Halifax was no fluke last season. The Sailors hold the league's best record to date thanks to a record tying 8 All Stars. The team has the same number of wins on the road as they do at home, have the second best team ERA, and have scored the second most runs in the league. Everything seems to be cruising right along for the ball club north of the border, and with a seemingly insurmountable 14 game lead at the break, could sleepwalk their way into the playoffs.

Offense:

This offense is scary in its consistency. Eight players with 10 or more homers, five with 20 or more doubles, and a very deep bench. Manager Tim Raines keeps his boys fresh with a newly shuffled lineup every 3 or 4 days, resulting in a focused lineup with a true team mentality. Hee Seop Choi is once again an MVP candidate (and with Bonds retired, he might actually win it), and he is complimented by three other All Stars in the infield. The acquisition of Ken Griffey Jr. was huge, as the outfield now has five or six interchangeable parts to give Raines his best match-ups.   

Pitching:

Looks like picking Javier Vasquez for Comeback Player was pretty keen on my part, as the oft-injured, under-performing ex-Pimpernel is 10-4 for the Sailors. His addition has made this rotation five deep with Burnett, Milton, Sheets, and the surprising 8-5 Randy Wolf. No starter has less than 8 wins...talk about consistency! Aside from a dismal year from Ugeth Urbina, this bullpen is just killing people. Brandon Webb was acquired from Bedford and stuck in the closer's role, which seems a good fit. 

Biggest Surprise:

Randy Wolf has found some of that proverbial "Baseball Magic" this year. He is 8-5 after going 13-20 in his first two seasons. Credit pitching coach Dave Stieb with his turnaround performance.

Biggest Disappointment:

I'll say Urbina, who was supposed to be the closer, and has been bad just about anywhere in the bullpen they've tried him. 

Man on the Spot Update:

Randy Wolf. We've said all that needs to about the veteran lefty.

Let no one doubt Larsen Cain had a plan in that initial draft.  Halifax has gone from basement to the undisputed best team in the league in 3 seasons.  Despite my sense Philly would still have a good year left in the old stars, the Sailors have rode sheriff on this division from the start of the year.  This offense is now the best in the league and Halifax has 5 solid starters.  The only thing that stands between this team and a title is a really iffy bullpen.  For now, it’s no big deal since Halifax is smoking everyone in the North, but in October, do you want the ball going to Urbina and Waechter?

Offense:

Nobody is better with Hee Seop Choi the possible MVP and Orlando Cabrera set to shatter the runs scored record if he stays healthy.  Easily the best infield in the league, though they’ve struggled with trying to get the outfielders right, trying 3 CF and giving up on Prince Fielder for now.  Javy Lopez has struggled a bit with the batting average.  Soriano is playing like a guy up for a new contract.

Pitching:

The starting pitchers have combined for a record of 43-17.  Not bad.  Ben Sheets has gone from dominant closer to dominant starter and had a shot at the CY until he got injured.  Milton and Burnett continue to cruise and Randy Wolf wins with run support.  Javier Vasquez is the biggest story as he’s not just holding his own, he’s the team’s ace right now.  The bullpen is still questionable.  Sauerbeck and Wunsch are fine lefty specialists but Urbina, Osuna and Waechter have all had ups and downs.  Maybe a trade to get one more bullpen arm?

Biggest Surprise:

Say no more about overbidding on Javier Vasquez.  He’s the top starter on the team ERA-wise and with 10 wins.  Boos in Paris must be deafening when he takes the hill for a Sailors-Pimps series.

Biggest Disappointment:

Prince Fielder may have been a product of the Mexico City air.  He was not impressive enough to stay in the lineup and has been returned to the rookie league to close some holes in his swing.

Man on the Spot Update:

I picked the right guy here.  Vasquez has been the ace and a big part of Halifax’s dominance.  Overspent?  Try cheap.

Last year's champs are having a rough time of things, much to my surprise. I predicted them for third place, but didn't expect them to be 3 under .500 with the pitching staff they assembled this off season. The offense is lights out, but for some reason the veteran arms are getting mashed, so GM Eric Etrain has a lot of work to do to uphold his All Star Game promise that "we will catch Halifax."

Offense:

Just rude. Not an easy out in this lineup that is filled with bruising power hitters on both sides of the plate. Todd Helton was a tremendous signing and could be a real MVP candidate. Speaking of the MVP, teammate Mike Piazza is head and shoulders above every other catcher in the league, besting Helton in Avg. and OPS. Age doesn't seem to be affecting this lineup at all. The leader in steals is Shawn Green, but you'd like to see a true speedster at leadoff instead of Larry Walker. 

Pitching:

Truly a mixed bag that is getting killed by the bullpen. Pedro Martinez and Mike Hampton have been awesome, and Bartolo Colon has been good enough. Tim Wakefield went well for awhile, but hitters are figuring out his knuckler. Barry Zito has been the biggest bust, going 5-10 in the first half after seemingly lost the feel for his curveball. The bullpen has racked up 18 losses to date, with only 35 year old rookie Shingo Takatsu amounting to much in the late innings. 

Biggest Surprise:

Larry Walker, who could retire at any moment, leads his team with 11 triples!

Biggest Disappointment:

A tie between Zito and last year's Rookie Pitcher winner Oscar Villareal (9.41 ERA). 

Man on the Spot Update:

Zito has sucked. Let's face it. Looked like a good deal at the time, but no brotherly love for the lefty so far in Philly.

