Alltime Baseball League

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ABL June 2020 Batting & Pitching Registers

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Alltime Baseball League
2020 All-Star Rosters

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West Rallies For All-Star Win
Cruz earns MVP honors

BOSTON (July 14, 2020) -- The Alltime Baseball League’s best met for league bragging rights, and for the second consecutive year it was the West who came out on top, winning an unorthodox affair 6-5.

Jose Cruz of the Portland Robins led the West to victory, earnings MVP honors after picking up three hits and adding a run and an RBI.

It was a game of answered calls.

Charlotte’s Erik Bedard and Los Angeles’ A.J. Burnett took the starts, each working a flawless first inning.

The scoring began in the third, when RBI singles from Phoenix’s Frank Chance and Denver’s Ty Cobb off Chicago’s Dan Plesac gave the West a 2-0 lead.

But in the bottom half, Portland’s Smoky Joe Wood fell behind five of the six batters he faced, walking two and allowing two hits, the big one a two-run single from leading Rookie of the Year candidate Lou Gehrig of Chicago.

That’s how it would stay until the top of the sixth, when Memphis’ Mike Hampton got himself into trouble. With a runner on third and two outs, Hampton walked San Antonio’s Jackie Robinson. Worried about the speedy Robinson - a bigger threat than his 10 swipes this season indicates - moving into scoring position as the tying run, Hampton tried to pick him off. But the errant throw allowed Portland’s Bill Lange to score from third to make it 3-2. Robinson moved to second and Cruz laced the next pitch into center to score Robinson and put the West up 4-2.

The East answered in the bottom of the sixth, though to be honest they didn’t really have to do much.

Portland’s Doug Fister allowed a leadoff single to Chicago’s Aaron Hill. He then fanned Memphis teammates Josh Hamilton and Ed Delahanty before the wheels came off. Fister walked Charlotte’s Elmer Flick and New York’s Arky Vaughan to load the bases.

Western League manager Joe Maddon had seen enough and called upon his own standout reliever, Bill Henry, to try and escape the jam. But whatever caught Fister was contagious, as Henry walked Louisville’s Roy Campanella and Memphis’ George Brett back-to-back to force in a pair of runs and tie the game.

Anyone who doubts the All-Star Game matters needs only to have seen Henry’s disgust walking off the mound at the end of the inning to have their mind changed.

Maddon, however, found himself stuck. Both Phoenix’s Stephen Strasburg and Los Angeles’ CC Sabathia had started two days earlier and Maddon elected not to use either. Rather than risk them, or his only remaining pitcher - Sacramento’s Hal Newhouser - for a potential long stint, Maddon rode Henry for an uncharacteristic 2 ⅓ All-Star innings.

“If I was going to subject someone to that in this setting, it only seemed right it be my guy,” Maddon would say afterward.

Henry cruised through the seventh, but in the eighth he surrendered a leadoff double to Delahanty before retiring the next two batters - Charlotte’s Elmer Flick on a popup and Alabama’s Albert Pujols with a strikeout.

But Henry then walked Alabama’s Earl Battey and then Brett to load the bases.

A wild outing became even wilder when Henry uncorked a wild pitch to Memphis’ Snuffy Stirnweiss, bringing home Delahanty and giving the East a 5-4 lead.

Charlotte’s Bryan Harvey, the league leader with 22 saves, was tasked with closing it out. But this time it was the West who answered the call.

Jackie Robinson laced the first pitch from Harvey into center for a single. Cruz then laid down what looked to be a sacrifice bunt attempt. But it was placed perfectly and ended up being an infield hit.

Harvey then fell behind Omaha’s Joe Mauer 2-0 before throwing a wild pitch of his own to move the runners to second and third.

Mauer was given the green light on 3-0 and didn’t miss, rifling a fastball into the gap in left-center to score Robinson and Cruz and put the West up 6-5.

Maddon then turned to Newhouser for the bottom of the ninth.

Aaron Hill singled to lead off but Hamilton popped up to Robinson and Delahanty flew out to Phoenix’s Paul Blair. Flick then singled, however, and a hustling Hill made it to third to put the tying run 90 feet away.

Newhouser fell behind Pujols 2-0 and his next fastball was hit on the screws - but right to the Lightning’s Rick Burleson at short to wrap up an interesting, if not particularly well played, 3rd Annual ABL All-Star Game.

Afterward, much of the talk surrounded Maddon’s use of Henry, who threw 62 pitches - one more than the first five pitchers combined.

