The prominent story right now is multiple batters chasing a .400 average. In the National League, Tony Gwynn (of course) is actually above it, swinging a sweet .405. Willie McGee (.388) and Tim Raines (.386) are within shouting distance as well.
In the American League, Dave Winfield just got off the disabled list and is tantalizingly close with a .395 clip. Dave Collins of Toronto is having a monster season and within a stone's throw too, registering a .392 average. Damaso Garcia is on the shelf right now, but that just means his .389 can't get any lower at the moment. We'll see what these totals look like at the end of June. Gwynn will get his chances as I have him hitting second in the Padres' lineup.
The Phenomenal Five
#1. St. Louis Cardinals, 44-22, .667. The Cardinals keep cruising in the NL East. Bruce Sutter continues to be the best reliever in the senior circuit and is automatic at the end of games. Ken Oberkfell's astronomic numbers are done now that he maxed his game total (you'll see him in Atlanta shortly) but Terry Pendleton has plugged in and picked up where Obi-Wan left off.
#2. Houston Astros, 41-23, .641. The Houston offense has cooled a bit over the past few weeks but their superior pitching talent has kept them well in front in the NL West. Enos Cabell comes off the injured reserve soon, which will be a welcome return.
#3. Toronto Blue Jays, 40-23, .635. Despite their continued success this season, they've slowly lost their lead in the AL East and are in danger of slipping into second place. Injuries to their middle infielders (Damaso Garcia, Tony Fernandez) hasn't helped. Their bullpen is also shaky.
#4. Detroit Tigers, 39-23, .629. Don't look now, but the Roar of '84 is back! The Tigers sit just a half game back in the AL East, and that's been accomplished with Kirk Gibson missing some time. Their offense is so deep they haven't missed a beat.
#5. New York Yankees, 37-25, .597. Despite being a bit banged up, the Bronx Bombers keep slugging their way into leads. Couple their offense with a crazy 1-2 punch of Jay Howell and Dave Righetti at the end of the game and it's hard for the opposition to record a victory.
Useless Stats
- Randy Johnson (not that Randy Johnson) of the Braves has the most at-bats (142) without double-digit strikeout totals (7). He got a lot of games in when Bob Horner was injured for the season, but soon he'll split time with Ken Oberkfell.
- Who has played the most games in the NL without an error? That would be Steve Garvey of the Padres (60).
- Wally Backman and Hubie Brooks of the Mets have the worst ISO (.042) of any qualified hitters in the NL.
- Mike Boddicker (Orioles) and Frank Viola (Twins) are tied for the league-lead in innings pitched with 106.2.
- Willie Hernandez (Tigers) and Dan Quisenberry (Royals) have the most wins in the AL (5) without a game started.
- LaMarr Hoyt of the White Sox has served up the most gopher balls on the season in the AL, with 18. Ouch.
- In honor of the late Jerry Stiller...Ken Phelps has a 1.279(!!!) OPS for the Mariners right now.
- Fellow Mariner Jack Perconte leads the AL in singles (73).
- Julio Cruz of the White Sox has been picked off first base a miserable four times on the season.
- Larry McWilliams of the Pirates leads the NL in walks with 44. Somehow, he still has a 2.70 ERA.
- Larry Andersen leads the NL with 27 appearances without a home run surrendered. Jeff Reardon is second with 26 games.
- Mike Scott of the Astros has the worst HR/9 ratio in the NL for qualified pitchers with a 1.55. This must have been pre-spit ball...
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