2006 CFOD MID-SEASON REVIEW Mantle Division 1st place - Angry Candy - 46-34 (Predicted: 1st) The Candy's offense is firing on all cylinders. Chipper Jones has 14 home runs, 70 runs scored and 59 RBI. Bobby Abreu is hitting .289 with 68 runs scored, while Jason Bay is slugging .561 with 17 home runs and 63 RBI. Wes Littleton has 13 saves and a 2.1 ERA, while Kelvim Escobar is 8-4 with a 3.79 ERA. 2nd place - Bakersfield RamJets - 44-36, 2 games behind (Predicted: 4th) Last year's world series runners-up are back in the thick of things. Miguel Tejada is hitting .324 with 13 home runs, 55 runs scored and 58 RBI. Mark Grudzielanek is having a banner year, hitting .345 with a .546 slugging average and 56 runs scored. Nick Punto has 61 runs scored. Starter Brad Penny is 7-5 with a 3.21 ERA, while Matt Morris is 8-4 with a 4.32 ERA. Closer JJ Putz has 16 saves, but has a 1-6 record and a 5.77 ERA. Still, being only 2 games behind the leaders the RamJets are still contending for a pennant. 3rd place - Arlington Arthropods - 38-39, 6.5 games behind (Predicted: 2nd) Manny Ramirez is his usual stellar self, hitting 17 home runs and 67 RBI at the break. Curtis Granderson is slugging .470 with 53 runs scored, and Jose Reyes has a .349 on base average, 51 stolen bases, and 61 runs scored. John Smoltz is 9-3 with a 3.34 ERA, while Rafael Betancourt has saved 20 games with a 3.24 ERA (but has blown a few games, going 0-5). Despite having quite a few good players, the Arthropods are under .500, but they have the tools to turn it around in the 2nd half. 4th place - San Francisco Shriners - 38-39, 6.5 games behind (Predicted: 3rd) The Shriners have quite a bit of pop in their bats this year. Moises Alou, Ray Durham and Marcus Thames each have 20 or more home runs. Adrian Gonzalez is hitting .311, while Freddy Sanchez is hitting .303 with 49 runs scored. Randy Johnson is 9-5 with a 4.46 ERA, while Johan Santana is 6-6 with a 3.87 ERA (uncharacteristically high for him). The team is scoring lots of runs, but it will have to be a turnaround in their pitching (5.08 team ERA) in order for the Shriners to move up in the standings in the second half. 5th place - Springfield 'Topes - 37-41, 8 games behind (Predicted: 5th) The 'Topes are suffering from a power outage this year. Catcher Mike Napoli is their star performer, hitting 17 home runs with 45 runs driven in. Other than part timer Juan Rivera, nobody else has over 14 home runs, and nobody has scored over 50 runs or driven in over 50 RBI. Despite that, the pitching has been pretty good. Byung-Hung Kim is 3.45 with a 5-7 record, and the rest of the pitchers have combined to put up a 4.02 ERA. Still, without some big sluggers it will be hard for the 'Topes to contend this year. 6th place - Mechan Syndicate - 22-56, 23 games behind (Predicted: 6th) As predicted, the Syndcate are at the bottom of the standings, and presently have the league's worst record. Their 6.62 ERA is worst in the bigs. David Wright and Miguel Cabera have been splitting their time at third, but together they have 65 RBI. Nobody else has over 50 runs scored or 50 RBI. They are on track to have the 1st overall selection in the 2007 draft, so they have that going for them! Koufax Division 1st place - Hillsborough Regulators - 50-29 (Predicted: 5th) Hold the phone, Doris, the Regulators are on fire! Jim Thome, Jermaine Dye and Alfonso Soriano have been on fire, combining for 81 home runs. Thome has 72 runs scored, Dye 78 runs driven in and Soriano 52 runs scored and 65 RBI. Jimmy Rollins and Luis Castillo have combined to score over 100 runs. Closer BJ Ryan was acquired early in the season and he has proven to be a dominant force, saving 19 games with the team (24 overall) with a 0.46 ERA. Chris Young is 9-4 with a 2.88 ERA, and Aaron Cook, Scott Olsen and Justin Verlander each have 7 wins. Hillsborough has got it going on in 2006. 