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Baseball '00: Midseason Update

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Posted: Monday July 10, 2000 03:50 PM

Plus, we have second-half predictions and storylines to follow from Sports Illustrated's baseball writers, and Jeff Pearlman's Hot List. And don't miss "Who Would You Choose?", a photo gallery with polls allowing you to vote on everything from the biggest surprise of the season to the best player never to make an All-Star team.

Arizona Diamondbacks

Prospect Watch Jack Cust, OF A first-round selection in the '97 draft, Cust hasn't disappointed. Last year at Class A High Desert, the 6'2" left-handed batter had a .334 average, missing the batting title by just three points. He also led the California League with 32 homers, had 112 RBIs and scored 107 runs. As of July 7, Cust was batting .318 with 12 homers and 53 RBIs at Class AA El Paso.

Flashback. After saving 22 of 25 games in the second half of 1999, Matt Mantei has fallen apart, calling his inability to get anyone out "all mental." Heading into the break, the 27-year-old right-hander blew two of six save opportunities and watched as his ERA imploded to 7.36. Manager Buck Showalter was forced to go to a bullpen by committee, using seven closers. To their credit, 40-year-old journeyman Mike Morgan (5 of 6 in save opportunities) and Byung-Hyun Kim (14 of 17) have held down the fort.

Fast Forward. Before undergoing surgery on his right wrist June 1, first baseman Erubiel Durazo had impressive numbers (.309, 17 HRs, 54 RBIs in 96 games) dating to his call-up last July. Durazo was back in the lineup as of June 24 -- at which time management hoped he'd be the catalyst to jump-start an offense that scored an NL-best 908 runs in '99 but has since stalled, ranking 10th in the league at midseason. As it turned out, Durazo landed back on the DL after only three games but is expected to return shortly after the break.

You Oughta Know. If the Diamondbacks are to repeat as NL West champs, they'll have to get the job done on the road. Eighteen of their final 21 games are against division foes Colorado, Los Angeles and San Francisco, but only six are at Bank One Ballpark.

Colorado Rockies

Prospect Watch Ben Petrick, C A second-round pick in '95, the 6-foot Petrick played prep football in Oregon before deciding on baseball full-time. At the break, he was hitting .318 with nine homers and 47 RBIs for Class AAA Colorado Springs.

Flashback. In their first season under manager Buddy Bell, the Rockies have gone from laughingstock to contender. The busiest team in the Offseason, Colorado can trace its turnaround to outfield acquisitions Jeffrey Hammonds (.357, 14 HRs, 65 RBIs) and Tom Goodwin (.287, 8 triples, .379 on-base percentage). It hasn't hurt that first baseman Todd Helton finds himself in contention to become the first Triple Crown winner since Carl Yastrzemski in '67.

Fast Forward. Wanted: Dependable starting pitcher to take pressure off ace Pedro Astacio, the lone starter to throw more than 100 innings. Only one NL club has a higher team ERA than the Rockies' 5.39. But where the club has improved and needs to stay consistent -- especially because the ball carries so well at Coors Field -- is in the walk department. In '99, the Rockies issued an NL-record 737 passes on a whopping 4.64 base on balls per nine innings. This year Colorado has registered 3.39 per nine, a dramatic improvement.

You Oughta Know. At the break, Goodwin ranks third in the majors in batting average with runners in scoring position (.403). He also was tied for first in the NL with 36 steals, which puts him on course to finish the year with 68 -- that's only three less than the entire Rockies team had in '99.

San Francisco Giants

Prospect Watch Kurt Ainsworth, RHP With a four-pitch repertoire, the 21-year-old bounced back from Tommy John surgery two years ago and coasted through Class A in the Cal League last season. At the break, Ainsworth was 5-5 with 83 strikeouts, 36 walks and a 3.25 ERA at Class AA Shreveport.

Flashback. The Giants are like an obnoxious friend who doesn't know when to quit -- or go away. A 4-11 start could have been the beginning of the end for San Francisco, but thanks to MVP first-half performances from Barry Bonds (.309, 28 HRs, 57 RBIs) and Jeff Kent (.355, 23 HRs, 85 RBIs), manager Dusty Baker saw his club rally to within 3 1/2 games of the first place Arizona Diamondbacks at the break.

