L.I. DUCKS ~ Enter Break as League's Top Team

From the desk of:  THE WEBBED SPIKES NINE


LONG ISLAND DUCKS:  ....and that makes Forty Wins for the 1st Half Champs as the League heads into the All*Star Break.


NOTE: This Posting Is In Between Games of a Double-Header vs. Somerset Patriots.


Except for one game scheduled to be played tomorrow, the Atlantic League has hit it's mid-point of the season.  And while already having clinched a first half title, Sunday's win against the Somerset Patriots was the Long Island Ducks' 40th of the season.


Winners of their last three games, they wrap up the first half with an Atlantic League best 40-22 record and are the only team playing above a .600 winning percentage (.645); three games better than the Freedom Division winner; Lancaster Barnstormers.


As they enter the All*Star break, J.R. House is the new League leader in RBI with 47; while he and Ray Navarrete have crept-up on the League leader in home runs with 11 each.


Matt DeSalvo of York is the new League leader in strikeouts, but Long Island's Mike Loree still dominates the Atlantic League mound.  He's leading the League in wins with 10 and is the only pitcher with an ERA below 2.00, claiming a 1.71 mark.


The York Revolution and the Ducks will have the most players representing their teams in the Atlantic League All*Star Game.  They have seven selections each.  Two teams comprised of twenty-two Freedom Division and Liberty Division players square off in the Atlantic League's Mid-Season exhibition.


From the Ducks, pitchers Mike Loree and Mike Parisi will be making well deserved trips to the Game.  John Rodriguez was selected but has been hampered with a thumb injury and is unlikely to play in Wednesday night's game.  The rest of the positional players selected to go to the All-Star Game are Matt Esquivel; Javier Colina; Kraig Binick (second in the League in Batting Avg.); and J.R House.


The season will resume Friday when the reset button starts the divisional races a-new for the second half.  But then, the Ducks don't have to worry about that...., do they?



Mike.BTB