1988 CDBL MID-SEASON REVIEW Aaron Division: 1. Milwaukee Mashers - 54-26 - WHAT'S GOING RIGHT: Just about everything. Milwaukee is sitting on top of the division with a commanding 12 game lead. Their team ERA is a miniscule 2.29, which could set a new league record. Allan Anderson is 9-4 with a 1.72 ERA, and Rick Reuschel, Frank Fiola and Pasqual Perez each have double digit wins with sub 3 ERA's. Jay Howell is 3-2 with a 1.82 ERA and 14 saves. Rickey Henderson has 51 runs scored and 37 stolen bases, while Carlton Fisk has 11 dingers and a .596 slugging average in only 109 at bats. WHAT'S NOT GOING RIGHT: Their team has scored 332 runs, which certainly isn't bad, but isn't in the same gear as the Whoop, Destinies or Maul. Fisk is their team leader in home runs with just 11, and only Rickey Henderson is in danger of breaking the triple digit mark in runs or RBI's. But every team has to have something to work on, right? OVERALL: Milwaukee has run away with the division. Now they're looking across the conference at DC to see how they'll match up if both teams meet in the finals. 2. Elk Grove Trout (43-39) - 12 games behind leader WHAT'S GOING RIGHT: Their team ERA is 2.61, 3rd best in the league. Mike Henneman has a 1.86 ERA with 13 saves. Sid Fernandez is 7-4 with a 2.32 ERA. Will Clark is having a good season, hitting 14 homers with a .391 on base percentage and .487 slugging percentage. Tony Gwynn has a .363 on base average and 46 runs scored. WHAT'S NOT GOING RIGHT: The #1 & #2 pitchings staffs belong to other teams in the same division. Mike Fitzgerald, Dickie Thon and Rex Hudler are out machines. Other than Clark, the lone power source is Darryl Boston, who has 12 homers but only a .215 batting average. The frustration of Jim DeShaies, who has a 2.22 ERA but a 4-6 record. OVERALL: Despite only being 4 games over .500, the Elk Grove Trout are sitting on the AP conference wildcard. Unfortunately for Elk Grove, there are plenty of teams in the AP conference within shooting distance. Some trades may be necessary to secure the playoff spot. 3. Forth Worth Cats (40-40) - 14 games behind leader WHAT'S GOING RIGHT: Their team ERA is 2.57, 2nd best in the league. Mark Gubicza is 9-6 with a 2.01 ERA. Dave Stewart is 8-4 with a 1.88 ERA. Jose Guzman is 9-5 with a 1.65 ERA. Closer Bryan Harvey has a miniscule 1.05 ERA with 11 saves. Tablesetting Brett Butler has 59 runs scored and 35 stolen bases. Harold Baines and Joe Carter have combined for 89 RBI's so far, and recent acquisition George Brett is playing well in partial playing time. WHAT'S NOT GOING RIGHT: Forth Worth is competing in the same division as the #1 & #3 league pitching staffs. Some mind-bogglingly bad hitting performances by Jose Lind, BJ Surhoff and Mike Pagliarulo help drag the team on base average to .284 and the slugging average to .315, both league lows for "contenders". OVERALL: Get these guys some hitters! The Cats have the pitching to contend still, but will need to get some added bats to give Elk Grove a run for their money. 4. Point Lomas Friars (19-65) - 37 games behind leader WHAT'S GOING RIGHT: Ryne Sandberg is having a decent season in this run- depressed year, hitting 12 homers and scoring 41 runs at the break. Tim Raines has 45 runs scored with 27 stolen bases. WHAT'S NOT GOING RIGHT: Just about everything. Their 4.94 team ERA is worst in the leagues. Bert Blyleven has averaged 14 wins per season since 1984, but is presently 1-13 with a 5.92 ERA. Every hitter outside of Sandberg and Raines has given up this year, putting the Friars dead last in batting average and on base percentage. OVERALL: Ugh. At least there's next year to look forward to with a blue chip prospect coming their way. 5. Arkham Investigators (15-66) - 39 1/2 games behind leader WHAT'S GOING RIGHT: Um ... well, Bill Swift isn't that bad, having a 2.95 ERA in 106 2/3 innigns pitched. Lenny Dykstra has a .317 batting average, .388 on base average and 22 stolen bases. WHAT'S NOT GOING RIGHT: Everything else. Their team ERA is 4.64, 2nd worst in the league. Their team slugging of .298 is lowest in the league, as is their runs scored total of 237. Wade Boggs playing more than part time would help, but that's probably not the point of this season. OVERALL: From first to worst. From a world series appearance to a chance at drafting a future star. Ugh ugh. Paige Division: 1. DC Riots (50-29) - WHAT'S GOING RIGHT: After cratering in 1986, The DC Riots are firing on all cylinders this year, running away from the pack. The Riots have the 2nd best batting average in the league at .271. Robin Yount is hitting .284 with 50 runs scored. Hubie Brooks is only slugging .405, but has 38 runs scored and 49 RBI's. 1B Fred McGriff is feared league-wide, posting a .426 on base average with a league-leading 31 intentional walks and a league-leading 71 walks overall. The team ERA is 3.07, good for 5th in the league. Dennis Eckersley is dominating the league, saving 18 games with a 1.57 ERA. Dave LaPoint is 10-3 with a 3.30 ERA, and Mike Moore is 9-4 with a 3.38 ERA. WHAT'S NOT GOING RIGHT: The power on the team is well distributed, but nobody's going to hit 30 dingers this year. John Cerutti and Mike LaCoss are 2-8 with a mid 4 ERA as the 5th starters. OVERALL: It's pennant time in DC. 2. Springfield Isotopes: (40-37) - 9 games behind leader WHAT'S GOING RIGHT: Barry Bonds is having a breakout year, hitting 16 homers with 52 runs scored and 52 RBI's. Willie McGee is doing a great job at the top of the order, with a .332 average, .361 on base average and 51 runs scored. As is Jose Oquendo, who has a .384 on base average and 45 runs scored. McGee, Harold Reynolds and Billy Hatcher have combined for 56 stolen bases so far. Melido Perez (3.05 ERA) is on pace to win 20 games, going 10-5 at the break. WHAT'S NOT GOING RIGHT: The Isotopes could use another power source in the middle of the order to help shift McGee and Oquendo into overdrive. Randy Myers has been OK but not dominating in the closer role (1-4, 10 saves, 3.48 ERA). OVERALL: Springfield is a little too far behind DC to contend for a pennant, but they are right on the heels of Elk Grove fro the AP conference wildcard. A big bat would make things interesting. 3. Long Beach Experience: (37-42) - 13 games behind leader WHAT'S GOING RIGHT: Andre Dawson is slugging .464 with 12 homers, 51 runs scored and 50 RBI. 2B Steve Sax is hitting .294 with 54 runs scored and 22 stolen bases. Rob Deer is providing air conditing to the stadium, blasting 17 homers, 41 RBI's and 107 strikeouts. Tom Browning has a 2.75 ERA with a 9-6 record. WHAT'S NOT GOING RIGHT: Ted Higuera, their best starter, and Gary Gaetti, their best hitter, were traded to Albuquerque for phenom Jack McDowell. McDowell should help in the years to come, but right now he's 1-4 for Long Beach. Nobody has stepped up as a closer candidate, with multiple people tied for the team lead with 2 saves each. OVERALL: Long Beach is looking towards the future. Don't be surprised if more of the vets are dealt for young talent. 4. Dewey Beach Lush: (36-44) - 14 1/2 games behind leader WHAT'S GOING RIGHT: Eddie Murray has a .392 on base average, .465 slugging and 39 runs scored. Paul Molitor is hitting .290 with 40 runs scored and 40 RBI's. Jesse Barfield has 12 homers with 39 runs scored and 50 RBI. Mike Scott has a 2.48 ERA with 98 innigns pitched. WHAT'S NOT GOING RIGHT: Not a whole lot of oomph on the team, certainly not compared to their juggernaut 1987 team. Their 3.86 team ERA is 3rd worst in the league. OVERALL: It's not Dewey Beach's year in 1988. Look for vets at the end of their contract to be dealt to contenders. 5. Fargo Flames: (35-44) - 15 games behind leader WHAT'S GOING RIGHT: Paul Gibson is one of the better closers in the league, with a 1.21 ERA, a 3-1 record and 7 saves. Bill Wegman is 7-6 with a 2.40 ERA in 16 starts. Andres Galarraga is having a breakout year, hitting 13 homers with a .462 slugging percentage and 58 RBI's. Dale Murphy has 15 homers. WHAT'S NOT GOING RIGHT: Murphy's batting average is just .194, and the team as a whole has the 4th worst batting average in the league. Several of their starters are just not getting the job done, especially Frank Tanana and his horrid 1-10 record. OVERALL: Fargo will always have their magical 1987 season to remember. But 1988 will be one to forget. 