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July 15, 1999 Individual BallotsAll of BP's midseason ballotsRany JazayerliPlayers of the Year
1) Derek Jeter 2) Nomar Garciaparra 3) Jeff Bagwell 4) Tony Fernandez 5) Ken Griffey, Jr. 6) Larry Walker 7) Alex Rodriguez 8) Sean Casey 9) Shawn Green 10) Tie, Roberto Alomar & Manny Ramirez HM) Dave Nilsson Can anyone really argue that Jeter and Garciaparra are not head and shoulders above the rest? Tony Fernandez may come back to earth, but this is one impressive swan song. Bagwell is being Bagwell, and Griffey is being Griffey. Denver or no, no one's within 75 points of his OPS, so Larry Walker belongs on this list. A-Rod missed more than 30 games in the first half, but what's scary is that his OPS actually ranks third among the Shortstop Triad. Sean Casey is the reason the Reds are in first place, and Shawn Green is the reason the Blue Jays may still be in the wild-card hunt. For those who were in doubt--and there were many--Roberto Alomar still has plenty left. He just got tired of being an Oriole, so now he's the biggest reason why Ramirez is leading the free world in runs batted in. And Dave Nilsson gets a nod, if for no other reason than showing how stupid the Brewers were to call on Mike Matheny all those years. Pitchers of the Year
1) Pedro Martinez Pedro is having one of those historic Lefty Grove seasons. It's just a great year superficially, which hides just how dominant it is relative to the run context. Yes, Jeff Zimmerman is a middle reliever, but when your ERA is four runs lower than the league's, it's amazing how quickly a few innings can translate into wins, and he's thrown more than 50. Lost in the Big Unit's amazing six-hits-in-four-starts offensive "support" is the fact that he went into the break with 212 strikeouts. This could be a huge story come September. David Cone quietly continues to be, inning for inning, one of the most effective pitchers in baseball. Scott Williamson may be as much a catalyst in the Reds' winning ways as Sean Casey: he's thrown even more innings than Zimmerman. Kevin Millwood is showing that Cox and Mazzone didn't get lucky in developing Smoltz and Glavine--Smoltz and Glavine got lucky in pitching for Cox and Mazzone. To give you an idea how dominant Billy Wagner has been, consider this: no one in major league history has ever struck out three times as many hitters as hits allowed. Wagner is currently at around 4.5. And Jose Rosado is doing a better Glavine imitation than Glavine himself, while the Royals' bullpen insures that he remains one of the best-kept secrets in the game. Rookies of the Year
1) Jeff Zimmerman 2) Scott Williamson 3) Jeff Weaver 4) Carlos Febles 5) John Halama 6) Ronnie Belliard HM) Billy Koch, Brian Daubach, Carlos Beltran Well, if they're two of the eight best pitchers in the game, they probably should rank pretty high in ROY voting. The guy they call ROY here in Detroit, Jeff Weaver, is giving every indication he's going to be one of the premier starters of the next 15 years. If you've never seen him pitch, you're missing something. Febles has been spectacular on the field and has introduced something new to Kansas City at the plate, something about knowing a strizon or a strykzo or something. Halama is the new Jamie Moyer, which, like Jamie Moyer, doesn't sound nearly as good as it actually is. Belliard and Febles are eerily similar players, and Belliard only ranks lower because he didn't get his start until May. It's been one hell of a year for rookie relievers, as Billy Koch can tell you - he has as many saves as Williamson and Zimmerman combined, but is completely overlooked among this year's top rookies. Journalists are shocked at how the Red Sox are winning with Daubach batting third, but Dan Duquette isn't a journalist; journalists don't know how to read minor league statistics. And Carlos Beltran is about as impressive as a rookie can be without knowing the strike zone. Top Eight Teams of the Half
