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batted balls · 08-02-2006, 02:50 PM

June 2, 2007

Miami--Although the calendar says June, it's Hurricane season.

Ron Fraser's Miami Hurricanes have won seven games in a row and nine of their last 10. The hot streak has left Miami just two games behind first-place Ivy in the All-American Baseball League East.

"We're on a roll right now, that's for sure," said Fraser. "Obviously, we want to keep things rolling."

Leading the way have been pitchers John Fulgham, Wade Taylor and Warren Bogle. Fulgham (4-3) was named East Pitcher of the Month. The right-hander has allowed just three earned runs in his last three starts while picking up two victories. Taylor (3-1) has won his last two starts. Meanwhile, Bogle (7-1) is 4-0 with a 0.81 ERA in his last five outings.

"Those three have really stepped things up," said Fraser.

The good news for Miami is that it has been on a roll without strong pitching from ace Alex Fernandez. A 22-game winner last year, Fernandez is just 5-7 this season.

"Alex will come around, just watch," said Fraser.

Meanwhile, the offense--which has struggled at times this season--also appears to be showing signs of life. Despite batting just .255, catcher/designated hitter Mike Piazza has 10 homers and 26 RBIs.

"I haven't hit my stride yet," Piazza said. "Not even close."

Third baseman Aubrey Huff is batting .297 with three home runs and 24 RBIs. Outfielder F.P. Santagelo (.274-3-25) has hit well of late. Catcher Jorge Fabergas, an All-Star last year, has raised his average to a team-high .298.

East Standings

Team W L PCT GB
Ivy 35 22 .614 --
Miami 33 24 .579 2.0
Illinois 31 26 .544 4.0
Michigan 30 27 .526 5.0
Mississippi State 30 27 .526 5.0
Florida State 28 29 .491 7.0
Louisiana State 26 31 .456 9.0
Michigan State 25 32 .439 10.0
Notre Dame 24 33 .421 11.0
Minnesota 23 34 .404 12.0

Player of the Month: Lou Boudreau, Illinois

Pitcher of the Month: John Fulgham, Miami (shown below)

Stat of the Week: Minnesota short stop Jerry Kindall and second baseman Brent Gates are a combined 0-for-their last 35 at-bats.

