Pujols reaches 600 HRs, becomes all-time leader in games, ABs

In his final DMBL season, Pujols has settled in as primarily a platoon DH vLHP, with a few games at 1B, for Livingston, where he's had a bit of a resurgence, relatively speaking. The Dominican native also has reached some historic marks in the league's record books this year.

Miggy joins 500-HR club

Miguel Cabrera became the 5th player in DMBL history to reach 500 home runs, doing it as a member of the Empire City Trojans after bouncing around the league the past few seasons.

Chipper leaving his mark in final season

One of the all-time great DMBLers is making the most of his retirement tour through the league. The cornerstone of the controversial yet record-setting Newark Sugar Bears dynasty, Chipper Jones will leave the DMBL among the all-time leaders in virtually every category but triples and stolen bases.

After a sluggish first half, Jones enjoyed an unexpected power surge in the third quarter of the season. Now with 23 home runs, Jones has vaulted up the all-time home run list, becoming the 6th player to reach 450 round-trippers and passing some select company. During a stretch of only about a week or so, the Brick City third basemen passed Sammy Sosa (#9, 446), Vlad Guerrero (#8, 447) and Ken Griffey, Jr. (#7, 448). Number 6 all-time is likely where he'll finish since Philly's Albert Pujols is just too far out of reach at #5, with 484.

Alex Rodriguez is the active leader in home runs. In limited playing time this season with Las Vegas, A-Rod has slowly snuck up to near 600. The suspected PED user has smacked only 9 home runs this year but is second all-time with 594, way behind Barry Bonds at 689.

Earlier in the year, Jones broke the all-time record for most doubles, eclipsing longtime teammate Manny Ramirez, who had 538. Chipper enters the season's final weeks with 562 doubles. In a more recent career milestone a couple weeks ago, Chipper jumped ahead of Manny (1,728) for second place in career RBIs, with 1,732, trailing only Bonds (2,060).

A lock to make the DMBL Hall of Fame once he becomes eligible, Jones won't catch his future HOF colleague Derek Jeter of Marietta for the all-time hits record. He's safely ensconced in second place, more than 200 hits ahead of Guerrero, with 2,809, but several dozen behind Jeter (2,877).

Helton becomes 6th player to reach 2,000 games

It will be a year full of milestones if Todd Helton keeps this up. On Tuesday night, the longtime DMBLer became the sixth player in league history with 2,000 games played, and now only two other players stand ahead of him in career doubles.

Helton, drafted by the Hoboken Cutters in the 7th round this year, smacked two doubles in Monday night's win over Marietta, passing Edgar Martinez to move into third all-time. He started the year tied for sixth with Barry Bonds (487), and also passed Ivan Rodriguez (490) along the way. The only players left ahead of Helton are Chipper Jones (535), who is chasing Manny Ramirez (538).

A career-high 63 doubles in 2001 -- his first with Stanhope/Marietta -- kicked off a stretch of eight straight seasons of at least 38 doubles. That stretch also included eight out of nine seasons with at least 159 games played.

Helton has but one home run so far this year, 286 for his career, good for 26th all-time, although he recently was passed by current teammate Miguel Cabrera. The lefty slugger also overtook Jeff Bagwell (2,047) for 13th in career hits, and moved into 15th all-time in RBIs, passing Jim Edmonds (1,129), as he tries to compile a Hall Of Fame resume.

Jeter recaptures all-time hits record

Derek Jeter recaptured the all-time hits record just days into the 2013 season, overtaking Vladimir Guerrero, who caught the Marietta shortstop late last season.

Jeter had one hit in the season opener against Bridgewater to reach 2,700 hits. He then collected two more hits in the 19-inning nightcap of the opening day doubleheader to match Guerrero at 2,702 hits.

The 2,703rd hit of Jeter's career was an infield single to short off lefty reliever Luis Avilan in the eighth inning of Friday night's 5-3 loss at Hoboken.

It was just a year ago that Jeter tied Barry Bonds for first all-time in career hits, before surpassing Bonds during Passover. Looming not far behind, however, was Guerrero, who surpassed Jeter with a strong finish to end the 2012 season.

Chipper Jones of Newark (now Brick City) announced his final season will be 2013 and enters the year third all-time in hits, with 2,671, barely 30 behind Guerrero and Jeter. Alex Rodriguez, who came over to Las Vegas from Hopatcong in the offseason, is the only other active player in the top 10, with 2,567 hits, starting this year just eight hits behind Bonds.

Jeter began his 17th season in Marietta this year, averaging 169 hits per season. He entered the year first all-time with 2,420 games played -- an average of 142 games per year. He has never played fewer than 101 games (2011) and that was an abberation because he's played at least 150 games 13 times, and a full 162 games three times.

Guerrero ties Sosa for 6th all-time in home runs

In what's shaping up to be his final DMBL season, Vlad Guerrero is taking a few final swings into the record books. Even though he's on pace for a career-low in home runs, Guerrero launched his 12th of the season last week, matching Sammy Sosa for 6th in league history with 446 career homers. In the Rowdy Roddy Pipers' 5-3 home win last Saturday, Guerrero went 4-for-4, including a two-run shot in the 3rd inning off Hillsborough's Felix Hernandez.

