2001 CFOD MID-SEASON REVIEW - BY JEFF GOLDBERG As we get started to kick off the 2nd Half of the season, let's take a team-by-team look at the season so far. There are some terrific races in every division, and have been some amazing individual performances. It should be a fun 2nd Half. TOP MVP CANDIDATES Jason Giambi, HIL Barry Bonds, MEC Luis Gonzalez, ARZ Alex Rodriguez, PAX Larry Walker, SDT Phil Nevin, BSB TOP CY YOUNG CANDIDATES Roy Oswalt, ARZ Mike Mussina, ORE Mark Buehrle, SPR Ramiro Mendoza, ANG Randy Johnson, CAL Kerry Wood, SFP TOP FIREMAN CANDIDATES Norm Charlton, ARZ Kyle Farnsworth, SPR Mariano Rivera, CAL Troy Percival, ANG Arthur Rhodes, SFP Kazuhiro Sasaki, CIN MANTLE DIVISION ANGRY CANDY: 50-27, 1st place. The Candy's 1st place position is driven by the unstoppable 3-Headed monster made up of Bobby Abreu (.309, 16 HR), Chipper Jones(.292, 21HR, 62 RBI), and Todd Helton(.318, 20 HR, 68 RBI). To make things worse on opposing pitchers, guys like AJ Pierzynski & future star Torii Hunter are performing admirably in supporting roles. The Candy's 445 Runs are 4th in the CFOD. Going into the little season, there was little doubt that they would score runs, but the question mark was the pitching. And led by a stellar bullpen, the staff's 3.88 ERA is 3rd in the league. Scott Sullivan, Jim Mecir, Juan Moreno, and Julian Tavarez set things up, while Troy Percival closes the door. The biggest surprise has been ace Ramiro Mendoza, whose 2.08 ERA leads the league. Paul Abbott and Vladimir Nunez are just okay behind Mendoza, but it appears that the Candy desperately need another starter or two for the 2nd half, because the explosive Mechan Syndicate are breathing down their neck. MECHAN SYNDICATE: 49-28, 1 GB. If the Angry Candy's offense is dynamite, then the Syndicate's offense is a nuclear bomb. This offense is just scary. Rafael Pameiro has 29 HR's & 92 RBI's, while Shawn Green & Gabe Kapler are both having solid seasons. Eric Chavez has 52 RBI's, while Robbie Alomar has had a mildly disappointing year hitting .255. Oh ya, then there is Barry. Bonds is hitting .346, along w/ 99 BB's (.533 OBP!), 32 HR's, and 76 RBI's. The Syndicate obviously lead the league in hitting, and will no doubt continue to do so in the 2nd half. But like the Candy, the pitching staff will determine how far they go. Eric Gagne, Willis Roberts, and Tim Wakefield all have won 7 games. But supposed ÓAceÔ Chan Ho Park (6.68 ERA), Blake Stein (5.98 ERA), & Adam Eaton (6.16 ERA) have not done their part. Note Chan Ho Park's ERA's the last couple years (2000: 4.65, 1999: 6.54). One has to wonder if Park needs a change of scenery. Byung-Hyun Kim (1.98 ERA) leads a competent bullpen. Like the Candy, the Syndicate will need a couple starters if they hope to do anything in the post-season, even with their unreal offense. SPRINGFIELD TOPES: 40-37, 10 GB. Following the controversial off-season trade of Luis Gonzalez to Arizona, the Topes have managed to keep their heads above water thanks to a well-balanced team. Bernie Williams (.304, 17 HR's) once again leads the offense, and gets some help from Jorge Posada, Jose Vidro, and Tino Martinez. Good thing these guys are doing their jobs, because David Bell (.179 avg) and Alex Gonzalez (.227) are certainly not. Johnny Damon has been decent in the leadoff position, while Jason Johnson, the other main piece acquired from Arizona, has combined with a couple of lefties to lead the pitching staff. Mark Buehrle (11 W's, 3.20 ERA) and Andy Pettitte (3.01 ERA) have been stellar this season, and are the main reasons for the club's 40 wins. 2nd round pick Kyle Farnsworth (19 SV's) has been dominant as the closer. The Topes seems to missing the one offensive superstar to put them over the top. Luis Gonzalez could have been that man, and it will be interesting to watch who gets the better long term end of that deal. Arizona