[EMSoccerCoach]

Pastime Baseball League – Baseball Bi-Weekly
Vol. 6, Monday, June 15, 2009 (cont.)

Northern League Profiles

Charlotte Cougars

Record: Last 2 Weeks (5-6), Overall 34-24

2-Week Synopsis: Split 2 at New York, Lost 3 at Louisville, Split 4 at Philadelphia, Swept 2 at San Antonio

Leaders:
Avg - John McGraw .333
HRs - Paul Hines 8
RBIs - Paul Hines 38

Wins - Kid Nichols 9
ERA - Tim Keefe 3.13
Ks - Kid Nichols 87

Top Performance: Kid Nichols allowed 1 run over 8 innings, striking out 8 in a 2-1 win over Philadelphia on June 11.

Injuries: 2B Fred Dunlap suffered a sports hernia on May 9, and is expected to miss another 2 to 3 weeks. P Tim Keefe is out with a shoulder strain and expected to miss another week to 10 days. LF Elmer Smith is out with a sore shoulder and expected to be back by the end of the week.

Round Trip (Four miscellaneous points about the team):
1) The Cougars continue to struggle since their torrid April, now 18-19 since May 1.

2) After a strong year out of the bullpen, Matt Cain was given a chance to start, and he's been decent if not great. Cain got a pair of no decisions in two Cougar victories, allowing 3 runs on 8 hits over 7 in a 6-4 win at Philadelphia, then allowed 4 runs over 8 1/3 in a 5-4 win at San Antonio. Cain has struck out 15 over the 15 1/3 in the two starts.

3) Cain's entry in the rotation was brought on by the failure of Ben Sheets, who after three strong starts was hammered in three consecutive outings, not making it to the 5th in any. Sheets has seen his ERA balloon to 6.

4) 1B Harry Davis has been the Cougars' leading pinch hitter this year, batting .308 in the role. But with starter Tommy Tucker slumping, Davis has gotten a few spot starts and may get more. In two starts so far this month, Davis is 4-for-9 with 2 homers and 7 RBI.

Chicago Hitmen

Record: Last 2 Weeks (0-11), Overall 17-41

2-Week Synopsis: Lost 2 at Sacramento, Lost 3 at Indianapolis, Lost 4 vs Wichita, Lost 2 at Orlando

Leaders:
Avg - King Kelly .338
HRs - Albert Pujols 8
RBIs - Albert Pujols 33

Wins - George Bradley 5
ERA - Amos Rusie 3.93
Ks - George Bradley 84

Top Performance: Josh Hamilton went 2-for-4 with a homer and 3 RBI in a 9-8 loss at Orlando on June 13.

Injuries: Troy Tulowitzski suffered a hip injury that is expected to shelve him for the remainder of the season. CF Chick Stahl separated his shoulder diving for a ball, and is expected to miss another two weeks.

Round Trip (Four miscallaneous points about the team):

1) Back-to-back positives are an oddity given the now 12-game losing streak, but after King Kelly was honored June 1, Josh Hamilton earned Northern League Player of the Week honors on June 8, having gone 10-for-18 with a homer and 3 RBI. Hamilton has replaced the struggling Albert Pujols as Kelly's offensive sidekick on a team desperate for anything positive.

2) There is a rumor going around that the man who fired manager Joe McCarthy - general manager Thomas Caldwell - may be on the chopping block as well. Such a move would seem ridiculous, as you would want a GM to hire their own manager. But the talk is out there, though Caldwell insists he's been given nothing but support from ownership.

3) Be it his play, the chaos going on with the team, the losing or a combination of everything, but Albert Pujols is not happy. He's hitting .125 on the month with 0 homers and 0 RBI in the past two weeks, and is now being rested in favor of Adam Dunn against righties. We'll see if Tony LaRussa reinstates Pujols into everyday status. Sitting him, given that even slumping he's better than anyone they have right now except Kelly and Hamilton, doesn't seem to make sense.

4) Middle infield is a train wreck for the Hitmen, as SS Sadie Houck is 2-for-27 this month, while the 2B platoon of Marcus Giles (2-for-21)and Dustin Pedroia (6-for-21) hasn't fared much better. That's a total of 10-for-69...a .145 clip.