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The Islandian Times
Tuesday, July 24, 2001
Around the IPA
Ruthlandian Union - South Division
One of the best righthanders of all-time, Marty Pedrosa, is the skipper of the last place Belair Beach Sunbirds. Pedrosa's club is 11.5 games out, mainly due to a terrible June when they were 9-22. The Sunbirds have rebounded to a 14-10 mark for July and are looking like a much better ballclub than their record.
The crux of Pedrosa's problem is the poor hitting. Belair Beach is last in the division, batting only .262 this year. The Sunbirds only have three threats in their line-up: All-Star left fielder Nicky Swift (.331/18 D/4 T/32 HR/80 RBI/72 R), one of the best pure hitters in the IPA and the home run leader, first baseman Phil Gravelli (.338/20 D/0 T/21 HR/58 RBI/40 R), a remarkable 17-year-old, who didn't sign until one-third of the season had gone by, and All-Star Matty McDermott (.326/15 D/2 T/14 HR/44 RBI/76 R/26 SB). The rest of the line-up really struggles.
Fielding is also a weak spot for the Sunbirds as they are last with a .975 fielding percentage. One bright spot, however, is shortstop Danny Church (.246), who has been outstanding on defense. He could be headed for a Gold Glove.
Pedrosa's pitching corps is anchored by Big John Thompson (12-8 2.56), an All-Star with three shutouts. The remainder are just adequate and nothing more. Closer Lou Zanelli (7-7 3.59) has 10 saves in 40 appearances. The others in the Belair Beach starting rotation are Tiny Lindgren (2-1 3.73), Ray Watson (3-2 3.84) and Kenny Frey (6-9 3.95).
Handling the middle relief for the Sunbirds are Sandy Kozicz (0-1 4.33), Lyndon Yarbrough (0-3 4.68), Todd Wilson (5-9 4.60) and Dirk Garrett (4-6 4.54). Improvement is needed for Pedrosa's crew to move up in the standings.
Belair Beach is playing very well lately, winning games with clutch hits and fine pitching. It is not likely they can continue to do this for the rest of the season. A third or fourth place finish may be the best the Sunbirds can do.
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