FABL Pittsburgh Miners

[BadluckinOOTP]

This was a strange draft for me. My previous scouting director James Marcou had his contract expire because frankly, I wasn't paying attention to that page of the game. So, when the amateur draft came I was without a scout, and totally reliant on the BNN scouting reports (stats only league, remember?), and the stats the players put up in their college or high school circuits.

I have a new scouting director now, George 'Mountain Man' Heuer. He had a brief career at the turn of the century, and seemingly did something unrelated to baseball for a couple of decades and reappeared as an excellent scout. I tried to hire him straight up, and even offered him a decent chunk of cash, but I should have went for broke and offered 20,000 or something, since cash doesn't really mean anything right now. I was outbid by Brooklyn, and left scouting directorless.

So I traded for him. Two draft picks. I figured if I'm in a stats only league investing in a guy with an 'outstanding' rating in scouting amateurs, and two 'excellent' ratings besides that, will hopefully pay off.

So, the next handful of drafts will be interesting as I will rely heavily on the reports of Heuer until he gives me reason not to, and I'll take his word with quite a bit of weight.

Heuer has had a chance to look over my class this year and he isn't all that enthused. We had the 9th overall pick with our .500 record.

*Some of these guys haven't signed, but I expect them all too except maybe Taylor, who has went from 'very hard' to 'impossible', but I'm offering him a big chunk of change so hopefully he accepts.

1. R/R SS Johnny "Shadow" Guzzo, Toledo HS

18 year old slick fielding shortstop, who I think is a shoe-in to be a solid defensive SS for a lot of years. The question is will his bat come around. He put up a career .378/.434/.645 slash line in 539 career at bats in high school. But, his senior year was his worst. The new scout doesn't care for his bat, we'll see how he handles the new C ball team in Jackson, Mississippi.

2(a). Joe Taylor P/OF R/R, Norfolk HS

Okay, so I had two 2nd round picks, and they've both turned out to be strange. I drafted Taylor as a pitcher, on the basis that the game had him as a very hard signee, and at one point, I swear the game said he wanted a major league contract. The scouting report was okay, but I figured I'd take a risk.

Now, the weird thing is that I drafted him as a pitcher (with middling statistics), but the game has converted him to CF, where my new scout thinks he has the talent to really be a good outfielder, even though he had just 12 plate appearances in his high school career. So, I think I'll try him as a two way player and see how it goes in Jackson for him, if he signs of course.

2(b). P/1B L/L Rocky Crawford, Whitney College

*The pick I received from the Stars for 1B Dave Trowbridge

Same thing with our first college pick, Crawford. I picked him thanks to a strong junior season, and probably trusting in the BNN scouting report too much. After being average as an underclassman, He went 6-0 in 12 games, with a 2.64 ERA and 10.2 K/9, and he's never done a thing offensively. 5-70 in his career. But, like Taylor, the game has made him an offensive player initially, in this case, first base. And Heuer thinks he has a solid, if unspectacular bat.

For both of these guys, I'm going to see if I can get a scouting report for the original position I drafted them at, pitcher, and go from there. I specifically wanted pitchers with my two second round picks, but if Taylor is a stud CF, I'll have to oblige.

3. R/R OF Al Haines, Philadelphia HS

Hit .367/.428/.620 as a senior with 14 stolen bases. Good defensive statistics in CF in 119 HS games, +9.6 ZR.

Another uninspiring report from Heuer, but the speedy outfielder looks like he has the intangibles and skills to at least be a bench player. His defense and baserunning are good enough that even a competent offensive game make him a contributor.

4. L/L OF Lennie Vaughn, Chicago Poly

The 21 year old is toolsy, and never quite lived up to his potential in college. But, he's very athletic, plays a good outfield and has a lot of raw power, the question will be if he ever taps into it. Our scout, Mountain Man, really likes him.

.286/.358/.397 as a collegiate, which is right at league average. His freshman year was his most productive and each declined after that. Spokane is where he'll begin.

5. L/L OF Cy Bell, Austin HS

This guy I just took because of his stats, while scanning statslab. OPS'ed 1.074 in a 14 game injury shortened senior year. OPS+ of 140 in his 426 HS PA's. Will be a corner outfielder as a pro, but did play a bit of center as an amateur.

No 6th round pick, due to the trade with Brooklyn for our new scouting director.

7. L/L/ P Gene Thompson, Sacramento HS

The game is trying to change his position too, but I won't let him. Gene Thompson throws one pitch, a fastball, but he throws it more than 100 mph. And virtually nobody throws that hard in the FABL right now. So, I just want to see what he'll do. A lefty that can throw 100? He'll have an opportunity in my system until his arm falls off. But, there's not a player in this draft more destined to start in Jackson than Thompson.

It's not like he made a fool of himself in high school. 222.2 innings and a 2.99 ERA, and just 2.3 BB/9. 16-9 record.

8. L/R 3B Bobby Marsh, North Carolina Tech

A sure handed third baseman who showed power potential his junior year with 13 homers in just 212 at bats. The question is will the other parts of his offense round into shape. A few third basemen that I wanted were picked right before I was hoping to nab them, and I think I panicked a bit by reaching for Marsh, when I probably could have had him a few rounds later.

.269/.354/.511 as a junior. 138 OPS+

9. L/L P Dee Robinson, Queens HS

A control artist who missed his entire junior year due to injury. As a senior he went 2-4 with a 3.25 ERA in his 8 starts, but walked just 9 in 55.1 innings. Even my new scout is amazed by his control, even if he thinks the other parts of his game stink. Will be in the rotation in Jackson.

10. L/R P Chet Dodds, Sacramento HS

Probably wishes he had missed his whole junior year due to injury after an 8.28 ERA in 13 games out of the bullpen. But, as a senior in the rotation, he had a 3.80 ERA in 7 starts. Mountain Man doesn't think much of him.

11. R/R P Bud Webb, Opelika State

Had a fantastic sophomore year, 8-0 with a 1.98 ERA, but fell down to earth a bit as a junior, going 3-1 with a 3.21 ERA. The scout likes him alright and thinks he has a big league arm, even if he'll eventually be a 5th starter/mop up guy. Certainly held in higher regard than Dodds.

12. R/R Fred Toole, Maryland State

Career 3.92 ERA in 193 collegiate innings (115 ERA+), pretty hard thrower and has a nice curveball. Might work better in the bullpen.