2nd place - Boston Brewins - 43-35, 6.5 games behind (Predicted: 1st) Albert who? Justin Morneau has been just fine, thank you. Morneau is hitting .333 with a .544 slugging average, 15 home runs, 50 runs scored and 57 RBI. Corey Patterson, Bill Hall and Troy Glaus each have 17 or more home runs to lead a balanced attack. Brandon Webb is a workhorse, going 8-6 with a 2.63 ERA. Josh Johnson has a 2.95 ERA in 16 starts with a 5-3 record. Closer duties have been good (Francisco Cordero, 8 saves, 3.28 ERA) and not- so-good (Dennys Reyes, 8 saves, 5.06 ERA). It may be hard to catch up to the Regulators for the pennant, but the Brewins are still in the thick of it for a wildcard spot. 3rd place - Somerville Sluggers - 39-40, 11 games behind (Predicted: 3rd) Grady Sizemore not only is leading his team in offense (.291 average, .546 slugging, 47 runs scored, 15 intentional walks), but has his own fan-site, http://www.gradysladies.com/ (SFW). As for the rest of the offense, er, um, have you seen the website? Roy Halladay and Gil Meche have been winning with Sizemore's offense, each winning 7 games with respectable ERA's. Cla Meredith has 16 saves with a 2.73 ERA. If the Sluggers can acquire a few more hitters (or convince the ones they have to do better) they could rise in the standings. 4th place - Cincinnati Rock - 38-41, 12 games behind (Predicted: 2nd) The offense has been good. Frank Thomas is playing like it's 1993, hitting 31 home runs wiht a .634 slugging average, 59 runs scored and 82 RBI. Chase Utley has 17 home runs, 55 runs scored and 58 RBI. Carl Crawford has 28 stolen bases and 54 runs scored. Derek Jeter is putting in another good season, with 22 stolen bases, a 0.376 on base average and 59 runs scored. What's been holding the Rock back so far is their pitching. Roy Oswalt is only 4-11 with a 4.49 ERA. Carlos Zambrano is a bright spot, going 7-5 with a 3.15 ERA. Closer Tom Gordon has been solid, saving 17 games with a 2.97 ERA. But several other pitchers are contributing to a merely average 4.56 ERA. A few more quality pitchers could see the Rock's fortunes change. 5th place - Oregon Wet Sox - 36-43, 14 games behind (Predicted: 4th) The team has a few bright spots ... Lyle Overbay has 15 home runs, a .543 slugging average, and 46 RBI. Alex Rios has been a bright spot, hitting .353 with a .535 slugging average, 50 runs scored, and 41 RBI. Mike Lowell is hitting .335 with 42 RBI in a platoon role. While Juan Pierre has 24 bases, his .259 on base average reminds you that you can't steal first! Chien-Ming Wang has done OK as a start, going 6-5 with a 2.98 ERA. Billy Wagner has 14 saves, but a rather un-Wagner-esque 3.94 ERA. Zach Duke and Paul Byrd have struggled, with each sporting an ERA around 8 with a combined 29 starts between them. 6th place - Missouri Mudfish - 35-43, 14.5 games behind (Predicted: 6th) Albert Pujols has been pretty good this year (25 home runs, .636 slugging average, 57 runs scored, 51 RBI), but the team's fate was decided once star Jim Edmonds was traded. Dan Haren has been good in the rotation (6-5, 3.09 ERA), as has Javier Vazquez (7-5, 3.70 ERA), but the rest of the staff and roster is "merely OK". Not terribly bad, but not terribly good either. Ruth Division 1st place - California Coneheads - 47-31 (Predicted: 1st) Why, look who is back! The Coneheads are back on top, led by Carlos Lee (20 home runs, .559 slugging average, 54 runs scored, 66 RBI) and a healed up Barry Bonds (18 home runs, .614 slugging average, 54 RBI). Catcher Victor Martinez continues to be one of the best at his position, hitting .382 with 50 runs scored. Jim Edmonds was acquired during the first half of the