[Dukie98]

Exceeding Expectations: The Philadelphia Hawks were coming off three straight sub-.500 seasons, but they entered the All-Star break squarely in the playoff mix, notching a 41-33 record, good for second place in the Northeast Division. First baseman Wes Parker led the league's third-ranked offense, hitting .315 with a .409 on-base percentage, 23 doubles, 10 homers, and 65 runs scored. Veteran right fielder Jerry Mumphrey, a free agent signee, entered the break hitting .300 and slugging .492, with 24 doubles, 12 homers, and 49 RBI's. Closer Ken Howell led the deepest bullpen in the league, posting 14 saves and a 1.77 ERA. The Milwaukee Raccoons, who had bottomed out with 111 losses in 2031 before improving to just 91 losses last year, entered the break just 3 games out of first place in the Great Plains Division with a 36-38 record. Seven-time all-star centerfielder hit .313 with a .588 slugging percentage, including 21 homers, 68 runs scored, 41 RBI's, and 32 steals. Savvy-swinging first baseman Mark Grace hit .330 and slugged .510, entering the break with 33 extra-base hits, including 11 homers, 53 runs scored, and 35 RBI's. Southpaw Dave Fleming led a middling pitching staff, going 6-6 with a 3.53 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP. In the Continental League, the Oklahoma City Otters had long been an afterthought, winning 84 games last season to snap a streak of seven straight seasons with seventy wins or less. The Otters rode an explosive May to jump out to a lead in the Texas Division before slumping right before the all-star break, but ended the half with a 43-31 record, just a half-game out of first. Shortstop Hanley Ramirez built on his Rookie of the Year campaign, hitting .331 and slugging .554, including 39 extra-base hits, 10 homers, 58 runs, 72 RBI's, and 36 steals. Center fielder Hank Lieber hit .317 with a .397 on-base percentage, with 7 round-trippers and 52 RBI's. The Otters stole a league-high 134 bases on their way to a top-3 scoring performance. Lefty Dallas Keuchel went 8-5 with a 3.98 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP. Closer Billy McCool notched 18 saves with a 1.96 ERA. After an out-of-nowhere World Series appearance in 2031, the Dallas Wildcatters collapsed to a 70-92 record the following year, but rebounded in 2033 to enter the break with a 42-31 record, just one game out of first place in a highly-competitive Texas Division. Although Dallas ranked next-to-last in the Continental League in homers, their offense ranked squarely in the middle of the pack, led by right fielder Ken Landreaux, who hit .312 with 12 homers and 51 RBIs. Left fielder Mike Greenwell hit .330 with 27 doubles, 8 longballs, and 48 RBI's. Workhorse Red Ames was just 6-7 despite a solid 3.98 ERA and 104 strikeouts. Closer Clay Bryant led the league's top-ranked bullpen notching 19 saves with a 1.47 ERA.

Disappointments: Expectations were high for the Baltimore Robins after a 97-win season, but they stumbled to a 38-36 record in the first half, ranking dead last in the Northeast Division. Although Hal McRae flirted with .400 in the first half, leadoff hitter Mickey Rivers had a dreadful season, hitting just .259 with a .289 on-base percentage in an injury-plagued half. Randy Johnson proved to be mortal after two brilliant seasons, going a lackluster 6-7 with a 3.40 ERA, and more ominously, surrendering 16 homers in just 114 innings. The Omaha Falcons looked to build on a 96-win season, but they stumbled into the break with a mediocre 34-40 record. Perennial all-star catcher Gabby Hartnett unexpectedly struggled, hitting just .252 with 9 homers and 31 RBI's. Right fielder Cito Gaston, who received downballot MVP support last season, hit just .246 with 9 homers and 25 RBI's. The Miami Flamingos appeared poised to make a posteason run coming off the heels of a 96-win campaign, but they stumbled to a 35-38 first-half mark. Right fielder Frank Robinson tailed off badly from his career season in 2032, hitting just .281 with 13 homers and 49 RBI's. The biggest culprit was the pitching staff, which ranked 21st in the Continental League in runs allowed. Righthander Aaron Sele, who won 18 games a year ago, saw his ERA spike by more than a run to 5.22, while Jeff Robinson's ERA jumped by nearly a run and a half to a bloated 6.46. The Las Vegas Aces were unlikely to duplicate their 89-win mark from a year ago, limping to the all-star break with a 38-36 record, and outplayed their pythagorean expectation by 4 games. Power hitting first baseman Jason Thompson appeared to hit the end of the line, hitting just .229 with 9 round-trippers and 24 RBI's. Ace Butch Wensloff stumbled, going just 4-7 with a mediocre 4.28 ERA, and the Aces' bullpen ranked among the worst in baseball.

