THE LATEST LINE: CRAZY YEAR HAS CUBS, PHILS OUT OF PLACE

The 2001 major league baseball season is not even halfway over but it's shaping up as one of the most wild and unpredictable campaigns in recent memory.

You'd probably have to go back a long way to find a season where several teams who were supposed to be so bad were doing so well.

Three perennial doormats in particular -- the Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies and Minnesota Twins -- were again expected to be some of baseball's worst clubs.

But the Cubs are leading the National League Central, the Phillies are atop the NL East and the Twins, after setting the pace in the AL Central for much of the year, are still a solid second behind Cleveland.

And that's not even taking into account the Seattle Mariners, who have maybe been the season's biggest surprise -- not so much because they're running away with the AL West, but because they're on pace to turn in one of the better seasons in baseball history.

Through Friday, Seattle was a mind-boggling 54-18 -- and that includes a recent mini-slump. Over the past few years, the Mariners have lost superstars Ken Griffey Jr., Randy Johnson and Alex Rodriguez, but instead of falling back to the pack, they're only getting better. Go figure.

Besides the aforementioned teams, baseball fans have also been treated to a home-run barrage by Barry Bonds. The San Francisco Giants' slugger, with 39 homers, is on pace to break Mark McGwire's all-time single-season record of 70. While accomplishing that will be a longshot, it's getting shorter with every long ball Bonds blasts.

As for the Cardinals, they've been up and down so far and have certainly not yet lived up to all their lofty preseason expectations. But McGwire seems to be rounding into form after struggling to overcome his knee problems, which is definitely a good sign for Redbird fans.

On the plus side for the Cardinals, what a year Albert Puljos is having. He's on pace to put together one of the all-time top rookie seasons.

And Southeast Missouri State University product Kerry Robinson, who hit his first major-league home run last Sunday, has also been a nice addition since being brought up from Triple A. After several seasons of kicking around the minor leagues, here's hoping Kerry has a job in St. Louis for years to come.

* Todd Pennington, SEMO's star pitcher who was taken in the 46th round of the baseball draft earlier this month, told me a few days ago that he has still not decided whether he will sign with Cleveland or return to SEMO for his senior season.

Pennington said he expects to make his decision in the next couple of weeks.

Clearwater product Jamie McAlister, the first Missouri high school player drafted this year as he went to Milwaukee in the 29th round, has decided not to sign.

* SEMO graduate Chad Kish was recently named the head men's basketball coach at East Central College, a two-year school in Union, Mo.

Kish, who served as a student assistant coach at SEMO in 1993, was an assistant at Scott City High School from 1995-98 and he spent one year as the head coach at Naylor High School.

~Marty Mishow is a sports writer for the Southeast Missourian