Betancourt makes 500th appearance in relief

Relief pitchers don't usually get much press -- especially those who aren't closers -- but only 11 relievers in DMBL history have done what Newark's Rafael Betancourt accomplished last week: the Venezuelan native made his 500th career appearance. And it was a memorable one, a 3-2 win over Blue Ridge at the Cereal Bowl on Saturday. He tossed two hitless innings in relief of Matt Harrison and picked up the win.

Francisco Rodriguez was the last reliever to reach 500 appearances, doing it as a member of Marietta, which acquired him last year from Newark (Rodriguez, by the way, was shipped off for the sixth time in his career this past weekend, going from Las Vegas to Bridgewater as part of the Tim Lincecum-Chris Sale trade).

Prior to F-Rod, it had been three years since a pitcher reached 500 appearances: longtime Hoboken Cutter Jason Isringhausen did it in 2008 before getting dealt to Philly. Next up figures to be Joe Nathan, who's appeared in 18 games this season for Las Vegas, leaving him just 12 games away from 500.

Betancourt appeared in 82 games for Marietta last season, matching the career high he set in his rookie year with Phoenix in 2004. The Sugar Bears plucked Betancourt with the first pick of the third round of this year's draft.

Over his first seven seasons (he took 2009 off), Betancourt averaged 67 appearances primarily as a set-up man. He may have a paltry 14 career saves but boasts a stellar record of 42-16 (.724) entering the 2012 campaign.

Papelbon becomes 14th to notch 100th saves

The 100-save club is no longer a baker's dozen. In the final game before the all-star break, Jonathan Papelbon earned his 18th save of the season, which was the 100th of his career. Only 13 other pitchers in league history have reached 100 saves.

Papelbon's century save came in the final game before the all-star break, preserving a 3-1 win for Hopatcong over Hillsborough at The Mud Hole. He has since compiled his 20th save and 102nd overall, passing inaugural Hall of Famer John Wettleland and Brian Fuentes, who are tied for 13th place with 101 saves.

Selected in the fourth round of the 2006 draft as an ineligible prospect by D.C. (between Rickie Weeks and David Bell - and two spots after Justin Verlander), Papelbon has averaged 16 saves per year, notching career highs of 31 in 2008 and 24 in 2009 for the then-Bushslappers (who have since moved to Bridgewater).

Papelbon passed seven retired closers this year in career saves, including Keith Foulke, John Smoltz, Jose Mesa, Rod Beck, Armando Benitez, Rick Aguilera and Rob Nen. He could crack the top 10 before the season's out, trailing Joe Nathan with 107 saves and No. 10 Bob Wickman at 109. Jeff Shaw holds down ninth place with 123 saves.

2k hits for Pujols, 200 SBs for Ichiro

Albert Pujols became the 14th player in DMBL history with 2,000 career hits. Philly's main man reached the milestone during the week leading up to the all-star break. While he homered off Roy Oswalt later in the game, it was a first-inning single that turned out to be 2k for Pujols. The Endzone Animals eventually topped Las Vegas for an 11-8 win, thanks to 10 runs in the last two frames, capped by a walk-off David Wright grand slam.

The first overall pick of the 2002 draft is on track to pass Mike Piazza (2,025) and Jeff Bagwell (2,047) and if he can pick up his current pace slightly (now 88 hits in 88 games), Pujols could surpass current free agent Bobby Abreu (2,089) for 11th all-time by season's end. Catching Ken Griffey, Jr. -- 10th with 2,176 hits -- would have to wait until the 2013 campaign. The Dominican native is still a few seasons away from challenging all-time hits leader Derek Jeter, who took that crown earlier this year.

(Trivia question: Who was selected second overall in the 2002 draft, after Pujols? Answer at the end of this post.)

Pujols had a career-low 161 hits in 2011, a year after his career-high 208 (when he won his second straight Mitchell Award), and has averaged 192 hits per season. He has been remarkably steady, logging at least 600 at-bats in each of his 10 seasons and playing an average of 160 games per year.

Two other players could reach the 2,000-hit mark this year: Vancouver's Todd Helton started the second half of the season needing just 13 more hits while Pujols' teammate, Ichiro Suzuki, was 29 hits away.

Ichiro reached his own career milestone this week. The Japanese import stole his 200th career base on Monday night, in the first game after the all-star break. The theft broke a tie with Chuck Knoblauch for 8th all-time. Ichiro started the year tied with Otis Nixon and Alex Rodriguez, each with 197 stolen bases.

(Trivia answer: The now-defunct Honolulu Sharks selected Oswalt -- way!)

Meet the 2012 All-Stars: Micro Conference!

We already looked at the Diamond Conference All-Stars. Now let's take a look at their opponents from the Micro Conference, comprised of the best from the Drabek (Hillsborough, Amityville, Arkansas, and Las Vegas) and Fisk (Vancouver, Sardine City, Blue Ridge, and Livingston) divisions.


