[PilotMan]

May Recap


The team posted a 14-14 record for the month, a sudden drop from the white hot start they had in April. A large part of the dropoff was the change in offense. The team had been one of the best in this category, but now the team is 9^th in average, and 6^th in OBP. The team is still 4^th in runs scored and 5^th in HR's. As for pitching, the team is 4^th in ERA and oppAVG. The pitching staff has been greatly helped by the team's defense. The team is tops in the NL.

At the moment, the team is in 2^nd place in the West. With a 29-23 record, and a big, 6 games behind the Astros. Losing 5 in a row at the end of the month hurt what could have been a successful month.


The top hitters for the month were, no surprise, Rickey Henderson (.295/.387/.448 19SB) and Dave Winfield (.282/.359/.417). But you can see, if this is the best, it's not really that great. Von Hayes hit 4 HR's in the month to lead the way. That's downright awful. Mike Schmidt has practically disappeared from any sort of production. Schmidt's line was (.174/.209/.239) with 2 HR's and 9 RBI's. Kelly Down's offensive output was nearly as much. Pretty much the whole team needs to get it's act together.


On the pitching side, both John Denny (1.88 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 2-1) and Frank Tanana (2.35, 1.09 WHIP, 3-2) were right no point. Kent Tekulve and Ken Howell were excellent in the bullpen. Bryn Smith (5.58, 1.26, 3-3) and Fernando Valenzuela (5.62, 1.46, 2-4) were not. Jim Beattie was a disaster coming out of the pen (8.31, 1.96, .361 OPPAVG).


The team has good pitching. I think a couple of roster moves might be to their benefit, and Lasorda not relying so damn heavy on his starters would be an improvement. He loves to leave his guys in long, and his choices out of the pen can be head scratching at times. Still, the quality is there.


Looking at the broader league. The Mets are the best team in baseball. Posting a 35-15 record, they are only a game better than the Astros. Both teams are expected to continue to dominate throughout the rest of the season. Injuries might make an impact, but both teams are loaded with quality. The AL East is lead by the Blue Jays, who with a record of 26-25, are a the only team with a winning record in the East. The AL West has a 3 way tie, between the Rangers, Mariners, and White Sox. Consequently, every team in the West has a winning record. There is, among all others, one god awful, team in baseball. That team is the San Francisco Giants.


The Giants are a sad sack. With a record of 10-42, which equates to a win percentage of .192. The Giants are currently on pace, to be the worst team in baseball history. Long time team ace, Atlee Hammaker is 0-7 with a 5.08 ERA. Cleanup hitter, Rob Deer has 11 HR's and 30 RBI's. The bullpen features a young David Wells and Brian Harvey, with Dan Plesac closing games. It doesn't sound bad, but then it is. Among field players, Rob Deer is rated as 15^th best at his position, of RF. That is the highest. First base and third are 26^th, with Marvin Ward (.227/6/18) and Chris Brown (.243/2/11) respectively. Second basemen Mike Sharperson is 25^th (.223/0/1) and Catcher Phil Ouellette is 24^th (.234/2/7). It's almost like an entire team of replacement players.


Blame has to fall on 3^rd year GM Joe Christopher and the notoriously stingy, yet micro managing owner, Justin Culbert. The Giants are 21^st in team budget and payroll, yet no more money is available for free agents or extensions. On the brighter side, there is some talent in the minors. 19Y/O Bernie Williams probably shouldn't be starting in CF, but he is. He is the #4 prospect in baseball. Behind him is #19 SS Reggie Sanders, and #32 OF Steve Finley. Will they be up before the end of the year?