2081: Desperation in Denver

[jamus23]

Tito Alvarez:

Have bat, will travel. That was slugger Tito Alvarez's motto over his 16-year reign of terror as one of the more successful hired guns in league history. Four* different teams employed the switch-hitting right-fielder, and all four went to the postseason at least once with Alvarez on the roster. Three of the teams won a World Series with Alvarez. All told, Alvarez went to the playoffs six times, and reached the World Series five times, winning three.

(*Technically, he was a member of five different organizations, but he played in the majors for only four of them.)

From the beginning of the league to the mid 2020's, the Atlanta Braves enjoyed consistent success, posting winning records in all but five seasons from 2003 to 2026. They won eight division titles, and reached three World Series, winning in 2014 and 2021. The late '20's into the mid-30's were not so kind, however, and the Braves had only two winning seasons from 2027 to 2036. In 2035, the Braves had the fifth pick in the draft, and with it, they selected 22-year old Tito Alvarez. Alvarez began his professional career at AA,and spent 2 1/2 months at that level, hammering away at overmatched pitchers to the tune of a .312 batting average and 17 homeruns in only 282 at bats. In mid-June, the Braves decided to challenge Alvarez by promoting him directly to the majors. He lasted until the end of July, collecting only 2 hits in 10 at bats. He got another shot in August, but went hitless in 8 at bats. His playing time increased in the final month of the season, but he continued to struggle. He finished with an unimpressive .517 OPS in 52 at bats. Still, after an .885 OPS at AA and a .964 OPS in 58 AAA at bats, he was a good bet to make the Braves' roster in 2036. It's not as though the Braves were so loaded with talent that Alvarez couldn't fit in; after all, Atlanta wound up losing 97 games in 2035.

In fact, Alvarez did not start the year on the 25-man roster, as the Braves signed veteran right-fielder Albert Montiel as a free agent, and Alvarez was sent to AAA to begin the '36 season. He was down there for about two weeks. After putting up an .824 OPS in 66 at bats, Atlanta recalled Alvarez and began to look for ways to get him into the lineup regularly. Alvarez made it easy for the Braves, and quickly began tearing the cover off the ball. In April, he delivered 7 hits in 15 at bats, 4 for extra bases. In May, he hit.375 with a 1.083 OPS in 66 at bats. Other than a slump in the month of July, Alvarez demolished the ball all season long, and took home Rookie of the Year honors after hitting .315 with a .928 OPS, 21 homeruns, and 88 runs batted in. He even went 14/15 at stealing bases. Unfortunately, despite the efforts of Alvarez and the league's third highest scoring offense, the Braves could not overcome the league's second worst pitching staff, and finished with a 71-91 record. Amazingly, that was almost good enough to win a weak Southeast Division, as Nashville finished in first place with only 76 wins.

Despite the dreaded "sophomore slump" for Alvarez, Atlanta tied for the most runs scored in the entire league and parlayed that into a division title, going 88-74 to win the Southeast. Alvarez saw his OPS drop to .788, and despite having well over 100 more at bats as he had the year before, he hit just 5 more homeruns. In the playoffs, the Braves were matched up against Grand Rapids- the team that they had tied with in runs scored. Alvarez acquitted himself well against the Tigers, putting up a .930 OPS with 3 doubles and a homerun in 22 at bats, but Atlanta fell in six games to Grand Rapids.

Many times in professional sports, a trade happens that simply can't be explained. In 2038, such a trade occurred. In mid-July, with the Braves locked in a heated divisional race with Nashville and Washington, Tito Alvarez was inexplicably dealt to the Tucson Diamondbacks, who were themselves battling with Memphis and Kansas City for the Central crown. In return, Atlanta received three unexciting prospects. Alvarez responded with the greatest homerun campaign of his career, smashing 51 long-balls, 24 of which came in the final two months of the season. Tucson just barely beat out Memphis in the Central, winning 106 games to the Grizzlies' 105. Atlanta also survived its division race, beating out both Nashville and Washington by two games, and finishing with 94 wins. It's not often that a player gets a chance for revenge so quickly, but Alvarez made the most of his opportunity, delivering 3 homeruns and 5 runs batted in the Diamondbacks seven game triumph over Atlanta. One of Alvarez's homeruns game in Tucson's 3-2 Game Seven victory.

The Tucson Diamondbacks had previously reached the World Series in 2005, 2006, and 2033, and had lost all three times, twice to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Now in 2038, they would make their fourth appearance in the championship, and they would face a Pittsburgh team that had been in five of the previous six World Series and won four of them. Alvarez had 2 hits and drove in a run in Game One, but the Pirates offense proved to be too powerful, thumping the Diamondbacks, 11-6. Alvarez was one of the few Tucson hitters who contributed little in the Diamondbacks wild 10-9, 11-inning victory in Game Two; he was just 1 for 5 with a walk and a run scored. He was also a non-factor in Tucson's 4-2 win in Game Three, going hitless in three at bats. In Game Four, he collected 2 hits and scored a run, as Tucson pounded the Pirates, 13-5. Alvarez had 2 hits and a homerun in Game Five, but Tucson fell, 4-3. With the Diamondbacks trailing 2-0 in Game Six, Alvarez delivered a two run homerun in a five-run third inning, and the Diamondbacks cruised to an 8-3 victory,capturing the first World Series in franchise history.

Alvarez proved that 2038 wasn't a fluke by putting up a .951 OPS with 34 homeruns in 2039, but Tucson missed the playoffs despite winning 101 games. The Diamondbacks wound up finishing 6 games behind the Kansas City Royals. Tucson returned to the postseason in 2040, winning 100 games to take the Central Division by 10 games over Memphis. Alvarez hit 44 homeruns and had a .919 OPS. In the ALCS, the Diamondbacks would face a familiar foe: the Atlanta Braves. Tucson survived in seven games, but Alvarez didn't do much to help, He managed just an .080 batting average, with one homerun and one RBI. In the World Series, Tucson was pitted against the Sacramento Kings, a team that was in a similar position as the Diamondbacks had been in 2038. Sacramento had reached three previous World Series(2003, 2027, and 2031) and had lost them all. Alvarez had 2 hits and 2 RBI in Game One, but Sacramento prevailed, 7-4. Worse, Alvarez left the game with a pulled groin muscle, and would not play again that season. Despite Alvarez's absence, Tucson managed to win the next two games in close, low-scoring affairs(4-3 and 2-0). The Diamondbacks didn't win again. Sacramento's offense woke up and outscored Tucson 23-12 over the next three games to win the World Series in six games.

In 2041, Alvarez left Tucson as a free agent and decided to sign with the hapless Nashville Predators. Nashville was one of four teams to lose 100 games in 2040. The other three were part of the 2038 expansion group. Alvarez slugged 38 homeruns and posted an .885 OPS and helped the Predators to an 85-77 record. Unfortunately, the Southeast Division ran roughshod over the Central that year, and every team in the Southeast had a winning record, while every team in the Central had a losing record. Thus, Nashville's 85 wins were only good enough for fourth place in the division. The balance evened out in 2042, so despite winning the same number of games, Nashville improved to second place in the division.Alvarez had a .952 OPS and 41 homeruns. In 2043, Alvarez posted his first season with an OPS over 1.000, coming at 1.026. He also crushed 47 homeruns. Despite this, the Predators slumped to just 77 wins.

Entering the 2044 season, the Nashville Predators had gone nearly ten years without a World Series appearance(2036) and nearly fifteen years without a World Series victory(2031).That drought would come to an end. Alvarez put up a .924 OPS and 41 homeruns to lead the Predators to a 96 win season and a Southeast Division title. In an ALCS that was all about offense, the Predators outlasted the Denver Broncos in seven games. Alvarez delivered 3 hits and an RBI in an 8-2 Game Five victory. After Denver routed Nashville 9-0 to force a seventh game, Alvarez single-handedly the American League pennant to Nashville. In Game Seven, Alvarez blasted three homeruns and drove in seven runs in an 11-1 beatdown.