The Batters

We'll start out behind the plate, where Blue Ridge's Yadier Molina got the nod after receiving 8 of the 12 votes cast. Long regarded as one of the premier defensive catchers in baseball, Molina this year has upped his game offensively as well, hitting .286 (.766 OPS) with 14 2B, 10 HR, 34 R, and 44 RBI. Molina's numbers aren't as eye-popping as the Diamond Conference's Mike Napoli (.870 OPS) or even his backup, Nick Hundley (.863 OPS), but Yadier was the right choice for the Micro Conference: He leads all Drabek/Fisk catchers in runs created (36.7) and OPS (.766). It's Yadier's first All-Star appearance and the second by a Molina; his brother, Bengie, was on the team in 2009.

He'll be backed up by seven-time All-Star Joe Mauer, the choice on two ballots. The Las Vegas catcher has the longest active streak of consecutive All-Star appearances (seven); if he makes the team next year, he'll tie Mariano Rivera for second place with eight straight. And if he's on the team in 2014, he'll tie Mike Piazza's all-time record of nine consecutive All-Star Game appearances. Apparently the two owners who voted for Mauer wanted to preserve his streak; we can't think of another reason why anyone would vote for him this year (.246 BA, .622 OPS). Amityville's Wilson Ramos (.259, .749 OPS) or Vancouver's Josh Thole (.282, .674 OPS), who each received one vote, had much stronger cases.

At first base, there was really no choice other than Sardine City's Eric Hosmer. The 22-year-old rookie is hitting .307/.353/.528 (.880 OPS); he leads all Micro first basemen in OPS, batting average, slugging percentage, and runs created (48.3). Hosmer was the choice on 10 of the 12 ballots cast, tying him for second for most votes received by a batter. The other votes went, curiously, to Vancouver's Todd Helton (.230 BA, .672 OPS) and Hillsborough's Billy Butler (.235 BA, .656 OPS).

Second base also was a no-brainer, with Blue Ridge's Ben Zobrist the choice on 10 of the 12 ballots cast. Zobrist, returning for his second All-Star Game after being the choice in 2010, leads all second basemen in the DMBL in just about every category -- BA (.320), OBP (.394), SLG (.576), OPS (.970), runs created (77.3), RC/27 (9.0), total average (1.035), and on and on. Why was he not the unanimous choice? Apparently someone wanted to embarrass Las Vegas's Dan Uggla (.210 BA, .705 OPS) and Amityville's Howie Kendrick (.255, .705). Look how puny your numbers are compare to Zobrist's!

Third base, for the 13th time, will be manned by #13 -- Las Vegas's Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod has been an All-Star in every year of his career save three (1999, 2005, and 2010). He was on six of the 12 ballots after an impressive first half (.280/.345/.538, .882 OPS, 26 2B, 21 HR, 63 R, 48 RBI). A-Rod is tied for the league lead in runs and is in the top 10 in OPS, SLG, hits (97), doubles, HRs, extra base hits (47), runs created (61.4), isolated power (.257), and total bases (186).

He'll be backed up by Vancouver's Ryan Zimmerman, the choice on four of the other six ballots. Zimmerman, whose first All-Star nod comes in his sixth DMBL season, also is having a terrific year (.297/.360/.491, .851 OPS, 15 2B, 12 HR, 31 R, 51 RBI). The final two ballots were cast in vain for Arkansas's Mike Moustakas, who is hitting a rather empty .290 (.699 OPS).

There's no stand-out candidate at shortstop. Sardine City's Starlin Castro (.278/.319/.396, .715 OPS, 6 3B, 5 HR, 36 R, 36 RBI) won on a plurality of ballots, the choice of five of the 12 cast. The first-time All-Star will be backed up by a four-time All-Star: Jimmy Rollins (.262/.304/.404, .708 OPS, 16 2B, 11 HR, 38 R, 32 RBI), who is Livingston's sole representative on the team. Two other votes went to Amityville's Yunel Escobar (.275 BA, .685 OPS), and one to Las Vegas's Hanley Ramirez (.219 BA, .675 OPS).

The best hitter in the Micro Conference right now is probably Sardine City's Ryan Braun (.307/.381/.565, .946 OPS, 20 HR, 56 RBI), who was the choice on nine of the 12 ballots cast. Braun is in the DMBL top 10 in BA, OBP, SLG, OPS, hits (99), runs (55), extra base hits (41), stolen base percentage (.727), runs created (70.7), RC/27 (8.2), isolated power (.258), total average (.991), total bases (182), secondary average (.382) and AB/HR (16.1), and he's had an 18-game hitting streak this season. This is Braun's third straight All-Star appearance and fourth overall.

The other two starting outfielders are both from Amityville: Matt Kemp, who also received nine votes, and Jacoby Ellsbury, who received seven. Kemp, who also was an All-Star in 2010, is hitting .305/.346/.536 (.882 OPS) with 17 HR, 60 R, and 53 RBI. First-time All-Star Ellsbury is hitting .269/.335/.519 (.854 OPS) with 20 HR, 50 R, and 60 RBI.

