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| Wednesday, July 4 First half in review By Sean McAdam Special to ESPN.com |
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Halfway down, halfway to go. A look at the first three months of the 2001 season: surprises, warts and all.
AL MVP: Manny Ramirez Argue, if you like, that Ramirez spent the first two months as a DH, and how that automatically devalues him. Then try telling that to the Red Sox, who were kept afloat by Ramirez's torrid April and May (16 HRs, 58 RBI). Then he "slumped" in June and knocked in only 20 runs. In an injury-plagued season in which Red Sox players have been bailing to the DL at an alarming rate, Ramirez has been their life raft. Suzuki has provided the Mariners with a fuel-injected top of the lineup, and his defense has been every bit as good as advertised. Gonzalez has almost made the Indians forget about Ramirez. Almost.
NL MVP: Luis Gonzalez Bonds may have hit more homers and kept more statisticians up at night, but Gonzalez isn't far behind in the home run chase and he's the key offensive force on the NL team with the best record in the first half. The battle for MVP may turn out to be an interesting sidelight to the home run derby these two are staging. Sound familiar? Lurking somewhat unobtrusively in the backround is Berkman, who is enjoying a breakout season (22 HR, 71 RBI, .355) and devleoping into one one of the game's most feared sluggers.
AL Cy Young: Roger Clemens Clemens sports a gaudy 11-1 record, and sure, that's partly a reflection of the strong run support he's received. But 10 games over .500 in half a season is still 10 games over .500. Clemens is already the only pitcher to win five Cy Young Awards. Will he get a sixth? Martinez has missed two starts, and will miss who knows how many others in his annual DL detour. But that doesn't obscure the fact that he still leads the AL in ERA and strikeouts. Unlike Clemens, Martinez's run support has been dismal. Mays (10-5, 3.03) is a nice story, eclipsing -- so far, anyway -- two more ballyhooed staff mates (Brad Radke and Eric Milton).
NL Cy Young: Curt Schilling Now this is the pitcher the Diamondbacks thought they were getting last summer. Strong and healthy again, Schilling (12-3, 3.23) has been a horse, leading the league in wins, innings and completing five games. Now that Morris (10-4, 2.65) is also healthy, he's proving himself to be the pitcher the Cards thought he would be when they took him out of Seton Hall. On a staff that has had other concerns (Rick Ankiel, Andy Benes), Morris has been a season-saver. Johnson (10-5, 2.70) has merely been his tyrannical self on the mound.
AL Rookie: Ichiro Suzuki No more calls, please. We have a winner. Let the purists suggest that this is an afront to Japanese baseball; rules are rules. Suzuki is eligible, so he's the landslide winner. Who can recall a rookie making this kind of inpact on team -- native or foreign born, pitcher or position player, pro experience or not? The Mariners hoped that Suzuki would somehow maybe kinda sorta help fill the void left by Alex Rodriguez. Except for the homers, he has. Soriano's numbers and contributions would make him a frontrunner in other years.
NL Rookie: Ben Sheets Sheets (10-4, 3.35) gets the edge here because he's won 10 games as a rookie, and that's after a short stint at Triple-A when the Brewers thought he could benefit from additional seasoning until they needed a fifth starter. Not as overpowering or dynamic as Kerry Wood, 1998 vintage; then again, he could surpass Wood's victory total before August. And, oh, that knee-bucking curveball. Pujols (.345, 21 HR, 66 RBI) has helped pick up some of the offensive slack for Jim Edmonds and Mark McGwire in St. Louis. Rollins has been that rookie rarity -- a middle infielder who doesn't look overmatched.
AL Manager: Tom Kelly In April, the Twins were cute. In May, they were interesting. Now that it's July, they're for real and Kelly is one of the biggest reasons. One of the game's best teachers, he's finally got some pupils who are major league-ready. After eight years wandering the desert that is the AL Central (and previously, West) basement, the Twins matter again. Williams has never had his All-Star shortstop. He's lost his starting center fielder and catcher to the DL. His first and third starters are on the DL. His closer punted away the month of April. The Red Sox are a half-game out of first. Any more questions? The Mariners keep losing franchise players (Big Unit, Junior, A-Rod) and keep winning. The manager has to get some credit.
