Vancouver scored 6 runs in the first two innings to knock off Amityville 6-3. Amityville had held their opponents to a combined 10 hits and 1 run in the past three games, but John Lester was not able to keep the streak alive. Clint Barmes started the scoring with an RBI triple, then scored on a single after that, then Chase Utley added to the carnage in the next inning with a 3-run home run. Chad Billingsley, who had not won in 3 weeks, picked up his 10th victory of the season.
Two days ago it was the Mudcats who scored in the 20s, and now it's the Rat Pack, unloading on the hapless Endzone Animals in a 21-1 final. To make matters worse, the Animals were held to only one hit in the game - a first inning double that gave Philly a brief 1-0 lead. John Baker and Dan Uggla each had a home run and 4 RBIs and Matt Holliday was 3-4 with 5 RBIs. Rich Harden was the beneficiary of the run support, pitching 6 innings and striking out 7.
Newark edged Hillsborough 2-1 to even the series between the two division leaders. The Hitmen got off to an early 1-0 lead when Carlos Lee hit an RBI-single in the 4th, but Bobby Abreu tied it up in the 6th with a solo home run. In the 7th, Jason Giambi hit a sac fly to give the Sugar Bears the lead. Joey Devine pitched a perfect 9th for his league-leading 31st save.
Carlos Delgado's 2 home runs and Roy Halladay's 11-strikeout effort led the Mudcats to a 4-2 win over New Jersey. After being embarrassed yesterday, the Buddahs didn't have much left in the tank. Jamie Moyer pitched a decent game (8 IP, 4 ER, 6 K) but got the loss anyway. Halladay now leads the league with a 2.69 ERA and is tied for second in wins with 15.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Amityville horrifies Mighty Men
Amityville stifled Marietta once again, this time a 3-hitter by Armando Galarraga. Galarraga, who had been 3-17 entering the game, blanked the Mighty Men, striking out 6 and walking only one. Yesterday, the Mighty Men were three-hit by Dallas Braden. This, of course, coming on the heels of a 3 game set where they scored 7 runs in each game... Marietta will try to reverse their fortune against Blue Ridge today.
Carolina's 5-run outburst in the 6th inning yesterday led the team to a 5-3 win over D.C. The rally was capped by a 3-run Bengie Molina home run off starter Chris Young. Meanwhile, Hillsborough was shellacked by Blue Ridge 11-6 - and it would have been worse if not for a meaningless 5 runs in the 9th inning. Chris Ianetta was 2-5 with 2 homers and 5 RBIs for Blue Ridge. Vancouver meanwhile knocked off Las Vegas in a 12-inning marathon. Victor Martinez's bases loaded single scored the winning run in the 12th to give the Fist a 5-4 victory and 3-game sweep of the Rats. After the dust settles, that leaves the Hitmen with a shrinking 4 1/2 game lead on Carolina, with Vancouver 6 games off the mark.
Philadelphia's hopes for a playoff run took a hit yesterday after a 6-2 loss to the arch rival Falcons. Arkansas exploded for 6 runs in the 6th in which David Wright hit a 3-run home run. Rookie Jair Jurrjens improved to 11-6 in the victory. The Falcons are now only 1/2 a game behind the Animals as the top challenger to the wildcards.
Carolina's 5-run outburst in the 6th inning yesterday led the team to a 5-3 win over D.C. The rally was capped by a 3-run Bengie Molina home run off starter Chris Young. Meanwhile, Hillsborough was shellacked by Blue Ridge 11-6 - and it would have been worse if not for a meaningless 5 runs in the 9th inning. Chris Ianetta was 2-5 with 2 homers and 5 RBIs for Blue Ridge. Vancouver meanwhile knocked off Las Vegas in a 12-inning marathon. Victor Martinez's bases loaded single scored the winning run in the 12th to give the Fist a 5-4 victory and 3-game sweep of the Rats. After the dust settles, that leaves the Hitmen with a shrinking 4 1/2 game lead on Carolina, with Vancouver 6 games off the mark.
Philadelphia's hopes for a playoff run took a hit yesterday after a 6-2 loss to the arch rival Falcons. Arkansas exploded for 6 runs in the 6th in which David Wright hit a 3-run home run. Rookie Jair Jurrjens improved to 11-6 in the victory. The Falcons are now only 1/2 a game behind the Animals as the top challenger to the wildcards.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Hitmen streak iced
The Hired Hitmen's streak of 7 wins was snapped yesterday in a 6-3 loss to Blue Ridge. Michael Young and Rickie Weeks each had 2 hits and Gavin Floyd pitched 8 strong innings to lead the Bombers to victory. Hillsborough remains 5 1/2 games up on Carolina for the Morris Division lead.
Amityville continues to baffle Marietta. Yesterday Dallas Braden tossed a 3-hit shutout against the Mighty Men in a 2-0 victory. Braden struck out 5 and walked one in his 2nd win of the year. Meanwhile John Danks was the hard luck loser in the game, spinning 7 innings of 2-run ball and falling to 14-6 on the season. The Ant Slayers scored both runs in the 5th inning that was marred by a wild pitch and a hit batsman. Alex Rodriguez hit a sac fly after Danks' wild pitch allowed the runner to move to third and Jason Kubel singled in the second run.
Vancouver edged Las Vegas in a 2-1 pitchers duel. Ben Sheets and A.J. Burnett both pitched 7 innings of 1-run ball, but neither factored into the decision. It was in the 8th inning when a Joe Nathan pitched got by catcher John Baker, allowing David Ortiz to score from third. The play was ruled a passed ball. Dennys Reyes struck out 2 and retired the side in order in the 9th to pick up his 1st save of the season.
Newark waved a tearful good-bye to longtime Sugar Bear John Smoltz, released after many difficulties pitching in AAA. "We would love Smoltzie to come back and pitch for us" said pitching coach Mike Grace, "but we needed to make a decision that would help us win this year." Smoltz had been with the team since the summer of 2000 since Newark acquired the righthander from Carolina in exchange for outfielder Jim Edmonds. Smoltz had been stellar in both starting and relief roles for the Sugar Bears, including a 22-5 campaign in 2005 and a 45-save effort in 2003.
Amityville continues to baffle Marietta. Yesterday Dallas Braden tossed a 3-hit shutout against the Mighty Men in a 2-0 victory. Braden struck out 5 and walked one in his 2nd win of the year. Meanwhile John Danks was the hard luck loser in the game, spinning 7 innings of 2-run ball and falling to 14-6 on the season. The Ant Slayers scored both runs in the 5th inning that was marred by a wild pitch and a hit batsman. Alex Rodriguez hit a sac fly after Danks' wild pitch allowed the runner to move to third and Jason Kubel singled in the second run.
Vancouver edged Las Vegas in a 2-1 pitchers duel. Ben Sheets and A.J. Burnett both pitched 7 innings of 1-run ball, but neither factored into the decision. It was in the 8th inning when a Joe Nathan pitched got by catcher John Baker, allowing David Ortiz to score from third. The play was ruled a passed ball. Dennys Reyes struck out 2 and retired the side in order in the 9th to pick up his 1st save of the season.
Newark waved a tearful good-bye to longtime Sugar Bear John Smoltz, released after many difficulties pitching in AAA. "We would love Smoltzie to come back and pitch for us" said pitching coach Mike Grace, "but we needed to make a decision that would help us win this year." Smoltz had been with the team since the summer of 2000 since Newark acquired the righthander from Carolina in exchange for outfielder Jim Edmonds. Smoltz had been stellar in both starting and relief roles for the Sugar Bears, including a 22-5 campaign in 2005 and a 45-save effort in 2003.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Lee, Halladay take honors
One of the hottest teams in the league right now is the Hillsborough Hired Hitmen. Their pitching has been solid of late, but their offense is really their bread and butter. How many times we've already awarded Mitchell frontrunner Aubrey Huff, but this week it goes to his teammate Carlos Lee, our JR Cigars Smokin' Batter of the Week. Lee smoked the ball this week, hitting .583 (14-24) with 2 homers, 4 doubles, 8 runs, and 7 RBIs. He got on base to a .615 clip and had an OPS of 1.615 (you can figure out his slugging, go ahead). Another of his teammates was also in the running - Nick Markakis (.417/.517/.667, 8 R).
Close on Lee's heels this week was Las Vegas' Carlos Pena who hit .435/480/1.217 with 4 homers and 10 RBIs. Other notables: Arkansas' Lance Berkman (.462/.548/.654, 7 R), Newark's Manny Ramirez (.450/.478/.950, 3 HR, 10 RBI) and Ramon Vazquez (.471/.526/1.059, 7 RBI), Philly's Mark Teixeira (.400/.464/.840), New Jersey's Ian Stewart (.409/.458/.818), and Vancouver's Chase Utley (.462/.516/.731, 8 RBI).