There was quite a lot of competition for the final two outfield spots, with nine players receiving votes. But the top two were Vancouver's Dexter Fowler (.265/.364/.462, .825 OPS, 23 2B, 14 3B, 37 R, 25 RBI) and Las Vegas's Alex Gordon (.265/.331/.455, .786 OPS, 22 2B, 12 HR, 50 R, 44 RBI). Each will make his first All-Star appearance.

The biggest snubs were probably Blue Ridge's Matt Holliday (.279/.333/.480, .814 OPS, 19 2B, 16 HR, 52 R, 56 RBI) and Hillsborough's Mike Morse (.280/.341/.488, .829 OPS, 25 2B, 15 HR, 47 R, 53 RBI), who received one vote each.

Lucky to receive one vote each: Arkansas's Josh Reddick (.244 BA, .642 OPS); Hillsborough's Carlos Gonzalez (.256 BA, .725 OPS) and Justin Upton (.260 BA, .757 OPS); Vancouver's Josh Willingham (.222 BA, .657 OPS); and, in possibly the worst All-Star ballot cast this year, Blue Ridge's Andrew McCutchen (.162 BA, .542 OPS in 315 PA).

The choice for Micro DH came down to guys having good seasons in very limited at-bats against guys who play a lot but are having mediocre seasons. The voters went with quality over quantity. Arkansas's Pablo Sandoval gets the start after being the choice on six of the 12 ballots cast. His numbers are impressive -- .302 BA, .373 OBP, .584 SLG, .957 OPS -- but he has just 169 plate appearances in his team's first 83 games. It's Sandoval's first All-Star Game. Another part-timer, Hillsborough's Travis Hafner, backs him up after being on four of the 12 ballots. Pronk is hitting .324/.411/.469 (.880 OPS), but has just 246 plate appearances as a platoon player. He's an All-Star for the third time in his career, but hasn't been here since 2007.

Vancouver's Rickie Weeks (.253 BA, .752 OPS) and Amityville's Lukas Duda (.259 BA, .781 OPS) received one vote each.

The Pitchers

The starting pitcher for the Micro Conference, and the only unanimous selection this season, is Hillsborough's Justin Verlander. And how could you vote against him? He leads the league in wins (10), Ks (126), OBP (.208), SLG (.298), OPS (.506), R/9 (7.2), H/9 (5.2), and QS% (.833), and is second in ERA (2.17), innings (128.1), complete games (4) and W% (.769). He's currently on pace to set the all-time DMBL records for R/9 (8.2, set by Pedro Martinez in 2001), H/9 (6.1, set by Nolan Ryan in 1992), and OPS (.541, set by Roger Clemens in 2006). Verlander is making his All-Star debut this season.

The other four spots were all up for grabs, with 16 pitchers receiving votes. Five got five votes each, but only four could make it: Sardine City's Javier Vazquez (6-4, 2.99 ERA, 10.4 R/9), Vancouver's Derek Holland (8-5, 2.89 ERA, 10.9 R/9), Hillsborough's Dan Haren (4-4, 2.77 ERA, 10.7 R/9), and Las Vegas's Tim Lincecum (9-4, 3.19 ERA, 12.2 R/9). Vazquez is a three-time All-Star -- oddly enough, making it once every four years ('04, '08, '12). Lincecum is here for the fourth time, each year since 2009. Haren is back for his second appearance after making the team in 2010, and Holland is popping his All-Star cherry.

The odd man out, despite receiving five votes, was Hillsborough's Felix Hernandez (8-5, 3.57 ERA, 12.1 R/9).

The biggest snub was probably Livingston swingman Bud Norris, who got just one vote despite posting a 3.28 ERA and 10.6 R/9 in nine starts and seven relief appearances for the worst team in the league. You can also make a case for Blue Ridge's Vance Worley (8-4, 3.63 ERA, 11.2 R/9), who had four votes; his teammate Jeremy Hellickson (3-7, 3.63 ERA, 10.5 R/9), who received three; Vancouver's Johnny Cueto (6-5, 3.52 ERA, 11.8 R/9), who got two; or Las Vegas's Erik Bedard (4-4, 3.82 ERA, 11.3 R/9), who got one.

Receiving four votes each were Amityville teammates Cole Hamels (7-6, 4.50 ERA, 12.9 R/9) and Jered Weaver (6-6, 4.68 ERA, 12.1 R/9). A third Ant Slayer, Jordan Zimmermann, had the best numbers of the trio (5-7, 3.92 ERA, 11.2 R/9) but received just one vote.

Pity votes went to Arkanas's Cliff Lee (5-3, 4.44 ERA, 13.2 R/9); Las Vegas's Roy Oswalt (2-8, 4.50 ERA, 12.1 R/9); and Sardine City's Homer Bailey (6-5, 4.64 ERA, 13.2 R/9).

