SAN JOSE (AP) - Some highlights of the 2001 Weaver League season...

AMITY'S STARTING PITCHERS DOMINATE - Most teams would be happy with their team winning 100 games, much less four of their starting pitchers! That's exactly what George Canate, Andy Pettitte, Clarance Conway, and Ismael Valdez did last season for the Amity White Sharks! Led by Canate's 28 victories, the quartet combined to win 100 games between them.Pettitte had 27 wins (along with the IL Cy Young Award), Conway had 23, and Valdez brought up the rear with a paltry 22 victories. For the record, the only other Inferno League pitchers with as many as 22 wins were Randy Johnson of the New York Nukes and Sandy Koufax of the Phoenix Devils.

MONSTER SEASON FOR BABE RUTH - The Sultan of Swat enjoyed his finest season in the Weaver League in 2001! The Jamaica Rastafarians outfielder paced the Blizzard League with 59 HR and 147 RBI, but was denied the BL Triple Crown by finishing with a .385 batting average, second to Nairobi's Lou Gehrig who hit .401. This season has marked quite a turnaround by Ruth. You may remember that in 1997 Ruth slipped a disk in his back in his second career Weaver League game after reporting to camp grossly out of shape (even for him) and missed half of the season. He enjoyed decent seasons from 1998-2000 but he missed parts of 1999 and 2000 holding out in contract disputes with former owner Wade Moore, and when he was playing he was in the shadow of Stan Musial (then with Nairobi). But with a new long term contract given to him by new Rastas owner Eric Cochran after the 2000 season, Ruth reported to camp in (relatively) good shape and flourished, feasting on BL pitching and finally getting some long due respect.

CAN YOU SAY "WEAVER CHAMPION JINX"? - The Defending Weaver Cup Champion Honolulu Volcanos improved their record by eight games in 2001, finishing with 107 wins... and in SECOND PLACE! Not only that, but the Honolulu fans weren't even in much of a race. Thanks to the Amity White Sharks phenominal 127 victories, Honolulu finished 20 GAMES BACK, and the Weaver Champion Jinx lives on. By now all of you should know of the dreaded Jinx. No defending Weaver Champion has been successful reclaiming their division the following season, much less the Weaver Cup. Rio won in '97 and only returned to the playoffs this season, the Nukes won in '98 and missed the playoffs for the only time in the last five seasons the next season, and the Belfast Bombers won in '99 but were denied by the Sicily Godfathers in 2000. At least the Volcanos finished with a respectable record, but "The Jinx" lives on for another season.

HAVANA OUT, RIO BACK IN - The Rio de Janerio Capybaras ended the Havana Cigars three year stranglehold of the Roehm Division title in 2001 and avenged their second place finish in 2000. Led by three 20+ game winners (Walter Johnson, Chad Ogea, and Tom Glavine), Rio was able to build a comfortable lead over the rest of the Roehm Division for most of the season and claimed the division with a 103-59 record. Havana finished in second place with a 96-66 record, seven games behind Rio. The Capys went on to make the Weaver Series for the first time since winning the Weaver Cup in 1997, only to get swept by Amity in four games. All in all it was still a great season for Rio, but they'd better watch out in 2002!. Havana is still a strong team, and with up and comers Jamaica and Motown in the mix, it should make for an interesting 2002 Roehm Division race!