The Ichiro Deal

If you haven't noticed, there was a huge trade yesterday between New Jersey and Las Vegas. New Jersey, with a sparse roster of keepers traded away star outfielder Ichiro Suzuki and a draft pick for seven players. It was a trade reminiscent of the old Brooklyn/Stanhope or Scranton/Arkansas deals that have been scarce lately. A look at some similar deals...

In 2003, the Brooklyn Bean Counters were in a similar situation as New Jersey and traded away Mike Lieberthal and a pick for four players to Stanhope. It didn't really work out too well for either team as all the players were either mediocre or useless.

In 2002, the Harrison Rats (now known as the Vegas Rat Pack) dealt lefty Al Leiter to Vancouver for three players. Leiter went on to have a good year and the Rats got a good year out of Javier Lopez, so it worked out for both teams.

Another Brooklyn/Stanhope deal occurred back in 2001 when the Bean Counters, in their inaugural year, dealt Todd Helton and Rich Garces to the Mighty Men for six bums -- OK, that's not really true. Bobby Higginson had a very nice year for the Beans and Lieberthal was serviceable, but the rest were bums. Garces was tossed aside, but Helton had an impressive season and has been the Mighty Men's first baseman ever since.

In 2000, the Hawaii Volcanoes made a trade with their fraternal (and unbeknownst at the time, satellite) team, the Arizona Rattlers to restock the Arizona roster. Hawaii acquired Brian Giles and Armando Benitez, both of whom had stellar seasons in 2000. Arizona got some help, but overall it looks like a bust for the Rattlers. Raul Mondesi and Dante Bichette had solid seasons, but the relievers made marginal contributions and the two draft picks netted zero results.

Ok, one more for shits and giggles. In 1998, the Wilkes-Barre Barons (who became the Keystone Gamblers) traded Moises Alou and a draft pick to Philadelphia for Carlos Perez, Garrett Anderson, and Mickey Morandini. Philly quickly traded Alou to New York in part of a ten-player mega deal and used the pick to select Dwight Gooden. Anderson and Morandini were solid if unspectacular and Perez and Gooden were both disasters.

Who knows what the future will hold for Vegas and Jersey after this blockbuster? It'll be fun to find out though.

Santana takes this round

After the young rookie Francisco Liriano won in the head-to-head playoff matchup, Johan Santana will have to console himself with the Ben McDonald Pitcher of the Year trophy. And it was a mighty close vote. The closest, in fact since Santana himself won it back in 2005. Is it the closest vote in DMBL history? Nope, a quick scan of the past winners will clearly show that's not true. In 1999, voters were torn between Arkansas' two aces and Kevin Brown and Pedro Martinez split the prize. It doesn't get any closer than a tie, folks.

A lone second place vote for Philly's Erik Bedard probably cost Liriano at least a tie for the award, but it's far from the most egregious award-voting sin. Way, way back in 1991 when the award still didn't have it's catchy moniker, there were three top candidates for the award - Ben McDonald of Arkansas, Dennis Martinez of Newark (that would be the Newark Crimewave, not the Sugar Bears of today), and Dennis Eckersley of Vancouver. While history shows that Eck probably had the best season of all three, being a reliever, he wasn't going to win this thing. One voter, who shall remain nameless, wanted to ensure that Ben Mac would secure the award (and unbeknownst to him grace the name of the trophy that would be awarded in the future). So the voter jotted down McDonald's name first and Martinez's name sixth, which sealed the fate of El Presidente. The two Denni were denied and McDonald won what some considered a tainted victory. McDonald didn't enjoy much of a career in the DMBL, despite being much younger than Martinez - in fact he only had one other winning season in 1997, while Martinez had a stellar run from 1991-1994. But if not for that single ballot, perhaps we'd have been awarding the Dennis Martinez Pitcher of the Year trophy?

