[Dukie98]

Here's a look at the major storylines across the league at the 2040 All-Star break:

Exceeding Expectations: The Ottawa Parliamentarians' four-year playoff run came to an abrupt end last season, as they unexpectedly dropped 99 games. They rebounded nicely, however, entering the All-Star break with a 39-35 record, just 2 1/2 games out of first place. Second-year left fielder Lee Thomas led the way, hitting .294 with 14 homers and 61 RBI's. Right fielder Charlie Blackmon took a .333 average into the break, along with 21 doubles, 4 homers, and 35 RBI's in just 59 games. Catcher Harry Danning hit a solid .280 with 7 homers and 30 RBI's. Righthander Dick Weik went just 5-6, but posted a strong 3.50 ERA, while closer Bert Maxwell notched 17 saves and a 2.48 ERA. The Chicago Mules appeared poised to snap a two-year postseason drought, as they rebounded from a 77-win season to post a 44-29 first-half mark. The Mules entered the break ranked second in the Frontier League in runs scored despite ranking just 19th in homers, thanks to a league-best .285 team batting average. Right fielder Cleon Jones starred, hitting .360 and slugging .554 with 11 homers and 63 RBI's. Third baseman Pie Traynor hit .347 with 20 doubles, 11 round-trippers and 45 RBI's. Catcher Ted Simmons had a breakout season, taking a .355 average, 7 homers and 51 RBI's into the break. Southpaw Odalis Perez starred, going 9-5 with a 2.36 ERA, a 1.04 WHIP, and 104 strikeouts. Closer Louis Leroy went 3-1 with 23 saves, a 2.34 ERA, and 48 strikeouts in just 35 innings.

In the Continental League, the New York Emperors looked likely to shatter their franchise-record 90 win mark from last season, taking a 53-21 record into the break -- a feat made all the more remarkable by the fact that last season's Cy Young Award winner, Paul Splittorff, missed the entire first half after tearing his UCL in the playoffs last year. Third baseman David Wright was an MVP favorite, hitting .379 and slugging .702, with 31 doubles, 17 homers, 58 RBI's, and 13 steals at the break. Catcher Yadier Molina led baseball with a .395 average, and he chipped in with 16 doubles, 5 homers, 33 RBI's, and 41 runs scored. Veteran right fielder Cliff Floyd hit .293 with 19 homers, 53 RBI's, and 59 runs scored. Fireballer Corey Kluber had a breakout season, going 9-4 with a 3.38 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP. Crafty southpaw Rich Nye went 9-2 with a 3.08 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP. The Birmingham Steelers had lost more than 90 games three years running, but posted a 40-32 first-half mark. Blossoming star Willie Mays hit .348 and slugged .644 with 19 homers and 72 first-half RBI's, while third baseman Scott Rolen had a dazzling sophomore campaign, taking a .341 average, 17 round-trippers, and 80 RBI's into the break. Ageless DH Lee May pounded 15 longballs and drove in 45 runs. Righthander Steve Kline posted a 9-3 record despite a middling 4.55 ERA.

Disappointments: The Cincinnati Spiders made a valiant push for the postseason last year, finishing with 82 wins, but they took a dreadful 26-45 record into the break this year despite the best starting pitching in baseball. The Spiders' offense finished the half ranked 22nd with just 253 runs scored, and dead last in baseball with only 43 homers. Star center fielder Al Oliver struggled, hitting just .283 with 8 homers and 34 RBI's. Veteran first baseman Mike Epstein hit .278 with just 6 homers and 24 RBI's in 71 games. Catcher Larry Howard hit a punchless .183 while slugging .242 and driving in just 13 runs. For the second straight season, the Seattle Whales' postseason streak- now at nine seasons -- was in dire jeopardy, as they entered the break in fourth place with a 36-38 record. Free agent first baseman Mo Vaughn missed the entire first half with a groin injury. Seattle's offense remained solid, ending the half ranked fourth in the league in runs scored, but the pitching staff was subpar. Jack Coombs, a 17-game winner last season, went 4-1 with a subpar 4.84 ERA. Johnny Podgazny stumbled to a 2-5 mark and a 5.59 ERA.

