Mid-Season Report

The 2009 Resurrection Life Warriors roll into the All-Star break with a perfect 9-0 record, and a two-game lead in the league standings. The squad has its most successful first-half of any season in club history and is on pace to set several team records for the Eden Prairie League.

The team has posted several offensive outbursts this year including three games with 24+ runs, already a team record. The team has also had ten innings of seven runs or more with five of at least ten runs. The Warriors set a team and league record with a 19-run inning earlier in the season.

The offense has been so well spread out, the team hasn't suffered any major slumps. The team is averaging just under 19 runs a game at 18.8 and has just one game where the team scored less than 15 runs, a 9-5 victory.

Currently, there are six hitters with an average over .600 and two more that are over .570. There are seven players with on base percentages over .600 and three more at .529 or better. The team's batting average and on base percentages of .587 and .616 would be team records if maintained in the second half.

However, the real burst this year has been the return of the slugger. Starting in 2006 through last year, the team saw a steady decline in power numbers. See the chart below for more statistical info:
slugging%/homers per game/# of guys with 5+ homers
2006: .951/2.3/5
2007: .796/1.9/3
2008: .767/1.0/1

2009 has been a different story. The team is slugging at a 1.009 clip with 2.9 homeruns per game. Everyone on the team, with the exception of Chris Wold, has a homerun in regulation. Wold has two homeruns for outs, so even he's gotten into the action. Three players have four homeruns or more and there is a realistic shot that three guys will finish with ten homeruns or more with another three players with at least five. Jeff Johnson has been a tough-luck homerun hitter with just two on the season, but he has hit an amazing five for outs. That would give him seven on the year which would tie him for the league-lead with teammate Austin Colby. As a team, Rez has ten homeruns for outs, which would put the team's homerun total at 36 in nine games. In 2008, the team hit a total of 25 in 25 games.

What's changed? A lot of things have been working well. With such a consistent lineup, Manager Colby has been able to move the batting order around significantly, putting more people in the position to hit for homeruns with men on base. Everyone has at least eight at bats with runners in scoring position and the team has responded, hitting .652 in those situations.

Austin Colby is again leading the offensive charge statistically, but he isn't doing it from the top of the order. Because of everyone's performance, he has been able to bat 6th or lower four different times, giving the bottom of the order a nice boost. He is currently pacing the team and league in average, .774, on base percentage, .778, slugging percentage, 1.839, OPS, 2.616, runs scored, 23, rbi, 29, and homeruns, 7. He is tied for third in the league and shares the team lead with six doubles. The great first half has led to another starting All-Star spot at shortstop, his fourth consecutive.

Newcomer Jeff Tenney has been steady as you go in the middle of the lineup so far. While his numbers don't jump out at you, they are outstandingly solid. Not only is he playing an excellent third base and shortstop, but he is also hitting in the 4-6 holes with excellent power and production. he is hitting .611 overall with six doubles and five homeruns, tied for third in the league. He has scored 20 times and brought home 19. His OPS of 1.872 is good for third in the league so far and he is the starting third baseman on the All-Star team.

The third starting infielder on the All-Star team is second baseman Eric Johnson. Eric has had the comeback year that this sports writer has been predicting for three full seasons. Eric started off on a tear and has only recently settled into a groove. I can see his average of .647, 5th in the league, and OPS of 1.766, also 5th in the league, holding strong for the balance of the season. Eric has mashed four homeruns and driven home 20 runs, good for third in the league.

Chris Wold has brought a great dynamic to the team from the pitching bump. He is easily the league's best pitcher and his starting nod on the mound for the All-Star game is confirmation of that. At that plate, he has been excellent as well. He is hitting .652, 4th in the league, with three doubles and one triple. He plays great defense from the pitcher's spot and has saved many a single up the middle. Look for Chris to flex a little more of his power muscles in the second half.

The team has placed two outfielders on the starting All-Star squad this year. After taking a year off, 2007 team MVP Chris Burr has come back with more of his solid if not excellent play. He earns his third All-Star nod with a .613 average and 1.712 OPS. He has four doubles, two triples and two homeruns so far while scoring 14 and driving home 15. He has also played left-center and center flawlessly, making no errors in 14 chances.

Jamy Antoine is the second starting outfielder for the Warriors. Jamy seems to be putting together the consistently dominant season the team has been waiting for. He is hitting .581 with a .645 on base percentage, top 10 in the league, and a 1.097 slugging percentage, also league top-10. He is leading the team and league with five triples and has added three doubles and one homerun giving him an OPS of 1.742, fourth on the team and 6th in the league. He is leading the outfield with 16 chances so far, all putouts.

The team managed one more All-Star in 2009, placing seven total on the squad, and expression of the league dominance it displayed in the first half. Jason Merritt narrowly beat the third baseman from St. Andrew Red in the internet voting for the final spot. Last season, Jason lost out on the final spot in the internet voting, but his all-around play and hot finish to the first half pushed him over the Red third baseman this season. Jason is hitting an even .600 with three doubles, one triple and two homeruns. He has scored 15 runs and driven home 13. He hasn't seen much action defensively so far, but he has been perfect when tested.

