[Dukie98]

Here are some of the major storylines across the league at the 2036 All-Star Break:

Exceeding expectations: The Buffalo Fighting Elk, traditionally one of the strongest teams in the league, had fallen on lean times, missing the playoffs four times in the last five years, and winning just 67 games last season. But the Fighting Elk entered the break firmly in the wild-card mix with a 39-35 record, just 2 1/2 games behind the first-place Baltimore Robins. Traditionally a speed-and-defense team, Buffalo rode their powerful bats into a potential playoff slot, entering the break ranked fifth in the Frontier League in homers. First baseman Don Hurst hit .335 with 24 homers and 58 RBIs. Left fielder Ron Jones and third baseman Eric Chavez chipped in with 19 and 17 homers, respectively. Righthander Kip Wells went 9-5 with a 3.35 ERA. The Cleveland Rocks won just 73 games last year and lost Don Mattingly for the season with a torn Achilles tendon in the first week of the season, but they entered the break with a 40-34 record, just two games behind the Ottawa Parliamentarians. Star centerfielder Pete Reiser returned from an injury-ravaged 2035 by hitting .323 with 20 doubles, 8 homers, and 54 RBI's. Right fielder Red Murray hit .321 with 14 homers, 70 RBI's, and 17 steals. Second baseman Hector Lopez had a breakout season, taking a .285 average, 16 homers, and 59 RBI's into the break. Jake Peavy led a workmanlike pitching staff, going 5-3 with a 3.90 ERA. In the Continental League, the San Antonio Marksmen looked to return to the postseason after back-to-back 68-win seasons, going 41-33, entering the break 4 games out of first place. First baseman Randy Milligan led the way offensively, hitting .280 with 17 homers and 61 RBI's. The Marksmen's pitching ranked among the league's elite, entering the break ranked third in the league in runs against. Fireballer Mark Langston went just 6-5, but posted a 3.20 ERA and fanned 82 hitters in just 78 innings. Closer Louis LeRoy posted 5 wins and 18 saves with a microscopic 0.92 ERA and 0.79 WHIP. The Anaheim Antelopes used a similar formula to post a 43-31 record, as they threatened to snap a seven-year postseason drought. Center fielder Dale Murphy starred, hitting .294 with a .402 on-base percentage, smacking 18 homers and driving in 59 runs. Catcher Ray Fosse hit .314, while popping 8 round-trippers and driving in 37 runs. Frank Tanana led the league's 4th-ranked pitching staff, going 11-4 with a 2.40 ERA, an 0.94 WHIP, and 145 strikeouts. Hal Kleine led an anonymous, but highly effective bullpen, notching 21 saves with a 1.43 ERA.

Disappointments: After four straight seasons of at least 99 wins, the Boston Minutemen expected to cruise to another division title, but entered the break in fifth place with a 37-37 record. Second baseman Sal Bando stumbled, hitting just .223 with a .404 slugging percentage and subpar defense. Right fielder Moises Alou, a 37-homer hitter a year ago, was benched due to subpar defense, and ultimately traded to Calgary. Free agent acquisition Dave Robertson, who hit 54 homers, drove in 154 runs, and slugged .634 for Denver a year ago, hit just 14 homers and drove in 41 runs, while seeing his slugging percentage drop precipitously to .465. On the mound, Jim Tobin, a 13-game winner a year ago, went just 3-8 and saw his ERA rise by nearly a run to 4.62. The defending Continental League champion Portland Skunks saw their streak of six straight postseason appearances in jeopardy after a 36-38 start. First baseman Jeff Bagwell, who blasted 44 homers and slugged .604 a year ago, dropped off to 9 homers and a .510 slugging percentage, driving in just 33 runs. The Skunks also struggled to replace the offseason departure of All-Star catcher Michael Barrett, as replacement Dick Billings hit just 2 homers and drove in 24 runs. Staff ace Mark Thurmond went just 3-8 with a 4.15 ERA, and a dangerously-low strikeout rate of 3.7 per 9 innings. The defending champion Washington Ambassadors, who had won 100+ games in each of the last two years, stumbled to a 38-36 first half record, and they were in danger of missing the postseason after five straight division titles. Johnny Groth, an All-Star centerfielder last season with a .334 average and 27 homers, dropped off to .286 with 11 longballs. Catcher Stephen Vogt dropped off precipitiously, hitting just .233 with a .356 slugging percentage -- a decline of more than 200 points. Shortstop Tom Tresh, who ripped 31 homers last season, dropped off to just 9 at the break. Henderson Alvarez saw his ERA spike by more than a run per game to 4.72. The New Orleans Crawfish, who won the Southeast Division with 97 wins a year ago, dropped off to a 38-36 record at the break. Max Alvis, who won the Rookie of the Year award last season, dropped off substantially, hitting just .268 and slugging .461. First baseman Ron Coomer, who hit .311 with 20 homers in part-time duty last season, regressed to a .267 mark with 5 homers. Righthander Joe Presko, who won 15 games last year, slipped to a 2-10 mark with a 5.79 ERA.

