|
|
skip to main
|
skip to sidebar
The 5th-seeded Arkansas Falcons went through a gauntlet of the 4th-seeded Poovey Farms Dairy Cows in 4 games, an epic 7-game series versus the top-seeded Tucson Scorpions, and finally knocked off the No. 2 seed and defending champion San Francisco Experience in five games to claim the 2015 DMBL title.
Arkansas did it behind it's killer P's lineup: Steve Pearce, Jhonnny Peralta, Buster Posey and Martin Prado. And don't forget Anthony Rizzo, along with some great pitching from Alex Wood, Marcus Stroman and a solid bullpen.
Pearce, who started all 16 games in the postseason, led all players in hits with 18 (along with teammate Lorenzo Cain), slashing .310/.412/.552, with a team-high 3 home runs, with 7 RBIs. Leonys Martin and Wood, both picked up from Philly at the trade deadline, also got consideration for postseason MVP honors. Arkansas gave up a 9th rounder for Martin and a 2nd and a 6th for Wood.
Martin only started 10 games in the postseason, including just one in the finals, but led the Falcons with 11 RBIs. He came up with 3 hits and 5 RBIs in a decisive Game 7 win over Tucson in the semi-finals. In a critical Game 3 against San Francisco, Martin propelled the Falcons to a 6-5 with 3 RBIs on 3 hits.
Wood tossed 7 shutout innings in the championship-clinching Game 5 and went 8 2/3 shutout innings in a vital Game 5 win in the semi-finals versus Tucson. Despite leading the league in postseason walks with 12 -- thanks to a 6-walk effort in Game 1 of the finals -- Wood was the Falcons' best pitcher. He was 2-1 with a league-high 27.2 innings, to go with 24 strikeouts (second only to Chris Sale's 32) and 1.30 ERA.
In the finals, Pearce led the Falcons with 8 hits and 17 total bases, slashing .444/.565/.944. Peralta, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2006 draft after Zach Duke, had a team-high 6 runs and 3 doubles, slashing .368/.455/.842, and right behind Pearce with 16 total bases in the five games during the finals. Overall, Arkansas hit .273 in the final, .337 on-base and slugged .483. They out-homered San Francisco 9 to 4.
The at-times dominant Sale was handled by the Arkansas lineup. San Francisco's ace made two starts in the finals, lasting only 10 2/3 innings, with a 5.89 ERA and 1.96 WHIP. The Experience saw some of their biggest hitters tamed in the finals, getting most of their offense from an unlikely source in platoon catcher Renee Rivera, who had 5 of San Francisco's 15 RBIs. Thanks to two big swings, he led the team in hits, batting, slugging, on-base, total bases and RBIs. Victor Martinez was just 3-for-21, the only other San Francisco regular
to homer, with a 9th inning solo shot in Game 4. The team hit just .222,
with an on-base of .287 and slugged a meager .323 in the finals.
It was Rivera's eighth-inning grand slam in Game 5 that proved to be San Fran's last gasp, cutting the Falcons lead to 5-4 at the time. Arkansas would add an insurance run in the 9th before finishing off the Experience for good.
San Francisco's Adam LaRoche led all batters in RBIs in the postseason with 12, and a league-high four home runs, followed by Martin with 11.
It's the 6th DMBL title in franchise history for Arkansas. The Golden
Falcons are the first wild card team to advance to the series since
Newark in 2010 and the first wild card to win the title since Marietta
in 2009.
It's also the second year in a row that the defending champion lost in
the finals (San Francisco knocked off Hoboken in 6 games in the 2014
series).
Adam Dunn finished a productive if not storied DMBL career in stunning fashion, hitting a walk-off home run off Tom Koehler in the bottom of the ninth to give Hopatcong a 5-4 win over Philly in the 2015 regular season finale. It's one of the more memorable finishes to a career since Mike Mussina tossed a complete game in his final start to push Marietta past Newark in Game 7 of the 2009 DMBL World Series.
Dunn, who last year announced this would be his final season, was signed twice by the Floating Fish this season, both times to fill in at first base for an injured Joey Votto. In 40 games, he batted just .140/.225/.322, but smacked 6 home runs.
It wasn't a great final season but it was enough to get Dunn past Todd Helton on the all-time home run list. He finished just one home run short of becoming the 27th player to reach 300 for his career. Dunn also finishes with 1,615 career strikeouts, 11th-most in DMBL history, trailing Bobby Abreu (1,642) and just ahead of Barry Bonds (1,607).
It's as good a time as any for a career retrospective of The Big Donkey, who was dealt five times and played for nine teams during his 13 seasons.
The giant, left-handed slugger was drafted by the now-defunct Phoenix Dragons as an ineligible prospect in the 4th round of the 2002 draft. After a middling 2003 season for Phoenix, Dunn was let go but picked up by Hillsborough in the 2nd round of the 2004 draft.
It wasn't until 2005 when he really made his mark, knocking 55 home runs and 150 RBIs and following up with 46 dingers and 127 RBIs in 2006 -- the two highest marks of his career. He also played in 162 and 163 games, respectively, those two seasons. Surprisingly, Dunn would never reach 100 RBIs again but he did keep on slugging.
Hillsborough sent him to Arkansas in a blockbuster deal during the 2008 offseason. The Hit Men sent Dunn with Alex Rodriguez, Jeremy Bonderman, Ian Snell and Jonathan Broxton to Arkansas for Dan Haren, Nick Markakis, and four draft picks: a 7th in 2008, 4th and 7th in 2009, and a 5th in 2010.
Dunn never completed the 2008 season in Arkansas, slugging .529 in 92 games but batting just .220. The Golden Falcons shipped him to Philly at the deadline for Jonathan Sanchez and a 2010 3rd rounder. He didn't end up spending much time in Philly either. That offseason, the End Zone Animals traded Dunn to Hoboken, along with a 9th rounder in 2009 and a 6th in 2011, in exchange for Scott Kazmir.