I’m always wrong about this team.  Pick them last, they win the World Series.  Pick them to win, they sink to below .500.  With half the season to go, writing this team off would be premature, but the days to make a real move are fading fast.  Expect Etrain to start unloading some contracts and salaries soon if they don’t get within single digits of the division or wildcard by the trading deadline.  Philly ownership boasts they will catch the Sailors, but that’s already a tall order.  Maybe with Hampton back and if they get real about Tim Wakefield, but still, 14 games?

Offense:

Still as good as anybody with 4 guys hitting over .300 and Piazza a possible MVP—really he should be the MVP since what catcher can do what he does?  Helton is certainly happy here and might clock in 130-140 RBI.  Weakest spots are in the middle IF with Hairston, Pasucci and Beltre all sub par.

Pitching:

More uneven than last year’s staff showing how much they miss last season’s Cy Young winner Sasaki.  Pedro is still Pedro, of course, and this year Mike Hampton has stepped it up, but Zito has been an expensive bust and after the league watched tapes on Wakefield’s knuckler, they figured out how to hit him after a couple good starts.  The bullpen has been just appalling with Biddle and Hammond finally cut loose and Takatsu immediately becoming the best reliever after coming over from Japan via the ammy draft.  Needs some fixin’ if this team really wants to compete for anything.

Biggest Surprise:

Mike Hampton’s kept the ball in the yard and turned things around.  Had he not gotten injured, things might be different in the standings.

Biggest Disappointment:

Barry Zito—big time.  Leading the league in losses?  Ooof.  If he ain’t back to .500 before the year’s end, he’s got some Goat vibe going.

Man on the Spot Update:

Wakefield started out looking like he was a new man.  The old Wakefield has returned the last couple months, though, and whether he’ll be around by the end of the year is debatable.  He hasn’t made a believer out of me.

Alright, this was a bad prediction on my part. I thought that the great pitching was going to get some support from an offense that had just added Jim Thome, but not even his big bat can conquer the massive pitcher's park in Atlantic City. What House Always Wins Field giveth (to pitchers), it also taketh away (from hitters). There is still no excuse for being 5 under .500 with the talent on this roster, so what will it take to at least make this season respectable?

Offense:

All great names, all having pretty decent years, but just not manufacturing runs like they need to in a big pitcher's park. Thome has 23 homers, and Guerrero is having a good season as well, but the rest of the team has average run production numbers at best. Josh Barfield is having a very good season at second and seems to be the type of player this team needs more of. The team has been very healthy, so that's no excuse either. I can't explain the failure.  

Pitching:

The Gamblers are one of just two teams who have given up less hits than innings pitched as a staff. Freddy Garcia leads a staff of underachieving veterans, including Morris, Schmidt, Shuey and Byrd, none of whom are over .500. The bullpen has been pretty good, especially Zimmerman and Karsay. The staff seems to lack focus and needs a kick in the pants for the second half. I would suggest firing the pitching coach but the team has never named one.

Biggest Surprise:

Garcia has been really bad in previous seasons, but is 9-4 this year. 

Biggest Disappointment:

The rest of the starters just don't seem to care. None have terrible numbers, but none have a winning record. 

Man on the Spot Update:

Garcia has been fantastic. But he's doing it alone in this rotation.

My 4^th place pick looks better than Darin’s 1^st place call at this point.  This team can’t seem to score when it counts, they are down in power numbers and sorting out the bullpen and 5^th starter roles have all added up to a rough season so far.  Realistically the post-season is pretty much already out of reach, so is it time for this team, which has been pretty quiet on the trade front, to get to making moves?  No doubt they’ve got the pitching that other contenders would love to pick up.

Offense:

Thome and Vladdy provide the pop. But neither is hitting over .300.  It’s pretty hard to justify Thome’s salary at this point given what cheaper 1B like Bags and Durazo can do.  Damon is finally the sparkplug he’s been expected to be, likely to score 120 runs.  An injury to D’Angelo Jimenez really hurt as his replacements have hit 100 points below what he was putting up.  Joe Crede needs to be replaced as soon as possible with a 3B that can handle a bat.

Pitching:

With the exception of Freddy Garcia, who’s really on his game this year, none of the starters have a winning record despite respectable ERAs.  Schmidt, Morris and Byrd are all finding holding the other team to 4 runs won’t be enough much of the time in Atlantic City and all those guys are in the later stages of contracts.  Shuey can’t buy a win.  The bullpen has been good enough, getting fine years out of Zimmerman and Karsay.  Only Betancourt and Pineiro have been real eyesores.

Biggest Surprise:

Freddy Garcia is a laughing stock no more.  While he’s been stuck on 8 wins a while, he was in the early Cy Young running.  Regardless he looks like a 1-2 starter not a 5^th starter this year.

Biggest Disappointment:

I’ll go with Matt Morris.  He’s not going to win a Goat award, but he’s steadily in decline from his glory days as a staff ace.

Man on the Spot Update:

Damon’s doing everything you could ask of him.

Tom and I both predicted this team to finish last, and but for the grace of Bedford, they would be. The offense has lost some of its thunder, and the pitching has been plagued by injuries, adding up to another disappointing year in northern Ohio. Time for GM Mike McAvoy to start thinking about the off season and how he can turn this team around.

