Aloha Ka Punahou 2005.16
Despite an offense that ranks
last in such categories as runs, hits, batting average, and on-base percentage; and
a continual stream of injuries whose most recent victims were Resurrection Santos
and Sam Jones (in a season-ending, off-field injury in which he was knee-capped by
a would-be mugger), the
Hawai'i Tropics have played above .500 in its last 48 games.
"Pitching, power, speed, defense," said team spokesperson Lilo Stitch. "Well, maybe
not so much power."
The Tropics are 9th in home runs in the JL, but expect that number to rise with the
addition of Liao Kuan to the lineup, who club officials expect to come off the DL in a
week. Liao was injured in Spring Training.
Jeff Mueller, playing full time for the first time in his career, leads the team with 11
home runs. That's 4 more than he hit last year in five more at bats.
Hurley Reyes has hit 6 home runs (and the team 21 of 64 home runs) this month
through June 20. Mueller, CF Al Hughes, and RF Deivi Contreras have each hit 3 in
that time period. Contreras was recently declared too unseasoned by a GM in trade
talks.
Al Hughes has stolen 5 bases thus far in June and his 25 steals rank second in the JL.
Hughes has started 70 of the team's 71 games, has hit .394 in June, and has yet to
commit an error in 154 career games.
Hughes and closer McKinley Washington might be the best options to represent the
team at the All-Star Game. Washington has 6 saves thus far in June and 5 in both
April and May.
The Tropics play ten more games this month: one at Seattle, 3 at Omaha, and 6 at
home v Greenville. Hawai'i is 1-0 and 4-2 v the first two teams, but have yet to face
the Moonshiners in 2005.
