The parts keep changing, but the Curve keep on winning
It’s been an amazing first half for Altoona, which could have fallen apart long ago given the revolving door of players at Blair County Ballpark

But not only has the club maintained a level of consistency, it has continued to play outstanding ball throughout the first half
The Curve are 39-27, matching the tremendous 2004 team for the best record ever through 66 games
That ’04 club finished 85-56 and won the Southern Division, so any comparison with that group is impressive

It’s hard to believe this year’s team will continue to win at a similar pace as 2004 since there will be no late-season additions like Zach Duke and Brad Eldred
The Pirates have so little talent available in the lower minors that the Curve may not receive much help at all the rest of the season

Oh, but who needs young prospects?
Certainly not the Curve, who have been winning in large part thanks to a collection of veteran players who simply know how to get the job done

The worry from here on out will be whether the club can continue to play so well once some of the remaining prospects like pitcher Mike Connolly and outfielder Vic Buttler get their deserved promotions to Triple-A
The team survived the departures of outfielder Adam Boeve and pitchers Josh Sharpless and Jason Roach to Indianapolis, the kind of resiliency it must continue to display the rest of the way

As long as the Pirates keep signing quality veterans to replace the departed prospects, the Curve should be fighting for a playoff spot come September
Outside of Akron, the Southern Division is pretty weak, so it could come down to the Curve and Harrisburg for the postseason berth

Offense

The Curve lead the EL in runs (322), are tied for first in homers (55) and rank second in hitting (.267)
It’s been a true team effort, with terrific balance throughout the order
Buttler has been the most exciting player, leading all of baseball with 13 triples
That’s an incredible total given we’re not even to the halfway point
He’s also fourth in the EL in hitting at .318, has 35 RBIs and is without a doubt the team MVP so far
It’s a little unfair to single out only a few players on such a balanced offense, but the Curve’s biggest contributors have been:-
Simon Pond (fourth in the EL with 40 RBIs)
Brett Roneberg (fifth in hitting at .311)
Ray Sadler (eight homers, 23 RBIs in only 25 games)
and the departed Boeve (.333, 24 RBIs in 38 games)
Grade --- "A+"

Defense

The Curve rank seventh in the EL with 64 errors, but there haven’t been many occasions where poor defense has cost the club victories
Only two players - shortstop Javier Guzman (16) and utility man Brandon Chaves (12) - have high error totals, and Chaves’ number isn’t that bad given all the positions he’s played
Guzman has been erratic at times, and his occasional trouble on routine plays has to be a concern
Grade --- "B"

Starting pitching

Connolly (6-3, 3.69) got off to a slow start bus has rebounded nicely and deserves a shot in Triple-A soon
Landon Jacobsen (6-5, 3.50) and Roach (4-2, 1.81) did well enough to earn promotions to Indianapolis, and Josh Shortslef became the first Curve pitcher ever to open a season 5-0
The Pirates have to be worried about Matt Peterson (3-5, 6.82), who has struggled after a strong start
Expect Shane Youman (4-2, 1.62), who just joined the rotation, to have a big second half
Grade --- "B-"

Bullpen

Sharpless (2-0, 0.86, eight saves, .114 opponents’ batting average) may have been the best reliever in Curve history
The relief unit has remained very good even without him, with Brandon Knight (1.57, 10 saves) leading the charge
Jorge Vasquez (2.73) has been dominant with 47 strikeouts in 33 innings while holding hitters to a .184 average
Chris Hernandez (4-2, 2.31) has been the top Double-A newcomer out of the pen
One pitcher who f igured to be outstanding, Brady Borner (2-0, 7.11), was the only one who struggled
The 2005 Curve Pitcher of the Year, Borner retired two weeks ago
Grade --- "A-"

Coaching staff

Most teams would have collapsed after losing so many top players to promotions and injuries
Manager Tim Leiper, hitting coach Brandon Moore and pitching coach Ray Searage have done a tremendous job molding the replacement pieces together and keeping the club focused
Grade --- "A"

Overall

The Curve spent 28 of the season’s first 29 days in first place and had a 3-1/2-game lead over Akron on May 29
The Aeros made up a whopping 8-1/2 games in just 15 days to take control in the division
Altoona may not catch Akron, but with a three-game lead over Harrisburg for second place, the playoff berth is the Curve’s to lose
Grade --- "A-"