season, and has been doing pretty good, slugging .491 with 16 RBI in 106 at bats. Their pitching has been a little bit of everything, with burned out pitcher Horacio Ramirez leading in wins so far with 7. Brett Myers is 6-5 with a 3.92 ERA. Closer Takashi Saito has been very effective, saving 20 games with a 1.73 ERA. Will their current talent carry them to the playoffs? Likely. Will California be content to rest on their laurels? Probably not. 2nd place - Paxtang Pitbulls - 44-35, 3.5 games behind (Predicted: 2nd) Alex Rodriguez is as good as ever (.319 average, 22 home runs, 65 runs scored, 55 RBI), but htis year he's joined by Torii Hunter, who is slugging .518 with 20 home runs and 47 RBI. Matt Holliday is hitting .308 with 53 runs scored and 55 RBI. Magglio Ordonez and Carlos Delgado also have 40+ runs and RBI to contribute to the high octane offense. The Pitbulls were confident enough in Chris Ray's closer duties that they dealt BJ Ryan. So far Ray has not disappointed (17 saves, 2.72 ERA). Starter Jake Peavy is their biggest winner at 8-4, but sports a 4.92 ERA. The rest of the staff have done well enough to put their team ERA at a better than average 4.09. 3rd place - Carolina Lightning - 42-37, 5.5 games behind (Predicted: 3rd) Fear the big bat of Ryan Howard! Howard has smashed 25 home runs and driven in 67 runs. Michael Cuddyer has been just as impressive, hitting 19 home runs with 63 RBI and a .566 slugging average. Garrett Atkins, similarly inspired by his teammates, has hit 20 home runs with 70 runs scored, 58 RBI and a .340 batting average. Mike Mussina has been a prime beneficiary of all that power, going 11-5 with a 2.65 ERA. Joe Nathan has been stellar at the closer spot, saving 17 games with a 1.67 ERA. The bottom half of the rotation is a little iffy, which brings the team ERA down to 4.47. Still, a few more pitchers and the Lightning could see themselves move up in the wildcard race, if not for the pennant. 4th place - Miami Mangos - 39-38, 7.5 games behind (Predicted: 5th) How 'bout them Mangos? After starting out the season as the last undefeated team in the league, the Mangos cooled off a bit, but are still on pace for one of their best seasons ever. Brad Hawpe has been giving it his all in a platoon situation, slugging .609 with 12 home runs, 44 runs scored and 38 RBI in just 235 at bats. Chris Duncan, the other part timer, has 24 runs scored and 35 RBI in just 125 at bats. Erik Bedard has been their best starter, going 5-4 with a 2.77 ERA. If their two best starters, Dontrelle Willis and Tom Glavine, can rebound from their 6+ ERA's in the first half, the Mangos could find themselves in playoff contention. 5th place - Topeka MooseDogs - 39-39, 8 games behind (Predicted: 6th) 5th place isn't what it used to be. The MooseDogs are still at .500. Mark Teixiera has been solid, hitting 14 home runs with a .290 average, 52 runs scored and 54 RBI. Aramis Ramirez has been as well, slugging .480 with 51 runs scored and 62 RBI. Pitching has been a little shaky, with a team ERA of 4.91 counterbalancing their offense. Closer Francisco Rodriguez has been effective, saving 17 games and winning 4 with a 3.45 ERA. Get rid of a 6+ ERA starter or two and watch them climb. 