Fast Forward. Bonds, 35, who got off to a torrid start, admitted 73 games into the season that he was fatigued. The fact that he didn't start for eight consecutive games before the break with a stress fracture in his right thumb is not good news for a team that desperately needs its biggest star to turn it on even more in the second half. The chance for a division title also will rest on an improved performance by the bullpen. At midseason it had blown 15 of 35 save opportunities. The Giants' staff also must quit issuing so many walks. Starters Shawn Estes, Joe Nathan and Kirk Rueter are living dangerously. Each has a strikeout-to-walk ratio right around 1:1.

You Oughta Know: Pacific Bell Park, which replaced the dour Candlestick Park, has been a hit with fans. It took 25 games for the Giants' home attendance to reach one million, the fastest pace in franchise history. Already sold out for the year, with an average attendance of 40,930, Pac Bell will obliterate Candlestick's record average of 32,177 set in 1993.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Prospect Watch Chin-Feng Chen, LF The wiry 22-year-old is the first Taiwanese player to sign with a U.S. club since 1975. He was promoted to Class AA San Antonio after hitting .316 with 31 homers, 123 RBIs and 31 stolen bases at Class A San Bernardino in '99.

Flashback. Expected to be contenders last year, the Dodgers finished eight games under .500 and 23 games behind the Diamondbacks. Manager Davey Johnson, who has had the team in sniffing distance of first place this season, must get the squad to play better than .500 at home. Since the start of the '99 season, the Dodgers have gone 56-63 (.471) at Chavez Ravine.

Fast Forward. As Gary Sheffield (.334, 27 HRs, 71 RBIs), Eric Karros (.265, 25 HRs, 70 RBIs) and Shawn Green (.294, 13 HRs, 59 RBIs) go, so go the Dodgers. The triumvirate has knocked in 47 percent of the team's runs. If one of them falls into a second-half slump, L.A.'s playoff hopes could fade fast. Without any depth beyond Kevin Brown (8-2, 2.38 ERA), it's no secret that the organization would love to pick up another starter. Closer Jeff Shaw must improve upon his 12 saves in 19 opportunities and 8.00 ERA.

You Oughta Know. Sheffield, Karros and Green all are on pace to knock in at least 100 runs this year. The Los Angeles Dodgers have never had three players knock in 100 runs or more in the same season, but the Brooklyn Dodgers did in 1930, '49, '50, '51, '53 and '55.

San Diego Padres

Prospect Watch Sean Burroughs, 3B Son of former major-leaguer Jeff Burroughs, the former Little League World Series hero was drafted in the first round in '98. Padres general manager Kevin Towers called him "the most polished hitter" he had ever seen coming out of high school. Burroughs, 19, currently at Class AA Mobile, could make the jump to the big leagues as early as next season.

Flashback. Beset by injuries the Padres have tumbled to the bottom of the NL West. Normally, a team in the cellar at the All-Star break turns its attention to next year. That should apply here, as San Diego headed south at midseason, stumbling to a 38-49 record and dipping a hefty 12 1/2 games back of injury-plagued Arizona.

Fast Forward. Pitchers Donne Wall and Woody Williams have returned from injuries. Randy Myers is expected back in the second half, but Sterling Hitchcock is out for the season with an injury to his left elbow. The Padres need Tony Gwynn's bat. Before undergoing surgery on his left knee June 27, he went on a 15-for-31 (.484) tear to raise his average from .271 to .323. But Gwynn could be lost for the season, which would put a serious damper on the team's chances to make a postseason run.

You Oughta Know. Eric Owens, 29, who has played a number of positions for a number of teams, finally has found a home. Before the '99 season, he inked a minor-league deal with the Padres, the fourth organization he had signed with in nine months. When the oft-injured Gwynn sat out some games in April, Owens moved into the lineup as a full-time outfielder. At the break, he was hitting .330 with 19 stolen bases. bases.

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