All five relievers in the Micro Conference's bullpen are here for their first All-Star Game. The top two vote getters were Hillsborough's John Axford (3-2, 1.85 ERA, 7.4 R/9, 9 SV) and Vancouver's Koji Uehara (1-0, 1.09 ERA, 6.3 R/9, 18 SV), who received eight votes each.

Sixteen other relievers received votes in the battle for the final three spots. The top vote getter, with five, was Arkansas's Drew Storen (2-4, 3.09 ERA, 9.5 R/9, 13 SV).

Four others got four votes, but only two could make the team. The nods went to Sardine City's Daniel Bard (0-1, 2.17 ERA, 9.9 R/9, 21 SV) and Arkansas's Sergio Romo (4-1, 2.82 ERA, 7.3 R/9, 2 SV); left off were Livingston's Neftali Feliz (2.48 ERA, 12.1 R/9) and Hillsborough's Johnny Venters (2.00 ERA, 11.3 R/9).

Receiving three votes each were Vancouver's Jim Johnson (1.37 ERA, 9.1 R/9); Sardine City's Octavio Dotel (2.23 ERA, 8.1 R/9); and Amityville's Craig Kimbrel (3.65 ERA, 12.9 R/9).

Six relievers got two votes each: Amityville's Sergio Santos (3.88 ERA, 9.7 R/9); Hillsborough's Eric O'Flaherty (2.78 ERA, 12.8 R/9); Hillsborough's Jeff Samardzija (4.05 ERA, 12.9 R/9); Hopatcong's Jose Valverde (3.34 ERA, 11.8 R/9); Hillsborough's Sean Marshall (2.13 ERA, 12.1 R/9); and Amityville's Sam LeCure (3.28 ERA, 11.7 R/9).

Receiving one vote apiece, presumably from the Francisco delegation, were Las Vegas's Francisco Rodriguez (2.85 ERA, 10.6 R/9) and Vancouver's Francisco Cordero. (3.60 ERA, 12.4 R/9).


The Totals

The All-Star balloting in the Micro closely follows the overall standings. Hillsborough, with the conference's best record, is tied for the most representatives with five; Sardine City, which was leading its division until the final game before the break, also has five. Vancouver, which caught the Straphangers on the last day for the Fisk Division lead, has four All-Stars. But in a bit of a surprise, Amityville -- despite having the third-best record in the conference -- is tied for sixth with just two representatives. They were leapfrogged by Las Vegas and Arkansas, which have three each, and are tied with Blue Ridge at two. The last-place team, the aptly named Livingston Last Place, has the minimum one All-Star.

Meet the 2012 All-Stars: Diamond Conference!

The ballots are in, and the 2012 All-Star Team has been announced. It's an exciting year as it's the first time since 1996 with a change in format. Instead of each seven-team conference sending their All-Stars, now we're drawing from each four-team division! The Kruk and Van Slyke divisions make up the Diamond Conference, and the Drabek and Fisk divisions comprise the Micro Conference.

First up, let's take a look at the Diamond Conference, drawing from the Kruk Division (Newark Sugar Bears, Bridgewater Mallers, Hopatcong Floating Fish, and Philadelphia Endzone Animals) and Van Slyke Division (Marietta Mighty Men, Rowdy Roddy's Pipers, Hoboken Cutters, and St. Louis Farrakhans). The four best records in baseball come from the Diamond Conference (Marietta, Newark, Rowdy, Bridgewater), so we expect the "DC" to be loaded with talent!

The Batters

Behind the plate, and tied for the most votes received (10 out of 12) by a position player, is Marietta's Mike Napoli. Drafted in the 6th round of the 2011 draft, Napoli has blossomed into the top hitting catcher in the league, hitting .273/.349/.521 (.870 OPS) with 19 HR and 64 RBI. Napoli leads the league in RBIs and is in the top 10 in homers, total average (.862), and AB/HR (15.1). He previously made the All-Star Team in 2009.

The other two ballots were split between Hopatcong's A.J. Pierzynski (.254 BA, .616 OPS) and Bridgewater's Brian McCann (.274 BA, .720 OPS), but in a somewhat controversial choice, the Commissioner's Office stepped in and awarded the backup catcher slot to St. Louis's Nick Hundley (.302 BA, .863 OPS). Although he didn't receive any votes, Hundley is clearly having a better season, both offensively and defensively, than Pierzynski or McCann -- and he's also the only representative of the Farrakhans. It's the first time Nick has been elected to the All-Star team, but Todd Hundley -- no relation -- made the team each year from 1996 through 1998.

Anchoring the Diamond infield is Rowdy first baseman Prince Fielder, the choice on 9 of the 12 ballots cast. The beefy basher has to be considered the favorite for the Kevin Mitchell Most Valuable Batter Award -- he's hitting a healthy .317/.429/.630 (1.060 OPS), with 24 HRs and 63 RBIs, and leads the league in OBP, SLG, OPS, runs (63), runs created (83.9), RC/27 (10.4), isolated power (.314), total average (1.177), total bases (191), secondary average (.505), and TB+BB (250), and is just one behind the leader in RBIs, HRs, walks (59), and intentional walks (11). He's also in the top 10 in batting average, extra base hits (46), AB/HR (12.6). He's even doing damage against LHP, with a .834 OPS vs southpaws -- good enough for 8th in the DMBL. It's Fielder's second appearance, but his first since 2008.