Now the powerful Predators' offense would be put to the test. Their World Series opponent would be the defending champion, 114-win Portland Trailblazers, who had the most dominant pitching staff in all of baseball. Portland's league-leading 2.87 team ERA was over a full run better than the second best team in baseball(Pittsburgh at 3.93). Luckily for Nashville, they would not have to face the great Hector Soriano, who had gone 28-4 with a 1.28 ERA in the regular season. Soriano had been injured in late September, and would not be available for the Trailblazers. That was only a small consolation, as Portland still had Michael Tardiff(20-8, 2.72), Mariano Azevedo(15-5, 2.74), and Emilio Gula(23-11, 3.26) at its disposal.

They say pitching wins championships, but in this case, it turned out to be incorrect. In Game One, Alvarez's three run homerun in the third inning gave Nashville a 5-0 lead, and the Predators hung on for a 7-5 victory. In Game Two, Alvarez gave Nashville an early 2-0 lead by blasting a first inning homerun. Portland's offense came to life, and after the top of the fourth inning, the Trailblazers led by a score of 8-2. It didn't hold up. Nashville scored 7 runs(one came from Alvarez's second homerun of the game) in the bottom of the fourth to take a 9-8 lead. After Portland tied it up, Nashville again took the lead. The 10-9 lead held up, and Nashville had a 2 games to none lead. In Game Three, Nashville erased a 3-0 lead by scoring 2 runs in the fifth inning and 6 runs in the sixth. Nashville hung on for an 8-7 victory. Portland prevented a sweep by winning Game Four by a score of 4-3. The Trailblazers had a 2-0 lead through four innings in Game Five, but that lead also evaporated. Nashville tied the game with runs in the fifth and sixth innings, and took the lead on Alvarez's two-out, two-run homerun in the seventh inning. Portland scored twice in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game up, but Nashville responded with two more eighth inning runs. The Predators hung on for a 6-4 victory. It was Nashville's fourth World Series title, and it was brought about by one of the greatest postseason performances in history. Tito Alvarez belted 9 homeruns and collected 19 runs batted in while posting a 1.220 OPS.

For the final time in his career, Tito Alvarez packed his suitcase. After delivering Nashville a championship, Alvarez entered the free agent market and signed with Memphis. The Memphis Grizzlies had an interesting history. They were known first for losing three consecutive World Series(2008-2010), then they were known for being the first team to lose four World Series without winning one, and finally, they were known for the '32 team that shocked the world by winning the World Series in a season in which they won just 78 games. Memphis had enjoyed quite a bit of success following that magical '32 team, but they hadn't won a championship since. Heck, they hadn't even been to a World Series since then, despite having an equal or better record in the eight years that followed. Starting in 2041, however, the Grizzlies' fortunes took a sharp downturn. While Alvarez's Predators were winning the World Series in 2044, the Grizzlies lost 90 games for the fourth consecutive losing season. In 2045, Alvarez posted the best OPS of his career, with a 1.047 mark, and he ripped 43 homeruns, giving him six seasons with at least 40 homers. Memphis managed to finish above .500 at 82-80, but the Grizzlies were still a distant third, 13 games behind Tucson.

In 2046, Alvarez delivered his third season with an OPS over 1.000(1.032), and he set career highs in hits(190), doubles(42), RBI(141), batting average(.328), and on base percentage(.422). He tied his career high in runs scored with 128. Memphis, meanwhile, took the Central Division with a 90-72 record. The ALCS against the Miami Dolphins went to seven games. In Game Seven, the Dolphins led 3-2 after four innings. The Grizzlies, however, exploded for four runs in the fifth inning, and Alvarez contributed with a two run homerun. Memphis went on to a 12-5 victory to reach its first World Series in fourteen years. In the World Series, Memphis would face an old friend. Five times before had the Grizzlies reached that grandest of stages, and five times before, they had faced off against the Pittsburgh Pirates. 2046 would be the sixth meeting between the two teams to decide who was the best in baseball.

Memphis took Game One, 4-2. In Game Two, the Grizzlies rallied from a 4-2 deficit to win, 6-5. Alvarez delivered 3 hits and 3 runs batted in. One of those hits was a third inning solo homerun that cut Pittsburgh's lead to 4-3. One of those hits was two run single in the bottom of the ninth inning to win the game. Alvarez drove in a single run in the Grizzlies' 6-0 Game Three rout. Pittsburgh avoided a sweep, but Memphis took Game Five by a score of 7-3 to win the World Series. Alvarez didn't have quite as prolific a postseason as he did in '44, but few would complain about a .798 OPS, 5 extra base hits, and 9 runs batted in.

In 2047, Alvarez had his lowest OPS since 2041, at .891. He still delivered 32 homeruns, and collected 100 runs batted in for the ninth time in his career. Memphis edged Denver in a tight battle for the Central Division, winning 87 games to beat out the Broncos by one game. The Grizzlies faced off against a 109-win Miami Dolphins team in the ALCS, but the defending champions were not intimidated, winning the series in six games. Alvarez hit a solo homerun in the deciding sixth game, a 3-2, 10-inning Memphis victory.

Memphis' World Series opponent was, surprise, surprise, Pittsburgh. The Grizzlies quickly took command of the series, winning the first two games. In Game Three, Pittsburgh blew a 6-1 lead, only to rally and win, 9-7. The Pirates then unloaded on Memphis in the next two games, outscoring the Grizzlies by a combined 19-1. In the deciding sixth game, Memphis blew leads of 2-0 and 3-2, eventually falling to Pittsburgh by a score of 4-3. Alvarez did very little in this postseason, mustering just a .476 OPS. He was especially bad in the World Series, collecting only 3 hits in 25 at bats.

In 2048, Alvarez slipped just a little but more, as his OPS fell to .829. Memphis declined, as well, falling to 82-80, though they finished only one game behind Kansas City and Denver, who tied for first place. Alvarez bounced back a bit in 2049, putting up an .893 OPS, but otherwise, the only bright spot in a 79-win season for Memphis was Alvarez's 500th career homerun. In 2050, Alvarez played well, but as the season progressed and Memphis fell out of the playoff race, his playing time greatly diminished. He finished with a.997 OPS and 13 homeruns in 172 at bats. Memphis finished 80-82, 11 games out of first place. In the offseason prior to 2051, the 38 year old Alvarez was dealt to Pittsburgh, but he wound up toiling the entire season at the lowest level of the minors, where he pretty clearly showed he had nothing left. He managed just a pathetic .532 OPS. Alvarez retired after that season.

At the time of his retirement, Alvarez ranked 24th in homeruns. By 2053, he was no longer in the top 25.


Alvarez's career stats:

Career Batting Stats 
 
 
Year     G   AB    H  2B 3B  HR  RBI    R   BB    K  SB CS  AVG  OBP  SLG   OPS Teams 
2035    23   52    8   1  0   2    5    7    5   14   2  0 .154 .228 .288  .517 ATL 
2036   114  394  124  22  2  21   88   73   47  104  14  1 .315 .388 .541  .928 ATL 
2037   149  568  153  16  3  26   88   92   63  164  18  6 .269 .342 .445  .788 ATL 
2038   153  597  175  20  5  51  139  123   78  148  13  6 .293 .375 .600  .974 ATL TUC 
2039   156  574  174  30  6  34  132  121   89  135  12  5 .303 .397 .554  .951 TUC 
2040   156  598  174  19  5  44  130  110   63  150  18  4 .291 .359 .560  .919 TUC 
2041   156  565  155  23  3  38   98  100   73  161  18  6 .274 .357 .527  .885 NAS 
2042   144  527  153  27  3  41  108  101   63  141  12  6 .290 .366 .586  .952 NAS 
2043   154  548  158  37  4  47  132  128  100  140  12  3 .288 .398 .628 1.026 NAS,AL 
2044   145  555  148  39  1  41  123  107   83  136  10  5 .267 .362 .562  .924 NAS 
2045   154  552  177  38  5  43  126  123   79  117   9  4 .321 .406 .641 1.047 MEM,AL 
2046   155  579  190  42  5  37  141  128   94   90   5  1 .328 .422 .610 1.032 MEM,AL 
2047   152  583  168  38  4  32  114  118   65   84   6  3 .288 .360 .532  .891 MEM 
2048   152  559  153  24  5  27   84   85   65   96   6  6 .274 .349 .479  .829 MEM 
2049   153  553  164  34  6  27   97   82   61   81   4  5 .297 .366 .526  .893 MEM 
2050    53  172   54  12  3  13   35   38   10   29   2  0 .314 .352 .645  .997 MEM 
Total 2169 7976 2328 422 60 524 1640 1536 1038 1790 161 61 .292 .373 .557  .930   
 
