JOHANNESBURG (WT): Take a look at the Lockwood division standings. Notice anything unusual? Take a closer look. Focus on fourth place.

Still nothing? Don’t worry, the fans in Johannesburg aren’t catching it either, but the team certainly is. Through twelve games, the Johannesburg Steelmen… are .500.

That hasn’t happened since 2006...
The Steelmen haven’t finished even or better since 2005...
What’s going on?

“You know, we just tell the guys before we go out there…we can’t change the past, we can’t stop other teams from winning - but we can win today,” says Steelmen manager George Brett.

It seems the team is buying into the “Win Today” philosophy. They’ve won six, and three of their losses have been by two or fewer runs. That’s got this team believing it can compete.

“We show up at the park every day thinking ‘Hey, we’ve got a chance here,’” says catcher Con Bordick. “Teams like New York, Cozumel, and L.A. just don’t scare us anymore.”

Bordick leads the team with a .302 average, almost 100 points better than his career stats. He says he doesn’t expect that to continue, but that he’s doing what he can.
“Oh, come on. I’m not going to lead this team in hitting. We’ve got George (Sisler) over there, who I think is the most valuable player in the league. Hugh, the others will come around. My goal is to get on base once, twice a game, and throw out a few baserunners while I’m at it.”

Sisler started out the season slow, straining a ligament early. He’s played through the pain, and says it’s really not that bad.

“I had to get used to it. That first stat sheet came six games in and I had to blink and say, ‘Is this ME?’ But I forgot about it… you can’t change the past, but you can win today, right?”

Sisler is showing shades of his normal self, improving to a .294 average with 3 homers and 9 RBI so far. But then… there are the youngsters.

“One of them will start hitting. They have to. I have faith, but they have to start hitting,” Brett says.

“Look, Jake (Mills) had a bad spring and is struggling to get over that,” says hitting coach Frank Thomas. “Hugh (Baumann) will show up. And we have lots of faith in Joe (Bell) as our DH. Just give them time - they’re inexperienced.”

Baumann, last year’s rookie of the year, Mills, and this year’s heralded rookie, Bell, are combining for just a .204 average. That, plus slow starts from Jon Nunnally and Victor Rodriguez, suggest the team could hit even better than it already is.

“We’re seventh in the IL in hitting. OK, I can deal with that, considering Con and George are the only ones hitting the ball well.”

But with no offense… how is the team winning?

Well, that’s the buried gem of this team. The Johannesburg Steelmen are second in the IL in pitching.

Go ahead, read it again.

Second. The team’s ERA so far is two runs below last season’s dismal 4.79.

“I love Free Agency,” says Brett. “George (Canate) and Steve (Trachsel) have ERAs of 1.13 and 1.64 each. They may be old, but they’re simply amazing.”

The Steelmen pitching staff is an interesting blend of veterans, like Canate and Trachsel, and youngsters. Seven pitchers have more than 9 years of experience, 5 pitchers one or less. No one is in the middle.

“Like I told you last year, the Vets help the youngsters along,” said pitching coach Jim Bouton. “And the kids are holding their own.”

Closer Al Harding has had a rough start to the season, but Joe Duff, Ben Harnisch, and Jerry Slappey all have ERA’s in the 3’s, while Rafael Hitchcock has a 4.50 ERA as a starter -- but opponents are hitting just .204 against him.

Winning usually breeds better attitudes - and Brett says that’s happening with his team.
“You’ve got to be happy. If you’re in my position, you look around and see how things are working out, you have to be pleased.”