seems to be have the edge thus far, but if Johnny Damon can find his offense next year and beyond, then Springfield could come out ahead. For this year, Springfield is still within shouting distance of a wildcard birth. SAN FRANCISCO SHRINERS: 39-38, 11 GB. The Shriners are one game over .500, thanks mostly to Sammy Sosa. Sosa is having his usual stellar season, hitting .310 with 25 HR's & 50 RBI's. Kevin Millar is Sosa's sidekick this year, and they both get some support from the solid yet unspectacular trio of Carl Everett, Marlon Anderson, and Mark Grace. Armando Rios and Rey Sanchez have been great in part-time duty. All in all, the offense has been above average. The pitching has been the sore spot. The Shriners have two nice finds in Corey Lidle and Brian Lawrence, but Nelson Figeroa, Josh Towers, and Glendon Rusch have been just awful. Rich Garces (18 SV's) and Mark Guthrie have been solid in the bullpen. The key to the 2nd half is the rotation, which has to be fixed if the Shriners expect to make a late season run. Regardless of what happens this season, next year should be exciting, featuring a rotation consisting of youngster Ted Lilly, Vicente Padilla, and Brian Lawrence. TORONTO TOWERS: 35-43, 15.5 GB. Coming off a playoff appearance, the Towers have stumbled out of the gate, and site 15.5 games out of first place. The offense has been average, led by 3b Aramis Ramirez, who has slugged 17 HR's and 59 RBI's. Pudge Rodriguez and Miguel Tejada both have 11 HR's and 44 RBI's, while the 1b combo of Derrek Lee and Ryan Klesko has been lights out. Has anyone seen Edgardo Alfonzo? Once a rising star, the 3b has rode the pine so far, managing only 11 AB's. The offense has been decent, but not nearly strong enough to overcome the struggling pitching staff. Paul Wilson is the win leader with 6, but with a 5.85 ERA. There is not one starter on the team with an ERA under 4.50. The bullpen has done their best to make up for the starters. Steve Kline (14 SV's) and Jeff Fassero lead a bevy of solid relievers. Regardless, it'll be tough for the Towers to contend with their rotation in chaos. If they want to make a move, there is a positive. They do have a favorable schedule, playing a significant amount more games at home in the 2nd half. CHARLOTTESVILLE SQUIDS: 33-43, 16.5 GB. 16.5 games out of first and an ownership change taking place, the Squids underwent a tough 1st half. New owner Geof Hobday inherits a team in turmoil, but not without talent. The Squids have several good offensive players, led by Gary Sheffield. Sheff continues to mash, hitting .344 with 15 HR's and 61 RBI's. Jose Cruz and Sean Casey also complement Sheffield well, while catcher Damian Miller is having his best year. I had to blink repeatedly to make sure I was correctly seeing Chris Gomez's stats so far. Gomez is hitting (or not hitting) .190 with 1 HR in 211 AB's. While the Squids feature some nice hitters, pitching is a different story. Whoever is managing this staff should be run out of Charlottesville. Ryan Dempster and Jason Schmidt have started a combined 3 games! Bob Wickman, who should be the ace closer, has pitched 2/3 of an inning!! Amazingly, Joe Beimel has won 10 games despite a 5.01 ERA. Jim Brower has a nasty 7.11 ERA in 119 IP's. It may be too late to salvage this season, but there are several building blocks such as Roy Halladay, Luis Castillo, and Gary Sheffield that make a bright future very possible. KOUFAX DIVISION CINCINNATI ROCK: 46-31, 1st place. Coming off their first CFOD World Series Championship, the Cincinnati Rock have not skipped a beat, leading the Brewins by 3 games at the break. Carlos Beltran has bounced back to lead the Rock offense, hitting .336 with 22 HR's, 57 RBI's, and 20 SB's. What Beltran doesn't knock in, Troy Glaus usually does. Despite hitting a paltry .212, Glaus's 24 HR's and 59 RBI's lead the team. What has made this