The current standings as we start the last full month of the 1980 regular season:
In posts the next few days I will go into a bit more depth about each team and look forward to the potential pennant races.
Richard Escamilla MGL Rookie of the Month:
Richard Escamilla was the Denver Brewers second round pick in the 1973 draft but had found himself blocked by Brett Taranto in spite of putting up impressive numbers the past several seasons in the minors, including hitting .348/.435/.663 with 21 doubles and 28 home runs over the course of 97 games with the Brewers AAA affiliate the Chester Big Stick this season (good for 5.4 WAR) before being traded to Charlotte a few days before the non-waiver trading deadline in exchange for right-handed starting pitcher
Gary McLaughlin (who looks like another potential middle-of-the-rotation big league arm, and profiles as a team captain, because just what the Brewers organization needs is another starting pitching prospect
)
While the trade may end of being advantageous to the Brewers in the future, it certainly has paid off in the short run for both Escamilla himself and his new team, as he is off to a great start as the new starting first baseman for the Sting, and is even now regularly their cleanup hitter. And given that there just wasn't a place for him on the Denver club, we are happy for his success.
(Someday I might need to talk a bit more about how many former Brewer first base prospects are now either regulars or role players, and a few even stars, on other teams. Short list for now- Mike Lovett of Philadelphia, experiencing a bit of a down season after his near MVP 1979 campaign, but still on pace for a 4.5 WAR season- Jacob Kieft, who was the starting first baseman for Oklahoma City last year, hitting 20 homers and putting up 1.8 WAR- Billy Ferguson, a long-time Denver minor league outfielder, who is getting his first taste of the big leagues with Philadelphia and off to a good start at the plate- Geoff Bartholomew, playing both shortstop and first base as a valuable bench role player- Sepi Koller, who has played parts of four seasons with Philadelphia though most of his playing time came in 1975-1976 and he has not played at the big league level this year yet, but did just get a September 1st call-up- and Brad McManus, who has had three cups of coffee with Columbus and has just been called up for his fourth. Oh, and I almost forgot Bobby Stewart, who has played 5 games for the L.A. Spinners this season and just returned to the active roster today. I guess this is what happens when an organization has
Bobby Erbakan manning first base for 7 straight seasons followed by
Brett Taranto the next 5 (including this season). )