June 20, 1907
Code:
WEST W L PCT GB
Corning 40 33 .548 --
Canandaigua 37 36 .507 3
Geneva 36 37 .493 4
Batavia 34 39 .466 6
EAST W L PCT GB
Auburn 42 31 .575 --
Elmira 37 36 .507 5
Ithaca 37 36 .507 5
Oswego 29 44 .397 13
As the 1907 season reaches its halfway point, seven of the eight teams in the Finger Lakes League are still very much in contention for division championships. Although the Corning Glassmakers and Auburn Athletics hold secure leads right now, they haven't been able to pull away from their closest contenders.
The Glassmakers will be looking over their shoulders for the next five weeks or so, while lefthander
Chris Ratzlaff recovers from a biceps strain. Ratzlaff was pitching better than any man in the league, with a remarkable 13-1 record and a 1.71 ERA.
Esteban Martinez (9-6, 3.15) will have to assume the role of staff ace while Ratzlaff mends, and undoubtedly the Glassmakers will rely more heavily on All-Star closer
Ryan "Locomotive" Fisher. Corning's rather ordinary offense is led by C
Curt Roberts (.332) and veteran LF
Stu Fields (.339-9-41).
Well-known stars are leading the Canandaigua Cats once again.
Armando Ramirez is, as usual, enjoying a great season (12-4, 2.31, 101 K), but the rest of the Cats' pitching staff is proving to be vulnerable this season.
Oliviero Ambrogiani (.344) and
Terrence Barnett (.322) are hitting well, but that's not surprising in either case.
Geneva, like Corning, will have to make do without a star player for several weeks. CF
Gabriel Vazquez broke his nose on June 16, and he's expected to miss up to four weeks. Vazquez has 12 homers and 42 RBI.
The Batavia Blue Jays surged from last place to first during the second half of the 1906 season, and if they're going to win another Championship Series, they'll have to repeat last season's feat. 1B
Hector Duran (.366-18-51, .475 OBP) is once again the main man for the Jays' formidable offense, but the Jays will need to get better work from their mound staff in order to contend for a championship.
Auburn fans are cheering the exploits of the Athletics' crack double play combination: 2B
Miguel Chavez (.355-16-55) and SS
Ron Harris (.374/.508/.540). Harris leads the league in batting average and OBP. All four members of the Aubun rotation have won at least eight games, and
Carlos Gamez has returned to the bullpen to rack up 21 saves.
Elmira slugger
Ron Everett (.315-24-87) has the league records for home runs and RBI in a single season in his sights. Rockin' Ron is on pace to club 51 homers and drive in 187 runs. Both totals would easily surpass the existing FLL standards: Chavez' 42 home runs and Everett's own mark of 137 RBI.
Looking for some help for ace
Dusty Johnson (9-4, 2.30) Ithaca traded two prospects to Canandaigua for hard-throwing
Darryl Riggs. The power lefthander is 1-3 in five starts since joining the Olympics on May 26, but he's struck out 42 batters in 37 innings. Perhaps Riggs' performance on April 16, when he struck out 15 Olympics to tie a league record, influenced Ithaca's decision to acquire him.
Hapless Oswego is getting decent production from SS
Greg Carruthers (.292-7-32) and RF
Rich Ervin (14 HR, 49 RBI), but their awful pitching staff is dragging them like an anchor to the bottom of the standings once again. Could
Jose "El Gato" Gonzales (12-4, 2.69 at AA Baldwinsville), last year's #1 overall draft pick, be on his way to Oswego soon?
Today's All-Star Game will be played at Canandaigua's scenic Lakeside Park. Here are the starting lineups for each team:
EAST DIVISION
Jack Davis (BAT), C
Chris Madden (BAT), RF
Hector Duran (BAT), 1B
Rob Heard (GEN), 2B
Ryan Tracy (BAT), LF
Dean Miller (BAT), 3B
Francisco Vigueras (CAN), SS
Wally Blue (CAN), CF
Armando Ramirez (CAN), P
WEST DIVISION
Julio Bruno (ELM), LF
Ron Harris (AUB), SS
Geoffrey Marks (ELM), 3B
Miguel Chavez (AUB), 2B
Ron Everett (ELM), RF
Jesus Tamayo (AUB), CF
Mike Holmes (AUB), 1B
Victor Martinez (OSW), C
Gary Nelson (AUB), P