“I feel fine,” Henry said afterward. “Besides the fact I stunk today. But the boys picked me up so we’ll take the win and get back on with our season.”

For their parts, Strasburg said he understood and appreciated Maddon protecting him, though he said he would have given him an inning if asked.

Sabathia, however, wasn’t as forgiving.

“I’m an All-Star at the All-Star Game,” he groused. “Would’ve been nice to get in. I’m a big boy, I could’ve thrown.”

Maddon, however, may catch the most heat from Denver’s own fans if Henry struggles at all coming out of the break. He understands that, but isn’t concerned.

“To me, the story is that we won,” he said. “Now it’s back to the grind.”

[G-Force]

Chicago Hitmen
2020 Midseason Report

Eastern League North
62-29, 1st Place, 13 1/2 GB

Boasting the ABL’s top offense by 50 runs, the Hitmen figure to become the league’s first 100-win team after a phenomenal first half that saw them go 32-8 over their last 40 games.

The best lineup in baseball no longer asks Mickey Mantle to do it himself. The emergence of Aaron Hill and the terrific rookie campaign of Lou Gehrig have not only made the trio baseball’s most formidable heart of the order, but have also had a snowball effect with the rest of the lineup.

Charlie Hollocher is second in the league in hitting and getting plenty of pitches to hit with Gehrig and Mantle behind him. And J.D. Drew was on pace to drive in 100 runs before his ankle injury that kept him out of the All-Star Game.

On the pitching side, Dick Ellsworth leads the entire ABL in wins despite having the worst ERA on the staff. But Ben Sheets is finally healthy and pitching like it, and Sam McDowell has negated control problems by not allowing as many hits as in years past, as his he continues his annual improvement.

The bullpen ranks a respectable fourth in the league, and setup man Dan Plesac earned all-star honors. Manager Paul Richards figures to be able to coast down the stretch and avoid overworking anyone as the Hitmen - up 13 ½ games - seem destined for the postseason.

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Boston Riders
2020 Midseason Report

Eastern League North
48-42, 2nd Place, 13 1/2 GB

In last year's division-winning campaign, the Riders were 46-45 at the break, two games out of first. Despite a better record, they find themselves 13 1/2 back at the break this season. The Riders haven’t played badly. They’ve just been overwhelmed by the Chicago juggernaut.

The Riders have the league’s second-best offense, albeit a distant second. But that offense has taken a couple of hits recently with the loss of All-Star Al Rosen for the season with torn ligaments in his ankle and centerfielder Jimmy Wynn with a broken foot. Wynn’s fracture was small and he’s expected back in the next two weeks, but a month without him and a half season without Rosen make any thoughts of a second-half run incredibly unlikely.

While still solid, Todd Helton has fallen off from last year’s breakout season, and now has less support behind him with Rosen’s injury. But the development of Earl Averill and Jackie Jensen have been nice to see and give Boston promise looking forward.

On the slab, Satchel Paige has struggled since a 7-1 start, as have Noodles Hahn and Hod Eller, whose past two months have been such a slog he’s now been moved to the bullpen to start the second half.

Speaking of the bullpen, it’s been a bright spot, ranking second in the league. The strength has been the middle - the quartet of Al Orth, Willis Hudlin, Mike Boddicker and Denny McLain - performing exceptionally well in getting the ball to closer Rafael Betancourt, who was stellar in June to right what had been a rocky ship over the first two months.

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Louisville Thoroughbreds
2020 Midseason Report

Eastern League North
46-43, 3rd Place, 16 GB

The Thoroughbreds have been hit hard by injuries during the first half. Most damaging was the injury to Charlie Hough during his first start of the season. A 15-game winner in each of the ABL’s first two seasons, Hough went down with what was ultimately diagnosed as a partially torn labrum. He could return for September.

Jason Bay, who had a breakout season in 2019 with 24 homers went down at the end of May with a thumb injury after having strained his oblique earlier in the month, costing him two weeks. His return date is unknown.

Norm Siebern, who has been moved to second base in an effort to get him more at bats, recently went down with an elbow injury that will keep him out about two months.

That Louisville’s over .500 is impressive, but between the injuries to the lineup and the struggles since June 1 of Bob Feller and Red Faber, the second half could see the team struggle. The bullpen is fine at the back end (Rich Hill and Sean Marshall) but the middle relief has been poor.

