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Old 10-22-2019, 08:36 PM   #41
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Sunday, April 8th 1928 -- A Fresh Start

The club has arrived back in Montreal today, after playing the last spring training game in West Palm Beach on Friday (a 30-11 loss to the New York Stars; we don't want to speak of it again).

The trade of Phil Sandman means that Joe Fix will open the season in Montreal. He can back up all three outfield spots and get a couple of starts a week in center field.

And after Woody Armstrong fractured a bone in his foot last week, short stop prospect Charlie Rector will open the season in Montreal. He had started at class AAA Minneapolis last week, going 7 for 13 in their first four games.

In somewhat surprising moves, Chuck Morrison was named the starter at second and Alex Villarreal was given the first base job. Both Morrison and Villarreal were minor league free agent signings over the past couple of years, and both have shown some good power in the minors. Villarreal has hit 22 home runs in 82 games at Minneapolis.

No surprises on the pitching staff. The starters will be:

1. Charlie Stedman
2. Max Wilder
3. Frank Ellison
4. Al Allen
5. Rich Fisher

To open, the bullpen will have:

RHP Bobby Maxwell
RHP Roy Sherman
LHP Jim Walker

Charlie Stedman in particular had a really good Spring (only 1 earned run in 20 innings). I'm curious to see how this unit does this season.
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Old 10-24-2019, 05:56 PM   #42
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Monday, April 16th -- Hope Renewed

I love the optimism of Opening Day. Even on a cold and rainy afternoon in Montreal, 12,009 hardy baseball fans came out to cheer on the hometown nine. And they were treated to a good show. Right fielder Ollie Farley drove in three runs and the Saints prevailed 4-3 over the Baltimore Cannons.

The Saints went on the win all four games of the opening series against the Cannons, before falling to the New York Stars 6-5 in yesterday's contest.

Pitching was really the story over the weekend. Charlie Stedman, Max Wilder, Frank Ellison, and Al Allen all had strong outings. And the Saints even had a good chance to win yesterday were it not for relief pitcher Bobby Maxwell giving up two runs in the 9th inning.

Ollie Farley (.278-1-6), Pat Martin (.300-0-1), and Charlie Rector (.385-0-2) were the offensive stars.

This week we have three more games with the Stars before Baltimore comes into Montreal for one more game. The Saints then hit the road and visit Baltimore on Saturday and the Brooklyn Kings on Sunday.


l-to-r, Pat Martin, Ollie Farley

EDIT: I forgot to mention Henri Veron. Sacré bleu! "Frenchy" was not in the opening day lineup, but the second baseman ended up starting 3 of the 5 games, picking up six hits (two doubles and one triple) in eleven at-bats (.545-0-4).
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Old 10-25-2019, 05:04 PM   #43
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Monday, April 23th, 1928

Granted it's only been two weeks, but there is already a much different feeling surrounding this club than the 1927 edition.



We have gone 6-0 against the woeful Baltimore Cannons. We'll see if the good feelings can last as we match up against the rest of the Continental. But for now--and with four more April games remaining with the Cannons--we will enjoy this.

Charlie Stedman opened the week with a dominating 3-hit shutout of the Stars. Stedman went on to claim Player of the Week honors in the CA. For the week, Stedman registered 2 wins and no losses and allowed 0 earned runs. The 25-year-old also held opposing hitters to 13 hits and a .191 batting average.


Charlie Stedman

The offense has been lead thus far by Charlie Rector (.364-0-5) and Henri Veron (.364-0-6). Woody Armstrong returns from his injury this week and will resume short stop duties. Rector and Veron will split time at second. Armstrong has some second base experience, but neither Rector nor Veron has shown ability to play the same level of defense at short stop as Armstrong. Charlie Morrison (.188-0-1) will return to Minneapolis, where second baseman Victor Rodding will miss a significant amount of time due to a ruptured tendon in his finger. Rodding was starting at second for the Lumberjacks but is hitting only .167 on the season. Minneapolis also has veteran Hal Eason on its roster. Eason, who hit .162 for Montreal in 1927, is batting .155 for the Lumberjacks.


Henri Veron


Minor League News and Notes


24-year-old infielder Hub Strack was named the class A Heartland League Player of the Week. On the season Strack is hitting .415 for Evansville.

The first overall selection in the 1927 draft, Cliff Moss, made his class AA debut for Nashville last week. On the week, Moss hit .480 with 2 doubles and 1 home run.
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Old 10-28-2019, 02:08 PM   #44
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Monday, April 30th, 1928

The Saints have played mostly Baltimore and New York this April (with a single game against Brooklyn thrown in for good measure). We are an incredible 10-0 versus the Cannons--who finally notched their first victory of the season (against the Kings). At 12-6, Montreal is in line for one of their best months in a few seasons. Hopefully Charlie Stedman can continue his good start to the season today when Brooklyn visits and he matches up with reigning Allen Award winner Mose Smith.



And make no mistake, it's been the pitching staff--namely the top four starters--that's been driving this successful month:
  • Charlie Stedman (3-0, 2.67)
  • Max Wilder (2-1, 1.93)
  • Frank Ellison (2-2, 3.03)
  • Al Allen (4-0, 2.87)
There is some bad news on the pitching front, however. Al Allen had to leave yesterday's start against Baltimore in the 7th inning. This morning he was diagnosed with a ruptured disc in his back and will miss the remainder of the season. Allen had started the season pitching more like his famous father than a 23-year-old FABL sophomore. We wish him a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing him back at full-strength next spring.