Roy Halladay takes this week's ChannelATE Pitcher of the Week Award. In his two starts, Halladay only won one game, but he gave up only one run in 17 innings for an 0.53 ERA and 0.65 WHIP with 15 strikeouts. And once again, the award winner has a teammate that gave him a run for his money. In this case, Carolina's Carlos Zambrano was 2-0 with a 1.13 ERA, but his higher 1.06 WHIP did him in.
Other contenders: Hillsborough's Justin Verlander (2-0, 1.17, 0.91 WHIP) and Marietta's Ervin Santana (1-0, 1.32, 0.73 WHIP).
Close on Lee's heels this week was Las Vegas' Carlos Pena who hit .435/480/1.217 with 4 homers and 10 RBIs. Other notables: Arkansas' Lance Berkman (.462/.548/.654, 7 R), Newark's Manny Ramirez (.450/.478/.950, 3 HR, 10 RBI) and Ramon Vazquez (.471/.526/1.059, 7 RBI), Philly's Mark Teixeira (.400/.464/.840), New Jersey's Ian Stewart (.409/.458/.818), and Vancouver's Chase Utley (.462/.516/.731, 8 RBI).
Roy Halladay takes this week's ChannelATE Pitcher of the Week Award. In his two starts, Halladay only won one game, but he gave up only one run in 17 innings for an 0.53 ERA and 0.65 WHIP with 15 strikeouts. And once again, the award winner has a teammate that gave him a run for his money. In this case, Carolina's Carlos Zambrano was 2-0 with a 1.13 ERA, but his higher 1.06 WHIP did him in.
Other contenders: Hillsborough's Justin Verlander (2-0, 1.17, 0.91 WHIP) and Marietta's Ervin Santana (1-0, 1.32, 0.73 WHIP).
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Win Some, Lose Some
One game today guaranteed two things: The Newark Sugar Bears will have a winning season, and New Jersey Team Buddah will not.With Newark crushing New Jersey, 11-1, the Sugar Bears now have 82 wins, and Team Buddah now has 82 losses. For Newark, it's their 14th straight winning season, dating all the way back to their 106-56 record in their inaugural season. If the Sugar Bears can also post a winning mark next year, they'll tie for the all-time record with the Arkansas Golden Falcons, who were over .500 for 15 consecutive seasons (1991-2006).
The victory today not only means that Newark has never had a losing season -- it also means New Jersey has never had a winning one. New Jersey, which lost 94 games in '07 and 102 last year, is on pace to drop a franchise-worst 107 games this year. Looking at the bright side, they are firmly in the lead in the race for the most balls in the draft lottery, with a 4 1/2 game lead over the Sardine City Straphangers for the league's worst record.
Matthew's Mighty Men of Marietta kept pace with the Sugar Bears by pulling out an 11th inning win over the Las Vegas Rat Pack. The Rats, playing at home in The House, took a 5-1 lead in the 3rd after back-to-back home runs by Carlos Pena and Dan Uggla, but it wasn't enough as the Mites chipped away with runs in the 4th and the 6th. But the Rats were still one out away from a win in the 9th, until Kevin Youkilis cracked a two-run double to tie it up. In the top of the 11th, Jason Bay knocked in the go-ahead run with a single, and Grant Balfour nailed down the win in the bottom of the frame.
The Arkansas Golden Falcons slipped by the Hoboken Cutters, 5-4, to crawl above .500 at 64-63, while the Sardine City Straphangers easily handled the Amityville Ant Slayers, 9-5.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Carolina finishes off Marietta in 3 game sweep
Carolina swept their series with Marietta yesterday after a 7-5 win yesterday. John Maine improved to 11-4, despite a shaky outing and Alex Rios was 3-4 with a solo home run. The Cats remain 5 games out and in second place in the Morris Division. Meanwhile, Marietta, who had been as close as a 1/2 game out of first recently, fall all the way back to 4 games out, but still in second place in the Hanover.
Meanwhile, Hillsborough won their 4th straight, a 12-6 drubbing of Team Buddah. Jerry Hairston finally had a big day for his new club (2-4, 3 runs, 2 RBI) and Carlos Lee was 3-4 with 3 runs scored. David DeJesus was 2-3 with 2 triples in defeat. The Hitmen appear to have taken a strong hold on the division lead. The other threat in the Morris Division, the Vancouver Iron Fist also won yesterday, an 11-6 decision against Hoboken. Adam Jones had his finest day in his brief DMBL career, going 4-5 with 3 runs and Chase Utley was 3-4 with 4 RBIs. Vancouver is in 3rd place in the Morris, one game behind Carolina.
The Sugar Bears dropped a 4-3 match to Philadelphia as the Endzone Animals scored 2 runs in the bottom of the 8th. Mark Teixeira hit a 2-run bomb off James Shields to win the game for the Animals. Philly is in 4th place now at 63-60, but 4 games out of a playoff spot. Meanwhile, Arkansas and D.C. are gaining fast. Interestingly, Blue Ridge is the only team in the Morris Division that is below the .500 mark.
Meanwhile, Hillsborough won their 4th straight, a 12-6 drubbing of Team Buddah. Jerry Hairston finally had a big day for his new club (2-4, 3 runs, 2 RBI) and Carlos Lee was 3-4 with 3 runs scored. David DeJesus was 2-3 with 2 triples in defeat. The Hitmen appear to have taken a strong hold on the division lead. The other threat in the Morris Division, the Vancouver Iron Fist also won yesterday, an 11-6 decision against Hoboken. Adam Jones had his finest day in his brief DMBL career, going 4-5 with 3 runs and Chase Utley was 3-4 with 4 RBIs. Vancouver is in 3rd place in the Morris, one game behind Carolina.
The Sugar Bears dropped a 4-3 match to Philadelphia as the Endzone Animals scored 2 runs in the bottom of the 8th. Mark Teixeira hit a 2-run bomb off James Shields to win the game for the Animals. Philly is in 4th place now at 63-60, but 4 games out of a playoff spot. Meanwhile, Arkansas and D.C. are gaining fast. Interestingly, Blue Ridge is the only team in the Morris Division that is below the .500 mark.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Ineligible But Unavailable
Looking ahead to the 2010 draft? Having dreams about rebuilding your team around Tommy Hanson, Nelson Cruz or Pablo Sandoval?
Sorry... they're already gone! A number of rookies (and some veterans) managed to survive all the way through the Trading Deadline. It's not easy -- out of 65 ineligible players drafted, about half (32) are still on rosters.
Here are the guys you'll be crossing off your list, should they get protected:
Sorry... they're already gone! A number of rookies (and some veterans) managed to survive all the way through the Trading Deadline. It's not easy -- out of 65 ineligible players drafted, about half (32) are still on rosters.
Here are the guys you'll be crossing off your list, should they get protected:
- SS Elvis Andrus (VAN) .254/.316/.344, 19 SB
- P Andrew Brackman (BR) Struggling in A-Ball (1-10, 6.16 ERA, 1.70 WHIP)
- P Madison Bumgarner (AMI) 7-1, 1.56 ERA... but in Double-A
- P Trevor Cahill (AMI) 6-8, 4.50 ERA, 1.45 WHIP
- P Chris Carpenter (DC) Comeback Player of the Year? 8-3, 2.26 ERA, 0.91 WHIP
- OF Nelson Cruz (AMI) .270/.335/.550, 23 HR and 54 RBI
- P Neftali Feliz (SAR) 3.44 ERA, 1.27 WHIP in Triple-A
- OF Dexter Fowler (HIL) .257/.359/.389, 23 SB
- SS Rafael Furcal (MAR) .255/.327/.354
- P Yovani Gallardo (PHI) Picking up where he left off -- 3.28 ERA, 1.26 WHIP
- 3B Mat Gamel (HIL) .239/.336/.407 in 131 PA
- OF Brett Gardner (MAR) .278/.353/.397, 19 SB
- DH Travis Hafner (BR) .284/.380/.516, but only 179 PA
- P Tommy Hanson (DC) 16th pick is paying off: 5-0, 3.00 ERA, 1.27 WHIP
- P Phil Hughes (SAR) 3.63 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, but needs 3 more starts to be SP
- 1B Nick Johnson (DC) .305/.415/.421, and has stayed healthy for 393 PA!