Listach Award Announced

Francisco Liriano of Marietta won the coveted Pat Listach Rookie of the Year Award yesterday. It was the first time a member of the Mighty Men franchise has won the award. The Listach was first awarded back in 1998 when the Mighty Mites were still the Jerusalem Rabbis. Liriano was a key member of the team's 2008 World Series push, and despite losing in a tough six-game series to the Sugar Bears, Marietta's ownership is happy with the results. "Frankie pitched his heart out for us this year," said owner David Landsman in a press conference. The good news, however, was tempered by the announcement made earlier today in Marietta. Landsman announced that he was so happy with Liriano's performance that he has awarded him a year-long cruise around the world. "We think this is the best way to put Frankie in a position to be successful with our franchise for many years to come" said Landsman. Skeptics think that the "cruise" idea is a cover for some injury sustained after Liriano was forced to pitch on three days' rest in the Series. "It's awfully convenient that Marietta is willing to let their ace pitcher off for a whole year to hang out on a cruise ship instead of leading their team to another possible Series appearance" said Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Terence Moore.

Looking back on Draft 2007

It seems like as good a time as any to take a look at the first round of the 2007 draft and see what boneheaded mistakes we made or hidden treasures we uncovered. Let's take a look:

1) Jered Weaver, Honolulu - This was a pretty obvious pick at the time and it's not a bad one. Weaver had a solid 2007 season for Honolulu (10-13, 4.34, 1.21 WHIP). Weaver looks like he'll be a keeper for 2008, so the Sharks got their money's worth here.

2) Anibal Sanchez, DC - Not much of a reach here for D.C. at the time. Sanchez looked like he'd be a good bet for the future. Anibal posted pretty mediocre stats for the Slappers (7-13, 4.57, 1.47 WHIP). Things aren't looking so good for Sanchez for '08 though. In his first game of the Venezuelan Winter League, Sanchez blew out his arm and will miss the entire 2008 season. It's likely that Anibal will not be protected by D.C.

3) Cole Hamels, Sardine City - A disaster for the 2007 season (4-18, 6.07 ERA), but looking good for 2008. Hamels and pitching coach David Cone have discovered a flaw in Hamels' mechanics and think that the young lefthander will rebound in 2008.

4) Josh Johnson, Philadelphia - With the previous three picks, Philly's selection was a no-brainer. Johnson was 13-9, 4.54 with a 1.51 ERA in 2007 as the fourth man in the Animals' rotation. Like Sanchez before him, Johnson also injured himself in a freak Trick or Treating accident last month and will likely miss the '08 season.

5) Joel Zumaya, New Jersey - The draft room was stunned that Zumaya went this early, but Zumaya put up very solid numbers (8-5, 3.63, 1.23 WHIP, 3 saves) for Team Buddah. Zumaya, like many of the other first rounders apparently, will also miss the 2008 season after testing positive for midi-chlorians. Team Buddah, with a dearth of keepable players for 2008, may end up protecting Zumaya, however.

6) Takashi Saito, Hillsborough - So far out of the players taken, Saito has had the best 2007 season. Saito saved 17 games in a split closer role for the Hitmen and compiled a 2.44 ERA and 1.18 WHIP. Saito is looking likely to return in 2008 and could assume the full time closer role. A great pick for the Hitmen.

7) Chris Duncan, Hoboken - Duncan was the first position player to be selected and paid big dividends for the Cutters. Duncan led the team with 32 homers and also drove in 102 runs with a .985 OPS and helped to lead the Cutters to their first playoff appearance since 2002. Despite the successful rookie campaign, Duncan is on the fringe of being retained for the 2008 season. Hey, at least he didn't have any freak injuries...yet.

8) Dan Uggla, South Boston - Some questioned South Boston's wisdom (or sobriety?) when picking Uggla when they already had protected Rickie Weeks and Orlando Hudson. Nevertheless the Gang was tempted by Uggla's power potential. But Uggla never did pull it together. Uggla batted a mere .193 with a .599 OPS and 9 homers in 218 at bats. He looks like a borderline (very borderline) keeper for the Blue Ridge Bombers, but so far is looking like a major bust.