Al Allen

The bats really have not been pulling their weight yet. Montreal has scored 75 runs on the season, good for 7th place in the CA--ahead of only the Baltimore Cannons who have scored a dismal 53 runs. The CA leader in runs scored is Cleveland with 126.

This is not too surprising, as the Saints have a young lineup. The only regulars over 25 are Bob Clements (26) and Eddie Rodgerson (30), and Eddie is known more for his glove than his bat. And some of the kids have been doing quite well. 25-year-old catcher Frank Haab (.298-2-10) leads the club in home runs and runs batted in. And 24-year-old infielder Charlie Rector (.383-0-6) was only on the roster because he was subbing for an injured Woody Armstrong; now he is forcing manager Francis Asberry to make an everyday spot for him in the lineup.


l-to-r, Frank Haab, Charlie Rector


Minor League News and Notes


Cliff Moss (.489-1-5 with 4 doubles, 9 walks, and 1 strikeout) has been terrorizing Dixie League pitching since he was promoted to class AA Nashville. Class AAA Minneapolis has been using Hal Eason (.200-3-9) in center field, and his 38-year-old legs are simply no longer up to that task. And so now Moss is being sent to Minneapolis to play center field. Ollie Farley (.181-1-6) has struggled in Montreal in the early going; I wouldn't be shocked to see Moss in the Montreal outfield later this summer (assuming he handles Century League pitching well).


Cliff Moss
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Old 10-29-2019, 02:29 PM   #45
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Monday, May 7th, 1928

Well, with the Baltimore Cannons off of the schedule, the Saints turned in a 0-6 week against Brooklyn and Cleveland.



And even with the 0-6 week, the pitching continued to hold it's own. With Allen's injury, 27-year-old Cat Spanos was recalled from Minneapolis. He drew a tough assignment in his first start: the red-hot Cleveland Foresters and their ace Bob Lawrence. Spanos did more than enough to hold up his end of the bargain, losing a 1-0 decision by giving up a home run to Russ Combs leading off the bottom of the 10th inning.


Cat Spanos

You can put the blame for this week squarely on the shoulders of the offense. There are rumors of tensions in the clubhouse. Al DeRamus had been a well respected hitting coach for years in Minneapolis. He was brought to Montreal this season to work with the Saints' hitters. But it would seem that DeRamus would prefer to work with veteran hitters, which runs counter to the youth movement currently underway in Montreal. I would keep an eye on this situation.


Minor League News and Notes


Mike Reed is a 25-year-old outfielder who has been on the Century League injured list since this spring. He is eligible to be activated this week, and to make room for him Hal Eason (.209-3-9) was put on waivers. I would suspect this is the end of Eason's career, and if so, it's a rather undignified ending. But there is just no room for a 38-year-old with a diminishing set of skills.


Hal Eason

Both Tony Morris (.125-0-0) and Ollie Farley (.177-1-6) have been struggling in Montreal. The value of Morris lies solely in his bat (I'm not even sure if he's been issued a glove). So Morris is being sent back down to Minneapolis and 1926 first round draft pick, Lee Griffin , is being called up to take his place. The 23-year-old Griffin has split time between Nashville and Minneapolis this season and has demonstrated a good power stroke, hitting .347-6-20 combined.
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Old 10-30-2019, 04:00 PM   #46
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Monday May 14th, 1928

On Sunday, April 29th, the Saints beat the Baltimore Cannons 1-0, in what turned out to be Al Allen's last start of the season. An 8-1 loss to Brooklyn the next day was the beginning of a 9 game losing streak. A streak which was finally broken with a 7-5 win over the Sailors last Thursday. The Saints benefited from a 10-0 record against Baltimore in April. We are now 4-17 against everyone else.



The performance of the offense is becoming concerning. The Saints have now scored the fewest runs in the Continental (107). This morning hitting coach Al DeRamus was asked to return to his position in Minneapolis. He refused and was subsequently fired. In turn, new Minneapolis hitting coach Henry McCready was summoned to Montreal. McCready is a proponent of generating power with an uppercut swing. He also has a good relationship with top prospect Cliff Moss (.368-3-19 combined), who was also promoted to Montreal. Moss has handled the pitching at each minor league level, and so there is not much reason not to bring him to Montreal to see what he can do. Lee Griffin (.125-0-0) is returning to Minneapolis so he can get regular at-bats.

Woody Armstrong is going back on the injured list with a sore shoulder. Armstrong is only batting .197 since returning from a broken foot. He could probably play through the injury, but with the potential impact on his throwing, there is no reason to take the risk. This allows Charlie Rector (.309-0-9) to go back to short stop where he is most comfortable. And it gets one of our better hitters this season, second baseman Henri Veron (.273-0-8), into the regular lineup.

Two key pieces of the lineup--third baseman Bob Clements (.215-0-6) and left fielder Jim Broome (.232-1-9)--are in dreadful slumps. I hope the change in approach of new hitting coach McCready can help them relax and get things turned around. Privately I had held hope for a .500 season; now I'm just hoping that the 10-0 head-start on Baltimore is enough to keep us out of last place.
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Old 10-31-2019, 03:42 PM   #47
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Monday May 21st, 1928

Montreal treads water at 3-3 this week; winning two games against Chicago before dropping 3 out of 4 in Toronto. The schedule does not get easier. The next 11 games are against Brooklyn and New York.