He will be backed up by Philly's Albert Pujols, elected for the 9th time after receiving two votes. Pujols's reputation may have helped him a bit in securing the spot -- he's hitting just .256 with an .821 OPS, not exactly the production one has come to expect from this future Hall of Famer. But he can still hit the long ball -- his 24 HRs are tied with Fielder for 2nd most in the DMBL. A better choice might have been Hoboken's Miguel Cabrera, who was left off the team after picking up just one vote despite hitting .295 with an .866 OPS, 23 2B, 10 HR, 41 R and 43 RBI.

At second base, for the third year in a row and fourth time overall, is Hopatcong's Robinson Cano. A no-brainer choice, Cano is hitting .301 (.885 OPS) with 30 2B, 16 HR, 55 R, 49 RBI, and is a perfect 5-for-5 in stolen bases. He leads the league in doubles and extra base hits (50), and is just one behind the leader in total bases (190). He's also in the top 10 in SLG (.551), hits (104), runs, runs created (63.3), RC/27 (6.9), isolated power (.249), total average (.866), and OPS. Cano tied for the most votes received by a batter as the choice on 10 of the 12 ballots; the other two ballots were cast for Hoboken's Ian Kinsler (.228 BA, .721 OPS) and one for Rowdy's Dustin Pedroia (.246, .726), but neither was deserving this season.

Jose Bautista will man the hot corner for the second straight year. The Hoboken third baseman was an easy choice with 7 of the 12 ballots cast. Although he's hitting just .262, his .380 OPB, .543 SLG and .923 OPS more than make up for it. He's also leading the league in homers (25), walks (60), and AB/HR (12.1), and is just two off the RBI lead with 62. He's in the top 10 in OBP, SLG, OPS, runs created (68.2), RC/27 (8.0), isolated power (.281), total average (1.013), total bases (164), and secondary average (.497).

Backing up Bautista -- and also Cano and Fielder -- will be Rowdy's Michael Young, who tied with Marietta's Adrian Beltre as the choice on two of the five ballots that didn't go to Bautista. Young is hitting a healthy .326 (second best in the DMBL) with a .361 OBP and a .406 SLG (.767 OPS); he also has 16 2B, 45 R, and 37 RBI. This is Young's second straight year as an All-Star and fourth overall. Beltre was a curious choice for two votes, as he's hitting just .243 (.726 OPS). But he was a better choice than the final vote, which went to Philly's David Wright (.234 BA, .722 OPS). Compare their numbers to Hopatcong's Chase Headley, who didn't receive a single vote despite hitting .280 with a .762 OPS (23 2B, 43 R).

At shortstop will be Bridgewater's Jose Reyes, who received seven of the 12 ballots cast. Reyes is hitting a respectable .301/.335/.431 (.766 OPS) and leads the league in hits (113); he's also in the top 10 in runs (56), triples (7), stolen bases (14), SB% (.778), and had the league's third-longest hit streak at 19 games. Surprisingly, it's Reyes's first All-Star appearance, coming in his seventh DMBL season. Newark's Jhonny Peralta, who received two votes and makes the game as Reyes's backup, is hitting .304 with a .356 OBP, .421 SLG, and .777 OPS. It's Peralta's second All-Star appearance, but his first since 2006. Also getting two votes, but not making the cut, is Rowdy's Troy Tulowitzki. The two-time All-Star is hitting just .257 (.741 OPS), but his 21 2B, 11 HR, 56 R, and 58 RBI made him worthy of consideration. The final vote went to Philly's J.J. Hardy (.237, .671), possibly out of sympathy.

There was no shortage of qualified outfielders in the Diamond Conference, led by Rowdy's Lance Berkman. After playing the first 10 years of his career for the Golden Falcons, "Fat Elvis" had apparently left the building after hitting just .210 in 366 AB last year. But he's come back with a vengeance, hitting .278/.371/.522 (.893 OPS) with 17 2B, 18 HR, 51 R and 61 RBI. Berkman, selected on six of the 12 ballots cast, leads the league in intentional walks (12) and is in the top 10 in OBP, SLG, OPS, RBI, walks (47), runs created (60.0), RC/27 (7.1), total average (.928) and secondary average (.401). It's Berkman's third All-Star appearance, but his first since 2007.

The other outfield corner will be manned by another veteran bouncing back from a disastrous 2011 -- Bridgewater's Carlos Beltran. An All-Star for the fifth time, Beltran looked absolutely lost last season after hitting just .223 with a .691 OPS, but has rebounded with .306/.369/.476 (.845 OPS), with 22 2B, 10 HR, 51 R, and 42 RBI. Beltran is in the top 10 in BA, OBP, hits (104), and runs created (59.1), and was named on five of the 12 ballots cast.

