2007 CFOD MID-SEASON REVIEW Mantle Division 1st place - Angry Candy - 68-23 (Predicted: 1st) By far the best performing team in the league, the Candy's 237 runs scored- runs given up is nearly twice as good than their nearest competitor. Chipper Jones is having a banner year (.350 average, 71 runs scored, 80 RBI), as it Chase Utley (.342 average, 73 runs scored, 75 RBI). Kelvim Escobar is 15-1 with a 2.94 ERA, and closer Jose Valverde has saved 22 games with a 1.70 ERA. Not much else to say when your 6.2 runs per game is best in the majors, and your 3.14 team ERA is also best (by a wide amount as well!) 2nd place - Arlington Arthropods - 51-36 (Predicted: 2nd) So far, so good for the Arthropods. Prince Fielder is every bit as good as has dad, (.301 average, 26 home runs, 76 RBI), and has a .410 on base average as well. Curtis Granderson is hitting .368 with 60 runs scored and 19 stolen bases, and Manny Ramirez is slugging .537 with 55 RBI. Rafael Betancourt has saved 23 games with a tiny 1.05 ERA. John Smoltz is 8-6 with a 3.59 ERA, but 3 of their regular starters have ERA's above 5. Luckily for Arlington their bullpen is deep and good! 3rd place - Mechan Syndicate - 45-42 (Predicted: 4th) Troy Tulowitzki, David Wright and Adam Dunn are all on pace for 30 home run seasons. Aaron Hill is hitting .298 with 60 RBI. All in all, the offense is pretty good (and just wait until Justin Upton gets a few years in!). Unfortunately for the Syndicate, other than closer Lee Gardner (11 saves, 1.45 ERA), the pitching staff leaves a lot to be desired. Their 5.18 team ERA is highest of all teams with a winner record. Still, get a few pitchers in there and see how high they go? 4th place - Bakersfield RamJets - 46-44 (Predicted: 3rd) Derrick Lee is back to his star form, hitting .345, with a .404 on base average, 48 runs scored and 49 RBI. Mark Grudzielanek is hitting .321 with 45 runs and 43 RBI. Infielder Pedro Felix is slugging .452 with 55 RBI. Still, the team could use a middle of the order bat to spruce up their offense. The pitching has been good. Brad Penny is 9-7 with a 4.05 ERA, and John Lackey has a 3.87, but has a 5-6 record to show for it. Closer JJ Putz has been lights-out, saving 24 games with a 1.30 ERA. Put the RamJet pitching and Syndicate hitting together, and you might have a pennant winning team! 5th place - Springfield 'Topes - 38-49 (Predicted: 5th) Eric Byrnes has a shot at breaking 100 runs or RBI (48 runs, 47 RBI in 87 games), but he's doing it with a .401 slugging average. The offense this year is rather stuck in 2nd gear (.248 batting average, .371 slugging). That hasn't stopped ace Tim Hudson from having a great year (9-4, 2.30 ERA), but the 'Topes are likely out of contention for a playoff spot. 6th place - San Francisco Shriners - 37-50 (Predicted: 6th) Adrian Gonzalez is having a decent year at first (.283 average, .499 slugging, 15 home runs, 50 RBI), but the rest of the hitting is kind of "eh". Shaun Marcum: Lucky or good? He is 9-6 with a 4.60 ERA. Aaron Harang is 7-6 with a 3.50 ERA, and usually-good Johan Santana is just 7-8 with a 4.83 ERA. The Shriner's sub .500 record can largely be attributed to stink-tastic Buddy Carylye, who is 1-10 with a 8.02 ERA. Koufax Division 1st place - Cincinnati Rock - 57-33 (Predicted: 3rd) The Rock are back! Rookie Ryan Braun has been stellar, hitting .373 with 21 home runs, 64 runs scored and 73 RBI. SS Derek Jeter is great as usual, with a .371 on base average and 82 runs scored. BJ Upton and Carl Crawford are each hitting .330 with 60+ RBI. Carlos Zambrano is 10-4 with a 4.25 ERA, and Josh Beckett is 7-4 with a 3.17 ERA. Closer Marmol has saved 19 games with a 2.90 ERA. All-in-all the Rock are in good shape to control the Koufax division pennant race this year, and their 2nd half could be better with the mid-season trade for 2B Jeff Kent. 2nd place - Somerville Sluggers - 55-35 (Predicted: 1st) Somerville's trio of sluggers (Magglio Ordonez, Carlos Pena, Grady Sizemore) are so hot they're nuclear. Ordonez is hitting .369 with 18 home runs, 73 runs scored and 82 RBI, Sizemore has a .409 on base average, .514 slugging average, and 71 runs scored, while Carlos Pena has a .434 on base average, .662 slugging average, 35 home runs, 75 runs scored and 77 RBI. Ace Roy Halladay is 12-2 with a 3.23 ERA, and closer Damasco Marte has 12 saves and a 3.32 ERA, while Manny Delcarmen has 13 saves and a 3.91 ERA. Their hitting has been good enough to support Aaron Cook, too! (7-6 record, 5.75 ERA). 