2011 First Half Recap

Under new manager Brian Harper, the Smokies entered 2011 looking to bring East Tennessee its first Southern League Championship in seven years. If the season's first half is any indication, there is a strong possibility they do just that.

Behind a potent offensive attack and some budding stars in the Cubs organization, the Smokies emerged as the Southern League's best through the first 70 games, winning their fourth consecutive North Division title and entering the All-Star break with a record of 43-27.

There's arguably no bigger storyline than the Smokies' assault of opposing pitching thus far. The team leads the league in virtually every offensive category, ranking first in batting average (.292), runs scored (390), home runs (78), runs batted in (370), slugging percentage (.474), and on-base percentage (.351). Ryan Flaherty and Matt Spencer have led the way, ranking among the league leaders in home runs and RBIs-Flaherty has hit 13 bombs and driven in 56 runs, while Spencer gone deep 12 times and plated 44 runs. Brett Jackson leads the team with 13 stolen bases despite missing time to injury, and Marwin Gonzalez leads the current roster with a .310 average. Smokies veterans Blake Lalli, Steve Clevenger, and Josh Vitters have also posted stellar numbers, and first-year Smokie Rebel Ridling has been a pleasant surprise with a great first half.

The Smokies pitching staff has been solid as well, ranking second in the league in team ERA (3.71). The starters have had plenty of success-Alberto Cabrera led the league with six wins before moving on to Triple-A Iowa, Trey McNutt posted a 2.70 ERA in nine starts, and newcomer Rob Whitenack shined with a perfect 4-0 record and 2.39 ERA before going down with an injury. The bullpen has been equally as impressive, with Ty'Relle Harris, Marco Carrillo, Kevin Rhoderick, and Jeff Beliveau all sporting ERAs of 2.10 or lower and combining for a 10-0 record.

For two Smokies, an impressive first half showing resulted in a promotion to the big league club in Chicago. After ranking 2nd among Southern League hitters with a .358 average, infielder D.J. LeMahieu was called up to join the Cubs on May 30. Two weeks later, relief pitcher Chris Carpenter joined him in the majors.

The road to the division title was anything but dull, as the Smokies had their share of memorable finishes. On May 23, the Smokies completed a five-game sweep of league-leading Mobile by recording the final out on a play at the plate. On June 16, needing one more win to clinch the division, Ridling blasted an extra-inning walk-off shot to send them home first half champions. A night later, Spencer capped off a rally from a five run deficit with a two-out, three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth to put the Smokies ahead for good.

It appears the rest of the league took note of the Smokies' great first half as well, naming 12 players-Clevenger, Flaherty, Gonzalez, Jackson, Lalli, LeMahieu, Ridling, Spencer, Carrillo, McNutt, Whitenack, and Rafael Dolis-Southern League All-Stars on June 7. The 12-member 2011 class made Smokies history for the most All-Star selections, surpassing the 2010 class of eight.

The Smokies will now begin their quest for a fifth consecutive division title as the second half gets underway. Regardless of how the regular season's final months play out, they will be playing in the post-season-with the first half championship, the Smokies secured their third straight playoff appearance.