[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Monday, June 24, 2005

Ruthlandian Union West Division 2005 Mid-Season Standings

Volusia 1st, Sligo 2nd and Middlefield 3rd at Mid-Season in RU West
The baseball experts got the top three teams right, but not in the same order. Halfway through the 2005 campaign Volusia has a slight two-game edge over Sligo and a five-game over the preseason favorite, the Middlefield Roosters.

Alfonso Feliz and his Volusia Vigilantes (43-30) are always very close to the top of the Ruthlandian Union West Division. The V's won it in 2003 and finished second the other three years. They have never missed the playoffs and took the IPA Pro Cup in 2001. Volusia tops the RU West with a 3.47 ERA, ranks number two in fielding with a .980 FA and produces enough runs with its .262 batting average (5th) to get by.

Heading up the pitching staff are All-Star Tommy Betanzos (11-4 2.74) and closer Hernando Espaderos (4-5 2.60), who has picked up 14 saves and appeared in 36 contests. Ricky Moreno (8-5 4.10) has pitched well, too. The Vigilantes have not been as strong as usual on the mound. Ace Carl Schmitz (5-7 3.44) is having an off-year so far. Feliz is hoping both he, Moreno and Raul Sandoval (7-8 4.26) can get straightened out during the second half.

Actually it seems that the offense has put the V's on top this season. All-Star CF Ryan Raines has led the way with a .310 BA, 12 homers, 49 RBIs, 49 runs scored and stolen 22 bases. Other contributors are LF Briscoe Crowder (.295/7 HR/42 RBI/41 R/13 SB), 1B Francisco Abreu (.285/11 HR/32 RBI) and SS Scooter Perez (.304/1 HR/25 RBI/45 R/26 SB). It's hard to believe Volusia has a five-game lead over potent Middlefields until you see the Roosters 4.55 team ERA.

The Sligo Rovers (41-32) have made good progress in the league under the direction of Eddie Keys. They rose to third last year and are in the thick of things this season, only 2 games off the pace. The Rovers pitching has been their key to success the last two years. They are second with a fine 3.52 ERA with All-Star Dix Edenborough (13-7 2.92) showing the way. Vern Vidmar (9-5 3.36) and Al Bukowski (8-4 3.39) have also pitched effectively. In the bullpen closer Razzy Raziano (3-4 3.23) has been solid with 12 saves in 35 games.

Keys could certainly use help in the batting department as the Rovers are last with a poor .255 team batting average and sixth in homers with only 50. However, they manage to be fifth in runs with 324. Sligo's best hitters are SS Hollis Waldrup (.273/11 HR/51 RBI/41 R/22 SB) and LF Lefty Roberts (.257/12 Hr/40 RBI/43 R).

Everything favored the powerful Middlefield Roosters (38-35) going into 2005. Manager Smitty Michaels won the division last year and always makes the playoffs. His club had excellent pitching and hitting last year and signed some fine new hitters. That's why the Roosters were strongly favored to take the RU West crown again. But something happened - the pitching went into the pits. The team's ERA ballooned to a stunning 4.55 (7th), one of the worst in the entire IPA. The whole staff has struggled. Jamie Hicks, a 23-game winner last season, has staggered to a 6-5 record with a 4.25 ERA. 19-game winner Denny Yarrow has slipped to 7-8 and a 5.06 ERA. And closer Dave Webb has staggered to 1-5 mark with an horrendous 5.73 ERA. Only Joshua Jackson (8-6 2.63) has delivered for Michaels.

Michaels told the press, "I'm not gonna give up on these guys. I'm going to stick with the same staff the rest of way. I'm gonna hang with the guys that I have been successful with in the past. I think they will turn it around."

Thank goodness, the Middlefield hitters are having a great season. They are tearing up the division with a .270 batting average (1st), 102 home runs (1st) and have scored 398 runs (1st). Four All-Stars are powering the Roosters: RF Bailey Norcross (.294/14 HR/55 RBI/55 R/23 SB), rookie 3B Charlie Gamble (.320/22 HR/52 RBI/51 R), C Mike Kanjorsky (.311/6 HR/28 RBI/33 R) and great glove man, Timmy Gage (.270/6 HR/40 RBI/47 R). They haven't done it alone. CF Ty DeWitt (.280/13 HR/51 RBI/47 R) and RF Cecil Clark (.304/13 HR/29 RBI/44 R) have shouldered some of the offense, too.

Just a little improvement in the pitching could put Middlefield right back in the race with Volusia and Sligo.