13. R/R IF Snipe Heifner, Central Ohio

Had a solid junior year, .337/.400/.449 with 10 stolen bases. He played 2B the last two years, but really struggled in the field. He was better last year than he was the year before, so I'm hoping it is just a case of needing to develop. But, he's going to be 22 already in his first pro season, and I'm hoping the bat is developed enough to handle Spokane and maybe Gary. But, if he ends up having to play first, his FABL hopes vanish.

We pick 12 guys besides the ones above, but I had no say in them, and hopefully someone down there rises out of that ooze and becomes a useful player.

[BadluckinOOTP]

Elemer 'Bum' Selders was the manager when I inherited the Pittsburgh franchise, and he stayed on for the last year of his contract and carried our 70-84 record in 1927, and then we went our separate ways. He's currently the manager of the AAA Buffalo Nickels, an affiliate of Toronto.

With the hire, my first as GM of the Miners, I took what I think is an unconventional route and hired 62 year old Hawaii native Tom Hawkins. Unless American imperial history is different in this timeline than ours, that means Tom Hawkins was born 1866 in the Kingdom of Hawaii. I'm curious to how his parents ended up in Hawaii, presumably missionaries.

As far as his managing career, it's been all minor leagues and it's been extensive. Denver, Harrisburg, Worcester, Des Moines and Omaha mark his spots on the minor league merry go round, but it is his run for the Omaha Cowboys that made me want to hire him. He was there from 1919 to 1927, and made the playoffs 5 times, and won two Heartland League Championships. And knowing literally nothing about the Brooklyn Kings minor league talent level in those years, I'm going to say it was mainly Dan Hawkins' managing that found that success. He has a career 1,522-1,393 record.

I also wanted to experiment with a controlling type personality, which Hawkins has. I hardly ever play with coaches in my solo leagues, so I have very little experience with hiring managers or identify good coaches, or what the personality types mean. Easygoing vs controlling and all that. I figure controlling has to have some positives to it. But, I liked Hawkins' record, and we made it to .500 last year to boot, so he gets another year.

For what it is worth his relationship and development are both listed as 'average' for the team right now, which predictably I'm neutral on. I'm still not sure how to interpret a lot of this data, but we're going to ride with Hawkins on a year to year basis for now, until I figure out a little bit more about hiring coaches.

I filled in a lot of spots pretty quickly, trying to hire guys with experience at all possible for all of the affiliates, including a brand new coaching staff in Jackson. And that is where I did make one thoughtful hire and that's 36 year old Ollie Jordan being the manager of the Jackson Junipers. His style is listed as tactician, and his strategy is very geared to stealing, shifts, and playing L/R matchups. Will that be successful in this era or at the levels he'll be managing in for the foreseeable future? Well...we'll see.

In a perfect world, I groom this guy to be the eventual Miners manager. He's got a 3 year contract with the Junipers, however, he might just move up the ladder as success dictates, because if he's an effective manager, he'll be that no matter the level by my figuring. But, I'm sure as far as clubhouse management goes, he'll need some experience before making to Pittsburgh.

[Tiger Fan]

Great to see Hawkins finally get a big league shot. He spent 9 seasons with the Kings organization at Class A Omaha and counting time in Des Moines, spent the last 13 years in the Heartland League. He did a pretty good job for the Kings, won a couple of league titles and helped a number of good young prospects, including former King and current Miner Jim Renfroe, move up the chain. Kings just felt it was time for a fresh voice so we did not renew his contract this year.

[mjj55409]

Originally Posted by Tiger Fan

Great to see Hawkins finally get a big league shot. He spent 9 seasons with the Kings organization at Class A Omaha and counting time in Des Moines, spent the last 13 years in the Heartland League. He did a pretty good job for the Kings, won a couple of league titles and helped a number of good young prospects, including former King and current Miner Jim Renfroe, move up the chain. Kings just felt it was time for a fresh voice so we did not renew his contract this year.

There's a great story there, with Hawkins and Renfroe both in Pittsburgh now.

[BadluckinOOTP]

Originally Posted by Tiger Fan

Great to see Hawkins finally get a big league shot. He spent 9 seasons with the Kings organization at Class A Omaha and counting time in Des Moines, spent the last 13 years in the Heartland League. He did a pretty good job for the Kings, won a couple of league titles and helped a number of good young prospects, including former King and current Miner Jim Renfroe, move up the chain. Kings just felt it was time for a fresh voice so we did not renew his contract this year.

Another Pittsburgh-Brooklyn connection is my hire of Jacob Mitman as my hitting coach after 3 years in Brooklyn. I'm sure Doug has filled Frank in on Mitman over Christmas.

[Tiger Fan]

Originally Posted by BadluckinOOTP

Another Pittsburgh-Brooklyn connection is my hire of Jacob Mitman as my hitting coach after 3 years in Brooklyn. I'm sure Doug has filled Frank in on Mitman over Christmas.

Mitman had 3 good seasons with Brooklyn and had a real good relationship with Lightbody, but we slipped as a team a little offensively this past season. I don't blame Mitman at all, but I have a good collection of young hitters with some power potential and our new hire, 61 year old Monroe Johnson, is said to work very well with young power guys so we made the change.

[BadluckinOOTP]

Spring Training will kick off before too long, and there are still a few things I'd like to change. I'd like to add a veteran starting pitcher to put in the bottom of the rotation. With Smith, Morrill and Goodwin, we've got a nice trio. I'd really like to keep Simmon in the bullpen, and I don't expect Marco Ramirez to be much this season, due to his walk rate. I'd like to grab one more solid guy to plug in at 3 or 4, and make it a competition between Reynolds, Gause, Palmer and Ramirez for the 5th spot.

Of course, I actually have to make the trade. I've reached out for a few guys but have gotten a bit of a tepid response, I'm hoping the weekdays will rouse some things. I think our pitching is going to be really strong again, and I'd like to lean into that, if that's going to be our route to success.

The other thing I'm keen to do is make Hank Swenson my starting first baseman this year. I didn't quite realize the year he had in the Century League last year for the St. Paul Disciples. .294/.337/.513 with 20 homers and 93 RBI's last year. They aren't the most amazing stats, but as I've now realized, they are in the context of the Century League.