Dunn enjoyed two consistent seasons in Hoboken, with 37 and 35 homers and 79 and 80 RBIs, respectively, but again ended up going elsewhere. The Cutters sent him and Hillsborough's 5th round pick in 2011 to Amityville for Matt Cain and a 2012 6th rounder.
Only months later, there would be one more trade in the cards for Dunn before spending his final seasons bouncing around as free agent/draftee. Blue Ridge acquired him from Amityville with a 12th rounder in 2012 for Cole Hamels and a 2012 4th rounder.
In all, Dunn was traded five times in deals that totaled 10 players and 11 draft picks (6 coming back, 5 going with him).
Henderson Alvarez missed out on being a 20-game winner as San Francisco succumbed to Blue Ridge, 9-2, in the 2015 regular season finale. He was roughed up for 7 hits and 7 runs in 6 2/3 innings and paid the price for 5 walks.
Despite a 3.52 ERA (4th best on the team), Alvarez still led the league with 19 wins -- thanks to league-high run support of 5.8 runs/game -- one better than Vancouver's Johnny Cueto (18-9). He would have been the DMBL's first 20-game winner since Hoboken's Clayton Kershaw last season.
 The Experience is the third team for Alvarez in barely a year. He was acquired in the offseason from Sardine City, along with a 2015 5th rounder, in exchange for a 1st round pick in 2016. He spent a brief time as a Straphanger, coming over from Hoboken in a 2014 deadline deal for relievers Luke Hochevar, Caleb Thielbar and a 2015 13th rounder.
The 25-year-old Venezuelan entered the season with a 22-22 record in two DMBL seasons, mainly the result of an impressive rookie year in 2012 with Vancouver. He went 15-14 in a career-high 225 innings, with a 4.24 ERA and a career-best 1.12 WHIP.
Marietta's Justin Turner snagged the DMBL batting title, qualifying in the final week to jump past Tucson's Jose Altuve.
 After the all-star break, Altuve overtook Pablo Sandoval of Arkansas in the batting race and was enjoying a comfortable lead down the stretch. But a handful of extra at-bats may have pushed Turner across the finish line. He went 3-for-10 (probably getting an extra 6 at-bats) in a record-setting, 22-inning win over Vancouver last week and qualified for the batting crown within days, jumping into the race at .340, ahead of Altuve's .334.
With five more starts to finish the year, Turner ultimately finished with 510 plate appearances -- 8 more than the minimum to qualify for the batting race (3.1 plate appearances per games played by the team, or 502). He ended the season hitting .337 to Altuve's .330; Sandoval finished third at .320.
Turner's situation is sort of the opposite of what happened last year when Sardine City essentially benched Christian Yelich for the final month of the season. Despite hitting .352, the rookie first-rounder eventually failed to qualify for the batting title, ceding the crown to San Francisco's Hanley Ramirez, who hit .346.
Turner made 112 starts at shortstop for Marietta, splitting time with Didi Gregorius and Derek Jeter. He also had a stint on the disabled list but batted lead off for the Mighty Men against right-handers. Jeter meanwhile made just four starts for Marietta in his final season, collecting 5 hits, and finishing his career as the all-time DMBL hits leader with 2,994 -- just 6 short of 3,000.
While Altuve has to settle for second place in batting average he was far and away the leader in hits (236) along with a league-high 763 plate appearances in 162 starts at second base for the Scorpions. Victor Martinez of San Francisco (194) and Empire City's Daniel Murphy (191) finished behind Altuve in hits.
Turner also finished as the league's leader in on-base percentage (.396), jumping head of Livingston's Jayson Heyward and Poovey's Freddie Freeman (.385).
DMBL pitchers tied a league record with the third no-hitter this season. This time it was San Francisco's Scott Kazmir, who walked just one and struck out six in downing Vancouver, 2-0, at home on Thursday night.
Kazmir was tantalizingly close to throwing DMBL's first-ever perfect game. He walked John Jay with one out in the 5th but followed that up by inducing a ground-ball double play from Anthony Rendon, so he faced the minimum 27 batters. Of his 116 pitches, 75 went for strikes.
The Experience got all the runs they needed in the first, with a bases-loaded single by Jonathan LuCroy. The game featured zero extra-base hits.
Johnny Cueto, who tossed his own no-hitter this year, wasn't too shabby for Vancouver, going the distance. He surrendered four hits and two runs while striking out 10 and walking four. The first inning was his undoing, giving up three of his four hits and two of his four walks.
Kazmir is enjoying his best season yet after a solid year with the Experience in 2014, following three seasons away from the DMBL. He broke in as a highly-touted prospect with Hoboken in 2006. After losing 19 games in 2008, he was shipped to Philly, where he went 15-8 with a 5.03 ERA in 2009. In Vancouver the next season, he made only seven starts before disappearing. Kazmir re-emerged with San Francisco, when the Experience drafted him in 2014. He went 10-4 in 22 starts with a career-best 4.41 ERA.
With the no-hitter, Kazmir improves to 14-6 and lowers his ERA to 2.87, good for 7th in the league, and his WHIP to 1.18.
The other no-hitter this season was a combined effort for Hillsborough, by Garrett Richards and Carlos Martinez. It's the second year in a row that the league has seen a season-high three no-hitters.
It's the first no-hitter for the Experience since relocating to San Francisco. Previously, the franchise had no-hitters by Brett Myers in 2011 and AJ Burnett in 2008 when it was located in Las Vegas.