- 1B Matt LaPorta (CAR) Back in minors after hitting .190/.286/.286
- OF Cameron Maybin (DC) Back in minors after hitting .202/.280/.310
- P Andrew McCutchen (BR) .296/.351/.458, 9 SB, 0 CS
- P Rick Porcello (NJ) New Jersey native is 9-6, 4.40 ERA, 1.49 WHIP
- C Jorge Posada (NWK) .282/.369/.517 in 244 PA
- P David Price (LV) 3-4, 4.86 ERA, 1.64 WHIP in 10 starts
- OF Colby Rasmus (SAR) .265/.315/.450, 11 HR, 34 RBI
- 1B/3B Pablo Sandoval (BR) .322/.371/.551, but only 3 games at catcher so far
- P Max Scherzer (HIL) 5-6, 3.86 ERA, 1.375 WHIP, 103 K in 100.1 IP
- 1B Justin Smoak (SAR) Struggling after promotion to Triple-A (.133/.243/.233)
- P John Smoltz (NWK) End of the road? 1-3, 6.31 ERA, 1.44 WHIP
- OF Travis Snider (NJ) .242/.292/.394 in 108 PA
- P Steven Strasburg (PHI) Still hasn't signed with the Nationals
- C Matt Wieters (SAR) Not in the HOF yet... .244/.301/.374
- P Jordan Zimmermann (CAR) Now on DL... 4.63 ERA, 1.36 WHIP in 16 starts
- P Joel Zumaya (NJ) 4.94 ERA, 1.81 WHIP in 29 appearances... and back on DL
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Mighty Men, Mudcats battle to 1-0 final
Marietta and Carolina battled to a 1-0 final in extra innings yesterday. Ervin Santana and Roy Halladay started for their respective teams. Santana, however, left in the 5th inning with an undisclosed injury. Mike Adams picked up the slack for Marietta, pitching 4.1 innings in relief and giving up only 1 hit. Halladay however, lasted 9 innings before the Cats called to their bullpen. Halladay only surrendered 4 hits and struck out 9. So at the end of the 9th inning, neither team scored and both teams had 4 hits each to show for it. Mariano Rivera and Edwar Ramirez both continued the shutout for the next two innings. In the 12th, Marietta replaced Rivera with Hong Chi-Kuo who gave up a leadoff hit to Vernon Wells. After striking out the next two batters, Kuo gave up a game winning double to pinch hitter Cody Ross. In total, the two teams combined for 13 hits and 26 strikeouts...oh yeah and 1 walk.
The Ant Slayers were clinging to a shaky 2-0 lead over Arkansas yesterday. Dallas Braden had held the Falcons scoreless over 6.2 innings, but things went south in the 9th. With Arthur Rhodes pitching, the Falcons started the inning with two hits. Rhodes was replaced after the next batter by Octavio Dotel. Dotel gave up a sac fly then served up a 2-run, game winning homer to Jody Gerut.
The final game of the evening was Las Vegas' 13-2 trashing of the O-Bombers. The Rats collected 20 hits, spoiling the D.C. debut of David Bush. Alex Gordon was 3-5 with a homer and 3 RBIs, as every Rat Pack starter had at least one hit in the game.
The Ant Slayers were clinging to a shaky 2-0 lead over Arkansas yesterday. Dallas Braden had held the Falcons scoreless over 6.2 innings, but things went south in the 9th. With Arthur Rhodes pitching, the Falcons started the inning with two hits. Rhodes was replaced after the next batter by Octavio Dotel. Dotel gave up a sac fly then served up a 2-run, game winning homer to Jody Gerut.
The final game of the evening was Las Vegas' 13-2 trashing of the O-Bombers. The Rats collected 20 hits, spoiling the D.C. debut of David Bush. Alex Gordon was 3-5 with a homer and 3 RBIs, as every Rat Pack starter had at least one hit in the game.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Eck Award Standings!
We're past the trade deadline and heading into the home stretch of the 2009 season. Let's take a quick look at the leaders in the Dennis Eckersley Relief Pitcher of the Year Award race. As you know, this prestigious honor is bestowed not based on votes but rather based on a formula devised by the good people at Rolaids: relief wins times two plus saves times two, minus relief losses plus blown saves.
Newark rookie Joey Devine
is the current leader with 59 relief points (2 W, 29 SV, 2 L, 1 BS). He also leads the league in saves and save percentage (.967), and has the lowest ERA (1.82) of any pitcher with at least 50 innings pitched this season. Right behind him is two-time former Eck Award winner Mariano Rivera, with 56 relief points (7 W, 24 SV, 2 L, 4 BS); he's also second in saves and third in save percentage (.857). Rivera's ridiculous 5.8 R/9 (27 H, 6 BB in 54.0 IP) is second-best in the league -- behind D.C.'s Jared Burton, who has pitched just 3 innings! Almost as impressive is Rivera's .114 IR% (35 runners inherited, just 4 scored), which is fourth-best in the league. As Newark and Marietta are battling it out for the best record in the league, the Eck winner could very well be decided by which team wins the Commissioner's Cup, and therefore provides more save opportunities to its closer.
With those two comfortably in front, the other DMBL closers are battling for third place. Arkansas's Joakim Soria has a slight edge with 41 relief points (5 W, 20 SV, 4 L, 5 BS), followed by Carolina's Brian Fuentes (3 W, 23 SV, 4 L, 9 BS), Hillsborough's Mike Gonzalez (2 W, 21 SV, 1 L, 6 BS),
and D.C.'s Jonathan Papelbon (4 W, 19 SV, 5 L, 2 BS) all at 39. Papelbon, last year's winner, has the best numbers of the bunch, with a 2.42 ERA, 8.9 R/9 and the league's second-best SV% (.905), but the O-Bombers aren't providing many wins for him to save this season. Vancouver's Billy Wagner, in 7th place with 33 relief points (4 W, 20 SV, 7 L, 8 BS), hopes the defending World Champions will turn it on down the stretch to get him back into the Eck race.
Taylor Buchholz was Sardine City's closer but was traded last month to Las Vegas, where he's sharing the closing duties with Brian Shouse. Coincidentally, the two Rat Packers are tied for 8th with 29 relief points... New Jersey's Bobby Jenks rounds out the top 10 with 27 relief points and 16 saves.
Newark rookie Joey Devine
is the current leader with 59 relief points (2 W, 29 SV, 2 L, 1 BS). He also leads the league in saves and save percentage (.967), and has the lowest ERA (1.82) of any pitcher with at least 50 innings pitched this season. Right behind him is two-time former Eck Award winner Mariano Rivera, with 56 relief points (7 W, 24 SV, 2 L, 4 BS); he's also second in saves and third in save percentage (.857). Rivera's ridiculous 5.8 R/9 (27 H, 6 BB in 54.0 IP) is second-best in the league -- behind D.C.'s Jared Burton, who has pitched just 3 innings! Almost as impressive is Rivera's .114 IR% (35 runners inherited, just 4 scored), which is fourth-best in the league. As Newark and Marietta are battling it out for the best record in the league, the Eck winner could very well be decided by which team wins the Commissioner's Cup, and therefore provides more save opportunities to its closer.With those two comfortably in front, the other DMBL closers are battling for third place. Arkansas's Joakim Soria has a slight edge with 41 relief points (5 W, 20 SV, 4 L, 5 BS), followed by Carolina's Brian Fuentes (3 W, 23 SV, 4 L, 9 BS), Hillsborough's Mike Gonzalez (2 W, 21 SV, 1 L, 6 BS),
and D.C.'s Jonathan Papelbon (4 W, 19 SV, 5 L, 2 BS) all at 39. Papelbon, last year's winner, has the best numbers of the bunch, with a 2.42 ERA, 8.9 R/9 and the league's second-best SV% (.905), but the O-Bombers aren't providing many wins for him to save this season. Vancouver's Billy Wagner, in 7th place with 33 relief points (4 W, 20 SV, 7 L, 8 BS), hopes the defending World Champions will turn it on down the stretch to get him back into the Eck race.Taylor Buchholz was Sardine City's closer but was traded last month to Las Vegas, where he's sharing the closing duties with Brian Shouse. Coincidentally, the two Rat Packers are tied for 8th with 29 relief points... New Jersey's Bobby Jenks rounds out the top 10 with 27 relief points and 16 saves.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Pena, Cook, take honors
We'll have more on the trades as the dust settles later, but for now we're going to jump right into the Players of the Week...
Last season, Carlos Pena fulfilled a lot of the hype that he never lived up to. After 3 seasons spent as a bit player on three different teams, Las Vegas made Pena their number one pick in 2008. Pena went on to smack 53 home runs and drive in 137 runs with a 1.025 OPS. In 2009, Pena isn't enjoying the same monster year, but he's putting up a very good .274/.423/.557 line with 23 homers and 64 RBIs. This week, Pena takes the JR Cigars Smokin' Batter of the Week prize. Pena batted .474 with a 1.545 OPS, 3 homers, 5 runs and 8 RBIs.
