1987 CDBL MID-SEASON REVIEW "Better late than never" *************************************************************************** AARON DIVISION 111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 1. Milwaukee Mashers - 52-32, 1st in division WHAT'S GOING RIGHT: Alan Trammell has bounced back from a "merely OK" '86 season to put up some killer stats (.357 average, .519 slugging, 62 runs scored, 65 RBI) to nab the starting all-star SS position. Pedro Guerrero has shrugged off his injuries and has 16 homers, and 67 RBI. Ace Rick Reuschel is 9-5 with a 3.15 ERA and an all-star nod. The Mashers have the best record in baseball, too. WHAT'S GOING WRONG: Not a whole lot. Jeff Robinson has a 5.24 ERA in 17 starts (but is still 6-6). Alvin Hall has stolen 26 bases, but is hitting just .215, not a whole lot of production for an outfielder. 2ND HALF OUTLOOK: The Mashers are sitting on top of the Aaron division right now, and they have the inside track to the Aaron division pennant. 222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222 2. Arkham Investigators - 51-32 - 1/2 game behind division leader WHAT'S GOING RIGHT: The hitting staff is as potent as ever. Wade Boggs is hitting .343 with a .430 OBA & .550 slugging, 68 runs scored and 63 RBI's and the 3B job for the all-star game. George Bell was also an all-star, hitting 24 homers with 87 RBI at the break. Bob Forsch is a perfect 7-0 in 14 starts, and Tom Henke has 13 saves. WHAT'S NOT GOING RIGHT: The overall pitching isn't as strong as some of the other elite teams in the league. Jose Rijo, Bud Black and Curt Young are a combined 9-10 with an ERA somewhere in the high 5's. 2ND HALF OUTLOOK: The offense is killer, and the team is within a whisker of the pennant lead. Another starter would do wonders. With the Investigators having the 2nd best record in the league, a playoff appearance is almost certain. 3333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333 3. Elk Grove Trout - 49-39 - 4 1/2 games behind division leader WHAT'S GOING RIGHT: Will "the Thrill" Clark's sophomore season has been a smashing success so far, with the slugger hitting .302 with 20 homers and 93 RBI's on his way to being the starting 1B for the AP all-stars. Tony Gwynn has scored a bushel of runs, hitting .344 with 74 runs scored, and 31 steals to boot. Sid Fernandez is 8-2 with a 3.49 ERA, and Dennis Martinez is 8-3 with a 3.99 ERA. The pitching staff as a whole is excellent, with a team ERA of 3.87 WHAT'S NOT GOING RIGHT: The Trout boast Clark, Gwynn, and a nice middle infield of Julio Franco and Lou Whitaker, but they could use a star slugger with power in the middle of the lineup to help boost the slightly- anemic .413 team slugging average. 2ND HALF OUTLOOK: The Trout are in the driver's seat for the league wildcard. Pretty soon the slumping teams will start dumping talent, and an acquired slugger would help the Trout move up in the playoff order. 444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444 4. Point Lomas Friars - 44-39 - 7 1/2 games behind division leader WHAT'S GOING RIGHT: Tim Raines is once again proving what a stud in the outfield he is, hitting .337 with 14 homers, 77 runs scored and 44 stolen bases. Ryne Sandberg is putting up great numbers at second, with a league- leading .358 batting average, .427 on base average, .494 slugging, 60 runs scored and 53 RBI's and the all-star starting position at 2B. Keith Hernandez has 48 runs scored and 46 RBI's with a .377 on base average. Bert Blyleven started the all-star game, thanks to a 9-4 record in the first half with a 2.40 ERA. Terry Leach and Steve Ontiveros have won 8 games each. WHAT'S NOT GOING RIGHT: Some of the gang needs to hit the weights! Team slugging is a below league average .408. The team has made some acquisitions recently, but time will tell if they'll work out. Quite a few relievers and back-end starters have ERA's in the 5's, but will see fewer innings due to recent trades. 2ND HALF OUTLOOK: The Friars have had great success in recent years due to mid-season acquisitions. To catch the Trout for the league wildcard they might have to nab some more pitching & another slugger. 