Mid Season - Far East Division

Well, who saw this coming? Osaka leads the Far Least by a game and a half? With a losing record? Kyoto is closer to last than first? It's been a wacky half-season so far on the other side of the world.
The Tai Fong are in familiar territory, holding onto their precious spot in the basement. That .310 winning percentage looks especially horrid this year - Tennessee's .228 in 2011 must be some kind of mark GM Dylan Goforth is aiming for - and we've seen Taipei's expansion plan take them from .406, .438, .413 to .356 last season. Memo to Goforth: You're doing this wrong! Start going with your second instinct. I guess the lone bright spot - and I do mean lone - would be ..... Ron Mexico pitching decently with a 3.44 ERA. Sure he's 5-8 but his ERA's two runs better than the rest of the staff. And he'll walk after this season so Taipei can then rush LHP Rudy Ruettiger to the Show. Things are going swell.
Is Kyoto the most underperforming team in SLB? What a train wreck of a season. The Bushido have scored the second fewest runs in SLB (yep, Taipei is the worst. Go ahead and check) thanks to some horrendous performances by veterans BB BooYa (.248) and Chase Utley (.232) but they share the responsiblity for this debacle with everyone but Antonio Mule. The strategy of "we don't hit for power but at least we're slow" doesn't seem to be paying off for GM Darin Keesing. Let's see how much of his roster he blows up before the deadline.
GM Ben Royer thought he'd be contending this season and Chiang-Mai is only 1.5 games out. But that sub .500 record has a stench to it as well. The days of the Kwaan scoring runs in bunches are over and the bullpen can't hold onto leads - 4 relievers have ERA's greater than 6.13. Look at those guys if you dare. You're not going to win with that 'pen. But Cap Jackson has returned from his life-threatening neck injury to finally live up to his promise, hitting .304 with 60 SB. Nice, that didn't take long. Just another season and a half before he's up for free agency after a lot of on-the-job-training in Thailand.
Osaka finds themselves in first after weather some big-time injuries and can still put up a lot of crooked numbers. Reuben Brown is hitting .297 with 8 HR in 29 games and may have time to join Chest Rockwell, Dave Peppers, John Thomas and Tony Montana in the Ronin 30 HR club. Yup, that pitching staff is getting lit up but doing just enough. With the second most runs scored on offense and the second worst ERA, watch for the Ronin club to petition the commissioner to allow a keg placed out at second base for home games.
There you have it. Quite a down year for this division but with a few surprises. How does OSA's Tim Spooneybarger manage a sub 4.00 ERA for another season? Johan Santana can't do that in Osaka. Did TAI's 1B Dan Posedel completely forget how to hit? Lifetime he's .281. This season .213 (and batting in the second spot.) The surprise out of Chiang-Mai has already been mentioned (Cap Jackson). Biggest disappoinment in SLB? Kyoto's entire roster. Maybe that's a little harsh, there might be 4 players ....
Mid Season picks: Cy Young - Homer Bailey, Atlanta. MVP - Ryne Robinson, Paris. Rookie Hitter of the Year - Kiki Brezovan, Halifax. Rookie Pitcher of the Year - Chaz Roe, Cleveland.