Denver Arms Race: Although the Denver Spikes already boasted three-time Reliever of the Year Chick Brandom in their bullpen, they added several other elite closers in free agency. The Spikes signed Roy Parmelee, who saved 34 games for Chicago with a 1.57 ERA the year before, as well as longtime Omaha closer Kyle Barraclough, who saved 28 games with a 1.50 mark. They also added Clay Bryant, who was just two years removed from leading the Continental League with 47 saves for the Dallas Wildcatters, as well as Brandon McCarthy, who had notched 224 saves, mostly with San Francisco, over his career. The gambit was a qualified success in the first half: Denver ranked third in the league in bullpen ERA with a solid 3.28 mark, and the Spikes were on track to earn a wild card position with a 39-33 mark.

Austin Strong: The Austin Mustangs entered the break leading the HRDL in several offensive categories, including runs scored (459), slugging percentage (.502), OPS (.856), and homers (139) - with 19 more homers than the second-ranking team. Eight Mustangs had double-digit homers at the break, led by DH Mo Vaughn, with 20 round-trippers. Second baseman Ryne Sandberg and right fielder Wally Moon popped 19 longballs apiece, while left fielder Bob Johnson, first baseman Donn Clendonon, and third baseman Craig Paquette topped 17 apiece. The homer-happy Mustangs took a four-game lead over San Antonio into the break.

Mild Cards: The vast majority of the HRDL was in the running for the postseason. In the Frontier League, in addition to the four division leaders, eight teams entered the break within one game of a wild-card bid; sixteen teams were within five games of the playoffs. In the Continental League, eleven teams (not counting the division leaders) were within three games of the division leaders, and fourteen were within five games.

Major milestones: San Antonio left fielder Heinie Manush notched his 3,000th hit, while Ottawa first baseman Frank Thomas and Vancouver left fielder George Bell each popped their 2,500th hit. Las Vegas right fielder Reggie Smith joined the 500-home run club, while teammate Bob Shirley became the second pitcher in league history to top 300 wins. Omaha right fielder Cliff Heathcote also smacked his 500th career homer. Kansas City righthander Don Drysdale was expected to notch his 4,000th career strikeout by the end of July, while London rightfielder Jack Clark was expected to pop his 500th career homer by the end of August. Charlotte left fielder Ken Singleton was just weeks away from joining the 3,000 hit club.

Major injuries: The Cincinnati Spiders suffered a double-whammy: southpaw Jon Matlack tore his labrum in spring training and was expected to miss the season, while two-time Cy Young Award winner Joe Ross underwent season-ending elbow surgery in late April. Cleveland first baseman Don Mattingly tore his Achilles tendon four games into the season, and would not return until 2037. Dallas catcher Curt Blefary missed the first half with a torn Achilles tendon of his own. Hartford ace Steve Barber missed most of the first half with bone chips in his elbow, and would not return until late July. Jacksonville center fielder Edd Roush, having a breakout season, fractured his kneecap in late April and would not return until September. Montreal right fielder Al Cowens suffered a season-ending knee injury in mid-May, interrupting what appeared to be an All-Star season. Toronto All-Star left fielder Minnie Minoso missed a majority of the first half with a foot injury and a hamstring strain.