3rd place - Missouri Mudfish - 51-37 (Predicted: 2nd) Miguel Cabrera is having a fine year, hitting .320 with 27 home runs, 77 runs scored and 58 RBI. Hired gun Barry Bonds is having a great one as well, with a .454 on base average, 23 home runs, 55 runs scored and 59 RBI. Placido Polanco is hitting .342 with 60 RBI, and Nick Swisher is on pace for 100 runs and RBI. Javier Vazquez is 11-4 with a 3.54 ERA. Curiously, no reliever has more than 7 saves, but the team ERA of 4.12 is better than average. While they may be 3rd right now, they are 3rd in one of the strongest divisions of the league and will contend for a wildcard spot if not the pennant. 4th place - Hillsborough Regulators - 49-40 (Predicted: 4th) 4th place isn't what it used to be! Jermaine Dye (27 home runs, 66 RBI) and Alfonzo Soriano (24 home runs, 59 runs & RBI) have been the big bats. Infielder Chone Figgens has been a demon on the bases, stealing 40 to go along with his .402 on base average and 68 runs scored. Jim Thome has only 210 AB, but a .493 on base average (and 25 intentional walks) and .600 slugging percentage still give him a chance to break 100 runs and RBI in limited playing time. Chris Young is 10-4 with a 3.42 ERA, and Justin Verlander is 9-8 with a 3.58 ERA. Closer Pat Neshek has saved 23 games with a 1.90 ERA. Despite being in 4th place, the Regulators are currently the 2nd league wildcard. 5th place - Oregon Wet Sox - 45-44 (Predicted: 5th) The Wet Sox have been able to keep their head above water, which is fairly impressive in this competitive division. 3B Mike Lowell is hitting .335 with a .506 slugging average, 22 doubles, 47 runs scored and 58 RBI. Alex Rios is hitting .321 with a .365 on base average and 55 runs scored, while Orlando Hudson has a .358 on base average and 59 runs scored. Starter Chien-Ming Wang is 8-6 with a 3.51 ERA, while Jon Garland is 8-6 with a 4.87 ERA. Roger Clemens has been their most effective starter despite starting only 9 games, going 6-1 with a 2.37 ERA in those starts. The bullpen has been a committee affair, with reliever Joel Peralta leading with 7 saves. 6th place - Boston Brewins - 29-60 (Predicted: 6th) With so many competitive teams in the Koufax division, a team not in the running is going to get crushed. Justin Morneau has been great, hitting 21 home runs with 54 RBI, and Jose Vidro has a .382 on base average and 55 runs scored, but the rest of the hitting has been lackluster. Brandon Webb is 7-5 with a 3.12 ERA, and closer Francisco Cordero has 10 saves and a 2.84 ERA, but the rest of the pitching is so bad their team ERA of 5.66 is league worst. They are in contention for the #1 pick, though! Ruth Division 1st place - Paxtang Pitbulls - 49-39 (Predicted: 1st) All hail Alex Rodriguez, uber 3B! Rodriguez has a .641 slugging average, with 34 home runs, 80 runs scored and 83 RBI. Teammate Lance Berkman is hitting .313 with 23 home runs, 72 runs scored and 60 RBI. Matt Holliday is hitting .339 with 61 runs scored and 56 RBI, and Brandon Phillips has 20 stolen bases and 70 runs scored. High powered offense all-around. Gil Meche is 10-3 with a 2.79 ERA, while Jake Peavy is 10-2 with a 3.41 ERA. Jason Isringhausen has 17 saves and a 3.58 ERA, but with a 0-6 record. All-in-all is pretty much a lock for the post-season. 2nd place - California Coneheads - 47-42 (Predicted: 3rd) A 15-game winning streak into the break propelled the Coneheads into 2nd place. Rick Ankiel is their best hitter, slugging .727 with 16 home runs in just 132 at bats. 2B Luis Castillo has 18 stolen bases, a .359 on base average and 61 runs scored. Catcher Victor Martinez has 50 runs scored and 44 RBI. The hitting has certainly been a whole-team contribution! Starter Scott Kazmir is 9-6 with a 3.39 ERA, and closer Takashi Saito has been dominant, saving 22 games with a tiny, tiny 0.90 ERA. 3rd place - Topeka MooseDogs - 45-43 (Predicted: 4th) The MooseDogs are plugging along, posting a winning record in the first half of the season. Aramis Ramirez is slugging .547 with 20 home runs, 51 runs scored and 69 RBI. Mark Teixeira is slugging .495 with 20 home runs, 51 runs scored and 51 RBI. Phenom Hanley Ramirez is "struggling", but still has 18 home runs, 47 runs scored and 48 RBI. Joe Blanton is 8-5 with a 3.98 ERA, while AJ Burnett is 6-2 with a 4.26 ERA. Closer Francisco Rodriguez has 10 saves with a 3.79 ERA. They're in 4th place right now, but a hot streak would vault them into playoff contention. 4th place - San Diego Termites - 43-49 (Predicted: 6th) The Termites are underwater, and it looks like they're rebuilding for next season. Jeff Kent is their best hitting. slugging .520 with 13 home runs, 50 runs and 50 RBI, but he was dealt at the break. Carlos Guillen is having a nice year, hitting .280 with 59 runs scored. Barry Zito is 9-4 with a 4.50 ERA, but the team's overall ERA of 5.14 indicate San Diego will be riding out the rest of 2007. 