Pastime Baseball League – Baseball Bi-Weekly
Vol. 5, Monday, June 1, 2009 (cont.)
Record: Last 2 Weeks (6-5), Overall 23-24
2-Week Synopsis: Split 4 vs Los Angeles, Split 2 vs New York, Split 2 vs Philadelphia, Won 2 of 3 at Alabama
Leaders:
Avg –
Alejandro Oms .319
HRs –
Lip Pike 8
RBIs –
Jimmy Ryan 28
Wins –
Charlie Sweeney 8
ERA –
Charlie Sweeney 2.70
Ks –
Tommy Bond 100
Top Performance: Charlie Sweeney threw 8 innings of 1-run ball in a 2-1 win over Los Angeles on May 20.
Round Trip (Four miscellaneous points about the team):
1) As they did in April, the Bosses scored 94 runs in May, averaging less than 4 runs a game for an offense that is next-to-last in the Southern League.
2) Lip Pike has cooled off, hitting only .224 in May. But his power potential keeps his name penciled in. While his range at second base hasn't been great, he has been steady since being moved there.
3) Interestingly, the one position where they haven't played
Pike is his natural spot - first base. That may change if
Dave Foutz continues to struggle. He's hitting .232 with 2 homers and 13 RBI.
4) Josh Beckett followed a subpar April with a good May, posting a 3.47 ERA despite a 2-2 record that saw him victimized by the league's worst bullpen.
Los Angeles Idols
Record: Last 2 Weeks (4-7), Overall 17-30
2-Week Synopsis: Split 4 at Las Vegas, Lost both at Indianapolis, Split 2 at Chicago, Lost 2 of 3 at Orlando
Leaders:
Avg –
George Scales .348
HRs –
Harry Stovey 13
RBIs –
Harry Stovey 44
Wins –
Scott Kazmir, Brian Lawrence 4
ERA –
Brian Lawrence 4.43
Ks –
Brian Lawrence 50
Top Performance: Benjamin Boyd went 2-for-3 with 2 homers and 4 RBI in a 14-5 loss at Orlando.
Round Trip (Four miscellaneous points about the team):
1) Rumors have the Idols placing disgruntled outfielder
Jumbo Kimbro on the trading block after the 24-year-old outfielder made clear to the front office that he is not happy with his role. General Manager Jim Thompson said "we will do our best to accomodate him," though Thompson noted the trade market for Kimbro - who is hitting .154 in 52 ABs - isn't likely to net much of a return.
2) The ace is by default. Scott Kazmir remains the only starter with an ERA under 4 (3.91). He is 4-1. The other four starters are 8-26.
3) There's not much to celebrate in Los Angeles right now, but a surprise has been SS Stephen Drew, who hit .340 in May.
4) A sign of how anemic the Idols offense has been: Billy Rhines made five starts in May. He went 0-5. His ERA? 3.15. He lost 6-3, 2-1, 2-0, 2-1 and 4-1, and has now lost 10 straight starts. April was his fault, with a 7.44 ERA. But what he endured in May was not his own doing.