9) John Maine, D.C. - The Slappers make their second pick of the first round and selected another starting pitcher. Maine (11-8, 4.94) was not much better than Anibal Sanchez, but his 2008 outlook is much better. Maine made some major strides at the end of the 2007 season and the coaching staff seems to think he could be a solid middle-of-the-rotation starter.

10) Delmon Young, Carolina - Young became the first inelligible player to be selected in the 2007 draft. Young's numbers in the minors were nothing special, but he may end up with a bench spot on the Mudcats' roster next year. The Cats still think that Young has superstar potential.

11) Nick Markakis, Arkansas - Markakis was only a part timer for the Falcons in 2007, but Arkansas knew that he was a long term project. Markakis projects to be a starting member of the Falcon outfield in '08.

12) Jeremy Sowers, Marietta - The young lefty was so-so for the Mighty Men (11-10, 5.33 ERA). Maybe not a world-beater, but he did hold down the rotation slot all season and had a winning record to boot. He was disastrous in the playoffs (0-1, 15.88) and didn't even play against the Sugar Bears (mercifully so). Sowers is not expected to be protected by the Mighty Men.

13) Scott Olsen, Vancouver - Speaking of disasters...Somehow Scott Olsen amassed a winning record (6-5) despite getting shelled seemingly at every turn in the rotation (5.94 ERA, 1.59 WHIP). Vancouver has already stated that Olsen will not be protected after repeated bombings in the minors and the Arizona Fall League.

14) Dennys Reyes, Newark - Reyes was fortunate enough to be drafted by the Sugar Bears, but he was only average in 2007. He did end up with 11 saves on the year, good enough for second on the team, but he also blew six of them. His 4.25 ERA was decent, but only fifth best in the Newark bullpen. Reyes is a longshot to be kept by the Sugar Bears.

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Odds n Ends

The career stats have recently been updated. Browse through to bring back some of the memories of star players past. Remember when Jason Giambi was a Golden Falcon? Remember when Bob Tewksbury won 21 games? How good has Alfonso Soriano been in the DMBL? Skeptical about the "Lefties suck in DMBL" theory? Check out the careers of Tom Glavine, Randy Johnson, C.C. Sabathia, and others. Lots of good time-wastin' there.

Award winners will start to be announced Wednesday, so if you haven't voted yet, better get to it.

I'm not sure if I'll have enough to write about day in and day out during the offseason, so posts may be a bit sporadic in the next few months.

Team Review: Vancouver Iron Fist

Vancouver looked poised to make another playoff run, then things went horribly awry sometime around the All-Star break. The Fist found themselves on the outside looking in once again.

What went right: The offense was solid. David Ortiz hit 49 homers and Moises Alou was solid as a platoon mate. Chad Billingsley was a pleasant addition to the rotation and Billy Wagner had a solid year as closer.

What went wrong: The pitching staff couldn't get things together. The rotation was juggled constantly. Youngsters Rich Hill and Scott Olsen were disasters. Ben Sheets still can't figure out the DMBL and Chris Carpenter, acquired midseason from South Boston, was only mediocre. The bullpen, other than Wagner, was a revolving door of failure. Jason Bay looked lost at the plate.

The Fist have put themselves into a good position to rebound from the 2007 debacle, but there are still question marks. How much does Greg Maddux have left in the tank? Will Ben Sheets ever fulfill his potential?

Trade-happy Thursday

So finally, the first trade of the Hot Stove season has been made...hold on, make that the first two trades! And the Las Vegas Rat Pack is at the center of both of them.

The first trade had Placido Polanco going to the Rats from Vancouver. Polanco was signed as a backup to Chase Utley last year, but was deemed expendable in the offseason. Polanco slides in as the new starting second baseman for the Rat Pack and Vancouver gains a boost in their draft picks. Polanco spent six years in the starting lineup of the Columbia/D.C. franchise before being left unprotected and undrafted last season.