San Francisco was the league's hottest team of July, going 21-7 and expanding their lead in the Drabek Division to 17 1/2 games. Meanwhile, the Golden Falcons posted a 19-9 record in July and getting a little breathing room atop the Fisk Division. Vancouver (17-11) has come on strong and moved up not only in the Fisk Division, but also in the wild card standings. El Paso (18-14) has come out of nowhere to even up their record before falling down under .500 just before the month ended. Sardine City (8-20) posted the league's worst record by far and has just surpassed Philadelphia as the worst team in the league.
July's JR Cigar Smokin' Batter of the Month is Jhonny Peralta of Arkansas. Now in his second year with the Falcons, the well-traveled Peralta has helped the Falcons return to glory, leading the Kruk Division by 4 games as of the end of the month. Peralta has been decent for the Falcons this year, but really cranked it up in July. Peralta hit .339 with a 1.043 OPS, smacking 13 doubles and 7 homers, with 33 RBIs and a .643 slugging. Overall, Peralta is htiting .255/.332/.442 with 17 homers and 71 RBIs. Other considerations: El Paso's Dexter Fowler (.359/.439/.521, 2 3Bs, 26 runs), Empire City's Adam Jones (.916 OPS, 10 2Bs, 8 HRs, 24 RBIs), Poovey Farms Freddie Freeman (.342/.440/.535, 11 2Bs) and Kyle Seager (.915 OPS, 9 HR, 23 R, 3 SB), Allentown's Matt Kemp (.923 OPS, 7 HR), Vancouver's J.D. Martinez (6 HR, 20 R, 24 RBIs), and Tucson's Jose Altuve (.309, 12 SBs).
July's Omaha Steaks Pitcher of the Month is Clayton Kershaw of Hoboken. Kershaw had gotten off to a mediocre start for the Cutters, but has turned on the heat in July. Kershaw won 5 of his 6 starts with a 1.80 ERA and 0.84 WHIP. Kershaw struck out 63 in 50 innings while walking only 3. On the season, Kershaw is 12-9 with a 3.23 ERA. Other notables: El Paso's Jason Hammel (3-0, 1.84, 0.72 WHIP), Marietta's Pat Neshek (2-0, 0.52, 7 SV, 0.81 WHIP), Tucson's Ken Giles (2-1, 1.56, 8 SV, 0.69 WHIP), Poovey Farms' Danny Duffy (1.13, 0.88 WHIP) and Yu Darvish (6-0, 51 K), and Arkansas' Zach Britton (3-0, 1.17, 4 SV).
Many teams endured some minor injuries during the month and San Francisco even got Anibal Sanchez back after being out for over a month. Livingston took the longest duration injury when backup catcher Ryan Hanigan took an ill-advised swim in the Amazon river and was swarmed by piranhas. Surgeons have just finished reconstructing his left arm and are now ready to move on to his right. Philadelphia's Dustin Pedroia reported feeling blase to the team doctors. While no real injury was found, doctors advised Pedroia to take a few weeks off and try to "find himself." Poovey Farms and Livingston's matchup on the penultimate day of the month knocked out both starters Yu Darvish and Chris Archer for a bit. After watching the Princess Bride, both were convinced they could survive the fire swamps. Both sustained injuries, but luckily avoided any R.O.U.S.'s.
The Micro Conference doesn't seem to have the
depth at starting pitcher that the Diamond Conference has, but that
doesn't mean there's no all-star quality names to consider for the
potential roster.
If no-hitters are a qualification for your all-star ballot, then Vancouver's Johnny Cueto is your man. His no-no in June helped
his otherwise to-this-point mediocre stats and fueled an Iron First
resurgence after a slow start. He's now 7-5 and lowered his ERA to 3.81
and his WHIP to 1.21. Teammate Matt Latos deserves a look, with a lower
ERA (3.05), WHIP (1.18) and better winning percentage, 7-4.
 Rookie Tanner Roark is probably the
least-heralded name in the Allentown rotation but he leads the squad
with a 2.88 ERA (good for 10th in the league) and stands at 7-5. Lefty
David Price is the veteran of the rotation, and despite just an
8-7 mark, he's among the league leaders in WHIP (1.01), strikeouts (126), innings (127.1) and complete games (5) to go with 2 shutouts. A couple of other Mules might warrant consideration. Hishahi Iwakuma is 7-3 with a 3.12 ERA and 1.18 WHIP while John Lackey is 8-6 with a 3.81 ERA and 1.20 WHIP. Roark and Lackey also have a conference-leading 12 quality starts.
Collin McHugh is the strongest candidate for Poovey Farms. He is second in the conference with a 1.04 WHIP and stands at 9-4 with a 3.07 ERA.
 Hoboken is led by an unlikely candidate. Hiroki Kuroda, in his final season, is tops in the conference with 10 wins, to go with 11 quality starts, 3.12 ERA and 1.17 WHIP. Two other Cutters are on opposite sides of the ballot. Despite a 4.59 ERA, Kyle Lohse has been lucky enough to go
9-4 while Clayton Kershaw is just 6-7 despite leading
the league virtually all year in strikeouts (150) and among the most innnings pitched (121.7). He's also third in K/BB (6.5) and though his
3.77 ERA isn't all-star like he sports a 1.17 WHIP and 3 complete
games.
Corey Kluber is Sardine City's best hope for an all-star starter. Another candidate with a weak record (6-5), the righty is carrying the rotation, with a league-high 5 complete games, in addition to 2 shutouts. He's also among the conferences elite in strikeouts (123) and WHIP (1.14) and innings (118.2).
Blue Ridge dealt its best pitcher, Jon Lester, earlier in the year. He was 6-3 with a 2.72 ERA in 12 starts. Now the Bombers are left with Matt Garza as their best hope. Though he's 5-6, the veteran righty has a 3.64 ERA and among the conference's best in WHIP (1.12) and quality starts (11).