Improved pitching would do wonders for Colfax (36-37), which is in a tie for fourth place with Forest City, seven games in back of Volusia. The Blasters are a minor version of Middlefield with a .263 BA (4th), 84 roundtrippers (2nd) and 350 runs (2nd). Manager Clem Rogers has the hitting, but falls short with a 3.94 team ERA. Only Ilya Szabo (8-4 2.80) and Tommy Fuller (5-2 2.67) have produced for Rogers. Former 20-game winners Harry Manning (6-8 3.59) and Jasper LaForge (5-7 4.95) have fallen on hard times this season. Closer Daric Jacoby (4-6 4.57) has also taken a tumble. But Rogers is blessed with some heavy hitters in rookie LF Chris Carroll (.297/19 HR/53 RBI/43 R), All-Star 3B Neely Keeton (.284/17 HR/47 RBI/48 R) and 1B Dennis Cole (.258/13 HR/34 RBI/42 R).

After failing to make the postseason for the first time in its history, Forest City (36-37) skipper Robbie Jackson made a big move in the off-season by trading All-Star shortstop Bill Nilsen to LaGrange for three players. He got pitcher Al Thibaut, outfielder Roger Marley and shortstop Marvin Hollis, all fine players. Thus far, the advantage goes to LaGrange. Thibaut (7-7 3.23) and Marley (.322 BA) have done well. The Lumberjacks have dipped to a tie for fifth and suffer from a lack of offense. They are hitting only .259 (6th) with only 67 homers (4th). In the past Forest City has been among the leaders in home runs year-in and year-out. But not this season. Jackson badly misses Nilsen's 30 homers a year. Defensively the Lumberjacks are pathetic, fielding only .967 for the season. Only Southport of the Tybobbian West is worse with a .966 fielding percentage.

The Lumberjacks pitching corps has done its job, compiling a good 3.54 ERA (3rd), which is just a smidge behind Volusia (3.47) and Sligo (3.52). Jackson's rotation of Timmy Brooks (9-4 2.73), Knucks Nomellini (6-3 2.80), Thibaut (7-7 3.23) and Doyle Chadwick (7-7 3.52) has been solid and steady. Jackson needs to find some offensive help for LF Dave Jagger (.300/11 HR/40 RBI) and CF Ryan Morse (.266/8 HR/26 RBI/43 R/11 SB). Roger Marley (.322/6 HR/27 RBI) took over right field in late May and has injected some life in the 'Jack attack. The platoon at first base has also worked out pretty well with J. T. Edmonds (.291/7 HR/21 RBI) and rookie Andy Doiron (.313/3 HR/12 RBI). It looks like Forest City may miss the playoffs for a second year in a row and also drop to the second division. The Lumberjacks don't have what it takes to overtake the clubs currently ahead of them.

The remaining three clubs are closely-bunched. The Stoner Stars (33-40) are in sixth place, 10 games back. Not since 2002 have Willie Dickens' Stars made the first division and the playoffs. That trend is very likely to continue in 2005. Stoner can score runs (344), ranking third behind Middlefield (398) and Colfax (350). The Stars are batting .258 (7th), but have 70 dingers (3rd). Lousy pitching is holding them back. They are dead last with an awful 4.61 ERA.

Dickens has a strong and balanced line-up with C Benny Stern (.322/8 HR/41 RBI), RF Dutch Rheinecker (.287/15 HR/39 RBI 44 R), SS Yancy Bellows (.296/5 HR/34 RBI/38 R) and 3B Allan Black (.270/8 HR/34 RBI/55 R/11 SB). Rookie first sacker Lou Martyn (.238 BA) has contributed 16 home runs and leads the team with 50 RBIs.

Not much to speak about when it comes to pitching. Only two Stoner starters Norman Canfield (6-3 3.09) and Dave Pierre (8-6 3.87) have been effective.

The Fort Benton Defenders (32-41) and Rocky Rapids Snappers (32-41) are deadlocked for the seventh spot in the RU West, standing 11 games behind in the pennant race and will battle it out for the rights to the cellar. Both clubs have poor histories in the IPA. Fort Benton has never finished out of the cellar and Rocky Rapids is an habitual second-division team. Neither have been to the playoffs.

They are pretty-evenly matched. The Defenders carry a .268 batting average (2nd) with 43 homers (8th) and a fair 3.73 ERA (4th), while the Snappers are hitting .266 (3rd), have 45 roundtrippers (7th) with a 3.94 team ERA (6th). Rocky Rapids has the edge in defense with a .978 FA (3rd) to .975 (5th) for Fort Benton.

The Defenders have two All-Star representatives in closer Tom Chiarra (3-3 2.72) with 10 saves and 27 appearances and rookie catcher Jake Varshon (.347/9 HR/37 RBI). Manager Robbie Brooks has gotten excellent work from starter Leroy Hill (9-7 2.83).

The Snappers skipper Ryan Noland has several talented players. His best is his All-Star 1B Stan Haddix (.356/6 HR/48 RBI/43 R). LF Scott Camden (.285/9 HR/36 RBI/41 R) is also a solid batsman for him. Rocky Rapids has two fine starters in Charlie Medford (7-3 3.24) and Ben Mashburn (6-7 3.31) as well as an excellent closer in Herbie Drahm (2-2 1.93), who has stepped into the role and done very well in his 22 relief appearances.