kings (7-3)
5-26: Loss vs Kings (6-5)
5-27: Win vs Kings (1-7)

Recap
Yes, part of the short writeup yesterday was our embarrassing performance, but the other part was the fatigue from the first day back from vacation paired with a busy work day. That would have made even a fun week short! Today I was off for Juneteenth and got a full 11 hours of sleep, so you get a full length one despite the poor performance!

To be fair, 2-3 is an upgrade , and we absolutely slaughtered the Sailors in their biggest loss of the season. The issue was that the Kings took two of three from us in Chicago, making the overall week a loss despite the nice run differential. I don't know why we can pitch now, but hey, we have three hot hitters right now!

The first is Leo Mitchell, still stuck at 8 steals, though when you hit three homers in a week, no one really cares about how many bases you swipe. The vet was 9-for-21, adding a double and triple as well, with 5 runs, 5 RBIs, and 2 walks. Those were Mitchell's first three homers of the season, and while his .312/.358/.464 (114 OPS+) season line isn't great, his 123 WRC+ isn't too far from his career norm, and he's got 9 extra base hits in 120 trips to the plate. Our best hitter, however, has been Red Bond, who had a three home week of his own. He's got 8 in four fewer PAs, though he had just two non-homers on the week. Bond is off to a torrid start, slashing .347/.440/.643 (180 OPS+) with 20 runs, 18 RBIs, and 17 walks. The last hot hitter is John Moss, who now has 7 homers after just 4 all of last season. Moss was 7-for-22 with 3 doubles, 3 walks, 4 runs, and 4 RBIs, with a .279/.359/.476 (117 OPS+) batting line that is more in line with what we thought we were getting last year. It's been awesome seeing him hit again, and while this trio could use a little help, it's great seeing big offensive weeks from all of them.

The pen still sucks, so let's pretend they don't exist, and while the rotation wasn't great, the two game winners did well. Duke Bybee continues to dominate, 8 innings with 5 hits, a run, 2 walks, and 6 strikeouts. He's 4-2 in his 7 starts, with a 2.54 ERA (170 ERA+) that ranks 2nd in the CA. Paired with a 1.01 WHIP and 2.3 K/BB he's been elite, with just the 7 longballs in 56.2 innings a cause for concern. He's on pace for career bests in K% (12.4) and BB% (5.3), and if he keeps this up he's going to start taking starts from the guys ahead of him. That could be Johnnie Jones, but after a rough four start stretch he held Brooklyn to just a single run. Sure, there were 4 walks and 9 hits in 8 innings, with just one strikeout, but a wins a win and Johnnie is back even at 3-3. His 4.25 ERA (101 ERA+) is slightly above average, and the highest on the staff, as for once he's not off to his usual hot start. I'm hoping this bounce back can help him get back on track, but I'm worried that it might be the exception due to the poor control and single strikeout in his last two starts.

Looking Ahead
Here's a weird series, one on Monday in New York before an off day, and then we get a double header on Wednesday before another off day. The Stars have been roughed up by lineups left and right, allowing a league high 243 runs, contributing to a 7th place 16-23 record. There's a few ways they can set up their rotation, but my best guess is we'll see nemesis Jack Wood (1-4, 6.70, 22) in the opener, followed by Dan Atwater (1-1, 7.94, 7) and ace Ed Cornett (4-2, 3.41, 21) in the double header. Cornett has been a rock at the top, so it sucks we're stuck with him, as his 3.63 FIP (82 FIP-) backs up the overall success. With Mack Sutton (.288, 10, 25), Jack Welch (.231, 11, 22), Bill Barnett (.295, 5, 21), and Bill Barrett (.282, 10, 27) slugging as backup, Cornett will be tough to beat, as they're surely going to pile on the runs. Leading the tough lineup now is former 2nd Pick Ralph Hanson (.318, 2, 12, 2), who has a solid 112 WRC+ in an already career high 27 starts. The shortstop defense hasn't been great, but if he adds another above average bat to a lineup that already contains Bob Riggins (.259, 1, 6, 1) and Charlie Woodbury (.287, 6, 25, 5), all they're going to need is a new pitcher or a rebound from Eli Panneton (3-4, 4.61, 28) and Vern Hubbard (3-4, 4.55, 20), who FIP suggests have been on the wrong side of luck.

We'll then head back to Chicago, hosting the red hot Foresters for two. After sweeping us, they won their next six games, riding a ten game hit streak to second. At 26-14, they're 2.5 games out of first, and have a chance to get closer after handling us again. For all the attention Sherry Doyal (.360, 8, 27) rightfully gets, French Sonntag (.310, 11, 40) might be the new star of the club, as his excellent offense and defense in center have made him quite valuable. They've been scoring the most runs in baseball despite shipping Jim Adams Jr. (.260, 1, 12, 5) off for spare parts, even if Lloyd Coulter (.276, 2, 15) is going through a sophomore slump. They've got plenty of help from Eddie Morris (.383, 2, 24) at the plate, even if he doesn't know how to play shortstop, and 4th ranked prospect Joe Wood (.294, 6, 29) doesn't look anything like a 23-year-old rookie. The pitching has been tough too, second in runs against, as Ducky Davis (2-1, 3.95, 32) and Gordie Irwin (2-1, 3.99, 25) have been surprisingly effective early on. I don't know how we beat them, but at least at home the fans could help us scrape out a lucky victory or two.

The week then ends with a double header with the Cannons, who at 17-21 have the same loss total and one fewer win then we do. I don't know what's wrong with Rufus Barrell (4-0, 4.00, 20), who's still walking more guys then he's striking out, but he's somehow improved since last time we saw them. Their pen has been tough to beat, with failed starter Les Bradshaw (2-2, 4, 2.12, 10) doing well as a stopper, but the offense has had its struggles. Charlie Rivera (.293, 1, 11, 2) has helped, but they've had to rely too much on their 2-3-4 of Fred Galloway (.272, 1, 12), Mike T. Taylor (.346, 7, 28, 7), and Chuck Adams (.316, 6, 31). If we can keep them in check, we have a chance in the double header, and we'll start next week with the finale in what could be a nice series win to get us back in the right direction.

Minor League Report
LHP Dixie Gaines (AA Little Rock Governors): With a ton of talented prospects on the Little Rock squad, it's easy to overlook Dixie Gaines. He's doing his best to make people remember he used to be a top 100 prospect himself. Dixie was already off to a great start before he got to Knoxville, following his tough luck loss (8 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, BB, 6 K) with a brilliant 4-hit shutout. One of four shutouts from the Governors this week, he allowed just 1 walk and struck out 4, improving to 3-1 on the season. Later in the week he picked up a second win, allowing 6 hits, 3 runs, and 5 walks with 4 strikeouts in another complete game victory. The 23-year-olds stuff continues to impress, as our scout Dixie calls his best pitch a "Bugs Bunny" change which should make hitters swing out of their shoes. The command will never be great, but some of FABL's top arms have walk issues of their own, and with stuff like Dixie's he can make up for it. What sets him apart is his groundball tendencies, as he almost never gives up any homers, and his sinker helps him get out of many jams. Right now he's dominating, a 2.05 ERA (187 ERA+), 0.98 WHIP, and 26 strikeouts in his 5 starts for Little Rock, and as a Rule-5 eligible prospect, he could pitch his way onto the big league roster at some point this season.

3B Lou Jackson (AA Little Rock Governors): Pitching was the story this week for Little Rock, but that didn't stop Lou Jackson from having some fun. In a dominant 17-3 victory, Jackson was 5-for-6 with 2 homers, 3 runs, and 4 RBIs. This helped the switch hitter up his season line to .284/.354/.545 (136 OPS+) with a double, 5 triples, 4 homers, and 21 RBIs in 99 trips to the plate. A versatile youngster, Jackson has played a lot of third base, even if the defense hasn't been great. A natural center fielder, there's no room in Little Rock's outfield right now, and with the Cunningham twins in the middle infield third is the best spot for Jackson's bat to stay in the lineup. A useful utility piece, Jackson is a strong hitter who can hit for a decent average, and despite not being much of a base stealer he's picked up a ton of triples. He had 27 of them last year and 12 in his draft year, so for one reason or another he's able to pick up the extra base when he finds the gaps in the outfield. His style of play seems perfect for a spacious park like the Parc Cartier, though hitting the ball hard will help you anywhere. Still, the 23-year-old profiles more as a utility player then a starter, but he's hit at each stop so far, and he could be one of the first guys promoted even with our more exciting prospects in the same lineup.

CF Frank Reece (AA Little Rock Governors): One of those guys is Frank Reece, who was named Dixie League Player of the Week in Little Rock's perfect 7-0 week. An impressive 14-for-30, Reece has been awarded the award in consecutive weeks, adding a double, 2 triples, 2 homers, 2 walks, 6 RBIs, and 9 runs. Almost a lock for Batter of the Month as well, the 52nd ranked prospect owns a .389/.431/.648 (183 OPS+) May triple slash with 9 doubles, 5 triples, 3 homers, 16 RBIs, and 22 runs. In 143 PAs on the season, he has an excellent 176 WRC+, and he's offered plus defensive numbers in all three outfield spots. One of our three talented Little Rock outfielders, Reece actually has the lowest WAR at 1.7, as Norman and Smith both have a 172 WRC+ and 2.5 WAR while posting plus defensive numbers with more time in right and center respectively. Outfield isn't the big league team's problem right now, our guys are all hitting well above average, but Little Rock fans are certainly enjoying watching this young trio dominate, even if one (or all) of them end up in Milwaukee sooner then later.

ayaghmour2 · 06-20-2024, 11:08 PM

Weekly Record: 3-4
Seasonal Record: 21-25 (t-6th, 13 GB)
Stars of the Week
Red Bond : 27 AB, 11 H, 5 HR, 13 RBI, .407 AVG, 1.429 OPS
Leo Mitchell : 29 AB, 12 H, 3 HR, 7 RBI, .414 AVG, 1.192 OPS
Skipper Schneider : 29 AB, 8 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .276 AVG, .576 OPS

Schedule
5-28: Loss at Stars (2-4)
5-30: Loss at Stars (3-5)
5-30: Win at Stars (7-3)
6-1: Win vs Foresters (3-11)
6-2: Loss vs Foresters (4-3): 11 innings
6-3: Loss vs Cannons (5-4)
6-3: Win vs Cannons (8-9)

Recap
Our lack of winning continued here, as we continue to lose more then we win, dropping to 13 games out as we begin June. Our showing this year has been nothing short of pathetic as we don't really have a path to returning to contention. May was a miserable month for us, finishing 11-17, and it's already looking like we may be sellers this summer. The Cougs haven't tore down in over a decade, but if we don't turn things around quickly, a lot of veterans will be on their way out.

One guy who could fetch a nice return is Player of the Week Red Bond, who earned the award with a huge power explosion. Bond had his first career three home run game in our 11-3 dismantling of the Foresters, and he finished his week 11-for-28 with a double, 5 homers, 13 RBIs, and even a steal. Bond is now hitting an elite .360/.438/.720 (200 OPS+) that is twice as impressive as the average FABL triple slash. His 13 homers are good enough for a share of the FABL lead, and he's added 6 doubles, 26 runs, 31 RBIs, and 18 walks. A guy who won't be shipped off is the speedy Leo Mitchell, who just reached double digit steals for the first time in his 16th pro season. Mitchell had a nice week too, including a pair of longballs in our 9-8 win over the Cannons. He had three this week after three last week, giving him 6 with his .333/.373/.525 (134 OPS+) batting line. 10-for-12 in steals, he's got a chance for a 30 steal season, something I never thought I'd ever type regarding our fan favorite slugger. But as great as those two were this week, a combined 23-for-56, there was little support, and the pitching wasn't great enough to pick up a winning week.

The best start came from Johnnie Jones, who went 8 with 6 hits, 2 runs, 3 walks, and 4 strikeouts. He got a no decision, the pen blew it as they have done so often, and I won't even get into David Molina's stats. The rest of the starts were more passable then good, evidenced by Pete Papenfus' complete game win. Yes, those are always nice, but with 10 hits, 3 runs, and just one strikeout, it really wasn't what we see from Pap. Sure, the one walk is just as crazy, but the 33-year-old hasn't been the dominant pitcher we know and love. Same goes for Donnie Jones, who split his decisions this week. Jones came two outs away from a complete game win in New York, allowing 10 hits, 3 runs, and 3 walks with 3 strikeouts. His control eluded him in Chicago against the Cannons, as our normally sharp ace walked 7 and didn't an a single batter. It came with 8 hits and 7 runs (6 earned) in 7.2 innings, one of the least Donnie Jones starts I've ever seen. Considering everything has gone wrong this year, maybe it shouldn't be surprising that the reliable Jones has had issues, as he's on pace for career worsts in ERA (3.46), FIP (4.16) FIP- (97), WHIP (1.39), GO% (0.46), BB% (9.7), K% (11.7), and K/BB (1.2). Yay!
Our roster will see a lot of movement, starting with the IL placement of Sal Pestilli. The 35-year-old cannot stay healthy, now missing six weeks with shoulder inflammation. It was nice seeing him match his 6 homers from last season in 31 games, but he's homerless in his last seven and has hit just .261/.341/.412 (97 OPS+) on the season. His 10 steals and 18 walks are nice, and his defense is great, but the days of his stardom may be behind him. Luckily Chubby Hall will be a decent replacement, as he's hit .360/.455/.512 (154 OPS+) in 101 trips to the plate, but the lineup will certainly feel weaker without Pestilli at the top.

Part of me wanted to make the now healthy Billy Brown the roster replacement, but he hasn't played since March 26th, and I'm sure could use some game reps before getting back to game speed. This will allow a potential debut for 24-year-old Clyde Parker, who will join the club from Milwaukee. Parker hit .292/.360/.396 (117 OPS+) in his first 41 games, providing the Blues with 3 doubles, 2 triples, 3 homers, 18 walks, 18 RBIs, and 23 runs. His next at bat will be his first as a FABL player, though the former 7th Rounder was a member of the 40 last season. He's not the only new face, as we claimed a pair of pitchers off waivers. The more notable claim in terms of FABL experience is Jerry Decker, as just last year he started 29 games for the pennant winning Gothams. Decker went 16-9 with a 4.20 ERA (98 ERA+) and 1.56 WHIP, but he walked 146 with 92 strikeouts. This year he made 3 starts and a relief outing, allowing 30 hits, 12 runs, and 15 walks with 8 strikeouts in 21.1 innings. That's still way better then our pen, and it will lead to the DFA'ing of veteran southpaw Jim Kenny.

The game keeps telling me that Kenny is good enough to start FABL games, but I just don't buy it. He's coming off a 42.1 inning sample with a 6.59 ERA (58 ERA+) and 1.58 WHIP, and he hasn't shown much improvement this season. In 16 innings he's allowed 19 hits, 10 runs, and 7 walks, and I can't imagine a team taking a chance on a 30-year-old who's been awful the past two seasons. Decker is also a lefty, and he will fill the lefty pen role while giving us a decent spot start option. The other new acquisition is Sailors lefty George Polk, who was once one of the most exciting pitching prospects in the game. Still 25, Polk was once a top-25 prospect, but his four season FABL career hasn't gone as planned. He's 11-19 in 46 appearances, all but three which are starts, though his 5.01 ERA (82 ERA+), 1.68 WHIP, and 0.8 K/BB are all numbers that need improving. He's been mad in 9 games (6 starts) this season, 1-2 with a 8.50 ERA (50 ERA+), 1.94 WHIP, 18 walks, and 14 strikeouts. Another lefty, he'll replace Rule-5 pick Buzz Turner, who will be sent back to the Foresters. Turner hasn't been great either, with 14 hits, 6 runs, and 5 walks in his 9.2 innings. I liked his profile, but Polk has a lot more upside and I think we can unlock his still lofty potential. I'm not sure these two acquisitions make us any better, but it certainly can't make us any worse!

The last little roster news is the return of Frank Sartori, who the Toronto Wolves ended up releasing. Sartori made 8 starts, but went 0-6 with a 7.00 ERA (63 ERA+) and 1.84 WHIP. In 45 innings he has 29 walks to just 17 strikeouts, and he allowed 8 homers in his time with the Wolves. He'll head down to AAA as extra depth, and unless he dominates AAA, I don't see him getting any consideration for a promotion.

There is also some draft related news, as the pool was officially published this sim. All our draftees got stats for the 1951 season, and at some point before the in-game draft I'll cover our first ten new additions. My version of the mock has our first rounder Jack Craft as the 2nd choice, with 2nd Rounder Allie Eddy (2.8), 3rd Rounder Harry Rollins (5.6), 4th Rounder Morrie Phillips (5.9), and 7th Rounder Jim Sauer (3.13) all on the initial mock. On Dixie's list we got his 6th (Craft) and 11th (Eddy) ranked players on his first round list, but not much else he rates all that highly. I wasn't too fond of this class, so really all I care about is Craft and Eddy. Don't get me wrong, I do like Rollins and Morrie, but this class didn't feel like one with many stars, and I really like the two impact players we potentially added with our first two picks.

Looking Ahead
We have one more loss then the Cannons, who we open the week with in Chicago. The winner will take the series and the other's spot in the standings, and my bet is that will be the Cannons. The undefeated Rufus Barrell (5-0, 3.50, 23) takes the mound against our defacto ace Duke Bybee (4-3, 2.69, 30). Rufus is coming off a 8-hit shutout of the Foresters, so I'm scared he's found his mojo and will continue to do what he does best. Despite having a poor offense, the Cannons scored 13 runs in the double header. Two Cannons scored from David Molina (1-6, 7, 9.51, 11) walks, but that win cost them both Jim Hensley (.235, 2, 11) and Nick Remillard (.207, 1, 7). Remillard will need a roster replacement, expected to miss 3-4 weeks, though he already ceded playing time to veteran Charlie Rivera (.293, 2, 14, 3). I'm hoping they bring up former Cougar draftee Jim Mako, as someone may need to cover short while Hensley works through a strained back.

I'm hoping we can win the series there as our next guest is the only team with a worse record then us. That would be the 11-33 Toronto Wolves, who will almost assuredly beat us to end their streak. Only the Foresters have beat them since they swept us last month, and this series will determine how I feel about the rest of the year. Even George Garrison (1-8, 4.97, 25) and Joe Hancock (2-3, 4.88, 23) have fell victim to the struggles, but their FIPs of 3.47 (79 FIP-) and 3.78 (86 FIP-) want to blame the CA's worst defense. Future star John Wells (.234, 9) has looked over matched at the plate and poor at short, and perhaps an option down to the minors is the best way to get him back on track. He had a setback in injury earlier and is still yet to really get going. His struggles aren't alone, as only Fred McCormick (.254, 3, 21) has a WRC+ above 100 (103). Another series loss here would be devastating, especially since we will likely miss Jerry York (2-4, 3.34, 27). Him and Garrison pitched a recent double header, so aside from a spot starter, I see Garrison getting the call on short rest.

Toronto needs to be the start of a win streak, as after that it's four games in three days with the run away Sailors. 13 games ahead as of this writing, I don't see how we catch them. A four game sweep is about all that's possible, and I'm afraid to go into all the categories they lead. Though that's better then talking about how much better their players are then ours, I'll list them. Runs scored (275), base running (+8.9), ERA (3.29), starter's ERA (3.32), bullpen ERA (3.19), runs allowed (171), pitching WAR (9.3), hits allowed (396), opponents average (.246), homers allowed (26), and defensive efficiency (.723). I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared.

Minor League Report
AA Little Rock Governors: Just starting this by saying Frank Reece was Batter of the Month as expected. He hit .393/.448/.656 (189 OPS+) with 10 doubles, 5 triples, 20 RBIs, and 26 runs. At some point he's going to have to get promoted. That time is coming very soon.

This team is also so good it's contagious, as the recently demoted Jim Williams threw a no-hitter back on the team he dominated for last year. That came after 37 hits, 24 runs, and 16 walks in 30.1 AAA innings. There's something in the water here! They have more shutouts (8) then losses (7) and won 13 straight until a loss ended their week.

I also now know who I am going to take in the 1952 draft. Too bad we can't trade up for whoever wins the lottery. Since it certainly won't be us.

And I guess I should mention 29-year-old Bob Hobbs won Pitcher of the Month in the Century League. The career minor leaguer is 5-2 with a 1.80 ERA (183 ERA+) and 1.07 WHIP in 7 starts this season, and he could end up a future Cougar if he keeps pitching like this! I mean can he be worse then David Molina??? Is that really a sentence I had to type??? What happened to this guy...

StLee · 06-21-2024, 10:36 AM

Man, I'm sorry for your losses. Are you seeing any inkling of reasoning why the projected and actual are so far off?

ayaghmour2 · 06-21-2024, 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StLee

Man, I'm sorry for your losses. Are you seeing any inkling of reasoning why the projected and actual are so far off?

Other then that we always underperform? Nope!

At least this year, even if the game said we should be the best team, I don't really think it was the case. The pitching is unmatched but we just don't do much scoring. The next week was better though!

ayaghmour2 · 06-21-2024, 07:45 PM

Weekly Record: 5-3
Seasonal Record: 26-28 (5th, 12 GB)
Stars of the Week
Leo Mitchell : 30 AB, 10 H, 2 HR, 9 RBI, .333 AVG, 1.042 OPS
George Sutterfield : 32 AB, 12 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .375 AVG, .925 OPS
David Molina : 2 Wins, 3.1 IP, 0 BB, 1 K, 0.00 ERA

Schedule
6-4: Win vs Cannons (1-4)
6-5: Win vs Wolves (3-4)
6-6: Loss vs Wolves (9-6)
6-7: Loss vs Wolves (8-1)
6-8: Win vs Sailors (7-8)
6-9: Win vs Sailors (2-7)
6-10: Loss vs Sailors (2-1)
6-10: Win vs Sailors (4-5): 10 innings

Recap
Part of this week was expected. We not only lost to the Wolves, but let them get hot. The crazy part is what we did to the Sailors, who hadn't lost a series since April!

Since then, the only series they didn't win were splits against us, until we managed to take three of four headlined by a scoreless David Molina inning (a strikeout with no outs!) and a shocking Al Clement walk-off double in the 10th to earn the double header split. Molina actually pitched well against his former team, picking up a pair of wins with three scoreless innings. Only one of them saw a hit, and his ERA is finally below 9! The Sailors were dealt a bigger blow with Win Lewis (5-1, 2.83, 34) undergoing elbow surgery. They struck quickly, picking up a veteran from nearby Broad Street Park from the crosstown Keystones. Former Allen Winner Lloyd Stevens (4-4, 4, 4.75, 16) may have been pushed to the pen in favor of 36th ranked prospect Sam Ivey (3-1, 3.18, 16), but the Keystones park and/or defense seem to keep Stevens' ERAs above his FIPs. At 35 they're taking a risk, but their system is deep enough they can afford a pair of prospects ranked in the 100s. They're in perfect position to seize an association with just one other team above .500, and when you lose your ace it's a good idea to take a shot you can afford before anyone expects a move.

Speedster Leo Mitchell stayed hot in our wacky week, going 10-for-30 with a pair of steals, triples, and homers. Mitchell drove in nine, scored four times, and walked twice, upping his season line to .333/.374/.550 (142 OPS+). I think our homegrown star realizes he's running out of chances to win a title, and a few more hot weeks can sperate from the crowded middle of the pack. George Sutterfield got a much needed solid week, 12-for-32 with a homer and two doubles, RBIs, and steals. He's followed up his 107 WRC+ with a 73 in almost 200 trips to the plate, something even elite defense can't excuse. He tends to be streaky, sometimes playing better on the road, where he's able to pick up extra base hits in the gaps. With a rare misstep from Red Bond (5-28, HR, 4 RBI, 4 BB), Sutterfield helped shoulder the load, but a lot of the guys who played most of the week seemed tired.