The first deal may have been small potatoes, but the second deal of the day was a blockbuster. Philadelphia sent starter Erik Bedard and 2006 and 2007 Eckersley Award winner Francisco Rodriguez to Vegas in exchange for first baseman Mark Teixeira and a 3rd round pick. Bedard broke out this year with a 17-9 record and 3.94 ERA for the reigning Morris Division champs. Teixeira has emerged as an offensive force the last two years. In 2007, Tex hit 37 homers with 134 RBIs and an .882 OPS for the Pack. Teixeira will likely bump Albert Pujols to the DH slot and take over first base for the Animals.

Lots of other rumors are still flying around, so no doubt we'll see more deals coming soon. Monday we'll cover our final team review and look for the announcements of the award winners coming next week as well.

Team Review: South Boston Gang

As everyone knows by now, the Gang has been sold to Tom Zagenczyk and renamed the Blue Ridge Bombers. Just what made owner Paul Barbosa finally give up on this team?

What went right: The Gang were just on the cusp of contention for a playoff spot all year, but could never really make a serious run at it. The team ranked middle of the pack in both batting and pitching. Vlad Guerrero and Garrett Atkins had great years at the plate. Barbosa made two great trades for the future, bringing in highly touted Prince Fielder from Vancouver and the up and coming Adam Wainwright from Hoboken.

What went wrong: The starting rotation was an inconsistent mess. Aaron Harang was the top starter, and his ERA was barely south of 5.00 (it was 4.89). Huston Street blew 12 saves. Mostly, the team fell victim to Barbosa's waning interest over the course of the season.

Now with new ownership, the Bombers actually have a very good core to build around and may be a surprise in '08.

Team Review: Sardine City Straphangers

In their first year, the Straphangers went for a "build-for-the-future" type of strategy, ignoring the 2007 standings. The only problem was, they were competing for last against the Las Vegas Rat Pack, who had written off 2007 much sooner than the Sardines.

What went right: I guess you can point to Raul Ibanez and Gary Matthews having good seasons as a positive. The truth is it didn't really matter much what they did. The club wasn't going to win in 2007 and the team knew it. The team did actually have a pretty decent bullpen, despite trading away B.J. Ryan. Akinori Otsuka, in particular, stood out. The club was successful in amassing a roster of young prospects and draft picks to build around for 2008.

What went wrong: The team did have the worst offense in the league by far, but given their strategy, it's hard to point to that as something that went wrong. In fact, it'll probably take a year or two to really figure out if any of their future plans went wrong or right. The only thing that could possibly be viewed as a negative is the high asking price for B.J. Ryan early on in the season may have scared off some clubs from negotiating for the reliever and Sardine City had to settle for a fifth round pick.

The Sardines sacrificed the 2007 season in hopes of a brighter future, so the score on their report card remains an incomplete until we can see if any of the seeds they planted will actually bloom in '08.

Keeper Peepers and other stuff

If you haven't joined the DMBL Ning group, then you're missing out on Butch's recent Keeper Peeper series of posts. Butch takes a look at the possible keeper lists of all 14 DMBL teams, trying to discern who is a "no-brainer" and who will likely be cut. It's a good way to gauge what the possible needs and surpluses of the teams are when trying to propose a trade this winter. The first three are already up there.

Yesterday, the winner of the Ian Rintel Front Office Award was revealed. The award was first truly awarded in 2004 (and retroactively awarded since).

Also finally posted to the site is the 2007 DMBL World Series Recap by Zane Smith. Zane takes a game-by-game look back at the Sugar Bears-Mighty Men series and announces the winner of the presitigious Bud Black Award.

Team Review: Philadelphia Endzone Animals

The Endzone Animals started the season off with a new look and ended up winning their first Morris Division title. They lost a tough seven-game series with the Mighty Men, but are in good shape to contend again in 2008.