5555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555 5. Philadelphia Liberty - 38-47 - 14 1/2 games behind division leader WHAT'S GOING RIGHT: Joe Carter is becoming an RBI machine, hitting 18 homers with 58 RBI's. Wally Joyner has 56 runs scored, and Bill Doran has 50 runs scored. Rick Sutcliffe has gone 8-4 with a 3.40 ERA in 113 2/3 innings. WHAT'S GOING WRONG: Despite featuring several players who should score 100 runs and/or 100 RBI for the season, the hitting doesn't seem to have much oomph. Joe Carter's on base average is just .284. Pitching is below average as well, thanks in large part to guys like Bob Knepper, who is 4-10 with a 7.82 ERA in 81 2/3 innings. 2ND HALF OUTLOOK: Probably not going to happen this year, but the Liberty have a good core of players, and it's only a matter of time before Dave Stewart (7-7 with a 3.54 ERA) wills his team to have a winning record. **************************************************************************** PAIGE DIVISION 111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 1. Springfield Isotopes - 45-37 - 1st in division WHAT'S GOING RIGHT: Betcha didn't think these guys would be leading at the all-star break, did ya? Young phenom Barry Bonds is carrying the team's offense, hitting .280 with a .495 slugging percentage, 53 runs scored and 19 steals. 1B Pete O'Brien is slugging .647 with 14 homers and 44 RBI in just 207 at bats. The Isotope pitching is simply stellar, with the team ERA of 3.46 leading the league. All-star Don Sutton is 11-3 with a 3.21 ERA. WHAT'S GOING WRONG: While the Isotopes have the best pitching in their divison, their hitting is also at the bottom of the division. Stiffs like Jose Oquendo and Willie McGee are empty at bats. A few more sluggers would help greatly. While most of the Isotope pitchers are having a good season, one person isn't ... and that's closer Lee Smith, who is 2-3 with a 5.77 ERA. 2ND HALF OUTLOOK: The Isotopes are obviously in the thick of it in the Paige division. But if they want to keep their division lead, they'll have to increase their scoring output (they've scored only 3 more runs than they've given up this season). 222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222 2. Fargo Flames - 47-39 - percentage points behind division leader WHAT'S GOING RIGHT: Fargo's trying to win one for longtime slugger Mike Schmidt, and Schmidt is trying to win one for Fargo. Schmidt has hit 19 homers, with 51 runs and 58 RBI. Tim Burke is scary good at the closer role, saving 20 games, going 3-0, with a microscopic 0.52 ERA (just 2 runs given up all season). Kent Tekulve and Steve Bedrosian are a combined 9-2. The Flames have been performing in the clutch, with a 16-9 1-run game record (no doubt thanks in large part to Burke's reeking of awesomeness). The team pitching ERA is 3.76, which is above average. WHAT'S GOING WRONG: Other than Mike Schmidt, no one really stands out in the hitting lineup. The next highest run scorer is shortstop Jose Uribe with 43 runs scored, and his season ended before the all-star break. The starting pitching hasn't had much luck, with the starters combining for a 32-35 record. Despite being 8 games above 500, opposing teams have scored 8 more runs than the Flames have scored. 2ND HALF OUTLOOK: Much like the Isotopes, the Flames have a standout hitter and excellent pitching, but not much else. Still, Fargo is tied for the division lead. More hitting would greatly help the cause. 3333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333 3. Dewey Beach Lush - 45-41 - 2 games behind division leader. WHAT'S GOING RIGHT: The Dewey Beach Lush have one of the best collections of talent in the league, including 6 all-star starters: 3B Kevin Seitzer (.410 OBA, 62 runs), 2B Paul Molitor (.328 avg, 58 runs scored), 1B Eddie Murray (61 RBI, .482 SLG), OF Jesse Barfield (18 homers, 54 RBI), OF Larry Sheets (17 homers, 72 RBI) and OF Mike Davis (17 homers, 67 runs scored). Closer Dewayne Buice (1.97 ERA, 12 saves) and starter Mike Scott (8-7, 3.83 ERA) also made the all-star team. WHAT'S GOING WRONG: Despite all this talent, the team chemistry is downright terrible. At one point in the season, the Lush had the *WORST* record in the league. Despite scoring 31 more runs than their opponent this season, the Lush a 7-14 record with 1-run games. Floyd Bannister, Mike LaCoss and Atlee Hammaker are a combined 18-16, but with an average ERA in the 5's. 2ND HALF OUTLOOK: With this team's talent, they should be well in front of the Paige division. They might need to tinker with the lineup a bit to improve the team's performance, but how do you tinker with a lineup full of all-stars? 