The pitching was either great or awful, so let's focus on the two pitchers that threw two gems. Continental Association ERA leader Duke Bybee picked up a pair of complete game victories, dropping that metric to 2.42 (174 ERA+) in his ten starts. Bybee's 0.99 WHIP is also an association best, leading in BB/9 (2.2), rWAR (3.3), opponents average (.209), and most impressively, quality starts (10). Yeah, all ten of his starts have been quality! Bybee is no stranger to sub-3 ERAs, and unless he implodes I don't see a way he doesn't represent us at the All-Star game. One of the other two on the ballot, Pete Papenfus was back to striking out guys, and a lack of run support led to one of his complete games being a loss. That was in the double header, where he allowed just 5 hits, 2 runs, and 3 walks with 4 strikeouts. You could argue that was better then his win against the Wolves, where Pap fanned 6 with 6 hits, 3 runs, and 3 walks. This kept him at .500, 4-4 in his 11 starts, and his 53 strikeouts trail just Adrian Czerwinski (54), who has more then 25 extra innings. This duo has actually been our best so far, but only Johnnie Jones (4.35, 97) has an ERA+ below 100.

Looking Ahead
We get a much needed off day, as nearly everyone is tired and too many guys had to start on short rest. Otherwise I would have had to let George Polk (SV, 4 IP, H, BB, K) start a throwaway game against the Wolves, with both corner outfielders out of gas. Instead we'll just make the trip north to Toronto, where we really need to get some revenge. We've been worse against them then the sail away Sailors, and there's no excuse for that. I hope we see former Cougar draftee George Carter (0-0, 7.50, 1) make a start, with the other two likely George Garrison (2-8, 4.50, 26) and Jerry York (2-5, 3.34, 31). I also think we'll see Zane Kelley (3-1, 4.71, 19), who's been better in his relief outings then his two starts. I don't think our pitching will have any trouble with their lineup, so the key for us to get runs off whoever is on the mound. Just Joe DeMott (.294, 1, 12, 5) and Fred McCormick (.257, 3, 22, 2) have WRC+ above 100, and neither have an OPS+ to match it. We need wins here more then I can articulate, and it could start off a nice week.

The next stop is Cincinnati, and even though the Cannons have a better record then us, I think we can keep beating them. Harry Thomas (4-2, 3.87, 34) has started to regress, making way for Mickey Mills (3-6, 3.58, 36) to reclaim the best non-Barrell pitching spot on the team. We actually gave Duece (6-1, 3.40, 33) his only loss, which makes me wonder why we do so much better against the quality opponents. Maybe I should want to face him and Mickey, and go right after Mike T. Taylor (.324, 10, 36, 12), as nothing seems to make sense this year. Let's just win some games!

ayaghmour2 · 06-23-2024, 10:47 PM

1st Round, 11th Overall: 3B Jack Craft
School: New Albany Wildcats
Commit School: St. Dominic's
1951: .452/.548/.837, 126 PA, 11 2B, 3B, 9 HR, 35 RBI
Career: .466/.551/.785, 234 PA, 20 2B, 3B, 13 HR, 62 RBI

The prize of our draft class, one of the many mocks had Jack Craft as the second ranked player in the pool, and all of them had him higher then 10th. A talented switch hitter, Craft showcased his power as a senior, launching 9 homers with 11 doubles in 25 games. The increase in power came at a drop in his batting average, but that is a trade off we are more then willing to make. A tall third basemen with power, especially a switch hitter like Craft, is always going to be an in demand asset, and right now it's hard to find a flaw with his game other then that he's not fully developed yet. The plus power potential is intriguing enough, but when it comes with an advanced approach at the plate and an above average contact tool, we have the makings of a future All-Star on our hands. Sure, we thought the same thing of Otto Christian, who oscillates between gifted slugger and strikeout machine, but "The Walla Walla Walloper's" success hung on his ability to hit 30+ homers in a season. Even without the power, Craft could develop into a John Kincaid type with a high average, more walks then strikeouts, and enough doubles to overcome the single digit power output. That's a pretty good worst case scenario, and I'm excited to see what Craft does in his first partial season down in La Crosse.

2nd Round, 27th Overall: LHP Allie Eddy
School: Temple Tigers
Commit School: Robinson College
1951: 7-1, 84 IP, 1.18 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 18 BB, 129 K
Career: 15-3, 187.1 IP, 1.10 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, 35 BB, 278 K

Depending on when you looked or who you ask, Allie Eddy is the highest ranked pitcher in the draft. I'm still partial to Mike Quigley, who went a pick before Craft, but the mock had Eddy as the first pitcher off the board, and now he's gone/can't find him. The mock means little to me, as do high school stats to some extent, but it was still nice to see "Okie Dokey" have a similar senior season to his junior year. Eddy started all 12 of his starts, going 7-1 with a 1.18 ERA and 0.87 WHIP -- both a bit higher then the 1.05 and 0.83 last year -- but he upped his K% from 35.6 to 37.2 with a slight increase in BB% that dropped his K/BB to a still impressive 7.2. Above all, the 6'2'' southpaw continued to put in a ton of energy into his improvement on the field and off, and his high school coaches couldn't say enough about how bright he is. The best part, however, is OSA and Dixie Marsh both comment on his front-of-the-rotation potential, praising the potential of his stuff and command. I love his five pitch mix, from the 88-90 sinker to his nasty change, as each offering is a potential plus pitch. 25 is weird about ranking pitchers in the prospect rankings, but I don't see a way where Eddy isn't in the top 100, and there's a very good chance he ranks ahead of all the non-Bob Allen incumbents. The current wave of Cougars is getting old, and sadly still title-less, but Eddy is looking to fill an excellent rotation that will start with Allen in the back half of the 50s.

3rd Round, 39th Overall: RHP Harry Rollins
School: Newtown Pioneers
Commit School: Brunswick College
1951: 4-1, SV, 70.1 IP, 1.15 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, 12 BB, 109 K
Career: 8-1, SV, 115 IP, 1.10 ERA, 0.81 WHIP, 21 BB, 182 K

It's hard to find better command in the pool then what Harry Rollins has shown, as no draft eligible pitcher walked fewer then the 12 hitters Rollins allowed in 70.1 innings pitched. No draft eligible prep pitcher had a better K/BB then his 9.1, and in 115 high school innings he allowed just one home run. This level of command is almost unheard of, especially in our system, but there is one catch: for some reason the 6'4'' righty with five pitches is now projected to be a bullpen arm. I'm floored!

I'm at a loss on how this happened, but it's definitely a major blow considering some of the bats I passed on to secure him. For now, I'm going to proceed like nothing changed, as the extreme groundballer is sitting in the 89-91 range, and with five pitches you'd think he'd be able to start. Maybe it's a stamina thing, he did start just over half (9-of-17) of his appearances as a senior, but we're going to keep throwing the hard working youngster out every sixth day. The stuff is solid, he locates his pitches well, and he should be able to keep the ball in most parks. I'm hoping with my recent scouting report Dixie will change his tune on Rollins' future, but with how awful our pen has been this year, developing a legit relief ace wouldn't be the worst outcome here.

4th Round, 55th Overall: CF Morrie Phillips
School: Forest Park Senators
Commit School: Daniel Boone College
1951: .457/.519/.664, 131 PA, 11 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 30 RBI
Career: .444/.510/.671, 490 PA, 39 2B, 8 3B, 14 HR, 122 RBI

A four year starter at the nearish Forest Park High School in the Chicago suburbs, you could make the case he saved the best season for last, as he set personal bests in batting average (.457) and WAR (2.2). Pretty consistent for the Senators, Phillips totaled 169 runs, 61 extra base hits, and 122 RBIs, offering solid defense in center. 18 in just a few days, Phillips has a nice ceiling, projected to be at least an average every day player. He generates a ton of bat speed, hitting the ball hard while consistently squaring up pitches in the zone. He's good about not chasing, and while he doesn't really have home run power, he's got raw power that will lead to a ton of extra base hits. Big stadiums will see him end up on second and third consistently, and when he really gets a hold of one he can take it deep. The issue here is we have a surplus of center fielders at all levels, so early playing time may be tough to wrestle away. His inquisitive nature should work in his benefit, as even when he isn't playing, he trying to find ways to improve

5th Round, 71st Overall: RHP Joe Holt
School: Oliver Bears
Commit School: Ferguson
1951: 9-1, 103 IP, 1.31 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 22 BB, 144 K
Career: 35-3, 382.1 IP, 1.15 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 71 BB, 560 K

Uh, oh. We have an impossible!

For some reason Joe Holt really wants to go to Ferguson, so we may not earn the services of our 5th Round pick. A four year starter at Olivier, Holt is taking a big risk that he'd be selected earlier next go around, but he did have a successful prep career and could improve his three pitch mix in college. Holt followed up a dominant 8-0, 0.77 ERA, 133 strikeout freshman season with three 9-1 campaigns, good for a 35-3 career record with a 1.15 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, and 560 strikeouts. Him not signing may be good for his potential teammates, as he's been called "arrogant and condescending" and "too smart for his own good." I don't avoid bad personalities, but this makes me far less willing to throw a huge sum of cash at him to convince him to join us. His cutter is his best pitch, now up to 89-91, but his change and fastball are average at best, and if he's not the type to work on self-improvement, they may never get there.

6th Round, 87th Overall: 2B Joe Dorch
School: Frankford College Thoroughbreds
1951: .455/.519/.709 129 PA, 9 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR, 34 RBI
Career: .455/.519/.709 129 PA, 9 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR, 34 RBI

Our first college player was for some reason given high school stats, so it's really tough to understand the type of player Joe Dorch is. He's also a college senior I guess, the easiest player type to sign. A versatile athlete, Dorch appeared at first, second, third, short, and left, and I expect after signing he'll fill a utility role for San Jose or La Crosse. I like his defense, swing, and discipline, but there's a lot of question marks beyond that. Does he have any power? Is he fast? Is he going to take a lot of close strike threes? Well it's like they say on that TV show I mentioned a few posts ago: let's find out!

7th Round, 103rd Overall: C Jim Hauer
School: Lincoln Cardinals
Commit School: Eastern Oklahoma
1951: .439/.477/.735, 111 PA, 8 2B, 7 HR, 32 RBI
Career: .441/.490/.649, 471 PA, 41 2B, 3 3B, 13 HR, 120 RBI

The lone catcher of the class, we kept the trend of four-start starters with backstop Jim Hauer. After a power surge that saw him more then double his previous career homer total (6), he got some love on the mocks. Dixie now views him as a 15 home run hitter as well, a big boost from behind the plate. He still swings too much, which could keep his average a bit below .300 instead of above, and he's not the type to take a walk. That's why this new power is so big for his big league viability, as we don't have many clues on how his defense is. I expect him to be a later signing, as we have last year's 3rd Rounder Ed Freeman waiting to make his season debut, and it could be of benefit for Hauer to start in a limited role. He's another guy who uses his energy to improve his baseball skills, and I'm sure he'll take advantage of catching as many bullpen sessions as possible. He's nowhere near Garland Phelps in terms of upside, but he's always going to need a backup, and one that can change games with late homers is a desired trait.

8th Round, 119th Overall: SS Warren Ross
School: Central Ohio Aviators
1951: .281/.367/.365, 283 PA, 10 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 42 RBI
Career (COL): .272/.359/.372, 768 PA, 31 2B, 12 3B, 4 HR, 104 RBI
Career (HS): .434/.515/.653, 266 PA, 27 2B, 9 3B, HR, 57 RBI

The first member of the class to actually get college stats, we're signing Warren Ross this time around, as the switch hitter had a nice three year career at Central Ohio. While no Freddie Jones, Ross is a talented middle infielder who spent most of his time at short and his arm is strong enough for third. He hits like a shortstop, contact focused, disciplined, and not afraid to take tough pitches, but he's not a high contact guy either. That's something I'd like to see him improve, as he doesn't protect the plate well with two strikes and has a tendency to get caught looking. Without much power, I want him focused more on putting the ball in play, else he'll join the growing stack of good defensive shortstops who hang around longer then they should. It's going to be tough for him to earn starts, but he's a good clubhouse personality and the exact type of guy you want captaining the infield.

If only he could hit some too...

9th Round, 135th Overall: RHP Ben Helm
School: Sumter College Wildcats
1951: 9-4, 120.2 IP, 3.43 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 33 BB, 125 K
Career: 25-12, 347.1 IP, 3.50 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 116 BB, 342 K

Making up for potentially losing our 5th Round pick is Ben Helm. A three year starter at Sumter College, Helm regained some of his freshman year form, pitching closer to the 3.37 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, and 2.8 K/BB then the 3.76, 1.38, and 2.4 from his sophomore season. In fact, Helm actually had career bests in K% (24.0) and BB% (6.3), leading to an impressive 3.8 K/BB in 120.2 innings pitched. Another five pitch pitcher, his stuff is already good enough to project as a starter, and he could rise quickly into a depth starter role. His change up is filthy, one of the bests there is, and while it's one of his only obvious strengths, he doesn't have any weaknesses. He's pretty much average or better in everything else, making him an ideal innings eater in the minors or majors. Recently turned 21, I'm toying with the idea of starting him in Lincoln, but my best guess is he'll make a few starts in San Jose. If we had a need for FABL pitching, he's the type of pitcher worth rushing up, and if he dominates the minors he could be a useful trade pieces to bring back someone with more upside.

10th Round, 151st Overall: CF Alex Caraballo
School: Murphy Eagles
1951: .456/.480/.675, 125 PA, 14 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 29 RBI
Career: .456/.480/.675, 125 PA, 14 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 29 RBI

Rounding out the first part of our class is the now 19-year-old Alex Caraballo, who went from town ball to Murphy High School so he could be selected in the FABL amateur draft. He looked pretty good, slashing .456/.480/.675 with 18 extra base hits, 39 runs, and 29 RBIs. He's got a center field position rating now too, but I still think he's a bat first prospect who belongs in a corner. He's got more upside then a decent amount of the guys taken before him, as Dixie and OSA both think the bat could get him to the bigs. He's an above average contact hitter who can muscle some balls out of the park. I love his swing and the batspeed it produces, but I'm worried he's going to strike out a lot and never walk. This makes the power huge, as you can tolerate swing and miss if the swings that connect go far. If it wasn't for Dorch, he'd be the prospect with the biggest question marks, but I'm leaning towards this being a really nice late pick. His makeup isn't great, but the tools are legit, and if all breaks right he'll be a FABL regular.

ayaghmour2 · 06-24-2024, 07:07 PM

Weekly Record: 3-3
Seasonal Record: 29-31 (4th, 14.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
George Sutterfield : 23 AB, 9 H, 0 HR, 5 RBI, .391 AVG, 1.003 OPS
Chubby Hall : 25 AB, 7 H, 1 HR, 6 RBI, .280 AVG, .773 OPS
John Moss : 21 AB, 6 H, 0 HR, 1 RBI, .286 AVG, .899 OPSA

Schedule
6-12: Loss at Wolves (2-7)
6-13: Win at Wolves (3-1)
6-14: Loss at Wolves (6-7)
6-15: Win at Cannons (4-2)
6-16: Loss at Cannons (1-2)
6-17: Win at Cannons (7-1)

Recap
With our second series loss against the Wolves to start the week, we've now lost the same amount of series against the lowly Wolves then total games last season. It's what makes the least sense in this senseless season, as we're the only team the Wolves have beat more then they've lost, and their six victories against us are twice as much as any team. It was fun when you could pencil in wins each time we faced Toronto, but now the Wolves are one of the many things going wrong in the Windy City.

The pitching was inconsistent this week, as we had three good starts and three bad starts. The best went to Pete Papenfus, who's been as hot as his heater, picking up a complete game win with 5 hits, 2 runs, a walk, and 5 strikeouts. The All-Star hopeful has won three of his last four starts, now 5-4 with a 3.52 ERA (120 ERA+), 1.19 WHIP, and 58 strikeouts. Donnie Jones came an out away from a complete game win himself, allowing 4 hits, 3 walks, and a run with 5 strikeouts to improve to 7-3 despite his 4.56 FIP (107 FIP-). There's a lot of season left, but Donnie has never have a FIP- above 100, as his 1.2 HR/9, 11.9 K%, and 9.5 BB% are all on pace to be career worsts. The homers are the most concerning part, as he's already matched his 1948 and 1949 totals while just 5 off his career high 18 from last year. Brother Johnnie managed to raise his ERA+ back over 100 (102), allowing 4 hits and 4 walks with 2 runs and 4 strikeouts. He's now 3-4, still walking (45) more guys then he strikes out (38), but we're back to a full front five with above average ERA+.

Just three hitters offered much of anything at the plate, starting with the improving George Sutterfield who finished his week 3-for-5 with 3 doubles and 3 RBIs. Sutterfield finished 9-for-23 with 3 runs, 4 walks, 5 RBIs, and a whopping 6 steals. John Moss continues to produce, 6-for-21 with 2 doubles, a triple, RBI, 2 runs, and 5 walks. Chubby Hall chipped in his 5th homer, 7-for-25 with a double and 6 RBIs. And that's it. That's the only Cougars who did much in any sort of sample. Love this offense!

Last thing of note is the return of Billy Brown, who hit an impressive .260/.315/.660 (174 OPS+) with 3 doubles, a triple, 5 homers, and 14 RBIs in his 13 game rehab assignment. He'll replace Clyde Parker, who unfortunately did not get any game action when he was up. Parker, who hit .292/.360/.396 (117 OPS+) in Milwaukee, is still looking for his first FABL plate appearance. I really hoped Max Wilder would use him at least once in the two weeks he was up, but instead he'll return to regular time with the Blues.

Looking Ahead
Before we lose any games this week, we'll run through the last 15 rounds of the Amateur Draft, many of which won't end up signing with us. A relatively weaker class, we had major hits to two of our top five picks, but I just can't wait until Jack Craft and Allie Eddy are in the system. These two should both crack the top 100, and a few of the other guys should enter the top 500.

Looking towards the games, we're off to start the week, and will then head to Cleveland for three. At 38-24, they're the only non-Philly team with a record above .500 in the CA, though they sit six and a half out. In most years they'd be doing well enough for first, but they have a huge hurdle to climb, and we'll catch them with Frenchy Sonntag (.311, 12, 43) on the IL for another two weeks. Veteran Orie Martinez (.305, 6, 20) has filled in well, but for the Foresters to catch the Sailors they'll need Sonntag to return without missing a beat. Considering all eight members of the current lineup have a WRC+ above 100, they haven't missed him too much, and they sit second in runs scored and allowed on the year. Sure, Adrian Czerwinski (10-3, 2.81, 59) has been carrying most of the load, but the back four has been decent enough, and they've decided to bring strikeout machine Ollie White (8-5, 2, 3.49, 52) back into the rotation. This is going to be a tough series, one will certainly lose, as we continue to go through the motions of the season.

For most teams, playing the first place Sailors would be a tough task, but guess what? The Cougars are the only team with a winning record against them! Sure, 6 of the Wolves' 17 wins have come from us, but on the flip side, 6 of the Sailors' 17 losses have been us!

At 44-17, it's there title to lose at this point, and even with Win Lewis (5-1, 2.83, 34) out of the season and more, they're comfortably in the driver's seat. Making up for the Lewis loss was the acquisition of Lloyd Stevens (6-4, 4.31, 26). The longtime Keystone has tossed a pair of complete game victories since the trade, allowing 3 runs to each the Saints and Kings. They really need help in the rotation, as I imagine it's only a matter of time before Lou Robertson (5-3, 2.95, 37) regresses. Combined with Al Duster's (6-1, 5.02, 39) rough start to the season, the Lewis loss would have been a devastating blow, and with Stevens hopefully solidifying the rotation they're back on track. They've been hitting well too, led by the breakout 25-year-old Al Farmer (.358, 9, 33). This level of production was expected from the former 2nd overall prospect, and he's done his part to usher in the next generation of baseball in Philadelphia. The final piece of their puzzle might be Jim Kenny, who they surprisingly claimed off waivers from us. I hope they start him, as 25 thinks his three pitch mix is enough. They did just move Jackie James (1-3, 8, 2.79, 18) into a starting role, so even if he doesn't start, he gives them an experienced late inning pitcher to supplement their pennant run.

Oh and some good news at the end! Harry Rollins is a projected starter now! Sure the report isn't too friendly, but it's a major relief he's back to a starter again. I was going to start him anyways, but now even our minor league managers will too.

ayaghmour2 · 06-25-2024, 07:11 PM

Weekly Record: 3-4
Seasonal Record: 32-35 (t-4th, 16.5 GB)
Stars of the Week
Red Bond : 23 AB, 9 H, 2 HR, 6 RBI, .391 AVG, 1.134 OPS
Chubby Hall : 26 AB, 9 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .346 AVG, .972 OPS
Skipper Schneider : 26 AB, 7 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .269 AVG, .719 OPS

Schedule
6-19: Loss at Foresters (2-4)
6-20: Win at Foresters (1-0): 10 innings
6-21: Win at Foresters (6-3)
6-22: Loss at Sailors (9-13)
6-23: Loss at Sailors (4-16)
6-24: Win at Sailors (7-0)
6-24: Loss at Sailors (2-3)

Recap
We did the Sailors a huge solid this week, first taking two of three from the Foresters in Cleveland before dropping three of four to the Sailors in Philly. They obliterated our pitching staff, as even with a 7-0 shutout in the first game of the double header, the top ranked team scored 32 runs in the four game series. They now are up 7.5 games over the 42-27 Foresters, who are almost farther out of first then the 33-35 Chiefs in the Fed. Philly's next win will be their 50th, matched only by the juggernaut Little Rock Governors who have won 17 in a row. I think they could beat the Cougars in a series! Unfortunately, that team will be somewhat broken up, as plenty of guys will be moving up starting as early as next sim. More will come once the draftees all file in, you'll get coverage of the 11th through 25th rounders throughout the week (likely in pieces since some of the early guys are actually solid), but Frank Reece and Bob Allen will both be promoted next week. But for now, of our first ten picks just Jack Craft and Allie Eddy will be tendered bonuses this week.

The shutout was the highlight of the week, as Donnie Jones is trying to do his best to earn a fifth All-Star nod. He split his starts, allowing 6 hits, 4 runs, and 5 walks with 7 strikeouts in our 4-2 loss in Cleveland. His shutout saw just 3 hits and 2 walks, striking out 3 to improve to 8-4 in his 15 starts. I'm not sure it's enough, as while his 3.44 ERA (123 ERA+) and 1.30 WHIP are solid, there are plenty of deserving candidates and not enough spots for all the pitchers. One should go to Duke Bybee, who was the only other starter to win his start. He went all nine in Cleveland, allowing 9 hits, 3 runs, and 2 walks with 3 strikeouts. Now 7-3, his 2.79 ERA (152 ERA+) is third in the CA, and he's got an impressive 1.04 WHIP and 1.8 K/BB. His 6.0 BB% would be a career best, and he has an excellent 3.69 FIP (87 FIP-) through 96.2 innings.

After last week's three man show on offense, it dropped to just two here, as slugging first basemen Red Bond was back to his ball smashing ways. The veteran added two more homers, going 9-for-23 with 4 walks, 4 runs, and 6 RBIs. His 16 homers are tied for 2nd in the CA while his 1.018 OPS is a point above Sherry Doyal for 2nd. I can't envision him not starting the All-Star game at first, as his .328/.412/.606 (166 OPS+) batting line is amazing, and he's the only guy in the lineup who really deserves the accolade. Chubby Hall isn't on the ballot, but the veteran outfielder has impressed this season, and was 9-for-26 with 3 doubles, a triple, 4 runs, 3 walks, and 3 RBIs. He's filled in well for Sal, slashing .325/.411/.479 (135 OPS+) in 190 PAs on the season. He doesn't deserve to lose time when Sal returns, but that's at least three weeks away and I expect a rehab assignment will be needed. I'd love to find a home for Hall before then, as he's been great and could really help a contender.

Looking Ahead
Off after the double header, and we'll then end the road trip with three in Montreal with the Saints. They're stuck in the four way tie with us and the Stars, but they're listed ahead based on one more win and loss. The winning percentages are all the same (.478), and if either team sweeps they'd be back to .500. That pretty much fits them, as they're 5th in runs scored and allowed, though with slightly more runs allowed they'd be more a game or two under .500. A lot of that is due to the surprising struggles of Bert Cupid, who is 3-7 with a 7.55 ERA (56 ERA+) and 1.72 WHIP. The 28-year-old has never had an ERA or WHIP higher then the 3.90 (98 ERA+) and 1.34 from last season. You would think that means he'd improve, but FIP (4.95, 116) still has him as a below average pitcher, as he's really struggled to keep the ball in the park on the road. Lucky for them, he's pitching in Montreal against us, though with an off-day they could skip him in favor of Pat Weakly (6-5, 4.19, 53). Otherwise I expect to see Pete Ford (3-4, 3.36, 28) and Ted Coffin (6-4, 3.75, 45), who have pitched pretty well. That might be tough for our offense, but with the struggled of Maurice Carter (.248, 5, 24), Gordie Perkins (.237, 2, 18, 4), and the now injured Bill Greene (.194, 11. 5) we should be in the game long enough for the pen to blow the lead.