team truly potent is the surprising supporting cast. Chris Richard is hitting .321 with an OPS of .982, while Little G Jeremy Giambi is hitting .303 with 12 HR's. David Segui, Russ Johnson, and others all make this a well-balanced lineup. Craig Paquette has for the second straight year been truly awful, with a .266 OBP. For the third straight year, the pitching is the real reason the Rock will be around come playoff time. Al Leiter, Brad Penny, and Bartolo Colon have combined for 25 wins. Expected ace Curt Schilling is 5-6 with a 4.31 ERA, while 5th starter Doug Davis has been just plain bad. Kaz Sasaki (15 SV's) and Steve Karsay have been stellar in the bullpen. The team could maybe use another arm in the bullpen, but a playoff appearance is very likely, and a repeat is a distinct possibility. If Curt Schilling turns it around, then the Rock will be a tough team to beat in the post-season. BOSTON BREWINS: 43-35, 3.5 GB. One year after finishing with the worst record in the CFOD, the Boston Brewins are right in the thick of things in the Koufax Division. It's kind of an ironic race in the Koufax Division, pitting the last year's CFOD Champs versus last year's CFOD Chumps. By finishing with the worse record last year, the Brewins secured the rights to the #1 Overall pick, and used it to grab Albert Pujols. Pujols, Garrett Anderson, & Phil Nevin combine to form a devastating heart of the order. Nevin has been just awesome so far, with 31 HR's and 83 RBI's. Cristian Guzman and Shannon Stewart also help the cause by contributing speed and athleticism. Alfonso Soriano is having a rough rookie year, but has shown signs of stardom. Coming into the season, the pitching staff looked to be one of the deepest in the league. Jon Garland, Joe Mays, and Tony Armas have done their part, combining for 22 wins. Jason Marquis and Randy Wolf haven't held their end of the bargain, with Wolf losing 10 games thus far. Braden Looper and Flash ÓDon't Call Me TomÔ Gordon have been disappointing in relief, both sporting ERA's around 6. Could Jose Mesa be ready to take over the closer's role? Either way, the Brewins should be good enough to advance to the post-season, and if Wolf & Marquis turn it around, they could overtake the Rock. L.A. Zippy's: 33-43, 12.6 GB. The Zippy's finally found a home, but it hasn't had a great impact on their record. Derek Jeter (.304 avg) and John Olerud (63 RBI's) have put up their usual strong numbers, and JD Drew (.316 AVG) has taken a liking to the city of angels with a breakout season. Other than those 3 hitters, there isn't a lot to get excited about offensively. Geoff Jenkins is great when healthy, but can't seem to kick the injury bug. Dave Mccarty has exceeded expectation, but medicore performances from Placido Polanco and Carlos Lee haunt this offense. Pitching wise, the Zippy's boast two of the most exciting young pitchers in the league in Barry Zito and Jeff Weaver. But both young studs have ERA's near 5.00, and for this team to succeed, Zito and Weaver must be dominating. The rest of the rotation is nothing to write home to Mama about, and the bullpen has been awful outside of Kevin Olsen and David Riske. The Zippy's don't seem to have much of a chance this year, but they do have a great nucleas to build around in Zito, Weaver, Jeter, and Drew. HILLSBOROUGH REGULATORS: 33-44, 13 GB. If it were up to Jason Giambi, then this team would be in 1st place. Jason Giambi is hitting .411, yet the team is 11 games under .500. The offense has been great, led by Giambi's Ted Williams-esque 1st half. An OPS of 1.301 says a lot. So does 37 doubles and 74 BB's. Cliff Floyd, Devon White, Matt Lawton, and Frank Catalannato all contribute to the cause, and this frequently walking offense scores plenty of runs. But the pitching, oh the pitching. When Lance Davis is considered your ace, then you know you are in for some long