6. Hurdle Mills Hurdlers (32-49) - 19 games behind leader WHAT'S GOING RIGHT: Pedro Guerrero is having an all-star year, with a .340 average, .429 on base average, 37 runs scored and 39 RBI's. Dwight Evans has 11 homers with 40 runs scored and 42 RBI's. WHAT'S NOT GOING RIGHT: The Hurdler's 3.82 team ERA is 4th worst in the league. The team leaders in wins are Mike Witt and Paul Kilgus, who have 6 wins each but an average of 9 losses. OVERALL: Better luck next year. Gehrig Division: 1. San Mateo Traffic: (48-30) WHAT'S GOING RIGHT: The Traffic's 2.71 team ERA is best in the GT conference. Tim Belcher has a miniscule 0.98 ERA in 12 starts. John Costello has 11 saves and a 1.50 ERA. Jose Canseco has a .487 slugging average with 17 homers, 48 runs scored, 47 RBI's and 22 stolen bases. Kirby Puckett has 50 RBI's. SS Tony Fernandez has 39 runs scored. WHAT'S NOT GOING RIGHT: For a team that has the best pitching staff in their conference, they don't have anyone who looks to win 20 games this year. Puckett and Canseco can each drive in 100 runs this year, but were expecting to be more dominating than they have been. OVERALL: San Mateo won it all last year and they're leading their division. Plus, they're doing this with a couple of people (Puckett and Canseco) who could actually get much better in the second half. They're not the juggernaut they were last year, but leading your division again is no small feat. 2. Albuquerque Maul: (48-31) - 1/2 game behind leader. WHAT'S GOING RIGHT: The offense is powered by the heavy-slugging trio of Glenn Davis (.579 slugging, 18 homers, 58 runs scored, 53 RBI's), Pete Incaviglia (16 homers, .567 slugging, 50 runs scored, 60 RBI's), and mid-season aquisition Gary Gaetti (.538 slugging, 18 homers, 52 RBI's). Closer Tim Crews has 13 saves with a 1.62 ERA, and 4 starters (Ted Higuera, Chris Bosio, John Dopson, Dave Stieb), have an average of 9 wins each. WHAT'S NOT GOING RIGHT: Their 3.46 team ERA is actually below league aveage. OVERALL: Albuquerque has a high powered offense, and is going to give San Mateo a run for their money in the Gehrig division. 3. PV Stallions: (45-35) - 4 games behind leader WHAT'S GOING RIGHT: The Stallions' 3.21 team ERA is 2nd best in the division. Charlie Hough is 9-4 with a 2.65 ERA. Tom Candiotti has 8 wins with a 3.12 ERA. John Franco has 15 saves so far this year. OF Dave Gallagher is hitting .347 with a .488 slugging percentage and 34 runs scored. Mike Marshall is on pace to hit 30 homers, and has 46 RBI's. WHAT'S NOT GOING RIGHT: Ron Oester got 48 starts at 2nd base and responded by posting a .242 on base average. 1st round pick Robby Alomar has limited playing time so far but has a .365 on base average with a .404 slugging average. OVERALL: PV right now is on the outside looking in on the playoffs, but not by much. They're a hot streak away from getting back into contention. 4. Homestead Gray's: (42-39) - 7 1/2 games behind leader WHAT'S GOING RIGHT: Barry Larkin was finally given a starting position this year and has responded with an all-star 1st half, hitting .292 with 23 stolen bases and 51 runs scored. Mel Hall is hitting .370 in part-time action with 27 runs scored and 20 RBI's in 173 at bats. Don August is 8-2 with a 2.80 ERA, and Jamie Moyer, Orel Hershiser and Dennis Rasmussen each have 7 wins. Catcher Matt Nokes is slugging .435 with 29 RBI's and 7 homers. WHAT'S NOT GOING RIGHT: They were expecting Orel to be a bit more dominating this year. There's always the 2nd half. Barry Larkin is the team's best deep threat at the plate, but he only has 8 homers. OVERALL: Homestead presently has a winning record. While they have several teams to overcome if they want to make the playoffs, it is still possible, especially if Hershiser starts performing to the level only he can reach. 5. Ocean Beach Surfers: (36-41) - 11 1/2 games behind leader WHAT'S GOING RIGHT: Bryn Smith is 10-6 with a 2.59 ERA and made the all- star team, as did closer Mark Davis (3-3, 17 saves, 2.43 ERA0. Their 3.25 ERA is 3rd best in the division and above average for the league. Kevin McReynolds is slugging .474 with 13 homers and 45 RBI's. Von Vayes has a .357 on base average with 29 stolen bases. WHAT'S GOING WRONG: Other than McReynolds, the Surfers are really struggling at the plate. Their batting average, on base average and slugging average are hovering near league lows. Danny Tartabull is really stinking up the joint, hitting .218 with a .338 slugging percentage for a guy who's supposed to be an all-star. Young phenom Greg Maddux is struggling, goign 4-8 with a 4.35 ERA. Expect to see him on the waiver wire any day now (ha ha). OVERALL: This team was picked to finish 2nd in their division this year. But underperformance by several players has killed their momentum. The