Arkansas ripped off a huge winning streak toward the midway point of the season, thanks mostly to its offense, but Matt Shoemaker and Alex Cobb have been among the beneficiaries. Shoemaker has improved to 8-4 with a 1.14 WHIP though his 4.05 ERA could be a turn-off. Cobb has the better ERA (3.28) but weaker WHIP (1.26) yet he's 7-5 in 10 quality starts. Rookie Marcus Stroman also is 7-5 with a 1.17 WHIP and 3.82 ERA.
At one point after All-Star Game ballots were released, the Diamond Conference featured nine of the top 10 league leaders when it comes to ERA. With only five spots on the ballot, there could be the potential for a few snubs in the Diamond Conference's rotation.
 San Francisco's Chris Sale was humming along, leading the league in ERA (1.33), K/9 (11.5), shutouts (4), and second in several other categories, until he left Sunday's outing after 7 innings with an injury. The lefty is expected to land on the DL for the second time this season, this time for almost three weeks. Voters may have to overlook his 11 starts, five fewer starts than most hurlers in contention.
Teammate Henderson Alvarez looked like he could challenge Sale for
the starting nod after a torrid start to the season, jumping out to a 9-1
mark. But his ERA has ballooned to 3.16 after returning from the DL and getting bombed in Sunday's start. Yet another SF starter can make a case, as Anibal Sanchez was tied for the league lead in wins with a 10-2 record.
 Meanwhile, Marietta's Phil Hughes was the first to 10 victories and followed that up with a 12-strikeout complete game on Sunday. He improved to 11-4, a league high in wins, extended his league lead in K/BB (9.6), and matched three others with a league-best 5 complete games (to go with a league-high 38 doubles allowed). Michael Pineda may not have the wins (6-5) that Hughes does for Marietta, but he's still spinning an all-star caliber first half, with a 2.42 ERA (5th in the league) and 0.91 WHIP (3rd in the league).
There are plenty of new faces to consider for the All-Star ballot too. Hillsborough's Garrett Richards, acquired from Hoboken at least year's deadline, consistently has been atop the league leaders in ERA (2.12), to go with a 7-2 record in 16 starts and a 1.13 WHIP. He pairs with Julio Teheran to form a solid duo for the Hit Men, with both logging a league-high 13 qualify starts. Teheran improved to 9-3, trails Richards in ERA (2.31) but also boasts 3 complete games and 2 shutouts along with a top 10 WHIP (1.03).
Several first-round picks have made an impact and could make the mid-season squad. After a slow start, Hopatcong's Mike Fiers has been on fire, including a near perfect game. He leads the league in WHIP (0.87), is tied for the lead in complete games (5), and is first in batting average against, runners and hits per nine innings, to go with a top 10 ERA (2.68). El Paso first-rounder rookie Jacob deGrom is only 4-3 but has been consistent through the first half, sporting a top 10 ERA (2.85). A 2014 first-round pick as an ineligible prospect, Masahiro Tanaka of El Paso has paid dividends with an 8-3 record, to go with a 2.69 ERA and 12 quality starts.
 Another candidate to earn the starting nod could be Tucson's Jake Arrieta, who has a league-leading 13 quality starts and is top five in strikeouts (124), WHIP (1.00) and ERA (2.35). He's 7-3 and now is joined in the rotation by another potential all-star. Tyson Ross spent most of the first half with Livingston, nearly throwing a no-hitter, before getting dealt. Combined, he's 8-4 with a 1.04 WHIP (5th in the league). The Scorpions can also boast one of the top lefties in Madison Bumgarner, who's quietly tossed 12 quality starts with a 3.16 ERA, although his 1.35 WHIP could be one reason why it's a quiet 9-1 record.
Ross left behind Felix Hernandez to anchor Livingston's rotation. He's trying, with 121 Ks (tied for 2nd in the league), and 2 complete games, but the 5-8 record belies his 3.80 ERA and 1.16 WHIP. He and former teammate Andrew Cashner have both logged 10 quality starts. Cashner was leading Diamond starters -- before being dealt to the Micro Conference's Vancouver Iron First -- with 122.2 innings and 4 complete games heading into the break, despite a 4-9 mark. Chris Archer leads The Lords of Swing with a 9-3 record and a respectable 3.19 ERA but an iffy WHIP of 1.45.
CLOSERS
Diamond
Marietta's Pat Neshek (1.31, 19 saves, 0.82 WHIP, 47/6 K/BB) leads the league in saves. Hopatcong's Aroldis Chapman (2-0, 2.32, 11 saves, 64 K) leads the Floating Fish. El Paso's Drew Storen (1.87, 8 saves, 1.07 WHIP) tops an otherwise mediocre Chihuahua pen. Tucson's Ken Giles (3-0, 1.11, 11 saves, 0.79 WHIP, 49 K) has come out of nowhere to close the door for the Scorpions.
Others to consider: Hillsborough's Zack Putnam (9 saves), San Francisco's Kenley Jansen (14 saves)
Micro
First-place Allentown closer Craig Kimbrel (2.48, 14 saves, 1.05 WHIP, 50K) has anchored one of the league's top pens. Sean Doolittle (5-0, 1.88, 15 saves, 0.98 WHIP, 46/6 K/BB) is the rock of the Vancouver bullpen. The Falcons' Zach Britton (2.47, 16 saves) has emerged as the top dog in the Arkansas pen. Hoboken's Mark Melancon (2.39, 15 saves, 43/4 K/BB) is the key to the Cutter's solid bullpen. Poovey Farms Justin De Fratus (2.66, 13 saves, 0.93 WHIP, 41/5 K/BB) anchors the Dairy Cow relief corps.
Others to consider: Sardine City's Nick Hagadone (7 saves, 0.88 WHIP, 48/5 K/BB). Tucson's Greg Holland (14 saves, 4 W, 45 K).