afternoons. Rick Helling sports a nifty 7.48 ERA, while Esteban Loiaza's 7 wins lead the team (despite his 5.56 ERA). James Baldwin should help enormously, but you've got to wonder if he will be enough. The bullpen is all right, with Trevor Hoffman doing his thing. Danny Graves has followed his unreal 2000 season by going 0-5 with a 4.76 ERA. What a difference a year makes. With Giambi on your side, anything is possible, but they'll need everything to go right in order to get back into the race. OREGON WET SOX: 32-45, 14 GB. For years, Oregon has relied on the trio of Nomar Garciaparra, Andruw Jones, and Jeff Bagwell. Bags (.329 Avg, 52 RBI's) is the only one producing this year. Injuries have wrecked Nomar's year, and Andruw is mired in a season long slump. Guys like Brian Jordan and Scott Brosius have done as much as they can to pick up the load, but the firepower is missing. Bret Boone was acquired in the big trade with California, but will Boone's career year be enough to make up for Nomar and Andruw? That remains to be seen. To get Boone, Oregon parted with staff horse Aaron Sele, which severely robs the Wet Sox of any rotation depth. Ace Mike Mussina has quite literally carried the Wet Sox in the 1st half, with 12 wins and a 2.81 ERA. The rest of the rotation has been downright ugly, most notably Nate Cornejo's 9.67(!) ERA. The bullpen has been decent, led by Ugie Urbina's 19 saves and Pedro Borbon's 2.31 ERA. In the 2nd half, Boone's bat will help, but removing Sele from the mix could prove to be even more harming. If so, then the Oregon fans might have to wait till next year and cross their fingers that Nomar and Andruw can get back on track. SOMERSVILLE SLUGGERS: 28-49, 18 GB. Coming off a 91-win season, the Sluggers haven't been able follow up on 2000's success. Somersville has gotten big production from Manny Ramirez, with a .338 avg, 25 HR's, and 64 RBI's. Manny has been super, but the rest of the lineup has been embarrassing. Trot Nixon has hit well, and so has Shane Halter, who is finally getting his first chance to play full time. Stardom may be in the future for Paul Konerko, but a .207 avg represents how disappointing his production has been thus far. Others such as Carlos Guillen and Dee Brown have joined Konerko with disappointing 1st half performances. The offense has been suspect, but so has the pitching staff. Ramon Ortiz has been stellar, going 7-1 with a 3.43 ERA. But Todd Ritchie, Mike Hampton, and Kevin Tapani have all failed to keep the Sluggers in games. Throughout the roster, a disappointing first half for Somersville, who now look to next season, when the promise of Fernando Tatis, Paul Konerko, & youngster Bobby Kielty are hopefully fulfilled. RUTH DIVISION PAXTANG PITBULLS: 50-27, 1st place. What a difference a year makes. The Pitbulls have followed a mediocre 2000 season with an outstanding 1st half of 2001. The offense is as good as ever. Led by all-world SS Alex Rodriguez's 32 HR's and 75 RBI's, the Pitbulls boast an offense that contends with Mechan and California for the league's best. As good as A-Rod has been, Brian Giles has been even better. Giles, probably the league's most under-appreciated slugger, is hitting .337 with 19 HR's and 66 RBI's. Carlos Delgado, Ellis Burks, Jeff Conine, & Brian's little brother Marcus provide even more firepower. Needless to say, the Pitbulls are never hurting for runs. What has been Paxtang's achilles heal is the pitching. What looks to be on paper a dominating group has been mildly disappointing thus far. Javier Vazquez is 8-3 with a 3.50 ERA, but the rest of the rotation has lagged behind. Mark Mulder has 9 wins, but sports a high (for him) 4.46 ERA. Darryl Kile, Chris Carpenter, and Robert Person just don't seem to be able to pitch to their potential. What has saved Paxtang has been the stellar bullpen work of Octavio Dotel and company. Dotel has great, but has