Offense:

Big bats like Giambi and Ordonez have been sent packing in trades this year, leaving the team with little in terms of big run production. There is a plan, however, as McAvoy is clearly building a collection of young hitters to build around. Beltran, Hafner, Sizemore and Teixiera have all been added via trade, and Dawg fans are hoping they can grow into an offense like Halifax. Good speed in the lineup, as five players have 10 or more steals.

Pitching:

Can't say they haven't tried. Kevin Millwood was signed in the off season, and looked like he would compliment Oswalt and Ishii in this rotation. But the latter two got hit with injuries early, and Millwood was traded across the Atlantic for Prior (who was in turn traded for Halladay), so this rotation in no way resembles what management had envisioned. Affeldt and Day have been doing their best to eat up innings, and both have given the team a pretty good chance to win every day. Rookie Matt Roney has fared okay as well, but the bullpen is a wreck. Joe Nathan and his big salary came over from Atlanta, but the move hasn't helped him much, as he's now 2-9. That's $1 million per loss....

Biggest Surprise:

Alex Sanchez, who was a throw in from a trade last year, has 35 steals at the leadoff spot.

Biggest Disappointment:

Roy Oswalt still looks lost out there, and now he's on the DL. 

Man on the Spot Update:

Oswalt has failed, and may not be a Dawg anymore when he is off the DL.

Probably the nicest thing you can say is that GM Mike McAvoy saw the writing on the wall early that this season is unsalvageable and got busy trying to get ready for the off season and the next.  Call it throwing in the towel, but when 2 of your best starters go down for the year before you get out of April, it’s understandable.  The Dawgs trading has brought over Halladay and Zach Day, who could be 1-2 starters anywhere as well as Joe Nathan who was run out of Atlanta on a rail but can pitch in this league if he gets his mental game back.  Add to that Ishii, who, if he comes back strong, is at least a 4^th starter and Cleveland will be looking to get some bats in the off season and pull an Ireland.  Very doable with the cash reserves that the Dawgs are piling up. 

Offense:

Pretty miserable unless Orlando Hudson and Carlos Beltran-watching is enough to get you to the park.  New faces Hafner and Sizemore are the team of the future, but for now you have to sit through Victor Martinez, Mark Teixeira, and assorted other minor league level talents.  Alex Sanchez might bring the team the stolen base title at least.

Pitching:

While problems abound, they are nowhere near as dismal as Savannah and Atlanta.  Injuries to Oswalt and Ishii really put the team in a bind and guys like Mark Redman and Josh Fogg have been pressed to service with mildly disappointing results.  The key to the future is building on Zach Day and Roy Halladay as the core.  Trading away Eric Gagne gives the team a total of 6 saves and makes rehab project John Riedling the best reliever around.  Obviously the pen is in for some major re-tooling next winter.

Biggest Surprise:

Travis Hafner looks like he’ll make the jump from AAA to the big leagues and survive.  I’d have bet he was career minor leaguer material.

Biggest Disappointment:

Kirk Rueter was too painful even for the Dawgs to suffer in a season they’ve already written off.  Thanks to the FA purge, his name need never be spoken among us again.

Man on the Spot Update:

Ishii pitched two fine games and then went down for the year.  What might have been…

I didn't think the team would be great, but no one expected this disaster. Nothing has gone right for the Crunch, 20 games under and on pace for nearly 100 losses. Looking at the numbers, you don't say that this team is awful, but in a small league, just being "okay" isn't nearly enough. The main concern for GM Richard Gin is figuring out to pass Cleveland to avoid a salary cap hit.

Offense:

David Ortiz has been fantastic. Too bad that the rest of the team would probably be bench players for contending teams. Nixon, Cintron, Bradley, Hernandez....not the ingredients for championship baseball. It also doesn't help that Juan-Gone, Vidro and Chavez are all underachieving. Quite a mess.

Pitching:

Again, not terrible, but not great. Josh Beckett has only just recently gotten his record above .500, while Derek Lowe, Esteban Loiaza and Rich Harden have all struggled for wins. The fifth starter spot has been hopeless, and outside of Braden Looper and Matt Herges, the pen hasn't been much better. All a recipe for bad.

Biggest Surprise:

Despite a 6-9 record, Loiaza's ERA is 4.18, far below his career numbers. 

Biggest Disappointment:

Where to start?  

Man on the Spot Update:

Harden was terrible last year, and is 3-7 this year. His ERA is about 5 runs lower, however.

It looks like this team is hitting bottom this season—or at least we hope that’s the case.  I don’t have much in the way of unkind words for Richard Gin, who, more than most, has been a victim of totally erratic players. Perhaps he’d still like to have Sosa and Carl Everett in the outfield, but when they were traded they were average at best.   I’d have gladly taken Bedford’s starting rotation after the first season and it seemed this team was destined to rule the North, not Halifax who had young hitters but no pitching.  Who knew Juan Gone was ready to cash in this year?  What happened to Vidro and Ramon Hernandez who were just fine last year?  Who knows, but baseball is a game of adjustments and right now, Bedford needs to make some.  This year is pretty much in the tank, so a hunt for youth and cash should be on. 

Offense:

Had not Juan Gonzalez and Ramon Hernandez decided to both not show up, this might be a good offense.  Many .280 and above BA and David Ortiz is having an All-Star worthy year.  Ortiz is probably the only guy who’ll hit 30 HRs, though, and that’s not going to cut it, even with a pretty tough home field park to hit the ball out in.  Carlos Lee and Trot Nixon are not really good enough outfielders to compete in this league.