May Team-By-Team Reports

Ivy: While the offense has continued to lead the way, the pitching has slipped a bit. Still, the defending champion Eagles remain atop the East. First baseman Lou Gehrig leads the division in home runs (12), RBIs (53) and OPS (.961). Jim Beattie (8-2) is the most reliable starter.
Miami: The Hurricanes appear on the verge of taking over first place. In fact, Miami hosts a three-game series with Ivy in mid-June. The bullpen trio of Kurt Knudsen, Oscar Munoz and Danny Graves remains solid.
Illinois: An 8-2 stretch has the Fighting Illini back in the hunt. Pitchers Fred Beebe (8-2, 2.45 ERA) and Donn Pall (12 saves, 0.65) are vying for All-Star spots. After taking three games in a four-game series from Ivy, Illinois will face Miami six times in the next week. Short stop Lou Boudreau hit .364 in May to earn Player of the Month honors.
Michigan: The spring's hottest team is turning sour as summer begins. The Wolverines have lost nine of their last 10. The offense (.232) has fallen mightily while the pitching remains the team's strength. Short stop Barry Larkin's average has dipped to .209. Starter Steve Ontiveros (7-4, 1.66 ERA) appears the best bet to make the All-Star team.
Mississippi State: The Bulldogs are another team on the downslide. Mississippi State has dropped four straight and seven of its last 10 games. Starters Dave "Boo" Ferris (6-4, 1.13) and Jonathan Papelbon (6-2, 1.77) rank first and third in ERA respectively. Rafael Palmeiro (.267-6-35) has been the offense's best player. Will Clark, slowed by back problems, has just two homers and 12 RBIs.
Florida State: The Seminoles are suddenly hot, winning eight of their last 11 games. Mark Gilbert, an All-Star last year, is third among East batting leaders at .333. Eduardo Perez, who hit for the cycle back in April, is sixth at .326. Craig Skok (11 saves, 1.21) continues to close games out.
LSU: A look at the "Who's Hot" list shows many Tigers. Starter Mike Sirotka has won three consecutive starts to improve to 6-4 with a 3.15 ERA. First baseman Russ Johnson (.316-5-23) and outfielder Joe Adcock (.292-3-26) have both hit over .400 in their last 10 games. Left fielder Albert Belle (.266-8-33) is just 3-for-his last 19.
Michigan State: The Spartans have looked better than last season. However, the offense continues to rank among the AABL's worst. Third baseman Steve Garvey (.351-4-27) is second in hitting. Kirk Gibson (.273-8-37) has made vast improvements. Rick Miller (.291-1-28) has been reliable. Yet, the rest of the offense is batting a lowly .186. Starter Ed Hobaugh is just 5-5 despite a 1.92 ERA.
Notre Dame: The Fighting Irish possess the East's leading hitter (Cap Anson, .367) and top base stealer (Louis Sockalexis, 8) yet continue to hang out near the division's basement. Jim Hannan (5-3, 2.63 ERA) is the only starter with a winning record. This is a team lacking power. Left fielder Carl Yastrzemski (.271) leads the Irish with a paltry four home runs.
Minnesota: The feel-good story of April and early May has given way to loss after loss. The Golden Gophers have won just six times in their last 28 games. Bryan Hickerson (6-2, 2.30 ERA) has been a bright spot; Jim Brower (0-4, 4.41) and Denny Neagle (3-7, 4.21) have not. Paul Molitor (.315-1-18) and Dave Winfield (.280-5-24) have led the offense. Outfielder J.T. Bruett (.207-3-14) has cooled off with just three hits in his last 31 at-bats.