logged 73 IP's and could be lost early due to burnout. Chad Fox and Jeff Nelson have also done well in relief. Paxtang is sure to have some stiff challenges from California and San Diego, and must get more consistency from Mulder and company in order to hold them off. SAN DIEGO TERMITES: 46-32, 4.5 GB. Year in and year out, San Diego seems to somehow be able to hang with the big boys. The Termite offense is nothing spectacular, and is basically carried by the Herculean Larry Walker. Walker's .317 avg, 16 HR's, and 53 RBI's all lead the team. Tony Clark, Jeff Cirillo, & Jeff Kent all contribute 45+ RBI's. The Termites work the platoon card to their advantage and seem to get the best of seemingly average guys like Brian Hunter and Josh Paul. The Termites have assembled a fascinating pitching staff, in that other than Steve Sparks and Woody Williams, the Termites have had 7 guys basically split the last 3 spots in the rotation. All have done okay, but when Kevin Brown is on the mound, the Termites are as good as anyone. The acquisition of Kevin Appier from Seattle is a gigantic one, as Appier will combine with Woody & Sparks to provide more stability to the staff. From the looks of it, San Diego would seem to have no chance to contend with Paxtang and California, but they continue to prove the doubters wrong. Looking at the schedule, the Termites could be an underdog, because they will play an extremely heavily home favored schedule in the 2nd half. And if they can get into the post-season, whoever faces them will have to face Brownie in Game 1. CALIFORNIA CONEHEADS: 44-34, 6.5 GB. Once again, Mike Piazza is back wreaking havoc on opposing pitchers. Piazza is doing what he does best, and this year he is joined by mainstay Scott Rolen and a new bash brother in Jim Thome. If you can believe it, the Conehead offense is probably weaker than previous years, but still potent enough to deal slugging 2B Bret Boone. Sensing a need for a leadoff hitter and another starter, GM Stromblad dealt Boone to Oregon for Mark McLemore and Aaron Sele. Mac is a valuable guy to have around, and will help provide balance to the lineup. You know the offense isn't the problem, so point to the pitching for answers to why the team is in 3rd place. Big Unit is his usual dominating self, with 7 wins, a 2.53 ERA, and 155 K's to lead the league. But Tim Hudson and off season acquisition Freddy Garcia have both put up weaker than usual 1st half numbers. Matt Clement has been terrible, and is a huge reason why Aaron Sele was brought in. With Sele settling in as the 4th starter, the rotation should be much stronger in the 2nd half. The Conehead bullpen is not as dominant as years past, but if Foulke and Rivera get the ball, they usually shut the door. The Coneheads are used to coasting in the 2nd half, but this year they have 6.5 games to make up on the Pitbulls. Even if they don't catch them, they are a cinch for a wildcard and a force to be reckoned with come October. CAROLINA LIGHTNING: 36-40, 13.5 GB. Competing in the ultra deep Ruth division is not easy, as the Lightning can attest to. Ken Griffey Jr has been everything Carolina hoped he would when they obtained him from Paxtang last year. Griffey(23 HR, 61 RBI's) has combined with Jim Edmonds to form an elite duo of outfielders. Edmonds has been fantastic thus far, with an OPS over 1.10! Pat ÓThe BatÔ Burrell is starting to come into his own, and Mike Lowell is steady at 3b. Veteran Craig Biggio is beginning to wear down, and although still moderately productive at 2b, the Lightning miss the player he once was. On the pitching side, the Lightning are led by a crafty veteran and a potentially dominant youngster. Tom Glavine and AJ Burnett combine to lead the rotation. Burnett sports a 3.77 ERA despite a 2-4 record. What haunts this team is depth (or lack thereof) in the rotation and bullpen. Kevin Jarvis has