Pitching:

Four mediocre starters, one bullpen ace (Looper) and a revolving door for the rest.  Not good.  Beckett, not surprisingly, leads the team in wins.  Derek Lowe is having a “regression to the mean” year showing his last season was a bit of a fluke, and Rich Harden is a victim of poor run support.  Loaiza is better than I expected, but that’s not saying much.  The bullpen has been a horror show with guys like Rincon, Bradford and Padilla just getting smoked.

Biggest Surprise:

Milton Bradley definitely got game.  With triples speed and above average HR power for a CF, he may be the new franchise player in Bedford.

Biggest Disappointment:

Fighting through injuries all year long, Ramon Hernandez has gone from a catcher hitting 30 HRs in 2006 to hitting 1 in 59 games this year.  That is a huge production drop.

Man on the Spot Update:

Loaiza has had an ERA worthy of being a 4^th or 5^th starter.  Not a great thing to say, but 2-10 right now from him wouldn’t have surprised me, so he’s well above my expectations.

The Diablos are a team built on pitching and manufactured runs. The lack of a big power bat hasn't hurt this team much, as they've led the division almost since day one. Even with an unhappy Kerry Wood and some serious injuries, Havana seems to have the division pretty well in hand. It would take a major collapse for Tennessee to catch up, but I don't put a collapse past anyone in this league.

Offense:

This lineup is pretty solid, but it lacks the kind of punch that Vegas or Ellas provide, or the overall consistency of Halifax. Jim Edmonds was hurt early, and now Ivan Rodriguez is out for the year, meaning backups have had a good deal of at-bats. Jeremy Reed and Jason Lane both look like they'll have worse years than they had last year, which is frustrating considering the team's need for runs. If Adam Everett comes back healthy, he should provide a spark at the top, but it looks like the young hitters are already hitting their ceilings.  

Pitching:

Truly the team's strength, thanks to a revamped bullpen and some surprise first half performances. After an abysmal spring, Johan Santana is killing the league with a 9-1 record (a big All Star snub). Maddux matches his 9 wins, and Kim has held steady at 6-6. Oliver Perez looked like a good pickup from the Thunder, but has yet to distinguish himself on this staff, putting up a pile of no decisions. Danny Patterson has been a savior in the bullpen, winning 8 games and posting a 1.62 ERA. If Kerry Wood can either turn it around from his 4-8 mark (or turn into a new starter via trade), this team should be in real good shape.

Biggest Surprise:

Santana looked like a bad choice to restrict last year, but has proven he has earned that new contract.

Biggest Disappointment:

Kerry Wood was an All Star the last two years, but has struggled in his contract year. Confounding. 

Man on the Spot Update:

Jim Edmonds has hit for a high average, but a combination of injuries and bad luck has limited him to 10 HR and 33 RBI at the break. A big second half from him would go far.

Until Tennessee shook some rust off the last month or so, Havana has been the only team with a thought of winning this division.  The division is still theirs to lose, but those are words which strike terror into the heart of Diablo fans.  If there’s a way to choke, this team tends to find it.  With an unhappy Kerry Wood and team leader Pudge Rodriguez down for the rest of the year, the strains are already starting to show.  They’ve got the pitching to run the division out, but if they don’t close out Tennessee soon, the Castro clan will have reason to worry.   

Offense:

More adequate than amazing, it seems half the starters are on pace to hit .280 with 29 HRs.  Nothing to sneeze at, but no MVPs are coming out of this team.  Injuries to Jim Edmonds and Pudge have been frustrating as CF and C aren’t easy spots to fill.  Adam Everett and Ray Durham are pretty much average as middle IF.  Mike Lowell is back to form and having a very good year at 3B.  You just wonder if this team can hit enough against top pitching to make it in the playoffs.

Pitching:

You could make a good case this is the best starting rotation in the league.  Maddux is pitching like Maddux again and Johan Santana has been almost unbeatable.  Wood and Kim are struggling with run support and inconsistency but who wouldn’t want either of them?  Adding Oliver Perez means another top notch lefty and a chance to put Anderson into long relief where he’s more useful.  The pen has been feast or famine with Danny Patterson and Percival having terrific years while everybody else has been bad or has gotten bad once they put on a Diablo uniform.

Biggest Surprise:

Danny Patterson 8-1 at midseason?  Huh?  Way above anybody’s expectations there.

Biggest Disappointment:

Shades of Jerome Walton and Dwight Smith, the ROY battle between Lane and Reed may be the highlight of both their careers.  Not having bad seasons, but not improving either.

Man on the Spot Update:

Johan Santana has been splendid, so chalk spring training off to post-contract lack of conditioning or whatever, when it was game on, Johan was all business.

I knew when Ben Royer signed on as the new Tennessee GM that he would be very active, but I didn't expect double digit trades in the first half! Many of the trades had me scratching my head, as the strategy seemed to be "assemble the current St. Louis Cardinal roster," but the team has really played well over the past 3 weeks, gaining 4 games on the Diablos in a July surge. The question still needs to be asked: "Would this team have been better off just sitting on it's hands?" This team won the division last year, but now Zambrano, Zito, Giles, Edmonds, Lopez and Hawkins are gone, and their replacements are as good. Can the offense make up for the pitching's deficiencies?