RELIEVERS
Diamond
Tucson's Pedro Strop (3-0, 1.15, 5 saves, 0.93 WHIP, 34 K) has spent most of his season with the Bombers, but has done well in limited duty. Dellin Betances (3-2, 1.96, 0.93 WHIP, 60 K) and Jeurys FAmilia (2.29, 4 saves) also deserve mention for the Scorpions. Empire City makes up for their shaky closer with a triple threat of Seth Maness (2-0, 1.28, 0.99 WHIP, 30/9 K/BB), Santiago Casilla (3-0, 1.33, 0.70 WHIP), and David Robertson (2.12, 5 saves, 1.06 WHIP, 56 K). Tyler Clippard (2.12, 0.98 WHIP) of Hopatcong has been reliable for the Fish. Livingston's Joe Smith (1.81, 0.85 WHIP) has been solid despite some bad luck (0-4). The Lords have had better luck out of mid-season acquisition Wade Davis (4-0, 1.33, 5 saves, 0.98 WHIP, 54 K). San Francisco's duo of Darren O'Day (2.59, 3 saves, 0.77 WHIP) and Francisco Rodriguez (1.85, 0.85 WHIP) have bailed the Experience out of several jams.
Others to consider: Marietta's Luke Gregerson (2.15, 1.01 WHIP, 35/9 K/BB),
Micro
Allentown's Jonathan Papelbon (3-0, 1.03, 4 saves, 0.78 WHIP) is ready to step into the closer role at a moment's notice. Cory Rasmus of Arkansas (2-0, 1.91, 1.09 WHIP, 45 K) and Kevin Jepsen (2.36, 0.99 WHIP, 41 K, league leader in holds) have shortened games for the Falcons. Vancouver's bullpen has been a strong spot for them, supported by Joaquin Benoit (2.36, 4 saves, 0.77 WHIP), and Koji Uehara (3.11, 3 saves, 0.90 WHIP, 43/8 K/BB). Hoboken's Josh Edgin (0.90, 0.97 WHIP, 35/7 K/BB) has been stellar, with Bryan Shaw (1.83, 5 saves, 1.02 WHIP) backing him up. Blaine Boyer (1.95, 3 W) and Anthony Varvaro (2.43) are Sardine City's best. Trevor Rosenthal (1.65, 1.17 WHIP, 54 K) and J.P. Howell (1.91 ERA, 30 K) top the Poovey Farms list.
Others to consider: Allentown's Adam Warren (2.70, 1.00 WHIP, 26/9 K/BB), Philly's Mike Morin (2.72, 49 K, 1.17 WHIP).
Diamond Conference
El Paso's Corey Dickerson, the first overall pick in the 2015 draft, has put up worthy numbers, hitting .271/.314/.466 with 13 homers, 45 runs, and 47 RBIs. His teammate Melky Cabrera has been enjoying a solid year (.297/.345/.432, 16 2Bs, 46 R). Marietta's duo of Angel Pagan (.321/.357/.402, 36 R) and Oswaldo Arcia (.271/.322/.454, 8 HR, 37 RBI) provide a nice combo in the Mighty Men's lineup. Hillsborough's Kole Calhoun is a top offensive contributor for the Hitmen, batting .268/.324/.446 with 6 triples, 9 homers, and 41 RBIs. Livingston's Jason Heyward sparks the Lords with a .300/.377/.425 line with 31 runs. Tucson's Michael Brantley has built upon his breakout 2014 season with a .287/.343/.453 line with 8 homers, 38 runs, and 33 RBIs.
Others worth considering: Empire City's Adam Jones (12 HR, 38 RBI); Hopatcong's speedy pair, Billy Hamilton (15 SBs) and Brett Gardner (10 SBs); Livingston's Matt Holliday (.256/.353/.412, 9 HR, 37 R); Tucson's Nelson Cruz (13 HR, 37 R).
Micro Conference
Vancouver's J.D. Martinez is enjoying a career year, hitting .307/.320/.573 in the heart of the Iron Fist batting order with 19 homers,46 runs, and 54 RBIs. Arkansas' first rounder Steven Pearce is having a breakout year, with 23 homers, 53 RBIs, 45 runs, and a .291/.375/.615 slash line. Teammate Lorenzo Cain is also having a solid year, hitting .294 with 22 doubles and 8 steals. Blue Ridge's Andrew McCutchen has been a cornerstone of the Bombers' franchise for years. He's having another good season, hitting .282/.360/.509 with 17 homers, 47 runs, and 44 RBIs. Allentown's big first half is due, in part, to two of their top outfielder, Mike Trout (.246/.336/.488, 18 HR, 52 R, 46 RBI) and Giancarlo Stanton (.255/.356/.489, 16 HR, 52 R, 37 RBI). Hoboken's power duo of Jose Bautista (.258/.353/.413, 11 HR, 41 R, 39 RBI) and Kevin Kiermaier (.269/.308/.486, 12 HR, 3 3B, 36 R, 38 RBI) keep their lineup threatening every game. Poovey Farms A.J. Pollock (.291/.339/.485, 7 3Bs, 7 HR, 41 R, 35 RBI) and Yasel Puig (.279/.339/.449, 7 HR, 46 R, 34 RBI) have helped place the Dairy Cows atop the Van Slyke Division.
Others worth considering: Blue Ridge's Justin Upton (.443 SLG, 10 HR, 38 RBIs), Philadelphia's Leonys Martin (.263, 3 3Bs, 6 HR, 7 SB), Allentown's Matt Kemp (10 HR, 32 RBI, 31 R), Sardine City's Ryan Braun (.245, 4 3Bs, 29 R), Poovey Farms Marcell Ozuna (9 HR, 41 RBI), Vancouver's Carlos Gomez (.270/.342/.392, 6 HR, 36 R, 12 SB).