gotten knocked around, and Darren Dreifort is pitching as if his arm is about to fall off. David Weathers has been the only bright spot in the bullpen (although Mike Stanton will help), and it appears that there just aren't enough arms for Carolina to contend. On the bright side, former Rock ace Kevin Millwood health appears to be improving and could have more of an impact next year. TOPOEKA MOOSEDOGS: 36-42, 14.5 GB. Topeka always seems to be Óa year awayÔ, and this year is no different. Offensively, the Moosedogs have probably over-performed. Richie Sexson's 24 HR's and 54 RBI's lead the team, while Mark Grudzielanek made the all-star team. Orlando Cabrera and Jason Kendall provide nice pop from the hardest positions to fill. Just about the only hitter not pulling his weight is CF Kenny Lofton, who has been exceptionally bad. The pitching lacks the depth necessary to compete in this division. Rocket Roger Clemens & Jamey Wright has been decent, but Shayne Reynolds, John Halama, and Bobby Jones have been getting killed. Jason Isringhausen has a 3.51 ERA and 13 SV's, but looks can be deceiving. His 0-6 and high WHIP show his struggles. Without All-Star Joel Piniero, where would the Moosedogs be? With Piniero shut down for the rest of the year, guys like Paul Quantrill will have to step up. All in all, the Topeka Moosedogs 1st half has gone a lot like Owner/GM Danny Goldberg's love life as of late: Quietly. But there are reasons for optimism. Joel Piniero looks like a fantastic 1st round pick, and youngsters like Corey Patterson continue to develop. And Kenny Rogers might have been the best late round pick in the draft. MIAMI MANGOS: 25-53, 25 GB. To say it has been a tough year for the Mangos would be an understatement. The Mangos have not taken to the move to Coors Field. One of the few bright spots has been the comeback of Ruben Sierra, who leads the team with 19 HR's and 42 RBI's. Bubba Trammel and Travis Lee have done their best to help Sierra produce runs. Miami's problem is that they have too much dead weight in the lineup. Jay Payton, Julio Lugo, Matt Williams, & Ray Durham produce very little, and even less when you consider their home park. On paper, Miami's pitching should be decent, but the light air of Coors has really hurt the Mango staff. Hideo Nomo leads the team with 4 wins, and has been the only even average pitcher on the staff. Brad Radke and Ben Sheets are on the phone right now lobbying with owner Jeff Brown for a change of venue. Mike Dejean and Tim Worrell have been good in relief, but the only race that the Mangos are in is the one for the #1 overall pick. The Derek Lowe trade hasn't looked good so far, but something tells me the Mangos will come out ahead in that one. Mangos fans are salivating over the prospects of a Nomo, Lowe, Radke, Sheets, & possibly Ishii rotation. The one thing this organization truly lacks is some star hitters, and that will surely be addressed in the future. YOUNG DIVISION BROOKFIELD BROUHAHA: 46-32, 1st place. In 2nd place most of the first half, the Brouhaha went on a hot streak to capture 1st place at the All-Star Break. Their offense is fueled by one guy who you'd expect, and two who you couldn't have. Mr. Consistency Edgar Martinez is having yet another fabulous year, hitting .316 with 17 HR's (yet only 36 RBI's!). Joining Edgar in terrorizing opposing pitchers is a pair of .350 hitters having career years. Paul Loduca also has 17 HR's and 53 RBI's, while Rich Aurilia has 16 HR's and 46 RBI's. Tyler Houston and Richard Hidalgo are having nice years behind the big guns. The lineup overall lacks a little depth, but as long as Edgar, Loduca, and Aurilia stay on fire, it should hide that flaw. On the pitching side, Brookfield has done an admirable job of combining journeymen type pitchers to form a competent rotation. Russ Ortiz is the horse, winning 12 games with a 3.94 ERA. Terry