Offense:

Pretty darn impressive in it's current iteration. Most of the starting lineup is hitting over .280, and their is run production everywhere. Corey Patterson is having a breakout season, and along with Pujols and Ichiro, makes for a great outfield. Jose Reyes helps to solve the SS problems, as Renteria once again has failed to play to the desired level. Paul Konerko is another player having a great season, and Rolen is doing what he does best: drive in runs. Weak at catcher, but who isn't?

Pitching:

Not great at all. Even with Mark Prior now in the fold, this staff is significantly weaker than it was a year ago, which could be disaster should the team somehow make the post season. 10 current pitchers on the major league roster have started at least one game, with Jason Jennings the only pitcher on the entire staff with an ERA under 4.00. This bullpen is real bad, with no signs of improvement. 

Biggest Surprise:

Jason Jennings is now the best pitcher on the staff. Not that that's a good thing. his 10-1 K/BB ratio is good, however.

Biggest Disappointment:

Since Prior happens to be here now (instead of Ellas or Cleveland), we'll say him. Never has regained that Cy Young form of 2004. 

Man on the Spot Update:

Patterson has been great. This team has finally given him a chance to prove himself and he's paid off.

I wrote in the Heaters I had faith in GM Ben Royer to “diddle” with things.  And how.  Diddle ain’t the half of it.  I’ve been pretty critical of some of his trades, but, hell, shows you what I know.  This team is gaining momentum and it’s hard to question that.  I just don’t think they are as  good as Havana, but we’re dealing with two teams that have very volatile histories.  Tennessee is the better hitting team of the two and with Mark Prior now in the rotation, anything can happen.  You just wonder if this pitching staff, which has been rarely the same guys two weeks in a row, can gel to really give them a chance at a title run. 

Offense:

With three All-Stars in the OF and Rolen, they’re nothing to sneeze at.  There’s even more depth in the OF that isn’t getting full use with C-Pat, Josh Hamilton, and Rocco Baldelli all struggling to get At Bats.  If anything, this team needs an upgrade at 1B and that’s hardly a tough thing to find.  Or they can stick Pujols over there and get Patterson back at the top of the order.  Ichiro bears note for having his best year so far to this point. 

Pitching:

A big question mark.  Prior is probably now the ace and he has won a Cy Young award, after all, despite his recent struggles in Athens.  Jason Jennings has been a 2-3 quality starter and has been reliable.  Then you get into the Kennedy/Mays/Thompson/ Haren/Ankiel stew of 3-5 starters.  That has to be sorted out for this team to have a chance.  The bullpen has been just wretched and thanks to trading LaTroy Hawkins and Isringhausen, they have nobody you’d feel safe calling on out there.  Koch?  Garland?  Foulke?  Help?

Biggest Surprise:

Other than the lineup card?  I’ll say Jose Reyes who is blossoming from an “adequate” hitting SS to a bona fide star.

Biggest Disappointment:

Rick Ankiel.  Ain’t happening.

Man on the Spot Update:

C-Pat has been tearing shit up when he gets the chance, but still can’t get in the lineup everyday.  What’s a guy gotta do?

This team has really been a huge disappointment. New management hasn't gotten the most out of this team's potential, and even with a red hot offense, can't seem to get over the hump. Like the Thunder, you wonder of the Rounders would have been better off leaving well enough alone, but that's hindsight. Can the team get back into things? Sure, but they need to trade smarter.

Offense:

Despite leading the league in runs, this team is 2 under .500 at the break. Shows what most of us knew already: you can't win without pitching. But let's look at the numbers. Four players have 20+ homers, and all could end up with 45 HR and 110 RBI by season's end. Ouch. The All Star selections were all deserving, though Bobby Abreu, who wasn't at the Mid Summer Classic, is the best player on the team. The team has stayed very healthy, which means for big numbers from everyone. 

Pitching:

Tim Hudson was my pick for Cy Young. That may look silly now, but he is head and shoulders above the rest of these losers. Lieber, Radke, Clement, Lidle....yeesh. Kip Wells has done pretty well, but with no bullpen to speak of (after the mysterious trade of John Smoltz), this team is probably doomed for a sub-.500 record.

Biggest Surprise:

Mike Sweeney is having a very strong season at first base. No one pays much mind, as he is surrounded by superstars.

Biggest Disappointment:

Haste to make this team his has made GM Doug Hoepker has ended up with a worse team than he inherited. 

Man on the Spot Update:

Roy Halladay has been pretty good....for Cleveland, where he now plays.

Third place is this team’s destiny it appears.  This team can hit with anybody, putting up a ridiculous .295 team BA, but when you only got 1 guy on the team with an ERA under 4.50 (2 if you count Lohse), hitting .300 as a team can’t even get you above .500 in win pct.  Could Vegas climb back into this thing?  Sure, 9 games is not insurmountable.  But the question is, do they want to?  They could help themselves out right now trading Matsui for another decent starter or some bullpen help, or they can try to unload some guys and look to next year.  What’s the plan at the trade deadline?

Offense:

They’re just mean.  Even without Albert Pujols.  Before Bobby Abreu went down, he was on his way to our first 50/50 season.  Before injuries there were 5 guys looking at 40 HR seasons (Abreu, Blalock, Tejada, Brian Giles and Garrett Anderson).  Most everybody seems to hit .300 and you’ve got Matsui on the bench as a backup/pinch hitter.  Doesn’t get much better.  Even Barrett and Drew are starting to bring it on.  It’s a fun team if you like 5 hour games in 110 degree heat.

