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The All-Star break is not the official midpoint of the baseball season, but it's as good a time as any to look back on the first half.
The first half saw Sammy Sosa and his 129 homers over the last two years fall from grace in Chicago after he asked the Cubs to either work on a new contract or trade him, even though his current contract doesn't run out until the end of next season.
While Sosa was shooting off his mouth on the north side, the south side of Chicago featured a team playing the best baseball in the majors. The surprising White Sox, a year ahead of schedule, posted the best record (55-32) in the majors and bolted out to a 10-1/2 game lead over former powerhouse Cleveland.
Can the Sox keep it up?
Who knows. What we do know is what took place in the first half, and this is what it looks like:
American League
MVP -ÊSeattle shortstop Alex Rodriguez. The Mariners are 51-35 and have the second-best winning percentage in baseball. The 24-year-old Rodriguez is a big reason why with a .345 average, 24 homers and 78 RBIs.
Cy Young - Toronto starting pitcher David Wells. Boomer is 15-2 with a 3.44 ERA.
Yeah, Boston's Pedro Martinez has a 1.44 ERA, but no one else has more than 11 wins in the AL. The Jays are 48-41 and tied for first with the New York Yankees in the AL East.
Rookie of the Year -ÊSeattle relief pitcher Kazuhiro Sasaki.
The 32-year-old Seattle closer, over from Japan, has a 3.48 ERA and has saved 19 games. Anaheim second baseman Adam Kennedy, acquired in the Jim Edmonds deal, is a close second with a .284 average, 40 RBIs and 12 stolen bases, but he's faded after an incredible start.
Manager of the Year - Jerry Manuel, Chicago White Sox. At 55-32, the Sox have the best record in baseball. Even Manuel didn't expect the Sox to rise this quickly - before the season, he said in July the Sox would start playing good baseball.
Most disappointing team -ÊCleveland Indians, 44-42. It doesn't look to get any better with the Indians' horrible pitching.
Most surprising team - Chicago White Sox, 55-32. The second-half schedule only gets easier.
Comeback Player of the Year - Chicago starting pitcher Cal Eldred. Arm problems put him on the disabled list from May 15-Oct. 2, 1995, from April 1-July 14, 1996 and from July 27-Sept. 28, 1998. From 1995-1999 with Milwaukee, he went 24-36. This year he's 10-2 at the All-Star break and has hit 95 mph on the radar guns.
Best in-season pickup - Chicago third baseman Herbert Perry. Perry, who's had six knee surgeries in his career and was injured all of 1997 and most of 1998 (he had 51 minor league at-bats), was waived by the last-place Tampa Devil Rays on April 11. The Sox claimed him on April 21, and now at age 30, he's starting at third base, displaying a quick bat and playing outstanding defense. After hitting .214 with no homers and one RBI with Tampa, he's now hitting .305 with six homers and 23 RBIs. He's never had more than 209 at-bats in one major league season, but with 174 so far this year, he should smash his old mark.
National League
MVP -ÊWith apologies to guys like New York catcher Mike Piazza, Colorado first baseman Todd Helton, St. Louis outfielder Jim Edmonds and Montreal outfielder Vladimir Guerrero, the first-half MVP award goes to San Francisco second baseman Jeff Kent. He's hitting .355 with 23 homers and 85 RBIs, nine more than anyone else in the NL. He and left fielder Barry Bonds are the only two sources of power on a Giants team that is 46-39 and 3-1/2 games out of first place in the NL West.
Cy Young - Arizona starting pitcher Randy Johnson. You keep waiting for the 35-year-old Big Unit to show his age, but he keeps refusing. He's 14-2 and leads the NL in wins, ERA (1.80), strikeouts (198), complete games (five), innings pitched (144.2) and is tied for first in shutouts (two).
Rookie of the Year -ÊSt. Louis starting pitcher Rick Ankiel. He's been as good as advertised, posting a 6-4 record and 3.74 ERA. In 91.1 innings, he's allowed just 75 hits and has struck out 93. His ERA is the best of St. Louis' five starters.
Manager of the Year - John Boles, Florida Marlins. Boles, who resembles a school headmaster, looks like he'd be more at home in the classroom, not in a dugout laced with sunflower seeds, spit and tobacco juice. But the salary-strapped Marlins are 45-43 and seven out in the NL East.
Most disappointing team -ÊHouston Astros. Yeah, they lost Mike Hampton and they moved into a hitter-friendly park, but did anyone envision 30-57, the worst record in baseball? The Astros have gone from first (97-65) to worst in the majors.
Most surprising team -ÊFlorida Marlins. The Marlins are winning with young players.
Comeback Player(s) of the Year - (Tie) Atlanta first baseman Andres Galarraga and Pittsburgh catcher Jason Kendall. Last year people questioned whether both would ever play again.
Both returned this year. Both made the All-Star roster this year. Galarraga returned after missing all of last year with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Kendall, who became known as the guy whose foot was on backwards, has returned from an ugly injury where he dislocated his right ankle when he hit the first-base bag in a play last year.
Galarraga is hitting .294 with 20 homers and 62 RBIs; Kendall is hitting .319 with seven homers, 28 RBIs and 15 stolen bases.
Best pickup -ÊColorado relief pitcher Gabe White. One of the few pitchers to thrive at Coors Field. With the Reds, White was 0-0 with a 6.75 ERA in two outings. Acquired in a trade for Manny Aybar, White is 6-0 with a 1.76 ERA. In 46 innings, he's allowed just 32 hits, walked nine and struck out 51.