Texas Arms Race: Long considered the weakest division in the HRDL, the Texas Division proved to be one of the most competitive- based in large part on an offseason shopping spree involving nearly every team in the division. The Austin Mustangs kicked off the Hot Stove League by signing all-star second sacker Ryne Sandberg to a 7-year contract and signed third baseman Don Buford soon thereafter. The El Paso Armadillos signed first baseman Lou Gehrig, second baseman DJ LeMahieu, and 16-game winner Mike Bruhert within a span of ten days. The Houston Pythons added leadoff hitter extraordinaire Ralph Garr and reliever Doug Corbett. The Dallas Wildcatters upgraded their bullpen by signing closers Gregg Olson and Cy Falkenberg, who combined for 78 saves last year, and middle reliever Sam McDowell. The San Antonio Marksmen upgraded their offense, signing free agent outfielder Heinie Manush and second baseman Miller Huggins, an on-base machine. Only the Oklahoma City Otters were comparatively quiet, with 16-game winner Mitchell Boggs being their only free agent acquisition of note.

Great Plains, Great Pains: The six teams of the Great Plains Division bumbled their way through the first half, and for a long time, it looked likely that none of the six squads would top .500. The Chicago Mules needed a strong June to top the break-even mark, entering the break at 39-35. Meanwhile, two of the traditionally strongest franchises in the game-- the Kansas City Mad Hatters and Minneapolis Penguins -- were among the worst teams in baseball, sporting a 28-45 and 18-56 record, respectively.

Offensive explosions: Some new stars broke out to rank among the league's elite performers. Kansas City rookie right fielder Jay Buhner hit .323 and slugged .641, leading the Frontier League with 74 RBI's. Birmingham shortstop Jose Fernandez starred, hitting .328 with 20 homers and an incredible 89 RBI's in just 70 games. Baltimore right fielder Hal McRae starred, hitting .399 and slugging .693, with an incredible 52 extra-base hits in 73 games -- including 31 doubles. Los Angeles center fielder Bobby Tolan led the best team in baseball, hitting .385 and slugging .604 while scoring 64 runs in 71 games.

Major injuries: Expectations were high for Omaha third baseman Gary Gaetti -- one of the major signings in free agency --but he tore his ACL in spring training and would miss the year. Memphis southpaw Clayton Kershaw suffered from an inflamed rotator cuff on Opening Day, and he was not expected to return until the Fourth of July. Austin left fielder Bob Johnson had an all-star caliber season interrupted with a torn hamstring in early June; he was expected to be out until late August. Denver righthander Earl Johnson tore a tendon in his elbow, and would not return until midseason 2034. London first baseman Keith Hernandez tore ligaments in his elbow and would miss nearly the whole season. San Diego righhander Ham Iburg suffered from shoulder inflammation, causing him to miss nearly the entire year.

Major milestones: Chicago first baseman George Altman and Los Angeles left fielder Gary Matthews joined the storied 3,000 hit club, while Detroit left fielder Mel Hall and El Paso center fielder AJ Pollock each rapped their 2,500th career hit. Hall and Vancouver third baseman Kevin Mitchell each pounded their 400th career round-tripper. Buffalo southpaw Dave Righetti notched his 250th career victory. Looking ahead to the second half, sluggers Gorman Thomas, Lou Gehrig, and Jeff Bagwell were each likely to join the 450-homer club by Labor Day. Pittsburgh ace Smoky Joe Wood and Seattle's Bob Osborn were likely to notch their 200th career wins by the end of July.