Adams, Jason Bere, Calvin Maduro, and Jimmy Anderson all have ERA around 4.00 and give the club a chance to win. The biggest surprise thus far for the Brouhaha has to be closer Randy Choate. Yes I said Randy Choate! He has shut the door 15 times to go with a 2.92 ERA. Kelvim Escobar has been a Swiss army knife, grabbing 9 saves but also starting 9 games. The Brouhaha also get competent work from Rick White and Mike Venafro. In the 2nd half, the one element to watch is to see if their bullpen can hold up. It is very thin, and if Randy Choate comes back to reality, they may be in trouble, especially with Arizona on their heels. ARIZONA THUNDER: 44-33, 1.5 GB. In 2000, the Thunder was dead silent in Arizona, but led by two superb off-season acquisitions, the Thunder is back. Luis Gonzalez was acquired from Springfield, and he's had a possible MVP first half of the season. .373, 31 HR's, and 73 RBI's are just a few of Gonzalez's remarkable numbers. To say Gonzo has carried this offense is an understatement. The Thunder have a few other decent bats, but no one that strikes much fear in the opponents. Mike Cameron provides great defense and a little pop, while rookies like Jimmy Rollins and Juan Pierre have provided some energy. For Arizona to take the next step, they must get more production from 1b Mike Sweeney, who is only hitting .260 with 13 HR's. The other superb off-season acquisition is Roy Oswalt, the team's 1st round pick, #3 overall. His 13 wins lead the CFOD, along with a 2.51 ERA. Jon Lieber is the other horse, winning 9 games with a 3.44 ERA. When Oswalt and Lieber are not pitching, it hasn't been pretty. It's Lieber & Roy O., and pray for snow. Chris Reitsma and Livian hernandez both have ERA's near 6, and while Miguel Batista hasn't been as bad, he still has a 4-7 record. In the bullpen, the Thunder boast probably the two most dominant left-handed relievers in the game in Norm Charlton and Billy Wagner. Who knows why GM David Kuehn went with Charlton over Wagner as the closer, but Charlton has been golden. The former Nasty Boy's 1.15 ERA and 19 SV's, to go with Wagner's 1.54 ERA, has locked down leads in the late innings. In fact the Thunder boast 2 more effective lefties in Buddy Groom and Casey Fossom. But if they want to catch Brookfield, Sweeney needs to step up, and another starter must be found. SAN FRANCISCO PIAZZA's: 44-34, 2 GB. Scanning over the Piazza's first half stats, I ask myself one question: How are they 10 games over .500? The only answer can be a dominant bullpen, which usually secures any lead they are given. Don't get me wrong, their offense is not that bad. #2 overall pick Ichiro Suzuki kick-starts things, with a .347 avg and 22 SB's. Fred McGriff and Moises Alou provide decent power, combining for 26 HR's and 91 Rbi's. Chris Singleton, Desi Relaford, Wilton Guerrero, Randy Velarde and Danny Bautista have been great in platoon duty. The team owes these part-time players big-time, because meanwhile regulars like Javy Lopez, Rafael Furcal, and Mark Loretta have stunk up the house. The starting rotation has been solid, yet not as solid as management had hoped. Kerry Wood is back and dominant once again, going 9-1 with a 2.53 ERA. Shawn Estes, Jamie Moyer, and John Burkett have not been great, but still good enough to keep their team in the game. Kirk Reuter can't say the same thing, pulling an ÓAnti-WoodÔ, going 1-9 with a 5.07 ERA. Back to the penn, which is led by the killer combo of Jeff Zimmerman and Arthur Rhodes, carrying a 1.85 and 1.04(!) ERA respectively and combining for 25 SV's. Brett Prinz, Chris Holt, and Josias Manzanillo have also pitched well. A wildcard birth is in San Francisco's sights, but the team could really use a reformed Kirk Reuter and another big bat. SACRAMENTO FISH: 40-37, 5.5 GB. The doormats of the CFOD for many years, the Fish are contenders in the Young Division. Just 