We'll finish the week at home with a quick three game series with the Stars in Chicago. They have an identical record as us, led by sluggers Mack Sutton (.293, 17, 48) and Jack Welch (.237, 17, 43) who share the CA home run lead. Bill Barrett (.278, 16, 54) is tied for Bond in third, and Bill Barnett (.286, 11, 34) gives them four bats with double digit homers. We only have three bats with even seven, and they're pacing the association in team homers. In attempt to improve their league worst pitching, Dan Atwater (4-3, 4.31, 23) has been inserted to the rotation, and after a slow start he had a pair of 1-run complete game wins last week. Once Eli Panneton's (5-5, 5.32, 45) ERA converges with his FIP (3.66), they could start to get hot and try to separate themself from the middle of the pack that is all within four games of each other. They've played their best ball in June, and I'm worried that even on the road they'll have no trouble stopping us.

ayaghmour2 · 06-25-2024, 11:12 PM

11th Round, 167th Overall: RHP Mike Peter
School: Jackson Mustangs
Commit School: St. George College
1951: 8-2, 108.1 IP, 1.74 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 27 BB, 127 K
Career: 31-7, 403 IP, 1.88 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 89 BB, 409 K

Part of what may make up for not being able to sign 5th Rounder Joe Holt is the addition of Mike Peter is the second portion of the draft, as Dixie Marsh thinks he could be a potential fifth starter due to his excellent command. A four year starter for the Jackson High School Mustangs, Peter had a career low 1.74 ERA and 1.03 WHIP with a career high 26.7 K%. He also struck out a career high 127 in a career high 108.1 innings pitched, and he's set to start his professional career in the near future for La Crosse. A three pitch pitcher, Peter relies on his mid 80s sinker, an offering that generates a ton of groundballs. That's a huge help in Chicago, and while the stuff isn't great, he keeps the ball out of the heart of the zone. Walks should be kept to a minimum, even if strikeouts are low too, and he should be able to pitch deep into games. I'm not sure if there will be a spot in the Lions rotation for him to start in, but he'll be considered a starter even if he's only projected to be a borderline starter at this point.

12th Round, 183rd Overall: LHP Don Grossi
School: Eastern State Redbirds
1951: 7-6, 118.2 IP, 4.32 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, 59 BB, 104 K
Career (COL): 21-16, 349.2 IP, 3.84 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 148 BB, 312 K
Career (HS): 29-2, 306 IP, 1.21 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 61 BB, 446 K

It was a pitcher with the second pick as well, as we added college lefty Don Grossi in the 12th. Formerly a standout prep pitcher, Grossi went 29-2 with a 1.21 ERA in three seasons, including a perfect 10-0 with a 0.97 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, and 159 strikeouts in 15 starts. This got him a 14th Round selection by the Minutemen, but he instead decided to go to Eastern State. At first, it looked to be a wise move, as he went 8-4 with a 3.04 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and 107 strikeouts as a freshman. Unfortunately, he couldn't come close to that, and saw ERAs above 4 in the following two seasons. Like Peter, he's a mid-80s sinkerballer who throws three pitches, with stuff that may not be good enough to start. The sinker is a good pitch, easily the best of the bunch, but he doesn't have the groundball tendencies you'd expect. Recently turned 21, I'm hesitant to sign him, but if we have enough open spots he'll be given a chance to fill a pen role initially.

13th Round, 199th Overall: RHP Ed Watson
School: Wapasha College Warriors
1951: 4-8, 106.2 IP, 4.89 ERA, 1.66 WHIP, 69 BB, 96 K
Career (COL): 13-25, 358.1 IP, 5.05 ERA, 1.76 WHIP, 259 BB, 300 K
Career (HS): 28-7, 351.2 IP, 1.84 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 112 BB, 427 K

The run of pitchers continued with another college, as we selected righty Ed Watson for the second time. Originally our 15th Rounder in 1948, I think Watson will sign this time, even if he wasn't that great at Wapasha College. Last season he had an ERA above 5, and his 4.89 as a junior was surprisingly his best. Another three pitch pitcher, he has a tendency to nibble, and his repertroie is raw and underdeveloped. That being said, he has a good makeup, and his profile could lead to success in the pen. His slider is the clear best pitch, and as a sidearmer it would be really tough to squared up for right handed hitters. He may have some home run issues, but I think he could eat some innings out of the pen.

14th Round, 215th Overall: CF Frank Selander
School: Steele Lions
Commit School: Carolina Poly
1951: .450/.500/.651, 120 PA, 10 2B, 4 HR, 34 RBI
Career: .450/.500/.651, 120 PA, 10 2B, 4 HR, 34 RBI

The first positional player selected, Frank Selander didn't play varsity ball until he was a senior, but the Ohio native had a decent senior season. The recently turned 18-year-old hit .450/.500/.651 with 4 homers and 34 RBIs, and earned himself a scholarship to Carolina Poly. They just won their first ever College World Series, and I'm sure in their repeat attempt Selander would be a huge boost. He has a quick bat and can hit over .270, but he's still learning to hit offspeed pitches. That may come with more experience, and with his muscle strength he could end up a double digit home run hitter as well. Both OSA and Dixie think he could fill a bench role, so there's definite upside here, but with how deep we are in the outfield, I might let him head to Carolina Poly so he can improve his future draft stock.

15th Round, 231st Overall: RHP Bert Wood
School: Dorsey Dons
Commit School: St. Dominic's
1951: 6-2, 81.1 IP, 1.77 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 33 BB, 126 K
Career: 21-8, 304.1 IP, 1.86 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 121 BB, 458 K

A fourth pitcher in five rounds, Bert Wood was a four year starter for the interestingly named Dorsey Dons. His best work came as a sophomore where he went 7-1 with a 1.34 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and 130 strikeouts. Unfortunately that was followed up by his worst season, as he had his only ERA (2.42) and FIP (2.27) above 2 and worsts in most notable categories. Another three-pitch sinkerballer, Wood sits in the 85-87 range with below average pitches, making his future as a starter bleak. He doesn't have great command either, and will attend St. Dominic's in the fall where he will look to improve his skills.

ayaghmour2 · 06-26-2024, 12:08 AM

16th Round, 247th Overall: CF Bob Powers
School: Cache Valley Cowboys
1951: .290/.348/.456, 279 PA, 10 2B, 3B, 10 HR, 43 RBI
Career (COL): .296/.360/.433, 1,104 PA, 40 2B, 7 3B, 27 HR, 188 RBI
Career (HS): .436/.496/.624, 234 PA, 22 2B, 5 3B, 2 HR, 55 RBI

The one and only college senior selected, Bob Power was drafted three rounds earlier last season by the Chiefs, and initially by the Kings in the 23rd Round out of high school. Powers had a nice power surge as a senior, hitting 10 of his 29 home runs this season. I think he'll be lucky to hit ten as a minor leaguer, but Dixie thinks he's got the potential to be an average power hitter. I don't think he'll get enough playing time to fulfil that, but he does project to have a decent bat. As a senior, he's the third and final player to get an offer today, and will fill a bench role on one of our lower minors teams. As an intelligent and well-spoken kid, he could be a good influence in the clubhouse, and he could eventually luck his way into a little bit of playing time.

17th Round, 263rd Overall: LHP Don Smith
School: Wisconsin Catholic Cavaliers
1951: 4-6, 98.2 IP, 5.11 ERA, 1.67 WHIP, 63 BB, 77 K
Career (COL): 12-21, 323.1 IP, 5.11 ERA, 1.67 WHIP, 63 BB, 77 K
Career (HS): 26-10, 355 IP, 2.61 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 161 BB, 397 K

Holy cow! These numbers are not pretty!

Originally a 22nd Round pick of the Sailors in 1948, Don Smith had an ugly freshman season, tagged with a lofty 6.45 ERA and 2.09 WHIP. His junior year was the only of his three seasons he walked fewer guys then he struck out, with 214 across his first two seasons. The only thing he does well is hit 89 with his fastball, and Smith will be returning to Wisconsin Catholic for a senior season.

18th Round, 279th Overall: RHP Don Landis
School: Shenandoah Valley State Blue Devils
1951: 4-8, 113 IP, 6.37 ERA, 1.81 WHIP, 69 BB, 63 K
Career (COL): 13-22, 325 IP, 6.56 ERA, 1.97 WHIP, 240 BB, 151 K
Career (HS): 26-8, 357 IP, 2.52 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 135 BB, 315 K

Oh boy... This isn't any good...

Don Landis will definitely be returning for his senior season at Shenandoah Valley State, as he was awful with the Blue Devils, including a 111 walk freshman year with a 0.4 K/BB that only beats David Molina. Just three pitches and a flyballer as well, Landis wouldn't ever be any good on the Cougars. There just isn't much to like.

19th Round, 295th Overall: 1B Dan Williams
School: Gettysburg Warriors
Commit McHenry College
1951: .429/.472/.551, 106 PA, 7 2B, 3B, HR, 26 RBI
Career: .432/.480/.583, 229 PA, 19 2B, 3 3B, 2 HR, 52 RBI

Dan Williams is a first basemen without power, and has some of the shortest scouting reports there are. He'll go to McHenry College.

20th Round, 311st Overall: CF Johnny McMillan
School: Topeka State Braves
1951: .279/.349/.459, 244 PA, 3 2B, 3B, 12 HR, 41 RBI
Career (COL): .272/.345/.459, 745 PA, 15 2B, 3 3B, 28 HR, 132 RBI
Career (HS): .411/.486/.623, 481 PA, 31 2B, 8 3B, 13 HR, 114 RBI

A center fielder with legitimate power, Johnny McMillan hit 10 homers last season and 12 more as a junior, totaling 28 in his three seasons at Topeka State. He has great speed and plays good defense in center, giving him a reasonable floor as a fifth outfielder. He likely fell due to some concerns about his temper, but I think we'll be able to fit him onto one of our minor league rosters. I don't expect him to get any starts, but despite being taken so late, he's one of the more interesting AI picks.

21st Round, 327th Overall: SS Owen Collins
School: Carolina Poly Cardinals
1951: .270/.326/.435, 285 PA, 6 2B, 7 HR, 43 RBI
Career (COL): .272/.333/.364, 823 PA, 20 2B, 2 3B, 15 HR, 130 RBI
Career (HS): .402/.459/.615, 342 PA, 28 2B, 9 3B, 6 HR, 52 SB

A member of the World Champion Carolina Poly Cardinals, Owen Collins was probably less thrilled with us taking him, and may instead want to join Frank Selander at Carolina Poly next season. A three year starter since he failed to sign as an 11th Round Pick in 1948, Collins' versatility is a natural draw, and he even hit 7 homers this season. Experienced everywhere but catcher, first, and pitcher, he could be the next Tip Harrison should I tender him a contract. The bat isn't very good, but he's got excellent range and plenty of speed. I'm sure injuries will take their toll, and if we need a stopgap of any kind Collins could be that.

22nd Round, 343rd Overall: C Bill Grigsby
School: Mobile Maritime Middies
1951: .279/.381/.428, 260 PA, 6 2B, 9 HR, 48 RBI
Career: .271/.373/.375, 715 PA, 18 2B, 15 HR, 112 RBI

Three of the last four picks were catchers, and there's no way all three of them sign. There's even the chance none sign, but Grigsby has the advantage of being first. His work ethic will work in his favor as well, but there's not much to like about his bat. He did hit 9 homers, but a lot of college guys saw their power numbers increase, and he had just 6 the first three seasons.

23rd Round, 359th Overall: 3B Jim Carr
School: Joliet Wolves
Commit School: Weston
1951: .457/.505/.598, 105 PA, 8 2B, 3B, HR, 27 RBI
Career: .425/.480/.586, 285 PA, 26 2B, 3B, 6 HR, 82 RBI

The last non-catcher selected, Jim Carr is somewhat of a local kid, as he's from nearby Hammond, Indiana and went to school in Joliet. The home run power was gone for Carr senior year, but he hit a career best .457 with highs in OBP and WAR (1.5) before his selection. A smart kid who spent time at first and right as well as the hot corner, he got in to Weston for academic purposes and will likely be more successful in a traditional role then as a baseball player. He could be nice organization depth, but I don't envision wanting to cut someone for him.

24th Round, 375th Overall: C Duane Price
School: Georgia Baptist Gators
1951: .280/.331/.417, 218 PA, 6 2B, 8 HR, 41 RBI
Career: .266/.324/.364, 731 PA, 20 2B, 15 HR, 104 RBI

A three year starter at Georgia Baptist, Duane Price hit .266 with 15 homers and 104 RBIs. He's a decent defender with a decent eye, but he doesn't make enough contact to be a useful hitter. There's also not much power, and I can't see him hitting more then 10 in a season. I envision him returning for his senior season.

25th Round, 391st Overall: C Bill Woods
School: Lick-Wilmerding Tigers
Commit School: CC Los Angeles
1951: .457/.505/.598, 105 PA, 8 2B, 3B, HR, 27 RBI
Career: .425/.480/.586, 285 PA, 26 2B, 3B, 6 HR, 82 RBI

The most interesting thing about Bill Woods is that he went to a school with the absurd name Lick-Wilmerding Tigers. A four year starter at the uniquely named high school, Woods his a weight lifter who happens to play baseball, and the strength he adds doesn't lead to home runs. He never hit higher then the .417/.483/.621 from his freshman year, managing just 7 homers in 94 games. Expect him to be taken earlier in three seasons when he's eligible again.

ayaghmour2 · 06-26-2024, 07:04 PM

Weekly Record: 4-2
Seasonal Record: 36-39 (5th, 17 GB)
Stars of the Week
Red Bond : 18 AB, 8 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .444 AVG, 1.085 OPS
Pete Papenfus : 1 Win, 9.0 IP, 3 BB, 4 K, 0.00 ERA
John Moss : 17 AB, 6 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .353 AVG, 1.071 OPS

Schedule
6-26: Loss at Saints (2-3)
6-27: Loss at Saints (0-3)
6-28: Win at Saints (7-6)
6-29: Win vs Stars (0-4)
6-30: Win vs Stars (4-6)
7-1: Win vs Stars (0-3)

Recap
Well do you believe that? We actually swept a team!

We still lost half a game on the Sailors, as the Saints took the low scoring games 1 and 2, and then we got the high scoring finale before the Stars sweep. Two guys made big statements for their All-Star candidacies, as Red Bond continued his excellent season. The veteran first basemen went 8-for-18 with his 17th home run of the season. I can't see a way he's not elected the starter at first base, as the 38-year-old has hit .338/.417/.606 (167 OPS+) with 7 doubles and 45 RBIs. It would be just his fourth selection, and second as a Cougar. Peter the Heater stayed hot too, throwing a 6-hit shutout with 3 walks and 4 strikeouts. He'll still pitch before the great, but today's the last chance to vote. He "finishes" 6-5 with a 3.04 ERA (139 ERA+), 1.20 WHIP, and 69 strikeouts, which might not be good enough for a fifth star.

One guy who deserves to join Red there is Duke Bybee, who split his starts for the week. Bybee still pitched well in Montreal, going 7.2 innings with 8 hits, 3 runs, 4 walks, and 3 strikeouts. But when at home against a slugging Stars offense, he threw 8 scoreless innings with 6 hits, a walk, and 6 strikeouts. This improved him to 8-4 with a 2.64 ERA (160 ERA+), 1.07 WHIP, 50 strikeouts, and a 1.8 K/BB. His WHIP is almost ten points lower then the next smallest in the CA, and he leads in BB/9 (2.2), rWAR (4.3), and quality starts (13). He's top five in plenty of other useful stats, and is again pitching like the dominant pitcher he was when he first came up.

Though the biggest news of the week is the recalling of the recently turned 24-year-old Elmer Grace. The 82nd ranked prospect has been ready for a while, and his 57 games with the Blues to start the season showed exactly why. The CWL standout hit .290/.400/.435 (139 OPS+) with 12 doubles, 3 triples, 4 homers, 27 RBIs, 32 runs, and 39 walks. The switch hitter will now get a chance to play regularly in the majors, just not at his traditional shortstop. That's always going to be Skipper, so Grace will move to second, shifting George Sutterfield over to third. The odd man out is the struggling Hal Wood, who hit just .235/.332/.296 (67 OPS+) in 226 trips to the plate. It's nothing like the player he was last year, as age (or the upgrade) hit him down hard. He's been DFA'd, though I can't see anyone claiming him. I may have to release him, as I already tried optioning our former 1st Round pick instead of DFA'ing. It would be a sad end to a solid 11 year career, as Wood has appeared in 1,341 games. He hit .294/.364/.388 (112 OPS+), adding 234 doubles, 548 runs, 474 walks, and 553 RBIs.

Looking Ahead
As we enter the break we alternate between road and home, starting with two in Brooklyn with the Kings. The Kings are in third despite being an even 37-37, and have recently announced they would take offers on Bob Arman (6-6, 4.82, 55). He's one of the many Kings who has struggled, as Ron Berry (4-6, 5.80, 55) and Leo Hayden (4-7, 5.79, 40) have been even worse. Even Ralph Johnson (.288, 12, 39) hasn't been himself, so it's surprising the Kings are just a sweep away from being over .500. Johnson has still helped the lineup, but Chuck Collins (.303, 13, 46) leads the team in homers and Charlie Rogers (.362, 3, 37, 13) actually leads the team with a 144 WRC+. Him and Collins are both over 140, and they've gotten great production from Fred Miller (.319, 6, 43, 7). They did just lose new third basemen Marion Boismenu (.318, 1, 14, 3) for what may be the the season with a broken hand. They have plenty of replacement options, but I hope former Cougar draftee Tom Brownleaf (.200, 1) is the one who gets the call up. I expect Ken Newman (.273, 5, 40) to go back to third, giving Chuck Lewis (.264, 8, 38) a new double play partner. The key to success will be scoring runs, but Berry has done well against us and Arman is still a quality pitcher.

The next stop is home against the Saints, where we'll host a double header before the finale on the 5th. Two games in three days is always tough, and at 37-38 the Saints are the team between us and the Kings. They can changed things with the double header, but I expect to see the front three of Pat Weakly (6-5, 4.08, 59), Wally Doyle (8-4, 3.63, 64), and Pete Ford (5-4, 3.08, 38). Lucky for us, they don't hit many home runs, as just catcher Jess Garman (.225, 10, 36) has double digits. Maurice Carter (.237, 5, 25) has struggled through his worst season, as has Gordie Perkins (.229, 2, 20, 5), which has made it impossible for them to stay in the pennant race. When your best two players aren't performing, you're not going to win many games. They have a performing supporting cast of Joe Austin (.270, 5, 29, 10), Otis O'Keefe (.310, 5, 36, 4), and Luke Weaver (.267, 8, 49, 3), but without the stars there is only so much they can do. I like the matchup for our staff here, and if we can keep them in the park, we should win the series.

We then end the first half of the season with three in New York, though for the first time since he stole a championship from us, we won't see Mack Sutton (.294, 18, 51), who was traded in a 1-for-1 swap with 39th ranked prospect Hub Armstrong. A former 6th Round Pick from Chicago, Hub was 5-5 with a 3.20 ERA (121 ERA+) and 42 strikeouts in 84.1 innings pitched with the Dynamos' AAA affiliate. The Stars rotation is in need of an upgrade, and they could put the 22-year-old right into the rotation. I'm not sure he's ready yet, but he's got a lot of upside, and could be a solid #2 in the rotation. They already have a future #1 in Paul Anderson (3-1, 1, 3.34, 24), who recently replaced Bob Allen as the #1 pitching prospect. He actually faced us last week, but we tagged him for 6 runs on just 3 hits and 4 walks in his first career start. He came an out away from a complete game, striking out 6 before he collapsed for a five run ninth. A pinch-hit Don Lee (.298, 3, 12) walk-off grand-slam spoiled Anderson's night, and I bet he hopes to avoid us this time around. If we see Ed Cornett (6-8, 4.01, 33), it may be the last time, as he's been directly shopped as the Stars look to retool. With all the young talent like Anderson and former #1 prospect Ralph Hanson (.328, 3, 22, 11) either on the big league club or in AAA, they're ready to start the next chapter as Bill Barrett (.271, 16, 56) continues in his 30s.

Minor League Report
LF Clyde Parker (AAA Milwaukee Blues): Clyde Parker didn't let the demotion or two weeks off of baseball get him down, as the 24-year-old returned to the Century League with a Player of the Week. Parker went 12-for-29 with 2 doubles, 3 homers, and 6 runs scored and driven in, now hitting .316/.378/.443 (135 OPS+) on the year. He has an excellent 146 WRC+ with 5 doubles, 2 triples, 6 homers, and 24 RBIs in 238 trips to the plate. I'd like to see him keep doubling like he did this week since I know there won't be many more three home run weeks. He's show he can hit minor league pitching, and even though he didn't get a chance in his first callup, I expect a second one where he should finally get that first at bat he's been waiting so long for.

CF Jerry Smith (AA Little Rock Governors): It's no surprise a Governor took home Batter of the Month for July in the Dixie League, as our #1 prospect Jerry Smith was the Governor who took home the award. Currently ranked 6th, Smith slashed .301/.472/.656 (192 OPS+) with 6 doubles, 3 triples, 7 homers, 4 steals, 21 RBIs, 28 runs, and 31 walks. He's been so good all season that his .320/.429/.649 (178 OPS+) line is just as impressive, and the former 5th pick has added 20 doubles, 8 triples, 13 homers, 8 steals, 44 walks, 49 RBIs, and 64 runs. Already worth 4.4 WAR in 60 games, Smith has been outstanding for Little Rock, and he should follow Frank Reece up to Milwaukee shortly. I want Reece to get a little time in center on his own, and decide just exactly how I want to make room for Smith in AAA. It's only a matter of time before he's in Chicago, and part of me wants to completely tear down to usher in this new wave of talent.

Class B San Jose Cougars: The Cougars swept the awards in the C-O-W League, as Phil Boyes took home the Batter of the Month and Mack Lyons the Pitcher of the Month. Boyes, 23, is currently waiting for a promotion to Lincoln, and has hit .310/.416/.498 (147 OPS+) with 16 doubles, 6 triples, 5 homers, and 39 RBIs. In June the line was an impressive .354/.459/.566 (177 OPS+) with 6 doubles, 3 triples, 3 homers, and 28 of his 39 RBIs. Mack was a perfect 5-0, working to an identical 1.06 ERA and WHIP. He did walk 20 in his 5 starts, but the younger Lyons struck out 34 -- good for a 19.7 K%. On the season he's 7-3 with a 1.77 ERA (215 ERA+), 2.77 FIP (72 FIP-), and 1.28 WHIP, striking out 65 in 86.2 innings pitched.