Career Minor League Batting Stats
 
 
Year       G  AB  H 2B 3B HR RBI  R BB  K SB CS  AVG  OBP  SLG  OPS 
2035,  AA 70 282 88  8  0 17  45 45 26 64 11  5 .312 .364 .521 .885 
2035, AAA 14  58 19  4  0  4   6  6  3 16  1  0 .328 .361 .603 .964 
2036, AAA 17  66 21  3  0  3  13 10  1 12  0  0 .318 .324 .500 .824 
2051,   A 78 216 47  9  0  0  19 24 17 40  3  1 .218 .272 .259 .532 
 
Career Postseason Batting Stats
 
 
Year   G  AB  H 2B 3B HR RBI  R BB  K SB CS  AVG  OBP  SLG   OPS 
2037   6  22  6  3  0  1   5  6  4  9  1  0 .273 .385 .545  .930 
2038  13  55 16  1  0  5   9 15  4 24  2  2 .291 .339 .582  .921 
2040   8  28  4  2  0  1   3  5  5  6  0  0 .143 .273 .321  .594 
2044  12  51 15  2  0  9  19 12  5 15  0  0 .294 .357 .863 1.220 
2046  12  48 13  3  0  2   9  5  5 12  1  0 .271 .340 .458  .798 
2047  12  50  9  2  0  1   3  4  1 10  0  0 .180 .196 .280  .476 
Total 63 254 63 13  0 19  48 47 24 76  4  2 .248 .313 .524  .837 
 
 
Player History
 
 
Drafted in 1st round, 5th overall pick, by Atlanta in 2035...
Had first career hit on 6/21/2035, off Felix Cordova (NAS)...
Hit first career homerun on 9/3/2035, off Scott Keith (NAS)...
Injured on 4/12/2036 with a Pinched Nerve Neck, out for 6 days...
Won Player of the Week award on 6/16/2036, hitting .560 with 2 HR, 14 RBI...
Injured on 8/4/2036 with a Dislocated Finger, out for 1-2 weeks...
Won Rookie of the Year Award in 2036, hitting .315 with 21 HR, 88 RBI...
Drove in 6 runs against Washington on 5/17/2038...
Had 5 hits with 6 RBI against Denver on 6/10/2038...
Traded from Atlanta to Tucson on 7/12/2038 (Going to TUC: RF T. Alvarez. Going to ATL: P W. Budd, 1B S. Brooks, CF B. Weeks)...
Drove in 7 runs against Atlanta on 8/10/2038...
Won World Series with Tucson in 2038...
Won Player of the Week award on 4/28/2039, hitting .476 with 2 HR, 9 RBI...
Hit 3 homeruns against Denver, driving in 6 runs on 6/28/2039...
Won Player of the Week award on 9/15/2039, hitting .520 with 3 HR, 13 RBI...
Had 5 hits with 8 RBI against Knoxville on 8/18/2040...
Won Player of the Week award on 8/25/2040, hitting .577 with 3 HR, 9 RBI...
Injured on 10/15/2040 with a Pulled Groin Muscle, out for one week...
Signed as a free agent by Nashville on 2/11/2041 to a 4-year deal worth $6,408,800 per year...
Drove in 6 runs against Miami on 6/5/2041...
Injured on 5/5/2042 with a Inflamed Rib Cage Muscle, out for one week...
Drove in 6 runs against Atlanta on 7/18/2042...
Drove in 6 runs against Denver on 4/20/2043...
Won Batter of the Month award on 6/1/2043, hitting .356 with 12 HR, 32 RBI...
Was selected to the 2043 Allstar game...
Drove in 7 runs against Atlanta on 8/20/2043...
Had 5 hits with 4 RBI against Denver on 8/11/2044...
Injured on 8/25/2044 with a Sore Back, out for one week...
Drove in 6 runs against Memphis on 9/22/2044...
Hit 3 homeruns against Denver, driving in 7 runs on 10/13/2044...
Won World Series with Nashville in 2044...
Signed as a free agent by Memphis on 2/19/2045 to a 4-year deal worth $7,557,900 per year...
Was selected to the 2045 Allstar game...
Drove in 6 runs against Grand Rapids on 8/7/2045...
Drove in 6 runs against Washington on 8/18/2045...
Won Player of the Week award on 6/16/2046, hitting .500 with 3 HR, 7 RBI...
Drove in 6 runs against Tucson on 6/28/2046...
Was selected to the 2046 Allstar game...
Won World Series with Memphis in 2046...
Had 2000th career hit on 5/13/2048, off Michael Dunn (KC)...
Drove in 6 runs against Miami on 7/14/2049...
Had 500th career homerun on 7/19/2049, off Edward Mcneese (GR)...
Won Player of the Week award on 7/21/2049, hitting .375 with 3 HR, 11 RBI...
Drove in 7 runs against Tucson on 8/17/2049...
Traded from Memphis to Pittsburgh on 3/2/2051 (Going to MEM: P P. Traub, 1B P. Dawkins, LF M. Owens. Going to PIT: CF N. Shojiro, P H. Ryosei, RF T. Alvarez)...
Retired and inducted to the Hall of Fame in 2052.
 
 
Batting Leader Boards Appearances 
 
OBP
2046 - .422 - 10th
 
SLG
2038 - .600 - 7th
2039 - .554 - 9th
2040 - .560 - 8th
2041 - .527 - 9th
2042 - .586 - 8th
2043 - .628 - 4th
2045 - .641 - 1st
2046 - .610 - 7th
 
OPS
2038 -  .974 - 9th
2043 - 1.026 - 7th
2045 - 1.047 - 1st
2046 - 1.032 - 7th
 
Homeruns
2038 - 51 - 2nd
2039 - 34 - 6th
2040 - 44 - 2nd
2041 - 38 - 2nd
2042 - 41 - 7th
2043 - 47 - 1st
2044 - 41 - 5th
2045 - 43 - 3rd
 
RBI
2038 - 139 - 5th
2039 - 132 - 5th
2040 - 130 - 3rd
2043 - 132 - 6th
2045 - 126 - 7th
2046 - 141 - 6th
 
Runs
2038 - 123 - 9th
2039 - 121 - 7th
2043 - 128 - 6th
2045 - 123 - 2nd
2046 - 128 - 4th
2047 - 118 - 7th
 
BB
2039 -  89 - 9th
2043 - 100 - 5th
2046 -  94 - 7th

[jamus23]

6/12/2083

Midway through the month of June, the Broncos continue to play extremely well. Denver began the month by taking two out of three against the Southeast Division-leading Dolphins, then swept a three game series with Nashville, and then followed that up with a four game sweep of Atlanta. Having now won seven consecutive games, the Broncos own the best record in baseball at 44-19, and they hold a commanding 13 game lead in the Central Division. Grand Rapids, Green Bay, and Tucson are tied for second place with records of 31-32.

Lee Chappel has already homered four times this month, while Ellis Bolling has delivered three.

Ray Lockridge tossed a three hit shutout against Nashville, while Alexis Vazquez's two homeruns led the offensive attack in a 12-0 rout.