In the Continental League, the Virginia Beach Admirals hoped to improve on last year's 84-win pace, but they entered the break with a dreary 29-43 record. The offense wasn't the problem: led by Reggie Jackson, Mike Schmidt, and All-Star DH Steve Evans, the Admirals ranked third in the league in runs scored. But after losing ace Harvey Haddix in free agency, their rotation was atrocious, as they ranked next-to-last in baseball in runs allowed. Offensively, Schmidt was a mild disappointment, taking a .255 average and a .493 slugging percentage into the break after a stellar sophomore campaign. Only one pitcher who hurled even 10 innings had an ERA below 5.00. Scott Aldred was perhaps the worst culprit, going 2-4 with a ghastly 8.23 ERA and a 1.95 WHIP, while Joba Chamberlain went 0-4 with a 8.76 ERA and a 1.92 WHIP. The Austin Mustangs flirted with a division title last year with 83 wins, but they slumped to a 30-42 first half record, as their offense proved to be less than the sum of the parts: despite ending the half 8th in the Continental League in batting average and 5th in homers, they were a mediocre 13th in runs scored. Ryne Sandberg was the biggest culprit, hitting .207 with 3 homers and 14 RBI's. Slugging left fielder Bob Johnson, who topped 40 homers in each of the last two seasons, bopped just 8 longballs in 69 games. Veteran hurler Smokey Joe Wood suffered a season-ending broken elbow two games into the season, while closer Ray Narleski posted a 6.03 ERA, walking 18 hitters in 22 innings before being sidelined with shoulder tendinitis. Jason Vargas was similarly ineffective and wounded, going 0-4 in 8 starts with a 6.63 ERA before being sidelined with tendinitis as well.

No Middle Class: The standings were heavily stratified, with no shortage of teams playing over .600 ball, but also, many teams scuffling below .400, and in Albuquerque and Memphis, below .300. The Continental League featured 6 teams playing at .600 or better -- including the New York Emperors at .716 - and three more at .575 or better. But six Continental League teams were playing sub-.400 baseball, with the Memphis River Pirates carrying an embarrassing 19-55 record into the break. In the Frontier League, five teams topped .600, led by the Buffalo Fighting Elk, who matched the Emperors with a .716 winning percentage, and the Minneapolis Penguins, who sported a .689 winning percentage. But Montreal, Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Baltimore all were scuffling below .400, with Baltimore - just three years removed from a 104-win season -- pulling up the rear with an ugly 23-51 mark.

Changing of the Guard: Several of the HRDL's biggest stars over the last fifteen years saw a sudden decline. Austin ace Smoky Joe Wood, a four-time Cy Young Award winner and two-time MVP, suffered a broken elbow in his second start, ending his season with a 11.12 ERA in 5.2 innings. Vancouver southpaw Steve Barber, a seven-time all-star, tore his UCL after nine starts and would be out until mid-2041. Ottawa's ten-time all-star first baseman Frank Thomas found himself benched, starting just 14 games, although he hit .318 with 7 homers in 85 at-bats. Teammate Francisco Lindor, a six-time all-star and 2023 MVP winner, hit just .208 and slugged .323 with 3 homers and 6 RBI's in part-time play. Seven-time all-star left fielder Minnie Minoso, a career .330 hitter with 544 homers, slipped to hit just .249 with 4 homers and 31 RBI's for the Chicago Mules. Los Angeles third baseman Frank Baker, a five-time MVP, was on track for career lows in batting average and slugging percentage, posting a .260/ .313/ .488 slash line, although he did launch 16 homers.

Major injuries: In addition to the season-ending injuries to Wood and Barber detailed above, several other star players suffered major injuries. Memphis ace Clayton Kershaw went down with a forearm injury in mid-May, and would miss approximately eight weeks. Buffalo righthander Jordan Zimmermann, off to a 6-0 start, fell victim to bone chips, and would be out until September. Los Angeles DH Johnny Mize, off to a monster start, broke his thumb in mid-May and missed six weeks. Boston center fielder Joe DiMaggio suffered multiple quadricep and groin injuries and missed 25 games. Calgary rookie southpaw Jimmy Key tore his labrum in spring training, knocking him out of commission for the year. Las Vegas right fielder Willie Horton tore his PCL in mid-April , ending his season prematurely. Nashville southpaw Ron Guidry went down with a forearm injury in late April, knocking him out through August. Seattle first baseman Mo Vaughn tore his hamstring injury in spring training, but was expected to return in July.

Major milestones: The ranks of the 3,000-hit club swelled, as Albuquerque first baseman George Brett, Austin second sacker Ryne Sandberg, and Memphis right fielder Jerry Mumphrey all topped that milestone in otherwise disappointing seasons. Buffalo second baseman John Knight, Austin center fielder Hank Lieber, and Dallas second baseman Buddy Myer all notched their 2,500th hits. Milwaukee center fielder Eric Davis and St. Louis left fielder Larry Hisle did double duty, each popping their 2500th hit and their 500th homer. Austin DH Sherry Magee blasted his 600th round-tripper. Austin left fielder Bob Johnson and Miami shortstop Glenn Wright each launched their 400th longball. Looking ahead, Montreal right fielder Ralph Garr was likely to join the 3,000 hit club by September, while Birmingham first baseman Lee May was preparing to hit his 500th homer by year's end. Minneapolis closer Chris Short was weeks away from topping 500 saves.