AL Mid-Season Report
As the Red Sox and Athletics got off to slow starts, the Detroit Tigers have been the talk of the American League. They lead the AL in offense while ranking a surprising 2nd in pitching. The pitching turnaround is due in large part to a defense that has ranked #1 in the AL.
Lefty Williams (9-3, 2.29 ERA) has taken the biggest advantage of the team's play and is ranked 2nd in ERA. Rotation-mate
Hooks Dauss (9-5, 2.83 ERA) isn't far behind. As we have come to expect, the Tigers offense is led by
Ty Cobb (.322, 15 HR, 53 RBI, 28 SB) and
Harry Heilmann (.311, 11 HR, 56 RBI).
The White Sox are currently in 2nd place with the best pitching rotation in the AL but a bullpen that has struggled to rank 6th. The team's offense is also ranked just 4th. Closer
Harry Suter (4-4, 18 Sv, 4.65 ERA) is at risk of losing his job, but no other reliever has performed at a level that would warrant the move. Offensively, right fielder
Edd Roush hit .409 in April, but then dipped to .233 in May and currently holds a .308 average on the season with 10 HR and 42 RBI.
Jack Fournier (.273, 21 HR, 53 RBI) is performing well.
Oakland looms large at 6.5-games out of first. They rank second in offense and 4th in pitching. Their defense has also struggled, but their bullpen is the biggest problem, ranking last in the AL. As for Boston, after a 13-14 record in April, they have come on strong lately. They are 3rd in offense but just 5th in pitching. Their bullpen has also faltered this year, but the team's defense has been ugly too.
Baltimore has been a pleasant surprise with a .500 record. Believe it or not, they rank 3rd overall in pitching thanks to the best bullpen and 2nd best defense in the league. Meanwhile, first baseman
George Sisler (.348, 14 HR, 46 RBI, 30 SB) leads the AL batting race.
Standings
Batting Leaders
Pitching Leaders
