Keeping with out theme of minor league players hitting well, last night former Staunton Brave Jon Jay (04) ripped three hits for the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds, in the (surprise!) St. Louis Cardinal's minor league system.

Jay went 3-6, with 2 runs, 3 RBI, a double, and a stolen base. He's now hitting 256/325/326 in 313 at-bats, with 10 doubles and 15 stolen bases.

Next step is the major leagues!

James McOwen was a good hitter when he played for the Luray Wranglers in 2005 and 2006. Drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 6th round in the 2007 draft, the outfielder from Florida International has struggled to hit a bit in pro ball- before this year.

Back at High Desert in the California League this season, McOwen is proving his ability in a big way: he's on a hitting streak that is the longest in the last 55 years. With 2 singles in 4 at-bats last night, his streak is now up to a whopping 45 games. Seven times over the 45 games he's needed a hit in his last at-bat in a game, and come through.

His streak is now the 8th longest in all of minor league history, and the longest in the California League's history. He's a little less than 2/3 of the way to the longest ever, but with the way he's hitting, who knows? He's now hitting 355/412/504 in 276 at-bats this season, with 12 doubles, 7 triples, 5 home runs, and 5 stolen bases. It's pretty clear that he deserves a call-up to Double-A, but the Mariners will most likely wait until the streak ends, like the Nationals did with Brandon Watson's streak in 2007. (Watson had a 43-game streak in Triple-A: as soon as it ended, he was called up to the majors.)

Here's a list of the longest streaks in history:

It's not often that a former Valley Leaguer appears on a list with Joe DiMaggio!

Here's a link to a Larry Stone article in the Seattle Times, and James' career stats. Keep it up, James!

All six games were played last night:

Results

Rockbridge 7, Luray 4
Fauquier 1, Waynesboro 1
Winchester 8, Covington 2
New Market 4, Haymarket 3 (12 innings)
Woodstock 5, Front Royal 3
Harrisonburg 7, Staunton 4

Hitter of the Day

Dave Fallon, Winchester, from St. John's. Dave went 4-4, with 2 runs, 2 RBI, a double and home run in the Royals' win against Covington. Dave is hammering the ball so far this year: he's at 388/465/588 over 85 at-bats.

Others of Note

Rob Froio, Rockbridge, from Lafayette: 4-4, 2 runs, RBI
Greg Hopkins, Haymarket, from St. John's: 4-6, 2 runs, double
Evan Noell, Haymarket, from Coastal Carolina: 3-5
Kenny Mickens, New Market, from LA City: 4-6, run, 2 RBI, double
Shawn Ablett, Woodstock, from Memphis: 3-4, 2 runs
Cory Tilton, Woodstock, from UNC Charlotte: 2-2, 3 RBI, walk, SF

Pitcher of the Day

Michael Patton, Fauquier, from North Georgia. Michael went 8 shutout innings against Waynesboro, allowing only 5 hits, 1 walk, and striking out 8. He's now 2-1, 2.87 in 31 1/3 innings.

Others of Note

Matt Shepherd, Waynesboro, from Tennessee Tech: 6 1/3 innings, 3 hits, 1 run (earned), 3 walks, 6 strikeouts, the loss vs. Fauquier
Adam Atkins, Winchester, from Tennessee: 6 2/3 innings, 4 hits, 2 runs (earned), 3 walks, 7 strikeouts, the win vs Covington
Matt Benedict, Haymarket, from Western Carolina: 8 innings, 6 hits, 3 runs (earned), 0 walks, 5 strikeouts
Brian Burgess, New Market, from West Alabama: 3 shutout innings, 3 hits, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts, the win vs. Haymarket
Garrett Parker, Harrisonburg, from Oklahoma City: 7 innings, 6 hits, 3 runs (earned), 1 walk, 10 strikeouts
Corey Polizzano, Staunton, from Floirda International: 6 innings, 5 hits, 2 runs (earned), 2 walks, 6 strikeouts

We've reached day 30! All 6 games were played last night:

Results

Woodstock 4, Harrisonburg 2
Covington 10, Fauquier 1
Front Royal 12, Staunton 4
Haymarket 9, Rockbridge 4
Winchester 13, Waynesboro 3
New Market 8, Luray 3

Player of the Day

Jordan Steranka, Winchester, from Penn State. Jordan went 4-5, with 3 runs, 4 RBI, 2 doubles, and a home run against Waynesboro. He's now hitting 203/272/378 in 74 at-bats.