Offensively, Honus Wagner has declined to somewhat mortal status though he has been a strong second-half player both of the last two years. And Roy Campanella has taken a step up this season as one of the game’s elite catchers. The loss of Eddie Murray’s power, however, has been mystifying.
Catching Chicago isn’t going to happen. But if Louisville can finish above .500 for the season, given their injuries and other woes, they can feel pretty good about the 2020 season.

[G-Force]

New York Heroes
2020 Midseason Report

Eastern League North
26-60, 4th Place, 33 1/2 GB

The first Eastern League North division champions are on their way to becoming the worst team in ABL history. Last year’s San Antonio Stallions posted a .356 winning percentage. The Heroes would need to play .419 ball the rest of way to beat that mark. Right now, that seems very unlikely.

Simply, New York has done nothing right. Offensively, declines from 2019 Rookie of the Year Carlos Gonzalez, Bill Madlock and Will Clark - whose abyssmal campaign has seemingly ended with a herniated disc in his back - have left the Heroes punchless besides Arky Vaughan, who is proving his 2019 Outstanding Hitter and MVP runner-up campaign was no fluke.

Pitchingwise, Nolan Ryan has been somewhat decent, but Francisco Liriano, Kevin Brown and Howie Pollet have been bad, worse and terrible. In the bullpen, the 6.31 ERA says it all.

Making matters worse is that New York possesses the lowest defensive efficiency in the entire ABL.

Literally...NOTHING has gone right.

[G-Force]

Charlotte Cougars
2020 Midseason Report

Eastern League South
51-40, 1st Place

The Cougars are prepared for a dogfight with Memphis again, and believe to a man this year will end differently than 2019, when they collapsed over the last two weeks of the season.

Pitching has been key for Charlotte, which boasts the lowest starting pitching ERA in the league. Erik Bedard has been fantastic since his acquisition from Omaha, going 8-3 with a 2.22 ERA after what right now seems to be a steal of a deal - Charlotte having given up only minor leaguer Ned Hanlon.

He and fellow All-Star Schoolboy Rowe are proving a solid 1-2 punch. The move that will be interesting to watch is the return of Frank Viola to the rotation. The lefty, who was second in the Outstanding Pitcher voting in 2018 when he won the ERA title, was moved into the setup role last season. Though he performed admirably, many felt Viola truly belonged in the rotation. He was slotted to set up again this season but was moved into the rotation in April, then put back into the bullpen, and now is back in the rotation again. His ERA as a reliever is 6.48 this season. As a starter? 3.79.

Charlotte signed Viola to a six-year, $120 million extension before the season, so clearly they value him. But one has to wonder if they are going to ruin him bouncing him back and forth.

Offensively, the Cougars are led by Elmer Flick - an all-star all three ABL seasons yet still one of the league’s most underrated players - and Dick Groat, who again is among the league leaders in batting.

They are burdened however by a lack of power. First baseman Derrek Lee leads the team with 11 homers. Flick and Josh Donaldson are tied for second with six.

The bullpen has been strong, its 3.62 collective ERA ranking third and the back end combo of setup man Hoyt Wilhelm and closer Bryan Harvey can rival any duo in the league.

[G-Force]

Memphis Sounds
2020 Midseason Report

Eastern League South
49-39, 2nd Place, 1/2 GB

The two-time Eastern League champions are not surprisingly in contention again, sitting a half game back and preparing for yet another tight pennant race.

The Sounds continue to be a solid, balanced operation - 2nd in runs, 3rd in starter ERA, 1st in bullpen ERA and 1st in defensive efficiency. If someone is looking for a weakness, they could contend the team is a bit short on power (they rank fourth) - but that’s nitpicking, especially since the power they do have is well balanced, with four players on pace for 20+ homers.

Only Chicago’s heart of the order can match Ed Delahanty, George Brett and Josh Hamilton, who are set up by the solid Snuffy Stirnweiss and switch-hitting Rafael Furcal, who has recovered from an off season in 2019.

The bottom of the order is weak and a down year from Chili Davis is a bit of a concern, but again that’s really just looking for flaws.

The rotation remains consistent. Jesse Tannehill remains the leader of the squad based on track record, though Mike Hampton is actually having the best season. Van Mungo has been his usual solid self, and therein lies the strength of Memphis - for the most part you know what you’re getting with them. They have been remarkably consistent since the ABL started, both individually and as a team.