444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444 4. Hurdle Mills Hurdlers - 42-50 - 8 gams behind leader. WHAT'S GOING RIGHT: Dwight Evans is having a banner year, hitting .341 with a .451 on base average, .633 slugging, 80 runs scored, 22 homers and 73 RBI to nab an all-star position. Center fielder Gerald Young is having a surprisingly good season, hitting .381 with 51 runs scored and 24 stolen bases. Dan Gladden also made the all-star team as a center fielder, scoreing 43 runs, driving in 48 runs and stealing 19 bases at the break. Close Dave Smith was an all-star, saving 16 games so far with a 1.80 ERA. The Hurdlers may not be known for scoring runs, but their 502 runs scored is tops in the league. WHAT'S GOING WRONG: The starting pitching is probably one of the worst rotations in the league. The best ERA by a starter is Phil Niekro's 4.96 ERA. The starting rotation has gone 29-36. The team ERA of 4.99 is 3rd worst in the league. The Hurdler's fielding has been suspect as well, with 99 errors tying for worst in the league. 2ND HALF OUTLOOK: Hurdle Mills probably won't make the post-season this year, but they do have Evans' continued dominance for the rest of the season to look foward to. The 2nd half will be a success if Evans gets himself on the all-CDBL team. 5555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555 5. DC Riots - 39-48 - 8 1/2 games behind leader. WHAT'S GOING RIGHT: The Riots have the best pitching staff in the league, with a microscopic 3.46 team ERA. Ace Doyle Alexander has a 2.55 ERA and an all-star nod, as does closer Dennis Eckersley (5-4, 14 saves, 3.19 ERA). Carney Lansford is slugging .480 with 49 runs scored and 48 RBI's. WHAT'S GOING WRONG: The Riots have great pitching but a serious lack of hitting. The Riots are near the bottom of the league in hitting, on base average and slugging. 2ND HALF OUTLOOK: The Riots will finish with one of the better pitching staffs in the league (barring trades), but the hitting will keep them back. 66666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666 6. Taos Shaman - 36-46 - 9 1/2 games behind leader. WHAT'S GOING RIGHT: While the Shaman had no all-stars, several hitters are having good years. Andre Dawson has hit 19 homers with 51 runs scored and 52 RBI, while 3B Gary Gaetti has hit 18 homers with 60 RBI. The Shaman have also stolen 125 bases so far this season, best in the league. Their team pitching ERA is 4.20, which is better than average. The Shaman fielding average is .985, which is also better than average. WHAT'S GOING WRONG: Heck, you got me. The Shaman have scored 1 fewer run than they've given up, but are still 10 games under 500. The Shaman may not contend this year, but the law of averages indicate the 2nd half will be better than the first. *************************************************************************** GEHRIG DIVISION 111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 1. San Mateo Traffic - 52-34 - division leader WHAT'S GOING RIGHT: The big machine. The Traffic are operating at optimum efficiency. CF Kirby Puckett (15 homers, 64 RBI) and 3B Tim Wallach (.482 slugging, 56 RBI's) both made the all-star team. Tony Fernandez has scored 62 runs and stolen 19 bases, while Jose Canseco has 15 homers, a .502 slugging average and 47 RBI's. Ace Jimmy Key started the all-star game and is 12-3 with a 2.93 ERA. Cy young year? San Mateo has a duo of closers, all-star Mark Eichhorn (6-4, 16 saves, 1.22 ERA) and Rob Murphy (1.93 ERA, 12 saves). The team ERA is 3.53, way better than average. WHAT'S GOING WRONG: Not too much, as the Traffic have the 3rd best record in the league. The run production isn't as high octane as some of the other teams, but they get things done. They could use someone to replace 1B Dave Parker (.366 slugging, 35 RBI's) and catcher Ozzie Virgil (.203 average, .332 slugging) but that's about it. 2ND HALF OUTLOOK: The Traffic are in the driver's seat. The pennant is theirs to lose. 222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222 2. Ocean Beach Surfers - 50-42 - 5 games behind division leader WHAT'S GOING RIGHT: High powered offense led by all-star MVP SS Ozzie Smith, who has a .386 OBA, 74 runs scored and 30 stolen bases at the halfway mark. All-star Kevin McReynolds is slugging .504 with 57 runs scored and 65 RBI. Despite slugging only .424 OF Danny Tartabull has 62 runs scored and 59 RBI. Eric Show is 9-4, and Greg Mathews is 8-4 with a 3.33 ERA and an all-star appearance. The team ERA is 3.89. WHAT'S GOING WRONG: Mark Davis and John Mitchell at at the tail end of the rotation, going a combined 4-10. Steve Howe has a 8.41 ERA in 20 1/3 innings. As you can tell, it's mainly pitching at the end of the roster. 