Other top batters: Arkansas' Lance Berkman (.458/.500/1.042, 10 RBI, 4 HR), Newark's J.D. Drew (.393/.452/.857, 3 HR, 10 RBIs), Sardine City's B.J. Upton (.425/.581/.696) and Ryan Braun (.467/.500/.633), Marietta's Adrian Gonzalez (.364/.462/.773, 3 HR), and Hoboken's Marlon Byrd (.407/.467/.741, 8 R).
Aaron Cook has had a bit of a rough season this year with the Cutters. Despite his 9-7 record, he has a 5.47 ERA and 1.73 WHIP. It's about on par with his season from last year when he went 9-12 with a 5.72 ERA and 1.56 WHIP. But this week, cook was an All-Star. In his two starts, Cook went 2-0 with an 0.61 ERA and 0.82 WHIP in 14.2 innings. Good enough to earn the Falling Sand Pitcher of the Week Award.
Other notables: D.C.'s Erik Bedard (0-0, 2.13, 0.95 WHIP, 17 K), Newark's Randy Johnson (2-0, 2.02, 1.35 WHIP, 13 K), Blue Ridge's Ted Lilly (1-0, 2.08, 1.08) and Adam Wainwright (0-1, 2.57, 0.86) and Marietta's Ryan Dempster (0-0, 2.53, 1.41).
Last season, Carlos Pena fulfilled a lot of the hype that he never lived up to. After 3 seasons spent as a bit player on three different teams, Las Vegas made Pena their number one pick in 2008. Pena went on to smack 53 home runs and drive in 137 runs with a 1.025 OPS. In 2009, Pena isn't enjoying the same monster year, but he's putting up a very good .274/.423/.557 line with 23 homers and 64 RBIs. This week, Pena takes the JR Cigars Smokin' Batter of the Week prize. Pena batted .474 with a 1.545 OPS, 3 homers, 5 runs and 8 RBIs.
Other top batters: Arkansas' Lance Berkman (.458/.500/1.042, 10 RBI, 4 HR), Newark's J.D. Drew (.393/.452/.857, 3 HR, 10 RBIs), Sardine City's B.J. Upton (.425/.581/.696) and Ryan Braun (.467/.500/.633), Marietta's Adrian Gonzalez (.364/.462/.773, 3 HR), and Hoboken's Marlon Byrd (.407/.467/.741, 8 R).
Aaron Cook has had a bit of a rough season this year with the Cutters. Despite his 9-7 record, he has a 5.47 ERA and 1.73 WHIP. It's about on par with his season from last year when he went 9-12 with a 5.72 ERA and 1.56 WHIP. But this week, cook was an All-Star. In his two starts, Cook went 2-0 with an 0.61 ERA and 0.82 WHIP in 14.2 innings. Good enough to earn the Falling Sand Pitcher of the Week Award.
Other notables: D.C.'s Erik Bedard (0-0, 2.13, 0.95 WHIP, 17 K), Newark's Randy Johnson (2-0, 2.02, 1.35 WHIP, 13 K), Blue Ridge's Ted Lilly (1-0, 2.08, 1.08) and Adam Wainwright (0-1, 2.57, 0.86) and Marietta's Ryan Dempster (0-0, 2.53, 1.41).
Friday, July 17, 2009
Reunited, and it feels so good
The Hairston brothers are back together...Hillsborough completed a deal with divisional rival Vancouver to bring Jerry Hairston to the Hitmen in exchange for a draft pick. Hairston will immediately take over shortstop duties, formely held by Ryan Theriot. Upon hearing the news that brother Jerry is coming to Hillsborough Scott immediately called "top bunk". Scott has been on the bench this year, only getting into 10 games and seeing 7 at bats, but the club has plans for the young outfielder next season.
There were only two games in the DMBL yesterday. Carolina knocked off Hoboken in the first game 6-4 as newly acquired Alex Rios was 3-4 with a homer and 3 RBIs. Carlos Delgado hit two home runs in the game, unfortunately for him, they were both with the bases empty. Roy Halladay gave up all 4 runs, but they were all unearned. Shortstop Mike Aviles' two errors both led to the 4 runs.
In the other game, Braden Looper blanked the Mighty Men, pitching 7 innings of 7-hit ball, striking out 6. Looper improved to 6-3 but was rewarded by a pink slip in his locker. Looper at first thought it was a practical joke, but it was learned that he was, in fact, being replaced by David Bush. "What the f---" Looper screamed. "How the f-- can you bring a Bush onto the O-Bombers???"
There were only two games in the DMBL yesterday. Carolina knocked off Hoboken in the first game 6-4 as newly acquired Alex Rios was 3-4 with a homer and 3 RBIs. Carlos Delgado hit two home runs in the game, unfortunately for him, they were both with the bases empty. Roy Halladay gave up all 4 runs, but they were all unearned. Shortstop Mike Aviles' two errors both led to the 4 runs.
In the other game, Braden Looper blanked the Mighty Men, pitching 7 innings of 7-hit ball, striking out 6. Looper improved to 6-3 but was rewarded by a pink slip in his locker. Looper at first thought it was a practical joke, but it was learned that he was, in fact, being replaced by David Bush. "What the f---" Looper screamed. "How the f-- can you bring a Bush onto the O-Bombers???"
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Mighty Men streak ends at 10
Two more teams have been mentioned in trade rumors. Hoboken and Sardine City, both likely to be sellers, have put out announcements that several players are available. The Cutters have made it known that second baseman Ian Kinsler could be had, though we suspect that he won't be going anywhere. Meanwhile Sardine City has put up half their team, mostly role players and relievers.
Newark ended Marietta's 10-game winning streak with a 5-3 victory. Chien-Ming Wang improved to 17-3 on the season with a solid 7-inning effort. Chipper Jones hit a 2-run homer in the 7th to give the Sugar Bears the lead. Jones was 4-4 with 3 RBIs in the game. The Sugar Bears gain a bit of a cushion, pushing the Mighty Men out to 1 1/2 games.
Alex Rodriguez and Torii Hunter carried the Amityville Ant Slayers to a 13-3 win over Blue Ridge. A-Rod was 2-4 with 6 RBIs and Hunter was 4-5 with 5 RBIs, as both players hit two home runs each. Chris Volstad was the recipient of the run support, improving to 10-9 and holding the Bombers to 1 run on 4 hits in 7 innings.
Justin Verlander struck out 10 and yielded 5 hits in 8 innings of work as the Hired Hitmen took out the O-Bombers 7-3. Freddy Sanchez and Mike Lowell each hit 2 home runs and drove in 3 RBIs to lead the Hillsborough offense. The Hitmen are now up by 4 games in the Morris Division.
Derrek Lowe held the Buddahs to 3 hits in 8 shutout innings to lead the Rat Pack to a 2-0 final. Ichiro Suzuki was 3-3 as the Rats dealt Jamie Moyer his 5th loss in 5 decisions. The Rats are 5 1/2 games out of first.
Hoboken's Matt Garza had the other shutout of the night, pitching 8.1 innings of 5 hit ball, while striking out 7 Straphangers. Josh Johnson, returning from the disabled list, pitched 6 solid innings, giving up 2 runs on 4 hits and 4 walks, while striking out 8. Johnson fell to 3-14 on the season.
Newark ended Marietta's 10-game winning streak with a 5-3 victory. Chien-Ming Wang improved to 17-3 on the season with a solid 7-inning effort. Chipper Jones hit a 2-run homer in the 7th to give the Sugar Bears the lead. Jones was 4-4 with 3 RBIs in the game. The Sugar Bears gain a bit of a cushion, pushing the Mighty Men out to 1 1/2 games.
Alex Rodriguez and Torii Hunter carried the Amityville Ant Slayers to a 13-3 win over Blue Ridge. A-Rod was 2-4 with 6 RBIs and Hunter was 4-5 with 5 RBIs, as both players hit two home runs each. Chris Volstad was the recipient of the run support, improving to 10-9 and holding the Bombers to 1 run on 4 hits in 7 innings.
Justin Verlander struck out 10 and yielded 5 hits in 8 innings of work as the Hired Hitmen took out the O-Bombers 7-3. Freddy Sanchez and Mike Lowell each hit 2 home runs and drove in 3 RBIs to lead the Hillsborough offense. The Hitmen are now up by 4 games in the Morris Division.