1) Cleveland Indians 2) Atlanta Braves 3) New York Yankees 4) Houston Astros 5) Boston Red Sox 6) New York Mets 7) Texas Rangers 8) San Francisco Giants I'd love to see the Indians not trade for a starter, just to see if they can steamroll everyone anyway. Let's face it: when the Braves make a move, no matter how dumb (Neagle, Tucker and Rob Bell for Boone and Remlinger?) it looks, we should all realize that they know what they're doing. Neagle is hurt, Boone hasn't been too bad, and Remlinger, of all people, is pitching wonderfully. And now that Maddux has dispensed with the longest slump of his career, they're back to staring at 100+ wins. The Yankees are old, but two prime-of-life MVP candidates at shortstop and in center field go a long way; how long depends on whether Cone stays healthy and the bullpen gets it together. With Dierker back, the Astros could be ready to leave the Reds in their afterburners; Biggio still hasn't gotten hot, and he could still break the single-season record for doubles. The Red Sox aren't a fluke. Good starting pitching, a middle infield of Garciaparra and Offerman, and finding minor league veterans who can swing the bat goes a lot farther than you'd think. The Mets are among the wild-card leaders in the NL, and they haven't hit on all cylinders yet. When the rotation rights itself--and I think it will--they should pass the Reds without looking back. The Rangers will go as far as Jeff Zimmerman will take them, a phrase I did not plan on writing four months ago;. With Ruben Mateo supplementing an already-terrific offense, they can win the division even with John Burkett in the rotation. Again. And the Giants, if Bonds can keep his newly-fragile body together, can win the NL West. Just for the record: their names are Rich Aurilia and Bill Mueller, not "smoke" and "mirrors". Jeff Hildebrand Players of the Year
1) Derek Jeter 2) Jeff Bagwell 3) Manny Ramirez 4) Nomar Garciaparra 5) Ken Griffey, Jr. 6) Sean Casey 7) Shawn Green 8) Chipper Jones 9) Jason Kendall 10) Bobby Abreu The time A-Rod lost to injury is the only reason there aren't three AL shortstops on my list. I couldn't find a worthwhile third Sean/Shawn either. And no, I don't really believe Abreu is the 10th-best player out there, but it's my small part to counteract the fact that he is extraordinarily underrated. Pitchers of the Year
1) Pedro Martinez 2) Curt Schilling 3) Randy Johnson 4) Jeff Zimmerman 5) David Cone 6) Jose Lima 7) Jose Rosado 8) Kevin Millwood The top spot is the easiest selection of the four categories here. After a brief slip in late May and early June, Schilling has resumed his dominant form, thanks in large part to Terry Francona's decision to stop letting him throw complete games regardless of how many pitches he throws. Johnson and Rosado can commiserate about how a lack of support plays havoc with the won/loss record. Rookies of the Year
1) Jeff Zimmerman 2) Ronnie Belliard 3) Warren Morris 4) Carlos Febles 5) Jeff Weaver 6) John Halama My fondness for the Northern League may be pushing Zimmerman higher than he really deserves, but he has been amazing. Beyond that, this seems to be the year of the rookie second baseman. (Among other much-hyped rookie 2Bmen, Joe McEwing is close to being on the list, while Marlon Anderson is not.) Halama is showing that the Randy Johnson trade was nowhere near as lopsided as the mainstream reporting last summer made it out to be. Top Eight Teams of the Half
1) Braves 2) Indians 3) Yankees 4) Reds 5) Astros 6) Red Sox 7) Giants 8) Diamondbacks The Braves get the nod over the Indians mainly because of their pitching depth. The Reds and Astros will likely prove once again how the wild card has eliminated great pennant races. The D'backs had a great early run, but a fade to mediocrity seems likely. Michael Wolverton Players of the Year
1) Derek Jeter 2) Jeff Bagwell 3) Chipper Jones 4) Roberto Alomar 5) Ken Griffey, Jr 6) Shawn Green 7) Sean Casey 8) Nomar Garciaparra 9) Luis Gonzalez 10) Bernie Williams This is pretty much in the order of the latest VORP rankings with slight adjustments for players who have especially good defensive numbers (Alomar, Green), or especially bad defensive numbers (Garciaparra, who's once again dead last among AL shortstops in zone rating; Tony Fernandez). If you exclude pitchers from the discussion, Jeter and Bagwell are the clear MVPs of their respective leagues. Pitchers of the Year
