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In their initial foray into the Silver leagues, management, players and fans alike weren't sure what to expect other than some stiffer competition than they had faced in the previous three years in Iron and Bronze. The Syrups got off to a slow start in April, limping to a 10-15 record for the first month. The team started to get into a groove in May and stepped up the pace to go 15-11 for the month. As the season heads into the last half of June, Waffletown has maintained a solid level of play with a 12-5 record so far for the month to put them at 37-31, good enough for 3rd place in the division and only 2 games behind the division leader.
After a slow start, newcomer Sliding Billy Hamilton has settled into the leadoff role quite nicely. While management expected to benefit from his speed more than anything, he is surprisingly tied for the team lead (with Freddie Lindstrom) in home runs with 8.
Johnny Pesky has been locked in at the plate, cranking out hits from the bottom of the lineup with enough regularity to lead the team with his .352 average (good enough for 2nd in the league).
On the mound, staff ace Claude Passeau is setting the standard with his 9-5 record and 3.15 ERA.
Prior to the start of the season, management was still unsure of their most recent pickup, Paul Dean, as his poor movement ratings might leave him vulnerable to the long ball. While that might be a problem if he was in the starting rotation and had to face opposing lineups 3 times over; in his relief role he has excelled. He has appeared in 20 games, for 33 innings, giving up only 21 hits, 6 walks and striking out 47 (12.9 K/9) with a 2.45 ERA.
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