Cliff Moss made his FABL debut in Thursday's game in Toronto. Starting in center and batting second, he grounded out to the right side of the infield twice before lining a triple into the left-center gap. Eddie Rodgerson (.220-0-13) is dealing with a sore knee (and a cold bat). Eddie will get some time off this week as Moss starts in center and Joe Fix (.291-1-13) plays right field. Fix has been hitting well since being inserted into the lineup. He's batting .448 over the past seven days, including hitting for the cycle in Chicago last weekend.

As a unit, though, the offense continues to lag. The Saints are scoring 3.7 runs/game, the only FABL club to score fewer than 4 runs/game. The pitching has been allowing 4.3 runs/game, which is right up there with the best staffs in the CA--the Stars are tops at 4.2 runs/game--Montreal and Brooklyn are both allowing 4.3 runs/game. If the offense was merely league-average, that .500 record would not be just a pipe dream.

New hitting coach Henry McCready arrived in Montreal this past week. Bob Clements (.252-0.11) and Jim Broome (.263-1-12)--who were called out in the last update--both responded with averages above .400 for the week. So there may be light at the end of the tunnel that is not an oncoming train.

Max Wilder (3-2, 2.49) was a waiver claim from Baltimore last July. This season he is providing a solid veteran presence on a staff where Charlie Stedman (5-3, 4.27) is just getting a feel for being looked upon as the ace. Wilder is currently second in the CA in strike outs.


Max Wilder


Minor League New and Notes


Marty Nelson is a 22-year-old outfielder who started the year at class A Evansville and was recently promoted to class AA Nashville. Nelson hit 3 home runs this past week, giving him 9 on the season combined between Evansville and Nashville. Nelson was drafted in the 13th round of the 1926 draft out of Northern Mississippi. He hit 48 home runs for Evansville in 1927. But he also struck out 238 times (which accounted for 41% of his at-bats). He has lowered that dramatically in 1928--striking out in just 10% of his at-bats, and he hasn't lost any of the power. We'll need to keep a closer eye on Nelson.


Marty Nelson
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Old 11-01-2019, 02:23 PM   #48
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Monday May 28th, 1928

The was a palpable sense of dread surrounding the team at the beginning of last week. The offense was struggling in a major way, and Montreal was looking at 6 games against the Continental's two powerhouse New York City clubs: the Kings and the Stars.



So what happened? The offense kicked into gear, and the Saints won the first 5 games of the week--including a 3 game sweep of Brooklyn--before losing a 10 inning game to the Stars yesterday--a game in which Montreal led 4-2 heading into the 8th inning: a 5-1 week that was within spitting distance of a 6-0 week. There are 5 more games with Brooklyn this week--including a double header on Wednesday--before the Cougars arrive in Montreal for a 4 game series.

As mentioned, the bats seemed to come to life this week. After struggling all season to score even 4 runs/game, the Saints scored 6/runs a game against two of the top pitching staffs in the CA. Charlie Rector (.417-0-7 for the week) and Joe Fix (.400-1-4 with 8 runs scored for the week) led the charge. Cliff Moss (.240-1-2 with 5 runs scored for the week) also hit his first FABL home run. Moss has looked relaxed so far--keeping his head above water at the plate and playing solid defense in center. And after watching them play together for a couple of weeks, Moss is looking like a better center fielder than Fix, and Fix is looking more and more comfortable in right. For the next few weeks, that will be the Montreal outfield configuration: Broome/Moss/Fix.


Joe Fix

I've mentioned the starting pitchers and the success they've been having. That success has been in contrast to the rest of the pitchers in the "bullpen." Bobby Maxwell (2-4, 5.62) has been used as the primary fireman, and he has struggled. The Saints have lost at least 3 games in which Maxwell gave up the lead after entering the game, and there have been other instances where he has given up the lead, but the team has come back and won the game anyway. This is the 29-year-old Maxwell's first taste of the big leagues. Manager Francis Asberry is planning on using Roy Sherman (1-0, 0.00) more when the need for a fireman arises.


Minor League News and Notes


A follow-up on Marty Nelson: he hit two more home runs for Nashville last week, giving him 8 in 26 games for the class AA club. He has also struck out only 9 times in 103 at-bats. He is being promoted to Minneapolis to play right field for the Lumberjacks. It will be interesting to watch how he handles Century League pitching.
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Old 11-05-2019, 01:49 PM   #49
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Monday June 11th, 1928

After finishing April with a 12-7 (.632) record, Montreal played to a 11-16 (.407) record in May. But June has started well: 6-4 (.600) over the first two weeks. Next week has 3 games with Cleveland before the Sailors arrive in Montreal for a 4 game series.



Cliff Moss (.333-2-16) made his debut on May 17th. In the three weeks since, he has established himself as Montreal's best hitter. He has 10 extra-base hits in 69 at-bats. He certainly has looked worthy of the #1 selection in the draft. And after starting the season dealing with some nagging injuries, and subsequently having a very cold bat, Woody Armstrong (.232-1-11) appears to be heating up. Last week he hit .435 with 4 doubles.