SHORTSTOPS
Diamond Conference
Tucson's Troy Tulowitzki has spent a lot of time on the disabled list, but has produced when in the lineup to the tune of .252/.347/.505 with 8 homers. San Francisco's Hanley Ramirez has also spent a significant amount of the season on the DL but hasn't been as productive as Tulo. Han-Ram is hitting only .260/.319/.393. It's been a tough year for Diamond shortstops, as Marietta's Justin Turner has just returned from an injury as well. Turner has put up some numbers when healthy: .304/.357/.376. Livingston's Alcides Escobar has been healthy, hitting a solid .275 with 17 doubles and 6 stolen bases. Hopatcong's Jordy Mercer has put up a .277 average with 3 triples, 25 runs, and 35 RBIs.
Micro Conference
Hoboken's rookie Wilmer Flores has had a strong debut season, hitting .299/.311/.453 with 16 doubles and 5 homers. Vancouver's Danny Santana is having a fine rookie season, hitting .262 with 3 triples and 11 stolen bases. Poovey Farms Alex Ramirez holds down the fort with a .279/.314/.355 line. Sardine City's Starlin Castro is putting up a decent year, batting .261 with 12 doubles. Philly's Jean Segura provides a solid bat for the last place Green Rage, hitting .265 with 6 triples. Blue Ridge's Ben Zobrist is having a mostly pedestrian season, batting .258 with 14 doubles.
DESIGNATED HITTERS
Diamond Conference
San Francisco's Victor Martinez is having a banner year, batting .285/.364/.534 with 19 homers, 46 runs, and 51 RBIs. El Paso's Delmon Young is leading the offense with a .306/.338/.422 line with 16 doubles and 28 RBIs. The Lords traded Josh Hamilton to Tucson recently. Hamilton has been having a resurgent year, batting .325/.361/.523 with 32 RBIs and 17 doubles. Hopatcong's C.J. Cron has quietly posted .268/.304/.540 while smacking 16 homers, 40 RBIs, and 32 runs. Hillsborough's Garret Jones popped 8 homers platooning against righthanders with a .454 SLG.
Micro Conference
Allentown's Jose Abreu is having an MVP debut season with a .316/.353/.599 slash line to go along with 21 homers, 43 runs, and 59 RBIs. Sardine City's Eric Hosmer is having an excellent sesason for the struggling Straphangers, hitting .291/.330/.393 with 5 homers and 30 RBIs. David Peralta of Vancouver provides a solid bat against right handers, batting .273 with 4 triples, 6 homers, and 25 RBIs. Hoboken's David Ortiz has underwhelmed but still managed to hit 14 homers with 39 RBIs. Arkansas' Justin Morneau is still plugging away, producing at a .266/.316/.416 clip with 5 homers and 33 RBIs.
SECOND BASEMEN
Diamond Conference
Tucson's Jose Altuve is the tablesetter for the Scorpions, hitting a sweet .317/.365/.396 atop the lineup with 43 runs and 18 steals. Hopatcong's Rickie Weeks has had a nice comeback season. He leads the Floating Fish with a .280 average and also has a .350 OBP, .420 SLG with 36 runs scored. Howie Kendrick has been a nice contributor for the Mighty Men, hitting .300/.332/.406. Dee Gordon of Hillsborough is known for his blazing speed, leading the league with 28 stolen bases. San Francisco's Neil Walker is having a solid season, slashing .271/.329/.442 with 4 triples, 9 homers and 42 RBIs.
Micro Conference
Arkansas' Scooter Gennett has spent some time on the DL, but has otherwise turned in a solid rookie season, hitting .300/.328/.500 with 20 doubles and 35 runs scored. Another top rookie, Poovey Farms' Joe Panik is hitting .301 with 14 doubles. Other possible candidates include Allentown's Ian Kinsler (.258/.282/.357, 33 R), Philadelphia's Dustin Pedroia (.254/.313/.348), and Blue Ridge's Jason Kipnis (.267/.336/.370).
THIRD BASEMEN
Diamond Conference
San Francisco's Juan Uribe is one of the powerful lineup's leaders with a .313/.341/.401 slash line. Tucson's recently acquired Josh Harrison is having a great year, hitting .328/.347/.577 between Tucson and Blue Ridge, with 12 homers, 24 doubles, 3 triples, 35 runs, and 33 RBIs. Livingston's David Wright is having a nice season for the Lords, hitting .296/.321/.417 in limited time. Empire City's Adrian Beltre has been a solid contributor at the hot corner, hitting .260 with 6 homers and 16 doubles. El Paso's Lonnie Chisenhall is hitting .263 with 31 RBIs. Hillsborough's Todd Frazier provides some power with 11 homers and 35 RBIs.
Micro Conference
Arkansas' Pablo Sandoval has led the Falcons to a 13-game winning streak with his league-leading .363 average and .424 OBP. He's also slugging .498 with 40 RBIs and 37 runs. Poovey Farms' Kyle Seager is challenging Sandoval for top 3B honors with his .316/.372/.500 line. Seager has hit 11 homers and scored 44 runs. Vancouver's Anthony Rendon has had an up and down season, but still has 11 homers, 42 RBIs, and 41 runs scored. Allentown's Pedro Alvarez is providing a solid bat for the Mules (.256/.326/.436). Hoboken's Conor Gillaspie has given the Cutters some production from third base, hitting .268/.330/.406 with 4 triples.
We'll be taking a look at some of the candidates for this year's All-Star game. Here's the cream of the crop of the catchers and first baseman.
