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Chip Hale has a reason to be thrilled.

At the All-Star break, his Sidewinders are 56-33 and 12 games ahead of the Las Vegas 51s in the Pacific Coast League's Pacific South Division.

Packed with prospects and with a penchant for winning games in their final at-bat, this year's Sidewinders might be the best in franchise history.

After a three-day break, the Sidewinders return to action tonight in Las Vegas.

The Arizona Daily Star talked with the manager about his team's performance, his star players and his affinity for a certain hip-hop song.

Q: How would you characterize the first half of the season?

A: We're way past the first half of the season, technically. But up to the break, I think this team has showed it can win in many different ways. It can hold leads, come back late in games. We have a wide array of (ways of) winning games. That's what impresses me, just to see the development of younger prospects.

Q: Whom do you compare shortstop Stephen Drew and center fielder Chris Young to?

A: That's what everybody wants to do, to put names with these guys who have played in the big leagues. It's hard for me to do that. You kinda build expectations of people that might not be fair.

Stephen Drew would be maybe like a left-handed hitting Alan Trammell (a six-time All-Star for the Tigers). He's always going to be a great defender, better than anyone anticipated. I think he's gonna be a 20-home run guy by his second or third year in the big leagues.

Chris Young reminds me of Eric Davis (a two-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winner). He has that ability. We're just starting to see right now the things he can do.

Q: The question looming with the Diamondbacks seems to be whether they will bring up some of your prospects, depending on what they do at the trade deadline. Do you talk to your players about that?

A: The way we try to teach the kids to play is to play, regardless of what the situation is. When you start talking to them about the big-league team winning or losing in the next couple weeks, or 'You may or may not get called up,' that just confuses them.

From Day 1 of managing in rookie ball, I've always thought, 'Whoever's on the ball club, that's who we've got to play with.'

Q: If your team had a weakness, what would it be?

A: I like our starting pitching and our relief pitching. Our defense is good and we can hit. I don't necessarily think there's a weakness.

The thing that hurts us is sometimes having inexperience. We don't have a whole lot of Triple-A experience.

Q: What aspect of the season are you most surprised about?

A: The thing I like the best is our defense. Both our catchers know how to handle pitchers. Up the middle, we're really strong, with Drew, Young and (second baseman Alberto) Callaspo. I think that's the reason we're winning games.

The biggest thing I like about the club is that they really get along with each other. They have fun, whether we're in an airplane or at home or in the clubhouse.

Q: They even have a song they play all the time — "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley. Are you tired of that song yet?

A: Heck no. I was over at my brother-in-law's house the other night and we put it on the computer. Whenever I hear that, it brings a smile to my face.