What went right: Johan Santana once again proved to be a force at the top of the rotation. Santana is one of two McDonald award contenders. Erik Bedard also emerged as an excellent number two and Brandon Webb was solid, though not as good as expected. J.J. Putz and Francisco Rodriguez were one of the best one-two bullpen punches in the league. Albert Pujols had another Mitchell-worthy season anchoring the Animals' lineup.

What went wrong: The offense just needed a little more from some of its cogs like Michael Cuddyer, Adam LaRoche, and Scott Rolen. The club's additions of J.D. Drew and Jimmy Rollins seemed like good ideas, but the two were only slightly better than average. Matt Cain had a rough debut season in the number five slot, but the Animals seem to think he has a bright future ahead of him.

The Animals have arguably the best pitcher and the best hitter in the league and with a strong bullpen, they are in position to be competitive for a long time.

Team Review: Newark Sugar Bears

The Sugar Bears had a historic season. What more can you say? They crushed their way into the playoffs and stomped through the playoffs, winning their unprecedented fourth straight title. The Sugar Bears have had as close to a perfect season as could be expected in the DMBL.

What went right: Um, everything. The offense was legendary, the bullpen was great. The starting rotation was solid. The team won 118 games, for crying out loud! Jim Edmonds and Marlon Anderson had career years, and I mean ridiculous career years. Cla Meredith had a tremendous year in the bullpen and Javy Vazquez seemed to awaken from the dead.

What went wrong:



So anyway, the Sugar Bears will be the target of everyone's "A" game in 2008. Can they win five in a row? Can anyone stop them?

Team Review: New Jersey Team Buddah

As a first year team, New Jersey had low expectations...and met them. The Buddahs finished third from the bottom.

What went right: The starting rotation really wasn't all that bad for a bottom dweller. Jose Contreras was pretty decent for most of the season and Tom Gorzelanny showed signs of being a solid starter. First round pick Joel Zumaya and Bobby Jenks anchored a solid bullpen. Ichiro Suzuki compiled another 200-hit season and rookie Yuniesky Betancourt had an impressive rookie campaign.

What went wrong: The closer position was a mess. Todd Jones blew twelve saves after taking over for the ineffective Bob Wickman midway through the season. Perhaps not coincidentally, Team Buddah led the league in losses after leading after seven innings with 14. The offense was pathetic, ranking 13th in OPS (.728) and 13th in runs created (743).

We'll give Team Buddah a pass in their first year of existence, but it is still unclear what their plans are for 2008. Trading their marketable talent for prospects may be a good idea.

Don't forget to vote!

Seeing as yesterday was election day, I'll use this opportunity to remind everyone to vote for post-season awards. Vote for the top six for the Mitchell (hitter) and McDonald (pitcher) awards and the top there for the Listach (rookie of the year). Voting is open for about another two weeks, so time is running out.

Since 2001, the total votes for post-season awards has averaged just over six votes, with 2003, 2005, and 2006 all maxing out at seven votes. This year we're hoping we can get into the double digits at least.

Look for Zane Smith's World Series recap article to hit the site either today or tomorrow. Finally, we'll know the answer to the burning question - "who won this year's Bud Black (World Series MVP) award?"

Team Review: Matthew's Mighty Men of Marietta

The Mighty Men faced the daunting task of taking on the steamroller known as the Sugar Bears in the DMBL World Series. Still, it has to be considered a successful season. The Mighty Men played in the Series for the second time in franchise history and the first time since 2000 when they were the Jerusalem Rabbis.

What went right: The Mites' offense was probably second only to the Sugar Bears. Wes Helms and Ray Durham had career years. Derek Jeter, Jim Thome, and Todd Helton all had great years and Matt Diaz and Wily Mo Pena had breakout seasons. Francisco Liriano had a McDonald-worthy season, as well as a likely Listach award. Mike Mussina and A.J. Burnett were solid. The bullpen was top notch - with future Hall of Famers Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman joined by late-season acquisition B.J. Ryan.