Memphis’ bullpen leads the ABL with a 2.80 ERA. That’s a tremendous accomplishment considering they have been without closer Rob Dibble all season as he recovers from a torn labrum. Bob Friend has been terrific in his place, earning an all-star appearance. Dibble is expected back in the next week and manager Bob Melvin is going to have an interesting decision on his hands when that occurs.

[G-Force]

Alabama Slammers
2020 Midseason Report

Eastern League South
41-47, 3rd Place, 8 1/2 GB

The biggest thing going on in Alabama this season is that manager Ron Gardenhire seems to be much more actively tinkering with his lineups. Only two Slammers have a qualifying number of at bats - Albert Pujols and Bobby Murcer.

Both of them have been solid, but it doesn’t seem Gardenhire’s maneuvering is having much impact as Alabama sits six games below .500. A rough April and a 3-8 start to July have offset a good May and June, and the break perhaps came at the right time.

The 1-2 punch of Albert Pujols and Johnny Mize was supposed to be the driving force of the offense. But, while Pujols has built off a solid rookie campaign in 2019, Mize - who drove in 100 runs each of his first two seasons - has fallen off the proverbial cliff, plagued by an oblique strain that cost him six weeks.

Larry Walker has been productive when he’s been in the lineup. But a host of nagging injuries to his back and ankle have required regular rest for a lineup that can’t afford his absence. Rookie Ian Kinsler has been disappointing thus far.

The pitching side has been subpar, with their best pitcher - Greg Maddux - being done in by lack of run support and a poor bullpen. Vic Willis, Denny LeMaster and Rip Collins have all pitched decently. But neither the offense nor the pitching are good enough to make up for each other’s mediocrity.

The bullpen has been poor to say the least, with only New York’s dumpster fire relief corps - a full .70 runs worse in ERA - performing worse.

[G-Force]

Orlando Orcas
2020 Midseason Report

Eastern League South
34-55, 4th place, 16 GB

The Orcas disastrous collapse last September seems to have had a lingering effect, as only New York’s horrendous first half has kept Orlando’s poor performance from getting more attention.

Jeff Bagwell leads the team in batting at .247. Chipper Jones, off two strong seasons, can’t get a pitch to hit and is having a horrible go of things. Elmer Smith, who showed promise last year, went down in April after a hot first couple of weeks with a broken elbow and will still miss another two months.

On the pitching side, manager Joe Altobelli has sent out 11 different starters in the hope of making something work. Juan Guzman has pitched well, and Felix Hernandez showed signs he was finally coming into his own before he went down with a torn elbow ligament that now has Orlando just hoping he’ll be ready for 2021.

On the relief side, when your closer - Troy Percival - has an ERA over 5.5 and 8 losses in half season, you know things are going badly.


Oh yeah...their 64 errors are also the most in the ABL.


Altobelli’s contract expires at the end of this season. It is unlikely he will return.

[G-Force]

Portland Robins
2020 Midseason Report

Western League North
50-37, 1st Place

If you had said before the season that Portland’s lead run producer, Jimmie Foxx, would go into the All-Star break with four homers, 25 RBI and a .242 average, there isn’t a soul that would have predicted the Robins would be in first place. Yet, that’s exactly what’s happened.

Foxx, who averaged 28 homers and 95 RBI the last two seasons, has struggled mightily. But a strong rookie season from Jeff Burroughs, another solid campaign from All-Star Game MVP Jose Cruz, and a step forward by leadoff man Jose Reyes have Portland with the Western League’s second-best offense.

Another key has been rookie sensation Shoeless Joe Jackson, who has seen his OPS rise each month and hasn’t even scratched the surface of how good he can be. Portland manager Ralph Houk has gone on record as saying Jackson will eventually be the league’s best player, and others agree.

All-Star Smoky Joe Wood has become a top pitcher, and every hurler in the rotation has improved on last year’s ERA. The move of Ken Forsch from the bullpen to the rotation has yielded positive returns, and Herb Score - the league leader in both strikeouts and walks each of the last two years - is giving up fewer hits and fewer homers this season. If he could shave one walk per nine innings off his rate, he could break into the next level.

Much the same holds true for the bullpen, where the quarter of Greg Minton, Warren Hacker, Gregg Olson and Octavio Dotel provide a formidable group to contend with.

The Robins have certainly benefited from Denver’s host of injury woes. But they’ve still had to produce in their own right, and so far they’ve done so.

[G-Force]

Sacramento Stingers
2020 Midseason Report

Western League North
44-46, 2nd Place, 7 1/2 GB

The plight of the Denver Pilots should have opened the door for Sacramento to finally snatch the division. But the Stingers have seen an offensive slide rivaling that of Orlando.

