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	Friday, July 14
	Midseason report: Boston Red Sox By Marty Bernoski ESPN.com
	Despite a gaping hole at third base, a patchwork outfield and pitching staff, and a horrific slide in June, the Boston Red Sox are still contenders in the American League East. Simply amazing. Let's take a look back at what went right, and what went wrong in our first-half review of the Red Sox. First-half MVP:Nomar Garciaparra's .391 average (through July 6) and nine wins from Pedro Martinez were not enough to take first-half MVP honors from Carl Everett. The outspoken, switch-hitting Everett, acquired from the Houston Astros for SS Adam Everett and LHP Greg Miller, has added some swagger to the lineup. He leads the team in home runs (24), RBI (69), runs (52), total bases (184), slugging pct. (.664) and is second in stolen bases (6) through July 6. His .983 fielding percentage and AL-best seven outfield assists have given the Red Sox much needed stability in center. Biggest disappointment:After a solid 1999 campaign (.280, 28, 103), Troy O'Leary found himself in a deep slump -- both personally and professionally. O'Leary, who hit .222 in April and .220 in May, saw his average plummet even further in June. He hit .162 with no homers and one RBI in 12 games. His personal problems forced manager Jimy Williams to place the struggling left fielder on the 15-day disabled list. Perhaps the time away took some pressure off O'Leary. He returned to the lineup July 3 with renewed vigor and went 6-for-10 with two homers and six RBI in his first two games back. Biggest surprise: After toiling in the minors for nine years, Brian Daubach finally made a name for himself with the Sox in 1999 (.294, 21, 73). Could he repeat the performance in 2000? The answer appears to be yes. The DH/1B is hitting .277 and is second on the team in homers (14) and RBI (51) through July 6. A streaky hitter, Daubach got off to a fast start in April (.354, 4, 15), hit .276 in May and .187 in June. In the first six games of July, Daubach hit .400 (6-for-15) with one homer and 5 RBI. With Trot Nixon on the disabled list, Mike Stanley's shoulder in question and O'Leary in an offensive funk, Daubach's production becomes vital. Second-half goals:Develop consistency among the starters, avoid seeing the June swoon again and generate more offense. Boston's 96 homers (through July 6) rank 11th in the AL. The Blue Jays lead the league with 142. The Sox entered June 29-19 and went 9-18 for the month, hitting .262 (T-13th in AL). The recent acquisitions of 3B Ed Sprague and OF Bernard Gilkey will help the offensive cause without breaking the bank, but the Sox need a starter -- someone besides Pedro (9-3, 1.44) -- to help carry the pitching load. Tim Wakefield, unhappy with his mop-up role, has shown signs of life with back-to-back wins in starts on June 29 and July 4. But his stay as a starter is yet to be determined. The Sox need more quality starts from Ramon Martinez and Jeff Fassero. Grade: -- Aside from Everett and Garciaparra, there's not enough offense being generated. Pedro can't win every start, so someone else better step forward. (Scale: 1 to 4 baseballs; 1 = worst, 4 = best) We told you what we thought of Boston's first-half performance, now you've told us. Here is what you had to say about what the Red Sox have to do in the second half.		ALSO SEE Midseason Feedback: Red Sox MLB midseason reports ESPN.com's All-Star Game coverage Kurkjian: Stories of the first half Ten second-half questions for the AL Ten second-half questions for the NL