Pitching:

Well, there’s Tim Hudson and then there’s everybody else.  Hudson will win a CY one day, then you’ve got Clement who is back to sucking, Radke who is giving up homers in bunches, Lieber who is ready to retire and Lidle who—why is he here?  Issues.  Don’t think the pen will save you either as Nen has blown 7 games, Remlinger can’t get an out, Matt Anderson can’t control his fastball and Rick Reed is the best guy out there—yikes.  Probably lucky to be in 3^rd place.

Biggest Surprise:

Bobby Crosby was a typical banjo hitting SS last year in Ireland.  LV moved him to 2B and he’s been hitting .290 since.

Biggest Disappointment:

Matt Clement was just fooling you last year that he’s really a major league level talent.

Man on the Spot Update:

Appier got shipped to Ireland in a trade.  Vegas could sure use him.

While it felt early like Atlanta was making strides towards improvement early in the season, they find themselves with an identical record at the break this year as last. The pitching is just awful, so despite an improved lineup, the team can't consistently outscore it's opponents. The team record in 1-run games is impressive, and if GM Jim Masters can get any sort of pitching next year, the team should make actual improvements in team record in '07.

Offense:

Much better than last year, thanks to a bust out season by Austin Kearns. Kearns already has 30 HR and 74 RBI at the break, and would be an MVP candidate on a winning team. Young 1B Justin Morneau is also showing some flashes of brilliance, and Angel Berroa has had his moments. Roberto Alomar has been a good pickup, showing how valuable a legit leadoff man is to this lineup. Recent injuries have decimated the lineup, and with no good depth on the bench, has hamstrung the offense.  

Pitching:

Well, it's bad. The acquisition of Andy Pettitte was questioned at the time, but he has at least given the team a fighting chance. Jon "Mr. Run Support" Switzer leads the team with 9 wins despite his 5.05 ERA. Cordero and Jiminez have been good in the pen, but just about everyone else on the staff has been shelled. Jim Journell looked good for a stretch, but major league hitters have figured him out as well. Rumor has it that Roy Oswalt will be the "Player to be Named" in the Cleveland trade earlier this year, which will give the team another legit starter.

Biggest Surprise:

Kearns went from a ho hum player to a superstar real quick. Can he keep it up in the second half?

Biggest Disappointment:

That this team has failed to improve despite Masters' best efforts.  

Man on the Spot Update:

Joe Nathan was a multi-million dollar disaster, but Masters somehow managed to get someone to take him in a trade. No harm, no foul.

It might seem a backhanded compliment, but it sure is nice not to be predicting this team to come in last or lose 100 games for a change.  On the “keepin’ it real” side, this pitching staff is still godawful and this team  has people putting up “Wait ‘til Next Year” signs at the All-Star break, but still, at least when you come to park, this team might win and they can hit.  As we said in the Heaters, the real goal here is avoiding last place and the cap hit.  Let’s be frank: this is a crappy division and if Atlanta can get some pitching in the off season, there’s no reason they can’t hang with Havana and Tennessee soon.  But soon ain’t now, so keep the cheap beer night promos going to fill the seats. 

Offense:

Somewhere in the middle of the pack league-wise and led by Austin Kearns who threatens to win the home run title.  Getting good IF production out of Robby Alomar, Angel Berroa, Ensberg and Neifi Perez (no, seriously).  Some guy named Matt Watson showed up one day and has been putting on a show--.351 BA.  Plenty to work with and still pretty cheap since they sent A-Rod packing.  Morneau was really the man before his injury.  Could use another guy to hit 40 HRs in the OF, though.

Pitching:

Tied for Savannah with the worst team ERA at 6.03, it’s still not getting any better, despite adding Andy Pettitte.  Switzer has been the guy who the team scores runs for as he’s gotten a 9-3 record despite a 5.05 ERA.  Pettitte has been fine, though whether he’s the ace Atlanta thought they were getting is up for debate.  The rest of the starters are not major league level arms.  The bullpen is something like 12-28, so they are not a team asset.  It may be hard to do much about that with all the teams desperate to add bullpen reliability right now.

Biggest Surprise:

Justin Morneau was among the batting leaders before he succumbed to an injury.  He could still be there at season’s end, not something I expected to see.

Biggest Disappointment:

They traded Nathan sparing him this dishonor, so take your pick of any young starter the Flyers tried to make into a major leaguer—Journell, Cotts, Asencio—no dice on any of them.  Switzer leads the team in wins, but that’s not because he’s been a reliable starter.

Man on the Spot Update:

Joe Nathan left under armed guard in the middle of the night a couple weeks ago.  Rest assured Jim Masters is shocked anybody was willing to take that contract off his hands.

As we said in the Heaters, "It sucks to be a baseball fan in Georgia." But unlike the team down south in Atlanta, this team doesn't even appear to be trying. Saber fans are crying for the head of GM Rich Vohs, who has sat on over $20 million in cap room while watching his team wallow in last place. The offense is pretty decent, but with no pitching, and no help in sight from the minors, attendance is starting to dwindle at Ogelthorpe Memorial. When will this team make the effort to win?

Offense:

Good batting averages that don't add up to squat. Once again, there is no one on this team who is likely to hit 100 RBI, and outside of a beleaguered Derek Jeter, no real star power. Phil Nevin would be fine on your team if he didn't have to be the best run producer. A bevy of young outfielders have shown good stuff here or there, but no one has been close to consistently reliable. 

