[Dukie98]

Here's a look at the major storylines across the league at the 2023 All-Star Break:

Exceeding expectations: After five straight 100-loss seasons -- including a worst-in-baseball 51-111 record in 2022 - the Pittsburgh Golden Gorillas were an unexpected wild card contender, entering the break with a 40-35 record. Rookie Smokey Joe Wood anchored a vastly-improved pitching staff with an 8-2 record and a 2.78 ERA, while left fielder Sherry Magee hit .367 and slugged .659 with 18 homers, 59 RBI's, and 42 steals. Leadoff hitter Tom Goodwin hit .304 and led baseball with 51 steals in 72 games. The Portland Skunks had finished in last place for seven straight seasons, and they had not topped .500 since 2014, but they took a 48-26 record, a 5 1/2 game lead, and a 9-game winning streak into the break. They were led by slugging first baseman Jeff Bagwell, who hit .364 with 14 homers and an incredible .494 on-base percentage, and a no-name rotation led by Steve Busby, who sported a 2.57 ERA and Jeremy Hefner, who took an 11-3 record and a 3.28 into the break. In the Continental League, the Memphis River Pirates overcame the absence of star center fielder Larry Doby for much of the first half to go 41-34, as rookie shortstop Glenn Wright had a breakout season, hitting .312 with 21 homers and a league-best 77 RBI's, while star right fielder Bobby Bonds hit .343 with 17 homers and 29 steals, scoring an incredible 73 runs in 74 games. The Austin Mustangs looked to snap a ten-year streak of finishing below .500, carrying a 42-33 record into the break. Right fielder Von Hayes led the Mustangs offensively, hitting .306 with 21 homers, 56 RBI's, and 41 steals, while Trevor Hoffman anchored one of the best bullpens in baseball, yielding a microscopic 1.55 ERA and 0.66 WHIP while garnering 14 first-half saves.

Disappointments: The London Werewolves had been one of the most consistent franchises in the HRDL, winning at least 85 games for seven straight years, and finishing third place or better every year since 2012. But after a series of free agency departures, including ace Cy Blanton and star third baseman Matt Chapman, the Werewolves' depth was sapped, and they took a 30-45 record into the break. Their pitching was among the worst in the league, as Bert Blyleven, who went 36-14 over the prior two years, sported a ghastly 2-11 record and a 4.98 ERA, while their offense's 37 homers and .353 slugging percentage ranked dead last in baseball. The Omaha Falcons remained in contention into September and upgraded heavily in free agency, signing All-Star shortstop Eddie Bressoud, leadoff hitter Mike Mitchell, crafty righthander Chris Young, and trading for Eric Karros. But the Falcons went just 32-43, finishing the first half in fifth place, fifteen games off the pace. Despite a return to form by star center fielder J.D. Drew, the rest of the offense sputtered, as Bressoud missed several weeks, hitting just .255 with a mediocre .373 slugging percentage, while Karros slugged just .312, with just 3 homers in 298 at bats. In the Continental League, the Nashville Blues appeared unlikely to extend their streak of three straight playoff appearances, going just 35-40, with the lowest team batting average and on-base percentage in the league. Right fielder Brian Jordan, who hit 31 homers last season and topped 30 homers in 4 of the past 5 years, hit just .213 with 2 homers, while free agent signee Al Rosen struggled mightily, hitting just .201 and slugging .280.

Offensive explosions: Offense was on the rise throughout baseball. Both league ERA's jumped by approximately a quarter-run per game. Moreover, there were several superlative offensive performances which threatened to rewrite the record books. St. Louis right fielder Jack Clark led baseball with 26 first-half homers, while El Paso first baseman Steve Bilko blasted 25 bombs. Birmingham center fielder Reggie Smith hit .409 and slugged .722, including 22 homers, and drove in 66 runs. St. Louis star shortstop Francisco Lindor turned in perhaps the most astounding performance of all, hitting .399 and slugging .720, with 21 homers, 81 RBI's, and 21 steals.

Boiling-hot Crawfish: New Orleans loves a parade, and the New Orleans Crawfish planned a victory parade after splurging on the free agent market, following an unexpected 100-win season last year. The Crawfish imported star third baseman Matt Chapman, defending batting champion Ed Morgan, left fielder Rickey Henderson, catcher Jody Davis, and Buffalo ace Ray Collins, and they traded for Dallas DH Brian Giles in June. The Crawfish went 52-23 in the first half, as Morgan followed up on his career year by hitting .377 with 12 homers and a .498 on-base percentage, Henderson hit .325 and scored 46 runs in just 58 games, Chapman ripped 18 homers and slugged .519, and Collins won 10 games.

Detroit arms race: The Detroit Purple Gang possessed one of the strongest starting rotations in baseball, led by Justin Verlander, Dwight Gooden, and Steve Hargan. Early in free agency, they signed San Diego's Dave Righetti, who went 8-6 with a 2.44 ERA and 1.06 WHIP, leading Detroit to a dominant 48-27 first half and a 12-game lead at the break.

Major milestones: Baltimore first baseman Hank Thompson hit his 400th homer, while Kansas City first baseman and New Orleans DH Brian Giles each hit their 300th career round-tripper, while Pittsburgh first baseman Cody Bellinger and Kansas City right fielder Gary Sheffield were each likely to top 400 homers before the end of July. Felix Hernandez of the Los Angeles Kangaroos and Kansas City's George Earnshaw each surpassed 2,500 strikeouts. London's Gary Nolan, Los Angeles's Brett Anderson, and New Orleans's Ray Collins and Jack Chesbro had a remarkable four-way jousting for the all-time lead in victories, while St. Louis's Clay Buchholz was poised to join them in the 200-win club.

Major injuries: This season was, compared to prior years, relatively free of major injuries, with several of the most significant injuries being lingering effects from the prior season. Fireballer Bob Feller, who signed an expensive free agent contract with Buffalo after spending his career with the hapless Albuquerque Conquistadors, tore his labrum on opening day. Cincinnati ace Don Drysdale missed nearly the entire first half after tearing his UCL last summer. Seattle southpaw Dontrelle Willis suffered a major setback in his recovery from elbow surgery, and was likely to miss not only the balance of 2023, but likely 2024 as well. Memphis center fielder Larry Doby played just 32 games, suffering two separate monthlong injuries