Jonathan Engbrecht has been solid in the first half, hitting a career-best .571 so far. He has scored every single time he's been on base so far too, 16 times. He has 10 rbi to go with his one double, one triple and one homerun. Jon can erupt at anytime for more power numbers, so we could see a definite spike in those numbers before season's end. Jon has played both the infield and outfield this season, as has been the norm in year's past.

A 2008 All-Star, Andy Briggs struggled early to get his bat going but as of late, he has cruised to a .500 average with a very good .645 on base percentage. He has hit one homerun so far, but that has been his only extra base hit. Look for Andy to poke a few more gaps in the second half. Quietly, he is having another excellent season in the infield. This year, he has played third, short and second with equal success. He should settle in at short and second for the second half and make a run at some league golf-glove honors.

Jeff Johnson has hit the ball a lot harder than the stats would indicate. His batting average of .429 and slugging percentage of .786 hardly do justice to the damage he's put on some balls. He has hit a league-record five homeruns for outs in nine games. If those had counted, his average would be .607 and his slugging percentage would be 1.500 which would be second in the league. Not bad. If he can pick and choose when to swat those bombs, his second half numbers could really be eye-opening.

2009's biggest surprise has come from Adam Hey. He has improved every area of his game which is shown in his .448 average and .529 on base percentage. He also mashed his first career homerun into a biting wind earlier this season. Adam has become a decent catcher and a reliable outfielder also. He has scored 13 times and driven in 10. In 21 games last year, he scored just 14 times and drove home 10. Great first half for Adam.

League Outlook:
It would take something drastic for the Warriors not to win the league title by at least four games. An undefeated season should be the goal now, and with some hot teams around the league the Warriors will have to bring it each week.

I see Rez holding serve the rest of the year and capping the league's first ever perfect season at 18-0. I see EPAG picking up its pace and finishing in second with an 11-6-1 mark and Wooddale completing an amazing turn-around with an 11-7 mark. Immanuel will come in fourth at 9-8-1 with Pax still comfortably behind at 6-11-1.

The two St. Andrew teams will battle to stay out of the basement but Blue will come out on top with a record of 4-14. Red will own the cellar at 2-15-1.

Team Outlook:
Rez won't stop hitting all year. If the wind is ever blowing out, look for a ten-homer game. The team will finish with team-records in average, runs scored, homeruns, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It should be fun to watch.
- Tenney will hit ten homeruns in the last nine games.
- Eric will maintain his dominance and capture 1st Team All-League
- Jeff Johnson will hit five real homeruns....and three more for outs.
- Seven players will hit .600 or better
- Three players will hit ten homers or more
- The team will have a 20-run inning
- Adam will hit .500
- Andy will get a triple
- Jason will win the bet...
- Wold will hit a homerun....at some point
- Jamy will NOT hit 10 triples...but he'll sure try
- Burr will get at least six each of doubles, triples and homeruns
- Jonathan will have a multi-homer game
- Austin will flirt with .800 but ultimately fall short

First-Half Awards:
League:
All-Star: Austin Colby
All-Star: Jeff Tenney
All-Star: Eric Johnson
All-Star: Chris Wold
All-Star: Chris Burr
All-Star: Jamy Antoine
All-Star: Jason Merritt

Team:
MVP: Eric Johnson. I believe that while the lineup has been awesome across the board and Austin is having a ridiculously funny statistical season, Eric has been the anchor. We knew the return of Burr and addition of Tenney would add some serious firepower; it was expected and it has happened. We knew that Wold would be a .650+ hitter near the top of the order. The big question mark was whether or not Eric would be the dominant church-league hitter circa 2003-first-half of 2006 or would he be the one from the second half of 2006 through 2008? He has answered that call with an elite first-half which has given him the edge at MVP so far.

Infield Gold Glove: Chris Wold/Jeff Johnson. Pitcher and first base are not the positions you think of when you consider gold-glove caliber defenders. However, you cannot ignore the numbers. Wold is amazing on the mound. He makes it easier for his middle infielders which in turn makes it easier for the corners. Jeff just makes his plays and goes about it in a business-like way. Will he ever win stlye points? No, but he catches the ball and fields the ball. Well deserved honor for both.

Outfield Gold Glove: Jamy Antoine. For the second straight year, Jamy wins the mid-season gold glove honor in the outfield. This will be a dogfight come year-end. The three main outfielders and Austin all get it done extremely well out there. No one truly stands out, but Jamy has made every play this year, including a couple of tough plays. His arm has been solid and his glove has been perfect so far. Should be a great battle for outfield supremacy in the second half.

Projected Lineup:
1. Chris Wold, P
2. Austin Colby, SS
3. Chris Burr, LC
4. Eric Johnson, C
5. Jeff Tenney, 3B
6. Jason Merritt, LF
7. Jamy Antoine, RC
8. Jonathan Engbrecht, DH
9. Andy Briggs, 2B
10.Jeff Johnson, 1B
11.Adam Hey, RF