6th place - San Diego Termites - 40-41, 8.5 games behind (Predicted: 4th) 6th place isn't what it used to be, either. Paul Konerko is having an amazing year, hitting .329 with 22 home runs, 63 runs scored and *91* RBI, best in the league. SS Carlos Guillen has 48 runs scored and 52 RBI, while Dave Roberts has a .370 on base average, 34 stolen bases and 53 runs scored. Chris Carpenter and Barry Zito have been big on wins (17 combined between them at the break), and closer Mike MacDougal has been on the spot, saving 18 games with a 2.56 ERA. Like so many other teams in this division, replacing a few of those 6+ ERA starters with better pitching could see them zoom up the standings. Young Division 1st place - Rocklin Thunder - 59-20 (Predicted: 1st) At the moment the Thunder are not only dominating their division (18.5 games up), but are also dominating the league. Their record is 9 games better than the #2 overall team. Lance Berkman, Dan Uggla, Carlos Beltran, and Travis Hafner have at least 50 runs scored or 50 RBI. Berkman, Beltran and Hafner have at least 20 home runs. Nearly the entire Thunder rotation (Francisco Liriano, Jeff Francis, Jered Weaver, Roger Clemens) made the all-star team, as did closer Jonathan Palebon (20 saves, 3.03 ERA). It's pretty hard to see them losing the pennant this year, although burnouts may cause their 2nd half to not be quite as awe-striking as their first half. 2nd place - San Francisco Piazza's - 40-38, 18.5 games behind (Predicted: 2nd) All things considered, the Piazza's are having a good year. Joe Mauer continues his maturation into a solid young catcher, hitting .314 with 46 runs scored and 43 RBI. Robinson Cano has done well as a young second baseman, hitting .316 with 48 runs scored and 47 RBI. Ichiro Suzuki is his usual good self, hitting .310 with 51 runs scored. Rafael Furcal has 53 runs scored. A quasi-healthy Ken Griffey Jr has been the big bat in the middle, hitting 14 home runs with a .589 slugging average and 46 runs scored. Closer Trevor Hoffman is his usual good self with 19 saves an a 3.23 ERA. Curt Schilling has been their best starter, going 6-5 with a 3.76 ERA. 3rd place - Oregon City Pioneers - 38-40, 20.5 games behind (Predicted: 5th) Oregon City fans have been able to see the emergence of 1B Adam LaRoche at the plate. LaRoche has slugged .615, wtih 19 home runs and 55 RBI. Longtime star Vladimir Guerrero has not played as much as he has in the past, but has still hit 15 home runs with 41 runs scored in 255 at bats. Jason Kendall has been an on base machine, hitting .328 with a .388 on base average and 48 runs scored. Pitching has been "OK", with the team posting a respectable 4.22 ERA. Closer Mariano Rivera has only 7 saves, but has also won 4 games with a 1.63 ERA. The Pioneers have the familiar "starters with 6+ ERA" problem that is holding them back. A few good starters would work wonders for this team. 4th place - Brookfield Brouhaha - 33-45, 25.5 games behind (Predicted: 4th) Brookfield has always been able to make their total be greater than the sum of their parts, but in 2006 the math is a bit off. Jose Valentin has been one of their better hitters, with a .295 average, .614 slugging average, 12 home runs and 31 RBI in 166 at bats. Shortstop Khalil Greene is slugging .479 with 10 home runs and 41 RBI in 217 at bats. Their team ERA of 4.73 lags the pack. It's likely a rebuilding year for Brookfield in 2006. 5th place - Park City Climbers - 28-50, 30.5 games behind (Predicted: 5th) Definitely a rebuilding year for Park City. JD Drew has been their best hitter, but his batting average is just .243 with 30 runs driven in. Jake Westbook has put in a rather good year, going 8-4 with a 3.35 ERA. But that's about it for a staff that has an average ERA of 5.75. Still, they at least have a 2005 CFOD Championship to look back on. 6th place - Seattle Moshers - 26-51, 32 games behind (Predicted: 3rd) Wha' happened? Michael Young has been great at shortstop (.379 average, .524 slugging average, 43 runs scored), as has 1B David Ortiz (.721 slugging average, 32 home runs, 52 runs scored, and 63 RBI). Even Ty Wigginton has gotten into the act, hitting 21 home runs with 47 RBI. But the rest of the hitting lineup has been lackluster. On pitching, their 5.45 ERA won't win them many games. Better luck next year!