Two of Chappel's homeruns came in an 8-6, 10 inning victory over Nashville.

Several bench players have also made nice contributions this month. Armando Navarro delivered 2 triples and 3 RBI in a 5-1 victory over Atlanta. Adrian Mingo was 5 for 5, with 3 RBI, and 2 runs scored in a 6-3, 11 inning victory over Atlanta. So far this month, Mingo has gone 8 for 18 with 5 RBI and 6 runs scored. Backup catcher Greg Lauritsen has gotten two starts so far this month, and he has posted 2 hits each time.

Up ahead for the Broncos are five games against the Charlotte Panthers and Kansas City Royals, both of whom occupy last place in their respective divisions. Charlotte, which has scored the fewest runs in baseball, is tied with Harrisburg for the worst overall record, at 23-40. It should be pointed out, however, that those same Panthers have gone 3-3 so far this year against Denver. They may be the worst team in the league, but they aren't a complete pushover.

[jamus23]

Chappel injured, out until the All-Star break
June 18, 2083
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

It's bad enough that the Broncos were in the process of getting demolished by Nashville, but to add insult to injury, Denver will be without the services of catcher Lee Chappel until after the All-Star break. In the fourth inning of yesterday's game against the Predators- an inning in which Nashville turned a 6-3 lead into a 9-3 one- Nashville catcher Daniel Lane barreled into Chappel in a play at the plate, and Chappel was forced to leave the game with an injury to his ribs. Chappel, who is second in the American League with a .363 batting average and a 1.121 OPS, is expected to miss about two weeks. That would allow him to come of the disabled list in the first week of July, during the All-Star break.

Backup catcher George Lauritsen, who has hit .351 with an .861 OPS in 37 at bats, is expected to take his place in the starting lineup. General manager John Mounts has said that he does not plan to call up 24 year old John Landon from AAA and have him sit the bench for two weeks as Lauritsen's backup. "Right now, what he needs is to keep playing every day. He's[Landon] struggled a bit to adjust to AAA, and coming up here and then not playing, would be a bad thing, I think. We will pursue other options to backup Greg [Lauritsen]." Since being promoted to AAA at the beginning of May, Landon has hit .273 with just a .638 OPS.

Instead of calling up Landon, the Broncos have signed veteran catcher Kurt Christner. The 40 year old Christner was released by Portland earlier this year. Christner, a switch-hitter, is a career .286/.329/.450/.780 hitter with very good defense. Last year, he had a .713 OPS and won a Gold Glove award. Christner has previously played for Tucson, Knoxville, New Jersey, and Portland.

[jamus23]

The season has reached the halfway point, so it is time for a standings update.

National League Standings 
 
West Division 
 
Team          W  L  PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff  Home  Away XInn  1Run 
Los Angeles  48 33 .593  -   48-33    0 24-17 24-16  1-1 10-10 
San Diego    46 35 .568  2   49-32   -3 23-17 23-18  4-5 11-11 
San Jose     44 37 .543  4   45-36   -1 22-17 22-20  5-3 13- 5 
Sacramento   41 40 .506  7   42-39   -1 21-21 20-19  2-1  7-12 
Portland     34 47 .420 14   33-48    1 16-24 18-23  4-5 10-13 
Phoenix      31 50 .383 17   31-50    0 12-26 19-24  1-8  7- 9 
 
Northeast Division 
 
Team          W  L  PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff  Home  Away XInn  1Run 
Pittsburgh   51 30 .630  -   51-30    0 30-10 21-20  4-2 20-14 
Rochester    50 31 .617  1   45-36    5 27-15 23-16  3-3 19-12 
Buffalo      37 44 .457 14   40-41   -3 20-21 17-23  5-5 15-14 
New Jersey   37 44 .457 14   37-44    0 20-21 17-23  5-3  9-15 
Hartford     34 47 .420 17   37-44   -3 18-24 16-23  6-4 12-17 
Harrisburg   33 48 .407 18   31-50    2 13-27 20-21  3-3  8- 9 
 
American League Standings 
 
Southeast Division 
 
Team          W  L  PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff  Home  Away XInn  1Run 
Miami        48 33 .593  -   45-36    3 25-16 23-17  3-0 10- 9 
Washington   47 34 .580  1   43-38    4 23-16 24-18  5-1 12- 6 
Nashville    43 38 .531  5   42-39    1 18-24 25-14  2-4  7-11 
Knoxville    40 41 .494  8   42-39   -2 21-19 19-22  6-3 10- 8 
Atlanta      36 45 .444 12   39-42   -3 17-22 19-23  0-3  7- 9 
Charlotte    28 53 .346 20   24-57    4 15-25 13-28  3-3 14-13 
 
Central Division 
 
Team          W  L  PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff  Home  Away XInn  1Run 
Denver       60 21 .741  -   60-21    0 30-10 30-11  3-1  9- 8 
Tucson       41 40 .506 19   47-34   -6 17-24 24-16  1-5  6-11 
Grand Rapids 40 41 .494 20   40-41    0 17-22 23-19  3-3 11-12 
Memphis      37 44 .457 23   35-46    2 20-21 17-23  1-4 11-11 
Kansas City  34 47 .420 26   34-47    0 19-22 15-25  1-1 10- 6 
Green Bay    32 49 .395 28   33-48   -1 17-26 15-23  3-3  9-12

Despite there being still a half season left to play, it is hard not to assume that Denver has wrapped up the Central Division. The Broncos have rolled into the All Star break on a 12 game winning streak, and hold a commanding 19 game lead on second place Tucson. I can't even imagine all the things that would have to go wrong for that lead to disappear.

Taking a look around the league...

Green Bay's surprising attempt at contending has come to a crashing halt. Despite being in second place at the start of June, the Packers have fallen all the way into last place, and they have stumbled into the All Star break on a 13 game losing streak. They have lost 19 of their last 20 games.

With Green Bay's collapse, the second place battle appears to be between Tucson and Grand Rapids. Both teams have relatively mediocre pitching, but Tucson's offense is far superior, so they would seem to have the edge.

The NL West is shaping up to very interesting. San Diego was in first place at the beginning of June, but an early seven game losing streak, combined with a surge by Los Angeles, knocked the Padres out of first and put the Dodgers in their place. Meanwhile, San Jose, which had gotten off to a poor start, has slowly climbed back into the race. Sacramento has also manage to keep itself in the discussion so far, so that division could turn into a very wild race down the stretch.

The AL Southeast also has the potential to be interesting. Miami and Washington are the clear front-runners, but both Nashville and Knoxville have the potential to make things interesting.

The NL Northeast appears to have produced its two playoff candidates already, in Pittsburgh and Rochester. The only question to be answered now is who will win the division.

[jamus23]

Name          G  AB   H 2B 3B HR RBI  R BB  K  AVG  OBP  SLG SB CS 
A. Vasquez   78 328  98 17  0 19  66 54 21 57 .299 .348 .524  4  0
R. Thomas    74 322 126 16  0  8  54 58 16 16 .391 .424 .516 10  2
E. Bolling   77 320  83 23  4 17  70 63 41 43 .259 .343 .516  1  0
R. Diaz      74 286  94 18  0 18  53 54 26 27 .329 .387 .580  4  0
M. Phillips  75 267  71 16  0  4  41 50 53 31 .266 .396 .371  2  0 
J. Rumfelt   74 260  73 16  1  3  43 46 35 22 .281 .367 .385  2  0
L. Chappel   63 248  90 30  1 16  61 59 31 12 .363 .436 .685  2  0
A. Fuentez   61 239  82 25  5  7  33 56 27 15 .343 .419 .577 12  7
B. Romero    72 238  55 11  7  1  22 37 28 61 .231 .315 .349  9  1
M. Lore      44 156  52 13  0  4  29 19 17 23 .333 .399 .494  1  0
A. Mingo     34  95  24  7  1  1  18 14  7 11 .253 .304 .379  2  0
G. Lauritsen 22  67  21  3  0  2   8  9  4 12 .313 .347 .448  0  0
A. Navarro   29  63  12  3  2  0  11  8  8  9 .190 .278 .302  4  1
K. Christner  6  19   4  0  0  0   2  0  0  1 .211 .211 .211  0  0

First the good:

With the exception of two players, all of Denver's starting position players have performed up to expectations. One, Ruben Diaz, has exceeded those expectations quite significantly.