CATCHERS
Diamond Conference
San Francisco's Jonathan LuCroy seems to be the frontrunner for Team Diamond. LuCroy is slashing .304/.353/.526 with 29 doubles, 3 tiples, 10 homers, 44 runs scored, and 40 RBI. Tucson aquired Yadier Molina recently from the Green Rage, but he's not done much for the Scorpions. Overall, he's batting .283 with a .309 OBP and .386 SLG. Livingston's Salvador Perez is a bit disappointing with his .248 average and .278 OBP, but he does have 9 homers, 15 doubles, 31 RBIs, and .424 SLG. El Paso's Brian McCann provides a little punch to the Chihuahua lineup with his 9 homers and 30 RBIs. Hillsborough's Russell Martin hasn't done much, but his .324 OBP is relatively solid.
Micro Conference
Arkansas' Buster Posey is a key cog in the Falcons rise to the top. Posey is batting .282 with a .326 OBP, .425 SLG, 39 runs scored and 33 RBIs. Vancouver's Devan Mesoraco's power is a key part of the Iron Fist lineup - 10 homers, 32 runs, 19 doubles, .441 SLG. Poovey Farms has been a bit of a surprise atop the Van Slyke Division and Willin Ramos is a part of their success, batting .288 with 24 RBIs.
Blue Ridge's Evan Gattis has spent a lot of time at DH, but his overall numbers are solid (.251/.274/.409, 10 homers, 34 RBI). Sardine City's offense overall has suffered though Alex Avila's .322 OBP and 14 doubles are among his team's leaders.
FIRST BASE
Diamond Conference
Livingston's Paul Goldschmidt anchors the Lords lineup with his .292/.373/.465, 8 homers, 46 runs, and 37 RBIs. Marietta's Adam Lind is having a solid season, hitting .304/.332/.406 with 16 doubles. Lucas Duda provides some pop to the Scorpions lineups with 19 homers and 40 RBIs. Hopatcong's Joey Votto leads his team with a .367 OBP and 22 doubles. Albert Pujols is still hanging on, powering El Paso with his 14 homers, 21 doubles, 50 RBIs, and .485 SLG.
Micro Conference
Hoboken relies on Miguel Cabrera as one of the cornerstones of their lineup. Cabrera is having another solid season, slashing .283/.351/.516 with 11 homers, 46 runs, and 35 RBIs. Arkansas' Anthony Rizzo is having a nice season with a .274/.362/.552 line and 15 homers and 43 RBIs. Freddie Freeman is one of the offensive leaders for Poovey Farms with his .294/.384/.424 batting line with 15 doubles, 37 runs, and 42 RBIs. Matt Adams is a platoon player in Vancouver, hitting .286/.314/.449 with 31 RBIs mostly against right handers. Allentown's Adrian Gonzalez provides some power with 23 doubles and 12 homers, despite his disappointing .244 average.
Livingston's Tyson Ross faced the minimum 27 batters Thursday night but it didn't turn out to be a no-hitter. It wasn't nearly as dramatic as Mike Fiers' recent bid for the league's first-ever perfect game either.
The 28-year-old was cruising along when Dustin Pedroia innocuously singled to shallow left with one out in the sixth. Charlotte's second baseman was erased when the next batter, Jean Segura, grounded into a double play and Ross quietly remained in control, leading the Lords of Swing to a 3-0 win over the Webbs at Livingston Stadium.
Ross finished with 8 strikeouts in his near-perfect one-hitter, tossing 71 of his 109 pitches for strikes. Only six of the 27 outs were via fly balls. It was his second complete game of the year and his first career shutout. He got all the offense he would need early with Livingston's three-run first inning, including Robinson Cano's two-run double.
Ross improved to a team-leading 6-4, lowered his ERA to 3.14 and his WHIP to 0.98 (now fourth in the league). He now stands eighth in the league in strikeouts (85), and second in trio of categories: batting average allowed (.193), slugging percentage allowed (.280), and hits per 9 innings (6.2).
Last season, his first in the DMBL, Ross went 12-9 in 30 starts for Livingston.
The first month of the DMBL season has passed and there are a few surprises and some disappointments. At the top of the surprise chart has to be Poovey Farms, currently sporting the best record in the league at 18-8. The former Brick City Batmen are off to a blazing start, leading the Van Slyke Division by 5 1/2 games and currently riding a 6-game winning streak. Last year's champion San Francisco Experience sputtered a bit out of the gate, but have taken control of the Drabek Division. Meanwhile, in the Kruk Division, Tucson holds a 1-game edge over Marietta. It looks like this one will be a dogfight this season. Finally, Allentown holds a tenuous lead over Arkansas in the Fisk Division. The Golden Falcons led the division much of the month, but have now dropped five straight and have a mediocre 13-13 record.
Livingston leads the list of disappointing teams so far, sitting in last place in one of the tougher divisions. Livingston was among the league's elite last year, but it struggling this year. Last year's World Series runner up, Hoboken, is the other disappointer. Despite sitting in second place, the Cutters are one game under .500 and sit 5 1/2 games behind Poovey Farms. Vancouver seemed like they were going to be a contender this year, but have lost a string of heartbreakers that keeps them in 3rd place in the Fisk Division. The Iron Fist are 0-8 this year in 1-run games, so maybe their luck can still turn around.
April's JR Cigar Smokin' Batter of the Month is Delmon Young of El Paso. Drafted almost as an afterthought in the 10th round of the 2015 Draft, Young leads the league in batting average (.443), on base percentage (.450), hits (43), and runs created (28). Debuting in 2008 with Carolina, Young has only been a full time starter twice in his career, and one of those seasons he was traded midseason. Other notable batters this month: Allentown's Jose Abreu (.368/.395/.697, 6 HR, 21 RBI) and Mike Trout (.310/.395/.670, 9 HR, 20 RBI), Arkansas's Steven Pearce (.326/.387/.695, 9 HR, 20 RBI), Vancouver's Anthony Rendon (.347/.383/.622, 7 HR, 25 RBI), Poovey Farms' Yasel Puig (.333/.402/.635, 6 HR), and Livingston's Paul Goldschmidt (.333/.383/.562, 5 HR).
