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Old 09-22-2018, 12:45 AM   #82
Dukie98
All Star Reserve
 
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 902
2021 Mid-Year Review

Here's a quick overview on the major storylines across the league at the 2021 All-Star Break:

Exceeding expectations: The Detroit Purple Gang, who had not made the playoffs since 2012, were a most unlikely candidate to feature the best record in baseball at the All-Star break, leading the Great Lakes Division by 11 1/2 games with a 51-23 record. Outfielders Candy Maldonado and Bobby Higginson anchored a balanced offense which featured six players with double-digit homers. The league's second-best pitching staff was led by defending Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander, who sported a 9-1 record and a 2.01 ERA, while closer Guy Hoffman took 29 saves and a microscopic 0.62 ERA into the break. The St. Louis Pilots were perhaps the biggest turnaround story in baseball. After going 7 straight years without winning more than 65 games, they took a 42-33 record into the break, leading the Great Plains Division by 3 1/2 games. Blossoming sluggers Gabby Hartnett, who hit .333 with 17 homers and 52 RBIs, and Jack Clark, who hit .289 with 16 homers and 59 RBI's, led an unexpectedly-strong offense, while defending batting champ DJ LeMahieu hit .344 with 32 steals. In the Continental League, the Hartford Huskies looked to end their ten-year playoff drought, taking a 42-33 record into the break, as Norm Cash, Gorman Thomas, and Mitch Moreland sparked an offense which led the league in homers. But the Huskies needed to outslug opponents, as their pitching staff ranked 21st in the league in runs allowed. The Memphis River Pirates had been, by virtually any measure, the worst team in the HRDL since its inception, never winning more than 73 games. But they entered the break squarely in the hunt for a wild card spot with a 40-35 record, as Bobby Bonds hit .297 with 22 homers, 56 RBI's, and 21 steals, while center fielder Larry Doby joined him on the All-Star team after hitting .322 with 16 homers and 56 RBI's.

Disappointments: Although the Baltimore Robins suffered some losses in free agency (most notably, Patrick Corbin), no one expected the team to collapse into free-fall. After winning 90 and 86 games the prior two years, they plummeted to a league-worst 19-54 record. The team hit just .233 with a league-worst .299 on-base percentage -- most notably, catcher Willson Contreras had an awful season, hitting an anemic.151 with 3 homers and just 7 RBI's in over 200 at bats. After significant injuries to Paul Dean and Joe Ross, the Robins featured the worst pitching in the league, as their only two ERA qualifiers- Lance Painter and Lum Harris - combined for a dreadful 4-21 record with a combined ERA of 7.40. Although the Kansas City Mad Hatters had topped 100 wins in two of the last three years, they were in danger of missing the postseason after sputtering to a 35-39 start. Free agent acquisition Gary Sheffield had a disappointing start, hitting just .222 with 11 homers, while southpaw Billy Pierce went just 4-7, while his ERA doubled to a dreadful 5.12. In the Continental League, The underachieving Miami Flamingos, who had made the playoffs 3 years in a row and in 6 of the last 7 seasons, went just 30-45. Brett Tomko, a 17-game winner last season, stumbled to a 2-6 start with a middling 3.88 ERA. The Washington Ambassadors started the year 1-12, ending the first half in last place with a 29-46 record and the worst offense in the league. Perhaps nothing demonstrated their offensive ineptitude more than the fact that Yuniesky Betancourt was among their top three home run hitters -- and inexplicably, he was playing first base.

Boston bulks up: After making their first playoff appearance in franchise history last year, the Boston Minutemen were aggressive in free agency, signing first baseman Steve Garvey, second baseman Joe Panik, shortstop Larry Bowa, left fielder Lonnie Smith, and catcher Salvador Perez. The new additions boosted a solid offense and upgraded their defense, as the Minutemen ended the first half in first place in the Northeast Division with a 50-24 record, and they were third in the league in runs allowed.

Kangaroos' streak in jeopardy: The Los Angeles Kangaroos have made the playoffs every year in the HRDL's ten-year history, including a 7-year streak of at least 99 wins. But after spending the first half hopping around the .500 mark, the Kangaroos were at risk of missing the playoffs, ending the first half in third place with a 39-36 record, but just one game out of first place. Five-time All-Star Trevor Story struggled, hitting just .244 with 9 homers, while second-year slugger Rhys Hopkins hit just .192 (although he bopped a team-high 18 homers). The team struggled to file the holes created by the loss of free agents Gary Sheffield and Joe Panik.

Major milestones: Cleveland first baseman Nate Colbert and Minneapolis first baseman Cy Williams hit their 300th homers, while Seattle shortstop Troy Tulowitzki was likely to hit that mark by Labor Day. Jacksonville right fielder Bryce Harper, Chicago left fielder Del Ennis, Los Angeles third baseman Simon Nicholls, and Dallas third baseman Carney Lansford became the first players in league history to top 2,000 hits, while Jacksonville third baseman Wade Boggs ended the first half with 1,999 hits. Phoenix left fielder Rickey Henderson reached the 700 steal mark, while San Antonio shortstop Donie Bush topped 800.

Major injuries: An epidemic of significant pitching injuries struck the HRDL. Most notably, London ace Cy Blanton injured his elbow on Opening Day, and was not expected to return until mid-September. Baltimore's Paul Dean, after a 4-2 start, would miss the rest of the season with a shoulder injury; the rest of the team combined for a dreadful 15-52 start. Boston closer Kelvin Escobar, who had 34 saves with a 2.18 ERA, tore an elbow tendon in spring training, causing him to miss the entire season. Seattle southpaw Rube Benton, who had a 3.19 ERA for the defending champions, missed the season after he tore his rotator cuff in spring training. Among position players, Cleveland shortstop Jose Reyes paid the price after suffering a season-ending broken kneecap after he attacked his son's Little League coach (!) in May.

Last edited by Dukie98; 09-22-2018 at 01:53 AM.
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