1) Pedro Martinez 2) Randy Johnson 3) Curt Schilling 4) Jeff Zimmerman 5) Omar Olivares 6) David Cone 7) Brad Radke 8) Jeff Suppan The big question here is where Zimmerman fits in among the starters. I believe he should be no lower than fourth, and you could make a case for putting him as high as 2nd. Reason #4516 that W/L records mean next to nothing: three of my top 10 starters have losing records (Radke at 6-7, Suppan at 4-5, Jose Rosado at 5-6). Kudos to Joe Torre for seeing past Rosado's record and putting him on the All-Star team, even if he was the token Royal. On the other hand, putting Charles Nagy on the team was a joke. Rookies of the Year
1) Jeff Zimmerman 2) John Halama 3) Jeff Weaver 4) Scott Williamson 5) Chris Singleton 6) Alex Gonzalez A weak year for rookie position players, with the preseason ROY favorites--Eric Chavez and J.D. Drew--failing to live up to the hype so far. Zimmerman's Eckersley-esque half-season makes him the runaway Rookie of the Year. When you consider Halama's work both as a starter and as a reliever, he gets a slight edge over Weaver for the number two spot. This list is unusual for who's not on it, with all three of the famous rookie second basemen (Carlos Febles, Warren Morris and Ronnie Belliard) missing the cut. I didn't forget about them; I just think they've been a notch below the above six so far. Top Eight Teams of the Half
1) New York Yankees 2) Atlanta Braves 3) Cleveland Indians 4) Houston Astros 5) Boston Red Sox 6) Cincinnati Reds 7) Toronto Blue Jays 8) New York Mets This ranking is based not on performance so far, but on how I think the teams will do the rest of the year. Cleveland will be even more formidable if they trade for an ace, but the latest I've heard is that the very top starters just aren't available (in particular, Schilling and Radke are rumored to be off the market). No team from either West division makes my top eight. If I were to pick a West team, it would be either the last-place Dodgers or the next-to-last-place Mariners. But then I'm always overrating the Mariners; I just don't see how their bullpen can continue to be this bad. Chris Kahrl Players of the Year
1) Derek Jeter 2) Jeff Bagwell 3) Jason Kendall 4) Manny Ramirez 5) Shawn Green 6) Chipper Jones 7) Sean Casey 8) Andruw Jones 9) Ken Griffey, Jr. 10) Bernie Williams I don't see anyone being particularly close to Jeter and Bagwell so far, so the top picks were easy. The Kendall vote is a bit of a sympathy thing, but he was having an outstanding season. I couldn't pick between Manny Ramirez and Shawn Green, so I didn't, and Chipper's been quietly potent. I tossed in the other Jones because his defense isn't merely outstanding, but basically critical for the Braves as they battle through their assorted pitching setbacks. Pitchers of the Year
1) Pedro... Guerrero? Sanchez? One o'them Jonesy-type common Latin names 2) Curt Schilling 3) David Cone 4) Randy Johnson 5) Omar Daal 6) Mike Hampton 7) Mike Sirotka 8) Mike Mussina Okay, so Pedro and Curt Schilling are pretty cut-and-dried, at least in my book. For a New Yorker, Cone has gotten very little press for an outstanding season, arguably the second-best behind Martinez. Randy Johnson drops to fourth: strikeouts are nice for Sportscenter, but his run prevention puts him behind my front three. I've probably pushed Daal too high, but in the group of starters after the big four, I simply like his stuff the best; that curve is mesmerizing. Sirotka's obviously a sentimental choice; I could just as easily put Parque up there. Despite some ugliness, Mussina has to put up with bad defense while pitching in a bandbox, and deserves some sympathy for the good year he's nevertheless managed to put together. Rookies of the Year