06-10-2024, 01:38 PM	#1441
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,727	Opening Day! It's here once again! The beginning of a new season! Which means it's time for Cougars baseball!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Will we win more games then we lose? Is there a pennant on the horizon? Are we going to finally play up to our standards? Will this be the year the team officially drives me crazy??? As they say in my favorite television series Hollywoo Stars and Celebrities: What Do They Know? Do They Know Things?? Let's find out!!!!!!!!! On paper, this team is better then the rest of the Continental Association, but that was the case last season too. This year our players are ranked even higher, with only Eddie Howard not ranking in the top 6 in his respective position. Led by the top rotation and pen, we also have the second best farm system, meaning that not only should we perform well in the big league level, but if something bad happens, we have the ammunitions to make a major addition. Led by a pair of top 10 prospects in Jerry Smith (5th) and Bob Allen (7th), we have 167 points, which isn't too close to the Minutemen (213) and their quartet of top 15 prospects. Despite that, we have more top 100 prospects then them, with 10% of that group. The depth is there too, with 24 in the top 250 and 47 of the top 500. This may also be the first team where we're the only team with more then 40 top 500 prospects, which is less about our system being super deep, and more about the rest of the league having deeper systems. There are usually a handful of teams with less then 20 and more with less then 30, but everyone has at least 20 while most are in the the 30-39 range. Enough about prospects though, let's see those 24 Cougars who are representing the Windy City in 1951: LHP Duke Bybee RHP Donnie Jones LHP Johnnie Jones RHP Charlie Kelsey LHP Jim Kenny RHP David Molina LHP Jim Morrison RHP Pete Papenfus LHP Buzz Turner C Eddie Howard C Harry Mead 1B Red Bond 2B Billy Hunter 2B George Sutterfield 3B Otto Christian 3B Al Clement 3B Hal Wood SS Skipper Schneider LF Chubby Hall LF Leo Mitchell CF Don Lee CF John Moss RF Jimmy Hairston RF Sal Pestilli Buzz Turner ended up with the final pen spot, beating out Joe Quade (DFA) and Dizzy Danforth (returned to Cincy), while I sided with the Cougar draftees in Al Clement and Otto Christian for the bench. Frank Davis wouldn't accept optional assignment, so he's DFA'd, though Clement may not last long on the roster if my claim of a player that shouldn't have been waived goes through. I think Quade should clear, giving us an extra arm in Milwaukee, but I'd love for Davis to be claimed to save me the cash of cutting him. Even if it's something we can easily afford. The preseason predictions, as always, are quite fond of the Cougs, claiming we'll edge out the Foresters by two games. They think we'll pick up 88 wins, led by the pitching of Donnie Jones (16-14, 3.27, 124), Johnnie Jones (13-10, 3.27, 94), and Pete Papenfus (15-10, 3.74, 150), which is our best chance of success. They have us as the only staff to allow fewer then 600 runs, while our 630 runs scored would be fewer then everyone but Toronto (595) and Washington (611). What ever happened to the offense!?!?!? They're first test will be at home, where Donnie, Pap, and Johnnie will take on the New York Stars. The finale will be quite special, where we honor new Hall-of-Famer Gil Hice, and hopefully pull off a sweep. The Stars can change their rotation, but right now Ed Cornett (11-10, 3.62, 75) is scheduled for Opening Day, followed by Vern Hubbard (12-12, 4.62, 73) and Eli Panneton (17-14, 3.88, 104). As always, the staff doesn't matter too much, as stopping the super slugging quartet of Jack Welch (.267, 29, 85), Mack Sutton (.251, 30, 106), Bill Barrett (.316, 20, 94), and Bill Barnett (.281, 33, 93) is almost impossible, especially in Chicago, and if he plays well I may regret sending them Charlie Woodbury (.320, 6, 32) who is expected to start at the keystone. I'm also curious if this is the year former #2 pick Ralph Hanson (.331, 16, 4) plays everyday, though he's done great in a utility role and Paul Watson (.257, 5, 75) held his own in year one as an everyday shortstop. We need to get off on the right foot here, as home wins are essential, but the Stars play us better here then the Big Apple, and I'm afraid we'll start below .500. We'll quickly head on the road, where the Montreal Saints will host us for three in their home opener. Lucky for us, they have a double header on Thursday, so we'll get a rested Ted Coffin (0-1, 6.39, 5), who I'm psyched to see made the team, followed by the potentially short rested Bert Cupid (13-16, 3.90, 125) and Pat Weakly (12-8, 2.81, 86). Granted, they could give Pete Ford (10-14, 3.59, 85) a spot start, which could also work in our favor. I mean Morrison and Bybee are basically #2s, so getting those against fives or short rested 2s works well, leaving us to focus most on keeping the Saints off the basepaths. Especially with Joe Austin (.234, 6, 44, 29), who can quickly start a rally with his wheels. He'll have Gordie Perkins (.284, 8, 56), Otis O'Keefe (.284, 15, 83), and Maurice Carter (.267, 24, 86) ready to drive him in, giving the Saints an excellent front four in terms of run production. Funny enough, this is the same start to our season as last year, except the locations are reversed, so I fully expect another 3-3 start. I'm worried there will be a lot of those this year (and 4-3; 3-4), which might be better then the crazy weekly streaks we dealt with last season, but I'm somewhat worried that we're going to be painfully mediocre. But then again, what do I know? How many times have I said we're winning the pennant just to finish anywhere other then first... Attached Images __________________ Check out my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of the FABL!: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...12#post4571312

06-10-2024, 07:37 PM	#1442
StLee Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: NC Posts: 4,577	Hopefully, the results match the predictions this season! __________________ Fan of LSU sports (especially baseball and football), New Orleans Saints, New Orleans Pelicans, and Atlanta Braves (Dale Murphy for the HOF!). Current dynasties: Fallout 4's Commonwealth Baseball Organization Completed dynasty: Fallout: New Vegas' Mojave Baseball League Uniforms: My custom uniforms

06-11-2024, 04:51 PM	#1444
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,727	Week 1: April 16th-April 22nd Weekly Record: 4-2 Seasonal Record: 4-2 (1st, 0.5 GA) Stars of the Week Sal Pestilli : 22 AB, 7 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .318 AVG, .990 OPS Leo Mitchell : 20 AB, 7 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .350 AVG, .759 OPS Johnnie Jones : 1 Win, 8.0 IP, 4 BB, 5 K, 0.00 ERA Schedule 4-17: Win vs Stars (1-3) 4-18: Win vs Stars (1-3) 4-19: Win vs Stars (3-7) 4-20: Loss at Saints (1-5) 4-21: Win at Saints (6-1) 4-22: Loss at Saints (3-4): 10 innings Recap Hey, would you look at that! The Cougars are in first place! Now can we stay there, please??? As you'd might expect, the pitching was elite, as only Jim Morrison (6 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, K) allowed more then two runs in his start, and we held a very good Stars offense to just five runs at Cougars Stadium. We swept them out of town, the best way to honor new Hall-of-Famer Gil Hice, though the Saints managed to take the series in Montreal with a walk-off in the 10th despite us breaking the 2-2 tie first. Though the biggest surprise of the week has to be Leo Mitchell, who leads all FABL players with 3 steals in the opening week. Yes, the 37-year-old lumbering veteran who entered the season with 54 steals in 1,943 games is out-stealing every other FABL player in this extremely small sample size. I have no clue if this will continue, but he's always been an excellent base runner, and our veteran star is off to a 7-for-20 starts with a run, 2 RBIs, and 2 walks. One of our other stars, Sal Pestilli, homered in his 5th game of the season, and was easily our most productive hitter in a week we didn't really do much scoring. Sal went 7-for-22, adding a double, 3 RBIs, 4 runs, 5 walks, and a steal of his own. The only other bat with an above average week was Hal Wood, who went 6-for-18 with a double, 2 runs, 3 walks, and 3 RBIs. We're going to need way more offense if we want to stand a chance, but it is somewhat encouraging that while still below average, John Moss has a 91 WRC+. I'd love for him to return to the ~110 hitter he was in Brooklyn, but even in the 90s he'll be effective with his outstanding defensive capabilities. Obviously the pitching was great, and I already touched on Johnnie's outing, while brother Donnie was just as good. He picked up the win on Opening Day, going 8 with 5 hits, a run, and a walk with 7 strikeouts before David Molina threw a scoreless ninth. The lack of offense cost him on Sunday, as the vet pitched well enough to win, 8 innings with 7 hits, 2 runs, 3 walks, and 4 strikeouts. Again, Molina threw a scoreless ninth, but he couldn't get an out in the 10th, allowing the Saints to put up two after we scored in the bottom of the 10th. It was his first blemish, as our stopper also shut down the Stars for Pap, following up his 8 innings of 6 hit, 1 run, 5 walk, and 8 strikeout ball with a scoreless ninth. Duke Bybee didn't need any help in his start, as the 28-year-old southpaw picked up our first complete game victory of the season. He was great in the 6-1 win over the Saints, allowing just 6 hits and a run with no walks and 4 strikeouts. The last three guys on the staff each pitched an inning, with a nice debut for Buzz Turner. He threw a bunch of pitches and allowed a walk, but he struck out his first ever batter, Luke Weaver, swinging to start the eighth. Looking Ahead The question now is can we stay in first, as we start with three against the Kings. I doubt George Oddo (5-11, 5.05, 70) will start in the series, as the Stars bashed him for three homers on the 20th, and they recently picked up Roy Schaub (7-10, 3.81, 58) from the Dynamos in a 1-for-1 swap that sent Pat Petty (.277, 12, 81) to Detroit. This allowed Brooklyn to keep both Chuck Collins (.230, 8, 32) and initial Player of the Week Fred Miller (.247, 6, 47) in the lineup, both of which who homered in strong opening weeks despite Brooklyn's 3-4 record. The Cougar draftees let them down, as along with Oddo, ace Ron Berry (20-11, 3.12, 149) and Leo Hayden (13-13, 4.25, 109) have not been sharp. I'm expecting some order of Schaub, Hayden, and Bob Arman (17-13, 4.19, 155), luckily avoiding Berry, who absolutely dominated us last season, and Joe Potts (12-11, 3.42, 96), who has quietly become a top pitcher in the league. Those two would be tough for our potentially awful lineup to best, and when you have to keep the always dangerous Ralph Johnson (.320, 19, 89) from causing damage, you already have your hands full. I think this Kings team might be the best in the CA in what will be their last season in Brooklyn, and this will be a tough test for us at home. Following that the Stars will look for some revenge, as they host us for a quick two game series at Dyckman Stadium. The Stars actually swept the Kings after getting swept by us, including a 3-2 win where former Cougar draftee Bill Chapman (1-2, 2.30, 3) threw a complete game victory in his first big league start. The former 3rd Rounder did debut last season, making 12 appearances out of the pen, and he beat out fellow southpaw Richie Hughes (9-13, 4.21, 90) for the fifth spot in the rotation. He's scheduled to start the series, followed by Ed Cornett (11-10, 3.62, 75) who allowed three runs in both his loss to us, and his win against the King. The pitching isn't what worries me, its always the hitting, and they have 12 homers with Charlie Woodbury (.320, 6, 32), Jack Welch (.267, 29, 85), Mack Sutton (.251, 30, 106), Bill Barrett (.316, 20, 94), and Bill Barnett (.281, 33, 93) -- their two through six -- all already with two or more longballs. As a team we have just three, as aside from Sal (.261, 6, 44), Eddie Howard (.287, 1, 57), who had one all of last year, and Jimmy Hairston (.200), who got his as a pinch hitter, each have one so far. But guess what?!?!?! Leo Mitchell has more steals then their entire team combined!!! Take that!!! I'm hoping we'll also take this series, but with their ability to hit homers, and some of our guy's propensity to allow them, I'm always nervous when we have to face that deadly lineup. The week then finishes with the first two of three with the Saints back in Chicago. They play the Stars before us, before two with the Kings, and are 3-4 after the Kings took three of four from them in Brooklyn. Montreal is second in scoring, but second to last in runs allowed, so they're actually sporting a -4 run differential. One of the few pitchers who did well was rookie Ted Coffin (0-1, 6.39, 5), who allowed just 2 hits, a run, and 3 walks with 4 strikeouts in an 8 inning win over us on 4/20. He's expected to pitch Monday, while we'll see Wally Reif (16-14, 3.12, 104) and Doyle (10-13, 3.98, 135) assuming no rotation alterations. Both have home run issues, which should help us in Chicago, hopefully sparking an offense in need of a jolt. They do most of their scoring with small ball, aside from the slugger Maurice Carter (.267, 24, 86), so if we can limit the mistake pitches, I think we'll be able to flip the script back home. __________________ Check out my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of the FABL!: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...12#post4571312

06-11-2024, 08:12 PM	#1445
StLee Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: NC Posts: 4,577	WTG, Cougars! Keep up the great work! __________________ Fan of LSU sports (especially baseball and football), New Orleans Saints, New Orleans Pelicans, and Atlanta Braves (Dale Murphy for the HOF!). Current dynasties: Fallout 4's Commonwealth Baseball Organization Completed dynasty: Fallout: New Vegas' Mojave Baseball League Uniforms: My custom uniforms

06-12-2024, 05:10 PM	#1446
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,727	Week 2: April 23rd-April 29th Weekly Record: 4-3 Seasonal Record: 8-5 (2nd, 0.5 GB) Stars of the Week Skipper Schneider : 25 AB, 11 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .440 AVG, 1.222 OPS Red Bond : 10 AB, 5 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .500 AVG, 1.543 OPS Sal Pestilli : 27 AB, 8 H, 2 HR, 3 RBI, .296 AVG, .937 OPS Schedule 4-23: Win vs Kings (3-9) 4-24: Loss vs Kings (12-7) 4-25: Win vs Kings (1-5) 4-26: Loss at Stars (5-9) 4-27: Win at Stars (9-3) 4-28: Loss vs Saints (5-2) 4-29: Win vs Saints (4-5): 10 innings Recap Sure, we're no longer in first place, but there were tons of exciting signs from week two. And no, I'm not just talking about two more Leo Mitchell steals to match his season total from last year, but we took the series with the Kings, split with the Stars in New York, and after reversing the script and pulling off a one-run walk-off win against the Saints in the 10th to finish the week, we are now able to win that series with Jim Morrison (1-1, 2.57, 4) set to take on Ted Coffin (1-0, 2.51, 7). Morrison greatly improved this week, an unearned run was the lone blemish in 8 innings of 6 hit, 1 walk, 3 strikeout play, while Sal Pestilli launched two out of the park and the offense actually started scoring runs. Heck, John Moss went 7-for-23 with 7 runs and is now hitting .292/.382/.417 (113 OPS+) with 7 walks, one of each extra base hit, and a 126 WRC+ Vindication!!!!!!! Overall, the pitching was good, but both Donnie Jones and David Molina blew up. Jones got hit hard by the Stars, as the "Extreme Groundball" pitcher allowed three homers in 5.1 innings, finishing with 11 hits, 7 runs, 2 walks, and just 1 strikeout. Molina was awful in the 12-2 loss to the Kings, allowing 2 homers of his own off 3 hits, 2 walks, and 6 runs (5 earned), recording just one out. He then allowed 3 hits, 2 runs (another homer...), and a walk with 2 strikeouts in 2.2 innings. Another extreme groundballer with three homers! Thankfully he fixed things in the 5-4 extra inning win, tossing 2 scoreless innings, but his 10.12 ERA (41 ERA+), 10.15 FIP (241 FIP-), 2.25 WHIP, and 0.2 K/BB are just awful. I'm not sure what happened here, but maybe that means he's not going to allow a run for the next 15 innings??? Please???? Otherwise errors seemed to do in our guys, as Pap and Johnnie had 4 and 6 unearned runs respectively, as for a team with the best defensive efficiency (.736) and third best zone rating (+10.4), our 16 errors are tied for worst in the league. The errors cost Johnnie one of his starts, while Pap won and loss despite of the errors, as our 2 and 3 have ERAs of 1.80 (231 ERA+) and 1.64 (254 ERA+) that don't even add up to Donnie's inflated 4.22 ERA (98 ERA+). That measure is remarkably almost average, while the other four members of the rotation have an ERA+ of 162 or higher. Love this staff! The offense had a major power surge, as not only did Sal hit two homers, and go for 8-for-27 with 2 doubles, 3 RBIs, 8 runs, 2 walks, and 3 steals, but Chubby Hall hit two out of the park too. With a lot of lefties he played a bunch, going 5-for-17 with a triple, 2 homers, 9 RBIs, 4 runs, and 3 walks. Red Bond hit one out too, as did John Moss, with Bond an even 5-for-10 with 4 walks, 4 RBIs, and 3 runs while Moss was 7-for-23 with a double, 4 RBIs, 5 walks, and 7 runs. The last homer went to Skipper Schneider, who had an excellent 11-for-25 week with a double, 2 triples, 5 RBIs, 8 runs, and 3 steals. We're stealing a ton this season, leading the CA with 13, and it's not just because we're stealing every chance we get. Sure, it's more then the other seven teams, but our 76.5 SB% is just over a point shy of the association leader, meaning we're picking our times well. Aside from Sal, and George Sutterfield who hasn't attempted a steal yet, we don't really have any fleet-footed base stealers, so I'm curious to see if this trend holds. Last notes are on waivers, as all three of our guys cleared. I was really hoping we'd get Marion Boismenu, who the Sailors surprisingly waived, but him and Ed Reyes will instead continue their careers in Toronto. Winners of the last six batting titles, the Sailors decided to part way with the vets in favor of some younger bench players, though it hasn't stopped them from going 8-4. Among our players, I knew Bill Ballantine would clear, but I'm very happy Joe Quade cleared. He's not overly talented, but he's an excellent depth option to eat innings, and he'll hang out in the minors. His innings may come out of the pen, though for now he's starting in Milwaukee, as we have a lot of younger guys that need the innings more. he's the perfect guy if a starter goes down for a short period and I don't want to burn an option, though we may see AA starters Dixie Gaines and Bob Allen at some point if someone goes down for longer. Allen could spot start, though I'd prefer not bouncing him around. Unfortunately I did have to cut Frank Davis, though I hope he'll come back on a minor league deal. Looking Ahead One more with the Saints, who sit half a game behind us and a game behind the first place Sailors. The rubber match will see veteran southpaw Jim Morrison (1-1, 2.57, 4) take on rookie southpaw Ted Coffin (1-0, 2.51, 7) in what could be an exciting battle at Cougars Park. Montreal is now tied for 2nd in runs scored (69) despite the worst batting average (.230) in the association, and we'll face the starter with the best ERA on the third worst staff in terms of runs allowed (63). The pen has helped, as stopper Lee Richardson (2-1, 2, 1.86, 5) has done a great job late in games, so we'll have to get to Coffin before seeing him. Early on the offense has been led by Otis O'Keefe (.320, 1, 6) and Luke Weaver (.300, 2, 10, though it's catcher Jess Garman (.206, 3, 7) who's provided the most slug. Regardless, I like our chances here, and I think after getting bested by Coffin in Montreal, our sluggers will send a few of his pitches over the fence, making the day of a few Cougar fans seated in the outfield. Our long homestand then continues with the Sailors, who are off to start the week and have the fewest losses in the association. The series can be for first, and for the first time in seemingly forever we'll face the Sailors without Reyes and Boismenu. The new third basemen is Rip Lee (.189, 2, 4), as Les Cunha (.370, 1, 6) is taking short, as Joe Scott's (.169, 1, 8, 1) move from the outfield to first allows Cotton Dillon (.282, 1, 3, 1) to return to right field. I still don't like the move, I certainly would have sent a prospect to the Sailors for Boismenu, and I think someone would have made the move for Reyes, but considering how well they're playing perhaps moving on had a positive effect on the rest of the team? Granted, I don't buy this small sample success, this isn't really a good team, but that doesn't mean they can't give us trouble. Billy Forbes (.263, 2, 4) is well on his way to becoming a star, George Rutter (.280, 1, 9) could be one too, and perhaps Cunha has regained his form from when he was a first-year starter. I'm hoping we're the ones who end their early season success. Finishing off the week is three with the Cleveland Foresters, who at 5-8 have the worst winning percentage (.385) in our association. Believe it or not, they have a slugger who has the same amount of homers as wins, as new center fielder Frenchy Sonntag (.296, 5, 11) has reached half of his home run total from last year where he appeared in 55 games as a rookie. I didn't understand the move, he entered the season as a slightly below average defensive center fielder, but somehow has a 4.5 zone rating and 1.105 efficiency in a tiny 115.1 inning sample. Full disclosure, I was fully expecting to talk about how poor his defense was, so I'm quite surprised he's been beyond elite. I thought Sherry Doyal (.377, 2, 4) was the superior fielder, and he's been great in right (1.9, 1.074), so if Sonntag's newfound range is legit, this outfield is going to be insane. That's because #4 prospect Joe Wood (.293, 2, 6) is extremely talented too, and is off to an excellent start to his young career. An outfield like that can make up for what may be a one or two man pitching staff, as I don't trust any of their SPs that aren't Adrian Czerwinski (1-2, 3.33, 13), even if Larry Beebe (0-1, 1.31, 6) could be a stud and Ducky Davis (0-1, 5.16, 9) is reliable, if unspectacular. We might have got them at the right time, as the fabled World Championship Series hangover is in full effect. Minor League Report RHP Cliff Wallace (AA Little Rock Governors): Remember how Cliff Wallace threw a bunch of shutouts last year? Well, he's back at it again! It took just one start for Cliff Wallace to throw a shutout, as he allowed just 3 hits and a walk with 5 strikeouts. Last season, Wallace had five shutouts, going an impressive 17-7 with a 2.57 ERA (155 ERA+), 1.24 WHIP, and 114 strikeouts. You might be thinking, "why wouldn't he be in AAA," but we have a ton of of arms in Milwaukee that deserve starts. That being said, Wallace isn't finishing in Little Rock, at least as long as he stays healthy, and the borderline top 500 prospect has managed to hang on to his starting role even when he wasn't ranked. Currently 47th in our system and 485th overall, he's the second to last member of ours in the top 500, as he's still working out his arsenal. The pitches are good enough to face minor leaguers, but his side armed slider only works against righties, and even then it's nowhere near as good as his change. The fastball is decent, jumped up from 88-90 to 90-92 over the offseason, as the 6'5'' righty keeps adding speed to the hard stuff. He's the guy we'd be calling on if we were a rebuilding team in need of an arm, but unfortunately his best chance to pitch as a Cougar is as a low leverage reliever. LF Harry Austin (AA Little Rock Governors): If you reach all the way back to last summer, Harry Austin has recorded a hit in 25 consecutive Dixie League games. Just four of those came this season, where he's off to a 6-for-17 start with 2 doubles, 2 runs, and 3 RBIs. That's good for a .353/.333/.471 (115 OPS+) -- yes, he has a sacrifice and no walks -- with a similar 114 WRC+. He's added 2 runs, 2 doubles, and 3 RBIs, heling the defending champs get off to a 5-0 start. What could hurt his streak is the fact that him and Roxy Hilts platoon, so there's always the chance that he loses his streak on a pinch hit opportunity. In fact, he came in as a defensive replacement on Opening Day, but since he didn't get an at bat the streak continued. I'm not going to stop the platoon in favor of the streak, I need Hilts to get reps too, but I'm really hoping former King, Keystone, and Dynamo Buck Sargent leaves him on the bench when he doesn't start. Do it for the streak! CF Phil Boyes (B San Jose Cougars): Entering the season, Phil Boyes was at risk of losing his playing time. So how would he respond? Well with a Player of the Week of course! The former 5th Rounder started his season about as good as you could, going 8-for-16 with 3 runs, 3 doubles, a triple, 2 RBIs, and 5 walks. This equates to an elite .500/.619/.812 (306 OPS+) batting line that looks like something you'd only get if you played The Show on Rookie mode. Considering he's 23 at in Class B for the fourth time, it's a little less impressive, but for a guy who hit .245/.348/.344 (84 OPS+) last year even this tiny sample of offense is exciting. Now the regular center fielder, Boyes will look to rebuild the value he once had as a top 200 prospects, and he's now completely outside the top 200. Dixie has soured on him as well, and he used to be a big fan, while OSA thinks his best case is as a fourth outfielder. That's probably what his future always held, as we have so many talented outfielders, and Boyes will now need to do whatever he can to hold off all the other talented youngsters we have and will continue to add. __________________ Check out my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of the FABL!: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...12#post4571312