Cliff Moss


The pitching, however, remains the story of the season. The Montreal staff is establishing itself as one of the CA's top staffs--along with Cleveland and New York. Max Wilder (7-2, 2.55) pitched brilliantly yesterday--shutting out Cleveland 1-0 on 3 hits. Wilder now leads the CA in ERA and strikeouts. If he keeps pitching like this, he may find himself on more than a few Allen Award ballots. And speaking of Allens--when Al Allen went down with his injury, Jack Barnet (5-0, 2.45) was called up from Minneapolis to take his place. He hasn't lost a game yet, and he was just named the CA's Player of the Week. In starts against Toronto and Chicago, he went 2-0, giving up 1 run and 11 hits in 18 innings. He also picked up 11 strikeouts.


Jack Barnet
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Old 11-09-2019, 10:57 AM   #50
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Monday, July 2nd, 1928

The calendar has turned to July and one-half of the season has been played. And it's a season that has been full of highs and lows for Montreal. On June 19th, the Saints beat the Cannons 11-10. The win gave Montreal an 11-7 record in June, and it looked as though the Saints may be turning a corner towards respectability. However, the Saints lost their last 11 games of June and enter July on that 11-game losing streak. A lot of that can be attributed to playing 6 of the 11 games against the New York Stars, who are currently riding a 14-game winning streak. It's definitely turning into a 3-team race in the Continental. We are still hoping we can hold on to the top spot of the 2nd division, and if Brooklyn starts a rebuild as rumored, there may be a chance to sneak into the first division.




The pitching staff had started to generate some buzz around the league, but the last few weeks has been tough on them. The biggest issue is that Montreal has no "defense-in-depth." Once you get past Charlie Stedman and Max Wilder--and if Stedman and Wilder are not on their game--things unravel quickly. Al Allen has been missed, though Jack Barnet has been a pleasant surprise. Frank Ellison's biggest problem is the lack of control. He is tough to hit, so if he managed to cut down on the walks, he could have success. Veteran Mike Vonderheide was claimed on waivers from Brooklyn (after being dealt to the Kings last summer). Look for Vonderheide to get some turns in the rotation. Ed O'Kelley--who we last saw in during Spring Training of 1927--has said his elbow feels strong enough to start pitching again. But we can't expect too much from O'Kelley after not pitching for 17 months.





The concerns about the bats have been well chronicled. What's really concerning is the complete lack of power. There are some bright spots--the emergence of Joe Fix, Cliff Moss, and Charlie Rector in particular. I'm not sure if I should be worried yet about Jim Broome. Perhaps trading Phil Sandman and turning the leadership over to Broome was too much for the 25-year-old, but he has shown signs recently of getting his season turned around. I am, however, very worried about Bob Clements. His clubhouse leadership helps solidify his position, but he will need to get straightened out at the plate.


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Old 11-12-2019, 04:01 PM   #51
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Monday, July 16th, 1928

Shakeup in Montreal





On June 19th Montreal had a record of 34-30. Since then, the Saints have had a dreadful 3-week stretch, winning just 4 out of 26 games. There had been talk internally that this would be Francis Asberry's last season as manager. 39-year-old bench coach Joe Ward--who just retired last season as a player--has a good relationship with the young Montreal core. And Ward is much closer in age to the current roster than the 60-year-old Asberry. In light of the past three weeks, the future is now.

This morning Asberry was relieved of his duties as manager. He will transition to the front office, where he will work alongside the general manager. Joe Ward will take over as manager. For his career, Asberry has 889 wins, good for 20th place on the all-time list.


l-to-r, Joe Ward, Francis Asberry
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Old 11-15-2019, 01:41 PM   #52
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Monday, August 6th, 1928



Merde. Talk about a season unraveling quickly. On the eve of the summer solstice, Montreal had a record of 34-30. Two 90 loss, last-place seasons seemed to be in the past. Things were looking bright. But from June 20th on, the club has a record of 7-36 (.163). Merde.

All we can do is turn towards the future.We are going to be taking a look at some young players over the last couple of months. First up--third baseman Mel Almasy and first baseman Lee Griffin.

Current third baseman Bob Clements (.218-1-21) had an intriguing debut season in 1927. He doesn't possess a lot of power, but he has tremendous speed (44 stolen bases in 1927, 12 so far this season). To take advantage of that speed, he needs to get on base. But for this season, that's happening in less than 30% of his at-bats. Mel Almasy is actually the same age as Clements (26). Almasy was a 7th round draft pick in 1923 who has impressed at class AAA Minneapolis, hitting .393 with 7 home runs in 49 games.

The Saints have been searching for an answer at first base for a few seasons now. Pat Martin (.238-2-32) and Alex Villareal (.255-2-11) have been playing there this year, with Martin being the primary starter. Neither of them have shown the bat to stick, though both have good gloves. Villareal can also play third base, so he's a good bench player to have around. Lee Griffin is a 23-year-old who was drafted in the 1st round in 1926 as an outfielder. He was moved to first base at class AAA Minneapolis this season as that appeared to be his quickest route to Montreal. And while he's still learning the position, that didn't slow down his bat. Griffin started the year in class AA Nashville, and when you consider his performance across the levels (.301-20-70), he is one of the organization's top bats.


l-to-r, Mel Almasy, Lee Griffin
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Old 12-04-2019, 04:49 PM   #53
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Tuesday, October 9th, 1928

End of Season Recap




On paper, the Saints won 2 more games than they won in 1927 and they didn't finish in last place. And so while that's "better," quite honestly I didn't see a lot of progress. In fact it was more of a regression than anything. As a club, the Saints hit just .255. They've only had one other season below .260 in the past 20 years. There is some empty comfort in the fact that the .255 average was not the worst in the CA. Toronto hit .251, though the Wolves scored more runs because they hit for a little bit more power. The game is changing and the Saints are stuck hitting like a deadball-era club.