In the 8 team Century League, he was:

• The only guy to slug .500+
• Led the league total bases with 269, the next guy was at 218
• Led the league with 93 RBI's, second place was 70.
• 60 extra base hits, second was 42.

His horrible, horrible defense in RF kept his WAR down, but based on his college defensive stats at 1B, it looks like he can defend at least adequately.

This (again) is a stats-only league, and I feel like those stats are telling me he needs to be in the FABL.

And, that means I need to see what I can get for George Simpson. He had a very good year last year, and Heuer thinks he's a solid player with 20 homer power. He was better than half the 1B in the league last year, so I should get some real value for him.

[BadluckinOOTP]

As previously mentioned, Simpson would need to be on the move and he is indeed.

We ship 1B George Simpson to the Cleveland Foresters for SS Pete Asher and a 6th round pick in next year's draft.

As mentioned, Swenson will most likely move into the starting lineup (though Joe Watson will be given several starts at 1st in the spring), which made Simpson, a solid first baseman, expendable.

In return we get Pete Asher, a 22 year old shortstop out of Council Bluffs, Iowa. He was the first guy taken in the 1926 Rule 5 Draft, and spent '27 at the end of the bench in Cleveland, getting into 30 games and 53 at bats, hitting .264/.316/.302 while he soaked up FABL quality training and coaching.

With his Rule 5 mandate satisfied, he returned to the minor leagues where he ran roughshod over the Union League. For the AAA Cincinnati Steamers he hit .332/.419/.452 and played solid defense at shortstop, with a +7.1 UZR. Shortstop is still clogged by Doc Nowack, but he had a bad season last year, and I'm not necessarily optimistic that he's going to turn it around.

Asher is a left handed hitter which plays a lot better in the cavernous Fitzpatrick Park that I play in than the right handed hitter Nowack does. He'll get a lot of action in the spring, and likely be the starting SS for St. Paul to begin with.

Of course, the added 6th round pick is gravy.

I'm still hoping to add a starting pitcher soon, so another post might appear soon!

[BadluckinOOTP]

One thing I was aware of that happened was that Simpson leaving hurt fan interest, as he was a favorite. But, what I didn't quite catch was that he's an excellent leader in the clubhouse and even as just a 2nd year (soon to be 3rd) player, he was a leading force in our clubhouse. We'll see just how much intangibles matter.

[BadluckinOOTP]

For the most part, our roster is pretty ironed out even with 3 weeks left in Spring Training and a lot of games to run through.

C - Pool has it sewed up and Squillante will be the backup.

1B - Swenson has to be the favorite, especially after trading Simpson.

2B - Welch has the job.

3B - Johnny Allen.

SS - Doc Nowack is the guy, but Tom Hawkins already thinks newly acquired Pete Asher is superior, and he might end up getting a big chunk of the starts by the end of the year. But, Nowack will be in the lineup opening day.

LF - Tom Hopkins will be back in LF, where hopefully his bat rebounds a bit and he does a fair impression of a FA worthy #3 hitter.

CF - Tony Henderson will patrol CF at least until Renfroe returns in June. If Henderson is playing too good to sit, then Renfroe will likely move to RF.

RF - An actual competition. Bob Burgess was the guy by the end of the season last year, but I think Casstevens still has some juice and of course the youngster Lightbody isn't going to go away quietly. Even veteran Bob Grant, who until last year had been a very consistent .300+ hitter has the bat worthy of some starts. I think Burgess and Casstevens have the advantage right now, and will get the first crack at it. I'd like for Lightbody to get 150 at bats or so at St. Paul and force his way to Pittsburgh.

There are some battles for bench spots, and I'm not quite sure how it will pan out. I know John Barber will have a spot, and a few of the aforementioned outfielders will make the team. I'm torn on a guy like Art Wells, who I think makes a decent backup middle infielder, but is still young enough that he would benefit from regular playing time in St. Paul.

Pitching staff:

Jim Smith, Hap Goodwin, Bill Morrill in the rotation and Mike Hicks and Bob Simmon have spots designated in the bullpen. After that, we have a large mass of humanity fighting for the last 3 or 4 spots.

I'm still hunting that vet SP, but I'm not getting much of a bite on my various calls. But, if that doesn't come to fruition, two of Walt Palmer, Dick Reynolds, Spencer Gause and Marco Ramirez will take those last two spots. For any of the first three guys, if they don't get a rotation spot, the AAA rotation will be their destination. Ramirez potentially could be in the bullpen if he doesn't earn a starting spot, even with his 3.18 ERA last year (3rd best in the FA), his ugly walk rate and BABIP luck gives me zero confidence.

[BadluckinOOTP]

March 26, 1929

- Ed Scovell

Watson's One Track Mind

Joe Watson has always loved to hit. It's the one thing in his life that has always come naturally.

"I just know how to do it." Watson says.

He's interested in it too. "He loves being in the cage, I do know that," new Miners' hitting coach Jacob Mitman said about Watson. "He knows what he wants to accomplish each day in the cage and he's going to accomplish whatever he's set out to do, but I haven't had too many conversations with Watson yet." Watson notoriously has been chilly towards the various hitting coaches and managers who have tried to give him advice at the plate or even as a player overall.

"I just don't need their help, I suppose." says Watson, "just look at the ledger each year, what are they going to tell me that I don't already know?"

Curtness aside, the statistics make a fine argument. .328 last year in AAA St. Paul, .348 with 106 RBI's the year before in AA Birmingham. When he's been given consistent playing time, he's done little else but hit. But, it wasn't until a change in management late in 1926 was consistent playing time even a possibility.

For a man who so obsesses about hitting, his interest in the other aspects of the game lie on the opposite pole. "There's nothing more satisfying than hitting a ball hard and nothing more tedious than waiting around for some other guy to hit." said Watson. His managers back to high school have bemoaned his lack of attention to the other parts of baseball. "He'd get picked off at 1st, because he'd get caught daydreaming going through his at bat in his head." said his high school coach Lionel Albertson. "And unless things have changed I doubt think he's ever put a honest days work at practice when it comes to fielding."

Albertson paused for a moment after his criticisms, then conceded about the 26 year old, "But, the boy can hit."