In a surprise, centerfield will be manned for the second straight year, and third time overall, by Bridgewater's Josh Hamilton. Hamilton is hitting a surprisingly empty .274 (.296 OBP, .420 SLG, .716 OPS), with just 7 HRs in 287 PA. He's not in the top 10 in any offensive categories, and he's barely average defensively aside from his outstanding arm. A far more deserving player will be Hamilton's backup -- Marietta's Nyjer Morgan, who is hitting .325/.380/.542 (.923 OPS) with 13 2B, 9 HR, 42 R, and 33 RBI, and is a very good defender. However, the knock on the first-time All-Star is he has just 237 plate appearances after missing 18 games due to an injury; maybe that's why he only received four votes to Hamilton's six. Maybe that's also why Newark centerfielder Peter Bourjos received just two votes and won't make the team, despite hitting .310/.371/.521 (.892 OPS) in 237 PA.

The fifth outfielder, with five votes received, is Hoboken's Giancarlo "Don't Call Me Mike" Stanton. After hitting .224/.285/.482 as a rookie, Stanton the sophomore is hitting just .225 -- but a .320 OBP and .517 SLG make it a lot more palatable. He's just 1 HR off the league lead, and his 58 RBIs are 6 behind the league leader. He's also in the top 10 in extra base hits (43), isolated power (.292), secondary average (.422) and AB/HR (13.1). It's the first time any Stanton, whether he goes by Giancarlo or Mike, has made the All-Star team.

Other outfielders receiving consideration, but not enough to make the team: Philly's Jay Bruce received three votes, despite hitting just .235 (.729 OPS); St. Louis's Jeff Francouer received two but probably deserved more after hitting .282 (.830 OPS) with 25 2B, 15 HR, 47 R, and 49 RBI; Rowdy's Adam Jones (.251, .794 OPS) was in the centerfield mix after receiving two votes; and Newark's Nick Swisher was just happy to be remembered with one vote after hitting .233 (.720 OPS) in the first half.

The Diamond DH, appearing on half the ballots cast, is Marietta's Paul Konerko. An All-Star for the first time in his 13th season, Konerko is hitting .323/.380/.606 (.986 OPS) with 19 HR and 53 RBI. Konerko is second in SLG, OPS and RC/27 (9.0) and third in BA, and also is on the top 10 in OBP, HRs, runs created (60.5), isolated power (.283), total average (1.034), secondary average (.390) and AB/HR (13.4). Konerko was on half the ballots; second place went to Bridgewater's Victor Martinez, who also is having a marvelous season (.346/.392/.473, .865 OPS, 15 2B, 7 HR, 41 RBI). Martinez leads the league in batting average and is in the top 10 in OBP, hits (98) and RC/27 (7.0), and has even seen some time behind the plate this season. V-Mart, who received two votes, is probably the Diamond Conference's biggest snub among batters. Tied with Martinez, somehow, was Hoboken's David Ortiz (.237 BA, .733 OPS). The final two votes were split between Rowdy's Vlad Guerrero, who is having a fine season (.318 BA, .782 OPS) and Philly's Ryan Howard, who is not (.227 BA, .722 OPS).

The Pitchers

The starting pitcher for the Diamond Conference will be Bridgewater's Brandon Beachy, who appeared on 10 of the 12 ballots cast. The 25-year-old rookie was a hot commodity in this year's draft, with the Mallers trading up to the #2 spot to take him. So far he's been everything they could have hoped for, going 10-2 with a 2.97 ERA and 11.9 R/9. Beachy leads the league in wins, winning percentage (.833)... but also run support (6.6 runs per game). He ranks 10th in ERA (2.97) and isn't in the top 10 in R/9, QS%, or OPS allowed.

Perhaps a more deserving choice to start the game would have been Philly's Roy Halladay, who made the team for the fifth straight year and seventh time overall. Halladay appeared on 9 of the 12 ballots after going 8-3 with a 2.28 ERA and 10.7 R/9. He leads the league in shutouts (3) and HR/9 (0.2), ranks 2nd in complete games (4), SLG allowed (.305) and OPS allowed (.589), and is 3rd in ERA; he's also is in the top 10 in wins, W% (.727), and Ks (102).

The third-most votes, 7 out of 12, went to Marietta's R.A. Dickey. Selected in the 6th Round (#88 overall) of this year's draft, the knuckleballer had an outstanding debut season with Hillsborough last year (18-9, 3.42 ERA, 1.25 WHIP) but was not selected to the All-Star team. This year he's been even better, going 10-3 witha  3.05 ERA and 10.5 R/9; he's tied for the league lead in wins and ranks 2nd in W% (.769). He's also in the top 10 in R/9, complete games (3), innings pitched (124.0), double plays (16) and OPS (.644).

The fourth starter elected is another first-timer, Hoboken's Clayton Kershaw. The 24-year-old lefty was picked on 5 ballots after going 7-3 with a 3.16 ERA and 11.2 R/9; he doesn't lead the league in any categories, but he is in the top 10 in Ks (112), W% (.700), QS% (.722), innings (128.0).

