1992 @ The Half-way Point

[Clay]

We did the Quarterpole, so might as well do it up again....

If the Season Ended Today:

ALE - Pittsburgh Millers
LAGER - Los Lunas Javelinas
PILSNER - Indianapolis Clowns
DL WILDCARD - Pawtucket Patriots

STOUT - Virginia Colonials
BOCK - Davenport Brawlers
PORTER - Baltimore Bulldogs
IL WILDCARD - Batavia Muckdogs

League Leaders:

Hits - Raul Zamora (PAW) - 117
HR - Don Castor (BAL) - 22
RBI - Don Castor (BAL) - 90*
Runs - Hector Chavez (VIR) - 75
SB - Jerry Daly (VIR) - 34
BB - Rod Phillips (VIR) - 81
2B - Tad Jackson (CAL) - 33*
3B - Jerry Daly (VIR) - 12

Wins - Four Tied with 10 (Gugz, Magness, Herrera, Mendez)
Saves - Ivan Olivo (VIR) - 26
K - Don Leonard (MIS) - 131
CG - Four Tied with 3
SHO - Many Tied at 1
Games - Basil Petrohilos (BAT) - 52*
HA - Tino Suarez (MAI) - 134
HRA - Robby Anderson (WIL) - 19
BB - Hector Pagan (WIL) - 66
Holds - Basil Petrohilos (BAT) - 16

* - On-pace to tie or break BLB single-season record

***

What are you watching?

Who are the award leaders?

What team will hold on? Who will fade?

[funclown]

Pawtucket: 49-33 (2nd place)

Hits - Raul Zamora (PAW) - 117 *** League Leader


It really pained me to leave him off the Allstar team. He's having a heck of a season, but he's basically a singles hitter. A table setter and well protected in a lineup that I thought (expected) would boost his batting average.


Might have mised out 50 win goal, but Pawtucket is in position to make a move in the second half.

Overall Roster = Its a deep team throughout that can withstand an injury or 2

Hitting = Nice to see Hector start to round back to form. Its taken a few months but might have figured out the leadoff spot (shared?) Need to find a spot for Helmrich that works best for him.

Pitching = Starters 1-3 has been fine, with some inconsistent starts coming from 4-6. Herrera moving back to the 4 spot. Could see a 5 man rotation on the horizon with some starters getting some bullpen time.

Fielding = 35 errors, best in the BLB.

Questions:

Will Helmrich repeat his second half of 1990 or will this year just suck?

Will Alonzo Gugierrez age start to show?

Who really can pitch the #5 & #6 spot?

Coming back from IR, will Jimmy Joy show anything?

Can Pittsburgh hold this pace or collapse when matched up with certain superior teams?

Stay tuned.

[Gyrodork]

The Furry Pigs merely survived June. As expected, Markus's automatic injury equalizer sub-program kicked in, and we had SEI's for two starters on consecutive sims: Rookie CF Artie Dickerson was finally producing at an award-winning level (ROM). SP Chris Gallegos had been my best starter by far this season. I'll have to place even more reliance on my bullpen. Hopefully MR Yoshiro Uchida will use his All-Star "snub" for motivation.

On the plus side, 2B Hector Gonzalez has shown signs of life; and my older veterans Leonel Tesina and Romano Rodenas are still chugging along. I may have to give them both more rest in the 2nd half; along with SPs Dealba and Soto.

I'm hard-pressed to make a positive prediction for the remainder of the season. If the veterans in my rotation can step it up, I could hang on to the division lead. But it may be too much to ask of 37 & 38 year-old starters.

[Lintyfresh85]

California 34-50 (4th place)
(one game out of lead for Co-Commissioners Cup)

Half way through the 1992 season, and the year is going about as expected for the Kodiaks.

We're really struggling to make ends meet both on offense and defense. I keep trying to patch holes in the rotation and the lineup with has-beens and never-will-be's, but as expected, that's mostly been a failed venture.

The only positive I've gotten out of this season, on the BLB level, is watching my young pitching starting to find its groove as the season goes along.

Tynan Brown, Curt Race, Curt Warren, Gene Robinson and Pat Coleman have all provided quality innings throughout the season. With no starters over the age 27, our rotation has the chance to grow together into a cohesive unit down the line.

On offense, we've been a mixed bag... though mostly we've been below average. About the only highlight has been the play of 2B Roger Willis. Amazingly, Willis has a cool .532 OBP against LHP this year. On the flip side of things, Tad Jackson, who is currently on pace to break the BLB record for Doubles in a season is hitting a perplexing .165 against LHP... which is even weirder when you account for the fact that he's a RHB.

While the major league product has suffered, our minor league system has improved greatly since 1991. Through trade we've added the #1 prospect in baseball in SP Ki-hyeon Lim (Pawtucket), the #10 prospect 1B Joe Lopez (Maine) and the #38 prospect SP Alex Torres (Syracuse).

In the second half of the season, we look to continue developing the young talent we have in the system and let the BLB team continue to gel with the young pitching staff.

It might not be in 1993, but come 1994, California should be ready to compete in the BLB.

[Pat]

What are you watching? - Obviously, D.C. is keeping a close eye on the Wild Card standings. However, I'm also interested to see what happens between Pittsburgh and Pawtucket. While home field isn't make or break, but I think the division comes down to the final week. Which is pretty exciting in itself with the history of losing between the two franchises.

Who are the award leaders? - Mike Murdock for Stout Slugger, Toapanta and Tucker tie for Pale Ale, Hector Martinez wins New Brew and no one cares about Last Call. Oh, and Matt wins manager of the year. The Batavia Matt.

What team will hold on? Who will fade? - Pawtucket, Mississippi, Syracuse, Pittsburgh wild card. Virginia, Davenport, Baltimore, Batavia wild card.

[Delandis]

What are you watching? - Just like everyone else, I'm very interested in seeing how the Pawtucket/Pittsburgh race finishes. Its a great to see two teams not named Maine vying for DL supremacy. In the better half of the league, I'm hoping that Wallace can remain injury free for the rest of the year. I do think he will struggle offensively for the next several weeks before finding his swing again in late August/early May, just in time for the playoffs. I also really hope Batavia makes the playoffs. I'm tired of the Stout's trash talk and ability to back it up with playoff appearances and secondly, Matt deserves it as he has built a pretty tight squad from the ground up.

Who are the award leaders?

In the IL:
Stout Slugger: Don Castor, BAL
Pale Ale: Gil O'Moore, BAL
New Brew: Joe Rojas, BAT
Last Call: Ivan Olivio, VIR
GMOY: Matt, BAT

What team will hold on? Who will fade? - Pawtucket, Mississippi, Syracuse, Pittsburgh wild card. Virginia, Davenport, Baltimore, Batavia wild card.

[BradZ]

We're well past the half way mark so I'm a little late to this party, but I'm starting to take a real interest in the DL New Brew race. Offense vs. Pitching, Ramao Cavadas vs. Tim Godron. It's always interesting to see what the voters value when it's a mixed skill award like this.

[Ryan]

Right now I'd vote Godron, but its so close. Should be fun to watch.