What went wrong: They had to play the Sugar Bears. You can't say much else went wrong for the Mites. Sure the team never really settled on a fifth starter and Jeremy Sowers was only so-so as the fourth. If you really want to be picky, we'll pick on Morgan Ensberg going 3-27 (.111 average). You suck, Morgan!

The Mighty Men made a strong push to win it all in 2007 and they may end up paying for it in 2008. Still you have to say it was worth it for Marietta.

Team Review: Las Vegas Rat Pack

It was clear from the beginning of the season that the Rat Pack would not contend, so they sacrificed the 2007 season and focused on rebuilding the roster for '08.

What went right: The Rat Pack did in fact gain the top draft position for 2008 and are looking poised for a rebound season. Joe Mauer had another great season and the club made a good deal to bring Matt Holliday in from D.C. Mark Teixeira and Chris Young were solid despite being surrounded by inferior support.

What went wrong: While the Rats ended up with the worst record in the league, that wasn't necessarily a negative. Oliver Perez tied the single season record with 21 losses. The bullpen and rotation were atrocious. Joe Blanton and Jhonny Peralta regressed.

The Rats roster was always in flux in 2007 so they never really did develop a chemistry. The Rats do believe that the rebuilding effort will be a success next season, so it remains to be seen if 2007 was truly a lost season or a successfull one.

Team Review: Honolulu Sharks

After missing the playoffs last season, the Sharks reclaimed their spot in the playoffs in 2007, giving them four playoff appearances in the last five years. The Sharks were pretty steady all year, staying in a playoff spot for most of the year. They ended up winning 86 games and tying with Hoboken for fourth overall.

What went right: The Sharks were a pretty balanced team - decent offense and a decent pitching staff. Rookie Jered Weaver was solid and Jeff Francis was a surprise for the Sharks. Jason Schmidt won 17 games somehow, despite poor peripheral numbers. Veterans Jason Giambi, Jermaine Dye, and Miguel Tejada all had very good seasons, while youngsters Adrian Gonzalez and Brian McCann had breakout seasons.

What went wrong: The obvious target here is the bullpen. Closer Tom Gordon was a disaster, blowing 11 saves and compiling a 5.50 ERA. The usually dependable Roy Oswalt got off to a rough start and ended up with a disappointing 5.20 ERA, though he did end up winning 12 games. The Sharks never did really find a fifth starter as both Kenny Rogers and Cliff Lee were poor.

If the Sharks had a better closer or a dependable fifth starter, they probably could have won a few more games last year. Look for the Sharks to upgrade their bullpen in 2008.

Team Review: Hoboken Cutters

The Cutters have to be happy with their season this year. Butch's Sims picked Hoboken as the second worst team in the league and the Swami picked them to finish middle of the pack. The Cutters ended up tied for fourth in the league with the Sharks with an 86-76 record, tying their previous franchise best in 2002.

What went right: The offense really clicked. Miguel Cabrera led the team with a .363 average, .989 OPS, 50 doubles, and 114 RBIs. Josh Bard and Chris Duncan had breakout seasons. Trades for Greg Norton, Brandon League, and Wes Littleton helped bolster the team. Vicente Padilla had a good year atop the rotation (12-6, 4.35 ERA).
What went wrong: Hoboken had a lot of youngsters in key roles, so it was not a surprise that not all of them panned out. Ian Kinsler, Hanley Ramirez, and Mike Jacobs were just alright at their respective positions and will need to bring their games up to the next level. Scott Kazmir and Boof Bonser are promising, but need a little seasoning. The idea to split Isringhausen's closer role was a good one as Izzy showed signs of losing it (5.69 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, but 11 of 12 in save situations).

Hoboken made a nice run, but they needed just a little bit more to be taken serious as a playoff contender. The youngsters needed to step up, but you really can't fault anyone considering the low expecations of this team early on. Manager Wally Backman earned that new contract extension this year.