From the bench, Marvin Lore and Greg Lauritsen have performed very well, and Lauritsen held his own in the last two weeks while Lee Chappel was on the disabled list.

Next, the so-so:

Ellis Bolling, while still having a pretty good season, is nonetheless underachieving. His .859 OPS this year would represent the second worst of his career.

Adrian Mingo, while technically having a decent season by his standards, still isn't very good. Even though he's only a bench player, it would be nice to have somewhat more respectable numbers.

Finally, the bad:

While expectations for Booker Romero weren't really high to begin with, he has still managed to underwhelm. Romero's OPS's in his first two seasons with Denver were .694 and .693. In this league, I suspect that's close to replacement level, especially when you consider that those numbers were boosted by hitting in Denver half the time. So far this season, his OPS is only .664, and it's only that high because he did it pretty well in April, with an .821 OPS. Throw in the home park inflation, and he has performed very, very poorly this season. Romero was acquired two years ago because his predecessor, Javier Cordero, had reached a point where his good glove was no longer reason enough to keep his woefully inept bat in the lineup. With Denver's strong lineup, Romero doesn't need to be an All-Star hitter, or even an average hitter. But he should be able to contribute occasionally. At the moment, Romero seems headed in the same direction as Cordero...

Armando Navarro was a useful reserve outfielder the past two seasons, providing good defense, good base-stealing ability, and respectable hitting numbers. This year, his hitting skills seem to have disappeared entirely. Like with Romero, he may soon find that his glove and speed don't count for that much...


Moving on to the pitching:

Name          G GS  W L SV  ERA    IP  HA  R ER BB  K CG SH 
G. Buentello 16 16  9 3  0 2.63 119.2 113 37 35 24 70  1  1
C. Kirk      16 16  9 4  0 4.55 118.2 119 62 60 32 84  3  2
K. Pillsbury 16 16 12 2  0 3.07 114.1 106 45 39 23 91  4  2
R. Lockridge 16 16 10 6  0 3.19 113.0 108 48 40 18 98  3  2
R. Mcnett    14 14 10 1  0 3.68  88.0  82 38 36 22 75  0  0
J. Virgen    26  0  4 4 10 2.63  37.2  30 12 11  9 22  0  0
R. Gomez     27  0  1 0 11 2.17  37.1  25  9  9  8 40  0  0
J. Myatt      9  3  2 0  0 5.67  27.0  37 17 17 14 22  0  0
F. Lemire    16  0  1 1  1 4.91  18.1  20 10 10  8 20  0  0
L. Gwinn     11  0  1 0  1 6.23  17.1  26 12 12  1 15  0  0
L. Waltz     10  0  1 0  0 4.76  17.0  22 10  9  6 14  0  0
O. Lopez     11  0  0 0  0 4.80  15.0  19  8  8  3  9  0  0

The good:

The starting pitching has been excellent, from 1 to 5. George Buentello has performed much better than expected, while Kenny Pillsbury, Ray Lockridge, and Robert McNett are all also performing better than their career norms. Only Christopher Kirk has not exceeded expectations, however, he has still managed to meet them.

In the bullpen, James Virgen and Ramon Gomez have proved to be a tough tandem in the late innings for the Broncos.

The so-so:

James Myatt has generally been decent as both a starter and a reliever, with only one poor start causing his numbers to look bad. The problem is, he's not really getting much use as a reliever, and thus, his roster spot is somewhat of a waste. Given that the Broncos don't have a very big bench, a demotion of Myatt to add another hitter could be in the works.

Fred Lemire, Larry Waltz, and Omar Lopez have all been decent out of the bullpen, but none have quite met expectations. Without another reliable relief pitcher, Virgen and Gomez are likely to get overworked, which could be problematic. It would be a huge benefit to Denver if one or more of these three could step up a bit and ease the burden on Virgen and Gomez.

The bad:

Lyndon Gwinn wasn't great last year, mainly because he gave up too many homeruns. This year, in addition to having his HR rate nearly doubled, he has also been giving up way more hits than usual. Gwinn wasn't expected to be a dominant reliever or anything, but decent or effective should not have been too much to ask for.

[jamus23]

The 2083 American League All Stars:





The Denver Broncos have cruised into the mid-summer classic with baseball's best record, and thus it is no surprise that they lead both leagues with seven representatives. Nashville is second in the American League with four All Stars, while Washington produced three. Miami, Grand Rapids, and Atlanta all have two members on this year's squad. Memphis, Charlotte, Kansas City, Knoxville, and Green Bay managed one representative apiece. Despite entering the All Star break in second place in its division with a 41-40 record, Tucson is the only American League team to not send anyone to the All Star game this year.


Catcher:

Denver's 32 year old Lee Chappel will make his seventh All Star team after putting up a .363/.436/.685/1.121 batting line so far this year. Chappel leads the American League in both slugging percentage and OPS, is second in batting average, and is third in on base percentage. He has produced 30 doubles, 16 homeruns, 61 RBI, and 59 runs scored.

Paired with Chappel will be Nashville's Daniel Lane. This the 27 year old's first All Star appearance. Lane has hit .316/.422/.574/.996, with 15 homeruns, 47 RBI, and 44 runs scored.


First Base:

Twenty four year old Grand Rapids' first-baseman Sabas Laureano will make his first appearance in an All Star game after hitting .301/.391/.579/.971 so far. His 21 homeruns are tied for second in the American League, and he also has 54 RBI and 58 runs scored.

Denver's Ellis Bolling will make his seventh All Star team at the age of 34. Bolling has hit .259/.343/.516/.859 this year, with 17 homeruns. He is tied for first in the league with 70 runs batted in, and has also scored 63 runs.


Second Base:

The American League's lone second baseman is one of this season's biggest surprises. Denver's Ruben Diaz, who has actually been used primarily as a designated hitter this year, will make his first All Star team at the age of 37. Long a backup, Diaz has emerged as a regular to hit .329/.387/.580/.968, with 18 homeruns, 53 RBI, and 54 runs scored.


Third Base:

Thirty-three year old Washington third-baseman Mike Sanders will make his fourth All Star team after hitting .302/.355/.523/.878, with 16 homeruns through the first half of the season. Sanders is tied for third in the league with 64 runs batted in, and has also scored 49 runs.

Green Bay's Robert Quirk will make his first All Star team this year. The 33 year old .310/.358/.495/.854, 13 homeruns, 50 RBI, and 52 runs scored.

Thirty-one year old Nashville third-baseman Clarence Lei will also make his first All Star team. Lei has hit .298/.340/.498/.839, with 14 homeruns, 56 RBI, and 54 runs scored.


Shortstop:

Twenty-eight year old Roger Attaway will make his second All Star team this year. The Atlanta shortstop has hit .289/.387/.585/.972 this year. He is tied for second with 21 homeruns, tied for third with 64 runs batted in, and third in runs scored with 67.


Left Field:

Atlanta's Joey Campos will make his fifth All Star appearance at the age of 31. Campos has hit .328/.390/.564/.954, with 16 homeruns this year. He is tied for first in the American League with 70 runs batted in, and has also scored 54 runs.

This will be the third All Star appearance for Denver left-fielder Alexis Vazquez. The 34 year old has hit .299/.348/.524/.873, with 19 homeruns this year. He is tied for second in the league with 66 runs batted in, and has also scored 54 runs.


