Some short-season updates as we approach the midway point of the season for those leagues:

The Pioneer League plays a split-season, and the first half ends following Friday's games. Billings (Reds) has clinched the first-half title in the North Division. In the South Division, Idaho Falls (Royals) leads Orem (Angels) by one game, and plays the Owlz at Orem the next two nights, needing just one win for a first-half title.

Danville (Braves) leads Pulaski (Blue Jays) by three games in the East Division of the Appalachian League, while defending league champ Elizabethton (Twins) has opened a 7 1/2 game lead in the West Division. Those three teams are the only teams over .500 in the league. Danville's 20-YO Jamie Richmond, a 2004 draft pick of the Braves out of Mississauga, Ontario who was signed as a DFE in May 2005 out of Texarkana JC, has posted a 0.92 ERA, a 0.69 WHIP, and a 33/3 K/BB ratio in 39 1/3 IP. He hasn't pitched a lot, given his background, and he's still rather raw, but I'd guess that given his age he might get a cameo at Rome later in the season.

Like the Appy, the Northwest League has just three teams over .500. Two of them, Salem-Keizer (Giants) and Vancouver (Athletics) are separated by one game in the West Division, while Boise (Cubs) has opened up a four-game lead in the East Division. Boise P Mark Pawelek, the Cubs' first-rounder in the 2005 draft, got his first professional victory in the Hawks' 5-4 win over Spokane last night. Pawelek has 24 Ks and a 3.00 ERA in 27 IP, but has also walked 13 batters. Jeremy Papelbon, also assigned to Boise, has allowed 9 hits and nine walks in 22 2/3 IP while fanning 27 in nine relief appearances, posting a 0.79 ERA while going 3-0 with two saves.

-- MWE

I went to Trenton last night and finally got to see Hughes pitch.

He was nasty, spotting his fastball wherever he wanted to get ahead of the batters and then burying curves in the dirt that got them chasing. From my angle and with no radar gun it was hard to tell how his changeup was, but it seemed okay. Like I said, most of his curves were in the dirt, but I'm not sure it was lack of command because there's no need to throw it as a strike when they're chasing it; I did see a couple thrown for strikes looking when it was early in the count, too. Because of rain he only pitched 4 innings, but gave up only 1 run on 2 H, 1 BB, and had 8 K's.

Eric Duncan is a great guy, too. He spent time signing and really talking with all the kids, and was happy to get his picture taken with one of the friends I was with and joked a bit about going to the rival high school of him. His swing is very quick and he was getting some good rips on the ball tonight, fouling them striaght back. My friend also asked him about his back earlier and he said "It was bad. I felt like an old man" and that it's felt better for about a month now, which coincides with when he started mashing again. He's absoltuely ripped as well, and if he really has shortened his swing -- it looked like it to me -- then I still think he has the potential to be a top slugger in the majors.