Season 7
May
Awards
Batter of the month AL: Brian Roberts (2009 Orioles)
Batter of the month NL - Hank Aaron (1969 Braves)
Pitcher of the month AL - Joe Horlen (1963 White Sox)
Pitcher of the month NL - Woodie Fryman (1975 Expos)
Injuries
Jose Valentin (2005 Dodgers) - Neck (5-6 weeks)
Bill Castro (1979 Brewers) - Forearm (3 months)
American League East
The 2003 Royals had two losing months but are still hanging on to first place which will tell you the flux of the division. The Royals lost reliever Jeremy Hill for three months but Jeremy Affeldt is doing his best as a closer with 8 saves. Mike Sweeney has a .940 OPS in his hot start. The 2006 Athletics are leaning on starting pitching as Rich Harden has won 7 games already and on offense the team is first in home runs with 56. The team has had some bad luck and should still remain the favorites for the top. The 1953 White Sox did provide a winning record and are in the thick of things, better then many expected going into June. Al Simmons is a terror at the plate with 40 RBI and a .361 average while the club defense has supported a shaky pitching staff that allows a lot of hard contact. Ed Durham is the only Sox starter with a winning record. Despite their very underwhelming start, the 1921 Red Sox are only 2.5 games back but the Babe Ruth less offense is last in the league despite Del Pratt hitting an eye opening .380 so far. The analytical numbers however do not bode well for this team. Does anyone want to win this division?
American League West
Proving to everyone just how good they are the 1963 White Sox have the best record in the game after two months. Gary Peters is thinking Cy Young with an 11-3 record while Hoyt Wilhelm has been the best closer in the league with 14 saves and a 1.74 ERA. The Sox are first in runs with Pete Ward hitting .374 with 46 RBI. The Sox are 18-5 at home and could be riding a season of destiny. Brian Roberts won hitter on the month honors for the 2009 Orioles who are fighting to keep pace with Chicago. Roberts hit .550 over the closing week of the season while Adam Jones is hitting .325 and has also been excellent in the middle of the order. Koji Uehera is a capable closer but the rotation is where the team has its warts. David Hernandez had an ERA over 10 in May for a sinking staff. The 1986 Dodgers wish they were in another division as another winning month still sees them 9 games back. The rotation has been very good with Orel and Fernando leading the way. Closer Alejandro Pena has blown one too many games and likely wont be the closer in June. Mike Marshall continues to sizzle with 15 HR. Finally the 1974 Twins are getting a good run out of Bert Blyleven and Rod Carew is hitting .305, this division however just may be too much for them to compete.
National League East
Days have been good for the 1919 Indians even if they didnt play as well in May. They hold a 11.5 game lead and seem just too talented to expect to give it up. Elmer Smith still is thinking MVP with 16 HR and 53 RBI. The team has a 13.9 hitting WAR and leads in almost every NL hitting category. The pitching has been uneven at times, but there will be plenty of time to fix those things before October. Henry Aaron had a big month but the 1969 Braves havent done much better. The Braves pen is among the best in the league lead by Milt Pappas but the offense is slow and makes a ton of mistakes on the bases. Orlando Cepeda hit .136 in the month seeming to lose all his confidence. The 1967 Senators improved their play and can have their sites on trying to catch the Braves. The club is last in average and OPS and the pitching staff is barely respectable with a 4.77 ERA. Frank Howard and Ken Harrelson have combined for 28 HR and do intimidate when they step to the dish. For the 1969 Expos the season never really started as they have won 15 games in 2 months. The offense has tried to stay afloat with Manny Mota hitting .319 and Mack Jones having a good year. The pitching, especially the pen has been a mess and as with all bad teams, this Expos team seems to always find a way to lose a game.
National League West
The race remains tight in the West and three teams are poised for a fight through the summer. The 1975 Expos have excited their fans as they sti in first after two months. Ellis Valentine is proving to be a star while the young Gary Carter is hitting .338. The Expos are second in the NL in runs and do it without the long ball but with gritty complementary baseball. The Brew Crew still feel they are the best team in the division but they suffered a losing month including losing 2 out of 3 to Montreal. The pen has fallen apart in alot of ways as the injury of Bill Castro has stung. Moose Haas is 6-1 and has taken the role of ace while Gorman Thomas and Ben Oglive are pacing the offense that should get better a the weather heats up. The 2005 Dodgers believe in themselves sitting 2.5 games back in this open division. Brad Penny has 8 wins and is showing off excellent control while Jonathan Broxton leads the league with 18 saves and has been lights out in close games. The offense needs work as Milton Bradley has struggled and JD Drew has only seven home runs. The injury to Jose Valentin will making scoring runs even more of a chore. Finally the 1972 White Sox have been too close to average to improve their chances in the West. Dick Allen does have 18 home runs and 51 RBI and is playing with great determination. Likely however, this Sox team will not have enough.