Others of Note

Aaron Dudley, Winchester, from Toledo: 3-5, 2 runs, 2 doubles
Dave Fallon, Winchester, from St. John's: 3-5, 2 runs, 5 RBI, 2 doubles
Brad Wehrmeyer, Winchester, from Western Michigan: 3-3, run, RBI, double
Richard Gonzalez, New Market, from VCU: 3-3, 2 RBI, double, sacrifice
Tom LaStella, Haymarket, from Coastal Carolina: 3-5, 2 runs, RBI, double
Zath Stone, Haymarket, from Elon: 2-3, 2 runs, RBI, 2 walks, double, stolen base
Steve McQuail, Front Royal, from Canisius: 2-4, 3 runs, 3 RBI, home run, HBP
Jared Simon, Front Royal, from Tampa: 3-4, 3 runs, RBI, double, home run, stolen base
Junior Arrojo, Covington, from Florida International: 3-3, 3 runs, HBP, 3 stolen bases
Andrew Longley, Covington, from South Florida: 3-4, run, 2 RBI, home run, HBP

Pitcher of the Day

Cassidy McDaniel, Covington, from Radford. Cassidy threw an excellent game against Fauquier, going 7 innings and allowing 4 hits, 1 run (earned), 1 walk, and striking out 8. He's 1-0, 0.41 in 22 innings. It was his first start of the year.

Others of Note

Greg Van Sickler, Front Royal, from Shenandoah: 7 innings, 4 hits, 3 runs (earned), 1 walk, 6 strikeouts, the win vs. Staunton
Grant Sasser, Haymarket, from NC State: 6 innings, 5 hits, 2 runs (earned), 0 walks, 7 strikeouts, the win vs. Rockbridge

Yesterday, we determined that Staunton's Aaron Swenson is the half-season Cy Young Award winner, based on how writers have voted for pitchers in the past.

Today we turn our attention to the half-season MVP. Many folks claim that the MVP should be the best player on the best team. This would mean that a Staunton Brave would win. Others believe that the best player should be the best hitter, period. That would include a list of players like Greg Hopkins, Blake McDade, Ricard Gonzalez, and a myriad of others.

Last year, I discovered a formula used by Baseball Prospectus that they have used to determine who would win. Interestingly, this formula came up with the two best candidates- Brandon Sizemore and the real winner, Tyler Townsend.

Baseball Prospectus, in this article from December 2001, analyzed the voting in the National League to look for similarities in how the MVPs are chosen by sportswriters, and what variables have more weight.

This is what the author, Chaim Bloom, found:

"Specifically, [Bloom's] NL MVP predictor assigns one point each for the following:

    * Leading the league in runs batted in.
    * Leading the league in batting average.
    * Leading the league in home runs.
    * Driving in 100 runs.
    * Having a .300 batting average.
    * Playing for a division- or league-winning team.
    * Playing an up-the-middle position for a division or league winner.

Total those points for all players; those with the most points are the candidates. If there's more than one candidate, sum their batting average, RBIs, and home runs, and add a bonus (15 points) for playing an up-the-middle position and/or playing for a division winner. That's it. That's going to give you your MVP."

First, let's look at the leaders in the categories:

• RBI leader- Blake McDade, Staunton- 30
• HR leader- Steve McQuail, Front Royal- 10
• Average leader- Chris Clinton, Staunton- .429
• No one, obviously, drove in 100 runs
• Hitting .300- 28 players are currently over .300
• Front Royal, Luray, and Staunton are currently leading the three divisions
• Up the middle positions: shortstop, second base, catcher, and center field

This leaves us with 11 players with more than one point. Moving on to the second phase of the process: batting average plus RBI plus home runs plus the possible bonus. Here they are, in order:

1. Chris Clinton, Staunton: 429+15+1+15= 460
2. Pablo Bermudez, Luray: 386+14+3+0= 403
3. Drew Martinez, Luray: 358+14+0+15= 387
4. John Dishon, Staunton: 364+13+2+0= 379
5. AJ Wirnsberger, Luray: 338+17+0+15= 370
    Jared Simon, Front Royal: 343+21+6+0= 370
7. Todd Brazeal, Staunton: 333+21+6+0= 360
8. Kent Burford, Staunton: 317+4+0+15= 336
9. Steve McQuail, Front Royal: 302+19+10+0= 331
10. Blake McDade, Staunton: 288+30+2+0= 320
11. Jacob Wilson, Luray: 300+9+1+0= 310

Here are a few players that would do well if they had enough points to make the list of finalists:

1. Greg Hopkins, Haymarket: 411+20+3+0= 434
2. Richard Gonzalez, New Market: 386+19+0+0= 405
3. Steve Sabins, Winchester: 375+19+4+0= 398
4. Kenny Mickens, New Market: 381+11+0+0= 392
5. Bobby Brown, Harrisonburg: 368+9+2+0= 379
6. Alex McClure, Waynesboro: 350+10+0+0= 360
7. Dave Fallon, Winchester: 342+14+0+0= 356
8. Matt Blow, Woodstock: 342+6+2+0= 350

So, as of July 6, our half-season MVP is Chris Clinton, from Staunton! I'd be curious to hear from Staunton fans- is Clinton even the MVP of the Braves? Is it Brazeal instead? McDade? Dishon?

Again, this is just for fun. I will not be choosing my top hitters using this formula at the end of the season.

Four games on the slate last night:

Results

Woodstock 5, Rockbridge 4
Fauquier 5, Winchester 2
Luray 7, Covington 6
New Market 5, Harrisonburg 3

Player of the Day

Andrew Longley, Covington, from South Florida. Andrew went 3-4, with 3 runs, 2 RBI, and 2 home runs. He's now hitting 295/429/500 in 44 at-bats.

Others of Note

Steve Sabins, Winchester, from Oklahoma State: 2-3, RBI
Justin Wilson, Fauquier, from UNC-Charlotte: 2-3, 2 runs, RBI, triple, sacrifice, stolen base
George Carroll, New Market, from NY Tech: 3-4, run, RBI, double

Pitcher of the Day

Dominic Favazza, Rockbridge, from St. Joseph's. Dominic threw 8 1/3 innings against Woodstock, allowing 2 hits, 4 runs (only 1 earned), 2 walks, and striking out 5. He's 0-2, 4.81 in 24 1/3 innings.

Others of Note

Jack VanLeur, Fauquier, from Creighton: 4 no-hit, shutout innings, 3 walks, 3 strikeouts, the save against Winchester
Steve Owens, New Market, from Richmond: 6 innings, 1 hit, 2 runs (1 earned), 2 walks, 7 strikeouts, the win vs. Harrisonburg

Four games played last night, as more rain swept through the Valley. (Not that I'm actually in the Valley right now. It poured rain here in OBX...)

Results

Woodstock vs Rockbridge, Covington vs Waynesboro, New Market vs Staunton postponed
Fauquier 7, Harrisonburg 1
Fauquier 4, Harrisonburg 2
Haymarket 10, Luray 9
Front Royal 7, Winchester 5

Player of the Day

Pablo Bermudez, Luray, from Florida International. Pablo had an amazing 5-5 game, with 3 runs, an RBI, home run, stolen base, and caught stealing. He's now hitting 394/474/621 in 66 at-bats.

Others of Note

Ben Burgess, Fauquier, from Tennessee Tech: 3-4, run
Michael Lang, Haymarket, from Rutgers: 4-5, 2 runs
Andrew Lawrence, Haymarket, from Boston College: 3-5, 2 runs, 4 RBI, home run
DJ Hicks, Luray, from Central Florida: 2-4, 2 runs, 2 RBI, walk, double, home run
Jacob Wilson, Luray, from Memphis: 3-5, run
Aaron Dudley, Winchester, from Toledo: 2-3, 3 RBI, 2 walks
Gabriel Ortiz, Winchester, from Vanderbilt: 2-3, 2 runs, 2 walks, double
Buddy Sosnoskie, Front Royal, from Virginia Tech: 2-3, 2 runs, walk, double, 2 stolen bases

Pitcher of the Day

Kyle Putnam, Fauquier, from Marist. Kyle won his 3rd game of the year, holding Harrisonburg to 6 hits, 1 walk, 1 run (earned), and striking out 6 in 7 innings. Kyle's now 3-0, 1.21 in 29 2/3 innings.

