1993 CDBL MID-SEASON REVIEW Aaron Division 1st - Manhatten Beach Mashers (53-37) - (Predicted finish: 1st). The Mashers are on top as expected, but their .589 winning percentage isn't as dominating as in years past. Paul O'Neill is hitting .385 with 61 runs scored and 50 RBI, while catcher Rick Wilkins is slugging .605 with 64 RBI. Tom Candiotti is 14-3 with a 2.17 ERA, and Jesse Orosco has saved 20 games with a 1.59 ERA. 2nd - California Kamados (53-38, .5 games back) - (Predicted finish: 4th). The 1st year expansion team has roared out of the gate. CF Devon White has a .364 on base average, 25 stolen bases and 61 runs scored and 52 RBI. Phil Plantier has bashed 22 home runs with 57 RBI. Bill Swift and Tommy Greene have won 11 games each, and Duane Ward has saved 11 games with a 2.30 ERA. 3rd - Arkham Investigators (51-40, 2.5 games back) - (Predicted finish: 2nd). The Investigators are still in the thick of things. Ken Griffey Jr has hit 29 home runs with 77 runs scored and 86 RBI. Reggie Sanders has 17 home runs and 62 RBI, while Tony Phillips and Robin Ventura has 57 runs scored (Ventura has scored many runs despite hitting .195 for the season). Kevin Appier is 12-5 with a 2.54 ERA and Jose Rijo is 10-7 with a 3.30 ERA. 4th - Elk Grove Trout (51-40, 2.5 games back) - (Predicted finish: 3rd). Lenny Dykstra has been one of the better tablesetters this year. He has a .409 on base average, 77 runs scored, and 24 stolen bases. Greg Jefferies has 60 RBI, while Tony Gwynn is hitting .391 with 58 runs scored and 67 RBI. Chuck Finley is 10-5 with a 2.02 ERA, and Sid Fernandez is 10-4 with a 3.28 ERA. Closer Darren Holmes has saved 19, but has been a bit inconsistent in the clutch, sporting a 1-8 record with a 4.65 ERA. 5th - Point Lomas Friars (44-48, 10 games back) - (Predicted finish: 6th). The Friars are out of the race this year, and recent trades have repositioned themselves for next year. Luis Gonzalez is a bright spot, hitting .343 with 19 home runs, 64 runs scored and 70 RBI, and mainstay Tim Raines has 32 stolen bases and 65 runs scored. Closer Jay Howell has 22 saves with a 2.38 ERA. 6th - Shoeless Joe's (41-50, 12.5 games back) - (Predicted finish: 5th). It can be tough to compete in this division. Rafael Palmeiro has 19 home runs and 74 RBI, while Brett Butler has 21 stolen bases and 67 runs scored. Closer Gene Harris has 14 saves and a 2.38 ERA. Paige Division 1st - Tualatin Thunder (57-35) - (Predicted finish: 2nd). The Thunder have the best record in the big leagues right now. They have young superstars Jeff Bagwell (59 runs scored) and Mike Piazza (.406 on base average, 54 RBI), but it's been OF Bernard Gilkey (.488 slugging, 60 runs scored, 60 RBI) who has be driving the offense. Jeff King has 65 runs scored. Pete Harnisch has an 11-4 record with a 3.19 ERA, while Tom Henke has saved 21 games despite a 4.16 ERA. They're getting it done by playing good old fashioned baseball. 2nd - Springfield Isotopes (57-36, 0.5 games behind) - (Predicted finish: 3rd). It's the Barry Bonds show! Barry has been off the charts this year, hitting .378 with a .794 slugging percentage, 35 home runs, 93 runs scored and 100 RBI. Mark Grace has 66 runs scored and 70 RBI, and Jeff Blauser and Dave Hollins each have 66 runs scored. Curt Schilling is 10-6 with a 3.52 ERA, and Kevin Tapani and Mark Clark have gone a combined 15-7 despite having ERA's above 5. 