April's Omaha Steaks Pitcher of the Month is Mike Fiers of Hopatcong. You've probably read about his recent flirtation with the DMBL's first perfect game, but Fiers has been an ace all month for the Floating Fish. Despite a mediocre 3-3 record, Fiers has a 2.86 ERA and allowed 8.0 runners per 9 innings. He also has 2 shutouts this month. Fiers was the third overall pick in this year's draft. Other considerations: Fiers' teammate, Kyle Hendricks (4-1, 1.54, 8.6 R/9), San Francisco's Henderson Alvarez (6-0, 2.39), Tucson's Greg Holland (3-0, 8 saves, 0.00 ERA, 4.7 R/9), Hillsborough's Garret Richards (3-1, 2.00, 8.0), Livingston's Chris Archer (4-2, 2.63), Marietta's Michael Pineda (2.89, 8.0, 2 CGs), and Arkansas' Matt Shoemaker (3-1, 2.48, 8.9).
April Showers bring... injuries, it seems. The month brought long term injuries to several teams. San Francisco's Chris Sale was lost for a month when he decided to start watching the new Daredevil series on Netflix. Reportedly, he was so into it, that he tried to recreate the character's origin story and got hit by a truck carrying radioactive waste. It didn't turn out too well for him. Sale's teammate Hanley Ramirez was also a casualty of Sale's binge-watching. After leaving out too many crumbs from snacks and refusing to clean, a mouse infestation overcame the San Francisco locker room. Ramirez was singled out by the rodents and bitten repeatedly. He also did not gain any notable super powers. Other injuries of note: Tucson's Troy Tulowitzki (37 days), Arkansas' Justin Morneau (27) and Anthony Rizzo (21), Hillsborough's Zach Putnam (24) and Edwin Encarnacion (33), and Marietta's Justin Turner (30). Blue Ridge rookie hurler Yordano Ventura broke his funny bone, an injury that has baffled the team's doctors.
Mike Fiers nearly fired the league's first-ever perfect game Sunday night, going 8 1/3 innings before surrendering a hit. He had to settle for his second consecutive shutout, carrying Hopatcong to a 3-0 win at Allentown.
It's the closest anyone has come to a perfect game since Homer Bailey went 8 2/3 last year. It also would have been the 15th no-hitter in league history and the 2nd for the Hopatcong franchise ( the first was Josh Tomlin in 2012). Last year saw DMBL pitchers toss a record three no-hitters.
Fiers struck out Matt Kemp to lead off the 9th before Dioner Navarro broke up the perfect-o with a single to left field. The 29-year-old still managed to face the minimum 27 batters though as Erick Aybar next grounded in to a double play. Fiers finished with 5 strikeouts and dispatched an imposing Mules' lineup that includes Mike Trout, Giancarlo Stanton, Adrian Gonzalez and rookie Jose Abreu with just 90 pitches.
The third overall pick in this year's draft, Fiers improved to 3-2, lowering his ERA to 2.77 and his WHIP to a league-leading 0.77. He also leads the league in R/9 (6.9), on-base percentage (.205), and of course, shutouts (2).
In his previous start, Fiers gave up 4 hits to Marietta but struck out 10 and walked none on 123 pitches in a 2-0 shutout. In case you're wondering, he went 7 innings in his previous start, lifted after surrendering a lead-off home run in the 8th inning.
Fiers broke into the DMBL in 2013 as a 4th-round pick of Sardine City. He had a respectable showing for the Straphangers, going 13-11 in 32 starts, logging 196 innings and 194 strikeouts.
Fiers will look to extend his 18-inning scoreless streak Thursday against Poovey Farms.
While the Draft Lottery usually takes place soon after the season is over, the 2015 lottery has been delayed by numerous difficulties. First it tested positive for illegal supplements, then it was held captive by Russian mercenaries, and then finally hacked by Eric Snowden... but I digress. The Lottery was held last night in a secret, secure chamber deep in DMBL headquarters. Only four teams moved around much, though the many of the first few teams did get a draft-wide bump up one place from Saskatchewan folding.
The Winners
The biggest winner was the Arkansas Golden Falcons who moved up from number 4 to number 2. This is the highest the Falcons have ever picked without making a trade. Another winner is newcomer Charlotte Webbs, who also move two slots up from the #6/#7 position. The two new teams will swap positions in the draft every other round.
The Losers
With two winners, there must be two losers. The steepest fall belongs to the Hillsborough Hired Hitmen, who fall all the way to #6 from #3. Surely owner Brent Campbell is penning a hateful diatribe to the commissioner even as we speak! Also falling are the Hopatcong Floating Fish, who fall merely to #3 from the #2 spot. However, the Floating Fish would have picked #3 anyway if the Shields hadn't folded.
Before the New Year, two owners notified the league that they would not return for the 2015 season. Jamie Landsman, previous owner of the Bridgewater Mallers since 2006 and 2010 World Series champion decided to call it quits after a 9-year run. Robert Rund, who had run the Saskatchewan Shields for one season, was one of the four replacement owners after last year's Great Exodus of 2013.
Taking their places are Stephen Webb and Chris Lios who recently finished up their dispersal draft picks. Webb has named his squad the Charlotte Webbs and Lios' crew will be known as the El Paso Chihuahuas. The Webbs have been assigned to the Drabek Division alongside last year's champion San Francisco Experience. Meanwhile the Chihuahuas will vie for the Van Slyke Division title with 2013 champion Hoboken Cutters.
|