1) Jeff Weaver 2) Ronnie Belliard 3) Jeff Zimmerman 4) Warren Morris 5) Carlos Febles 6) Chris Singleton It's an interesting crowd of rookies this year, especially since so many of the early favorites have faltered. Weaver's been handled well and pitched extremely well in a tough park for a lousy team; in a season as offense-oriented in this one, I guess it's the contrarian in me that can't help but pick a pitcher. There are a passel of rookie second basemen, and Belliard has clearly outplayed the lot. I don't often put relievers on top of any lists, but Jeff Zimmerman is probably the Rangers' MVP at this point, although it will be interesting to see if the league adjusts to his slider or he just keeps humiliating everyone. Then comes the next-best pair of rookie second basemen, Morris and Febles. I suppose which one you prefer is a matter of taste, but Morris' hitting has been slightly better, and both of them leave the much-heralded Joe McEwing in their dust. What is Chris Singleton doing here? He's outplayed Carlos Beltran offensively and defensively, and this is his moment in the sun. I don't seriously expect him to still be on my list at the end of the year, as I expect people like Beltran or Gabe Kapler or J.D. Drew or Eric Chavez to have worked their way onto the ballot by then. But he's been a major surprise so far, and deserves credit for it. Top Eight Teams of the Half
1) Atlanta Braves 2) New York Yankees 3) Houston Astros 4) Cleveland Indians 5) Cincinnati Reds 6) New York Mets 7) Boston Red Sox 8) San Francisco Giants When in doubt, choose the Braves. For as many things that have gone wrong for them this year (Galarraga's cancer; injuries to Lopez, Weiss and Smoltz; the early stretch of ineffectiveness by Maddux and Glavine; Otis Nixon), they still have the best record in the National League. The Yankees have endured their share of hurts, but they still have the lineup and the rotation that should be favored in any short series. The Astros have also endured a huge number of setbacks, yet remain at the top of their division; they can expect reinforcements in the second half, especially with Scott Elarton in the rotation. The Indians drop to fourth because of their rotation and their ambivalence about improving it. Trusting their postseason fate to Dave Burba and Charles Nagy just doesn't inspire any confidence in me, and nobody gets bonus points for the extra runs or extra wins during the regular season that the Indians will get to pile on. The Reds have come far despite some rotation problems; unlike the Indians, they've been working on improving it, and Denny Neagle may yet win a game for them. The Mets deserve credit for building a much stronger team than the one that would have had Bobby Bonilla and Brian McRae playing every day, and they can hope Rick Reed bounces back and/or Octavio Dotel breaks through. The Red Sox could still make a big improvement if they managed to find one or two outfielders more dangerous than Damon Buford or Trot Nixon. The Giants remain a team with basic strengths (getting on base, no weak regulars, a deep bench, a good pen), and a mediocre rotation. They should be able to stay in front of the Snakes from here on out. Steve Rubio Players of the Year
1) Derek Jeter 2) Jeff Bagwell 3) Shawn Green 4) Chipper Jones 5) Sean Casey 6) Manny Ramirez 7) Ken Griffey, Jr. 8) Bernie Williams 9) Nomar Garciaparra 10) Roberto Alomar I have nothing useful to say here except I'm surprised Alomar is on my list. But he's fourth in the AL in RAR, and that's good enough for me, although it may say more about the paucity of good 2B in the AL right now. I have probably ignored defense far more than I should. Giant fans will wonder how come I didn't include Jeff Kent, J.T. Snow or any other white guy who doesn't look like Barry Bonds. Pitchers of the Year
1) Pedro Martinez 2) Randy Johnson 3) Curt Schilling 4) Mike Sirotka 5) Kevin Millwood 6) Jose Lima 7) Jose Rosado 8) Jeff Zimmerman I'm with Chris, I don't think relievers belong on lists like this, but Zimmerman is so important he has to be included. I think the overestimation of a closer's value is one of the most destructive problems with the large majority of major-league franchises; Arizona just gave up Brad Penny and two other players because they decided even a relatively untested, not-so-hot Mantei was worth the price. We're running some excellent articles on the importance of a bullpen these days...hopefully someday teams will realize having a handful of Zimmermans is more important than having one Mantei. Rookies of the Year