Derrek Lowe held the Buddahs to 3 hits in 8 shutout innings to lead the Rat Pack to a 2-0 final. Ichiro Suzuki was 3-3 as the Rats dealt Jamie Moyer his 5th loss in 5 decisions. The Rats are 5 1/2 games out of first.
Hoboken's Matt Garza had the other shutout of the night, pitching 8.1 innings of 5 hit ball, while striking out 7 Straphangers. Josh Johnson, returning from the disabled list, pitched 6 solid innings, giving up 2 runs on 4 hits and 4 walks, while striking out 8. Johnson fell to 3-14 on the season.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Looking forward: the Trade Deadline
With the trading deadline approaching (Sunday, June 19!), several interesting names have been hinted around the rumor mill. Let's take a look at some of the teams that might make some moves before the clock strikes Sunday.
Arkansas Golden Falcons - seller
The Falcons are only 3 games under .500, but are stuck in 6th place and have a ways to go to make the playoffs. One of the more interesting names floating out of Little Rock is closer Brad Lidge, who is a likely candidate to get shipped out. Infielders Cristian Guzman and Ray Durham have also been offered up as well as veterans Tim Wakefield and Kerry Wood.
Hillsborough Hired Hitmen - seller/buyer
Although the Hitmen hold a comfy 4-game lead in the Morris Division, the Courier News has reported that Mitchell Award frontrunner Aubrey Huff and lefty starter C.C. Sabathia are both available for the right price. Anxious fans, afraid that the rumors may signify that the Hitmen are throwing in the towel, were soothed when GM/Owner Brent Campbell announced that the club is not giving up on this season. "We are in talks to acquire some key parts to the championship puzzle" said Campbell, "but we are not afraid to shake up the team if we have to."
Philadelphia Endzone Animals - seller
One of the most active teams on the trade market this year, it's no surprise to hear the Animals in the thick of almost every trade rumor. The Animals are surely looking toward next year, despite a respectable 59-57 record. Ace pitchers Brandon Webb and Scott Kazmir are two of the bigger names that could be dealt before Sunday, but other, smaller cogs like Chris Young, Michael Cuddyer, and Justin Masterson could be gone as well.
Vancouver Iron Fist - seller/buyer
The defending champions are currently tied for the 5th spot overall, but could move some of their players as well. The Fist has a surplus of pitching and may move Hiroki Kuroda or Paul Maholm, and even longtime Fist Ben Sheets has been whispered about. Another interesting development has some teams asking about DH David Ortiz, the defending Kevin Mitchell Award winner. "These are players we can afford to lose if we can shore up some of our weaker areas" said GM/Owner Yaro Zajac. "We're not bowing out of this race by any stretch."
Other teams to look out for: Las Vegas and D.C. are always busy when it comes to the trade deadline and there's a good chance that Carolina and Amityville will be involved in at least one deal. Newark usually has at least one trade up their sleeve, so look for the Sugar Bears to plug some minor holes.
Arkansas Golden Falcons - seller
The Falcons are only 3 games under .500, but are stuck in 6th place and have a ways to go to make the playoffs. One of the more interesting names floating out of Little Rock is closer Brad Lidge, who is a likely candidate to get shipped out. Infielders Cristian Guzman and Ray Durham have also been offered up as well as veterans Tim Wakefield and Kerry Wood.
Hillsborough Hired Hitmen - seller/buyer
Although the Hitmen hold a comfy 4-game lead in the Morris Division, the Courier News has reported that Mitchell Award frontrunner Aubrey Huff and lefty starter C.C. Sabathia are both available for the right price. Anxious fans, afraid that the rumors may signify that the Hitmen are throwing in the towel, were soothed when GM/Owner Brent Campbell announced that the club is not giving up on this season. "We are in talks to acquire some key parts to the championship puzzle" said Campbell, "but we are not afraid to shake up the team if we have to."
Philadelphia Endzone Animals - seller
One of the most active teams on the trade market this year, it's no surprise to hear the Animals in the thick of almost every trade rumor. The Animals are surely looking toward next year, despite a respectable 59-57 record. Ace pitchers Brandon Webb and Scott Kazmir are two of the bigger names that could be dealt before Sunday, but other, smaller cogs like Chris Young, Michael Cuddyer, and Justin Masterson could be gone as well.
Vancouver Iron Fist - seller/buyer
The defending champions are currently tied for the 5th spot overall, but could move some of their players as well. The Fist has a surplus of pitching and may move Hiroki Kuroda or Paul Maholm, and even longtime Fist Ben Sheets has been whispered about. Another interesting development has some teams asking about DH David Ortiz, the defending Kevin Mitchell Award winner. "These are players we can afford to lose if we can shore up some of our weaker areas" said GM/Owner Yaro Zajac. "We're not bowing out of this race by any stretch."
Other teams to look out for: Las Vegas and D.C. are always busy when it comes to the trade deadline and there's a good chance that Carolina and Amityville will be involved in at least one deal. Newark usually has at least one trade up their sleeve, so look for the Sugar Bears to plug some minor holes.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Ramirez family reunion?
Ramirez won a close game against Ramirez last night, although Ramirez was 0-4 and didn't factor into the result. Well, that's one way to put it. Brian McCann's solo home run in the 9th off reliever Edwar Ramirez gave D.C. the 3-2 win over the Mudcats. Taking the loss was another reliever, Ramon Ramirez. A third Ramirez, Aramis was 0-4, and Manny and Hanley were involved in other games.
John Lackey won his 10th game as Hillsborough eked out a 3-2 win over Blue Ridge in 10 innings. Lackey went nine innings in the game, watching as the Hitmen tied it up in the top of the 9th on a Carlos Lee single. Lackey ended his 9 as the score was tied 2-2, but in the top of the 10th, Shin-Soo Choo doubled in the winning run. Mike Gonzalez struck out 2 of the 3 batters he faced to earn his 20th save. By the way, this is the only game of the day without at least one Ramirez...
Ok, we're going to continue the Ramirez Report. Manny Ramirez only went 1-5, but his team, Newark, won 5-3 against the Straphangers. In defeat, Alex Ramirez was 2-5 with a double. Yeah, we forgot about Alex, but not about Horacio, who just plain sucks and is a free agent anyway. He's already gotten more press than he deserves...
The Final Ramirez, Hanley, was 2-5 with a double and an RBI in leading his Cutters to a 7-4 win over New Jersey. Aaron Cook held the Buddahs to just 4 hits and one earned run in 6 innings to improve to 8-7 on the season.
John Lackey won his 10th game as Hillsborough eked out a 3-2 win over Blue Ridge in 10 innings. Lackey went nine innings in the game, watching as the Hitmen tied it up in the top of the 9th on a Carlos Lee single. Lackey ended his 9 as the score was tied 2-2, but in the top of the 10th, Shin-Soo Choo doubled in the winning run. Mike Gonzalez struck out 2 of the 3 batters he faced to earn his 20th save. By the way, this is the only game of the day without at least one Ramirez...
Ok, we're going to continue the Ramirez Report. Manny Ramirez only went 1-5, but his team, Newark, won 5-3 against the Straphangers. In defeat, Alex Ramirez was 2-5 with a double. Yeah, we forgot about Alex, but not about Horacio, who just plain sucks and is a free agent anyway. He's already gotten more press than he deserves...
The Final Ramirez, Hanley, was 2-5 with a double and an RBI in leading his Cutters to a 7-4 win over New Jersey. Aaron Cook held the Buddahs to just 4 hits and one earned run in 6 innings to improve to 8-7 on the season.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Hunter, Danks, take weekly awards
By acquiring Alex Rodriguez last week, the Ant Slayers were trying to add some punch to their lineup. Little did they know it'd come from outfielder Torii Hunter. This week, Hunter batted .500 (12-24) with 3 homers and 13 RBIs. Hunter also put up an astounding 1.600 OPS to take this week's JR Cigars Smokin' Batter of the Week Award.
Hillsborough had two contenders in the race this week and neither one was Aubrey Huff: Carlos Lee (.500/.519/.917, 3 HR, 9 R, 11 RBI) and Nick Markakis (.417/.563/.625, 10 R). Other notables: Marietta' s Josh Hamilton (.500/.576/.786, 11 R, 2 3B), Hoboken's Mike Napoli (.381/.462/.905, 3 HR, 11 RBI), Arkansas' Skip Schumaker (.462/.481/.731, 8 RBI), and Newark's Mike Fontenot (.429/.538/.810).
Who says you have to strike out a ton of batters to be effective? Look at Marietta's John Danks. He only struck out 6 batters in his 14 innings of work this week, yet held his opponents to only 8 hits and an 0.64 ERA. Maybe he only got one win out of his two starts, but that's not his fault. At least he has this week's Fancy Fast Food Pitcher of the Week Award to console him.