5.5 games back, they are led by the superstar combo of Lance Berkman and Vladimir Guerrero. Both just 25 years old, the sluggers have combined for 31 HR's and 107 RBI's. Barring injuries, Berkman and Vlad will terrorize opposing pitchers for years and years. In the Óbet you didn't realizeÔ category, Scott Spiezio is hitting .363, with an OPS over 1.00!! Performances from unheralded players such as Spiezio and Joe McEwing have provided ample support for the two stars. On to the pitching, which is led by the trio of Matt Morris, Wade Miller, and Eric Milton. Morris and Miller haven't disappointed, combining for 13 wins. Bruce Chen has a respectable 4.20 ERA but with a 4-8 record. Milton has disappointed, posting a 5.66 ERA. Why has Bruce Chen started 17 games, while Matt Morris only has started 11? I don't know the answer, but when your best pitcher (and one of the best in the CFOD) is not getting the ball every 5th game, there are some managerial issues to straighten out. The Fish have an effective bullpen, led by Jose Jimenez, Jason Grimsley, and Jason Christiansen. Jimenez has been dominating (1.88 ERA), so why are the likes of John Bale (7.71 ERA) and Rick ÓWild ThingÔ Ankiel (8.54 ERA) closing? The Fish have a real chance to contend for a playoff spot. If they can get their managerial issues straightened out, watch out. SEATTLE MOSHERS: 35-42, 10.5 GB. Unlike most teams, the Moshers actually have a decent pitching staff, but also unlike most teams, they have an awful offense. Awful might be a strong word, because they have a few guys having nice years. Magglio Ordonez is a bonafide superstar, hitting .341 with 16 HR's and 72 RBI's. Lee Stevens hits only .234, but slugs 20 HR's and 49 RBI's. Fernando Vina is a sparkplug at 2b hitting .323, and 2nd round pick Toby Hall looks good so far. After that, it isn't pretty. Mark Kotsay is 3rd on the team in HR's with 5. Tony Womack, Tim Salmon, and Jose Macias are some of the dead weight in the lineup. Acquiring some power has to be a priority for GM Mike Littau in the 2nd half and beyond. As mentioned, the pitching staff is pretty good, led by the best pitcher in CFOD history, Greg Maddux. Already the career leader in almost every pitching category, Maddux only has 5 wins, but always a solid 3.13 ERA. Following Maddux are 2 lefties the Moshers see anchoring their rotation for years to come. C.C. Sabathia and Jarrod Washburn have combined for 12 wins, and should get better next year. Ismael Valdes and Paul Byrd (who was obtained for Kevin Appier) round out a solid 5-man rotation. Paul Shuey is the one standout in the shaky Mosher bullpen. Already looking towards next year, it could be a quick turnaround for the Moshers, who next year could have a potentially awesome rotation built around the ageless wonder. PARK CITY CLIMBERS: 20-58, 26.5 GB. Ouch. The Climbers lead the league in the race Å.. for the #1 overall pick. A total lack of offense has haunted the Climbers this year. The only hitter on the team having even an average year is OF Jermaine Dye (.290, 12 HR's, 43 RBI's). Everyone, and I do mean, EVERYONE else in the lineup has stunk up the joint. There are too many atrocities to list, but how about this one: their starting catchers, Ben Petrick and Charles Johnson, are hitting .162 and .174. It is just plain ugly. The Climbers actually have had a couple really good performances from Pedro Martinez and the recently departed James Baldwin. But the performances have been too few and far in between. Kip Wells is 0-6 with a 7.43 ERA. The bullpen is not much better, as Tom Davey who has gotten the job done (3.12 ERA). The Climbers are likely to be the worst team in the CFOD in the 2nd half as well, and combining a Mark Prior with a Pedro Martinez and Kip Wells at least puts this team on the right track. They still desperately need to find some young hitters in the 2nd half and off-season.