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Hello again everyone, it is I- the prognosticator of the stars- no, not Pee Wee Herman- It's me- Ace Gumley! The Information Minister has taken the week off- apparently he's going to be on Fear Factor next week- so I go it alone, sorting out the vast darkness that is C.R.A.B.S. SACRAMENTO GIANTS- What more can you say? Two straight championships, three overall, 8 playoff appearances in 9 seasons, and now 11 straight wins and a league best 18-5 record. Who needs the Yankees? On a down note, reserve shortstop Rey Sanchez is only carrying a .140 average. SCOTTSDALE HAWKEYES- The Hawkeye's should be counting their blessings, as whou'lda thunk they could hang in second with their top two player, Giambi and Tejada, combining for a Rey Sanchez-esque .173 average? Lilly, Mulder, and Weaver have led the way, reeling in 9 of the team's 13 wins. So far so good, but someone best wake Jason and Miggy. HOLLYWOOD STARLETS- A nice start until running into the buzz saw that is the Sacramento Giants, now the Starlets face the next two weeks without ace starter Tony Armas- out with a mild case of SARS. One guy that was a question mark coming into the season- Marcus Giles- has been the real deal and then some with 4 homeruns, 10 RBI and a nifty .338 average. With the loss of Armas, though, there's a couple of pitchers (Reed, Trachsel, Ponson) that badly need to step up their games. And a Robb Nen sighting wouldn't hurt. OAKLAND ATHLETICS- At some point, you figger these guys will kick it into gear, but it'll be that much harder until the Big Unit is healthy- he's back now, but is he healthy? Danys Baez has been rocked as the closer in Jason Isringhausen's absence. Javy Lopez- with the exception of his 2 homer, 6 RBI game- has disappointed. Eric Hinske's started slowly. Garland and Ainsworth have combined for a 6.27 ERA. But remember- ARod, Barry, Barry, Gonzo, Juan Gone, and Freddy. I know, it sounds like Fraggle Rock, but hey- whatever it takes. LOS ANGELES LOBSTERS- Oakland may sound like Fraggle Rock, but these guys are playing like it. Brian Giles is hurt, Paul Byrd is hurt and everyone else save Rafael Palmeiro is playing like they're hurt. For this team to succeed with the level of talent they ship out to the mound on a daily basis, the offense has to be at the top of it's game- every game. And that's just not even close to happening. Now, if they actually got some pitching...There I go with that dreaded P-word again. CHICAGO WHITE SOX- Look at these Sox go, Go Sox Go! Mike Mussina's been lights out in his first five starts (He's accounted for 25% of the teams' wins), and the rest of the team has followed suit. The offense has not been firing on all cylinders (League low 17 homeruns), but they've done enough to keep the Pale Hose in first. And taking three games from the Rays was huge. CRABAPPLE MANIACS- Since ditching the Surgeon's moniker last season, the team has repeatedly paid homage to the name by having their players visiting local surgeons on a regular basis. The latest to visit the M*A*S*H unit are Ben Grieve and Kevin Appier. This team almost has more players in recovery than on the field! But, despite the fragility, here they are in second place in the AL. Here's a big thank you to Richie Sexson and Mark Buerlhe. LAS VEGAS DEVIL RAYS- The Ray's picked the wrong time to emulate the Oakland Athletics. I don't have enough fingers to begin to point the blame out here, but the first would be towards the now disabled Jermaine Dye (.203, 66 Pts.). The next would go towards the equally hobbled Kaz Sasaki (9.00 ERA). The pitching's been so-so, the hitting's been poor-poor. I think Vegas should feel good that they're this close after playing this badly! INDIANA HOOSIERS- Scoring hasn't been a problem, but outscoring the opposition has. The pitching's been iffy (Closer Billy Koch has been horrid), but they have received some good starts from Joel Piniero and Kip Wells. The trick to the offense hasn't been one guy, but more of consistent contributions from everyone. They could hang around awhile playing like this, but I'd like to see someone step up offensively, and some more production from a rather lackluster outfield. NEW ENGLAND SNOW BALLS- They've been a little pest so far- ask Chicago and Vegas- and they're only a couple of players away from making a move up the AL ladder. The biggest upgrade needed would be behind the plate where Einar Diaz has been the invisible man (.225, 34 Pts.). If you take Jimmy Hayne's abominable numbers out of the mix, the pitching hasn't been half bad, but I'd like to see Mark Redman get a couple more starts. Of course, with this team, they could have 26 new players in here next week, so my point is probably moot. That's my show this week kids! I'll come back next week, and I'll bring your favorite Information Minister with me! Two, two, two shows in one! Until next time, Aces everyone! |