Troy Glaus’ 29-homer campaign of last year seems a distant memory, as does Lou Boudreau’s breakout season. Jim Gentile’s power bat is gone for the season after he went out with a torn back muscle. Prince Fielder’s lack of development continues to befuddle everyone in the organization. Happy Felsch can be considered the only offensive positive at this point.

The only thing saving the Stingers’ season from going off the rails is their talented pitching staff. Hal Newhouser remains a top-flight starter, and the improvement of Ron Darling as well as the return to form of Vinegar Bend Mizell have been positives despite the lack of run support afforded either. Odalis Perez remains a steady, consistent presence.

The bullpen has simply been dynamite. Of the five late-inning relievers, Tim Burke’s 2.75 ERA is highest on the staff. Bob Miller, Scott Bankhead and Steve Farr have been phenomenal and Dennis Eckersley has bounced back from an uneven 2019 campaign. If these guys were ever given leads to work with, Sacramento would be atop the division.

[G-Force]

Denver Pilots
2020 Midseason Report

Western League North
42-45, 3rd Place, 8 GB

Nobody would have blamed the Pilots if they had fallen out of the race by now. Season-ending injuries to closer Aroldis Chapman and starter Andy Messersmith plus injuries costing leaders Tim Raines, Steve Carlton and Cole Hamels time have all kept Denver grounded during the first half.

But Raines, Hamels and Carlton are back and performing, particularly Raines who is playing the best baseball of his career. While the defending champions are 8 games out, one has to think they have a run in them to at least make Portland nervous in the second half.

One player who finally hasn’t been injured is Ty Cobb who, after two terrific but injury-plagued seasons has fallen off in his first healthy campaign. However, after batting .232 for the first two months of the season, Cobb has a .365/.409/.516 slash line since June 1st. Raines’ return, Roberto Clemente’s usual steady performance and Cobb getting back on track make Denver’s lineup a threat to anyone. However, the bottom third - horrendous so far - need to step it up. It’s hard to believe manager Joe Maddon will continue to ride out the Francisco Lindor, Danny Espinosa, Kid Elberfeld trio much longer.

Hamels and Carlton are terrific, particularly Hamels, who leads the league in ERA and should once again contend for Outstanding Pitcher honors, an award for which he placed third in last year’s voting.

Rookie Billy Pierce has given Denver a three-headed monster that would be a bear to contend with in a postseason series should the Pilots right the ship.

Bill Henry earned an all-star selection, having filled in admirably for Chapman. And JJ Putz has recovered from a poor 2019 to make a solid setup duo with Jeff Reardon.

[G-Force]

Omaha Pioneers
2020 Midseason Report

Western League North
38-53, 4th Place, 14 GB

Last year’s 15-game improvement by Omaha led many to believe they would be contenders this season, despite their falling to Denver down the stretch of 2019. But huge steps backward both on the mound and at the plate have left the Pioneers looking up from the cellar.

The dramatic falloff of David Wright has been a huge blow to the Pioneers offense, never the team’s strong suit to begin with. But his decline, along with the slow development of Stan Musial, has left Willie McCovey shouldering the bulk of the load. Improvement from Mark Grace and the steady bat of Joe Mauer have given a bit of support, but not enough to offset the declines elsewhere.

Pitching, however, is the real problem here. Ace Tom Seaver, coming off a season with a 3.13 ERA, is sporting an ERA near 5.00, and both Kirk McCaskill and Steve Busby have been merely decent - which isn’t good enough. The best starter has been Herb Pennock, whose ERA has declined for the second straight season.

The bottom ranked Omaha bullpen still boasts a decent ERA of 4.31, a sign of the dramatic unexplained difference between the offense-heavy Eastern League and the pitching-strong West.

Manager Bruce Bochy has been forced to go to a three-headed bullpen of Byun-Hyung Kim, Jason Frasor and Tim Belcher - who has posted a 1.17 ERA in relief since being pulled from the rotation. Andy McGaffigan and Jesse Crain have been virtually unpitchable, and soon may be replaced by minor leaguers Al Demaree and/or Gary Bell.

[JaBurns]

Was Joe Jackson in the all star game? I looked but don’t remember seeing his name.

[G-Force]

Originally Posted by JaBurns

Was Joe Jackson in the all star game? I looked but don’t remember seeing his name.

No. While he has improved as the season has gone on he didn't have the numbers to crack the all-star roster this season.