The lack of defensive chops and the absence of initiative to get better largely limited Watson to pinch hitting duty. His first 5 years in the pros he received a total of 20 starts. After the hire of Emmett Brothers, a mandate was handed down to the Birmingham and then the St. Paul coaching staffs: Watson's name is in the lineup every day and he's kept complaints to a minimum, because his offense has had so much impact that neither of the staffs at Birmingham or St. Paul wanted his name out of the lineup as the season continued on.

Watson finally got a crack at FABL play last fall, and had 8 hits in 22 at bats, including a home run and it looks like he'll have some more opportunities this spring in Pittsburgh. Watson's currently out of options and the Miners do not seem to have any interest in letting Watson get away for free.

"He'll probably break camp with us." Manager Tom Hawkins said. "He can't go to St. Paul, so he'll pinch hit some." If Hawkins sounds begrudging in the print, it's even more blatant in person. Hawkins hasn't been shy to say in the past that Watson's defense displeased him. "It's hard to watch."

Watson's defense and its unpleasant aesthetics is why that if you do happen to catch a game at Fitzpatrick Park this year and you see Joe Watson it'll only be for as long as his at bat and his adventure on the basepaths last. Barring injury, the 6'3", 225 pound Watson isn't expected to see an inning at 1st base, as Hank Swenson, suddenly the organization's darling is slated to get as many starts as he can handle. If Swenson fails to perform for whatever reason, Watson stands to absorb those starts.

"I'm hoping that doesn't happen." Hawkins said when approached to the idea. Even with the long list of negatives, the lackadaisical baserunning, the lazy, sloppy attention to defense and lack of desire to get better; Hawkins has to admit that the one thing Joe Watson seems to be interested in is something worth complimenting.

"But, if we did have to do it." Hawkins said, then paused seeming to put serious consideration if he should let a compliment slip out of his normally reticent lips. "The young man can hit."

[BadluckinOOTP]

Midway through Spring Training we pick up our long (like two weeks real time!) sought after starting pitcher. We pick up Luke Smith from the New York Stars for minor league catcher Ralph McLean.

Smith is a lefty who has been incredibly consistent in the CA over the last 13 years. He's never had an ERA over 4, has won 10+ games every season and does a decent enough job throwing strike. He has a career record of 198-169 with a 3.17 ERA and a 118 ERA+. But, he is 35, which explains why I got him somewhat cheap.

We gave up McLean, a promising looking catcher with some real pop in his bat. He had 56 doubles and 12 homers to buoy his .290/.335/.500 line in class B Spokane last year. I was planning on playing him some at 1st this year, but now I won't get the chance.

Smith will slot right into the #3 or #4 spot in the rotation and hopefully have another fine season. The big issue now is that we have two Smith's in the rotation now, Jim and Luke.

[BadluckinOOTP]

Have to get the roster down to 23 before opening day, and unfortunately a major cog of the Miners makes it a little easier for me by getting a season ending injury. Bill Morrill, who went 13-16 with 3.13 ERA came down with a major elbow injury in his last outing of the spring and will be done until the end of the year, though he MIGHT be able to come back in September.

Since, we're already talking about pitching, here's the staff going the first week of the season:

Rotation:
(1)Jim Smith - 0-4 with a 13.17 ERA in 4 spring starts, but is coming off of a 17-9, 2.99 ERA season...I'm hoping it's a major hiccup and not a sign of an ugly 1929 season. He'll start opening day, especially after the injury to Morrill.
(2)Hap Goodwin
(3)Luke Smith
(4)Walt Palmer - inconsistent in spring, but the former 2nd overall pick has the pedigree and minor league stats to get a crack at the rotation
(5)Marco Ramirez - his high BB/9 rate continues to scare me, but the last few years, despite the walks, he just gets outs.

Bullpen:
(6)Bob Simmon - after being unceremoniously dropped from the rotation and excelling in the bullpen last year, I'm going to make him the full time stopper and really try to manipulate the bullpen settings to make manager Tom Hawkins really rely on him out of the pen
(7)Mike Hicks
(8)Nelson Salcedo - after the injury to Morrill, he's going to get the 8th spot on the pitching staff. He struggled last year in FABL play with a 6.03 ERA, but did okay in '27 and has excelled at St. Paul the last few years. He's got the ability to pitch in long relief and throw 5 or 6 innings out of the 'pen if need be.

Dick Reynolds is injured (which seems to be a common occurrence for him) but it isn't a big one, and hopefully he'll return and be able to pitch some for St. Paul before getting called up to Pittsburgh. BNN thinks he's a top pitcher in the FA, though I disagree.

Spencer Gause is well though of by the national scouts and pitched okay in the Spring, but I'd rather him get some starts in the St. Paul rotation, than get bullpen appearances in Pittsburgh.

Synopsis: The Morrill injury is a major problem. BNN thinks he's one of the top pitchers in the league, and even though he was extremely BABIP lucky last year, he was going to be the opening day starter this year, given J. Smith's horrible spring.

Catcher: (9) Jim Pool (.324, 2, 5) and (10) Curt Squillante (.185, 0, 3) are easy choices. Pool will probably bat cleanup or 5th for us, while Squillante will get the majority of his starts against lefties, though I'm disappointed by his lackluster performance this spring.

1st Base: I've leaned into (11) Hank Swenson (.279, 1, 8) hard, and traded away a solid 1B in George Simpson to let him play. His spring wasn't much, but he'll get two months worth of starts at least to prove himself. (12) Joe Watson (.313, 0, 3), a precursor to the era of the DH, will make the team as well due to being out of options. He's a good lefty hitter, but a horrid defender. He'll be solely a pinch hitter for at least the first part of the season.

2nd Base: Jim Welch (.545, 0, 1) will miss the first couple of weeks with an injury, which means (13) Art Wells (.400, 0, 5) will get the opening day start at second. Wells was horrendous last year in 164 FABL at bats, but I think he can approach a league average bat and play very good defense. When Welch returns, Wells is likely to spend some time in St. Paul. Also making the squad is (14) Jack Shelton (.371, 0, 5). The 24 year old got into 8 games in 1926 for the Miners, but has spent the last two seasons in the minors doing a decent job. He's out of options, like Watson, and will make the team due to it. He does have some versatility, unlike Watson, he plays a very solid CF in addition to his average defense at second.

