American Association Daily provides insights, features, and recaps of the action from around the American Association of Professional Baseball League, as well as player and coaching profiles and transactions. In today’s edition of American Association Daily, the Minor League Sports Report and This Week in the Association give a clean sweep to the Milwaukee Milkmen as Logan Trowbridge is named Player of the Week and Ryan Kussmaul is named as Pitcher of the Week.

Player of the Week: Logan Trowbridge, Milwaukee Milkmen

The Minor League Sports Report and This Week in the Association named Milwaukee Milkmen super utility player Logan Trowbridge as the top player for Week 5. Trowbridge hit .318 last week and led the American Association in runs scored (6), plus he was tied for the league lead in RBI (7).

Because of a makeup game, the Milkmen played seven games last week. Milwaukee opened with a three-game series against the Sioux Falls Canaries, where Trowbridge was 3-9 with three runs scored, a double, an RBI and two walks.

He began the series going 0-1, but drew two walks and had a sacrifice fly. He also stole a base in the contest. The next night, Trowbridge was 2-4 with two runs scored, a double and two stolen bases. He finished with a 1-4 performance, scoring a run. The Milkmen won two of those three games.

Milwaukee then hosted a four-game series against the Chicago Dogs, who entered the series on a five-game winning streak. The Milkmen won three of four, as Trowbridge went 4-13 with three runs scored, two homers, six RBI and two walks.

In the first game of the series, the super utility star went 1-4 with two runs scored, a homer, and three RBI in a 12-5 victory that snapped the Chicago win streak. He was 0-4 the next night, but combined to go 3-5 with a run, a homer and three RBI in the double-header split on Sunday.

Trowbridge had a well-rounded week with three stolen bases, two homers, and four walks. He posted a .636 slugging percentage and reached base at a .407 clip. Trowbridge is the first Milkmen player to receive honors this season.

Pitcher of the Week: Ryan Kussmaul, Milwaukee Milkmen

The Minor League Sports Report and This Week in the Association selected Milwaukee Milkmen starter Ryan Kussmaul as the top pitcher for Week 5. Kussmaul made one start, dominating the Sioux Falls Canaries. He posted a 0.00 ERA in seven innings with 10 strikeouts.

Kussmaul’s start came on August 6 in a 3-1 victory over the Canaries. The right-hander kept Sioux Falls off the scoreboard through the first five innings, allowing a second inning double and two walks as the only blemishes against him. The Canaries finally got on board in the sixth, thanks to an unearned run. That came when Andrew Ely was able to come home from third on a dropped third strike.

Kussmaul’s stuff was dominant, recording four of the first six outs on strikeouts. Of his 97 pitches, 67 were for strikes.

2020 Players of the Week

Week 1 – Damek Tomscha, Sioux Falls Canaries
Week 2 – Chesny Young, St. Paul Saints
Week 3 – Victor Roache, Chicago Dogs
Week 4 – Michael Crouse, Chicago Dogs

2020 Pitchers of the Week

Week 1 – Mitch Lambson, Winnipeg Goldeyes
Week 2 – Mike Devine, St. Paul Saints
Week 3 – Frank Duncan, Winnipeg Goldeyes
Week 4 – Matt Tomshaw, Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks

The Pitcher and Player of the Week are chosen by the staff of the Minor League Sports Report and This Week in the Association. The winners will be named each Monday during the 2020 American Association season.

By Robert Pannier