The playoff picture is taking shape. The Brooklyn Knights easily clinched their division well before the end of August. They finished the month on an amazing 19 game winning streak. It is all but certain that the Stade Maples and Cornfield Axemen will clinch their respective divisions in September. The Vancouver Wild and the St. James Crusaders continue to battle for the one division that is still up for grabs. The Wild extended their lead to four games. Will they be able to hang on?

August 2007 awards:

League 1
Batter of the Month: Gary Mccreery (Brooklyn Knights)
Pitcher of the Month: Dave Hambright (Brooklyn Knights)
Rookie of the Month: John Edwards (Cornfield Axemen)

League 2
Batter of the Month: Roberto Rentería (Stade Maples)
Pitcher of the Month: Wally Pemberton (Stade Maples)
Rookie of the Month: Pete Chavez (Richmond Slam)

In July, all of the division leaders extended their leads except for the St. James Crusaders. The Crusaders lost 19 out of 27 games and blew an 11 game lead over the Vancouver Wild. The Wild were as hot as the Crusaders were cold. Vancouver went 20-7 in July and assumed a one game division lead by the end of the month.

Several major deals were struck before the July 31 trade deadline.

Major Trades:

• The Phoenix Rattlers sent shortstop Russ Booles to the Stade Maples for reliever Jerry Rigney.
• The Luisville Beasts acquired starting pitcher Charlie Russell from the St. Rock Mudcats in exchange for left fielder John Friddle and minor league second baseman Daniel Bergeven.
• The Nashville Firecats sent first baseman Val Hetzel and left fielder Mariano Herrara to the Key West Corals for reliever Dom Harrelson.
• The Washington Allies agreed to send starter Billy Fittery and minor league second baseman Harrison Thibault to the Luisville Beasts for veteran second baseman Biff Walker and minor league starter Elton Matchett.
• Ozzie Valera and four minor leaguers were traded by the Brooklyn Knights in exchange for starting pitcher Omar Cambra of the Las Vegas Luck.

There was also some sad news for the league in July. A couple of popular, talented young players sustained career ending injuries. Les Ladd, the 27 year old first baseman of the Luisville Beasts, suffered a fractured knee. He later announced his retirement from professional baseball. The Phoenix Rattlers’ right fielder, Allan McMullen, seriously injured his back in a game against the Stade Maples. The 27 year old star was carted off the field on a stretcher. The medical diagnosis was that McMullen’s baseball career was over.

July 2007 awards:

League 1
Batter of the Month: Hooks Goetz (Brooklyn Knights)
Pitcher of the Month: Hap Bedford (Cornfield Axemen)
Rookie of the Month: John Edwards (Cornfield Axemen)

League 2
Batter of the Month: George Montgomery (Richmond Slam)
Pitcher of the Month: Max Brown (Stade Maples)
Rookie of the Month: Pete Chavez (Richmond Slam)