3rd Base: (15) Johnny Allen had a horrible start to the spring, but went 5 for his last 5 and salvaged his spring stats (.278, 0, 3) and he'll hold onto the starting job, though he didn't really have much competition. (16) John Barber will make the team as well, he's a slick fielding third baseman who runs the bases very well and will make for a fine reserve.

Shortstop: (17) Doc Nowack (.286, 0, 5) is hoping for a bounce back season after a lackluster '28 season. He's a popular player who has had several good seasons in his career, so hopefully last year was an outlier. Newly acquired Pete Asher is going to start in St. Paul as the AAA shortstop. One more guy who is making the team due to lack of options is (18) Les Krentz (.325, 0, 6), who has limited range in the middle infield, however he's versatile and has shown the ability in the minors to hit a little bit.

Leftfield: (19) Tom Hopkins will stand out in LF and watch fly balls go careening by him, but hopefully he'll get those runs back at the plate, his spring stats (.378, 2, 8) are promising.

Centerfield: (20) Tony Henderson (.241, 0, 5) is our best defensive outfielder but is a very streaky hitter. He'll be the man in CF at least until Renfroe comes back.

Righfield: (21) Bob Burgess (.400, 1, 10) has earned the opening day start in RF after a solid '28 season and a productive spring. (22) Clint Casstevens and (23) Bob Grant will make the team as well. Grant will be resigned to pinch hitting, while Casstevens will get some playing time in right and steal a few starts from Burgess. Casstevens is perpetually upset that he's not in the starting lineup though. But, he can play a solid corner OF and runs well, so he'll have to deal with it.
My opening day lineup will look something like:

1. RF Bob Burgess
2. SS Doc Nowack
3. LF Tom Hopkins
4. C Jim Pool
5. 1B Hank Swenson
6. 3B Johnny Allen
7. CF Tony Henderson
8. 2B Art Wells
9. P Jim Smith

With Welch (who I planned to bat leadoff) and Renfroe (who was the leadoff hitter in virtually every game he played in last year) both out, I'm not sure who the leadoff guy will be. I lack a lot of speed and on base skills right now, and I don't trust either Henderson or Wells to bat leadoff at the moment, even though they are my best baserunners.

[BadluckinOOTP]

With the injury to Morrill, I was back to where I was prior to the Luke Smith trade in regards to the depth I wanted at SP to start the season, so I went out and grabbed one more veteran starter. This time it is ground ball pitcher Ernie Henderson who turned 34 on the day I traded for him. He's been around the FA for a while and is used to the high octane offense that reside in it and I'll presume to say he's had a few outings where he's been bandied about.

13-19 with a 4.73 ERA last year, but 16-18 with a 3.96 ERA the year before. In 1,788 career innings he has a ERA+ of 93.

I think the cavernous Fitz Field and hopefully my defense will lower his ERA even if it is superficially. But, it does allow me to get Marco Ramirez back to the bullpen and would then bump Nelson Salcedo back to St. Paul where he will join the rotation. A constant in these last few posts has been my aversion to putting Ramirez in the starting rotation. He's wild, but so far in his career he manages to get outs. If he can keep making a fool out of me in the bullpen, he'll be back in the rotation at some point.

Going back to the Minutemen is our 6th round pick (leaving me Cleveland's 6th rounder from the Simpson deal) and A ball pitcher Duncan Graham. Graham has spent the last two seasons at B Spokane, and has struggled in both seasons, though he did lower his ERA by nearly 2 runs between '27 and '28. But, he's by all accounts a hard worker and a hard thrower at 90 mph. A project to be sure.

I'm feeling slightly optimistic for the season, which isn't something I've had yet in charge of the Miners. I think our offense will be surprisingly good, if guys stay healthy. And I like the staff I've assembled, even if I am very concerned about Jim Smith's horrible spring. If we can stay healthy and get Renfroe back, I think we're a pretty good ball club.

[BadluckinOOTP]

AAA St. Paul Disciples

Hitters

I really think this team is going to knock some heads around in the Century League, at least to start the season. Pete Asher will play SS, and he was a 5 win player in AAA last year. My outfield is LF Milo Nelson, CF Frank Lightbody and RF Eddie Wilson. All three of them are well though of by my scout, and Lightbody gets all the attention, but Milo Nelson is one to watch as well. With Watson and Swenson both in Pittsburgh, Oscar Morris gets a crack at 1B. He had an OPS+ of 139 last year for Birmingham. The 22 year old will get a lot of opportunities to knock in runs this year. He'll be Rule 5 eligible after this season, so this is a pivotal season for him. It will probably come down to him or Joe Watson on the 40 man. I can't have too many all bat, no-glove 1st basemen taking up spots. When Welch returns, I'm planning on having Wells come down to play 2B, and if that happens, they will really be a tough team offensively.

Pitchers

Spencer Gause will likely be the first guy up in case of injury or lack of performance. Zack Hayward had a great spring and performed adequately in the Pitcher Hell that is Birmingham, so I'm optimistic the 25 year old will do well in St. Paul. The rest of the guys are just veteran arms filling spots.

AA Birmingham Ironmen

Hitters

A lot of potential future role players on this team, not much in the way of starters, by my reckoning. I'm hoping 23 year old Paul Smith proves worthy of his promotion to the 40 man this off-season. He hit .347/.393./.440 last year which is above average even for the Dixie League. I'm hoping he proves to be dominate after a month or two and then force his way to St. Paul. 3B is the one real weakness for the AAA squad anyway. Addie Adkins hit an obscene number of singles in Gary last year, hitting .359. I'm hoping the power starts showing up a little bit. George Craig and Mickey McCullough are the SS/2B tandem respectively this year, both are decent prospects with the bat, less so with the glove.

Pitchers

Clyde Briant was 6-13 with a 5.22 ERA last year for Birmingham, but he's one of the few guys in the minors that my scouting director thinks might even sniff the majors, so he's the #1 guy for Birmingham this year. If he can get to league average, he'll get called up to St. Paul pretty quick.

A Gary Steelmen

Gary has been horrendous the past 3 seasons, 29, 31, 47 are the win totals for the last 3 seasons. I actually think they have a chance to jump to .500 or greater. 1. Because there is a talent increase, but also because there are some brand new independent teams that have some pretty weak rosters right now, and I think we'll beef up on wins with them.