Let's see if we can find any bright spots in a positional review:

C - Frank Haab (.279-4-54) and Ed Pinkham (.238-1-15). Haab and Pinkham are both in their age-26 season and both are solid backstops. Haab is about league-average with the bat, and that stands out as a leader on the club.

1B - Alex Villarreal (.265-3-16) and Pat Martin (.238-2-34). Neither Villarreal nor Martin stepped forward to really claim the position. Villarreal has a terrific glove, so he probably has the inside track for 1929. 23-year-old outfield prospect Lee Griffin (.182-2-14) was given a good look over the last couple of months, but he seemed completely lost at the plate.

2B - Charlie Rector (.292-0-39) and Henri Veron (.246-1-29). 24-year-old Rector came up as a shortstop and is learning second base at the major league level. So with that factored in, it was a decent debut season. Veron brings a good glove and can play multiple positions--plus he is a Quebecois who grew up just south of Montreal.

3B - Bob Clements (.238-2-31). Clements led the club with 19 stolen bases, but it was a very disappointing season for Clements, who had hit .285 and stole 73 bases over his first season and a half.

SS - Woody Armstrong (.256-4-47). Armstrong dealt with injuries at the beginning of the season and then struggled to find his timing when he returned to the lineup. The 23-year-old was the center piece of the Wayne Robinson deal with Cleveland last year and is still looked at as Montreal's shortstop of the future.

LF - Jim Broome (.262-6-68). Add Broome to the list of Saints who would just like to forget that 1928 ever happened. The season the 25-year-old Broome had in 1927 prompted the club to trade Phil Sandman to the Keystones. Montreal needs Broome to be a force in the middle of the lineup.

CF - Cliff Moss (.309-10-57). The 22-year-old was the #1 overall pick in the 1927 draft and tore through the minor leagues this year, forcing himself into the big-league lineup by the end of May. He then established himself as the Saints's top bat down the stretch.

RF - Joe Fix (.266-3-48). There were some bright moments for the 24-year-old, but he struggled a bit towards the end of the season.

No question--this is a young lineup. Haab and Clements are the oldest starters at age 26. Moss (who looks like a legitimate star), Fix, and Rector were rookies in 1928. If Broome and Clements can have bounce back seasons, and if Armstrong, Rector, and Fix can each take a step forward, then there is a chance Montreal sees some real progress in 1929.

And as much as the offense struggled, the pitching impressed. 26-year-old Charlie Stedman (15-14, 3.78) established himself as the anchor of the rotation, and 31-year-old Max Wilder (16-10, 3.33) provided a solid veteran presence behind him. 24-year-old Al Allen was 4-0 with a 2.87 ERA in April before back problems sidelined him for the season. 26-year-old minor league journeyman Jack Barnet (10-11, 4.26) impressed when given the opportunity. And a pair of 22-year-olds wait in the wings: Walker Moore (16-11, 4.44 at class AA Nashville) and Frank Pratt (18-11, 4.90 at class B Mobile). As a staff, the Saints finished 4th in the CA, behind Philadelphia, New York, and Cleveland. Things will get very exciting if this group can take another step forward in 1929.
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Old 12-05-2019, 03:40 PM   #54
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Wednesday, October 10th, 1928 -- Prospect Report

As we prepare for December's amateur draft, I wanted to do a rundown of the Montreal prospects who are currently ranked in the top 150 prospects by the FABL scouting service (OSA). Overall, Montreal's farm system is not highly thought of, ranked 15th out of 16.


Prospects Report (OSA rank in parenthesis)


1. P Walker Moore (28)

The 22-year-old Moore was acquired last off-season from the Keystones in exchange for Phil Sandman, Jimmy Endler, and Erv Smith. Moore was originally drafted out of high school in the 1924 draft by the Keystones with the first overall selection. After spending his first 3 seasons with class A Allentown, he pitched for class AA Nashville in 1928, finishing with a 16-11 record and a 4.44 ERA in 264 innings. The wins, ERA, and innings were all career-bests. Not surprisingly for someone that came straight out of high school, he has struggled with his control at times. But he posted his best BB/9 rate as a professional in 1928: 3.8 BB/9, which was 1 BB/9 better than 1927. And despite Nashville having a park that is slightly home run-friendly, Moore allowed just 8 home runs (.3 HR/9) , with only 2 home runs at home. The plan is for Moore to spend 1929 in class AAA Minneapolis, though he will be in Spring camp with Montreal.

