All the right moves

We are roughly 38 percent of the way through the Frontier League season, so what do the standings tell us? Well, nothing if you're Traverse City manager Greg Langbehn or any other skipper in this league.

Langbehn's Beach Bums are in third place in the East, four games behind first-place Windy City and a half-game ahead of the Wild Things. He's not worried about the standings. Heck, Lake Erie manager John Massarelli says he doesn't even look at the standings until after the all-star break.

"Last year, we were 10 games out of first place, at one point," Langbehn said over the weekend. "Windy City was 12 games out. They were behind us. And both of us made the playoffs. That's why we're not even worried. It's still early."

Langbehn knows from seeing four of the other teams in the East (the Beach Bums have not played Windy City) that nobody is prepared to run away from the pack. But one or two key roster moves could push a team from worst to first in the East. Rockford needs relief pitching. Washington needs hitting. Traverse City needs a starting pitcher and a hitter. Windy City could use another hitter. ... etc.

"That's why we're making a couple of moves when we get home," Langbehn said. "Making the right moves could be the difference."