Other top pitchers: Carolina's Brian Fuentes (3 saves, 1.80 ERA) and Carlos Zambrano (1-0, 2.45), D.C.'s Chris Young (0-1, 2.40, 11 K), Hillsborough's C.C. Sabathia (1-0, 1.20, 12 K), and Blue Ridge's Fausto Carmona (1-1, 2.02).
Hillsborough had two contenders in the race this week and neither one was Aubrey Huff: Carlos Lee (.500/.519/.917, 3 HR, 9 R, 11 RBI) and Nick Markakis (.417/.563/.625, 10 R). Other notables: Marietta' s Josh Hamilton (.500/.576/.786, 11 R, 2 3B), Hoboken's Mike Napoli (.381/.462/.905, 3 HR, 11 RBI), Arkansas' Skip Schumaker (.462/.481/.731, 8 RBI), and Newark's Mike Fontenot (.429/.538/.810).
Who says you have to strike out a ton of batters to be effective? Look at Marietta's John Danks. He only struck out 6 batters in his 14 innings of work this week, yet held his opponents to only 8 hits and an 0.64 ERA. Maybe he only got one win out of his two starts, but that's not his fault. At least he has this week's Fancy Fast Food Pitcher of the Week Award to console him.
Other top pitchers: Carolina's Brian Fuentes (3 saves, 1.80 ERA) and Carlos Zambrano (1-0, 2.45), D.C.'s Chris Young (0-1, 2.40, 11 K), Hillsborough's C.C. Sabathia (1-0, 1.20, 12 K), and Blue Ridge's Fausto Carmona (1-1, 2.02).
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Maddux finding the fountain of youth
Greg Maddux's good-bye tour continued yesterday as the legend pitched a 5-hit shutout against Arkansas. It was Maddux's 101st career complete game and 32nd shutout, as well as his 230th victory. The win brought Vancouver to within 1/2 a game of the Morris Division.
Carolina won the rubber match against Hillsborough, eking out a 7-6 victory against the current Morris Division leaders. Dustin Pedroia was 3-4 with 3 runs scored and Grady Sizemore had a 3-run triple in the first that gave the Cats the lead.
Erik Bedard outdueled Adam Wainwright in a 2-0 win for D.C. Both runs scored in the 2nd inning and neither team could come up with any more offense. Bedard pitched 6 innings and allowed only 2 hits, while Wainwright went all 8 innings for Blue Ridge, giving up the two runs on 4 hits. The win was Bedard's 10th of the season.
Hoboken crushed Las Vegas 10-3 as Mike Napoli and Miguel Cabrera each tallied 4 RBIs in the game. Jorge Campillo, making a start in the place of injured Rich Harden, was roughed up for 5 runs in 5 innings. Of course, the Rat bullpen, Taylor Buchholz in particular, did not help put out the fire. Buchholz was responsible for 4 of the remaining 5 runs (3 earned) in only one inning as he served up the 3-run homer to Napoli.
Carolina won the rubber match against Hillsborough, eking out a 7-6 victory against the current Morris Division leaders. Dustin Pedroia was 3-4 with 3 runs scored and Grady Sizemore had a 3-run triple in the first that gave the Cats the lead.
Erik Bedard outdueled Adam Wainwright in a 2-0 win for D.C. Both runs scored in the 2nd inning and neither team could come up with any more offense. Bedard pitched 6 innings and allowed only 2 hits, while Wainwright went all 8 innings for Blue Ridge, giving up the two runs on 4 hits. The win was Bedard's 10th of the season.
Hoboken crushed Las Vegas 10-3 as Mike Napoli and Miguel Cabrera each tallied 4 RBIs in the game. Jorge Campillo, making a start in the place of injured Rich Harden, was roughed up for 5 runs in 5 innings. Of course, the Rat bullpen, Taylor Buchholz in particular, did not help put out the fire. Buchholz was responsible for 4 of the remaining 5 runs (3 earned) in only one inning as he served up the 3-run homer to Napoli.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Carolina evens series with Hitmen on late inning rally
Carolina evened their series with Hillsborough, scoring 5 runs in the 8th to win 8-5. The Cats started the inning with back to back doubles, then Xavier Nady was hit by a pitch. After some grumbling, the Hitmen opted to put Jose Arredondo in to relieve Felix Hernandez. After walking the first batter to load the bases, Arredondo struck out Mike Aviles for the first out. But Bengie Molina hit a base hit that scored two runs, giving the Cats the lead back. The Cats extended the lead by two more runs then retired the side in order to preserve the victory.
Amityville took two in a row against first-place Newark with a 9-7 win yesterday. Roy Oswalt won his 11th, pitching 7 innings and giving up 3 runs on 6 hits. It was the first time Newark lost back to back games in more than a month.
Chad Billingsley struck out 13 Falcons in 6.1 innings while holding them to 1 run on 6 hits in a 6-2 win. Ricky Nolasco was pounded for 6 runs and 8 hits in 2 innings in the loss. It was Vancouver's 3rd straight win.
Amityville took two in a row against first-place Newark with a 9-7 win yesterday. Roy Oswalt won his 11th, pitching 7 innings and giving up 3 runs on 6 hits. It was the first time Newark lost back to back games in more than a month.
Chad Billingsley struck out 13 Falcons in 6.1 innings while holding them to 1 run on 6 hits in a 6-2 win. Ricky Nolasco was pounded for 6 runs and 8 hits in 2 innings in the loss. It was Vancouver's 3rd straight win.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Newark 9-game win streak snapped in slugfest
Hillsborough won their 6th in a row yesterday, a key 5-3 win over division rival Carolina. Carolina, who had been in first just a couple of weeks ago, is now in third, 4 games back. The Hitmen were outhit in last night's game 11-7, but a 3-run homer by Aubrey Huff and a solo shot by Ryan Howard were the difference. C.C. Sabathia won his 10th game, allowing 1 earned run in 7 innings, while striking out 9. Magglio Ordonez and Vernon Wells were both 3-5 in a losing cause.
Meanwhile, Newark's 9-game winning streak was snapped in an 11-10 loss at the hands of the Ant Slayers. The Ant Slayers were down 8-2 at the end of the 6th inning, but a 3-run 7th put the team back into the game. Newark took one run back in the bottom, making the score 9-5, but Amityville broke the floodgates open, scoring 6 runs in the 8th, capped off by a 2-run Torii Hunter home run. J.J. Putz pitched the last 2 innings to earn his 2nd save of the year. Hunter ended the game 2-3 with 4 RBIs and 2 home runs. Alex Rodriguez was 2-4 in his Amityville debut. Newark holds a 4 1/2 game lead over Marietta in the Hanover.
Vancouver held off a late rally by Arkansas to edge the Falcons 4-3. The Fist got off to a quick 4-0 lead, but the Falcons clawed their way back, scoring one run in both the 6th and 7th inning. J. J. Hardy hit a solo homer to bring the game to within one in the 9th, but Billy Wagner was able to work his way out of the jam to pick up his 20th save.
Matt Cain struck out 12 Buddahs en route to a 7-3 win yesterday. The Animals jumped all over starter Kyle Lohse, scoring 5 runs in the first 4 innings, before chasing Lohse in the 6th. Cain improved to 8-7 on the season.
Meanwhile, Newark's 9-game winning streak was snapped in an 11-10 loss at the hands of the Ant Slayers. The Ant Slayers were down 8-2 at the end of the 6th inning, but a 3-run 7th put the team back into the game. Newark took one run back in the bottom, making the score 9-5, but Amityville broke the floodgates open, scoring 6 runs in the 8th, capped off by a 2-run Torii Hunter home run. J.J. Putz pitched the last 2 innings to earn his 2nd save of the year. Hunter ended the game 2-3 with 4 RBIs and 2 home runs. Alex Rodriguez was 2-4 in his Amityville debut. Newark holds a 4 1/2 game lead over Marietta in the Hanover.
Vancouver held off a late rally by Arkansas to edge the Falcons 4-3. The Fist got off to a quick 4-0 lead, but the Falcons clawed their way back, scoring one run in both the 6th and 7th inning. J. J. Hardy hit a solo homer to bring the game to within one in the 9th, but Billy Wagner was able to work his way out of the jam to pick up his 20th save.
