[Eugene Church]

The fifth place Luxora Zorros ended August with a 17-16 record and are the second best club with .257 team batting average, third with a 3.46 ERA, tied for first with a .977 fielding average, fourth in scoring with 553 runs and dead last by a wide margin with only 74 homers. The severe power shortage has really put a crimp in manager Rodrigo Alejandro's season. Luxora is 12 games out of first place in the Tycobbian Union East Division.

Alejandro has one of the best reliever corps, headed by Roberto Martinez, who has appeared in 47 games with an 11-4 mark, 10 saves and an excellent 1.81 ERA. Eddie Hoffman and Andy Stevens have stood out as well. Hoffman is 1-3 with 7 saves in 46 games and a 3.01 ERA, while Stevens is 4-7 with a 3.33 ERA and a save in 33 appearances.

The Zorros have three quality starters with Keith Callahan going 15-12 with a 3.31 ERA, Chris Pierce 12-12 with a 4.09 ERA and Johnny Montel 10-15 and 3.55 ERA with 3 shutouts.

On the hitters' side of the ledger sheet, Luxora is led by catcher Eric Richter with a .312 batting average, 56 RBIs and 53 runs scored. First Paul Hallenbeck has a .304 mark with 28 doubles, 5 triples, 23 home runs, 81 RBIs and 62 runs scored. Third baseman Rico Vina is batting .280 with 29 doubles, 2 home runs, 68 runs and 68 driven in. Center fielder Tommy Fortunato is hitting .267 with 22 doubles, 4 triples, 7 roundtrippers, 56 RBIs, 78 runs scored and 57 stolen bases. Left fielder Pedro Vizquel has put up a .303 batting average with 37 doubles, 5 triples, 4 home runs, 47 RBIs and scored 69 times. New right fielder Lacey Tompkins was signed about six weeks ago and has done well in 48 games with a .292 average, 11 doubles, 3 homers, 17 RBIs and 24 runs scored.

The Hartsdale Hellcats under the leadership of skipper Zim Donner improved to a 17-14 record during the last month, second to South Fork's 17-13. It has been a dismal year for the Hellcats as they are near the bottom in just about every category. The Hellcats are ranked fifth in batting with a .257 batting average, third with 115 home runs, fifth in runs scored, last with a 3.89 ERA and also fifth in fielding with a .974 mark. That translate to last place in the standings, but only a half-game short of Luxora.

Donner's best mound performer has been closer Gene Young, who has saved 15 games with an 8-4 mark and a 2.18 ERA in 49 games. Phil Reed is his top starter with a 14-10 record and a 3.16 ERA. Jackie Bond was recently pulled in from the bullpen and has looked good in a starting role. Bond is 6-3 with a 3.10 ERA in 38 appearances, including 5 starts. Recent acquisitions Tal Vaitkus and Mitch Yessan have done well, too. Vaitkus is 6-4 with a 3.17 ERA in 20 appearances and 10 starts, while Yessan has run up an 8-4 record with a 3.49 ERA in 14 starts and 20 game appearances.

Third baseman Whiz Weaver has wielded a pretty fair bat for the Hellcats. Weaver has hit .283 with 27 doubles, 3 triples, 24 homers, 71 RBIs and scored 67 times. Right fielder Dan Rogers, picked up a month ago in the 4-for-1 trade with Volusia for Francisco Abreu, has hit .337 with 7 home runs and 24 RBIs in 25 games. Overall Rogers has chalked up a .305 average with 11 doubles, 4 triples, 9 homers, 43 RBIs and 39 runs scored. Center fielder Greg Reynolds is hitting only .264, but has 30 doubles, 6 triples, 14 home runs, 41 RBIs, 71 runs scored and 41 stolen bases. Donner may have struck it rich with the signing of first baseman-outfielder Mac Faulkner, who has batted .355 in 29 games with 5 roundtrippers, 16 RBIs and scored 16 times. Outfielder Mel Poe, while not hitting for a high average, has been productive. Poe has compiled a .253 mark with 16 doubles, 5 triples, 12 roundtrippers, batted in 48 runs and scored 47 times.