[EMSoccerCoach]

Pastime Baseball League – Baseball Bi-Weekly
Vol. 7, Monday, June 29, 2009 (cont.)

Southern League Profiles

Memphis Strummers
Record: Last 2 Weeks (9-2), Overall 48-21

2-Week Synopsis: Split 2 at Philadelphia, Swept 3 at Los Angeles, Swept 3 at Las Vegas, Won 2 of 3 vs Alabama

Leaders:
Avg - Deacon White .365
HRs - Ryan Braun 11
RBIs - Oscar Charleston 56

Wins – Lady Baldwin 11
ERA – Lady Baldwin 2.74
Ks - Tim Lincecum 128

Top Performance:1B Cap Anson went 5-for-7, with a double, a homer, 3 runs and 3 RBI in a 15-5 win over Las Vegas on June 22.

Round Trip (Four miscellaneous points about the team):
1) The Strummers are now 34-11 in their last 45 games, a .756 clip.

2) The big difference between Memphis and New Orleans? One-run games. Memphis is 15-3, while New Orleans in 7-8. That disparity makes up more than half the 11-game margin separating the two.

3) Fourteen starters have taken the hill against Memphis this year. Memphis has gone 14-0 in those games.

4) "No disrespect toward [Dan] Brouthers and [George] Hall, but when all is said and done, Oscar will be the best in the league." Those are the words of Memphis manager Harry Wright, and it's hard to argue. CF Oscar Charleston earned Southern League Player of the Week honors June 22, and likely will win Player of the Month honors as well when those are announced next week. For June, Charleston hit .409 with 6 homers and 30 RBI with an 1.196 OPS. Since May 1, he has hit .356 with 8 homers, 44 RBI and 36 runs scored. Add a near flawless centerfield - he's made only 1 error - and you may have the most complete player in the game.

New Orleans Knights

Record: Last 2 Weeks (9-2), Overall 36-31

2-Week Synopsis: Swept 2 at Chicago, Won 2 of 3 at Las Vegas, Won 2 of 3 at Los Angeles, Swept 3 vs Orlando

Leaders:
Avg – Ross Barnes .359
HRs – Sam Thompson 15
RBIs – Sam Thompson 53

Wins - Doc McJames 10
ERA - Jack Chesbro 2.06
Ks – Doc McJames 118

Top Performance: C Jack Rowe went 4-for-6 with 2 homers - including the game winner - in a 3-2, 12-inning win at Las Vegas on June 21.

Injuries: SP Doc McJames has forearm tendonitis and was DL'd effective June 21. He's expected to be ready in about a week. Topsy Hartsel has seen his season go into a nosedive since earning Player of the Week honors April 20. After a vicious cold spell, Hartsel has now been shelved with a torn ligament in his thumb suffered diving for a ball against Los Angeles May 11. He’s expected to miss another 4 weeks.

Round Trip (Four miscellaneous points about the team):
1) The team is now 25-8 since Walter Alston took over and, though still 11 games back, as the Strummers have kept up their torrid pace.

2) C Jack Rowe has emphatically taken over catching duties from Fred Carroll. A week after his aforementioned Top Performance, Rowe had another 2-homer game, wrapping up a month in which he hit .371 with 6 homers and 21 RBI to bring his season numbers to .328-6-27.

3) Jack Chesbro (2.06)and Doc McJames (2.07)are now 1-2 in the Southern League in ERA.

4) Recognize the tall young guy who's back on the mound? It's Mark Prior, who after a great first start fell apart en route to a near-8 ERA. He was pulled from the staff in early May and finally started again on June 9. He went 3-0 on the month with a 2.74 ERA, capped by 7 shutout innings of 8-strikeout ball in a 5-3 win over Orlando Sunday. Prior could be a major factor the rest of the way.