Matt Cain struck out 12 Buddahs en route to a 7-3 win yesterday. The Animals jumped all over starter Kyle Lohse, scoring 5 runs in the first 4 innings, before chasing Lohse in the 6th. Cain improved to 8-7 on the season.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Hochevar makes most of opportunity
This week's JR Cigars Smokin' Batter of the Week is Vancouver's Curtis Granderson. Granderson hit .500 (10-20) with a .542 OBP and a 1.392 OPS. He also hit 2 homers and drove in 6 runs. His main competition this week came from Philly's Albert Pujols, who hit .448/.455/.862 with 3 homers and a whopping 14 RBIs.
Other notables: Philly's Andre Ethier (.500/.533/.786, 9 R), Newark's Jarrod Saltalamacchia (.500/.565/.550), Carolina's Magglio Ordonez (.423/.483/.769, 10 RBIs), D.C.'s Derrek Lee (.368/.478/.895, 7 RBIs), Hoboken's Mike Napoli (.421/.455/.895, 2HR, 8 RBIs), and, of course, Hillsborough's Aubrey Huff (.391/.464/.609, 10 R).
We had one less game day this week, so there aren't many two-start pitchers to choose from. Instead we are going to honor Luke Hochevar of Philadelphia, this week's Chia Obama Pitcher of the Week. Hochevar has been claimed and released so many times in the past couple seasons, that you may have forgotten what team he was on. In fact, Hochevar was signed 5 times this year, Philadelphia being the last team, but he hasn't had a chance to show his stuff until Friday when he pitched 7 shutout innings against New Jersey, earning his first career DMBL victory.
Others in consideration: Carolina's Daisuke Matsuzaka (1-0, 2.57, 13 K in 14 IP) and Hoboken's Ryan Madson (1-0, 2 saves, 6 K in 5.2 IP, 0.00 ERA).
Other notables: Philly's Andre Ethier (.500/.533/.786, 9 R), Newark's Jarrod Saltalamacchia (.500/.565/.550), Carolina's Magglio Ordonez (.423/.483/.769, 10 RBIs), D.C.'s Derrek Lee (.368/.478/.895, 7 RBIs), Hoboken's Mike Napoli (.421/.455/.895, 2HR, 8 RBIs), and, of course, Hillsborough's Aubrey Huff (.391/.464/.609, 10 R).
We had one less game day this week, so there aren't many two-start pitchers to choose from. Instead we are going to honor Luke Hochevar of Philadelphia, this week's Chia Obama Pitcher of the Week. Hochevar has been claimed and released so many times in the past couple seasons, that you may have forgotten what team he was on. In fact, Hochevar was signed 5 times this year, Philadelphia being the last team, but he hasn't had a chance to show his stuff until Friday when he pitched 7 shutout innings against New Jersey, earning his first career DMBL victory.
Others in consideration: Carolina's Daisuke Matsuzaka (1-0, 2.57, 13 K in 14 IP) and Hoboken's Ryan Madson (1-0, 2 saves, 6 K in 5.2 IP, 0.00 ERA).
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Presidential Players
In honor of Independence Day, we're going to look at some of the most Presidential players in league history...
Hmmm, there's no Washington yet...Washburn is close...no cigar! I guess we'll have to start with number 2. Terry Adams was a somewhat useful reliever for Columbia earlier this decade. He first broke in with Newark in 1997, but was pretty mediocre (5-0, but with a 5.40 ERA in 40 games). He was pretty solid for the Crusaders in 2000 and 2001 so they decided to make him a starter. Yikes, what a disaster (1-8, 6.06 ERA). At least Terry was able to end it on a high note in 2004, when he was 5-2, with a 2.03 ERA back in the bullpen. Overall, he finished with a 24-19 record and 4.49 ERA.
Only one Jefferson, so Reggie Jefferson gets the nod by default. Reggie struggled in his rookie year in 1997 (.226/.254/.343) with Newark. The next season he got more of a regular role in Stanhope and had a very solid season (.324/.352/.496, 15 HR, 58 RBI, in 411 AB), but was never heard from again...kind of like the two-dollar bill.
No Madison...maybe Ryan Madson? Close enough, I guess, but can his wife make ice cream?
Next on the list we have Craig Monroe, who broke into the DMBL with Arkansas back in 2004, but he only got 33 at bats. His first starting gig was the next season with Phoenix, where he hit .272 with 17 HR and 75 RBIs. Of course he also struck out 106 times in 486 at bats, leading to a much diminished role the following season in Hillsborough. He only played in 65 games that year and was out of the league after that.
There were two Adams presidents so we get two Adams players on our roster. Unfortunately, that means we're stuck with either Willie Adams or Mike Adams, neither of which had much of an impact on the DMBL. I guess we'll take Willie, since he had a decent year in 1997 for Arkansas, going 16-8 with a 4.81 ERA in 31 games.
Well there were plenty of Jacksons in the list...we could have made our own Jackson 5 if we wanted to, but in honor of the King of Pop, we'll pick Mike Jackson, a premier reliever from 1992-2000. Jackson's best stretch was in Austin in 1998 and 1999. His first year there he was 11-3 with a 3.77 ERA, but the next year he had a nifty 1.67 ERA and 32 saves in 64 games.
We have to skip a bunch of guys here, since we don't have much for you until a Van Buren makes the bigs. Next on our list is Billy Taylor, a mediocre reliever/closer who played from 1997-99 on four teams. His best year was probably 1998, when he was 2-1 with 8 saves and a 3.63 ERA for New York. He only ended up playing in 128 games, all relief appearances.
Recently released Mike Lincoln is not exactly one of our greatest DMBLers. He previously played two seasons, way back in 2002-2003 for Carolina and Columbia before seemingly disappearing from the league. Newark found him bagging groceries and decided to give him a chance to relive his glory days. Lincoln pitched in two games, winning one and amassing a 3.38 ERA in 2.2 innings. He's back working at the Stop n' Shop now.
Randy Johnson is the easy pick for this position. Johnson is one of the game's great lefty pitchers, winning 223 games in his career and striking out 3361 batters. Johnson has won 18 or more games 7 times and struck out at least 200 batters 9 times in his career.
Charlie Hayes takes this spot easily over Von Hayes. Hayes only had one season in which he was a full-timer - 1994 with Arkansas. But he made the most of it, hitting .298 with 45 doubles, 17 HRs and 116 RBIs. Hayes never had a season with more than 61 at bats again.
Lots of Wilsons to choose from, but it really comes down to Dan Wilson or Preston Wilson. Both were pretty regular contributors to their teams. Well, let's just pick Dan for the heck of it. Wilson was involved in some big trades in his days - first in a deal that sent Bernie Williams to Jerusalem from Vancouver, then in 1998 in the blockbuster that sent Schilling to Arkansas. Wilson's bat was somewhat mediocre (.256/.302/.379), but it was his glove that kept him in the lineup.
Next on our list, we have Adam Kennedy - I suppose the crass thing to do would be to pick Joe Kennedy because of his untimely death, but we at DMBL News have too much class for that! Kennedy was the ultimate "fill-in" player. He was a guy who teams would pick up to plug in a hole or cover for someone while they were on the DL. Kennedy played for 6 different teams in his DMBL career. His only full-time season was in 2003 with Phoenix when he batted .291 with 7 triples and a .718 OPS and played in all 162 games.
Back to another Johnson, and this time we'll go with a batter. With due respect to Charles Johnson, we're going to go with speedster Lance Johnson. Lance batted .283/.329/.379 in his 8 seasons, amassing 110 stolen bases and 36 triples. He didn't become a regular player until 1996 with Toledo.
Two ways to go on the Nixon selection. Trot was a decent player at times, but Otis was a terror on the basepaths. Nixon stole 197 bases in his 7 seasons and was a sparkplug first for Columbia and then for Honolulu. Nixon also batted a solid .293 with a .358 OBP.
Only one Ford, and his time in the DMBL was rather short. Lew Ford played in 2005 and 2006 for Tijuana/South Boston. He had a very good year in '05, hitting .301/.356/.447 with 11 3Bs and 72 RBIs, but couldn't really work his way into a starting gig the next year and is now out of the DMBL.
Joe Carter was a big-time slugger in the early days of the DMBL/MicroLeague. In 1993, Carter hit 49 home runs for Columbia with 161 RBIs. Carter had a pretty decent 3-year stretch from 1992-1994, but never had a full-time job after that. He was relegated mostly to platoon roles, but retained his powerful bat.
Two Bushes. First there was Homer Bush, Pat Listach award winner in 2000 for Vancouver. Bush had a great rookie season, hitting .349 with 56 stolen bases. But he could never replicate his success and soon moved on to Carolina, and fell out of the league. The other Bush, pitcher David Bush came on the scene in Newark in 2005, winning 17 and losing 4, but with a 5.40 ERA. That ERA rose to 7.45 the next year, then to 10.80 the next. He only pitched in 4 total games in 2007 and 2008 combined. He's become a fill-in this year, first for Philadelphia (6-5, 6.04), then for Sardine City (0-1, 7.71).