2. P Spike Manifold (66)

The 21-year-old Manifold was signed in December of 1925 as an undrafted free agent. He is an instance where OSA's view of a player's potential differs from the organization's view. The team's scouts see Manifold as a pitcher who will make the occasional spot start out of the bullpen. He pitched for class AA Nashville in 1928, finishing with a 4-12 record and a 4.91 ERA in 141 innings. Manifold does potentially have swing-and-miss stuff. As a high school senior in 1925, he struck out 76 batters in 50 innings. For class A Evansville in 1927, he struck out 157 in 159 innings. His strike out rate declined in 1928 --only 42 in 141 innings. He will probably begin the 1929 season in class AA Nashville again.

3. IF Jake Allen (68)

The 25-year-old Allen is another case where OSA is higher on a player than the team's scouts (or maybe that means we need to re-evaluate the team's scouts). Allen was originally drafted in the 1st round (14th overall) by the New York Stars in 1922. Released by the Stars in 1924, he was signed and released by the Washington and Cleveland organizations before signing a minor-league deal with Montreal in June of 1925. He split time in 1928 between class AA Nashville and class AAA Minneapolis. In 89 games for Minneapolis, he hit .276 with 14 doubles, 7 triples, and 3 home runs. Allen can play both second and third base. Considering Bob Clements's struggles at the plate in 1928, Allen will be closely watched in Minneapolis next year.

4. 2B Jack Brown (70)

The 21-year-old Brown was drafted out of high school in the 1925 draft in the 3rd round (44th overall). He enjoyed his best season in 1928 playing for class A Evansville. He hit .294 with 25 doubles, 20 triples, and 34 stolen bases in 134 games. It's been his defense that has held him back.

5. 3B Gil Williams (76)

The 20-year-old Williams was a 10th round (156th overall) selection in the 1925 draft who has struggled to find his bearings as a professional. He did have his best season in 1928, hitting .366 with 28 doubles in 100 games for class A Evansville. But like Jack Brown, until he improves his defense, he will have limited opportunities.

6. OF Frank Moseley (92)

Moseley is a 23-year-old who was drafted in the 6th round (85th overall) of the 1926 draft. In 77 games for class AAA Minneapolis in 1928, he hit .306 with 8 doubles, 5 triples, and 9 home runs. Moseley is a natural center fielder, and with Cliff Moss currently in Montreal, Moseley will be given some time in right field and at first base in 1929.

7. OF Lee Griffin (121)

The 23-year-old Griffin was drafted in the 1st round (5th overall) of the 1926 draft. In 1928, after hitting .302 with 21 home runs in 111 games for class AA Nashville and class AAA Minneapolis, he was given a 45 game cup of coffee in Montreal. He struggled, hitting just .182. Griffin is another natural center fielder who is being tried at first base. I would expect to see both Griffin and Moseley spend some time in Montreal in 1929.
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Old 12-06-2019, 11:12 AM   #55
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Thursday, October 11th, 1928

SAINTS AND FORESTERS ANNOUNCE DEAL


Montreal -- A press conference was held this morning at Parc Cartier in which the team announced a trade with the Cleveland Foresters. Montreal will be sending P Max Wilder, minor league OF Frank Moseley, and minor league 1B Gene Hand to Cleveland in exchange for OF Felix Bradfield, minor league IF Ernie Herndon, and Cleveland's 2nd round pick in December's draft.


-----



Some thoughts on the principals:

P Max Wilder -- Wilder was claimed off of waivers from Baltimore at the end of July, 1927. He started 44 games for the Saints, going 20-13 with a 3.36 ERA in 343 innings. He was a big reason why the pitching staff was one of the club's strengths last season, but at 31-years-old, he will be on the downside of his career by the time the Saints are ready to compete again. And Cleveland is trying to win now. A rotation of veterans Wayne Robinson, Mose Smith, and Max Wilder will go a long way towards helping them close the gap with Philadelphia.

OF Frank Moseley -- Moseley was mentioned in the last prospects report. He hit .306 with 9 home runs in 77 games for class AAA Minneapolis in 1928. He is a good defensive center fielder, and he is close to being ready. With Cliff Moss in Montreal, the plan was to play Moseley in right field and at first base in 1929. Cleveland sees Moseley as a center fielder and as a defensive upgrade over Bobby Allen (who will probably shift to right to take over Felix Bradfield's spot).

1B Gene Hand -- Hand is a 22-year-old who was drafted in the 8th round (117th overall) in 1926. Playing for class A Evansville in 1928, Hand hit .282 with 12 home runs in 83 games. Hand profiles as a slugging first baseman, which was tough for me to give up. The biggest question for Hand will be his pitch recognition as he moves up the minor league ladder.

OF Felix Bradfield -- The 26-year-old Bradfield was a 20th round selection out of high school by the New York Gothams in the 1920 draft. He was traded by New York to Cleveland in 1926 for pitcher George Davis. He debuted as a center fielder for Cleveland in 1927, hitting .301 with 19 doubles and 23 stolen bases in 143 games. He split his time between center and right last season, hitting .316 with 20 doubles and 12 stolen bases in 86 games. Bradfield is expected to take over in right field for the Saints, where rookie Joe Fix had struggled as the primary starter. Fix will be the 4th outfielder, backing up the other positions.

SS Ernie Herndon -- The 21-year-old Herndon was acquired as a minor league free agent by Cleveland. He is an elite defensive shortstop. The big question is will he hit well enough to make it to the FABL. Playing for class AA Toledo in 1928, Herndon hit .284 with 22 doubles in 121 games.