Center Field:

Denver's Russell Thomas will make his fourth All Star appearance at the age of 32. Thomas leads the American League with a .391 batting average. He has also posted an OBP of .424 and a SLG of .516 for an OPS of .940. Thomas has hit 8 homeruns, driven in 54 runs, scored 58, and stolen 10 bases.

Thirty-one year old Carlo Romero has bounced back nicely from a down year to make his seventh All Star team. The Nashville center-fielder has hit .336/.430/.581/1.012, with 15 homeruns and 63 runs batted in. He leads the American League with 71 runs scored.


Right Field:

Thirty-three year old Kansas City right-fielder Jack Ector will make his fifth All Star team this year. Ector has hit .309/.405/.552/.957 this year, with 19 homeruns, 60 RBI, and 51 runs scored.

Rounding out the American League position players is 29 year old Knoxville right-fielder Burl Wyatt. Wyatt has hit .316 this year. He leads the league with a .446 on base percentage, is second in the league with a .632 slugging percentage, and is second in the league with a 1.079 OPS. He has hit 19 homeruns, driven in 42 runs, scored 47, and stolen 15 bases.


Starting Pitchers:

Miami's Christian Hokusai will make his second All Star appearance this year. The 28 year old is 12-4, with a 2.42 ERA, and 112 strikeouts. The 12 wins are tied for first in the American League and the ERA ranks second in the league.

Thirty-one year old Kenny Pillsbury will make his third All Star team this year. The Denver starter is 12-2, with a 3.07 ERA, and 91 strikeouts. The 12 wins are tied for first in the league. Pillsbury is also tied for second in the league with 2 shutouts.

This will be Mose Urick's second All Star appearance. The 30 year old Nashville starter is 12-3, with a 3.02 ERA, and 115 strikeouts. The wins tie him for first in the league, while the strikeouts rank second.

This is the second All Star appearance for Washington's Juan Fuentes. The 34 year old Fuentes is 12-3, with a 3.14 ERA, and 114 strikeouts. His wins tie him for first in the league, and his strikeouts rank third in the league.

This is the first All Star appearance for 32 year old Roy Kelemen. The Memphis starting pitcher is 11-4, with a 3.66 ERA, and 71 strikeouts. He is second in the league in wins. Kelemen also ranks third in the league with 6 complete games, and first in the league with 3 shutouts.

Thirty-five year old Miami starter Jose Caceres will make his fifth All Star appearance this year. Caceres is 10-2, with a 3.06 ERA, and 73 strikeouts. His 10 wins tie him for third in the league, and he is tied for second in the league with 2 shutouts. Caceres tossed a no-hitter against Knoxville on June 4th of this year. Only a two out walk in the eighth inning kept him from perfection. It was the first no-hitter pitched since another All-Star, Roy Kelemen, threw one two years ago.

Denver's Robert McNett will make his first All Star appearance at the age of 28. The left-handed knuckle-baller is 10-1 this year, with a 3.68 ERA, and 75 strikeouts. The 10 wins tie him for third in the league.


Relief Pitchers:

This will be the first All Star appearance for Grand Rapids' set-up man Jonathan Troutman. The 33 year old Troutman has posted a sparkling 1.45 ERA in 35 appearance this season, notching 1 win and 2 saves.

Washington closer James Smith will make his fourth All Star appearance this season. The thirty-three year old Smith has a league-leading 23 saves in 33 appearance, and has posted a minuscule 0.64 ERA in the process.

Charlotte's Steven Jackson, Jr. will make his first All Star appearance at the of thirty-four. Charlotte's closer has recorded 14 saves in 26 games. That means he has notched a save in exactly half of Charlotte's league-worst 28 wins. He also has an ERA of 1.99.

[jamus23]

The National League All Stars:






Not surprisingly, the 2083 National League All Star squad is heavily populated by members of the top NL teams. Pittsburgh, owner of the NL's best record, leads the way with five representatives. Rochester, a game behind Pittsburgh, and West-leading Los Angeles are next with four players apiece. San Diego, second in the NL West, has three representatives. New Jersey, Harrisburg, and Hartford each have two players on the NL squad. San Jose, Phoenix, and Sacramento round out the roster with one player each. Buffalo and Portland are the only National League teams with no All Stars.


Catcher:

Pittsburgh's Aaron Quijada will make his sixth appearance in the mid-summer classic this year. The 35 year old Quijada has hit .350/.441/.548/.989, with 14 homeruns, 72 RBI, and 62 runs scored this year.

Norman Adrover will make his first All Star game at the age of 27. New Jersey's catcher has hit .318/.341/.535/.876, with 17 homers, 57 RBI, and 39 runs scored.


First Base:

Thirty-two year old Emil Cuestas will make his fourth All Star appearance this year. The Phoenix first-baseman leads the National League in batting average(.383), slugging percentage(.674), and OPS(1.085). He has also posted a .411 OBP, and hit 25 doubles and 22 homeruns. Cuestas is second in the NL with 78 runs batted in, and has scored 53 runs.

This will be Los Angeles first-baseman Timothy Wegener's first All Star game. The 28 year old has hit .301/.330/.624/.954 so far this season. He is second in the National League with 28 homeruns and first in the league with 79 runs batted in. He has also scored 59 runs.


Second Base:

San Diego's Andrew Burdick will make his tenth appearance in the All Star game this year. The 35 year old Burdick, a three-time Silver Slugger award winner, has hit .341/.450/.604/1.055 so far this season. The on base percentage ranks second in the National League. Burdick has also hit 22 homeruns, driven in 72 runs, and scored 78 runs. The runs scored ranks second in the National League. Burdick is third in the NL in walks, with 56, and has also stolen 22 bases. Late last year, Burdick hit his 500th homerun. On June 13th of this year, he reached 3,000 career hits. Currently, Burdick has 3,020 hits and 528 homeruns. He also ranks 14th on the all time runs scored list, with 1,958.


Third Base:

This will be Javier Rael's second appearance in the All Star game. The 29 year old Pittsburgh third-sacker has hit .324/.447/.615/1.062 this season. Both the on base percentage and OPS rank third in the National League. Rael has also belted 23 homeruns. He is third in the league in runs batted in, with 76, and has scored 66 runs. He leads the league with 64 walks.

Oscar Elkins has had a long and fairly productive career, but until this year, he had never been an All Star before. Los Angeles' 36 year old third-baseman is certainly a worthy selection, as he has hit .327/.373/.616/.990 so far, with 25 doubles, 19 homeruns, 69 RBI, and 48 runs scored.


Shortstop:

Harrisburg's Coy Drews will make his second All Star appearance this year. The 26 year old has hit .310/.434/.620/1.054 so far. He is third in the league in homeruns with 24, has driven in 65 runs, and is tied for third in the league with 67 runs scored. He is second in the league with 60 walks.

Twenty-eight year old Ralph Jennings will make his fourth All Star appearance this year. The Hartford shortstop has hit .312/.370/.623/938 this year. Jennings has hit 20 homeruns, driven in 65 runs, and scored 62. He is tied for third in the league with 7 triples.


Left Field:

This will be Jerry Harmer, Jr.'s second All Star appearance. The 31 year old Pittsburgh left-fielder ranks second in the league in batting average(.368) and first in the league in on base percentage(.467). He has also slugged .547, giving him an OPS of 1.014. He is third in the league in doubles, with 26, and tied for third in the league in triples, with 7. He has also poked out 5 homeruns while collecting 39 runs batted in. He leads the league with 81 runs scored. He is also third in the league in walks, with 56.

Thirty-four year old John Gans will appear in his fourth All Star game this year. The Hartford left-fielder is third in the league in batting average, with a .357 mark. Gans has also posted a .387 on base percentage and a .577 slugging percentage, to give him a .964 OPS. He has hit 13 homeruns, driven in 56 runs, and scored 48 runs. He has also swiped 11 bases.