Pitching:

Aside from K-Rod and Marte in the bullpen, EVERY pitcher on this staff has an ERA over 5.00. That's just horrible. It's not surprising when you see the names who are being shoved onto the mound every day. There is no excuse for a staff this bad, especially with money in the bank. 

Biggest Surprise:

That Derek Jeter hasn't slit his wrists yet.

Biggest Disappointment:

Too many to list.

Man on the Spot Update:

Sean Burroughs has been hurt and on the DL most of the year, saving him from the misery of putting on a Sabers uniform.

Oh my sweet Jaysus this team is bad.  You wanna know what $54mil in salary gets you, take a good look.  I’ll say it now, if Rich Vohs doesn’t get aggressive with that checkbook this next winter, this team is on the verge of staying in the basement a good long while as there are few players on this team that are even going to get trade offers from the best teams.  K-Rod, Marte, Mota and Farnsworth may all have some value to the teams that will do anything to get a reliever with some good stuff and I wouldn’t be shy about moving them if this were my team.  If this squad avoids 100 losses it’s a huge moral victory.  

Offense:

I could make nice and talk about how Mark Kotsay is having a great year and Derek Jeter has been a fine pick up, but let’s get real—this is a scruffy bunch.  It stands to get better when Burroughs comes back, but outside of Phil Nevin (yay), these guys can’t hit the ball out of a Little League park.  They need to bulk up and get 2 or 3 guys in the offseason with 40 HR juice going or they are doomed to be outslugged and under .500.  Xavier Nady and Laynce Nix just aren’t the names titles are built on.

Pitching:

Oh, and the pitching is worse.  Hence, last place with Atlanta leaving you in the dust.  88 games started and only 35 QS to show for it.  Nobody among the starters is worth mentioning.  Guys other teams wouldn’t put in AAA (Chacon, Maroth, Meche) all pull starting assignments.  Kris Benson has been so pissed to be stuck here he’s quickly become a has been, putting up a 2-10 record.  Even more dispiriting, the bullpen, which seemed on paper to be intimidating, has found a way to play as badly as the rest of the Sabres.  Farnsworth—6.75 ERA.  Mota (remember this guy?)—7.54 ERA.  Only Francisco Rodriguez soldiers on, closing down any game that comes his way, putting the save to over 1/3 of Savannah’s wins.  But how long will it be worth it to keep a guy that valuable on a team that is going to be mathematically eliminated pretty soon?

Biggest Surprise:

Mark Kotsay is having a career year in a forgettable season.  Probably the most underrated player in the league.

Biggest Disappointment:

Where to start?  I’m going to say “the bullpen.”  What seemed like the team strength has been anything but outside of K-Rod.  Marte has blown games and Farnsworth and Mota have ERAs close to 7.00.  Like this team needed that.

Man on the Spot Update:

Another good call.  Benson, to say the least, has not been an “ace.” 

The Pimps are in first place today, so they get lead billing in this divisional report, but it's probably just their turn at the top of this Ferris wheel. Paris no longer boasts their patented fearsome offense, but conversely, the pitching is much better, resulting in a much more rounded team. On pace for 96 wins, it's hard to say that this team won't make the playoffs, but with just 4.5 runs separating first and last place in the division, it's a fool's bet to predict where any of these teams will finish. Expect GM Michael Taylor to pull a rabbit out of his hat at the trade deadline.

Offense:

They may not have 4 guys with 100+ RBI anymore, but this lineup is still consistently excellent. Derrek Lee has become the team leader now that Mondesi is in Dublin, and could challenge for MVP honors with a hot second half. Johnny Estrada has hit very well for a catcher, earning him a trip to the All Star game, and recent pick up Cliff Floyd provides another high OPS bat. Rich Aurilia has been a huge steal at just $750k a year, as he's going nuts with average and production. You can always count on Taylor to have highly productive youngster as well, as Restovich and McPherson fit the bill. No easy outs. 

Pitching:

Not what you'd call a top staff in the league, but much improved thanks to some bold trades. Jerome Williams is the surprise ace of the staff, and Halifax can't be happy that Odalis Perez got away from them. Escobar and a recently resurgent Dontrelle Willis help round out the rotation. Brad Penny is the enigma of the year, signing for huge dollars with London before crossing the channel to Paris, where he has struggled his way to 2 wins despite opponents batting just .234 against him. If Penny ends up anywhere close to .500, this team is in good shape. Great trade for Smoltz, with Timlin, Lidge and Myers above average in the late innings.

Biggest Surprise:

Jerome Williams was looking like a good major league starter, but not an All Star.

Biggest Disappointment:

Clearly Brad Penny was expected to be better than $6.5 million per win. 

Man on the Spot Update:

Well, Penny has 2 wins while Sexson has 15 HR for LON. Fair trade? All will be forgotten if/when Penny turns it around.

By virtue of two less games on the schedule, Paris comes in as the leader at midseason, but they are tied with Ellas in wins.  That they are on top is a bit of surprise given the total bust the Brad Penny trade has been, but the Pimps continue to pound out extra base hits and have found three solid starters in Williams, Odalis, and Escobar.  Having added two .330 hitters, Floyd and Valent, from a division rival, this team should be the favorite to win the second half.  The biggest thing they need, for Penny and Willis to redeem their seasons, are hardly too much to ask.  In any other division, that this team would be in the playoffs would be a formality at this point.