Enjoy the weekend, and don't blow off any of your fingers or toes.
Hmmm, there's no Washington yet...Washburn is close...no cigar! I guess we'll have to start with number 2. Terry Adams was a somewhat useful reliever for Columbia earlier this decade. He first broke in with Newark in 1997, but was pretty mediocre (5-0, but with a 5.40 ERA in 40 games). He was pretty solid for the Crusaders in 2000 and 2001 so they decided to make him a starter. Yikes, what a disaster (1-8, 6.06 ERA). At least Terry was able to end it on a high note in 2004, when he was 5-2, with a 2.03 ERA back in the bullpen. Overall, he finished with a 24-19 record and 4.49 ERA.
Only one Jefferson, so Reggie Jefferson gets the nod by default. Reggie struggled in his rookie year in 1997 (.226/.254/.343) with Newark. The next season he got more of a regular role in Stanhope and had a very solid season (.324/.352/.496, 15 HR, 58 RBI, in 411 AB), but was never heard from again...kind of like the two-dollar bill.
No Madison...maybe Ryan Madson? Close enough, I guess, but can his wife make ice cream?
Next on the list we have Craig Monroe, who broke into the DMBL with Arkansas back in 2004, but he only got 33 at bats. His first starting gig was the next season with Phoenix, where he hit .272 with 17 HR and 75 RBIs. Of course he also struck out 106 times in 486 at bats, leading to a much diminished role the following season in Hillsborough. He only played in 65 games that year and was out of the league after that.
There were two Adams presidents so we get two Adams players on our roster. Unfortunately, that means we're stuck with either Willie Adams or Mike Adams, neither of which had much of an impact on the DMBL. I guess we'll take Willie, since he had a decent year in 1997 for Arkansas, going 16-8 with a 4.81 ERA in 31 games.
Well there were plenty of Jacksons in the list...we could have made our own Jackson 5 if we wanted to, but in honor of the King of Pop, we'll pick Mike Jackson, a premier reliever from 1992-2000. Jackson's best stretch was in Austin in 1998 and 1999. His first year there he was 11-3 with a 3.77 ERA, but the next year he had a nifty 1.67 ERA and 32 saves in 64 games.
We have to skip a bunch of guys here, since we don't have much for you until a Van Buren makes the bigs. Next on our list is Billy Taylor, a mediocre reliever/closer who played from 1997-99 on four teams. His best year was probably 1998, when he was 2-1 with 8 saves and a 3.63 ERA for New York. He only ended up playing in 128 games, all relief appearances.
Recently released Mike Lincoln is not exactly one of our greatest DMBLers. He previously played two seasons, way back in 2002-2003 for Carolina and Columbia before seemingly disappearing from the league. Newark found him bagging groceries and decided to give him a chance to relive his glory days. Lincoln pitched in two games, winning one and amassing a 3.38 ERA in 2.2 innings. He's back working at the Stop n' Shop now.
Randy Johnson is the easy pick for this position. Johnson is one of the game's great lefty pitchers, winning 223 games in his career and striking out 3361 batters. Johnson has won 18 or more games 7 times and struck out at least 200 batters 9 times in his career.
Charlie Hayes takes this spot easily over Von Hayes. Hayes only had one season in which he was a full-timer - 1994 with Arkansas. But he made the most of it, hitting .298 with 45 doubles, 17 HRs and 116 RBIs. Hayes never had a season with more than 61 at bats again.
Lots of Wilsons to choose from, but it really comes down to Dan Wilson or Preston Wilson. Both were pretty regular contributors to their teams. Well, let's just pick Dan for the heck of it. Wilson was involved in some big trades in his days - first in a deal that sent Bernie Williams to Jerusalem from Vancouver, then in 1998 in the blockbuster that sent Schilling to Arkansas. Wilson's bat was somewhat mediocre (.256/.302/.379), but it was his glove that kept him in the lineup.
Next on our list, we have Adam Kennedy - I suppose the crass thing to do would be to pick Joe Kennedy because of his untimely death, but we at DMBL News have too much class for that! Kennedy was the ultimate "fill-in" player. He was a guy who teams would pick up to plug in a hole or cover for someone while they were on the DL. Kennedy played for 6 different teams in his DMBL career. His only full-time season was in 2003 with Phoenix when he batted .291 with 7 triples and a .718 OPS and played in all 162 games.
Back to another Johnson, and this time we'll go with a batter. With due respect to Charles Johnson, we're going to go with speedster Lance Johnson. Lance batted .283/.329/.379 in his 8 seasons, amassing 110 stolen bases and 36 triples. He didn't become a regular player until 1996 with Toledo.
Two ways to go on the Nixon selection. Trot was a decent player at times, but Otis was a terror on the basepaths. Nixon stole 197 bases in his 7 seasons and was a sparkplug first for Columbia and then for Honolulu. Nixon also batted a solid .293 with a .358 OBP.
Only one Ford, and his time in the DMBL was rather short. Lew Ford played in 2005 and 2006 for Tijuana/South Boston. He had a very good year in '05, hitting .301/.356/.447 with 11 3Bs and 72 RBIs, but couldn't really work his way into a starting gig the next year and is now out of the DMBL.
Joe Carter was a big-time slugger in the early days of the DMBL/MicroLeague. In 1993, Carter hit 49 home runs for Columbia with 161 RBIs. Carter had a pretty decent 3-year stretch from 1992-1994, but never had a full-time job after that. He was relegated mostly to platoon roles, but retained his powerful bat.
Two Bushes. First there was Homer Bush, Pat Listach award winner in 2000 for Vancouver. Bush had a great rookie season, hitting .349 with 56 stolen bases. But he could never replicate his success and soon moved on to Carolina, and fell out of the league. The other Bush, pitcher David Bush came on the scene in Newark in 2005, winning 17 and losing 4, but with a 5.40 ERA. That ERA rose to 7.45 the next year, then to 10.80 the next. He only pitched in 4 total games in 2007 and 2008 combined. He's become a fill-in this year, first for Philadelphia (6-5, 6.04), then for Sardine City (0-1, 7.71).
Enjoy the weekend, and don't blow off any of your fingers or toes.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Sugar Bears take 5th straight
Newark won their 5th in a row yesterday, a 4-2 defeat of Blue Ridge. James Shields held the Bombers to just 3 hits in 8 innings, while Joey Devine picked up his league-leading 24th save. Meanwhile Fausto Carmona was decent for Blue Ridge (7 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 6 K), but took the loss. It was Blue Ridge's 8th straight defeat.
Team Buddah stunned Arkansas yesterday 5-3, dealing the Falcons a small setback in pursuit of a .500 record. Ian Stewart was 3-4 with a home run and 3 RBIs and Jesse Litsch improved to 6-10 on the season with a solid 6-inning effort. The Falcons could only get 6 hits in the game, though 3 of them were doubles.
Amityville outlasted Philadelphia in a 12-inning slugfest, 13-12. Jose Lopez was 4-6 with 3 runs and Eric Hinske had 4 RBIs for Amityville. For the losing side, Albert Pujols was 4-7 with 5 RBIs, Andre Ethier was 4-5 and Jimmy Rollins scored 4 runs. The Ant Slayer took an early 8-5 lead after two innings (that's right TWO innings), then expanded it to 11-6, but Philly climbed back and tied it in the final two innings. Philly went up by one in the 12th on a Pujols double, but the Slayers won it in the bottom half on a two-run Kelly Johnson pinch-hit home run.
Team Buddah stunned Arkansas yesterday 5-3, dealing the Falcons a small setback in pursuit of a .500 record. Ian Stewart was 3-4 with a home run and 3 RBIs and Jesse Litsch improved to 6-10 on the season with a solid 6-inning effort. The Falcons could only get 6 hits in the game, though 3 of them were doubles.
Amityville outlasted Philadelphia in a 12-inning slugfest, 13-12. Jose Lopez was 4-6 with 3 runs and Eric Hinske had 4 RBIs for Amityville. For the losing side, Albert Pujols was 4-7 with 5 RBIs, Andre Ethier was 4-5 and Jimmy Rollins scored 4 runs. The Ant Slayer took an early 8-5 lead after two innings (that's right TWO innings), then expanded it to 11-6, but Philly climbed back and tied it in the final two innings. Philly went up by one in the 12th on a Pujols double, but the Slayers won it in the bottom half on a two-run Kelly Johnson pinch-hit home run.
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