3rd - DC Riots (48-40, 7 games behind) - (Predicted finish: 4th). Fred McGriff has been a dependable presence in the lineup, hitting 18 home runs with 51 runs scored and 55 RBI. Lance Johnson has 52 runs scored with 22 stolen bases. Ken Hill is 9-5 with a 3.13 ERA, and closer Jeff Russell has saved 15 games with a 2.68 ERA. 4th - Dewey Beach Lush (46-44, 10 games behind) - (Predicted finish: 1st). The hitting has been good, but the pitching has not. Frank Thomas has hit 20 home runs with 61 runs scored and 55 RBI, while Jay Bell is hitting .368 with 68 runs scored. Sammy Sosa has knocked out 16 home runs with 59 RBI, and Larry Walker has 50+ runs and RBI. Greg Harris and Luis Aquino have won 8 games, but with 4+ ERA's. Bill Wertz and Matt Turner have combined for 15 saves, and 0-8 record and ERA's higher than 3.8. 5th - White Rock Mighty Pugs (42-49, 14.5 games behind) - (Predicted finish: 6th). Things have been a bit tough for the Pugs as they soldier on. Joe Carter has hit 18 home runs and driven in 52 runs. Eddie Murray has 15 home runs and 47 RBI. Ace Mark Langston has been superb, going 11-4 with a 2.33 ERA. Mark Dewey has saved 18 games with a 2.43 ERA. 6th - Largo Longshots (34-56, 22 games behind) - (Predicted finish: 5th). A rebuilding year for Largo. Their standout player this year is Jim Eisenreich, who is hitting .342 with 53 runs scored and 46 RBI. Jack McDowell has 8 wins and a 2.74 ERA. That's pretty much it for the year. Gehrig Division 1st - Ocean Beach Surfers (52-37) - (Predicted finish: 1st). The Surfers have it going on this year. Andres Galarraga is hitting .339 with 11 home runs and 58 RBI. Joey Cora has a .364 on base average with 57 runs scored. Danny Tartabull has a .484 slugging average with 58 RBI, while Mickey Tettleton has 20 home runs and 60 RBI. Greg Maddux is establishing himself as a dominant starter, going 12-5 with a 2.71 ERA. Jerry DiPoto has saved 14 games with a 2.63 ERA. 2nd - Boulder County Trustafarians (50-38, 1.5 games behind) - (Predicted finish: 4th). Boulder County is having a pretty good year. Barry Larkin is hitting .348 with 22 stolen bases and 65 runs scored, while John Kruk is hitting .325 with 53 runs scored and 54 RBI. Ken Caminiti has been the big RBI man, driving in 62. Kenny Rogers and Juan Guzman have each won 10 games despite sporting ERA's in the high 3's. Jeff Montgomery has been money at the closer position, saving 13 games with a 1.82 ERA. 3rd - Topeka Stingers (43-46, 9 games behind) - (Predicted finish: 2nd). The Stingers have scored more than they've allowed, but that has still translated into a losing record at the break. Marquis Grissom has 45 stolen bases and 62 runs scored, while Mo Vaughn has had a banner year in the middle of the order, slugging .520 with 23 home runs, 63 runs scored and 72 RBI. Ron Gant has blasted 26 home runs, while Chris Sabo has 19 and Jeff Kent 14. Joe Magrane, Scott Sanderson and Wilson Alvarez have won at least 8 games. Mike Henneman has saved 13 with a 3.18 ERA. On paper, it's not readily apparant why Topeka is under .500 right now. 4th - San Francisco Samurai (40-49, 12 games behind) - (Predicted finish: 5th). The Samurai are kind of plugging along until Pedro Martinez develops more. Roberto Alomar is one of the best tablesetters in the league, stealing 37 bases, with a .392 on base average and 58 runs scored. Brady Anderson has 51 runs scored and 52 RBI despite slugging .402. Bob Walk is 8-7 with a 4.46. That's pretty much it. 5th - Albuquerque Maul (34-55, 18 games behind) - (Predicted finish: 3rd). Out of contention, the Maul traded much of their immediate talent to make a run for next year. Albert Belle has 17 home runs and 50 runs scored, while Dean Palmer has 22 home runs and 56 RBI. Kirk Rueter is 6-5 with a 2.41 ERA in 12 starts. 