Overall this wasn't an easy deal to make. I like Wilder a lot, and he fit into the young rotation in Montreal very well. And I suspect Moseley will be a good one. But pitching is a strength, and we are picking up a good, young outfielder in Bradfield who will hopefully help us elevate the last place offense in the CA. I will always like slick fielding shortstops, so Herndon fits in well with us. And the additional 2nd round selection will give us 3 of the top 26 picks in what I'm expecting to be a good draft class.
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Old 12-06-2019, 12:37 PM   #56
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SAINTS TO LOWER TICKET PRICES


Montreal -- At the same press conference this morning, it was also announced that ticket prices would be lowered by 10%. In 1929 it will cost just .85¢ for an afternoon of Saints baseball. General Manager Francis Asberry said that this is a thank you to the loyal fans of Montreal for sticking with the club during the rebuilding process.
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Old 12-07-2019, 09:40 AM   #57
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Monday, November 5th, 1928

HAL EASON RETIRES


A press conference was held today at Parc Cartier where Hal Eason formally announced his retirement. Eason lost his roster spot this spring and had started the season in Minneapolis. After hitting .203 in April--and struggling to play the outfield--Eason was released in the beginning of May. The suspicion at the time was that this was the end of Eason's career, and that turned out to be correct.

Eason debuted as a 20-year-old in 1911 and was a large part of the renaissance of Saints baseball. From 1911 through 1921, Montreal averaged 81 wins a season and won 4 pennants and 2 world championships. Eason retires having played in 2279 games, collecting 2173 hits, 373 doubles, 170 triples, and 269 home runs. The 269 home runs are 2nd all-time behind Max Morris (and he probably has 3 or 4 years before Kellogg or Masters will pass him).
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Old 12-08-2019, 10:42 AM   #58
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Wednesday, December 5th, 1928 -- Amateur Draft

As the 1928 draft is currently underway, here's a quick recap of the Montreal selections through the first 3 rounds.

1.7 P George Thomas, Niagara Falls HS

This draft class is pretty good for pitching. There appears to be a decent quantity of quality arms, particularly college arms, available. Because of that, I was pretty focused on a taking a college player here. But we had identified George Thomas as one of the top high school arms available. I wouldn't have been surprised to see him go in the top 5. High school pitching is always risky, but when he was available at 7, I felt that we had to take him.

Thomas is a tall (6'1"), lanky pitcher out of upstate New York. He throws a heavy, sinking fastball. As a senior he went 10-2 with a 2.22 ERA in 105 innings, walking 24 and striking out 112. As a three-year starter, he compiled a record of 25-5, 2.34, with 269 strikeouts and 61 walks in 273 innings. Thomas is pretty eager to start his professional career, so it should be a quick signing.


2.6 3B Monte Jordan, New York HS

Another high school selection? There were two high school players that we thought had elite power potential: 1B Frank Shropshire (who went 3rd overall to St. Louis) and 3B Monte Jordan. Shropshire may have a tick more raw power, while Jordan may make more contact. Shropshire does have the more mature glove; I wouldn't be surprised to see Jordan eventually move to 1B. But I really thought Jordan was a first round selection, so when he was available here, well, you know the rest.

As a 17-year-old junior, Jordan hit .451 with 25 home runs in 40 games. He seemed to drop off a bit as a senior, hitting .404 with 15 home runs in 41 games. But he also increased his walk rate by 50%, so I suspect he was being pitched much more carefully. Overall in 101 high school games, Jordan hit .409 with 44 home runs, 26 doubles, 46 walks, and 37 strikeouts. That's good for an OPS of 1.267. And like Thomas, Jordan is excited about the prospect of a professional career, so it should be an easy signing.


2.12. P Jim Adams, Dickson College

We had the extra 2nd round selection from October's trade with Cleveland. So here we take our first college pitcher. The 21-year-old Adams was a 3 year starter for Dickson, though his first two years were rather pedestrian. Something seemed to click as a senior as he compiled a 9-2 record with 1.97 ERA, striking out 120 and walking 28 in 114 innings. Overall, his college record is 21-14, 3.21, with 318 strikeouts and 107 walks in 317 innings. Scouting director Rufus Randle, who is pretty hard on pitchers, thinks Adams can contribute to the bullpen immediately, so it will be pretty interesting to watch his development.


3.6 P Howie Snyder, Northern Mississippi

Snyder, a 21-year-old from Glassport, Pennsylvania, has been on Montreal's radar for a while. We drafted him out of high school in the 12th round of the 1925 draft, but at the time he preferred to attend college. It appears to have been the correct decision. He was put into the rotation as a junior, and he compiled a 9-3 record with a 3.66 ERA, 129 strikeouts, 35 walks in 133 innings. He followed that up with a strong senior year: 10-2 with a 1.98 ERA, striking out 97 and walking 24 in 100 innings.
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Old 12-09-2019, 02:46 PM   #59
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Wednesday, December 5th, 1928 -- Amateur Draft, continued

(Editors note--typically the human GMs will draft the first 10 rounds and then the AI is used to finish out the draft in-game. Here are my thoughts on Montreal's selections in rounds 4 through 10. And you get a bonus 11th round because I skipped over the 10th round pick in the initial draft.)