Other of Note

Mark Andrews, Haymarket, from Bryant: 3 shutout innings, 1 hit, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts, the win vs. Luray

Some radical changes this week. Just so you know, I list the teams based on records and run differentials, then I look at where they were last week and their record for the past week. Here's what the list looks like:

(The stats, in order: record, runs scored and runs allowed, (record since the last power rankings), and change from last week.)

1. Staunton: 15-6, 160-103 (3-2), no change: hitting 297/388/420 as a team

2. Luray: 13-8, 133-116 (2-4) no change: stumbled last week, led by Drew Martinez's 365/443/447

3. Waynesboro: 13-10, 128-117 (3-2) up 3: Alex McClure hitting 350, Ricky Marshall 4 wins

4. Harrisonburg: 12-10, 111-97 (3-3) down 1: Mike Schwartz has 539 OBP

5. New Market: 11-12, 126-122 (3-2) up 3: Led by Kenny Mickens' 390/519/559

6. Front Royal: 12-11, 115-125 (4-1) up 4: Jared Simon at 347, Steve McQuail has 10 home runs

7. Fauquier: 10-12, 106-96 (1-4) down 3: Kyle Putnam at 2-0, 1.19

8. Covington: 10-12, 131-131 (5-1) up 3: won5 in a row before losing to Front Royal

9. Haymarket: 11-12, 97-102 (2-5) down 4: Greg Hopkins continues to rake: 407/455/637

10. Woodstock: 11-12, 88-102 (3-4) down 3: Matt Blow up to 347/424/453

11. Winchester: 10-13, 143-165 (3-3) down 2: Bobby Rauh has 32 stolen bases in 33 attempts

12. Rockbridge: 6-16, 120-182 (2-3) no change: Alan Watts has 18 strikeouts in 12 1/3 innings

Only two games on the slate last night, and both ended up as shutouts:

Results

Harrisonburg 10, Luray 0
Waynesboro 9, Woodstock 0

Player of the Day

Jack Posey, Harrisonburg, from Florida State. Jack went 2-5, with 2 runs, 3 RBI, and 2 home runs against Luray. He's now hitting 286/375/548 in 42 at-bats.

Others of Note

Thomas Nichols, Harrisonburg, from Georgia Tech: 2-5, run, double
Nathan Weglarz, Harrisonburg, from St. Joseph's: 2-5, 2 runs, 2 RBI, home run
Shaun Cooper, Harrisonburg, from Arizona: 2-5, run, RBI, double, home run
Parker Brunelle, Harrisonburg, from Florida State: 2-4, run
Ryan Mathews, Waynesboro, from NC State: 2-3, run, 2 walks, double
Rhett Stafford, Waynesboro, from Marshall: 3-4, run, 3 RBI, walk, double, home run

Pitcher of the Day

Ricky Marshall, Waynesboro, from Austin Peay. Ricky fired 7 shutout innings against Woodstock, allwoing 1 hit, 1 walk, and striking out 8, while earning the win. He's now 4-1, 3.20, with 29 strikeouts in 25 1/3 innings.

Others of Note

Ali Simpson, Harrisonburg, from Bethune-Cookman: 6 shutouot innings, 3 hits, 3 walks, 8 strikeouts, the win vs Luray
Trent Landa, Woodstock, from Florida Gulf Coast: 4 shutout innings, 2 hits, 1 walk, 1 strikeout

Tonight's Games

Fauquier vs Harrisonburg, DH 2:00, 5:00 PM    
Woodstock vs Rockbridge        
Covington vs Waynesboro     
New Market vs Staunton            
Haymarket vs Luray   
Winchester vs Front Royal