06-14-2024, 05:56 PM	#1447
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,727	Week 3: April 30th-May 6th Weekly Record: 3-4 Seasonal Record: 11-9 (2nd, 2.5 GB) Stars of the Week Red Bond : 19 AB, 8 H, 2 HR, 4 RBI, .421 AVG, 1.237 OPS John Moss : 25 AB, 7 H, 3 HR, 6 RBI, .280 AVG, 1.007 OPS Donnie Jones : 2 Wins, 17.0 IP, 8 BB, 9 K, 1.59 ERA Schedule 4-30: Loss vs Saints (16-4) 5-1: Win vs Sailors (1-2) 5-2: Loss vs Sailors (3-0) 5-3: Loss vs Foresters (8-7) 5-4: Win vs Foresters (9-10): 10 innings 5-5: Loss vs Foresters (4-3) 5-6: Win vs Wolves (2-6) Recap This was a painful week... Sure, we were just 3-4, but all the games were at home, we got blown out by the Saints, suffered through three one-run games with the Foresters, and saw the staff get absolutely hammered (aside from Donnie who was the one getting hammered) as we dropped to 2.5 games out of first since we were the only team to not lose a series to the Sailors this week. And it was just a split. On the plus side, John Moss may be back, as the veteran center fielder has already matched his 1950 home run total after hitting three out of the park this week. Moss has 4 in 13 games, and finished his week 7-for-25 with 4 walks, 6 runs, and 6 RBIs. He now has a 135 WRC+ and 3.1 zone rating (1.034 eff) on the season, hitting 6 extra base hits, scoring 15 runs, and drawing 11 walks in 85 trips to the plate. After such an awful debut season, it's nice to see Moss off to such a great start, as I don't think he had a stretch like this at any point last year. He was one of six Cougars this week to hit a home run, though no one matched his three. Red Bond had two, with the better overall week, 8-for-19 with 4 runs, 4 RBIs, and 3 walks. He's been red hot to start the season, with a perfect 3-for-3 against the Wolves upping his season line to .375/.483/.604 (181 OPS+) with 3 homers, 10 RBIs, and 10 walks. Moss' backup Don Lee had a pair of homers, going 3-for-7 with a trio of RBIs in a start and three appearances off the bench. Otto Christian and Billy Hunter both hit homers, starting two games a piece on the week, while George Sutterfield hit one in his first good week of the year. Sutterfield finished 8-for-22 with a triple, 2 runs, 2 walks, and 2 RBIs. Leo Mitchell didn't have a good week, just 4-for-22 with a triple, but that didn't stop him from adding two more steals to his FABL leading seven. He's now surpassed his five from last season, and is on pace to swipe 54 bases -- the same amount he swiped in the first 8,074 plate appearances he took as a Cougar. He seems destined to shatter his record of 9 stolen bases, and that came in 1938 when he was just 9-for-14. He has been caught just once, as Cougars hold the top three spots in the CA. Both Skipper and Sal have stolen five bases, with Skipper getting two and Sal one in weeks they struggled at the plate. It's no surprise Sal is stealing a ton of base, but seeing him tied with Skipper and behind Mitchell is rather funny, but it's been a blast having a team that is so lethal on the bases. Seven teams have seven or less steals on the year, while the only other CA team with double digit steals is the 11 the first place Sailors have recorded. I also might have overstated how poor our pitching was, we still rank 1st in a bunch of those categories like starter's ERA and strikeouts, but that's because there were some bad outings and our pen has been brutal. Charlie Kelsey is making me wish I DFA'd him, as he couldn't get an out, allowing 5 runs on 4 hits and a walk. To be fair, the other three relievers gave up runs too, with David Molina allowing 9 off 10 hits and 5 walks in 5.1 innings. I don't know what's wrong with him, as his 2.48 WHIP looks like his ERA and his 12.15 ERA looks like someone was beating in the Rockies pitching at Coors on Rookie difficulty. He's on pace for 100 walks due to an elevated 17.6 BB%, and I'm afraid the conversion absolutely destroyed him. That's made worse considering Amos Peterson is now a top 20 prospect, but I just don't know what happened. Crazy thing is, he still ranks 3rd among relievers, down from 1st when the year started, so I guess it's bad luck? Is he about to bless us with 50 shutout innings as we win a pennant? Please!!! Buzz Turner was the "best" reliever, as he allowed just 2 runs in 2 innings, allowing a pair of hits with a walk and strikeout. And despite picking up a win, Jim Kenny was roughed up too, with 7 hits, 5 runs (4 earned), 3 walks and 4 strikeouts in his 3 innings. Somehow the relievers allowed 21 runs to the rotation's 22, and I'm sure you can guess who had more innings... Donnie Jones was brilliant, even if he walked too many guys, as he beat both the Sailors and Wolves. He went all nine against Philly, finishing with 6 hits, a run, 3 walks, and 2 strikeouts. He then went 8 against the Wolves, charged with 4 hits, 2 runs, and 5 walks, but the vet sent 7 down on strikes to improve to 3-1. Believe it or not, his 3.05 ERA (143 ERA+) is worst on the staff, as the other four starters rank 3rd through 6th in the CA. His brother Johnnie leads the team, even after allowing 8 hits, 5 runs (4 earned), and 7 walks with 5 strikeouts in a no-decision. Duke Bybee continued his great start, despite getting the loss, as he went 8 with 6 hits, 3 runs, a walk, and 4 strikeouts. Two homers did him in, he's already allowed 5 in 24.2 innings, but his 0.93 WHIP and 2.8 K/BB are excellent. Jim Morrison had a good start and a bad start, and if he could have just finished the good one, we would have came out victorious. He came an out away from a complete game, allowing just 2 hits, a run, and 2 walks with 2 strikeouts. Unfortunately Molina allowed the inherited run (Eddie Morris' eight pitch walk) and three more to score, and we went down without a whimper in the 9th. Morison has done well for us, most importantly allowing just one homer in 28.2 innings, and so far he's made me quite glad I decided to keep him for 1951. Looking Ahead We have our first chance for a sweep, as if we can beat the Wolves to start the week, we'll pick up a nice two game sweep. I'm really hoping they go with old friend Frank Sartori (0-2, 5.59, 8), who they took from us in the Rule-5 draft. The thing is, George Garrison (0-3, 3.00, 9) is also fully rested, but he's pitched more recently then Sartori. Regardless, they'll have to outduel the most overqualified fifth starter in existence, Duke Bybee (2-1, 2.55, 14), who should have no trouble with an offense that ranks bottom two in pretty much everything. It's let down an offense that's actually allowed less runs then us, though that's more because of the pen then the starters. Initially I would have been worried about Marion Boismenu, who the Wolves traded to Brooklyn for a pair of prospects including former Cougar 2nd Rounder Carl Clark, but now the only guy I'm really worried about is Kirby Copeland (.375, 1, 9, 2). He's done a good job carrying the load, as Fred McCormick (.231, 1, 8) looks 41, but at least Hank Giordano (.317, 2, 8, 2) is starting to rebuild some of his value. This really should be an easy win, we've gotten good at beating the Wolves, but you can never underestimate a FABL opponent. All you can underestimate is the Cougars' chance of winning a title! The long, sadly not-so-successful homestand then ends with three against the Cannons, who are 8-10 and tied on games back for 6th with the Wolves. The Cannons have four pitchers with an ERA above 4, with the potential Mickey Mills 2.0 Harry Thomas (2-0, 2.96, 11) the only pitcher having much success. The 26-year-old was awful in 12.2 innings out of the pen last year (7.82 ERA, 2.21 WHIP, 5 K), but his 3.76 FIP was more then half his inflated ERA. I don't buy his early success, even if the 3.44 FIP (76 FIP-) in 24.1 innings is pretty good, but the former 8th Rounder has been huge replacing the injured Jim Anderson. He's a hard thrower with a nice slider, but I think as the season goes on, his ERA and Rufus Barrell's (1-0, 4.34, 11) ERA will go in the opposite directions. Offensively the Cannons aren't scoring, 7th in the league, but that hasn't stopped Mike T. Taylor (.408, 3, 14, 3) and Chuck Adams (.356, 1, 12, 1) from tearing the cover off the ball. Unfortunately for the Cannon faithful, no one else has an average above .250, and only the disciplined Jim Hensley (.234, 1, 6), largely due to his 11-to-3 walk-to-strikeout ratio, has a WRC+ (106) above 100. This is a great matchup for us, and anything less then a series win will feel like a missed opportunity, even if we are stuck with Barrell and Thomas. Our long stretch of games then ends with three in Brooklyn before an off day to start the week. Here we'll see Boismenu, who is shifting Ken Newman (.308, 2, 8, 1) to second and Chuck Lewis (.205, 1, 10) to short. That's in part due to the injury to Billy Bryant (.286, 8), who strained his hamstring and will miss at least the next two months. Lewis did come up as a shortstop, even if he wasn't great there, but I'm hoping we can take advantage of their infield defense. The Kings score a ton of runs, making up for all their pitchers having an ERA of 4 or higher, as each of their top six hitters are hitting above .300. Leadoff man Charlie Rogers (.416, 2, 20, 3) and his 188 WRC+ lead the way, while Ralph Johnson (.330, 6, 20, 1) and Chuck Collins (.347, 4, 14) have WRC+ above 150. It's still early, but I'm happy the Kings stuck with the 25-year-old Collins, who's been one of the best hitters early on. I don't think we have a chance of slowing down their bats, so the key will be piling on runs for whoever they send out. We're still middle of the pack in runs, but we are top four in all but three offensive categories. Sure, one is runs (97), where we're fifth, but aside from the struggling Hal Wood (.222, 6), we've hit pretty well as a team. Let's see if we can keep it up! Minor League Report LF Clyde Parker (AAA Milwaukee Blues): It was an excellent week for young outfielder Clyde Parker, who took home Century League Player of the Week as he helped the Blues get within half a game of first. The red-hot Parker was an even 12-for-24 with 8 runs, a double, a homer, 7 RBIs, and 3 walks, increasing his lofty triple slash to .381/.429/.508 (182 OPS+) in 16 games. His WRC+ is a point away from being twice as good as the average hitter, as he's picked up 2 doubles, 2 homers, 10 RBIs, and 6 walks. The 24-year-old has dropped a bit in the prospect rankings, as the former top-100 spec is at 26th in the system and 258th overall, but both Dixie and OSA think he's a FABL quality player. The hit tool is great, as he'll be able ot hit over .300, but even as a member of the 40 he's stuck in a crowded outfield situation. It would take multiple injuries to get him in the starting lineup, though I could see him semi-platooning with Chubby Hall on the off chance iron man Leo Mitchell gets hurt stealing bases. He has another option after this year, so even at 25 he's likely in Milwaukee, but as long as he stays healthy he should be in Chicago at least for September. hopefully playing a big role off the bench in a pennant race that we finally win. RHP Marty Czyzewski (B San Jose Cougars): After going 4-3 with a 4.50 ERA (98 ERA+), 1.73 WHIP, and 0.6 K/BB ratio in 8 starts for San Jose, Marty Czyzewski was at risk of his starting spot. So like some of the other guys on the fringes, he responded in a big way. His season debut went about as well as you could expect, as the 21-year-old from Poland threw an 8-hit shutout with 3 walks and 4 strikeouts. A former 7th Rounder, he was actually demoted to La Crosse last season, and was the last starting pitcher to get a rotation spot on the four teams that started. With the injury to teammate Hal Lewis (0-2, 3.27, 8), who tore his meniscus and may miss the rest of the season, he now has a little breathing room, but with a few more starts like this he could have a more secure role on the staff. Just 21, he could have a little more in him, as he's got an interesting four pitch arsenal. A soft tosser in the mid 80s, he features a fastball and sinker, and his change may be the best pitch, but the stuff is so raw. He's going to be Rule-5 eligible, so at any point he could leave the organization. Even if he keeps pitching like this, I don't see him getting selected, as he'll have to work his way up the organizational ladder before I have to worry about that. Attached Images __________________ Check out my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of the FABL!: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...12#post4571312

06-17-2024, 03:07 PM	#1448
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,727	Week 4: May 7th-May 13th Weekly Record: 3-4 Seasonal Record: 14-13 (t-3rd, 5.5 GB) Stars of the Week Chubby Hall : 19 AB, 10 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .526 AVG, 1.151 OPS Sal Pestilli : 24 AB, 10 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .417 AVG, 1.023 OPS Otto Christian : 16 AB, 7 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .438 AVG, 1.062 OPS Schedule 5-7: Win vs Wolves (2-4) 5-8: Loss vs Cannons (4-3) 5-9: Win vs Cannons (4-6) 5-10: Loss vs Cannons (3-1) 5-11: Win at Kings (7-4) 5-12: Loss at Kings (2-3) 5-13: Loss at Kings (9-10) Recap We have already reached the point in the season where it has stopped being fun, as this absurdly frustrating team dropped three game this week by a single run, a fourth by two, and are now 5.5 games behind a team that waived two of their best players. 6 of our 13 losses are by a single run, and I'm already looking to next season as it seems like nothing will go right. Sure, I might be dramatic, as it's barely May and we have over 100 more chances to lose one run games, but I already had less confidence then normal going into this season, and there's been pretty much nothing aside from our great rotation that makes it seem like we'll end up a legitimate contender in the 1951 season. I'd love to blame the offense, but this week they actually hit well, even if the run production wasn't always there. Red Bond has stayed hot, 5-for-13 with 2 doubles, a homer, 2 RBIs, 4 runs, and a walk, now hitting .377/.472/.639 (189 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 4 homers, and 12 RBIs. It helps that he plays against righties, and this week Otto did well against the lefties. He plays some third too, going 7-for-16 with 2 doubles, 2 runs, 2 walks, and 3 RBIs, upping his season line to an above average .268/.362/.415 (103 OPS+) in 47 trips to the plate. John Moss continues his offensive rebound, 6-for-23 with a double, 2 RBIs, 4 runs, and 5 walks to go with his team leading fifth home run. Sal Pestilli hit his fourth, 10-for-24 on the week with 3 walks, 4 RBIs, and 5 runs, and with 3 steals he jumped Leo Mitchell with a CA leading 8 bags swiped. Sal has been great, slashing .303/.369/.475 (120 OPS+) in 25 games, posting a 131 WRC+ with 9 extra base hits, 11 RBIs, 11 walks, and 19 runs scored. It's nice to see him back to his old tricks, but I know it will take far more then that to put us back in contention. The pitching was fine, even if Pap got crushed (12 IP, 12 H, 9 R, 8 ER, 5 BB, 7 K) in his two starts, with another gem from Duke Bybee. In a 4-2 win over the Wolves he went 8, allowing 8 hits and 2 runs with 5 strikeouts. His second go around wasn't as sharp, walking 2 with 7 hits, 3 runs, and just one strikeout, but I'd make the case that it was good enough to win. He went 8, and probably could have gone nine had we gave him support, dropping to 3-2 despite his 2.66 ERA (161 ERA+) and 0.98 WHIP. Both Jones Brothers picked up a win despite 4 runs in 8.1 innings, though one of Donnie's runs was unearned. He allowed 5 hits and 5 walks with 8 strikeouts, while Johnnie finished with 6 hits, 3 walks, and 4 strikeouts. The duo is now 6-2 with ERAs of 3.09 (138 ERA+) and 2.82 (157 ERA+) on the season. The staff will see an adjustment, as after 6 hits, 4 runs, and a walk in 3.2 innings, Charlie Kelsey will be designated for assignment. The former 9th Rounder struggled last season, and has already allowed 11 hits, 11 runs, and 4 walks in 7.1 innings this season, with 4 pitches he's thrown finding the seats. Now 29, it's probably a move I should have made a while ago, as in 186.2 FABL innings he has a 5.11 ERA (76 ERA+) and 1.49 WHIP in 70 relief appearances. I can't see him getting claimed, so he'll be decent AAA depth, and we'll replace him with a familiar face in Ken Matson. The hard throwing 33-year-old has done well in Milwaukee, picking up 4 saves in 10 outings with a 1.04 ERA (298 ERA+) and 1.21 WHIP. He's struck out 12 and walked 6 in 17.1 innings, and hopefully he can provide some stability to what has been the worst pen in baseball by a considerable margin. Looking Ahead So obviously it's not all doom and gloom, we're still a game over .500, and I know the Sailors aren't going to be playing .730 baseball all season. We're just a half game out of second, and finally get our first off day of the season, so perhaps the Cougars are just tired and in need of a day of rest. We'll use that off day to travel to Cincinnati, where we'll face the 11-14 Cannons. They just stopped the Sailors win streak at nine, scoring more runs in the win (4) then the three previous games (3) they dropped to the association leaders. They have an off-day of their own, allowing them to do what they want with the rotation, but since they're coming off a double header I'm pretty confident we'll see Rufus Barrell (2-0, 3.65, 12) in the opener, but he's not having a very Rufus like season. The CA leader in K/BB eight times in the last ten years, he's walked 22 hitters to just 12 strikeouts. Even crazier, he walked 7 Cougars in his most recent start, but we mustered up just one run in the 3-1 loss. He's walked 18 hitters with just 4 strikeouts in his last three outings, so I'm ready for him to strike out 12 without allowing a free pass. After Barrell I'd expect the struggling Charlie Griffith (0-4, 6.95, 7) and Mickey Mills (1-3, 5.16, 17), who gave all his new found pitching talent to Harry Thomas (3-1, 2.92, 20), who just beat the Sailors for the first time in over a week. Lucky for us, even if they mostly keep us off the board, the lineup is brutal, scoring even less runs then us. That's in spite of Mike Taylor (.384, 4, 17, 4) and his 188 WRC+, as he's hit .384/.387/.712 (175 OPS+) in his 75 trips to the plate. Fred Galloway (.247, 7), Chuck Adams (.300, 2, 18, 1), and Jim Hensley (.258, 1, 7) have been decent, but they have three black holes in their lineups with WRC+ of 55 or lower. Aside from striking out, which they do the least, they're bottom four in all other offensive categories, and overall they're only top four in base running (3rd, +2.8), pitching walks (4th, 101), runs allowed (t-4th, 127), and zone rating (4th, +7.1). You think that this would be exactly what we needed to get back on track, but it's hard to score at Tice Memorial Stadium, and nothing goes better then us and not scoring! Next stop is Toronto, where we'll take on the Wolves for two. At 9-15, they're only ahead of the Stars (10-17), who have surprisingly been awful at preventing runs. Toronto is awful at scoring them, we held them to two in each of our two wins, though Joe DeMott (.315, 8, 3), Harry Finney (.262, 3, 8), and Hank Giordano (.299, 2, 13, 2) have been solid, if unspectacular. This has put a lot of pressure on Kirby Copeland (.338, 1, 10, 2), who while arguably a top right fielder, isn't the type of guy you want leading your offense. They have off days too, allowing them to shuffle their rotation how they want, but I'm pretty sure we'll face George Garrison (0-5, 3.50, 16), a resurgent Jerry York (2-2, 2.60, 14), and old friend Zane Kelley (2-1, 5.51, 7) who has both started and relived two games already. Anything short of a sweep here is a wasted opportunity, especially with a double header coming up to end the weekend. With an off day after the packed Sunday, we won't be using a spot starter, and I'm guessing that's exactly how the Foresters will proceed as well. Cleveland is currently tied with us for third, as the back of the rotation has really struggled. Even ace Adrian Czerwinski (3-2, 3.96, 24) hasn't been his dominant self, though I'm sure the Whitney College alum will again finish towards the top of the Allen race. What's helped the Foresters with his "struggles" is a great start from former 4th Pick Larry Beebe (2-2, 3.18, 12), who's looking to build off a strong rookie campaign where he finished 7-9 with a 3.60 ERA (110 ERA+) and 3.35 FIP (84 FIP-) in 18 starts. Best case would be missing both, worst would obviously be getting stuck with them in the double header, but what we'll no doubt struggle with is keeping them off the board. World Series MVP Sherry Doyal (.330, 4, 13) is off to a great start, and you can probably make the case that him, Frenchy Sonntag (.295, 8, 22), and Joe Wood (.292, 4, 17) is the best FABL outfield, as all three have positive zone ratings and WRC+ of 140 or higher. Doyal is dealing with wrist tendinitis, which could lead to a short IL placement, and a sore shoulder is making throws from second tough for Jim Urquhart (.297, 11, 6). This is where a Jim Adams Jr. (.274, 1, 9, 4) could be lethal, as the former 1st selection could bounce between second, third, left, and right, keeping guys fresh and allowing the DTD guys a few extra days off without a loss in lineup production. I'm expecting a tough pair of games, but anything can happen in a double header, and I think facing lesser starters on short rest could give us the edge, as all five of our guys have shown no issues on four days rest. I think a split is most likely, and if we can take the two series earlier in the week, that's more then acceptable as we look to work our way back into the hunt. Minor League Report LHP Tommy Wilde (B San Jose Cougars): One of the three players received in the five player trade with the King in the offseason, Tommy Wilde was coming off a rough season where he finished 7-15 with a 7.68 ERA (51 ERA+) in 24 starts. This came with the Kings Class A affiliate, and while the 5.65 FIP (145 FIP-) was better, it was still awful, and his 2.07 WHIP and 0.6 K/BB left plenty to be desired. Clearly overmatched, we sent our currently 43rd ranked prospect to San Jose, where the early results have been good. He picked up wins in his first two starts, working around 24 hits and 8 walks in 17 innings, before giving it his all when he was needed most. That came against the Salem Warriors, where all the support he received was a Dudley Sapp (.288, 5, 1) RBI single. The 21-year-old lefty honed in his command, allowing just 5 hits and 1 walk in a 7-strikeout shutout, improving to 3-0 with a 2.77 ERA (142 ERA+) in his first three starts. A former 5th Rounder of the Gothams, we attempted to trade for him a few times when he was in New York as well, as "Slick" is the projectable pitcher that we tend to get a lot out of. A towering 6'5'' sidearmer, he's got a wicked slider, and his high 80s sinker is a deceptive pitch, as it seemingly moves up then down due to his arm slot. If this was the 2000s, we'd focus on turning him into a LOOGY or high leverage lefty, but in this era he's going to start until he shows he can't. I'm not ready to promote him, it's just three starts, but him and trademate Jimmy Isgro (2-1, 2.08, 15) have been excellent a level down, and it's been nice seeing the young hurlers regain some of their confidence. __________________ Check out my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of the FABL!: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...12#post4571312

06-18-2024, 07:24 PM	#1449
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,727	Week 5: May 14th-May 20th Weekly Record: 2-5 Seasonal Record: 16-18 (4th, 8.5 GB) Stars of the Week George Sutterfield : 24 AB, 8 H, 1 HR, 6 RBI, .333 AVG, .971 OPS Chubby Hall : 27 AB, 9 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .333 AVG, .898 OPS Red Bond : 18 AB, 6 H, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .333 AVG, .984 OPS Schedule 5-15: Loss at Cannons (4-8) 5-16: Win at Cannons (3-1) 5-17: Win at Cannons (3-2) 5-18: Loss at Wolves (3-4): 11 innings 5-19: Loss at Wolves (3-7) 5-20: Loss at Foresters (3-10) 5-20: Loss at Foresters (3-13) Recap This is probably going to be a quick one. We got swept by the Wolves and embarrassed by the Foresters. Simply put, we suck... Is there anything worth mentioning? I guess Jim Morrison pitched well, picking up a win with 8 innings, 7 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, and 3 strikeouts. Ken Matson struck out three of the four hitters he faced, all who failed to reach base. Leo Mitchell got his 8th steal. And Sal Pestilli was 2-for-4 with a homer before back spasms kept him out of the lineup. And George Sutterfield, Chubby Hall, and Red Bond all homered and hit well. But none of that really matters. We can't win games and are nearly double digit games out already. A miserable season for my teams... Looking Ahead So we can't lose on Monday or Thursday, something to look forward to, but other then that I can't make any promises. Expect losses between that, as we'll be in Philly for two with the Sailors, who still have single digit losses due to somehow scoring the most runs (193) while simultaneously allowing the fewest (119). I don't get it, but that seems to be common right now, and I don't have much more to say beyond that. Then it's back home for three with the Kings, who at 16-19 have a worse record then us despite taking the recent three game set in Brooklyn. Maybe we should win? Maybe? But yeah, there hasn't been much of that since our short-lived nice start to the year where we went 8-5 to kick things off. Minor League Report Nothing major today, but Cliff Wallace is now 4-0 with a pair of shutouts! He allowed 5 hits with 3 walks and 4 strikeouts, lowering his ERA to 1.00 (377 ERA+) with a 0.86 WHIP and 18 strikeouts. Frank Reece won a Player of the Week, going 14-for-28 with 2 doubles, 3 triples, a homer, 4 walks, 2 steals, 6 runs, and 5 RBIs in as complete of a week as you can have. The 23-year-old is hitting .333/.369/.524 (136 OPS+), and is one of the 5 top 75 prospects on the Little Rock roster. Four of our top five specs are there, with the lone holdout 50th ranked Bob Allie. __________________ Check out my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of the FABL!: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...12#post4571312