1) Jeff Zimmerman 2) Jeff Weaver 3) Ron Belliard 4) Warren Morris 5) Carlos Febles 6) Vladimir Nunez A lot of "making a point" choices here. Zimmerman for reasons noted above. Belliard because a couple of years ago on one of these polls, I chose him over Aramis Ramirez for a BP Top Prospect list, and I want to feel like I didn't screw up too badly. Nunez because I want to remind Arizona how stupid they were to think Mantei was so much better thanhim that they needed to throw in Penny and PTBNL to even up the deal. Top Eight Teams of the Half
1) Cleveland Indians 2) Atlanta Braves 3) Cincinnati Reds 4) Houston Astros 5) New York Yankees 6) San Francisco Giants 7) Arizona Diamondbacks 8) Texas Rangers If I had to pick one of these teams to to falter in the second half, it would be the D'Backs. I confess I'm embarassed to even put them on this list, given that they insist on playing Tony Womack. If and when Bell, Williams and Gonzalez come back to earth, Arizona will be wishing they had something more than Matt Mantei to show for their midseason shopping spree. Greg Spira Players of the Year
1) Derek Jeter 2) Jeff Bagwell 3) Nomar Garciaparra 4) Ken Griffey, Jr. 5) Chipper Jones 6) Roberto Alomar 7) Shawn Green 8) Sean Casey 9) Luis Gonzalez 10) Jason Kendall Jeter is way, way ahead of every other everyday player in either league; he has stepped up his game even as most of his teammates have declined. Bagwell is always on these lists, but this is the first time he's clearly been the NL first-half MVP since 1994. Garciaparra, Griffey, Jones and Alomar are all established stars who have contributed both offensively and defensively. Shawn Green, freed from Cito Gaston, has emerged as a terrific offensive player who also provides solid defense, while Sean Casey, freed from a different kind of baseball prison last year, is my bet as the player who will hit .400--with power--one of these years. He's that good a hitter, as he's proven this year. Luis Gonzalez has always been a personal favorite of mine, but he's played way, way over his head, and is already coming down to earth. Meanwhile, Jason Kendall's great play earns him a place on my list that he obviously won't keep, but it'll be a major loss to baseball if he doesn't recover fully from his injuries. Pitchers of the Year
1) Pedro Martinez 2) Randy Johnson 3) Curt Schilling 4) Jeff Zimmerman 5) David Cone 6) Jose Rosado 7) Mike Hampton 8) Omar Olivares and Brad Radke The first three are pretty obvious; Pedro's in a zone all his own, while Johnson and Schilling have both had extremely dominating seasons. Johnson's recent lack of support is weird, but ultimately irrelevant. Normally, relievers don't make any of my lists of top pitchers (Eckersley 1990 and Eichhorn 1986 are the two exceptions I recall), but Zimmerman's amazing stats (.106/.162/.153, 0.86 RA) and his use in extremely high-leverage situations--as opposed to how most closers are used--earns him the fourth spot. David Cone is in fifth place as a result of his fine overall performance, but he's been more crafty than dominating thus far and I expect his numbers to fall off in the second half. Jose Rosado is finally healthy again, though his support from the Royals has been anything but, and pitching like he did when he first came up. Mike Hampton's surprisingly strong half makes him the Astro of choice over the more publicized Jose Lima, while Brad Radke and Omar Olivares split the eighth spot. Olivares has been effective with smoke and mirrors (more walks than strikeouts?), just like last year in the first half. I expect him to fall apart somewhat after the All-Star break, just like he did last year in the second half. Meanwhile, Radke has pitched nobly and effectively for an awful team. Rookies of the Year