2ND HALF OUTLOOK: While the team is performing well, they're actually on the outside looking in on the playoff picture right now. But a little better performance in the 2nd half (or a few trades) will bring them right back into the picture. 3333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333 3. Albuquerque Maul - 35-47 - 15 games behind division leader WHAT'S GOING RIGHT: Glenn Davis is having a standout year, slugging .559 with 24 homers, 57 runs scored and 76 RBI. Chet Lemon and Lloyd Moseby have combined for 103 runs scored. WHAT'S GOING WRONG: Just about everything else. The team ERA of 5.11 is worst in the league, thanks in large part to "ace" Jack Morris, who is 3-8 with a 6.25 ERA. Players are already being sold off for scrap, with catcher Gary Carter the first among them. 2ND HALF OUTLOOK: Stick a fork in 'em, they're done. 444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444 4. Topeka Stingers - 34-48 - 16 games behind division leader. WHAT'S GOING RIGHT: The Stingers put two players on the all-star team this year, 3B George Brett (.370 OBA, 58 runs scored) and SS Scott Fletcher (.437 OBA, .357 average, 60 runs scored, 54 RBI). Diamond Don Mattingly is slugging .561 with 65 RBI, and OF Vince Coleman has 66 runs scored and 49 steals. OF Ruben Sierra is having a breakout year, smacking 18 homers and 67 RBI at the break. WHAT'S GOING WRONG: Pitching. Their team ERA is 5.03, which just doesn't cut it (and is 2nd worst in the league). 2ND HALF OUTLOOK: Their hitters will keep putting up some nice stats, but the pitching has doomed the Stingers' chances for postseason play this year. 5555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555 5. Homestead Gray's - 35-52 - 17 1/2 games behind division leader. WHAT'S GOING RIGHT: Matt Nokes has exploded onto the scene at catcher, hitting 13 homers with 44 runs driven in and a .523 slugging average to nab starting all-star honors. OF Dion James has scored 50 runs. Ace Orel Hershiser has gone 11-3 with a 3.18 ERA and an all-star appearance. Dave Righetti didn't make it to the all-star game this year, but he is still putting up a pretty good year, saving 14 games with a 3.37 ERA. WHAT'S GOING WRONG: The Gray's have high hopes for young shortstop Barry Larkin, but Larkin has not lived up to expectations (hitting .211 in 90 at bats). Pat Tabler (.444 slugging, 46 RBI) and Mel Hall (.454 slugging, 46 RBI's) are decent but are having a hard time competing against the Traffic and Surfers of the division. The Gray's are also having a bit of trouble in the clutch, going 11-14 in 1-run games. 2ND HALF OUTLOOK: Probably more of the same, but the team's future really depends on how Larkin develops as a hitter (and whether he can beat out Dick Schofield for the job!). With their winning percentage they have a good chance of getting a good draft pick. 66666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666 6. PV Stallions - 33-53 - 19 games behind division leader. WHAT'S GOING RIGHT: Um, the hot dogs are fairly cheap. And Bobby Welch is 8-7 with a 3.97 ERA. WHAT'S GOING WRONG: Just about everything. The team batting, on base average and slugging are league lows by a long shot. The starting rotation isn't actually half bad, but the relievers are abysmal enough to bring the team ERA to 4.37, which is below average. 2ND HALF OUTLOOK: #1 pick, here we come! (Dependent on them outlosing the Orange Whoop, of course) *************************************************************************** TIANT DIVISION 111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 1. Hollywood Stars - 50-34 - division leader WHAT'S GOING RIGHT: Lots of things. The lineup is full of marquee names, from Eric Davis (31 homers, 71 runs scored, 81 RBI and a starting position in the all-star game) to Juan Samuel (all-star 2B who is slugging 529 with 19 homers and 74 RBI). Andy Van Slyke has a .401 on base average, .515 slugging percentage, 22 stolen bases and 51 runs scored, while Bobby Bonilla has 51 RBI's. Don Carman is vying for the Cy this year, going 12-3 with a 2.81 ERA at the all-star break. Dan Plesac was an all-star this year as well, saving 17 games. Jose Guzman is 8-4. WHAT'S GOING WRONG: With so much power at the top of the order, no one really seems to mind that Mike Scioscia (.327 OBA, .340 slugging) and 3B Cal Ripken (.334 oba, .351 slugging) are basically automatic outs this year. The team is stone-gloved in the field as well, posting a league-worst .970 fielding average. 