06-19-2024, 06:41 PM	#1450
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,727	Week 6: May 21st-May 27th Weekly Record: 2-3 Seasonal Record: 18-21 (5th, 10.5 GB) Stars of the Week Leo Mitchell : 21 AB, 9 H, 3 HR, 5 RBI, .429 AVG, 1.478 OPS John Moss : 22 AB, 7 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .318 AVG, .991 OPS Red Bond : 19 AB, 5 H, 3 HR, 5 RBI, .263 AVG, 1.085 OPS Schedule 5-22: Loss at Sailors (6-8) 5-23: Win at Sailors (10-3) 5-25: Loss vs Kings (7-3) 5-26: Loss vs Kings (6-5) 5-27: Win vs Kings (1-7) Recap Yes, part of the short writeup yesterday was our embarrassing performance, but the other part was the fatigue from the first day back from vacation paired with a busy work day. That would have made even a fun week short! Today I was off for Juneteenth and got a full 11 hours of sleep, so you get a full length one despite the poor performance! To be fair, 2-3 is an upgrade , and we absolutely slaughtered the Sailors in their biggest loss of the season. The issue was that the Kings took two of three from us in Chicago, making the overall week a loss despite the nice run differential. I don't know why we can pitch now, but hey, we have three hot hitters right now! The first is Leo Mitchell, still stuck at 8 steals, though when you hit three homers in a week, no one really cares about how many bases you swipe. The vet was 9-for-21, adding a double and triple as well, with 5 runs, 5 RBIs, and 2 walks. Those were Mitchell's first three homers of the season, and while his .312/.358/.464 (114 OPS+) season line isn't great, his 123 WRC+ isn't too far from his career norm, and he's got 9 extra base hits in 120 trips to the plate. Our best hitter, however, has been Red Bond, who had a three home week of his own. He's got 8 in four fewer PAs, though he had just two non-homers on the week. Bond is off to a torrid start, slashing .347/.440/.643 (180 OPS+) with 20 runs, 18 RBIs, and 17 walks. The last hot hitter is John Moss, who now has 7 homers after just 4 all of last season. Moss was 7-for-22 with 3 doubles, 3 walks, 4 runs, and 4 RBIs, with a .279/.359/.476 (117 OPS+) batting line that is more in line with what we thought we were getting last year. It's been awesome seeing him hit again, and while this trio could use a little help, it's great seeing big offensive weeks from all of them. The pen still sucks, so let's pretend they don't exist, and while the rotation wasn't great, the two game winners did well. Duke Bybee continues to dominate, 8 innings with 5 hits, a run, 2 walks, and 6 strikeouts. He's 4-2 in his 7 starts, with a 2.54 ERA (170 ERA+) that ranks 2nd in the CA. Paired with a 1.01 WHIP and 2.3 K/BB he's been elite, with just the 7 longballs in 56.2 innings a cause for concern. He's on pace for career bests in K% (12.4) and BB% (5.3), and if he keeps this up he's going to start taking starts from the guys ahead of him. That could be Johnnie Jones, but after a rough four start stretch he held Brooklyn to just a single run. Sure, there were 4 walks and 9 hits in 8 innings, with just one strikeout, but a wins a win and Johnnie is back even at 3-3. His 4.25 ERA (101 ERA+) is slightly above average, and the highest on the staff, as for once he's not off to his usual hot start. I'm hoping this bounce back can help him get back on track, but I'm worried that it might be the exception due to the poor control and single strikeout in his last two starts. Looking Ahead Here's a weird series, one on Monday in New York before an off day, and then we get a double header on Wednesday before another off day. The Stars have been roughed up by lineups left and right, allowing a league high 243 runs, contributing to a 7th place 16-23 record. There's a few ways they can set up their rotation, but my best guess is we'll see nemesis Jack Wood (1-4, 6.70, 22) in the opener, followed by Dan Atwater (1-1, 7.94, 7) and ace Ed Cornett (4-2, 3.41, 21) in the double header. Cornett has been a rock at the top, so it sucks we're stuck with him, as his 3.63 FIP (82 FIP-) backs up the overall success. With Mack Sutton (.288, 10, 25), Jack Welch (.231, 11, 22), Bill Barnett (.295, 5, 21), and Bill Barrett (.282, 10, 27) slugging as backup, Cornett will be tough to beat, as they're surely going to pile on the runs. Leading the tough lineup now is former 2nd Pick Ralph Hanson (.318, 2, 12, 2), who has a solid 112 WRC+ in an already career high 27 starts. The shortstop defense hasn't been great, but if he adds another above average bat to a lineup that already contains Bob Riggins (.259, 1, 6, 1) and Charlie Woodbury (.287, 6, 25, 5), all they're going to need is a new pitcher or a rebound from Eli Panneton (3-4, 4.61, 28) and Vern Hubbard (3-4, 4.55, 20), who FIP suggests have been on the wrong side of luck. We'll then head back to Chicago, hosting the red hot Foresters for two. After sweeping us, they won their next six games, riding a ten game hit streak to second. At 26-14, they're 2.5 games out of first, and have a chance to get closer after handling us again. For all the attention Sherry Doyal (.360, 8, 27) rightfully gets, French Sonntag (.310, 11, 40) might be the new star of the club, as his excellent offense and defense in center have made him quite valuable. They've been scoring the most runs in baseball despite shipping Jim Adams Jr. (.260, 1, 12, 5) off for spare parts, even if Lloyd Coulter (.276, 2, 15) is going through a sophomore slump. They've got plenty of help from Eddie Morris (.383, 2, 24) at the plate, even if he doesn't know how to play shortstop, and 4th ranked prospect Joe Wood (.294, 6, 29) doesn't look anything like a 23-year-old rookie. The pitching has been tough too, second in runs against, as Ducky Davis (2-1, 3.95, 32) and Gordie Irwin (2-1, 3.99, 25) have been surprisingly effective early on. I don't know how we beat them, but at least at home the fans could help us scrape out a lucky victory or two. The week then ends with a double header with the Cannons, who at 17-21 have the same loss total and one fewer win then we do. I don't know what's wrong with Rufus Barrell (4-0, 4.00, 20), who's still walking more guys then he's striking out, but he's somehow improved since last time we saw them. Their pen has been tough to beat, with failed starter Les Bradshaw (2-2, 4, 2.12, 10) doing well as a stopper, but the offense has had its struggles. Charlie Rivera (.293, 1, 11, 2) has helped, but they've had to rely too much on their 2-3-4 of Fred Galloway (.272, 1, 12), Mike T. Taylor (.346, 7, 28, 7), and Chuck Adams (.316, 6, 31). If we can keep them in check, we have a chance in the double header, and we'll start next week with the finale in what could be a nice series win to get us back in the right direction. Minor League Report LHP Dixie Gaines (AA Little Rock Governors): With a ton of talented prospects on the Little Rock squad, it's easy to overlook Dixie Gaines. He's doing his best to make people remember he used to be a top 100 prospect himself. Dixie was already off to a great start before he got to Knoxville, following his tough luck loss (8 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, BB, 6 K) with a brilliant 4-hit shutout. One of four shutouts from the Governors this week, he allowed just 1 walk and struck out 4, improving to 3-1 on the season. Later in the week he picked up a second win, allowing 6 hits, 3 runs, and 5 walks with 4 strikeouts in another complete game victory. The 23-year-olds stuff continues to impress, as our scout Dixie calls his best pitch a "Bugs Bunny" change which should make hitters swing out of their shoes. The command will never be great, but some of FABL's top arms have walk issues of their own, and with stuff like Dixie's he can make up for it. What sets him apart is his groundball tendencies, as he almost never gives up any homers, and his sinker helps him get out of many jams. Right now he's dominating, a 2.05 ERA (187 ERA+), 0.98 WHIP, and 26 strikeouts in his 5 starts for Little Rock, and as a Rule-5 eligible prospect, he could pitch his way onto the big league roster at some point this season. 3B Lou Jackson (AA Little Rock Governors): Pitching was the story this week for Little Rock, but that didn't stop Lou Jackson from having some fun. In a dominant 17-3 victory, Jackson was 5-for-6 with 2 homers, 3 runs, and 4 RBIs. This helped the switch hitter up his season line to .284/.354/.545 (136 OPS+) with a double, 5 triples, 4 homers, and 21 RBIs in 99 trips to the plate. A versatile youngster, Jackson has played a lot of third base, even if the defense hasn't been great. A natural center fielder, there's no room in Little Rock's outfield right now, and with the Cunningham twins in the middle infield third is the best spot for Jackson's bat to stay in the lineup. A useful utility piece, Jackson is a strong hitter who can hit for a decent average, and despite not being much of a base stealer he's picked up a ton of triples. He had 27 of them last year and 12 in his draft year, so for one reason or another he's able to pick up the extra base when he finds the gaps in the outfield. His style of play seems perfect for a spacious park like the Parc Cartier, though hitting the ball hard will help you anywhere. Still, the 23-year-old profiles more as a utility player then a starter, but he's hit at each stop so far, and he could be one of the first guys promoted even with our more exciting prospects in the same lineup. CF Frank Reece (AA Little Rock Governors): One of those guys is Frank Reece, who was named Dixie League Player of the Week in Little Rock's perfect 7-0 week. An impressive 14-for-30, Reece has been awarded the award in consecutive weeks, adding a double, 2 triples, 2 homers, 2 walks, 6 RBIs, and 9 runs. Almost a lock for Batter of the Month as well, the 52nd ranked prospect owns a .389/.431/.648 (183 OPS+) May triple slash with 9 doubles, 5 triples, 3 homers, 16 RBIs, and 22 runs. In 143 PAs on the season, he has an excellent 176 WRC+, and he's offered plus defensive numbers in all three outfield spots. One of our three talented Little Rock outfielders, Reece actually has the lowest WAR at 1.7, as Norman and Smith both have a 172 WRC+ and 2.5 WAR while posting plus defensive numbers with more time in right and center respectively. Outfield isn't the big league team's problem right now, our guys are all hitting well above average, but Little Rock fans are certainly enjoying watching this young trio dominate, even if one (or all) of them end up in Milwaukee sooner then later. __________________ Check out my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of the FABL!: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...12#post4571312 Last edited by ayaghmour2; 06-20-2024 at 01:47 PM.

06-20-2024, 11:08 PM	#1451
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,727	Week 7: May 28th-June 3rd Weekly Record: 3-4 Seasonal Record: 21-25 (t-6th, 13 GB) Stars of the Week Red Bond : 27 AB, 11 H, 5 HR, 13 RBI, .407 AVG, 1.429 OPS Leo Mitchell : 29 AB, 12 H, 3 HR, 7 RBI, .414 AVG, 1.192 OPS Skipper Schneider : 29 AB, 8 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .276 AVG, .576 OPS Schedule 5-28: Loss at Stars (2-4) 5-30: Loss at Stars (3-5) 5-30: Win at Stars (7-3) 6-1: Win vs Foresters (3-11) 6-2: Loss vs Foresters (4-3): 11 innings 6-3: Loss vs Cannons (5-4) 6-3: Win vs Cannons (8-9) Recap Our lack of winning continued here, as we continue to lose more then we win, dropping to 13 games out as we begin June. Our showing this year has been nothing short of pathetic as we don't really have a path to returning to contention. May was a miserable month for us, finishing 11-17, and it's already looking like we may be sellers this summer. The Cougs haven't tore down in over a decade, but if we don't turn things around quickly, a lot of veterans will be on their way out. One guy who could fetch a nice return is Player of the Week Red Bond, who earned the award with a huge power explosion. Bond had his first career three home run game in our 11-3 dismantling of the Foresters, and he finished his week 11-for-28 with a double, 5 homers, 13 RBIs, and even a steal. Bond is now hitting an elite .360/.438/.720 (200 OPS+) that is twice as impressive as the average FABL triple slash. His 13 homers are good enough for a share of the FABL lead, and he's added 6 doubles, 26 runs, 31 RBIs, and 18 walks. A guy who won't be shipped off is the speedy Leo Mitchell, who just reached double digit steals for the first time in his 16th pro season. Mitchell had a nice week too, including a pair of longballs in our 9-8 win over the Cannons. He had three this week after three last week, giving him 6 with his .333/.373/.525 (134 OPS+) batting line. 10-for-12 in steals, he's got a chance for a 30 steal season, something I never thought I'd ever type regarding our fan favorite slugger. But as great as those two were this week, a combined 23-for-56, there was little support, and the pitching wasn't great enough to pick up a winning week. The best start came from Johnnie Jones, who went 8 with 6 hits, 2 runs, 3 walks, and 4 strikeouts. He got a no decision, the pen blew it as they have done so often, and I won't even get into David Molina's stats. The rest of the starts were more passable then good, evidenced by Pete Papenfus' complete game win. Yes, those are always nice, but with 10 hits, 3 runs, and just one strikeout, it really wasn't what we see from Pap. Sure, the one walk is just as crazy, but the 33-year-old hasn't been the dominant pitcher we know and love. Same goes for Donnie Jones, who split his decisions this week. Jones came two outs away from a complete game win in New York, allowing 10 hits, 3 runs, and 3 walks with 3 strikeouts. His control eluded him in Chicago against the Cannons, as our normally sharp ace walked 7 and didn't an a single batter. It came with 8 hits and 7 runs (6 earned) in 7.2 innings, one of the least Donnie Jones starts I've ever seen. Considering everything has gone wrong this year, maybe it shouldn't be surprising that the reliable Jones has had issues, as he's on pace for career worsts in ERA (3.46), FIP (4.16) FIP- (97), WHIP (1.39), GO% (0.46), BB% (9.7), K% (11.7), and K/BB (1.2). Yay! Our roster will see a lot of movement, starting with the IL placement of Sal Pestilli. The 35-year-old cannot stay healthy, now missing six weeks with shoulder inflammation. It was nice seeing him match his 6 homers from last season in 31 games, but he's homerless in his last seven and has hit just .261/.341/.412 (97 OPS+) on the season. His 10 steals and 18 walks are nice, and his defense is great, but the days of his stardom may be behind him. Luckily Chubby Hall will be a decent replacement, as he's hit .360/.455/.512 (154 OPS+) in 101 trips to the plate, but the lineup will certainly feel weaker without Pestilli at the top. Part of me wanted to make the now healthy Billy Brown the roster replacement, but he hasn't played since March 26th, and I'm sure could use some game reps before getting back to game speed. This will allow a potential debut for 24-year-old Clyde Parker, who will join the club from Milwaukee. Parker hit .292/.360/.396 (117 OPS+) in his first 41 games, providing the Blues with 3 doubles, 2 triples, 3 homers, 18 walks, 18 RBIs, and 23 runs. His next at bat will be his first as a FABL player, though the former 7th Rounder was a member of the 40 last season. He's not the only new face, as we claimed a pair of pitchers off waivers. The more notable claim in terms of FABL experience is Jerry Decker, as just last year he started 29 games for the pennant winning Gothams. Decker went 16-9 with a 4.20 ERA (98 ERA+) and 1.56 WHIP, but he walked 146 with 92 strikeouts. This year he made 3 starts and a relief outing, allowing 30 hits, 12 runs, and 15 walks with 8 strikeouts in 21.1 innings. That's still way better then our pen, and it will lead to the DFA'ing of veteran southpaw Jim Kenny. The game keeps telling me that Kenny is good enough to start FABL games, but I just don't buy it. He's coming off a 42.1 inning sample with a 6.59 ERA (58 ERA+) and 1.58 WHIP, and he hasn't shown much improvement this season. In 16 innings he's allowed 19 hits, 10 runs, and 7 walks, and I can't imagine a team taking a chance on a 30-year-old who's been awful the past two seasons. Decker is also a lefty, and he will fill the lefty pen role while giving us a decent spot start option. The other new acquisition is Sailors lefty George Polk, who was once one of the most exciting pitching prospects in the game. Still 25, Polk was once a top-25 prospect, but his four season FABL career hasn't gone as planned. He's 11-19 in 46 appearances, all but three which are starts, though his 5.01 ERA (82 ERA+), 1.68 WHIP, and 0.8 K/BB are all numbers that need improving. He's been mad in 9 games (6 starts) this season, 1-2 with a 8.50 ERA (50 ERA+), 1.94 WHIP, 18 walks, and 14 strikeouts. Another lefty, he'll replace Rule-5 pick Buzz Turner, who will be sent back to the Foresters. Turner hasn't been great either, with 14 hits, 6 runs, and 5 walks in his 9.2 innings. I liked his profile, but Polk has a lot more upside and I think we can unlock his still lofty potential. I'm not sure these two acquisitions make us any better, but it certainly can't make us any worse! The last little roster news is the return of Frank Sartori, who the Toronto Wolves ended up releasing. Sartori made 8 starts, but went 0-6 with a 7.00 ERA (63 ERA+) and 1.84 WHIP. In 45 innings he has 29 walks to just 17 strikeouts, and he allowed 8 homers in his time with the Wolves. He'll head down to AAA as extra depth, and unless he dominates AAA, I don't see him getting any consideration for a promotion. There is also some draft related news, as the pool was officially published this sim. All our draftees got stats for the 1951 season, and at some point before the in-game draft I'll cover our first ten new additions. My version of the mock has our first rounder Jack Craft as the 2nd choice, with 2nd Rounder Allie Eddy (2.8), 3rd Rounder Harry Rollins (5.6), 4th Rounder Morrie Phillips (5.9), and 7th Rounder Jim Sauer (3.13) all on the initial mock. On Dixie's list we got his 6th (Craft) and 11th (Eddy) ranked players on his first round list, but not much else he rates all that highly. I wasn't too fond of this class, so really all I care about is Craft and Eddy. Don't get me wrong, I do like Rollins and Morrie, but this class didn't feel like one with many stars, and I really like the two impact players we potentially added with our first two picks. Looking Ahead We have one more loss then the Cannons, who we open the week with in Chicago. The winner will take the series and the other's spot in the standings, and my bet is that will be the Cannons. The undefeated Rufus Barrell (5-0, 3.50, 23) takes the mound against our defacto ace Duke Bybee (4-3, 2.69, 30). Rufus is coming off a 8-hit shutout of the Foresters, so I'm scared he's found his mojo and will continue to do what he does best. Despite having a poor offense, the Cannons scored 13 runs in the double header. Two Cannons scored from David Molina (1-6, 7, 9.51, 11) walks, but that win cost them both Jim Hensley (.235, 2, 11) and Nick Remillard (.207, 1, 7). Remillard will need a roster replacement, expected to miss 3-4 weeks, though he already ceded playing time to veteran Charlie Rivera (.293, 2, 14, 3). I'm hoping they bring up former Cougar draftee Jim Mako, as someone may need to cover short while Hensley works through a strained back. I'm hoping we can win the series there as our next guest is the only team with a worse record then us. That would be the 11-33 Toronto Wolves, who will almost assuredly beat us to end their streak. Only the Foresters have beat them since they swept us last month, and this series will determine how I feel about the rest of the year. Even George Garrison (1-8, 4.97, 25) and Joe Hancock (2-3, 4.88, 23) have fell victim to the struggles, but their FIPs of 3.47 (79 FIP-) and 3.78 (86 FIP-) want to blame the CA's worst defense. Future star John Wells (.234, 9) has looked over matched at the plate and poor at short, and perhaps an option down to the minors is the best way to get him back on track. He had a setback in injury earlier and is still yet to really get going. His struggles aren't alone, as only Fred McCormick (.254, 3, 21) has a WRC+ above 100 (103). Another series loss here would be devastating, especially since we will likely miss Jerry York (2-4, 3.34, 27). Him and Garrison pitched a recent double header, so aside from a spot starter, I see Garrison getting the call on short rest. Toronto needs to be the start of a win streak, as after that it's four games in three days with the run away Sailors. 13 games ahead as of this writing, I don't see how we catch them. A four game sweep is about all that's possible, and I'm afraid to go into all the categories they lead. Though that's better then talking about how much better their players are then ours, I'll list them. Runs scored (275), base running (+8.9), ERA (3.29), starter's ERA (3.32), bullpen ERA (3.19), runs allowed (171), pitching WAR (9.3), hits allowed (396), opponents average (.246), homers allowed (26), and defensive efficiency (.723). I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared. Minor League Report AA Little Rock Governors: Just starting this by saying Frank Reece was Batter of the Month as expected. He hit .393/.448/.656 (189 OPS+) with 10 doubles, 5 triples, 20 RBIs, and 26 runs. At some point he's going to have to get promoted. That time is coming very soon. This team is also so good it's contagious, as the recently demoted Jim Williams threw a no-hitter back on the team he dominated for last year. That came after 37 hits, 24 runs, and 16 walks in 30.1 AAA innings. There's something in the water here! They have more shutouts (8) then losses (7) and won 13 straight until a loss ended their week. I also now know who I am going to take in the 1952 draft. Too bad we can't trade up for whoever wins the lottery. Since it certainly won't be us. And I guess I should mention 29-year-old Bob Hobbs won Pitcher of the Month in the Century League. The career minor leaguer is 5-2 with a 1.80 ERA (183 ERA+) and 1.07 WHIP in 7 starts this season, and he could end up a future Cougar if he keeps pitching like this! I mean can he be worse then David Molina??? Is that really a sentence I had to type??? What happened to this guy... Attached Images __________________ Check out my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of the FABL!: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...12#post4571312 Last edited by ayaghmour2; 06-20-2024 at 11:40 PM.