NL Manager: Larry Bowa So Bowa hasn't mellowed as much as expected. So he still gets too emotional. While Bowa figures out just how kind and gentle he should be, the Phils are erasing their recent abysmal history. They had a nightmarish June, and they're still ahead of the team which has won the division in each of the last nine full seasons. Brenly is one more NL manager (see: Dierker, Lawrence) who's made the transition from the broadcast booth to the dugout look easier than it is. Baylor has the Cubs playing winning baseball instead of being bit players in Sammy's One-Man Sideshow.
AL Comeback Player: Juan Gonzalez Old conventional wisdom on Gonzalez: Greedy, injury-prone player on the downside of his career. New conventional wisdom: Gritty, resilient player about to cash in this winter in the free-agent market. Beltran has not only rehabilitated his body, but his image, as well. Florie may be a journeyman long reliever, but just the fact that he's back on a mound is inspirational enough.
NL Comeback Player: Larry Walker Walker has re-established his place among the game's best all-around players after playing just 87 games and hitting nine homers a year ago. Mesa wanted a chance to close again, and Bowa, who had him as a coach with Seattle, gave it to him. He has 21 saves in 23 chances. Gordon has 14 saves, 18 months after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
AL disappointment (team): Oakland A's The A's were the chic pick to win the AL pennant. Now, with the division already out of reach, they're no guarantee to finish second in the West. The White Sox were torpedoed by injuries, but you got the feeling that they were heading in the wrong direction even before Frank Thomas and Jim Parque went down for the season. Think A-Rod would, privately you understand, like a mulligan?
NL disappointment (team): New York Mets The Mets go from Subway Series to subterranean in the span of a few months. The Reds were never a factor in the Central, and their play at home (10-30) has been embarrassing. The Cards have underachieved.
AL disappointment (player): Johnny Damon Damon was to be the final piece to the puzzle. Now, he's just one more reason the A's have misfired so badly, hitting .230 with a terrible .295 on-base percentage from the leadoff spot. Wells (5-7, 4.47 ERA) has made far more news off the field than on, never a good sign for the hefty lefty. Helling has gone from anchoring the Texas rotation to just weighing it down with a 5.30 ERA.
NL disappointment (player): Scott Rolen Rolen (.276, 8 HR) may not be as guilty as Bowa hinted he was, but there's no denying he's been a letdown to the Phils lineup. Larkin suddenly looks old at short. Wilson insists he hasn't changed his swing, but something's not right.
AL surprise team: Minnesota Twins Back from the dead, the Twins have been a revelation from the first week and have played well enough long enough to convince the last cynic. The Red Sox continue to lose bodies and somehow win games. The Mariners continue to lose free agents and somehow improve.
NL surprise team: Philadelphia Phillies The Phils may not look as good as they did a month ago, but they haven't dropped out of sight. Even the rosiest forecast had them hitting the glass ceiling and finishing third in the division. The Cubs have used pitching and defense (what a concept!) to surprise. The Diamondbacks are threatening to run away with what everyone assumed would be the closest divisional race.
AL surprise player: Doug Mientkiewicz Mientkiewicz has consistently been over .300 and displayed Gold Glove form at first. Boone is on pace for 43 homers and 162 RBI. Mays, thought to be the third (or fourth) starter, leads the Twins in wins.
NL surprise player: Rich Aurilia Aurilia has gone from .270 lifetime hitter to NL batting crown contender. Williams has transformed himself from journeyman set-up man to top-notch closer. Fassero has found a second career in the bullpen and even closed until Gordon was ready. Sean McAdam of the Providence Journal writes a major-league notebook each week during the baseball season for ESPN.com. |
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