6th - Concord Minutemen (34-55, 18 games behind) - (Predicted finish: 6th). They were not expected to contend this year, and they're not. Carlos Baerga has been great, hitting .308 with 64 runs scored and 65 RBI. Jose Offerman only has a .332 on base average but has stretched his time on the bases to score 55 runs. Jimmy Key is 8-6 with a 2.76 ERA, and closer Bryan Harvey has 14 saves and a 1.54 ERA, but the team's overall 4.64 ERA has been their downfall. Tiant Division 1st - Boston Bulldogs (52-38) - (Predicted finish: 2nd). The Bulldogs are doing well this year. Paul Molitor has been a big bat, slugging .442 with 71 runs scored and 56 RBI. Darren Daulton is one of the league's top catchers, slugging .493 with a .418 on base average, 68 runs scored and 61 RBI. Outfielder Ray Lankford has scored 51 runs. Randy Johnson has been one of the elite pitchers in the league, going 14-3 with a 2.59 ERA. Mike Morgan is 11-4 with a 3.43 ERA, and closer Greg McMichael has saved 12 games with a 2.45 ERA. 2nd - First Coast Riders (51-38, 0.5 games behind) - (Predicted finish: 4th). Some clutch play has kept the Riders in contention. Matt Williams has had a great year, hitting 22 home runs with 54 runs scored and 68 RBI. Cecil Fielder has 16 home runs, 50 runs scored and 58 RBI. Mark Eichhorn has won 8 games in relief, and starters John Burkett and Roger Clemens are a combined 15-13 with ERA's in the mid-3's. Andy Benes is 11-5 with a 4.02 ERA. Lee Smith has been a dominant closer, saving 19 games with a 1.59 ERA (and a likely reason the Riders are playing as good as they are now). 3rd - Dedham Destroyers (51-40, 1.5 games behind) - (Predicted finish: 5th). The Destroyers are getting some stellar play from several of their hitters. David Justice has been en fuego, hitting 21 home runs, slugging .515, with 66 runs scored and 88 RBI. Alan Trammell is playing like his younger days, hitting .406 with 60 runs scored and 62 RBI. Pat Rapp and Doug Drabek have combined to go 21-5, while closer Todd Jones (burned out at the break) saved 17 games with a 2.11 ERA. Rick Honeycutt is 2nd on the saves list with 4 and with a 1.86 ERA. Definitely a team to watch in the 2nd half! 4th - Orange Whoop (46-43, 5.5 games behind) - (Predicted finish: 1st). The Whoop have been featuring a trio of terrors. John Olerud is hitting .378 with 23 home runs, 63 runs scored and 75 RBI. Juan Gonzalez is hitting .367 with 31 home runs, 71 runs scored and 88 RBI. Kenny Lofton has stolen 44 bases with a .399 on base average and 72 runs scored. What has held this team back this year is the pitching. David Cone is 7-4 with a 3.72 ERA. While Tom Glavine is 10-5, he does so with a un-ace-like 4.39 ERA. The team's overall ERA is 4.21. Closer Rod Beck is 2-2 with 8 saves and a 2.02 ERA. 5th - San Diego Stars (39-50, 12.5 games behind) - (Predicted finish: 3rd). The Stars have several standout hitters, but the pitching have held them back this year. Roberto Kelly stole 29 bases and scored 72 runs before burning out for the year. Pete Incaviglia and Bobby Bonilla are both slugging near .500 with 60+ RBI and lots of home runs. 2B Robby Thompson has a .343 on base average with 68 runs scored. Closer Greg Olson has saved 11 games with a 2.97 ERA, and starter Aaron Sele is 8-3 with a 3.45 ERA, but the overall team ERA of 4.53 makes it obvious the rest of the staff is dragging the Stars down the standings. 6th - Avila Dragons (11-78, 40.5 games behind) - (Predicted finish: 6th). This first year expansion team was obviously building for the future and it shows. Their top RBI man, Mike Felder, is slugging .273 with 26 runs scored, and their top run scorer, Eric Young, has a .302 on base average and 27 runs scored. There are no standouts in pitching when the team ERA is 6.57. Still, the only way they can go now is up. Or sideways. Either one.