The final spot was heavily contested, with four pitchers on four ballots each. The Commissioner's Office broke the tie and gave it to Newark's James Shields, who is 9-7 with a 2.80 ERA and 9.1 R/9. Shields leads the league in innings (132.0) and complete games (7) and leads the Diamond Conference in BA allowed (.204), OBP allowed (.257) and is in the DMBL top 10 in wins, ERA, R/9, Ks (121), shutouts (2), QS% (.706), and OPS allowed (.616). The two-time All-Star is on the team for the first time since 2008.

Even with five starters selected, there are still quite a few pitchers who deserved a roster spot. Newark's Brandon McCarthy, part of the four-way tie with four votes, leads the league in ERA (2.08) and is in the top five in W% (.750), R/9 (9.1), QS% (.727), HR/9 (0.5). The only problem is he missed six starts due to an injury. Another Sugar Bear, Scott Baker, also has a gripe after posting a 2.83 ERA and 9.4 R/9 over the first half, ranking him in the top 10 in ERA, wins, R/9, OPS (.604), QS% (.706), innings (124.0), complete games (4) and HR/9 (0.7); his only problem is his 8-7 record, thanks to Newark scoring him just 4.2 runs per game. And a former Sugar Bear, Hopatcong's Josh Tomlin, can rejoin them in a "what were the voters thinking?" bitch session. Tomlin is 9-3 with a 2.80 ERA and 9.7 R/9 and ranks among the league leaders in ERA, wins, W% (.750), R/9, QS% (.706), and OPS (.647). Also snubbed was Philly's Matt Garza (5-2, 2.76 ERA, 10.2 R/9) and Hopatcong's Matt Cain (7-3, 3.70 ERA, 11.4 R/9). Baker and Tomlin each received three votes, while Garza got two and Cain got four.

Inexplicably, Rowdy's C.C. Sabathia (7-5, 4.76 ERA, 13.9 R/9) received four votes; Marietta's David Price (9-7, 4.12 ERA, 12.0 R/9) got two; and one vote went to each of Marietta's Ian Kennedy (7-3, 4.63 ERA, 13.2 R/9), Rowdy's Tim Hudson (6-3, 5.01 ERA, 14.8 R/9), St. Louis's Ivan Nova (7-4, 4.17 ERA, 11.8 R/9), and Rowdy's C.J. Wilson (7-5, 4.37 ERA, 13.5 R/9). Why did the owners vote for these guys, but not cast a single ballot for Hopatcong's Josh Collmenter (6-6, 3.88 ERA, 11.0 R/9)?

On to the bullpen, where the top vote getter from the Diamond Conference was Bridgewater's David Robertson, on 11 of the 12 ballots cast. Robertson, a first-time All-Star, has a 1.41 ERA and 8.3 R/9 in 38 games this season, and is 3-1 with 10 saves (3 blown saves). Most impressively, he's struck out 82 men in 51.0 innings -- an outstanding 14.5 K/9 ratio.

Joining Robertson in the bullpen, and extending his DMBL record to a 14th All-Star Game, is Marietta's Mariano Rivera. The choice on nine of the 12 ballots, Mo is 5-2 with 22 saves, a 2.45 ERA and 9.4 R/9; he leads the league in saves and ranks 3rd in SV% (.846).

Two relievers from Hopatcong were selected as well -- closer Jonathan Papelbon (2.93 ERA, 9.8 R/9, 18 SV), with eight votes, and setup man Tyler Clippard (1.71 ERA, 7.0 R/9, 2-0, 4 saves, 4 holds), who received five. It's Papelbon's fifth All-Star appearance and Clippard's first.

Just as with the starting rotation, the last spot was a battle between two Newark pitchers, each receiving five votes. The choice is middle reliever Steve Cishek, beating out closer Al Alburquerque. Cishek, a rookie, has probably been the league's best reliever over the first half, having allowed just 5 earned runs in 47.2 innings (0.94 ERA), with 7.0 R/9; he's also allowed just 3 out of 20 inherited runners to score (.150 IR%). But Alburquerque has been excellent as well, going 6-1 with 14 saves (2.38 ERA, 9.5 R/9, .125 IR%, 46 K in 34.0 IP). Another deserving candidate, though he received just two votes, is Hoboken's LaTroy Hawkins (1.93 ERA, 7.5 R/9, .176 IR%). Perhaps an even better case can be made for Newark's Glen Perkins (1.25 ERA, 7.5 R/9, .286 IR%), who got just one vote.

Just missing the cut, with four votes, is Hopatcong's Aroldis Chapman. Chapman has had a roller coaster of a season, posting a 3.48 ERA and a sky-high 15.7 R/9; on the other hand, he's struck out 27 men in 20.2 IP and is a perfect 15-for-15 in stranding inherited runners. Two owners voted for Philly's Rafael Soriano (3.38 ERA, 11.0 R/9), two for Rowdy's Antonio Bastardo (3.02 ERA, 12.1 R/9), and one for Hopatcong's Santiago Casilla (3.12 ERA, 11.2 R/9) and St. Louis's Andrew Bailey (4.14 ERA, 12.2 R/9).

