Babblin Brooks Online_____________________
By Rick Brooks

Players to watch for surprisingly big second halves:

Mike Cameron, OF, CWS - This ChiSox rookie put up a lot of crooked numbers for Birmingham in the Southern League and now he's getting the chance to do it in the big time. Count on it, big time.

Jose Cruz, Jr., OF, Sea - Ditto, except for the part about Chicago and Birmingham.

Quilvio Veras, 2B, SD - As you've probably heard by now, he's receiving acupuncture treatments for his bad hammies. So far, it's working wonders, and he already had 16 steals and his average was up to 0.260 with some pop.

Dale Sveum, IF, Pit - This journeyman shortstop hit 21 homers one year for Milwaukee as the successor to Robin Yount. That's a hard act to follow, and he didn't last very long. But he's still hitting homers since Buccos' injuries have given him another chance.

Doug Glanville, OF, CHC - The Cubs were hoping one left-fielder would emerge from the logjam in spring training. It took until June, but one has emerged. Currently at 0.308 with 11 steals and 37 runs in 185 AB's. Don't be surprised to see the slumping Brian McRae and his big salary traded to clear out centerfield for the equally speedy and better hitting Glanville.

Kevin Young, 1B, 3B, OF, Pit - Currently at 0.307-8-40-8-33 runs in 189 AB's. Handed 1B fulltime since Mark Johnson couldn't uphold his end of the platoon. This multiposition emerging talent started coming on with KC last year, so it's hard to understand how Bob Boone could let an interchangable part like this get away.

Mark McLemore, 2B, Tex - Had all kinds of injuries (knee and hand) to start the season. After surgeries and a DL stint, Mark is back to his old self. Watch for the Texas attack to be ignited by Mark and Rusty Greer.

Mike Timlin, RP, Tor - In - out - in - out - in. This is not a Lamaze breathing chart, but the schedule of Cito Gaston's position regarding Timlin as the closer. What is it today? Today it's in. Watch for Cito to be out tomorrow. However, Timlin may also be out - traded to a another team that will appreciate his talents more.

Darren Dreifort, RP, LA - Todd Worrell is finished as the Dodgers closer, definitely at the end of the season and possibly before then if he doesn't clean up his act. There's no way they re-sign a shaky 40-year-old reliever to a megacontract. Who's next? Dreifort or Osuna - take your pick. Of course, that's if Dreifort's arm stays healthy or Osuna's mind stays healthy.

Todd Greene, C, Ana - The Angels tried to keep him down, but they couldn't do it. Don't be surprised to see Edmonds and/or Erstad on the DL, Leyritz at 1B, and Greene behind the plate. It won't be long before he challenges Hundley, Piazza, and Lopez for most homers by a catcher.

Matt Stairs, OF, Oak - Check out this HR/AB ratio: 1 homer every 10.75 AB's, with 12-35-0-0.364 in 129 Ab's. That's Mark McGuire territory. And with Berroa now a Bird, he and Patrick Lennon will get lots more opportunities. Always a good hitter, Matt (like McGuire) has used weight training to become a megahitter.

Jeff Montgomery, RP, KC - You've got to be kidding, right? No, I'm not. Hipolito Pichardo hasn't pitched well since being hit on the arm by a line drive a couple of weeks ago. Monty has the most closing chances since then and he's taken advantage of almost all of them. Apparently finally rehabbed from surgery, Monty is probably back to his familiar closer's role.

Jeff Juden, SP, Mon - Nobody - repeat, nobody - has pitched better over the last three
weeks than this 6'8" monster. He has always had good stuff, but he has also always had a
bad attitude - until now, that is. Chalk another one up for Felipe Alou, whose A-ball team
was getting beat up by Juden 7 years ago. It hurts me to write this, since I gave up on
Juden just as he started on this roll. Fortunately for Juden, Alou has more patience than I do.

Ismael Valdes, SP, LA - Valdes is probably the biggest question mark on this list because
he left his last start with a strained hammy. At the time, he was working on his second
shutout in three starts. If he returns healthy, expect more of the same from the Dodgers
best starter.

Jason Schmidt, SP, Pit - After battling every kind of obstacle imaginable
(injury, trade, ejection, loss of confidence), Schmidt has finally found his niche with the
Buccos. He combines with Cooke, Loaiza, Cordova, and Lieber to give the young Pirates
a formidable starting rotation.

Rickey Henderson, OF, SD - What can you say about this future Hall of Famer, the
greatest leadoff hitter in the history of baseball, the most prolific base-stealer of all time?
Just say he's back.

Brian L. Hunter, OF, and Damian Easley, 2B, Det - I'm putting these two guys together
because they're inseparable in my mind - as in, What did Hunter and Easley do today?
And nowadays these erstwhile cast-offs are wreaking havoc on the American League.
Stealing bases, hitting homers, and beginning to hit for average. They are simply doing it all.

Mike Stanley, DH-1B, Bos - The former catcher got more playing time when Mo went on
the DL, and he showed what his true position is - hitter. He doesn't even need a glove to
play in the majors, unless it's a batting glove.

Ryan Klesko, OF, Atl - Big Ryan has battled back injuries all season, which explains his
low batting average. However, ask the National League pitchers if he hasn't started
feeling better in the last couple of weeks.

Joe Oliver, C, Cin - Joe earned almost fulltime status by being a better catcher than Taubensee. But lately it looks like he's also a better hitter than Taubensee as well as three fourths of all the other guys who wear the tools of ignorance.

J.T. Snow, 1B, SF - Quite frankly, I don't know if Snow is capable of carrying his act on for
an extended period. But he has definitely been tearing it up for a couple of weeks and
deserves a mention here, but with a question mark (?).

 Rick Brooks manages the Brooks Flood in the Huntsville Fantasy Baseball League.
See Article 1.