Center Field:

At 22 years of age, San Diego's Gaby Matos is the youngest player on either All Star squad. Nevertheless, this is his second All Star appearance. Matos has hit .270/.377/.533/.911 this year, with 22 homeruns and 56 runs batted in. He is tied for third in the league with 67 runs scored, and has stolen 19 bases.

Rochester's Gerald Schuyler will make his first All Star game at the age of 27. Schuyler has hit .345/.385/.519/.904, with 6 triples, 9 homeruns, 52 RBI, and 39 runs scored.


Right Field:

Twenty-six year old Matthew Milewski will make his second All Star appearance. The Sacramento right-fielder has hit .331/.376/.589/.966, with 20 homers, 47 RBI, 57 runs scored, and 10 stolen bases.

This will be Bill Orsini's first All Star appearance. The 28 year old Harrisburg right-fielder has hit .280/.389/.549/.938, with 19 homeruns, 62 RBI, 52 runs scored, and 12 stolen bases.


Starting Pitchers:

This season has heralded the emergence of San Diego's Carlos Lozoya. The 27 year old will go to his first All Star game after going 13-1 with a 1.89 ERA and 98 strikeouts. Both the wins and ERA are tops in all of baseball.

Thirty-year old Scott Council is also going to his first All Star game. The Pittsburgh starting pitcher is 11-1 with a 2.69 ERA, and 114 strikeouts. The wins rank third in the National League and the ERA ranks second. Council also ranks second in the league with 5 complete games and tied for first with 2 shutouts.

San Jose's Roger Salazar will make his first All Star team at the age of 35. Salazar is 12-3 with a 4.38 ERA and 69 strikeouts. The wins rank second in the National League. He is tied for first in the league with 2 shutouts.

Kevin Phipps is yet another first time All Star. The 33 year old New Jersey pitcher is 9-2, with a 3.55 ERA and 95 strikeouts.

Still another first time All Star is Rochester's Dennis Philson. The 33 year old Philson is 9-3, with a 4.13 ERA and 99 strikeouts.

And still another first time All Star is Rochester's George Lasseter. The 32 year old is 8-5, with a 3.25 ERA, and 90 strikeouts. Lasseter leads the league with 6 complete games.

Ironically enough, the youngest of the National League All Star starting pitchers is the only one who is not a first timer. Twenty-six year old Robert Jones will make his second All Star game this year. The Los Angeles starter is 9-5, with a 3.11 ERA and 97 strikeouts.


Relief Pitchers:

Pittsburgh relief ace Joe O'Donoghue will make the second All Star appearance of his career. The 34 year old has made 35 appearance this season, and is 10-2 with 12 saves. He has posted a 1.66 ERA and has 51 strikeouts in 65 innings pitched. His wins rank first among all relief pitchers, his ERA ranks fourth, his innings pitched ranks third, and his strikeouts rank second.

Rochester closer Nathaniel Owen will make his third All Star game this year. The 36 year old Owen has pitched in 37 games this year and leads the league with 24 saves. He has a 1.96 ERA.

Twenty-eight year old Los Angeles closer Mark McAnulty rounds out the National League squad. This will be McAnulty's second All Star game. McAnulty has made 35 appearances and is second in the league with 22 saves. He has posted a 2.45 ERA.

[jamus23]

The American League emerged victorious in this year's All Star game, defeating the National League by a final of 5-4. Sabas Laureano got the scoring started for the AL with a run-scoring single in the second inning. Burl Wyatt scored on the play. In the bottom of the second inning, the National League took its only lead of the game. Ralph Jennings crushed a two run homerun to give the NL squad a brief 2-1 lead. Also scoring on the hit was Emil Cuestas.

The AL responded in the third inning when Roger Attaway belted a three run homerun. Clarence Lei and Russell Thomas were on base when Attaway delivered his bomb.

In the sixth inning, the American League extended its lead to 5-2 when Jack Ector followed a Joey Campos triple with a sacrifice fly.

In the bottom of the sixth, the NL chipped away at the lead. Emil Cuestas drove in Aaron Quijada with a single.

In the bottom of the eighth, the National League got to within a run when Andrew Burdick singled to drive in John Gans. That was as close as the NL would get, however. Roger Attaway was named the MVP of the game for his homerun and 3 RBI.


Denver's representatives did not have a very good showing. Russell Thomas, Lee Chappel, Alexis Vazquez, Ruben Diaz, and Ellis Bolling combined to go 1 for 14, with a run scored, and 3 strikeouts. Thomas accounted for both the hit and the run scored.

On the pitching side, Kenny Pillsbury and Robert McNett combined to pitch 2 innings, with 5 hits and 1 walk allowed, and 2 runs, both earned, allowed.

[jamus23]

The Denver Broncos (68-23)



AT


The Miami Dolphins (54-37)




Preview:

After having their winning streak snapped at 19 games in a heart-breaking, 9-8 12-inning defeat against Knoxville, the Broncos dropped a second straight game to the 79ers by a score of 9-5, and then bounced back to beat Miami by a final of 9-8 in 13 innings. Russell Thomas had five hits and four RBI in yesterday's victory.

Today's game will feature battle of aces as Kenny Pillsbury, 14-2 with a 2.76 ERA, takes on the Dolphins' Christian Hokusai, 14-4 with a league-leading 2.47 ERA. Pillsbury is coming off of a six-hit shutout of Kansas City, his second against the Royals this season and third overall.

While Denver continues to hold a commanding lead in the Central Division, the Dolphins' three game losing streak has dropped their lead over the Washington Senators to a single game.

Miami has a losing record against only one team this season: Denver, against whom the Dolphins have gone just 1-6.


The starting lineups:

Denver Broncos (68-23)              Miami Dolphins (54-37)

Pos  Name               OPS HR RBI  Pos  Name                  OPS HR RBI
 LF  Asbel Fuentez     .967  9  38   DH  Daniel Armas         .812  4  13
  C  Lee Chappel      1.126 18  69   RF  Albert Chichester    .903  8  39
 1B  Ellis Bolling     .916 22  87   CF  Roy Springs          .864 23  71
 DH  Alexis Vazquez    .908 23  80    C  Edmond McGurk       1.013 24  58
 CF  Russell Thomas    .935  9  64   3B  Thomas Fuentes, Jr.  .882 18  65
 RF  Marvin Lore       .872  5  33   1B  Aaron Shorts         .748  7  41
 2B  Jack Rumfelt      .777  3  49   LF  Dennis Fernandez     .825 12  51
 3B  Michael Phillips  .783  5  43   SS  Bill Tovar           .684  5  33
 SS  Booker Romero     .641  1  24   2B  Cleo Cortes          .515  0   1

This post will be updated as the game progresses.

Top of the first: Lee Chappel hit a one out single, but Ellis Bolling hit into an inning-ending double play.


*edit*
Bottom of the first: 1-2-3 for Pillsbury

Top of the second: Alexis Vazquez led off with a single to extend his hitting streak 12 games, but after a flyout by Russell Thomas, Marvin Lore hit into an inning-ending double play.



*edit*

Through six innings, the game remains scoreless. Both pitchers have been dominant, with only 3 hits allowed on either side. Pillsbury has also walked a batter, while Asbel Fuentez managed to reach base once on an error by Miami shortstop Bill Tovar, giving each team a total of 4 baserunners.


*edit*

With two outs in the top of the ninth inning, Lee Chappel singled, and Ellis Bolling followed with a double to drive him in. Denver leads, 1-0.


*edit*

Sigh. Troy Alder delivered a pinch-hit single to lead off the bottom of the ninth. After an out by Daniel Armas, Albert Chichester singled, Roy Springs drew a walk, and Edmond McGurk finished it off with a grand slam. Miami wins, 4-1.

[jamus23]

Myatt traded to San Jose
July 30, 2083
Al Vincent
Staff Writer

With the Broncos seemingly in cruise control right now, few Denver fans were expecting general manager John Mounts to be active at this year's trade deadline. After all, the Broncos have authored the league's best record so far this season, leading the Miami Dolphins, the Pittsburgh Pirates, and the Rochester Rhinos by a whopping 13 games, and they lead division rival Tucson by an astounding 22 games. What weaknesses could they possibly have? What needs could there be to fill?