Hitters

Our top prospect Ed Stewart will play SS for Gary this year. He's got major power potential and it started to show up last year with 21 homers for B Spokane. Unless he just destroys the league, he'll get the season in Gary and I'm hoping for a repeat in the power numbers this year in a tougher offensive environment. C Charlie Jackson and OF Al Fletcher are both too old for the league, and are repeating this season, making them pretty good players for the Heartland. Both of them need to show improvement or be swallowed up by the next few draft classes. Babe West is a top notch defensive outfielder and hit a singles filled .275 last year. I'm putting him in left this year to increase his versatility. I'm always a sucker for good backup defensive outfielders.

Pitchers

Our 3rd round pick in '27 was Roy "Pepper" Lynch, he did very well in the C-O-W League for Spokane and held his own in Gary after a promotion. The strike thrower is going to repeat for Gary, but if he does well, he could be throw into the lion's den in Birmingham by summer. Eddie Bloom was a 15th round pick in '26, and did much better in a repeat season in Spokane, going 7-8 with a 4.65 ERA, which is a big better than average in the C-O-W league. My scout thinks he'll be solid, which again is a rare thing for him. The manager at Gary, former big league manager Benjamin Square has him as the #1 starter.

B Spokane Lumberjacks

Hitters

Spokane had a bad season as well, but should have a solid offense if nothing else. Top 100 prospect Brooks Meeks really struggled at the plate this year, but he's back at his original position SS after a season at 2B, and I'm looking for him to have a breakthrough season. OF Joe Taylor was taken as a pitcher, but apparently he's better at the plate and he's proving it. In the minor league camp (long story...but there was one this year) he dominated hitting .353/.459/.490, while playing all 3 outfield positions. I almost put him in Gary, but figured he should get a spring in Spokane first. I'm also excited to see Lennie Vaughan play, he had pretty average numbers in college, but our scouts love his raw talent and think he'll produce.

Pitchers

20 year old John Briel got into 2 games last year (5 ip, 10.80 ERA if you're interested), but something happened over the offseason, because suddenly my scouts are wondering if he's not ready to play in the majors. He did very well in the minor league camp, 12 innings, 2 runs 9:1 K/BB ratio, so maybe there is something to it. He'll get promoted as he proves he needs to be. I'm hoping he's the real deal and he makes it up 2 or 3 levels this year. Rocky Crawford was my 2nd round pick, and he looks like he's a better hitter than pitcher. But, I'm forcing him into the rotation. Like a diaper, I'll change him if he stinks.

Jackson Junipers

Our new affiliate with our young new coach, 36 year old Ollie Jordan. I'm hoping to groom Jordan for the Miners job eventually. I like his extreme coaching tendencies and am interested to see how they do in this era He'll get his first crack at pro managing with a franchise's inaugural season.


Hitters

He does get 1st round pick and 9th overall SS Johnny Guzzo, who has elite defensive abilities, but a questionable bat. If he can get his bat to league average, I think he becomes a solid player and a worthy 1st round pick. Last year's 2nd round pick Dick Simpson hardly got to play for Spokane last year, and he's going to begin the season in Jackson and will be learning a new position in 2B. I'm optimistic that he won't be in Jackson too long.

Pitchers

I'm excited by the control artist that is young lefty Dee Robinson. He pitched decently in the minor league camp, throwing strikes and getting ground balls. I think he'll have a strong campaign in Jackson. The 100 mph thrower Gene Thompson is in the bullpen and I have no idea how he'll do, so he'll be a point of interest as well this season.

[BadluckinOOTP]

Rather than try to keep up with any sort of regular season updates for my FABL Miners, I've decided to just go all in on a post season update each year. And, so here we are, October 7th, 1929; the Miners will not be playing another game until next March in Spring Training, and even though there is still a World Series to be decided between the Detroit Dynamos and the Philadelphia Sailors, from our perspective it's time to do an overview of the organization as we head into a new decade.

1926: 60-94, 8th, 36 gb
1927: 70-84 (the year I took over), 7th, 15.5 gb
1928: 77-77, 4th, 18 gb
1929: 73-81, 5th, 18 gb

We finish in 5th place, 18 games behind the Dynamos, and it was a season that found us fighting from the bottom all year long. 25 of our first 31 games were on the road, and it found us 8-22 on May 17th and 14.5 games back of a red-hot Boston Minutemen (who we ended up finishing ahead of by the end of the season).

So, if you can throw that stretch out the window, we were a pretty competitive team, 65-59. Even though it wasn't the season I was hoping for, we did have a few exciting developments. Catcher Jim Pool and outfielder Frank Lightbody emerged to look like both current and future FABL stars. Both of them had excellent seasons and were the highlight of the '29 season for the Miners' faithful.

Manager Tom Hawkins will get one more year at the helm for the Miners, but a +.500 record is mandatory.

AAA Century League: St. Paul Disciples

1927: 57-83, 7th, 32 gb
1928: 72-78, 4th, 13 gb
1929: 74-66, 3rd, 5 gb

New manager George Melvin had a decent amount of talent to help him out this year, especially offensively with outfielders Milo Nelson and Eddie Wilson. 25 year old Leo Proctor went 17-5 with 4.06 ERA. George Melvin has been promoted to bench coach for the Miners for the upcoming season.

AA Dixie League, Birmingham Barons

1927: 73-67, 4th, 4 gb
1928: 52-88, 8th, 36 gb
1929: 69-71, 4th, 11 gb

The Barons had some very strong offensive performances in the souped up Dixie League, and a handful of promising pitchers who held their own in that environment.

A Heartland League, Gary Steelmen

1927: 31-109, 8th, 66 gb
1928: 47-93, 8th, 42 gb
1929: 83-57, 4th, 22 gb

After two straight years of absolute futility, the Steelmen made a major leap in the standings this year, thanks mostly to the new, independent teams in the Heartland League that acted as punching bags for the affiliated teams. Gary finished 4th out of 5th of the affiliated teams, while Terre Haute, Springfield and Davenport trailed the pack with 46, 33 and 32 wins, respectively.

S A, California-Oregon-Washington League, Spokane Lumberjacks

1927: 46-94, 8th, 50 gb
1928: 51-89, 6th, 48 gb
1929: 55-85, 7th, 28 gb

Spokane started out great, 15-7,and then just cratered afterwards. Most of the players that led the team the first month or two were promoted by June and the remaining players and any replacements from Jackson couldn't maintain. Pitching was the main issue for the second half of the season.