Surfers are still packed with talent, and they'll be back. 6. Topeka Stingers: (34-46) - 15 games behind leader WHAT'S GOING RIGHT: George Brett was hitting .314 with a .581 slugging percentage before being dealt to Fort Worth. Andy Hawkins is 8-6 with a 1.99 ERA. Charlie Leibrandt has 8 wins and a 3.06 ERA. WHAT'S NOT GOING RIGHT: Their offense (much like the rest of the league) lacks punch. Breaking 70 runs or RBI each will be a challenge for this year's group of hitters. Charlie Leibrandt also has 9 losses to go with his 8 wins. OVERALL: Better luck next year. Tiant Division: 1. Hollywood Stars: (49-30) WHAT'S GOING RIGHT: Last year's pennant winners lead their division again this year. Eric Davis is having an MVP year, slugging .563, with 22 homers, 58 runs scored, 25 stolen bases and 69 RBI. Andy Van Slyke has a .415 on base average, .643 slugging average, 15 homers and 45 runs scored. 2B Robby Thompson has 49 runs scored with a .442 slugging average. Danny Jackson is 10-4 with a 2.79 ERA, while Don Carman is 8-2 with a 3.25 ERA. WHAT'S NOT GOING RIGHT: Closer Dan Plesac has 12 saves, but has a 4.30 ERA. OVERALL: Hollywood just keeps chugging along. 2. Orange Whoop: (51-35) - 1 1/2 game behind leader WHAT'S GOING RIGHT: I bet you didn't see *this* coming. The Whoop are an oasis of hitting in the desert of 1988. Bo Jackson is a wildman at the plate, smacking 22 dingers with 57 rusn scored and 48 RBI (along with 23 stolen bases and 117 strikeouts). Dave Winfield is hitting .292 with a .501 slugging average, 18 homers, 54 runs scored and 54 RBI. 3B Kelly Gruber has 48 runs scored and 54 RBI, and 1B Kent Hrbek has 54 runs scored and 48 RBI. Young hurdler David Cone is having a breakout year, going 10-1 with a 2.77 ERA. Closer Dave Reardon is 4-2 with 15 saves and a 2.06 ERA. WHAT'S NOT GOING RIGHT: Rick Mahler and Tom Glavine bring up the rear of the rotation with mid 4 ERA's and a 13-14 record. Walt Weiss is the only player not participating in the hit parade, posting a sub .600 OPS. OVERALL: Being in pennant contention, much less playoff contention, will make this the best season ever for the Whoop. 3. Boston Bulldogs: (47-36) - 4 games behind leader WHAT'S GOING RIGHT: The off-season acquisition of Kirk Gibson was a stellar move, as Gibson has reacted with an all-star caliber season. Gibson so far has banged out 15 homers, scored 53 runs, and driven in 54. Mike Greenwell is having a good season as well, posting a .373 on base average with 52 runs scored. Jerry Reuss is 10-4 with a 3.02 ERA. WHAT'S NOT GOING RIGHT: Steve Balboni has 15 homers, but sports a low .257 on base average. Closer Jim Gott has 16 saves but is 4-5 with a 4.26 ERA. Jose DeLeon isn't working at all, going 5-12 with a 5.26 ERA in 19 starts. OVERALL: Being only 4 games out of the division lead means Boston is still in it. They may need a few more players to move ahead, but they're in it. 4. Dark Valley Destinies: (43-37) - 6 1/2 games behind leader WHAT'S GOING RIGHT: Darryl Strawberry is making his case for MVP: 21 homers, 55 runs scored, 52 RBI, 19 stolen bases. Kal Daniel has 57 runs scored with 23 stolen bases, while Dave Henderson is an all-star, hitting 16 homers with 50+ runs/RBI. SS Howard Johnson is slugging .493 with 49 runs scored. Craig Lefferts has 12 saves with a 2.19 ERA, while John Tudor is 9-5 with an even 3.00 ERA. WHAT'S NOT GOING RIGHT: The Destinies are rock-bottom in the league in fielding, booting a league-high 105 errors. Bob Walk has 9 wins to his season, but 7 losses and a 3.69 ERA as well. They're also in the midst of a 7 game losing streak which has dropped them deep in the standings. OVERALL: Dark Valley certainly has the talent to still win the division. Give them 15 extra minutes of fielding practice and watch them rise. 5. Missouri Mules: (41-44) - 11 games behind leader WHAT'S GOING RIGHT: Mark McGwire is having another great sseason, slugging .579 with *27* home runs, 58 runs scored and 61 RBI's at the halfway point. Closer Todd Worrell is looking like a fireman of the year candidate, saving 19 games, winning 4 with a 1.60 ERA. WHAT'S GOING WRONG: A staff with Roger Clemens, Bobby Ojeda, Danny Darwin and Bret Saberhagen posting a team ERA of 3.81? Other than McGwire, there's not a lot of punch in the hitting lineup. OVERALL: They've got some good talent, but 1988 looks to be a write-off year for the Mules.