06-21-2024, 10:36 AM	#1452
StLee Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: NC Posts: 4,577	Man, I'm sorry for your losses. Are you seeing any inkling of reasoning why the projected and actual are so far off? __________________ Fan of LSU sports (especially baseball and football), New Orleans Saints, New Orleans Pelicans, and Atlanta Braves (Dale Murphy for the HOF!). Current dynasties: Fallout 4's Commonwealth Baseball Organization Completed dynasty: Fallout: New Vegas' Mojave Baseball League Uniforms: My custom uniforms

06-21-2024, 07:45 PM	#1454
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,727	Week 8: June 4th-June 10th Weekly Record: 5-3 Seasonal Record: 26-28 (5th, 12 GB) Stars of the Week Leo Mitchell : 30 AB, 10 H, 2 HR, 9 RBI, .333 AVG, 1.042 OPS George Sutterfield : 32 AB, 12 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .375 AVG, .925 OPS David Molina : 2 Wins, 3.1 IP, 0 BB, 1 K, 0.00 ERA Schedule 6-4: Win vs Cannons (1-4) 6-5: Win vs Wolves (3-4) 6-6: Loss vs Wolves (9-6) 6-7: Loss vs Wolves (8-1) 6-8: Win vs Sailors (7-8) 6-9: Win vs Sailors (2-7) 6-10: Loss vs Sailors (2-1) 6-10: Win vs Sailors (4-5): 10 innings Recap Part of this week was expected. We not only lost to the Wolves, but let them get hot. The crazy part is what we did to the Sailors, who hadn't lost a series since April! Since then, the only series they didn't win were splits against us, until we managed to take three of four headlined by a scoreless David Molina inning (a strikeout with no outs!) and a shocking Al Clement walk-off double in the 10th to earn the double header split. Molina actually pitched well against his former team, picking up a pair of wins with three scoreless innings. Only one of them saw a hit, and his ERA is finally below 9! The Sailors were dealt a bigger blow with Win Lewis (5-1, 2.83, 34) undergoing elbow surgery. They struck quickly, picking up a veteran from nearby Broad Street Park from the crosstown Keystones. Former Allen Winner Lloyd Stevens (4-4, 4, 4.75, 16) may have been pushed to the pen in favor of 36th ranked prospect Sam Ivey (3-1, 3.18, 16), but the Keystones park and/or defense seem to keep Stevens' ERAs above his FIPs. At 35 they're taking a risk, but their system is deep enough they can afford a pair of prospects ranked in the 100s. They're in perfect position to seize an association with just one other team above .500, and when you lose your ace it's a good idea to take a shot you can afford before anyone expects a move. Speedster Leo Mitchell stayed hot in our wacky week, going 10-for-30 with a pair of steals, triples, and homers. Mitchell drove in nine, scored four times, and walked twice, upping his season line to .333/.374/.550 (142 OPS+). I think our homegrown star realizes he's running out of chances to win a title, and a few more hot weeks can sperate from the crowded middle of the pack. George Sutterfield got a much needed solid week, 12-for-32 with a homer and two doubles, RBIs, and steals. He's followed up his 107 WRC+ with a 73 in almost 200 trips to the plate, something even elite defense can't excuse. He tends to be streaky, sometimes playing better on the road, where he's able to pick up extra base hits in the gaps. With a rare misstep from Red Bond (5-28, HR, 4 RBI, 4 BB), Sutterfield helped shoulder the load, but a lot of the guys who played most of the week seemed tired. The pitching was either great or awful, so let's focus on the two pitchers that threw two gems. Continental Association ERA leader Duke Bybee picked up a pair of complete game victories, dropping that metric to 2.42 (174 ERA+) in his ten starts. Bybee's 0.99 WHIP is also an association best, leading in BB/9 (2.2), rWAR (3.3), opponents average (.209), and most impressively, quality starts (10). Yeah, all ten of his starts have been quality! Bybee is no stranger to sub-3 ERAs, and unless he implodes I don't see a way he doesn't represent us at the All-Star game. One of the other two on the ballot, Pete Papenfus was back to striking out guys, and a lack of run support led to one of his complete games being a loss. That was in the double header, where he allowed just 5 hits, 2 runs, and 3 walks with 4 strikeouts. You could argue that was better then his win against the Wolves, where Pap fanned 6 with 6 hits, 3 runs, and 3 walks. This kept him at .500, 4-4 in his 11 starts, and his 53 strikeouts trail just Adrian Czerwinski (54), who has more then 25 extra innings. This duo has actually been our best so far, but only Johnnie Jones (4.35, 97) has an ERA+ below 100. Looking Ahead We get a much needed off day, as nearly everyone is tired and too many guys had to start on short rest. Otherwise I would have had to let George Polk (SV, 4 IP, H, BB, K) start a throwaway game against the Wolves, with both corner outfielders out of gas. Instead we'll just make the trip north to Toronto, where we really need to get some revenge. We've been worse against them then the sail away Sailors, and there's no excuse for that. I hope we see former Cougar draftee George Carter (0-0, 7.50, 1) make a start, with the other two likely George Garrison (2-8, 4.50, 26) and Jerry York (2-5, 3.34, 31). I also think we'll see Zane Kelley (3-1, 4.71, 19), who's been better in his relief outings then his two starts. I don't think our pitching will have any trouble with their lineup, so the key for us to get runs off whoever is on the mound. Just Joe DeMott (.294, 1, 12, 5) and Fred McCormick (.257, 3, 22, 2) have WRC+ above 100, and neither have an OPS+ to match it. We need wins here more then I can articulate, and it could start off a nice week. The next stop is Cincinnati, and even though the Cannons have a better record then us, I think we can keep beating them. Harry Thomas (4-2, 3.87, 34) has started to regress, making way for Mickey Mills (3-6, 3.58, 36) to reclaim the best non-Barrell pitching spot on the team. We actually gave Duece (6-1, 3.40, 33) his only loss, which makes me wonder why we do so much better against the quality opponents. Maybe I should want to face him and Mickey, and go right after Mike T. Taylor (.324, 10, 36, 12), as nothing seems to make sense this year. Let's just win some games! __________________ Check out my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of the FABL!: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...12#post4571312

06-23-2024, 10:47 PM	#1455
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,727	Amateur Report 1st Round, 11th Overall: 3B Jack Craft School: New Albany Wildcats Commit School: St. Dominic's 1951: .452/.548/.837, 126 PA, 11 2B, 3B, 9 HR, 35 RBI Career: .466/.551/.785, 234 PA, 20 2B, 3B, 13 HR, 62 RBI The prize of our draft class, one of the many mocks had Jack Craft as the second ranked player in the pool, and all of them had him higher then 10th. A talented switch hitter, Craft showcased his power as a senior, launching 9 homers with 11 doubles in 25 games. The increase in power came at a drop in his batting average, but that is a trade off we are more then willing to make. A tall third basemen with power, especially a switch hitter like Craft, is always going to be an in demand asset, and right now it's hard to find a flaw with his game other then that he's not fully developed yet. The plus power potential is intriguing enough, but when it comes with an advanced approach at the plate and an above average contact tool, we have the makings of a future All-Star on our hands. Sure, we thought the same thing of Otto Christian, who oscillates between gifted slugger and strikeout machine, but "The Walla Walla Walloper's" success hung on his ability to hit 30+ homers in a season. Even without the power, Craft could develop into a John Kincaid type with a high average, more walks then strikeouts, and enough doubles to overcome the single digit power output. That's a pretty good worst case scenario, and I'm excited to see what Craft does in his first partial season down in La Crosse. 2nd Round, 27th Overall: LHP Allie Eddy School: Temple Tigers Commit School: Robinson College 1951: 7-1, 84 IP, 1.18 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 18 BB, 129 K Career: 15-3, 187.1 IP, 1.10 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, 35 BB, 278 K Depending on when you looked or who you ask, Allie Eddy is the highest ranked pitcher in the draft. I'm still partial to Mike Quigley, who went a pick before Craft, but the mock had Eddy as the first pitcher off the board, and now he's gone/can't find him. The mock means little to me, as do high school stats to some extent, but it was still nice to see "Okie Dokey" have a similar senior season to his junior year. Eddy started all 12 of his starts, going 7-1 with a 1.18 ERA and 0.87 WHIP -- both a bit higher then the 1.05 and 0.83 last year -- but he upped his K% from 35.6 to 37.2 with a slight increase in BB% that dropped his K/BB to a still impressive 7.2. Above all, the 6'2'' southpaw continued to put in a ton of energy into his improvement on the field and off, and his high school coaches couldn't say enough about how bright he is. The best part, however, is OSA and Dixie Marsh both comment on his front-of-the-rotation potential, praising the potential of his stuff and command. I love his five pitch mix, from the 88-90 sinker to his nasty change, as each offering is a potential plus pitch. 25 is weird about ranking pitchers in the prospect rankings, but I don't see a way where Eddy isn't in the top 100, and there's a very good chance he ranks ahead of all the non-Bob Allen incumbents. The current wave of Cougars is getting old, and sadly still title-less, but Eddy is looking to fill an excellent rotation that will start with Allen in the back half of the 50s. 3rd Round, 39th Overall: RHP Harry Rollins School: Newtown Pioneers Commit School: Brunswick College 1951: 4-1, SV, 70.1 IP, 1.15 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, 12 BB, 109 K Career: 8-1, SV, 115 IP, 1.10 ERA, 0.81 WHIP, 21 BB, 182 K It's hard to find better command in the pool then what Harry Rollins has shown, as no draft eligible pitcher walked fewer then the 12 hitters Rollins allowed in 70.1 innings pitched. No draft eligible prep pitcher had a better K/BB then his 9.1, and in 115 high school innings he allowed just one home run. This level of command is almost unheard of, especially in our system, but there is one catch: for some reason the 6'4'' righty with five pitches is now projected to be a bullpen arm. I'm floored! I'm at a loss on how this happened, but it's definitely a major blow considering some of the bats I passed on to secure him. For now, I'm going to proceed like nothing changed, as the extreme groundballer is sitting in the 89-91 range, and with five pitches you'd think he'd be able to start. Maybe it's a stamina thing, he did start just over half (9-of-17) of his appearances as a senior, but we're going to keep throwing the hard working youngster out every sixth day. The stuff is solid, he locates his pitches well, and he should be able to keep the ball in most parks. I'm hoping with my recent scouting report Dixie will change his tune on Rollins' future, but with how awful our pen has been this year, developing a legit relief ace wouldn't be the worst outcome here. 4th Round, 55th Overall: CF Morrie Phillips School: Forest Park Senators Commit School: Daniel Boone College 1951: .457/.519/.664, 131 PA, 11 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 30 RBI Career: .444/.510/.671, 490 PA, 39 2B, 8 3B, 14 HR, 122 RBI A four year starter at the nearish Forest Park High School in the Chicago suburbs, you could make the case he saved the best season for last, as he set personal bests in batting average (.457) and WAR (2.2). Pretty consistent for the Senators, Phillips totaled 169 runs, 61 extra base hits, and 122 RBIs, offering solid defense in center. 18 in just a few days, Phillips has a nice ceiling, projected to be at least an average every day player. He generates a ton of bat speed, hitting the ball hard while consistently squaring up pitches in the zone. He's good about not chasing, and while he doesn't really have home run power, he's got raw power that will lead to a ton of extra base hits. Big stadiums will see him end up on second and third consistently, and when he really gets a hold of one he can take it deep. The issue here is we have a surplus of center fielders at all levels, so early playing time may be tough to wrestle away. His inquisitive nature should work in his benefit, as even when he isn't playing, he trying to find ways to improve 5th Round, 71st Overall: RHP Joe Holt School: Oliver Bears Commit School: Ferguson 1951: 9-1, 103 IP, 1.31 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 22 BB, 144 K Career: 35-3, 382.1 IP, 1.15 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 71 BB, 560 K Uh, oh. We have an impossible! For some reason Joe Holt really wants to go to Ferguson, so we may not earn the services of our 5th Round pick. A four year starter at Olivier, Holt is taking a big risk that he'd be selected earlier next go around, but he did have a successful prep career and could improve his three pitch mix in college. Holt followed up a dominant 8-0, 0.77 ERA, 133 strikeout freshman season with three 9-1 campaigns, good for a 35-3 career record with a 1.15 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, and 560 strikeouts. Him not signing may be good for his potential teammates, as he's been called "arrogant and condescending" and "too smart for his own good." I don't avoid bad personalities, but this makes me far less willing to throw a huge sum of cash at him to convince him to join us. His cutter is his best pitch, now up to 89-91, but his change and fastball are average at best, and if he's not the type to work on self-improvement, they may never get there. 6th Round, 87th Overall: 2B Joe Dorch School: Frankford College Thoroughbreds 1951: .455/.519/.709 129 PA, 9 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR, 34 RBI Career: .455/.519/.709 129 PA, 9 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR, 34 RBI Our first college player was for some reason given high school stats, so it's really tough to understand the type of player Joe Dorch is. He's also a college senior I guess, the easiest player type to sign. A versatile athlete, Dorch appeared at first, second, third, short, and left, and I expect after signing he'll fill a utility role for San Jose or La Crosse. I like his defense, swing, and discipline, but there's a lot of question marks beyond that. Does he have any power? Is he fast? Is he going to take a lot of close strike threes? Well it's like they say on that TV show I mentioned a few posts ago: let's find out! 7th Round, 103rd Overall: C Jim Hauer School: Lincoln Cardinals Commit School: Eastern Oklahoma 1951: .439/.477/.735, 111 PA, 8 2B, 7 HR, 32 RBI Career: .441/.490/.649, 471 PA, 41 2B, 3 3B, 13 HR, 120 RBI The lone catcher of the class, we kept the trend of four-start starters with backstop Jim Hauer. After a power surge that saw him more then double his previous career homer total (6), he got some love on the mocks. Dixie now views him as a 15 home run hitter as well, a big boost from behind the plate. He still swings too much, which could keep his average a bit below .300 instead of above, and he's not the type to take a walk. That's why this new power is so big for his big league viability, as we don't have many clues on how his defense is. I expect him to be a later signing, as we have last year's 3rd Rounder Ed Freeman waiting to make his season debut, and it could be of benefit for Hauer to start in a limited role. He's another guy who uses his energy to improve his baseball skills, and I'm sure he'll take advantage of catching as many bullpen sessions as possible. He's nowhere near Garland Phelps in terms of upside, but he's always going to need a backup, and one that can change games with late homers is a desired trait. 8th Round, 119th Overall: SS Warren Ross School: Central Ohio Aviators 1951: .281/.367/.365, 283 PA, 10 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 42 RBI Career (COL): .272/.359/.372, 768 PA, 31 2B, 12 3B, 4 HR, 104 RBI Career (HS): .434/.515/.653, 266 PA, 27 2B, 9 3B, HR, 57 RBI The first member of the class to actually get college stats, we're signing Warren Ross this time around, as the switch hitter had a nice three year career at Central Ohio. While no Freddie Jones, Ross is a talented middle infielder who spent most of his time at short and his arm is strong enough for third. He hits like a shortstop, contact focused, disciplined, and not afraid to take tough pitches, but he's not a high contact guy either. That's something I'd like to see him improve, as he doesn't protect the plate well with two strikes and has a tendency to get caught looking. Without much power, I want him focused more on putting the ball in play, else he'll join the growing stack of good defensive shortstops who hang around longer then they should. It's going to be tough for him to earn starts, but he's a good clubhouse personality and the exact type of guy you want captaining the infield. If only he could hit some too... 9th Round, 135th Overall: RHP Ben Helm School: Sumter College Wildcats 1951: 9-4, 120.2 IP, 3.43 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 33 BB, 125 K Career: 25-12, 347.1 IP, 3.50 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 116 BB, 342 K Making up for potentially losing our 5th Round pick is Ben Helm. A three year starter at Sumter College, Helm regained some of his freshman year form, pitching closer to the 3.37 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, and 2.8 K/BB then the 3.76, 1.38, and 2.4 from his sophomore season. In fact, Helm actually had career bests in K% (24.0) and BB% (6.3), leading to an impressive 3.8 K/BB in 120.2 innings pitched. Another five pitch pitcher, his stuff is already good enough to project as a starter, and he could rise quickly into a depth starter role. His change up is filthy, one of the bests there is, and while it's one of his only obvious strengths, he doesn't have any weaknesses. He's pretty much average or better in everything else, making him an ideal innings eater in the minors or majors. Recently turned 21, I'm toying with the idea of starting him in Lincoln, but my best guess is he'll make a few starts in San Jose. If we had a need for FABL pitching, he's the type of pitcher worth rushing up, and if he dominates the minors he could be a useful trade pieces to bring back someone with more upside. 10th Round, 151st Overall: CF Alex Caraballo School: Murphy Eagles 1951: .456/.480/.675, 125 PA, 14 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 29 RBI Career: .456/.480/.675, 125 PA, 14 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 29 RBI Rounding out the first part of our class is the now 19-year-old Alex Caraballo, who went from town ball to Murphy High School so he could be selected in the FABL amateur draft. He looked pretty good, slashing .456/.480/.675 with 18 extra base hits, 39 runs, and 29 RBIs. He's got a center field position rating now too, but I still think he's a bat first prospect who belongs in a corner. He's got more upside then a decent amount of the guys taken before him, as Dixie and OSA both think the bat could get him to the bigs. He's an above average contact hitter who can muscle some balls out of the park. I love his swing and the batspeed it produces, but I'm worried he's going to strike out a lot and never walk. This makes the power huge, as you can tolerate swing and miss if the swings that connect go far. If it wasn't for Dorch, he'd be the prospect with the biggest question marks, but I'm leaning towards this being a really nice late pick. His makeup isn't great, but the tools are legit, and if all breaks right he'll be a FABL regular. __________________ Check out my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of the FABL!: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...12#post4571312 Last edited by ayaghmour2; 06-25-2024 at 05:22 PM.

06-24-2024, 07:07 PM	#1456
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,727	Week 9: June 11th-June 17th Weekly Record: 3-3 Seasonal Record: 29-31 (4th, 14.5 GB) Stars of the Week George Sutterfield : 23 AB, 9 H, 0 HR, 5 RBI, .391 AVG, 1.003 OPS Chubby Hall : 25 AB, 7 H, 1 HR, 6 RBI, .280 AVG, .773 OPS John Moss : 21 AB, 6 H, 0 HR, 1 RBI, .286 AVG, .899 OPSA Schedule 6-12: Loss at Wolves (2-7) 6-13: Win at Wolves (3-1) 6-14: Loss at Wolves (6-7) 6-15: Win at Cannons (4-2) 6-16: Loss at Cannons (1-2) 6-17: Win at Cannons (7-1) Recap With our second series loss against the Wolves to start the week, we've now lost the same amount of series against the lowly Wolves then total games last season. It's what makes the least sense in this senseless season, as we're the only team the Wolves have beat more then they've lost, and their six victories against us are twice as much as any team. It was fun when you could pencil in wins each time we faced Toronto, but now the Wolves are one of the many things going wrong in the Windy City. The pitching was inconsistent this week, as we had three good starts and three bad starts. The best went to Pete Papenfus, who's been as hot as his heater, picking up a complete game win with 5 hits, 2 runs, a walk, and 5 strikeouts. The All-Star hopeful has won three of his last four starts, now 5-4 with a 3.52 ERA (120 ERA+), 1.19 WHIP, and 58 strikeouts. Donnie Jones came an out away from a complete game win himself, allowing 4 hits, 3 walks, and a run with 5 strikeouts to improve to 7-3 despite his 4.56 FIP (107 FIP-). There's a lot of season left, but Donnie has never have a FIP- above 100, as his 1.2 HR/9, 11.9 K%, and 9.5 BB% are all on pace to be career worsts. The homers are the most concerning part, as he's already matched his 1948 and 1949 totals while just 5 off his career high 18 from last year. Brother Johnnie managed to raise his ERA+ back over 100 (102), allowing 4 hits and 4 walks with 2 runs and 4 strikeouts. He's now 3-4, still walking (45) more guys then he strikes out (38), but we're back to a full front five with above average ERA+. Just three hitters offered much of anything at the plate, starting with the improving George Sutterfield who finished his week 3-for-5 with 3 doubles and 3 RBIs. Sutterfield finished 9-for-23 with 3 runs, 4 walks, 5 RBIs, and a whopping 6 steals. John Moss continues to produce, 6-for-21 with 2 doubles, a triple, RBI, 2 runs, and 5 walks. Chubby Hall chipped in his 5th homer, 7-for-25 with a double and 6 RBIs. And that's it. That's the only Cougars who did much in any sort of sample. Love this offense! Last thing of note is the return of Billy Brown, who hit an impressive .260/.315/.660 (174 OPS+) with 3 doubles, a triple, 5 homers, and 14 RBIs in his 13 game rehab assignment. He'll replace Clyde Parker, who unfortunately did not get any game action when he was up. Parker, who hit .292/.360/.396 (117 OPS+) in Milwaukee, is still looking for his first FABL plate appearance. I really hoped Max Wilder would use him at least once in the two weeks he was up, but instead he'll return to regular time with the Blues. Looking Ahead Before we lose any games this week, we'll run through the last 15 rounds of the Amateur Draft, many of which won't end up signing with us. A relatively weaker class, we had major hits to two of our top five picks, but I just can't wait until Jack Craft and Allie Eddy are in the system. These two should both crack the top 100, and a few of the other guys should enter the top 500. Looking towards the games, we're off to start the week, and will then head to Cleveland for three. At 38-24, they're the only non-Philly team with a record above .500 in the CA, though they sit six and a half out. In most years they'd be doing well enough for first, but they have a huge hurdle to climb, and we'll catch them with Frenchy Sonntag (.311, 12, 43) on the IL for another two weeks. Veteran Orie Martinez (.305, 6, 20) has filled in well, but for the Foresters to catch the Sailors they'll need Sonntag to return without missing a beat. Considering all eight members of the current lineup have a WRC+ above 100, they haven't missed him too much, and they sit second in runs scored and allowed on the year. Sure, Adrian Czerwinski (10-3, 2.81, 59) has been carrying most of the load, but the back four has been decent enough, and they've decided to bring strikeout machine Ollie White (8-5, 2, 3.49, 52) back into the rotation. This is going to be a tough series, one will certainly lose, as we continue to go through the motions of the season. For most teams, playing the first place Sailors would be a tough task, but guess what? The Cougars are the only team with a winning record against them! Sure, 6 of the Wolves' 17 wins have come from us, but on the flip side, 6 of the Sailors' 17 losses have been us! At 44-17, it's there title to lose at this point, and even with Win Lewis (5-1, 2.83, 34) out of the season and more, they're comfortably in the driver's seat. Making up for the Lewis loss was the acquisition of Lloyd Stevens (6-4, 4.31, 26). The longtime Keystone has tossed a pair of complete game victories since the trade, allowing 3 runs to each the Saints and Kings. They really need help in the rotation, as I imagine it's only a matter of time before Lou Robertson (5-3, 2.95, 37) regresses. Combined with Al Duster's (6-1, 5.02, 39) rough start to the season, the Lewis loss would have been a devastating blow, and with Stevens hopefully solidifying the rotation they're back on track. They've been hitting well too, led by the breakout 25-year-old Al Farmer (.358, 9, 33). This level of production was expected from the former 2nd overall prospect, and he's done his part to usher in the next generation of baseball in Philadelphia. The final piece of their puzzle might be Jim Kenny, who they surprisingly claimed off waivers from us. I hope they start him, as 25 thinks his three pitch mix is enough. They did just move Jackie James (1-3, 8, 2.79, 18) into a starting role, so even if he doesn't start, he gives them an experienced late inning pitcher to supplement their pennant run. Oh and some good news at the end! Harry Rollins is a projected starter now! Sure the report isn't too friendly, but it's a major relief he's back to a starter again. I was going to start him anyways, but now even our minor league managers will too. __________________ Check out my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of the FABL!: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...12#post4571312

06-25-2024, 07:11 PM	#1457
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,727	Week 10: June 18th-June 24th Weekly Record: 3-4 Seasonal Record: 32-35 (t-4th, 16.5 GB) Stars of the Week Red Bond : 23 AB, 9 H, 2 HR, 6 RBI, .391 AVG, 1.134 OPS Chubby Hall : 26 AB, 9 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .346 AVG, .972 OPS Skipper Schneider : 26 AB, 7 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .269 AVG, .719 OPS Schedule 6-19: Loss at Foresters (2-4) 6-20: Win at Foresters (1-0): 10 innings 6-21: Win at Foresters (6-3) 6-22: Loss at Sailors (9-13) 6-23: Loss at Sailors (4-16) 6-24: Win at Sailors (7-0) 6-24: Loss at Sailors (2-3) Recap We did the Sailors a huge solid this week, first taking two of three from the Foresters in Cleveland before dropping three of four to the Sailors in Philly. They obliterated our pitching staff, as even with a 7-0 shutout in the first game of the double header, the top ranked team scored 32 runs in the four game series. They now are up 7.5 games over the 42-27 Foresters, who are almost farther out of first then the 33-35 Chiefs in the Fed. Philly's next win will be their 50th, matched only by the juggernaut Little Rock Governors who have won 17 in a row. I think they could beat the Cougars in a series! Unfortunately, that team will be somewhat broken up, as plenty of guys will be moving up starting as early as next sim. More will come once the draftees all file in, you'll get coverage of the 11th through 25th rounders throughout the week (likely in pieces since some of the early guys are actually solid), but Frank Reece and Bob Allen will both be promoted next week. But for now, of our first ten picks just Jack Craft and Allie Eddy will be tendered bonuses this week. The shutout was the highlight of the week, as Donnie Jones is trying to do his best to earn a fifth All-Star nod. He split his starts, allowing 6 hits, 4 runs, and 5 walks with 7 strikeouts in our 4-2 loss in Cleveland. His shutout saw just 3 hits and 2 walks, striking out 3 to improve to 8-4 in his 15 starts. I'm not sure it's enough, as while his 3.44 ERA (123 ERA+) and 1.30 WHIP are solid, there are plenty of deserving candidates and not enough spots for all the pitchers. One should go to Duke Bybee, who was the only other starter to win his start. He went all nine in Cleveland, allowing 9 hits, 3 runs, and 2 walks with 3 strikeouts. Now 7-3, his 2.79 ERA (152 ERA+) is third in the CA, and he's got an impressive 1.04 WHIP and 1.8 K/BB. His 6.0 BB% would be a career best, and he has an excellent 3.69 FIP (87 FIP-) through 96.2 innings. After last week's three man show on offense, it dropped to just two here, as slugging first basemen Red Bond was back to his ball smashing ways. The veteran added two more homers, going 9-for-23 with 4 walks, 4 runs, and 6 RBIs. His 16 homers are tied for 2nd in the CA while his 1.018 OPS is a point above Sherry Doyal for 2nd. I can't envision him not starting the All-Star game at first, as his .328/.412/.606 (166 OPS+) batting line is amazing, and he's the only guy in the lineup who really deserves the accolade. Chubby Hall isn't on the ballot, but the veteran outfielder has impressed this season, and was 9-for-26 with 3 doubles, a triple, 4 runs, 3 walks, and 3 RBIs. He's filled in well for Sal, slashing .325/.411/.479 (135 OPS+) in 190 PAs on the season. He doesn't deserve to lose time when Sal returns, but that's at least three weeks away and I expect a rehab assignment will be needed. I'd love to find a home for Hall before then, as he's been great and could really help a contender. Looking Ahead Off after the double header, and we'll then end the road trip with three in Montreal with the Saints. They're stuck in the four way tie with us and the Stars, but they're listed ahead based on one more win and loss. The winning percentages are all the same (.478), and if either team sweeps they'd be back to .500. That pretty much fits them, as they're 5th in runs scored and allowed, though with slightly more runs allowed they'd be more a game or two under .500. A lot of that is due to the surprising struggles of Bert Cupid, who is 3-7 with a 7.55 ERA (56 ERA+) and 1.72 WHIP. The 28-year-old has never had an ERA or WHIP higher then the 3.90 (98 ERA+) and 1.34 from last season. You would think that means he'd improve, but FIP (4.95, 116) still has him as a below average pitcher, as he's really struggled to keep the ball in the park on the road. Lucky for them, he's pitching in Montreal against us, though with an off-day they could skip him in favor of Pat Weakly (6-5, 4.19, 53). Otherwise I expect to see Pete Ford (3-4, 3.36, 28) and Ted Coffin (6-4, 3.75, 45), who have pitched pretty well. That might be tough for our offense, but with the struggled of Maurice Carter (.248, 5, 24), Gordie Perkins (.237, 2, 18, 4), and the now injured Bill Greene (.194, 11. 5) we should be in the game long enough for the pen to blow the lead. We'll finish the week at home with a quick three game series with the Stars in Chicago. They have an identical record as us, led by sluggers Mack Sutton (.293, 17, 48) and Jack Welch (.237, 17, 43) who share the CA home run lead. Bill Barrett (.278, 16, 54) is tied for Bond in third, and Bill Barnett (.286, 11, 34) gives them four bats with double digit homers. We only have three bats with even seven, and they're pacing the association in team homers. In attempt to improve their league worst pitching, Dan Atwater (4-3, 4.31, 23) has been inserted to the rotation, and after a slow start he had a pair of 1-run complete game wins last week. Once Eli Panneton's (5-5, 5.32, 45) ERA converges with his FIP (3.66), they could start to get hot and try to separate themself from the middle of the pack that is all within four games of each other. They've played their best ball in June, and I'm worried that even on the road they'll have no trouble stopping us. __________________ Check out my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of the FABL!: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...12#post4571312