B Gulf States League, Jackson Junipers

1929: 52-71, 7th, 32 gb

The inaugural season for the Junipers and the first year as manager for 37 year old Ollie Jordan. They struggled to generate offense as a very young team. Despite the lackluster record, the Miners' front office has a lot of patience and high hopes for Jordan and he'll get several more years at Jackson to prove himself.

[BadluckinOOTP]

*all ages as of October 1929.

L/R Jim Pool, 24
Acquire: Trade with Brooklyn Kings, 1927



I mean, what can you say, but...DAMN! I had high hopes for him to be a steady power hitter (the first in Miners' history), but I didn't expect this. Early in the season, he was sitting some against lefties to get Squillante into the lineup, but by mid-year it was evident he was going to crush the opposing pitcher no matter what he threw the ball with. I'm going to try to get him some reps at 1st, to allow his bat to stay in the lineup. I can't afford to have a hitter that good sitting 30 games a year.

A true MVP candidate and my cleanup hitter.

R/R Curt Squillante, 25
Acquired: 1922 draft, 4th round




He got off to a very strong start, and he was regularly getting starts against lefties over Pool for the first half of the season, but as he slipped a bit and Pool surged, he quickly got left as a one start a week, if that, guy. At this point, he seems complacent to be a backup, and I hope it stays that way, because I think he makes for a great one. He bats the opposite hand as Pool, so it matches up great, and I think he's going to have a steady bat.

L/R Charlie Ward, 22
Acquired: Minor league signing, 1926



I honestly don't remember if I signed him or if the guy before me did, or maybe the computer in some interim period? I think it was me, though. So, we'll go with that. I also don't have his photo in-game, so I'm using the HTML reports picture of him, which is still his Atlanta Peaches HS hat.

Ward is on the 40 man roster, and even got a tiny sip of coffee at the end of the season. He's a lefty bat, which is a shame since he'll forever be secondary to Pool. But, he does seem to have the ability to hit some singles, as he's shown the last 2 years in AA Birmingham. He scuffled a bit in AAA, but showed a keener eye and my scout thinks he has the potential to have an elite one. For Ward's sake, it's unfortunate Pool is so good and unless he falls off or gets hurt, Ward will be St. Paul. But, if his walk rate truly does increase and he can manage to stroke .300 in AAA, he'd become very tradeable, very quickly.

R/R Charlie Jackson, 24
Acquired: 1926 draft, round 5



Oddly enough, I drafted him over Pool and I remember going back and forth between the two and picked Jackson because he had better defensive reports. But, I also didn't realize at the time how slanted my park is against right handed hitters. I traded for Pool though and rectified that mistake.

Jackson destroyed the Heartland league the second time around, but it's hard to take that league's stats TOO seriously with 3 teams that were a step or two below the rest of the teams, and routinely lost games by double-digits. He showed real power in the Dixie League, and I'm hoping in a repeat season he'd be able to really put up some numbers. I do think he makes Squillante dispensable, because I think he's going to provide a bigger bat than Squillante will.

Tidbits:

Minor league FA Tex Miller had a hot September after becoming the starter in Gary. The 22 year old hit .302/.391/.431 in 30 starts. He'll repeat in Gary. We have an anomaly in Andy Sharum, because he throws left handed. I'm not sure I've seen the game generate a left handed throwing catcher before, but he threw out 53% of baserunners in class B ball, so he seems to be doing fine. He hit .287/.363/.414 in a full season of starts for Spokane, and will probably start in Gary next year and split time with the fellow 22 year old Miller. My scout thinks 19 year old Bob Dickens could be okay, and in 286 plate appearances in C level Jackson, his .264/.313/.375 line seems to justify that 'okay' prediction.

[BadluckinOOTP]

*all ages as of October 1929

L/R Hank Swenson, 24
Acquired: 1926 draft, 4th round



I tried to play stats-sayer and it backfired on me a bit. I traded off George Simpson to the Foresters (and he had a solid season), and using Swenson's 148 OPS+ in AAA in '28, I decided Swenson was going to get a real crack at 1st base. And...it was okay. The first two or three months were brutal, but in each of the last three months, July, August and September he OPS'ed between .827 and .926 and hit 7 of his 10 homers.

He's probably never going to be better than average defensively, and so if his bat doesn't take a few steps forward, he's not going to cut it as a FABL first baseman. He's definitely getting another crack at it next year, but he needs to up that OPS about .100 points.

L/L Oscar Morris, 23
Acquired: 1924 draft, 2nd round



Weird facegen, and it's too bad he's in the FA uniform. But, this guy crushed in AA in '28 (and in a brief week stint there in '29), but never really took off in St. Paul, though he did have an excellent walk rate. The walk rate is new, and my scout doesn't seem to have much hope it is permanent. But it would take some crazy engine luck for a guy with no eye to generate a 16% walk rate. He's not a very good first baseman, but he is a good base runner, oddly enough and will steal a few bases.

He's replaced Joe Watson on the 40 man as he was going to be eligible for the rule V draft this year, and I'd rather lose the 27 year old Watson than the 23 year old Morris, if I have to lose an all bat, no glove lefty first baseman.

L/L Joe Watson, 26
Acquired: 1921 draft, round 4



He got a few starts early in the season when Swenson was struggling and didn't do too much more than slap a bunch of singles in his pinch hitting appearances. He's had great minor league success, and to be fair he had a very small sample size in the FABL. But, I don't have enough room for 2 guys like he and Morris on the 40 man, and I'm going with the younger one.

Watson will be eligible for the Rule V draft this year and I'm not too concerned if I lose him, my scout isn't that crazy about him, but I just don't want a Trowbridge situation.

L/L Addie Adkins, 22
Acquired: 1925 draft, round 13



The guy just keeps on hitting. He's had tremendous batting averages the last two years and added quite a few more extra base hits this year, 49 total this year to just 21 last year in Gary. He plays a very slick first base and is a solid left fielder as well. He'll be in the lineup every day in St. Paul this year, either at 1st or left. But, he's a guy who will need to start parking some in the seats if he's going to be an impact FABL player.