Offense:

They aren’t the badasses of last season as losing Mondesi and Sexson hurt more than they expected.  After a half season dicking around with Tim Raines, Jr., Luis Matos and Jamal Strong, Taylor pulled the trigger and brought batting champ Cliff Floyd and promising Eric Valent into the OF.  Geoff Jenkins left, but that’s no great loss.  Having Rollins out has been painful, but the comfort there is that Dallas McPherson came back and Rich Aurillia has been hitting out of his mind this year.  The Pimps are thrilled with Johnny Estrada’s numbers at C, where he could put up a .300/40/100 season, which is needed to fill in the gap left by Troy Glaus’ injury plagued off year.

Pitching:

It’s been a year of tinkering around trying to get it to work.  Things started off miserably as Brad Penny and Brad Lidge began blowing games left and right.  Jerome Williams has evolved into true ace with an outside shot at the CY if Wade Miller falters and Escobar and Odalis are good enough to ride as your threesome for the playoffs.  Dontrelle Willis just can’t quite get it all going, though the team is getting him plenty of run support.  Darren Dreifort has been bad and his days may be numbered as Paris can’t put up with his wild ways much longer.  Lidge has settled down from his early catastrophe (dodgy cheese?) and he, Timlin and Mike Myers do a fine job of helping get the ball to Smoltz, who was swapped out for Billy Wagner in the Ireland trade.  Stewart went along in that trade, too, leaving the potential of more innings for Dreifort and Travis Harper, which isn’t comforting news.

Biggest Surprise:

Rich Aurilia, I mean, fuhgeddaboutit.   How many owners are asking themselves why they didn’t sign this guy?

Biggest Disappointment:

The Brad, Brad and Tim trade.  Penny and Lidge weren’t supposed to go a combined 2-12.  Tim Raines hit .157 before Taylor sent him off to Quebec.  Whoops.  Good thing the team is in first place as those are the kind of deals that get GMs fired.

Man on the Spot Update:

Dreifort has been pretty bad and yeah that led to Willis getting back in the rotation and no it didn’t make it any better.

I think Tom and I both predicted this team for last place simply because someone had to bring up the rear in this division. Once again the Knights have the best pitching in the league, but the offense needs to ratchet it up in order to keep pace. You wouldn't think a team that is on pace for 90+ wins needs to improve, but this division is not for the weak at heart, so there are no series this team can take off. If the team should make the post season, their pitching should take them far, so it would better for the rest of the league if London came in third place. 

Offense:

Five solid hitters, three non-productive ones. A-Rod has been A-Rod, making the trade to reacquire him a smart one. Richie Sexson has been fine, if not spectacular, while Aaron Rowand has had a breakout year in CF. It's a tough go at 2B and LF, and when both of your major league catchers are hurt, you're in trouble. This team needs to patch up this leaky boat quickly or else the pitching is going to get very strained.  

Pitching:

Typically fantastic. A little run support and this team would easily be in first place. When Mike Mussina is 4-9 with a 3.73 ERA, that's silly. Great trades to add Carl Pavano and Carlos Zambrano, and with a solid Brett Myers and serviceable Jason Davis, the team has the most consistent rotation in the division. The bullpen is outstanding, which could be the difference in the short playoff series. Dotel (0.84 ERA) was a serious All Star snub.

Biggest Surprise:

Aaron Rowand has turned into a pretty good CF, making the loss of Lance Berkman a little easier to swallow.

Biggest Disappointment:

Can't keep their catchers healthy, which has hurt the offense. 

Man on the Spot Update:

Aubrey Huff isn't exactly smashing the ball out of the park, his 110 hits and 38 doubles have more than made up for it.

Despite what seems like an overmatched offense for this league, London continues to pitch their way to the top of the division.  In first quite a bit until a sweep by Ellas, London has the best team ERA at 3.71 and has tried to add some hitting to give the starters enough run support.  With Kendall coming back and Sexson and Marcus Giles “due” to start hitting, they could easily be right in the race down to the wire.  If they can hang on, they have the best bullpen in the league, which could be huge in September and October.  

Offense:

Had they not gotten A-Rod back, it might be a worse story, but as it is, this offense is about being “sufficient.”  There are some easy outs here, especially with JR House in the lineup and this is probably the weakest OF in the league, even with Savannah in the running, but thanks to A-Rod and, OK, well A-Rod, they can still put 4 runs across the plate and hope for the best.  Landing another OF banger before the trade deadline would be very wise.

Pitching:

Even with Andy Pettitte gone, they are the only squad that can hold the team ERA under 4.00.  The team ace has become Carl Pavano (see ya, Brad Penny) and Carlos Zambrano has been very happy with his new digs.  Mike Mussina has pitched well (3.73 ERA) but thanks to girls’ softball level run support is 4-9.  Jason Davis isn’t really capable of success on this team and Brett Myers I still don’t believe in.  The bullpen, after stealing Isringhausen and LaTroy Hawkins off Tennessee, is just about as good as you can put together.  Hawkins, Izzy, Dotel, Gabe White, Danny Graves?  Only BJ Ryan has blown solid leads.  Good thing, too, since 1 run and extra inning games are the stuff of life for the Knights.

Biggest Surprise:

Carl Pavano’s really kicked it up another gear this year.  He’d been good before, but he could pull in 17-18 wins this year.

Biggest Disappointment:

Marcus Giles was once among the top offensive 2B.  This year, he’s been an easy out.  Where’d that guy from 2004 go?

Man on the Spot Update:

Ponson has been demoted to the bullpen where he’s been at least respectable.  The team’s fate hardly hinges on him.