- AL PLAYER OF THE MONTH Sergio Robles (OH) .368-4-23 (.325-13-68)
- NL PLAYER OF THE MONTH Dan Goodman (PIT) .351-10-24 (.326-25-76)
- AL PITCHER OF THE MONTH Juan Alatorre (FLA) 5-0 2.35 (12-4 3.01)
- NL PITCHER OF THE MONTH Ian Taylor (NE) 5-0 3.07 (11-4 3.77)
- AL ROOKIE OF THE MONTH Danny Schroeder (OH) .333-6-15 (.280-15-58)
- NL ROOKIE OF THE MONTH Jorge Renderos (KC) .351-4-17 (.266-7-39)
Domenic Loetzsch and Dan Goodman didn't get the 'offense is down' memo. Rob Anderson has done nothing but strengthens his MVP credentials. Chicago running itself into the record books and finally a Tarpon on the leaderboards as Galindo appears to have settled in.
Things starting to sort themselves out in the standings.
The injury to Korey Rick was devastating to Minnesota. Ohio and Chicago appear to be a two dog hunt in the AL Central and per the norm, Las Vegas is atop the west once again.
Pittsburgh is back on top but the East overall is a vastly improved group. Not sure what to make of the Central yet.
The West has come back to the pack and appears to be over their division-wide early season slump.
Blue = Numbers, players I am ecstatic with
Green = Numbers, players I am happy with
Yellow = areas of concern
Red = Troubling/issue situation that needs addressing
A sort of 30,000 foot look at the ABA club.
The extra-inning record is directly tied to having the leagues top-ranked bullpen.
I am far more pleased than I expected to be at our record vs LHP. Our biggest LH bats are not nearly as effective vs LHP and that could be something that rears its head in a postseason series vs a rotation and pen stacked with LHH. It makes the RHH vs LHP a far more important factor than it might otherwise be.
I couldn't be happier with the top 4 in the rotation. They've taken their turns and pitched exceptionally. Alatorre's pitcher of the month was well deserved and a large factor in the 20-9 July.
The back end of our pen is lethal. Brad Turner is having a monster season and has been a huge piece of the 29 saves Galindo has. Jake Grab makes that a perfect L/R bridge.
The 5th spot in the rotation, long man in the pen slot is a 2 headed 'monster' I guess. Seb Broomhall can't get to AAA to get consistent starts, nor can I send Sugihara down due to options. Both are mid to top end rotation guys if done right but I can't seem to get to 'right' to get them the innings they need.
The top-ranked OBP in the AL is a huge part of being a top scoring club but the K's number is troublesome. Also concerning is the staffs walks per 9. That has to improve.
From an individual player perspective, I am 'happy' overall with the offense. These numbers in another year could be those of a last-place offense but given the dearth of offense this year they are performing. I have Hallamore's name in yellow not because he's a problem offensively. He has committed an insane 24 errors on the year. He's performing almost exactly the opposite of what I acquired him for. I expected over the top defense with a young bat that could mature into a legitimate 2 hole hitter. He's surpassed by a long shot my offensive expectations but the defense is incredibly troublesome.
What is there to say about Mike Haupt. This is a relationship I would liken to a bad date. I just can't wait to end it. I worked my ass off at the deadline to move him but there was no way I was getting anything equal of value in return. And Lord knows I tried. I think the upside here is that he can't get much worse at the plate, and if by some quirk of fate he goes off in the 2nd half the team will benefit.
I said it earlier, but my concern about the offense is the potential lack of punch vs LHP. Haupt is the only left-handed hitter I feel good vs LHP about and that's not by much.
Clearly excited as hell about our minor league system.
Here's a look at the big picture with our system singled out.
Milwaukee has stacked up the prospects while Kendleson remains the top overall player, despite the fact he's a year away from returning to the mound. Still reeling from the fact Detroit acquired the games 4th rated prospect in a trade for a player no one thinks will be better than an average 2B in the ABA at best.