R/R Vern Ross, 22
Acquired: 1925 draft, round 6



Ross had a breakout season this past year between Gary and Birmingham, after kind of just treading water the previous two years. But, the reason he gets a mention and has a chance at making the big leagues, is his defense. In his minor league career so far, he's been a true defensive factor at 1st base. In 99 games at Gary, he had a +10.1 ZR and in 28 starts at Birmingham he had a +4.8.

Defense is normally an afterthought for me at 1st, but if this guy truly can hit league average and play 1st like this, he's a genuine asset.

Tidbits:

A lot of guys shuffled in out at 1st in the lower levels, and I don't really have any prospects younger than Adkins at 1st at all. I had outfielders and other infielders playing 1st for big chunks of the season in Jackson, but in Spokane, 22 year old Bill Dickey OPS'ed a batting average heavy .840. Which isn't all that amazing for a 22 year old. A true tidbit.

[BadluckinOOTP]

*all ages as of October 1929

R/R Jim Welch, 27
Acquired: Minor League free agent, 1925



Welch had a tremendous start to spring training, with 12 hits in his first 22 at bats, but he got injured, spent 3 weeks in St. Paul to rehab and see if Art Wells would cool off (and he did). He also missed a month in the middle of the season due to another injury.

He showed some pop for an infielder, 35 extra base hits, but his average fell off and he doesn't draw very many walks. He's had some impressive steal numbers in the past, but this past year wasn't pretty. Defensively, he's above average, but not much above.

There are a decent number of infielders coming through in the next few years that are going to make Welch's hold on the job very perilous. But, he's easily the favorite to be back at they keystone in 1930, but I wouldn't bet on too much past that.

R/R Art Wells, 25
Acquired: 1925 draft, 3rd round



There was a moment there in 1928, when I considered Wells almost untouchable. He was playing tremendous defense at second and was making a mockery of the Century League with a 147 OPS+.

Then he had a nightmarish stretch in the bigs in '28, and then the '29 season was okay and now I'm not that crazy about him. He got off to a hot start after he became the second baseman after Welch was hurt in spring training, but cooled off rapidly and ended up spending a ton of time in St. Paul, before getting a few starts as a call up in September.

He just doesn't have much punch in his bat, and his defense hasn't been as strong in the FABL as I've hoped. He played quite a bit of SS in AAA this year, and he's slowly getting better, but he's a natural 2B for sure.

He can play a few positions and runs well, and I think he'll hit enough to be a solid backup for a number of years.

R/R Mickey McCullough, 22
Acquired: 1925 draft, round 4



He falls just outside the top 100 prospects list at 108th. His glove will be average at best at second, so he's a bat forward prospect. He exploded in '28 for Gary, but struggled in AA Birmingham. But repeated in the Dixie League and performed very well, and held his own in AAA, and improved each month.

Odds are high he gets a full season of at bats in St. Paul, and if he performs like I think he will, he'll have as good as shot as anybody at the 2B job in the next few years.

R/R Brooks Meeks, 20
Acquired: 1927 draft, round 3



I took back to back high school infielders in rounds 2 and 3 in 1927, and it is looking like the latter pick is the one that is going to pay off. Meeks really struggled in his first pro season, hitting just .221 with very little secondary skills while learning 2B (he played SS in high school).

In '29 though, his bat took off and he made mincemeat of the C-O-W League his second time through it. His 76 games in Gary weren't quite as successful and it took him 20 some games to draw his first walk at that level and he scuffled in September, bringing down his average nearly 30 points.

I think second base is the positions he fits best, I don't think he can cut it defensively at short full time. My scout thinks he can hit .350, and he's going to have to if he isn't going to draw more than 20-30 walks a year.

I'm pretty sure he's going to start out in Gary, but I'd be surprised if he's not in Birmingham by June.

R/R Snipe Heifner, 22
Acquired: 1928 draft, 13th round



I think this will likely be the only time he gets a full on 'profile'. After a solid junior year with the bat at Central Ohio, Heifner had a very productive offensive season at Spokane. A lot of extra base hits, nearly 100 RBI's, even if there were only 31 walks on the season. Normally, I'd be thrilled for a second baseman to produce this much in his first pro season, but Heifner isn't a normal second baseman.

He's a statue out there and he likes to boot one pretty frequently. -17.3 as the ZR for Heifner in 132 starts. His bat will get him called up to Gary, but I think I'm going to play him at 1st. If he is going to play 1st going forward, his bat will need to take a leap or two forward.

Tidbits

20 year old Hal Gale got into the starting lineup in Jackson in June, and the lefty hit all season long. .294/.347/.468, and played solid defense as well. He'll the second baseman at Spokane this season to see if he can keep it up.

[BadluckinOOTP]

*all ages as of October 1929

R/R Johnny Allen, 27
Acquired: 1923 draft, 6th round



He had pretty much an identical season to '28, just with more starts, but the 12 point drop in OPS+ shows how much the offense jumped in the league. 50 doubles and 60 walks to go with solid defense at third is tough to complain about. He'll probably hold this job for as long as he can perform like this.

There were just 3 guys in all of the FABL with at least 50 doubles and we had two of them.

R/R John Barber, 30
Acquired: Minor league signing, 1923



Hardly got any starts down the stretch, but performed well when he got on the field. He's content to be a bench player, which works for me because he makes a solid one. We're in an era where I can have 6 or 7 guys on the bench and actually have a backup third baseman.

He's 30 now though, and I'll have minor leaguers who are more versatile and better than him ready to go very soon, so he might not last too much longer.

R/R Paul Smith, 23
Acquired: I....don't know.



I'm not sure how he got into the organization, his player history just says he joined Spokane (my B league org.) in July of 1926. Not sure why or how, but I'm glad he did because he has become a decent third base prospect. He's hit for high averages the last two seasons, though his eye is a bit lacking.

He's below average defensively, so he's going to really have to hit to be a starter. But, if he keeps hitting .340 in AAA, he'll probably deserve a crack in the FABL. He got a few starts in September, but he's destined to be in St. Paul all year in 1930, barring injury or poor performance by Allen.

Tidbits

23 year old Earl Chapman was tearing up A ball for Gary, hitting .348 before getting injured in June with a torn meniscus and missing the last 2/3rds of the season. He's a switch hitter, but he's turning 24 this year already and will need to perform well or risk being a forgotten man. Third base is a position I don't have a lot of depth in, and don't have a lot of 'true' third basemen in the organization. A position to look at in the draft perhaps.