Coastline outscores Shanghai 37-17 and take 4 wins to pull into a tie with the Dragons atop the NL East. In what has become an annual tooth and claw battle between the Bobcats and the Dragons in the tough eastern division of the NL, the Ironmen of Duluth are trying to crash the party by staying 4 1/2 games back. In the middle of divisional battles just prior to the mid-season break, the races are heating up. Southern has a surprisingly comfortable lead of 12 games over Utah in the NL Central, while Phoenix is showing their World Series appearance last season was no fluke by distancing themselves 7 1/2 games over Castaic and 9 games over Truckee.
        Over in the AL, the Eastern division may have the best race of all, and definitely the 3 best teams in the junior circuit. Connecticut has a 1 game edge over Yakima, with Bronx only 2 more games back and all 3 teams with a .600+ winning percentage. The AL Central has a 3 team race of a more mediocre variety, with South Carolina taking a 1 game margin over both Sunset and Minnesota as they struggle to stay above .500. In the AL West perennial power Huntington is just now surging to take the division lead of 4 games over Laguna and only 5 games over Redstorm.
        At the mid-year break, it would be nice for owners to submit a short report card of their team with the high (and low) lights.

Pitching Returning To Power in the RTCBL
Brett Holbrook (HBB)

         Jack Coombs of the Truckee Mountain Lions tosses the rare No-No, a no-hitter against their division rival Castaic Fishermen. Yet he loses to Deacon Phillippe, who throws his own 4-hit shutout in the 3-0 victory. The culprit? Coombs' 3 free passes to Ron LeFlore, Roberto Alomar and Luis Aparicio, who steal 2nd base (LeFlore and Alomar pilfering 3rd also) then come home on a Sacrifice Fly and groundouts. The dominant performances by both these pitchers highlights a week of superior pitching, if not an indication of pitcher dominance in the RTCBL. Has it always been this way? What is getting better in the RTCBL over the first half decade, pitching or hitting? MORE...