06-25-2024, 11:12 PM	#1458
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,727	1951 Draft: Rounds 11-15 11th Round, 167th Overall: RHP Mike Peter School: Jackson Mustangs Commit School: St. George College 1951: 8-2, 108.1 IP, 1.74 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 27 BB, 127 K Career: 31-7, 403 IP, 1.88 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 89 BB, 409 K Part of what may make up for not being able to sign 5th Rounder Joe Holt is the addition of Mike Peter is the second portion of the draft, as Dixie Marsh thinks he could be a potential fifth starter due to his excellent command. A four year starter for the Jackson High School Mustangs, Peter had a career low 1.74 ERA and 1.03 WHIP with a career high 26.7 K%. He also struck out a career high 127 in a career high 108.1 innings pitched, and he's set to start his professional career in the near future for La Crosse. A three pitch pitcher, Peter relies on his mid 80s sinker, an offering that generates a ton of groundballs. That's a huge help in Chicago, and while the stuff isn't great, he keeps the ball out of the heart of the zone. Walks should be kept to a minimum, even if strikeouts are low too, and he should be able to pitch deep into games. I'm not sure if there will be a spot in the Lions rotation for him to start in, but he'll be considered a starter even if he's only projected to be a borderline starter at this point. 12th Round, 183rd Overall: LHP Don Grossi School: Eastern State Redbirds 1951: 7-6, 118.2 IP, 4.32 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, 59 BB, 104 K Career (COL): 21-16, 349.2 IP, 3.84 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 148 BB, 312 K Career (HS): 29-2, 306 IP, 1.21 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 61 BB, 446 K It was a pitcher with the second pick as well, as we added college lefty Don Grossi in the 12th. Formerly a standout prep pitcher, Grossi went 29-2 with a 1.21 ERA in three seasons, including a perfect 10-0 with a 0.97 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, and 159 strikeouts in 15 starts. This got him a 14th Round selection by the Minutemen, but he instead decided to go to Eastern State. At first, it looked to be a wise move, as he went 8-4 with a 3.04 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and 107 strikeouts as a freshman. Unfortunately, he couldn't come close to that, and saw ERAs above 4 in the following two seasons. Like Peter, he's a mid-80s sinkerballer who throws three pitches, with stuff that may not be good enough to start. The sinker is a good pitch, easily the best of the bunch, but he doesn't have the groundball tendencies you'd expect. Recently turned 21, I'm hesitant to sign him, but if we have enough open spots he'll be given a chance to fill a pen role initially. 13th Round, 199th Overall: RHP Ed Watson School: Wapasha College Warriors 1951: 4-8, 106.2 IP, 4.89 ERA, 1.66 WHIP, 69 BB, 96 K Career (COL): 13-25, 358.1 IP, 5.05 ERA, 1.76 WHIP, 259 BB, 300 K Career (HS): 28-7, 351.2 IP, 1.84 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 112 BB, 427 K The run of pitchers continued with another college, as we selected righty Ed Watson for the second time. Originally our 15th Rounder in 1948, I think Watson will sign this time, even if he wasn't that great at Wapasha College. Last season he had an ERA above 5, and his 4.89 as a junior was surprisingly his best. Another three pitch pitcher, he has a tendency to nibble, and his repertroie is raw and underdeveloped. That being said, he has a good makeup, and his profile could lead to success in the pen. His slider is the clear best pitch, and as a sidearmer it would be really tough to squared up for right handed hitters. He may have some home run issues, but I think he could eat some innings out of the pen. 14th Round, 215th Overall: CF Frank Selander School: Steele Lions Commit School: Carolina Poly 1951: .450/.500/.651, 120 PA, 10 2B, 4 HR, 34 RBI Career: .450/.500/.651, 120 PA, 10 2B, 4 HR, 34 RBI The first positional player selected, Frank Selander didn't play varsity ball until he was a senior, but the Ohio native had a decent senior season. The recently turned 18-year-old hit .450/.500/.651 with 4 homers and 34 RBIs, and earned himself a scholarship to Carolina Poly. They just won their first ever College World Series, and I'm sure in their repeat attempt Selander would be a huge boost. He has a quick bat and can hit over .270, but he's still learning to hit offspeed pitches. That may come with more experience, and with his muscle strength he could end up a double digit home run hitter as well. Both OSA and Dixie think he could fill a bench role, so there's definite upside here, but with how deep we are in the outfield, I might let him head to Carolina Poly so he can improve his future draft stock. 15th Round, 231st Overall: RHP Bert Wood School: Dorsey Dons Commit School: St. Dominic's 1951: 6-2, 81.1 IP, 1.77 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 33 BB, 126 K Career: 21-8, 304.1 IP, 1.86 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 121 BB, 458 K A fourth pitcher in five rounds, Bert Wood was a four year starter for the interestingly named Dorsey Dons. His best work came as a sophomore where he went 7-1 with a 1.34 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and 130 strikeouts. Unfortunately that was followed up by his worst season, as he had his only ERA (2.42) and FIP (2.27) above 2 and worsts in most notable categories. Another three-pitch sinkerballer, Wood sits in the 85-87 range with below average pitches, making his future as a starter bleak. He doesn't have great command either, and will attend St. Dominic's in the fall where he will look to improve his skills. __________________ Check out my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of the FABL!: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...12#post4571312

06-26-2024, 12:08 AM	#1459
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,727	1951 Draft: Rounds 16-25 16th Round, 247th Overall: CF Bob Powers School: Cache Valley Cowboys 1951: .290/.348/.456, 279 PA, 10 2B, 3B, 10 HR, 43 RBI Career (COL): .296/.360/.433, 1,104 PA, 40 2B, 7 3B, 27 HR, 188 RBI Career (HS): .436/.496/.624, 234 PA, 22 2B, 5 3B, 2 HR, 55 RBI The one and only college senior selected, Bob Power was drafted three rounds earlier last season by the Chiefs, and initially by the Kings in the 23rd Round out of high school. Powers had a nice power surge as a senior, hitting 10 of his 29 home runs this season. I think he'll be lucky to hit ten as a minor leaguer, but Dixie thinks he's got the potential to be an average power hitter. I don't think he'll get enough playing time to fulfil that, but he does project to have a decent bat. As a senior, he's the third and final player to get an offer today, and will fill a bench role on one of our lower minors teams. As an intelligent and well-spoken kid, he could be a good influence in the clubhouse, and he could eventually luck his way into a little bit of playing time. 17th Round, 263rd Overall: LHP Don Smith School: Wisconsin Catholic Cavaliers 1951: 4-6, 98.2 IP, 5.11 ERA, 1.67 WHIP, 63 BB, 77 K Career (COL): 12-21, 323.1 IP, 5.11 ERA, 1.67 WHIP, 63 BB, 77 K Career (HS): 26-10, 355 IP, 2.61 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 161 BB, 397 K Holy cow! These numbers are not pretty! Originally a 22nd Round pick of the Sailors in 1948, Don Smith had an ugly freshman season, tagged with a lofty 6.45 ERA and 2.09 WHIP. His junior year was the only of his three seasons he walked fewer guys then he struck out, with 214 across his first two seasons. The only thing he does well is hit 89 with his fastball, and Smith will be returning to Wisconsin Catholic for a senior season. 18th Round, 279th Overall: RHP Don Landis School: Shenandoah Valley State Blue Devils 1951: 4-8, 113 IP, 6.37 ERA, 1.81 WHIP, 69 BB, 63 K Career (COL): 13-22, 325 IP, 6.56 ERA, 1.97 WHIP, 240 BB, 151 K Career (HS): 26-8, 357 IP, 2.52 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 135 BB, 315 K Oh boy... This isn't any good... Don Landis will definitely be returning for his senior season at Shenandoah Valley State, as he was awful with the Blue Devils, including a 111 walk freshman year with a 0.4 K/BB that only beats David Molina. Just three pitches and a flyballer as well, Landis wouldn't ever be any good on the Cougars. There just isn't much to like. 19th Round, 295th Overall: 1B Dan Williams School: Gettysburg Warriors Commit McHenry College 1951: .429/.472/.551, 106 PA, 7 2B, 3B, HR, 26 RBI Career: .432/.480/.583, 229 PA, 19 2B, 3 3B, 2 HR, 52 RBI Dan Williams is a first basemen without power, and has some of the shortest scouting reports there are. He'll go to McHenry College. 20th Round, 311st Overall: CF Johnny McMillan School: Topeka State Braves 1951: .279/.349/.459, 244 PA, 3 2B, 3B, 12 HR, 41 RBI Career (COL): .272/.345/.459, 745 PA, 15 2B, 3 3B, 28 HR, 132 RBI Career (HS): .411/.486/.623, 481 PA, 31 2B, 8 3B, 13 HR, 114 RBI A center fielder with legitimate power, Johnny McMillan hit 10 homers last season and 12 more as a junior, totaling 28 in his three seasons at Topeka State. He has great speed and plays good defense in center, giving him a reasonable floor as a fifth outfielder. He likely fell due to some concerns about his temper, but I think we'll be able to fit him onto one of our minor league rosters. I don't expect him to get any starts, but despite being taken so late, he's one of the more interesting AI picks. 21st Round, 327th Overall: SS Owen Collins School: Carolina Poly Cardinals 1951: .270/.326/.435, 285 PA, 6 2B, 7 HR, 43 RBI Career (COL): .272/.333/.364, 823 PA, 20 2B, 2 3B, 15 HR, 130 RBI Career (HS): .402/.459/.615, 342 PA, 28 2B, 9 3B, 6 HR, 52 SB A member of the World Champion Carolina Poly Cardinals, Owen Collins was probably less thrilled with us taking him, and may instead want to join Frank Selander at Carolina Poly next season. A three year starter since he failed to sign as an 11th Round Pick in 1948, Collins' versatility is a natural draw, and he even hit 7 homers this season. Experienced everywhere but catcher, first, and pitcher, he could be the next Tip Harrison should I tender him a contract. The bat isn't very good, but he's got excellent range and plenty of speed. I'm sure injuries will take their toll, and if we need a stopgap of any kind Collins could be that. 22nd Round, 343rd Overall: C Bill Grigsby School: Mobile Maritime Middies 1951: .279/.381/.428, 260 PA, 6 2B, 9 HR, 48 RBI Career: .271/.373/.375, 715 PA, 18 2B, 15 HR, 112 RBI Three of the last four picks were catchers, and there's no way all three of them sign. There's even the chance none sign, but Grigsby has the advantage of being first. His work ethic will work in his favor as well, but there's not much to like about his bat. He did hit 9 homers, but a lot of college guys saw their power numbers increase, and he had just 6 the first three seasons. 23rd Round, 359th Overall: 3B Jim Carr School: Joliet Wolves Commit School: Weston 1951: .457/.505/.598, 105 PA, 8 2B, 3B, HR, 27 RBI Career: .425/.480/.586, 285 PA, 26 2B, 3B, 6 HR, 82 RBI The last non-catcher selected, Jim Carr is somewhat of a local kid, as he's from nearby Hammond, Indiana and went to school in Joliet. The home run power was gone for Carr senior year, but he hit a career best .457 with highs in OBP and WAR (1.5) before his selection. A smart kid who spent time at first and right as well as the hot corner, he got in to Weston for academic purposes and will likely be more successful in a traditional role then as a baseball player. He could be nice organization depth, but I don't envision wanting to cut someone for him. 24th Round, 375th Overall: C Duane Price School: Georgia Baptist Gators 1951: .280/.331/.417, 218 PA, 6 2B, 8 HR, 41 RBI Career: .266/.324/.364, 731 PA, 20 2B, 15 HR, 104 RBI A three year starter at Georgia Baptist, Duane Price hit .266 with 15 homers and 104 RBIs. He's a decent defender with a decent eye, but he doesn't make enough contact to be a useful hitter. There's also not much power, and I can't see him hitting more then 10 in a season. I envision him returning for his senior season. 25th Round, 391st Overall: C Bill Woods School: Lick-Wilmerding Tigers Commit School: CC Los Angeles 1951: .457/.505/.598, 105 PA, 8 2B, 3B, HR, 27 RBI Career: .425/.480/.586, 285 PA, 26 2B, 3B, 6 HR, 82 RBI The most interesting thing about Bill Woods is that he went to a school with the absurd name Lick-Wilmerding Tigers. A four year starter at the uniquely named high school, Woods his a weight lifter who happens to play baseball, and the strength he adds doesn't lead to home runs. He never hit higher then the .417/.483/.621 from his freshman year, managing just 7 homers in 94 games. Expect him to be taken earlier in three seasons when he's eligible again. __________________ Check out my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of the FABL!: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...12#post4571312

06-26-2024, 07:04 PM	#1460
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,727	Week 11: June 25th-July 1st Weekly Record: 4-2 Seasonal Record: 36-39 (5th, 17 GB) Stars of the Week Red Bond : 18 AB, 8 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .444 AVG, 1.085 OPS Pete Papenfus : 1 Win, 9.0 IP, 3 BB, 4 K, 0.00 ERA John Moss : 17 AB, 6 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI, .353 AVG, 1.071 OPS Schedule 6-26: Loss at Saints (2-3) 6-27: Loss at Saints (0-3) 6-28: Win at Saints (7-6) 6-29: Win vs Stars (0-4) 6-30: Win vs Stars (4-6) 7-1: Win vs Stars (0-3) Recap Well do you believe that? We actually swept a team! We still lost half a game on the Sailors, as the Saints took the low scoring games 1 and 2, and then we got the high scoring finale before the Stars sweep. Two guys made big statements for their All-Star candidacies, as Red Bond continued his excellent season. The veteran first basemen went 8-for-18 with his 17th home run of the season. I can't see a way he's not elected the starter at first base, as the 38-year-old has hit .338/.417/.606 (167 OPS+) with 7 doubles and 45 RBIs. It would be just his fourth selection, and second as a Cougar. Peter the Heater stayed hot too, throwing a 6-hit shutout with 3 walks and 4 strikeouts. He'll still pitch before the great, but today's the last chance to vote. He "finishes" 6-5 with a 3.04 ERA (139 ERA+), 1.20 WHIP, and 69 strikeouts, which might not be good enough for a fifth star. One guy who deserves to join Red there is Duke Bybee, who split his starts for the week. Bybee still pitched well in Montreal, going 7.2 innings with 8 hits, 3 runs, 4 walks, and 3 strikeouts. But when at home against a slugging Stars offense, he threw 8 scoreless innings with 6 hits, a walk, and 6 strikeouts. This improved him to 8-4 with a 2.64 ERA (160 ERA+), 1.07 WHIP, 50 strikeouts, and a 1.8 K/BB. His WHIP is almost ten points lower then the next smallest in the CA, and he leads in BB/9 (2.2), rWAR (4.3), and quality starts (13). He's top five in plenty of other useful stats, and is again pitching like the dominant pitcher he was when he first came up. Though the biggest news of the week is the recalling of the recently turned 24-year-old Elmer Grace. The 82nd ranked prospect has been ready for a while, and his 57 games with the Blues to start the season showed exactly why. The CWL standout hit .290/.400/.435 (139 OPS+) with 12 doubles, 3 triples, 4 homers, 27 RBIs, 32 runs, and 39 walks. The switch hitter will now get a chance to play regularly in the majors, just not at his traditional shortstop. That's always going to be Skipper, so Grace will move to second, shifting George Sutterfield over to third. The odd man out is the struggling Hal Wood, who hit just .235/.332/.296 (67 OPS+) in 226 trips to the plate. It's nothing like the player he was last year, as age (or the upgrade) hit him down hard. He's been DFA'd, though I can't see anyone claiming him. I may have to release him, as I already tried optioning our former 1st Round pick instead of DFA'ing. It would be a sad end to a solid 11 year career, as Wood has appeared in 1,341 games. He hit .294/.364/.388 (112 OPS+), adding 234 doubles, 548 runs, 474 walks, and 553 RBIs. Looking Ahead As we enter the break we alternate between road and home, starting with two in Brooklyn with the Kings. The Kings are in third despite being an even 37-37, and have recently announced they would take offers on Bob Arman (6-6, 4.82, 55). He's one of the many Kings who has struggled, as Ron Berry (4-6, 5.80, 55) and Leo Hayden (4-7, 5.79, 40) have been even worse. Even Ralph Johnson (.288, 12, 39) hasn't been himself, so it's surprising the Kings are just a sweep away from being over .500. Johnson has still helped the lineup, but Chuck Collins (.303, 13, 46) leads the team in homers and Charlie Rogers (.362, 3, 37, 13) actually leads the team with a 144 WRC+. Him and Collins are both over 140, and they've gotten great production from Fred Miller (.319, 6, 43, 7). They did just lose new third basemen Marion Boismenu (.318, 1, 14, 3) for what may be the the season with a broken hand. They have plenty of replacement options, but I hope former Cougar draftee Tom Brownleaf (.200, 1) is the one who gets the call up. I expect Ken Newman (.273, 5, 40) to go back to third, giving Chuck Lewis (.264, 8, 38) a new double play partner. The key to success will be scoring runs, but Berry has done well against us and Arman is still a quality pitcher. The next stop is home against the Saints, where we'll host a double header before the finale on the 5th. Two games in three days is always tough, and at 37-38 the Saints are the team between us and the Kings. They can changed things with the double header, but I expect to see the front three of Pat Weakly (6-5, 4.08, 59), Wally Doyle (8-4, 3.63, 64), and Pete Ford (5-4, 3.08, 38). Lucky for us, they don't hit many home runs, as just catcher Jess Garman (.225, 10, 36) has double digits. Maurice Carter (.237, 5, 25) has struggled through his worst season, as has Gordie Perkins (.229, 2, 20, 5), which has made it impossible for them to stay in the pennant race. When your best two players aren't performing, you're not going to win many games. They have a performing supporting cast of Joe Austin (.270, 5, 29, 10), Otis O'Keefe (.310, 5, 36, 4), and Luke Weaver (.267, 8, 49, 3), but without the stars there is only so much they can do. I like the matchup for our staff here, and if we can keep them in the park, we should win the series. We then end the first half of the season with three in New York, though for the first time since he stole a championship from us, we won't see Mack Sutton (.294, 18, 51), who was traded in a 1-for-1 swap with 39th ranked prospect Hub Armstrong. A former 6th Round Pick from Chicago, Hub was 5-5 with a 3.20 ERA (121 ERA+) and 42 strikeouts in 84.1 innings pitched with the Dynamos' AAA affiliate. The Stars rotation is in need of an upgrade, and they could put the 22-year-old right into the rotation. I'm not sure he's ready yet, but he's got a lot of upside, and could be a solid #2 in the rotation. They already have a future #1 in Paul Anderson (3-1, 1, 3.34, 24), who recently replaced Bob Allen as the #1 pitching prospect. He actually faced us last week, but we tagged him for 6 runs on just 3 hits and 4 walks in his first career start. He came an out away from a complete game, striking out 6 before he collapsed for a five run ninth. A pinch-hit Don Lee (.298, 3, 12) walk-off grand-slam spoiled Anderson's night, and I bet he hopes to avoid us this time around. If we see Ed Cornett (6-8, 4.01, 33), it may be the last time, as he's been directly shopped as the Stars look to retool. With all the young talent like Anderson and former #1 prospect Ralph Hanson (.328, 3, 22, 11) either on the big league club or in AAA, they're ready to start the next chapter as Bill Barrett (.271, 16, 56) continues in his 30s. Minor League Report LF Clyde Parker (AAA Milwaukee Blues): Clyde Parker didn't let the demotion or two weeks off of baseball get him down, as the 24-year-old returned to the Century League with a Player of the Week. Parker went 12-for-29 with 2 doubles, 3 homers, and 6 runs scored and driven in, now hitting .316/.378/.443 (135 OPS+) on the year. He has an excellent 146 WRC+ with 5 doubles, 2 triples, 6 homers, and 24 RBIs in 238 trips to the plate. I'd like to see him keep doubling like he did this week since I know there won't be many more three home run weeks. He's show he can hit minor league pitching, and even though he didn't get a chance in his first callup, I expect a second one where he should finally get that first at bat he's been waiting so long for. CF Jerry Smith (AA Little Rock Governors): It's no surprise a Governor took home Batter of the Month for July in the Dixie League, as our #1 prospect Jerry Smith was the Governor who took home the award. Currently ranked 6th, Smith slashed .301/.472/.656 (192 OPS+) with 6 doubles, 3 triples, 7 homers, 4 steals, 21 RBIs, 28 runs, and 31 walks. He's been so good all season that his .320/.429/.649 (178 OPS+) line is just as impressive, and the former 5th pick has added 20 doubles, 8 triples, 13 homers, 8 steals, 44 walks, 49 RBIs, and 64 runs. Already worth 4.4 WAR in 60 games, Smith has been outstanding for Little Rock, and he should follow Frank Reece up to Milwaukee shortly. I want Reece to get a little time in center on his own, and decide just exactly how I want to make room for Smith in AAA. It's only a matter of time before he's in Chicago, and part of me wants to completely tear down to usher in this new wave of talent. Class B San Jose Cougars: The Cougars swept the awards in the C-O-W League, as Phil Boyes took home the Batter of the Month and Mack Lyons the Pitcher of the Month. Boyes, 23, is currently waiting for a promotion to Lincoln, and has hit .310/.416/.498 (147 OPS+) with 16 doubles, 6 triples, 5 homers, and 39 RBIs. In June the line was an impressive .354/.459/.566 (177 OPS+) with 6 doubles, 3 triples, 3 homers, and 28 of his 39 RBIs. Mack was a perfect 5-0, working to an identical 1.06 ERA and WHIP. He did walk 20 in his 5 starts, but the younger Lyons struck out 34 -- good for a 19.7 K%. On the season he's 7-3 with a 1.77 ERA (215 ERA+), 2.77 FIP (72 FIP-), and 1.28 WHIP, striking out 65 in 86.2 innings pitched. __________________ Check out my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of the FABL!: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...12#post4571312