1) Jeff Zimmerman 2) Jeff Weaver 3) Carlos Febles 4) Alex Gonzalez 5) Ronnie Belliard 6) John Halama Zimmerman, for reasons noted above, earns the top spot for now, but there's lots of competition in one of the deepest rookie crops ever. Jeff Weaver, the young Detroit starter who was drafted just last year, has pitched effectively but will have to make counteradjustments in the second half to stay on top of his game. Fortunately, the Tigers have been relatively cautious with his usage, and that should help. Carlos Febles has shown on-base ability, defense and pop for the Royals all year long and will be a mainstay at second base for years to come. Alex Gonzalez, Florida's young shortstop, is raw but talented and is probably going to end up having a better season this year than his namesake in Toronto has ever had. He clearly has a lot to learn about the strike zone, though. Ronnie Belliard has been nothing but brilliant since he was called up by the Brewers, and is relatively low on my list only because of his lack of playing time. John Halama has somehow survived Lou Pinella's mismanagement and pitched effectively for Seattle both from the bullpen and the rotation, a rare feat that clearly deserves recognition. Top Eight Teams of the Half
1) Atlanta Braves 2) Cleveland Indians 3) Houston Astros 4) New York Yankees 5) New York Mets 6) Arizona Diamondbacks 7) Boston Red Sox 8) Cincinnati Reds If the Braves can survive the troubles of Maddux, Smoltz and Glavine and stay on their perch this long, they clearly deserve the top spot. The Indians are the majors' offensive powerhouse, but they still need what they've lacked for five years; a rotation ace. The Astros have shown weakness while Larry Dierker has been disabled, but with Dierker back I expect the Astros to reassert themselves and move back into first in the NL Central. The Yankees are not quite the team which steamrolled over everyone last year, but they still have depth everywhere. The Mets deserve credit for playing their productive youngsters over veteran stiffs like Bonilla, even if Agbayani is a total fluke, and will likely have stronger starting pitching in the second half as they aim for the wild card. The Diamondbacks' offense has played way over its head, but if it can avoid completely collapsing, the pitching should keep the D'backs in contention in the second half in what should be a very competitive division. The Red Sox have so far successfully ridden the backs of Pedro Martinez and Nomar Garciaparra, but they still need to find more offense to hold onto the AL wild card. The Reds' great play so far is a testament to the talent Jim Bowden has assembled, but there are definitely potholes--an overworked bullpen for one--awaiting the team in the second half. Joe Sheehan Players of the Year
1) Derek Jeter 2) Nomar Garciaparra 3) Alex Rodriguez 4) Ken Griffey, Jr. 5) Larry Walker 6) Jeff Bagwell 7) Mike Leiberthal 8) Mike Piazza 9) Dave Nilsson 10) Jason Kendall There's a lot of players having great--and similiar--years at key positions, and that's refelected in the above. A-rod is probably high, given how much time he missed, but he's also been dominant when he's played. The catchers are a bear to separate, and Chipper Jones probably belongs on here somewhere. Pitchers of the Year
1) Pedro Martinez 2) Randy Johnson 3) Jeff Zimmerman 4) Curt Schilling 5) David Cone 6) Jose Rosado 7) Omar Olivares 8) Billy Wagner There just aren't very many starting pitchers having big years. Olivares is fourth in SNWAR, which came as a shock. I doubt he'll be in the top 15 by the end of the year. Greg Maddux, for all his struggles, is just off this list, and could still win the Cy Young Award. It would help if he would be compared to the other pitchers in the league, and not his own peak. Rookies of the Year
1) Jeff Zimmerman 2) Carlos Febles 3) Ronnie Belliard 4) Jeff Weaver 5) John Halama 6) Scott Williamson Zimmerman has just been ridiculous, and it was nice that everyone got to see him Tuesday night. His movement and control are excellent, making up for a fastball that isn't exceptional. The rest of the class is deep and wide, especially at second base, which sports three solid candidates; the above two and Warren Morris. Top Eight Teams of the Half