Well, Mounts found one that concerned him. The Broncos have traded 28 year old, left-handed pitcher James Myatt to the San Jose Sharks for left-handed hitting outfielder Masahachirou Shunji and left-handed pitching prospect Carmelo Dros. The 27 year old Shunji is expected to provide some power off the bench for the Broncos, which was an area that Mounts said was "severely lacking." Those who are more cynical may offer the suggestion that the addition of Shunji may provide Mounts some leverage in his discussions with Asbel Fuentez regarding the veteran outfielder's impending free agency. Shunji has hit .262/.339/.456/.795 with 6 doubles, 1 triple, and 4 homeruns in 103 at bats this season coming off the bench for the Sharks. In 214 career at bats, Shunji has 7 homeruns and a .784 OPS. However, it should be noted that San Jose's ballpark is known to be death to left-handed power hitters; none of Shunji's 4 homeruns this year have come while playing at home and, in fact, he has just a .521 OPS while playing in San Jose this season. Mounts said that the Sharks were willing to part with Shunji because their outfield was simply too crowded to allow for adequate playing time for him.

As for James Myatt, Mounts admitted that he was reluctant to trade the towering southpaw, but that it would have been unfair to Myatt not to do so. "We like James, and think that he will be a very good starting pitcher in this league, but that is an opportunity that is unlikely to happen here in Denver," Mounts said. Mounts pointed out the respective ages of the Broncos' current starting five, which range from 28 to 31, saying, "The group we have right now is very good, and we'd like to keep them together for awhile. But where would that leave James? He deserves better than to be a reliever, which is what we have been forced to use him as." Mounts added that having too many relief pitchers was also making it difficult to get Myatt playing time, while also leaving manager John Wilkerson with too few position players for his bench. For Myatt's part, he was not exactly unhappy about being traded. "Of course I enjoyed my time in Denver, but I'm a starting pitcher, not a reliever. I wasn't going to get to be a starter here, but I will in San Jose. I'm excited to get a chance to really prove myself." The Sharks, who have surged into first place in the wild West over the last month, have been in search of starting pitchers because veterans Barry Gowen and Benito Ortiz have both gone down with injuries, Ortiz for the remainder of the season. For the Broncos this year, Myatt has posted a 6.47 ERA in 13 games. Three of those games were starts, and in those, he has a 5.40 ERA. In 23 career appearances, 12 of which are starts, Myatt has a 6.83 ERA.

The other player the Broncos will receive in this trade is 23 year old starting pitcher Carmelo Dros. The left-hander was a third round draft pick by Knoxville in 2080. He was traded to Tucson, who later traded him to San Jose. Dros has a decent fastball and good control, but has had little success as a professional. In this, his fourth season at A ball, he has posted a 4.38 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP. These are his best numbers to date. Dros will be a welcome addition to the Broncos' single A affiliate, which has seen its starting pitchers ravaged by injury this year: 20 year old Christopher Hicks suffered a torn bicep muscle in the first game of the year that is believed to be career-threatening, 23 year old Rafael Alvarez tore a tricep muscle on July 14th and is not expected to be throwing again until September, and 22 year old Tony Hernandez has missed a total of 9 weeks with both bicep and tricep injuries.

With Myatt getting traded, manager John Wilkerson announced that reliever Larry Waltz will make a spot start in today's game against Grand Rapids in place of George Buentello. Buentello left his last start after pitching two innings because he experienced tightness in his shoulder, and is being held out of this game as a precaution. "At this point in the season, we don't want to take any unnecessary risks," Wilkerson said. Waltz has posted a 3.68 ERA in 13 relief appearances this season. Back in 2081, Waltz made 17 starts in the second half of the season due to injuries, and was crucial in the Broncos being able to win the division by a single game over Tucson.

[jamus23]

National League Standings 
 
West Division 
 
Team          W  L  PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff  Home  Away XInn  1Run
San Jose     59 45 .567  -   60-44   -1 28-23 31-22  9-3 17- 8
Sacramento   57 47 .548  2   56-48    1 28-25 29-22  4-1 12-13
San Diego    57 47 .548  2   61-43   -4 25-26 32-21  4-6 15-14
Los Angeles  55 49 .529  4   56-48   -1 26-27 29-22  1-3 11-14
Phoenix      45 59 .433 14   42-62    3 19-33 26-26  1-8 11-10
Portland     42 62 .404 17   41-63    1 20-32 22-30  7-7 13-16
 
Northeast Division 
 
Team          W  L  PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff  Home  Away XInn  1Run
Pittsburgh   64 40 .615  -   64-40    0 36-16 28-24  4-3 23-17
Rochester    64 40 .615  -   59-45    5 33-20 31-20  6-5 23-13
Hartford     48 56 .462 16   51-53   -3 23-28 25-28  7-5 15-19
Buffalo      46 58 .442 18   51-53   -5 24-28 22-30  5-8 17-21
New Jersey   45 59 .433 19   47-57   -2 23-29 22-30  5-4 12-20
Harrisburg   42 62 .404 22   41-63    1 17-35 25-27  4-4  8-12
 
American League Standings 
 
Southeast Division 
 
Team          W  L  PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff  Home  Away XInn  1Run
Miami        64 40 .615  -   62-42    2 33-20 31-20  4-2 14-14
Nashville    57 47 .548  7   57-47    0 25-28 32-19  2-5 11-13
Washington   57 47 .548  7   55-49    2 28-23 29-24  5-2 15-10
Knoxville    53 51 .510 11   55-49   -2 27-24 26-27  7-3 13-13
Atlanta      44 60 .423 20   48-56   -4 22-31 22-29  2-4 13-14
Charlotte    34 70 .327 30   29-75    5 19-33 15-37  4-3 17-17
 
Central Division 
 
Team          W  L  PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff  Home  Away XInn  1Run
Denver       76 28 .731  -   77-27   -1 39-12 37-16  5-3 13-11
Tucson       55 49 .529 21   60-44   -5 24-29 31-20  3-6 12-15
Grand Rapids 52 52 .500 24   52-52    0 24-27 28-25  5-4 16-13
Memphis      48 56 .462 28   45-59    3 24-28 24-28  2-5 13-13
Green Bay    43 61 .413 33   45-59   -2 19-33 24-28  3-4  9-17
Kansas City  41 63 .394 35   39-65    2 23-29 18-34  1-2 12- 8

Little has really changed in the Central Division over the past month. Denver increased its lead by a few games, but that aspect of the playoff race hasn't been in much doubt for some time. Both Tucson and Grand Rapids have pulled away from the rest of the pack in the race for second place, though Memphis may still hang around for a little bit longer.

In the Southeast, Miami has taken full control over the past month, while a recent slump by Washington has allowed Nashville to move into a tie for second place with the Senators. But don't count out Knoxville either. There remains a lot of baseball left- any one of those three could grab the second playoff spot in this division.

In the Northeast, nothing has changed. Pittsburgh and Rochester continue to battle each other step for step, while the rest of the division continues to be irrelevant. I would have given Pittsburgh the long-term edge in this dogfight, but the Pirates' ace Scott Council went down with an injury immediately after the All Star game and will not return until the end of August at the earliest. That was a devastating blow to a rotation that had not been as good as anticipated, and it definitely has kept them two teams fairly even.

And then there is the wild and crazy West division. In the early going, San Diego, the pre-season favorite, had paced this division, but a bad slump in June allowed Los Angeles to take control heading into the All Star break. Over the last month, however, it has been the San Jose Sharks, who began the year so sluggishly, that have surged into the lead. But don't expect them to be able to relax one bit. With two months to go, only four games separate San Jose, San Diego, Sacramento, and Los Angeles.