2ND HALF OUTLOOK: Bench Ripken? Blashphemy! Yet they might need to wedge an extra bat in at the bottom of the lineup and to secure a 5th starter (Danny Jackson and Juan Nieves are 11-12 with a 5.08 ERA between them in 32 starts) if they want to hold the Destinies at bay. 222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222 2. Dark Valley Destinies - 48-35 - 1 1/2 games behind division leader WHAT'S GOING RIGHT: It's a Jack Clark world. Jack Clark is dominating the league this year, with a .460 on base average, .747 slugging average, 35 homers, 91 runs scored and 73 RBI. Darryl Strawberry is having a "merely great" season, hitting 22 homers with a .598 slugging average, 78 runs scored and 66 RBI. The Destinies' .452 slugging average is best in the league. Frank Williams is probably the luckiest relief pitcher in the league, going 12-2 (tied for league lead in wins) with 7 saves. WHAT'S GOING WRONG: The hitting may be best in the league, but the pitching team ERA is 4.68, good for 4th worst in the league. Better starters, stat! 2ND HALF OUTLOOK: Last year's champs are giving the Stars a run for their pennant division money. But they could use some pitching (and for Jack Clark to hold on for the rest of the season) to pass Hollywood. As it stands, they've got a hold of the GT conference wildcard. 3333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333 3. Missouri Mules - 42-45 - 9 1/2 games behind division leader WHAT'S GOING RIGHT: Phil Bradley once again defines the word "underrated", making the all star team with a .421 OBA, .472 slugging percentage, 67 runs scored and 49 RBI. Rookie Mark McGwire is having a "decent" season, too: .659 slugging percentage, 32 homers, 88 RBI. Mike Aldrete has 50 runs scored, 45 RBI and a .519 slugging percentage. WHAT'S GOING WRONG: Amazingly, the pitching. The starting pitching staff of Bret Saberhagen, Roger Clemens, Danny Darwin and Zane Smith was supposed to be the cream of the crop, but they've "only" gone 28-21. 5th starter John Candelaria is 5-7 with a 5.97 ERA. Bobby Ojeda and Les Straker have been solid in relief, but the rest (including closer Todd Worrell) have not been getting the job done. Infielders Graig Nettles, Tom Brookens and Andres Thomas have been 450 AB of Mendoza-level hitting. The fielding isn't too swift either, with the team near the bottom of the league in fielding percentage 2ND HALF OUTLOOK: With pitchers like Bret Saberhagen and Roger Clemens in the rotation, you can never count them out, but with their releivers and fielding it's going to be rather tough. A winning season isn't out of the question, though. 444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444 4. Boston Bulldogs - 39-44 - 10 1/2 games behind division leader WHAT'S GOING RIGHT: Longtime Bulldogs MVP Dale Murphy is as good as ever, maybe even more so, earning an all-star slot with his monsterous half-season (32 homers, 65 runs scored, 73 RBI). Jose DeLeon made the all-star team with a 10-3 record at the half and a 3.23 ERA. Jim Gott is another all-star, saving 20 games with a 3.32 ERA. WHAT'S GOING WRONG: Other than Murphy, the rest of the hitting staff isn't doing much, which is why the Bulldogs have scored a below average 367 runs for the season. Kelly Downs is 2-12, almost singlehandedly bringing the Bulldogs out of playoff contention. 2ND HALF OUTLOOK: Probably won't happen this year, but they'll keep chugging along to get Dale Murphy on the all-CDBL team. 5555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555555 5. Orange Whoop - 31-54 - 19 1/2 games behind division leader WHAT'S GOING RIGHT: They're on target for the #1 overall pick in next year's draft. They've "only" scored 33 runs less than their opponents, and Glen Hubbard (48 runs scored) actually made the all-star team as a 2B. Ivan Calderon is having a rather good season, hitting 20 homers, scoring 51 runs and driving in 57 at the break. WHAT'S GOING WRONG: The Whoop are rather unlucky, going 9-15 in 1-run games and 3-6 in extra innings, and their runs scored/runs given up doesn't justify their .365 winning percentage. The overall lack of talent doesn't help much either. 2ND HALF OUTLOOK: The Whoop stink this year, but they don't care. They've got a young David Cone and a young Tom Glavine. If they keep on stinking, they're have the #1 pick in next year's draft. Perhaps a young John Smoltz to round out the rotation of the 90's?