5th place - Miami Mangos - 40-47 (Predicted: 5th) The Mangos have a little bit of bite this year on offense. OF Jeff Francoeur is hitting .329 with a .511 slugging average and 60 RBI, while Brad Hawpe is slugging .539 with 53 RBI. Both made the all-star team. Starter Erik Bedard is having a stellar year, going 9-1 with a 2.68 ERA. The rest of the staff? Eh, not so much, as their 5.21 team ERA weighs down their record. 6th place - Carolina Lightning - 34-56 (Predicted: 6th) Pre-season predictions didn't pan out for Carolina, who just didn't get things clicking. Ryan Church is slugging .494 with 16 home runs, 48 runs scored and 49 RBI. Milt Cuddyer has 51 runs scored. But their .243 average and .312 on base average means a lot of those home runs (4 players could hit 30) are occurring with the bases empty. The team's 5.26 ERA is also pretty high. And that's that! Young Division 1st place - Seattle Moshers - 46-42 (Predicted: 1st) Seattle is on top, as expected, but their 46-42 record is weakest of the 4th pennant leading teams. Still, 1st is 1st! David Ortiz is great as usual, hitting .296 with 29 home runs, 67 runs scored and 69 RBI. Jose Guillen and Ty Wiggenton have been solid hitters, combining for 37 home runs, 107 runs scored and 130 RBI. Travis Buck is hitting .284 with a .371 on base average and 54 runs scored. CC Sabathia is 6-5 with a 4.73 ERA, while Matt Cain is 5-4 with a 4.45 ERA. Closer Brian Fuentes has been stellar, saving 16 games with a 1.99 ERA. But their team ERA of 4.78 is 2nd highest of any team with a winning record. 2nd place - Park City Climbers - 42-47 (Predicted: 6th) 2nd place with a losing record! Russell Martin has been a bright spot, as the young catcher has hit .377 with a .438 on base average, 21 home runs, 61 runs scored and 67 RBI. Milton Bradley is hitting .317 with 46 runs driven in, and Mark Ellis is hitting .280 with 57 runs scored. Ervin Santana is winning the "best Santana" award this season, going 6-5 with a 4.30 ERA so far. Closer Matt Herges has saved 13 games with a 3.40 ERA. Despite a losing record, all it takes is a hot streak and the Climbers could be on top of the division. 3rd place - Rocklin Thunder - 42-48 (Predicted: 2nd) A 4 game losing streak at the break prevented the Thunder from being in 2nd place. Carlos Beltran is having a good year, slugging .508 with 22 home runs and 60 runs scored. Travis Hafner has a .507 slugging average with 18 home runs and 47 runs scored. Dan Uggla is struggling a bit, hitting only .206, but with 18 home runs and good power could still score 100 runs and drive in 100 RBI. Matt Garza was their best starter, going 6-6 with a 3.16 ERA .. but he's now done for the season. Jonathan Papelbon has been strong at closer, saving 10 games with a 2.16 ERA. 4th place - Oregon City Pioneers - 39-49 (Predicted: 5th) It's difficult writing about notable standouts in hitting, because the hitters has been a team affair. Jack Wilson leads the team in RBI with 51, and 2B Tadahito Iguchi leads in runs scored with 46. Ted Lilly is having a good season as a starting pitcher, going 7-6 with a 4.04 ERA. But a 5.03 team ERA will make it hard to go places. 5th place - San Francisco Piazza's - 38-50 (Predicted: 3rd) Ichiro Suzuki is having his usual good season in centerfield, hitting .341 with 28 stolen bases and 61 runs scored. 2B Robinson Cano is hitting well as well, with a .327 average and 59 runs scored. Jason Bartlett is hitting .296 with 49 runs scored and 54 RBI. But with Cano's 13 home runs being a team high, power is an issue this year for the Piazza's. On the pitching side, Curt Schilling is 7-4 with a 3.80 ERA and Trevor Hoffman has 10 saves with a 3.47 ERA. Their team ERA of 4.63 is a little below average, and a little below average hitting and little below average pitching = little below average record. 6th place - Brookfield Brouhaha - 28-60 (Predicted: 4th) Khalil Greene is having an all-star year, hitting .278 with a .513 slugging average, 19 home runs and 65 RBI, and Frank Thomas is nod bad either (.280 average, 48 runs scored, 52 RBI), but the rest of the hitting is underperforming. Orlando Hernandez was their 2nd best starter, going 6-7 with a 4.08 and was dealt during the all-star break. Miguel Batista is their best starter, going 6-6 with a respectable 3.24 ERA. But the toxic trio of Braden Looper, Jeremy Guthrie and Doug Davis (a combined 8-31 with ERA's above 6 1/2) assure nothing but the bottom of the standings for the Brouhaha this year. #1 pick ahoy!