1) Atlanta Braves 2) Cleveland Indians 3) New York Yankees 4) Houston Astros 5) Boston Red Sox 6) Arizona Diamondbacks 7) Toronto Blue Jays 8) Cincinnati Reds There's a sizable gap between #2 and #3, and a huge one between #4 and #5. I expect the Jays to catch Boston for the wild card in the AL, while the NL West and wild-card races will be great multiple-team train wrecks. I still like Dodgers and Cardinals in each, but I'm a stubborn SOB. Jeff Bower Players of the Year
1) Derek Jeter 2) Jeff Bagwell 3) Nomar Garciaparra 4) Sean Casey 5) Manny Ramirez 6) Chipper Jones 7) Larry Walker 8) Shawn Green 9) Ken Griffey, Jr. 10) Mark McGwire Why does it pain me so to put a Yankee at the top of this list? Sans Dierker the Astros have faded, but Bagwell is keeping them afloat. If Garciaparra can stay healthy, you can write the Red Sox in ink for the AL wild card. Comparisons to Mark Grace aren't fair: Casey is much better. If Bowden is as smart as we claim, he'll lock up Casey for the next decade. Ramirez's RBIs are merely a by-product of the fact that he is the best pure hitter in baseball. If Chipper Jones ever puts it together from both sides of the plate in the same season, watch out. Walker's numbers say to rank him higher, but I can't get by the fact the he is packaged by Coors. God, what a sweet swing Shawn Green has. Can you imagine if Olerud were still with the Jays? They'd have to distribute spittoons at Skydome for all the drool. Ignore all the stuff about Junior's numbers plummeting at Safeco. Nice "off year" for Big Mac. I don't mind not seeing him on TV every day, though. Pitchers of the Year
1) Pedro Martinez 2) Randy Johnson 3) Curt Schilling 4) Jeff Zimmerman 5) Jose Rosado 6) David Cone 7) Mike Hampton 8) Omar Olivares My lousy commentary can't do Martinez justice. Just once I'd like to stand in against Randy Johnson--in full armor. Thankfully, Francona has backed off a little with Schilling's workload. Zimmerman is the only thing standing between the Rangers and the rest of the AL West's sea of mediocrity. But he is quite a barrier. Rosado probably shouldn't be ranked this high, but how can you help but feel bad for him? I don't like the way Muser is inching up his pitch counts as the bullpen implodes. The most quotable Yankee is quietly having another fine year. Can you say "Hall of Fame"? Jose Lima makes for better ESPN footage, but Hampton is having the better year. Where would the Angels be without Olivares, anyway? Last place. Oh, yeah, that's where they are anyhow. Rookies of the Year
1) Jeff Zimmerman 2) Carlos Febles 3) John Halama 4) Jeff Weaver 5) Scott Williamson 6) Ron Belliard Zimmerman has been so dominant that I almost forget he is a rookie. In ten years, when Febles is creeping towards 2,00 hits, Frank White will no longer be the best second baseman in Royals' history. Halama has been effective, and gets special bonus points earned for working under Piniella that pushed him up this high. Weaver got off to a great start, but is fading fast. Somebody in the Cincinnati bullpen deserves recognition, and Williamson has been the best of a terrific group. Yes, I know Belliard doesn't even have 200 at-bats, but his .400+ OBP is for real. Top Eight Teams of the Half
1) Cleveland Indians 2) Atlanta Braves 3) New York Yankees 4) Houston Astros 5) Boston Red Sox 6) Cincinnati Reds 7) San Francisco Giants 8) Texas Rangers The Indians' offense isn't as good, nor the pitching as bad, as they're made out to be. Bullpen problems? What bullpen problems? The Braves continue to roll. The Yankees will improve on this ranking in the second half. Look for the Astros to pull away in the NL Central when The Wrangler returns to the bench after the All-Star break. The Sox are in good wild card position, and is there a manager who handles a pitching staff better than Jimy Williams? Jack McKeon manages the Reds' bullpen like it's 1973. Look at his relievers' ERAs and you wouldn't guess that it's 1999. Note to Dusty Baker: Be careful with Russ Ortiz. In the other West, Texas has the worst starting pitching in the division and is up by five games. Oates deserves more credit than he gets.
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