08-02-2006, 02:50 PM	#202 (permalink)
batted balls All Star Starter Join Date: May 2003 Location: White Sox Country Posts: 1,319 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0x in 0 posts	Hurricane Season Looms as Miami Moves Closer to First Place June 2, 2007 Miami--Although the calendar says June, it's Hurricane season. Ron Fraser's Miami Hurricanes have won seven games in a row and nine of their last 10. The hot streak has left Miami just two games behind first-place Ivy in the All-American Baseball League East. "We're on a roll right now, that's for sure," said Fraser. "Obviously, we want to keep things rolling." Leading the way have been pitchers John Fulgham, Wade Taylor and Warren Bogle. Fulgham (4-3) was named East Pitcher of the Month. The right-hander has allowed just three earned runs in his last three starts while picking up two victories. Taylor (3-1) has won his last two starts. Meanwhile, Bogle (7-1) is 4-0 with a 0.81 ERA in his last five outings. "Those three have really stepped things up," said Fraser. The good news for Miami is that it has been on a roll without strong pitching from ace Alex Fernandez. A 22-game winner last year, Fernandez is just 5-7 this season. "Alex will come around, just watch," said Fraser. Meanwhile, the offense--which has struggled at times this season--also appears to be showing signs of life. Despite batting just .255, catcher/designated hitter Mike Piazza has 10 homers and 26 RBIs. "I haven't hit my stride yet," Piazza said. "Not even close." Third baseman Aubrey Huff is batting .297 with three home runs and 24 RBIs. Outfielder F.P. Santagelo (.274-3-25) has hit well of late. Catcher Jorge Fabergas, an All-Star last year, has raised his average to a team-high .298. East Standings Team W L PCT GB Ivy 35 22 .614 -- Miami 33 24 .579 2.0 Illinois 31 26 .544 4.0 Michigan 30 27 .526 5.0 Mississippi State 30 27 .526 5.0 Florida State 28 29 .491 7.0 Louisiana State 26 31 .456 9.0 Michigan State 25 32 .439 10.0 Notre Dame 24 33 .421 11.0 Minnesota 23 34 .404 12.0 Player of the Month: Lou Boudreau, Illinois Pitcher of the Month: John Fulgham, Miami (shown below) Stat of the Week: Minnesota short stop Jerry Kindall and second baseman Brent Gates are a combined 0-for-their last 35 at-bats. May Team-By-Team Reports Ivy: While the offense has continued to lead the way, the pitching has slipped a bit. Still, the defending champion Eagles remain atop the East. First baseman Lou Gehrig leads the division in home runs (12), RBIs (53) and OPS (.961). Jim Beattie (8-2) is the most reliable starter. Miami: The Hurricanes appear on the verge of taking over first place. In fact, Miami hosts a three-game series with Ivy in mid-June. The bullpen trio of Kurt Knudsen, Oscar Munoz and Danny Graves remains solid. Illinois: An 8-2 stretch has the Fighting Illini back in the hunt. Pitchers Fred Beebe (8-2, 2.45 ERA) and Donn Pall (12 saves, 0.65) are vying for All-Star spots. After taking three games in a four-game series from Ivy, Illinois will face Miami six times in the next week. Short stop Lou Boudreau hit .364 in May to earn Player of the Month honors. Michigan: The spring's hottest team is turning sour as summer begins. The Wolverines have lost nine of their last 10. The offense (.232) has fallen mightily while the pitching remains the team's strength. Short stop Barry Larkin's average has dipped to .209. Starter Steve Ontiveros (7-4, 1.66 ERA) appears the best bet to make the All-Star team. Mississippi State: The Bulldogs are another team on the downslide. Mississippi State has dropped four straight and seven of its last 10 games. Starters Dave "Boo" Ferris (6-4, 1.13) and Jonathan Papelbon (6-2, 1.77) rank first and third in ERA respectively. Rafael Palmeiro (.267-6-35) has been the offense's best player. Will Clark, slowed by back problems, has just two homers and 12 RBIs. Florida State: The Seminoles are suddenly hot, winning eight of their last 11 games. Mark Gilbert, an All-Star last year, is third among East batting leaders at .333. Eduardo Perez, who hit for the cycle back in April, is sixth at .326. Craig Skok (11 saves, 1.21) continues to close games out. LSU: A look at the "Who's Hot" list shows many Tigers. Starter Mike Sirotka has won three consecutive starts to improve to 6-4 with a 3.15 ERA. First baseman Russ Johnson (.316-5-23) and outfielder Joe Adcock (.292-3-26) have both hit over .400 in their last 10 games. Left fielder Albert Belle (.266-8-33) is just 3-for-his last 19. Michigan State: The Spartans have looked better than last season. However, the offense continues to rank among the AABL's worst. Third baseman Steve Garvey (.351-4-27) is second in hitting. Kirk Gibson (.273-8-37) has made vast improvements. Rick Miller (.291-1-28) has been reliable. Yet, the rest of the offense is batting a lowly .186. Starter Ed Hobaugh is just 5-5 despite a 1.92 ERA. Notre Dame: The Fighting Irish possess the East's leading hitter (Cap Anson, .367) and top base stealer (Louis Sockalexis, 8) yet continue to hang out near the division's basement. Jim Hannan (5-3, 2.63 ERA) is the only starter with a winning record. This is a team lacking power. Left fielder Carl Yastrzemski (.271) leads the Irish with a paltry four home runs. Minnesota: The feel-good story of April and early May has given way to loss after loss. The Golden Gophers have won just six times in their last 28 games. Bryan Hickerson (6-2, 2.30 ERA) has been a bright spot; Jim Brower (0-4, 4.41) and Denny Neagle (3-7, 4.21) have not. Paul Molitor (.315-1-18) and Dave Winfield (.280-5-24) have led the offense. Outfielder J.T. Bruett (.207-3-14) has cooled off with just three hits in his last 31 at-bats. Attached Images __________________ White Sox fan since 1972 Last edited by batted balls; 08-03-2006 at 04:09 PM.