Also realizing I need to fix some of the pictures. Apparently a few of the screengrabs don't have the top couple of guys (Jackson for Portland, Cobb for Denver are two I noticed. Not sure why the scroll bar sometimes automatically goes down a bit, but I caught it a few times. Guess I missed those.)

The Western League has a load of good outfielders...Mays, Cobb, Clemente, Vlad Guerrero, Jackson, Raines and, while he hasn't reached his ability yet, Musial.

GH

[G-Force]

Los Angeles Lightning
2020 Midseason Report

Western League South
50-39, 1st Place

The reigning division champions are hungry, and they've openly discussed the lingering scars from being upset by Denver in the 2019 WLCS.

Despite their terrific first half and their lead in the division, it's not coming as easily during this year's regular season. For one thing, the offense - in 2019 the best in the ABL's young history - has scuffled at times despite Willie Mays making a run at the Triple Crown.

While the names you know: Mays, Vlad Guerrero and Hack Wilson - are all performing well, the bottom of the order has struggled. Joe Adcock has stepped in admirably for Mark Teixeira, who has fallen off from last year's strong season and is now out with an injury, though he is due back within the week.

The move of Guerrero to the leadoff spot has been met with some criticism, but manager Earl Weaver is standing by it.

The rotation is the ABL's deepest, with A.J. Burnett, Ron Guidry, CC Sabathia, Jose Rosado and Greg Harris each capable of shutting a team out on any given day.

Add a bullpen that has pitched to a 2.65 ERA, and you have baseball deeping pitching staff from top to bottom, as rookie Koji Uehara has fit right in as the new closer.

[G-Force]

Phoenix Scorpions
2020 Midseason Report

Western League South
49-41, 2nd Place, 1 1/2 GB

The Phoenix Scorpions have won the South in a runaway and lost it the same way. This season, they are prepared for their first pennant race.

As the expected dogfight plays out, Phoenix is counting on its pitching getting straightened out. Stephen Strasburg, John Thomson and Mike Moore have been good, though Strasburg hasn’t quite been the pitcher of a year ago. Ken Chase and a host of candidates have struggled to lock down the back end, however, and manager Bill McKechnie will need to sort it out to go toe to toe with Los Angeles’ five-deep rotation.

The bullpen has been terrific with four members posting a sub-3 ERA, and closer Jose Valverde having his best season. One to watch is Danny Darwin, who had a five-start stint in late May-early June in which is he went 3-2 with a 3.67 ERA. McKechnie put him back in the bullpen though where he had been until that point. Nels Potter’s failure, however, could lead to Darwin going back to the rotation, as the relief corps seem to have enough to handle the loss of Darwin should the move be made.

Offensively, despite a marginal decline from Sam Crawford to very good from great the Scorpions boast the league’s top offense. Leading in average, OBP and slugging, Phoenix is deep and fundamentally sound.

After two poor seasons offensively, defensive standout Gabby Hartnett has stepped up at the plate, and prospect Jesse Barfield has provided an impact bat in the heart of the lineup. Phoenix’s attack is relentless, and will need to keep that up to take the division.

[G-Force]

San Antonio Stallions
2020 Midseason Report

Western League South
44-48, 3rd Place, 7 1/2 GB

Don’t look now, but the Stallions have dramatically improved and, while they aren’t a threat to the division yet, there’s finally some hope in San Antonio.

Jackie Robinson has emerged as expected as one of the league’s top all-around players, and Wally Berger - at the heart of San Antonio’s embarrassing beginnings - has provided consistency in the middle of the lineup and George Springer appears to have fully recovered from the knee injury that cost him the 2019 campaign.. But the Stallions are living a bit too much by the home run, and the poor first half from Craig Biggio has greatly contributed to that.

All-Star Roy Oswalt can be mentioned among the game’s top pitchers, and Stubby Overmire, Doc Ayers and Bill Donovan - who has responded well to this year’s move from the bullpen to the rotation - keep the Stallions in games.

The relief corps, despite the struggles of rookie closer Greg Holland, have been solid. All aspects of the Stallions are on the upswing, and carrying that out throughout the second half would be a much-needed victory for the franchise.

As for the much-questioned selection of top pick Deacon White, he is producing at AAA with a 117 OPS+, showing at least a glimpse of the promise Stallions management saw in him. But he’s clearly well behind Lou Gehrig and Joe Jackson, and the hovering around .500 for the big club hasn’t made anyone forget that just yet.