4.6 1B Doc Allen, Berkeley High School

5.6 1B John Patterson, Maryland State


There is a lack of organizational depth at first base in Montreal--to the point that we are converting outfielders to move to first. And I just traded my top first base prospect (Gene Hand) to Cleveland; so I wanted to try and get some first basemen into the system, and we did that with both the 4th and the 5th round selections.

Allen is a big (6'0") 18-year-old who was born in Odessa, Texas and attended high school in Berkeley, California. A bit of a late bloomer, he didn't insert himself into the Berkeley Bears lineup until mid-way through his junior year. As a senior, he was the full-time starter, hitting .408 with 12 home runs and 11 doubles in 40 games. He had another 6 home runs as a junior in 21 games. He played in a total of 61 games in high school, hitting .381 with 18 home runs and 16 doubles for an OPS of 1.122.

Patterson is a 21-year-old from Sparks, Nevada who was a two-year starter for the Bengals, hitting .314 with 26 home runs and 29 doubles in 100 games.


7.6 OF Frank Reinke, Worcester High School

For all my talk about wanting college players in this draft, John Patterson was the first college bat I selected. The 7th round selection, Frank Reinke, is an 18-year-old high school outfielder from Worcester, Massachusetts.

A semi-regular player early in his career, Reinke generated interest with a good senior year, hitting .402 with 10 doubles, 2 triples, and 10 stolen bases in 39 games. He hit .365 with 18 stolen bases in 75 career games. Reinke has a solid but not spectacular glove that plays similarly in all 3 outfield spots.


8.6 C Rod Hays, Niagara Falls High School

Hays is a 19-year-old catcher from Niagara Falls where he was a team-mate--and battery-mate--of first round selection George Thomas. Hays profiled as one of the better hitting catchers (he hit .293 with 7 home runs in 49 career games) in the draft with big questions concerning his defense (21 passed balls in those 49 games). More than anything though, Hays was drafted because of his relationship with George Thomas. Assuming they both sign, I would suspect to see them playing--and rooming--together next summer for the class C Dubuque Dukes.


9.6 OF Bert Mitchell, Toledo High School

Another high school outfielder (the Dubuque club will be interesting to watch) out of Toledo, Ohio. Mitchell has a high baseball IQ, plays solid defense, and has good speed. His 24 stolen bases were good for 2nd in the nation in 1928. A 3-year starter, he hit an even .300 in 118 career games with 26 doubles, 3 triples, and 8 home runs. The average was pulled down a bit by a .215 average in his first year. He hit .365 (with a .435 on-base percentage) as a senior.


10.6 OF Leo Thornell, Somerville High School

Stop me if you heard this one before, a high school outfielder with speed and question marks on defense. Thornell sat out all of 1927 with a non-baseball related illness. He came back as a senior and hit .380 with 14 doubles, 10 triples, 5 home runs, and 11 stolen bases. I'm excited about Thornell. I hoping his missing 1927 caused his draft stock to fall a few rounds.


11.6 OF Frank Gustaveson, Philadelphia High School

Yes, another high school outfielder, and another profile similar to Bert Mitchell: question marks around the ability to make contact, but solid defense and speed. As a senior, Gustaveson hit .293 with 10 doubles, 3 triples, 2 home runs, and 19 stolen bases.
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Old 12-10-2019, 12:09 PM   #60
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Monday, December 10th, 1928

Another amateur draft in the books, and the next order of business is signing those draft picks and preparing for the Rule 5 draft. It would be a good time for a quick look at the current extended roster for Montreal. There are 38 players on the roster, which means there are 2 positions open. Those could be filled with internal protections or a selection in the Rule 5 draft.

(Bold indicates likely to be on active roster)

C - Frank Haab, Ed Pinkham, Jim Schaffer, and Lew Stiles

All four catchers are 26-years-old. Schaffer and Stiles give us some injury protection. They'll be playing in Minneapolis.


1B - Alex Villarreal, Pat Martin, Lee Griffin, Tony Morris

Lee Griffin just started to play at first base last season, so he'll open 1929 as the starter in Minneapolis. Tony Morris's spot on the roster is tenuous. Martin has the inside track to be the backup.


2B - Charlie Rector, Henri Veron, Ernie Woodrow, Chuck Morrison

Rector is the starter, Veron can backup second, short, and third. Woodrow can play also play short and at first. Morrison's spot on the roster is tenuous.


3B - Bob Clements, Mel Almasy, Jake Allen, Dick Boyer

One of the positions (along with first) that's most in flux. Clements and Almasy will enter Spring Training in a time-share. Allen and Boyer will be in Minneapolis waiting for the first sign of trouble.


SS - Woody Armstrong

Rector, Veron, Woodrow, and Allen can all play short stop.


OF - Cliff Moss, Jim Broome, Felix Bradfield, Eddie Rodgerson, Joe Fix, Al Swain, Ollie Farley

If I had to wager, I'd say Joe Fix is the 5th outfielder. Swain will be out of options.


P - Charlie Stedman, Al Allen, Jack Barnet, Frank Ellison, Rich Fisher, Mike Vonderheide, Roy Sherman, Clyde Lincoln, Bruno Mack, Joe McCoy, Cat Spanos, Ed Trammell, Jim Walker, Sam Young

The Max Wilder role needs to be filled--that could be Fisher, Vonderheide, Walker, or Young.
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