A to Z League update: South Division

We're 98 games into the the A to Z League's 168-game season and our quest to determine which letter is better. We'll be taking a quick look this week at all of the teams and division races. Today: the South Division.

The South is at present the least competitive division in the A to Z League. Goldendale, which has the second-best record in the loop, has an 11-game lead over second-place Pasco. It's certainly not a lock; there are 70 games yet to be played, but a double-digit lead as the calendar turns to August is a pretty good position to hold.

GOLDENDALE: 61-37, leading the division

Lou Gehrig

Goldendale's record is based on offense. While the pitching is OK, as they rank 14th in the league in ERA, the hitting is grand. They're second in the league in runs scored, just one behind Wenatchee. Particularly impressive is that they're first in home runs with 167, thirty more than the next best club.

Lou Gehrig is at the heart of the offense. His slash line is .336/37/82, and it puts him in serious contention for the triple crown. He's presently third in batting average, but first in homers and ribbies. Gehrig  is also second in OBP, first in SLG, and second in OPS. Ken Griffey, Jr. has hit 31 homers and Josh Gibson has 28, filling out a pretty sweet 1-2-3 punch.

It seems few of those runs score when Bob Gibson pitches. Gibby's ERA is a solid 3.22, but his record is just 8-6. Lefty Grove has enjoyed better run support; he's 9-3 and 3.71. Goose Gossage leads the league in saves with 27, and he's 5-4 with a 2.11 ERA.

PASCO: 50-48, second in the division, 11 games back

Jim Palmer

Pasco's pitching is pretty good, fourth in the league in ERA. Jim Palmer has the fifth best ERA in the league a 2.66, but his record is a mere 5-7, one of those victories being a no-hitter against Long Beach July 16. Palmer also spent some time on the injured list in June. Andy Pettitte is 7-6 and 3.39, and Satchel Paige is 7-5. 3.49.

Albert Pujols leads the club in homers, RBI, and runs scored, but his overall numbers are somewhat less than expected. Pujols is hitting .278 and has 21 round-trippers and 53 RBI.

VANCOUVER: 47-51, third place, 14 games back

Javier Vazquez

We wonder how many of you, at the start of the season, if given a chance to place a bet on who would be the league leader in ERA on August 1 in a loop made up of some of the best hurlers ever, would have put your hard-earned cash on Javier Vazquez. If you had, you'd be ready to retire right now, as Vazquez is at 2.30 and has an 8-4 record. His MLB career ERA was 4.22.

Fernando Valenzuela (7-6, 3.58) and Frank Viola (6-6, 3.51) have been solid in the rotation. Justin Verlander, on the other hand, has been throwing like he's in the World Series; he's 2-8 and has a 5.75 ERA. Vancouver is fifth in the league in team ERA.

Joey Votto has paced the offense with 19 homers, 69 RBI, and a 272 average. Shane Victorino and Arky Vaughan are second on the club in homers with 11 each for Vancouver, which is 21st in the league in taters.

KELSO: 46-52, fourth place, 15 games back

The Killer

Kelso has been all pitching and little hitting. They're third in the league in ERA but 19th in runs scored, 20th in batting average and OPS.

Clayton Kershaw and Sandy Koufax are 1-2 in the league in strikeouts, with 180 and 154 respectively. Kershaw is 10-5 and is second in the league with a 2.40 ERA. Koufax is 10-9, 3.24.

Harmon Killebrew anchors the offense with a slash line of .233/22/54, and Charlie Keller is .277/17/46. The only other Kelso player with double figures in homers is Al Kaline, who has 12 and leads the team with 51 runs scored.

YAKIMA: 34-64, fifth place, 27 games back

Carlos Zambrano

Yakima has the worst record in the league, and it may have something to do with the fact that they're 18th in runs scored, 19th in batting average, 19th in OPS, and 19th in ERA.

One is tempted to nominate Carlos Zambrano as the team's top player. Zambrano is hitting .343 and has a couple of homers in 35 at-bats. The trouble is his pitching; he's 3-8 with a 4.65 ERA.

Carl Yastrzemski is the only Yakima player on any of the league's offensive leaderboards; he's sixth in the loop in walks with 56, and overall is slashing .236/10/51. One other notable hitter for the club is Ryan Zimmerman, who is .251/15/44