With all the excellent relievers in the Diamond Conference, it's somewhat of a surprise that three owners voted for Rowdy's Heath Bell (4.21 ERA, 15.6 R/9).

The Totals

It's no surprise that Marietta, with the league's best record, is tied for the most All-Stars in both the Diamond Conference and the DMBL with five representatives. But it's a bit of an upset that the team right behind them in the standings -- Newark -- comes in tied for third in the Conference (and seventh overall!) with just three. Bridgewater also has five representatives; Hoboken has four; Rowdy joins Newark at three; Philly and Hopatcong have two; and St. Louis has one.

The Down Low on the D.L.

Carlos Quentin out for 20 games! Reed Johnson lost for 17! Matt Garza down for 15!

What's going on this year? Are there more injuries than last year, or does it just seem that way?

The short answer: Yes! There definitely are more injuries so far this season than there were at this point last season.

Through the first 73 games of last season, there were 516 games lost to injury. Through the first 73 games of this season, there have been... 826! Wow! That's a 60 percent increase!

Looking at it another way, there have been 80 injuries of 1 day or more so far this season. Through this point last year, there were only 52. Measured that way, injuries are up 54 percent this year.

One difference you can see is that this year really started out with a bang, with Livingston's Jake Arrieta and Hillsborough's Brandon Boesch going out for a combined 32 days on the second day of the season. In 2011, on the other hand, it took a combination of injuries to 12 players -- and three weeks into the season -- to reach 32 injury days.

While there have been many more injuries this year, the injuries aren't longer. Last year, there were two players out for 40 or more days by this time; this year, there's only one. That dubious honor goes to St. Louis's Nick Hundley, who went down on May 15 for 41 days after getting hit by a pitch by Hillsborough's John Axford. It's no surprise Axford threw at Hundley -- he'd gone 3-for-3 with two home runs and a triple!

The second-longest injury this year goes to Newark's Brandon McCarthy, who exited on May 18 after completing the 8th inning of a game against Arkansas. Remarkably, McCarthy had needed just 67 pitches to get through 8 innings, but went on the shelf for 30 days after getting that final out in the 8th.

Third-longest goes to Arkansas's Pablo Sandoval (29 days), followed by Hillsborough's Aroldis Chapman and Ernesto Frieri tied at 28 days.

In all, 11 players have injuries of at least 20 days or more so far this season, compared to just seven at this time last year.

So which team has been the unluckiest this season? By far, that's the Newark Sugar Bears. The Crunch With Punch have lost a combined 111 days due to injuries, led by the above-mentioned McCarthy. The Sugar Bears have had nine players injured for at least one game -- including Jim Thome, who missed 11 games in April and 9 in June! The Sugar Bears are followed by the St. Louis Farrakhans (82 days) and Hopatcong Floating Fish (78).

This year's luckiest team have been the Blue Ridge Bombers, who remarkably haven't lost a single day due to injury so far this season! The next luckiest team is Rowdy Roddy Pippers, with just 6 days lost so far this season, then Hillsborough Hired Hitmen at 19.

What's behind all these injuries, and why are there so many more than last year? Here's a few theories.

• Luck: Luck plays a huge role in Diamond Mind Baseball. We could play the season 100 times and have 100 different outcomes. While the DMB engine is said to be the most realistic baseball simulation available, there's still a random element involved. (Otherwise, every season would play out exactly the same, and who would want that?) Injuries are a big factor in that randomness. Imagine if we were playing old-fashioned Strat-O-Matic with dice, and every time you rolled snake eyes there was a chance that a player got hurt on the play. Well, the Sugar Bears have had a lot of unlucky rolls, and the Bombers haven't. We'll see if that evens out over the second half of the season.
• Injury Rating: But it's not all luck. Each player has an Injury Rating, from Iron (the best) to Very prone (the worst). Iron players don't get hurt as often, and when they do, it's not for as long. The most injured team, Newark, has seven Prone and three Very prone players; conversely, the least injured team, Blue Ridge, has just five Prone and no Very prone players.
• Real-life: This isn't just a bad year for DMB. The 2011 MLB season saw 503 trips to the Disabled List; 2010 saw just 446. More players got hurt in real life last year, so it would stand to reason that we would see more injuries in our replay.

So, what can you do to keep your players healthy? Obviously, if I knew, my team wouldn't be leading the league in injuries! But the obvious answer would be to avoid players with Prone or Very prone injury ratings. If you've already got a roster full of them, you can try resting them occasionally, or giving them a "half day off" by starting them at DH.

But sometimes a player can be hurt even if he's not playing, as happened to Newark pitcher Scott Downs on April 10 -- he didn't even pitch in the game, but he got hurt in a bench-clearing brawl!