The Rowdy designated hitter needs two more home runs in the season's final 35 games to match Ken Griffey, Jr. for 5th all-time with 448 home runs. Guerrero's pace this season has seen about one home run every 9.5 games, or more specifically, one every 34.25 at bats.

Getting to No. 4 all-time might prove difficult for Vlad the Impaler: Manny Ramirez sits almost 50 home runs away, with 498 round-trippers. But Guerrero also has a unique chance to set another all-time record, at least temporarily. He enters today's doubleheader just one hit behind Derek Jeter for most hits all-time. Guerrero started this season about 20 hits behind the Marietta shortstop and both have passed Barry Bonds, who started 2012 with the league record (2,575).

Jeter, who has 2,670 hits entering Sunday's action, overtook Barry Bonds early this season as the DMBL's all-time hits leader. Since he plans to come back for another DMBL season in 2013, even if Guerrero does pass the Marietta shortstop this year, it looks like Jeter has all of next year to regain the crown. Guerrero currently has 2,669 hits, could call it quits after this season.

The 37-year-old Dominican native hit a career-high 52 home runs in 2001 (along with a staggering 164 RBIs) with the Kentucky Hillbillies and a career-low 16 homers in 2010 with New Jersey Team Buddah. Guerrero has played for 8 franchises in his 16 seasons, his most dominant stretch with the Toledo Mutthens/Tijuana Banditos/South Boston Gang from 2002 to 2007. He posted 100-RBI seasons in six straight years between 2003 and 2008.

Jeter Becomes All-Time Hits Leader

Derek Jeter wasted no time Saturday night in becoming the DMBL's all-time hits leader. Making it a Passover weekend to remember for the Marietta faithful, Jeter singled to left his first time at the plate, off Tim Hudson in the third inning. He eventually came around to score on a sacrifice fly to take a 2-0 lead, but the Mighty Men eventually fell at home to the Rowdy Roddy Pipers, 5-3 in 10 innings.

Jeter now has 2,576 hits, one better than Barry Bonds, who a few years ago had passed Roberto Alomar at 2,207 hits for the all-time mark.

Jeter Matches Bonds For All-Time Hits Mark

Longtime Marietta shortstop Derek Jeter tied Barry Bonds for the all-time DMBL lead in career hits, with 2,575. The record-tying hit came Friday night in the seventh inning on a groundball between first and second off Rowdy Roddy's Pipers rookie Guillermo Moscoso. Jeter came around to score what would be the winning run on a sac fly to give the Mighty Men a 6-5 decision at Home Depot Stadium.

The Captain will look to own the record today at home against the Roddy Pipers and scheduled starter Tim Hudson.

Jeter started 2012 campaign with 2,566 hits but certainly is no lock to keep the all-time hits record. He has company from a number of other active players who began the year within striking distance:
* Rowdy's Vlad Guerrero (4th/2,543)
* Newark's Chipper Jones (5th/2,537)
* Alex Rodriguez of Las Vegas (6th/2,436)

There's also Manny Ramirez, who began this season 3rd all-time with 2,545 hits (and just two HRs from 500), is sitting out the year but plans a comeback in 2013 DMBL; Jones and Guerrero already have pushed him to 5th all-time in hits since the season started.

Whether a DMBL player will stick around long enough to reach 3,000 hits remains to be seen, but it would seem the Magic 8 Ball would say, "Not likely." Chipper already has announced that he will retire after next season, so he would need about 225 hits this season and next. Meanwhile, a sizzling start in his first dozen games (18 hits in his first 42 at-bats) has moved Vlad within 14 hits of Bonds and Jeter through Friday night's games.

A-Rod, Jeter pass Manny

First it was Alex Rodriguez of Las Vegas and then it was Marietta's Derek Jeter, but both players passed Manny Ramirez for the all-time lead DMBL at-bats, during the first week of the 2012 campaign.

Ramirez was No. 1 with an even 8,800 at-bats and may eventually add to his total as he sits out 2012 to make a comeback in 2013. After Saturday's matchups, A-Rod and Jeter now rank 1-2, with 8,812 and 8,804 at-bats. The duo also started the season 1-2 in all-time games played, with Jeter at 2,267 and A-Rod at 2,260. Newark's Chipper Jones wasn't far behind at 2,243.

Jeter also looks to make history early this season, needing just 9 hits to surpass Barry Bonds as the all-time hits leader, with 2,575. He enters Sunday's doubleheaders with 4 hits on the year, sitting on 2,570.

Chasing Bonds

When the season started, it looked all but certain that Barry Bonds would lose his grip on the league's all-time hit record (2,575). With roughly 30 games to go in the 2011 campaign though, it looks more likely that Bonds will hold on to the mark for at least one more season. And depending on how off-season personnel moves play out, it could be longer than that.

Marietta's Derek Jeter and Manny Ramirez, Vladimir Guerrero of New Jersey and Newark's Chipper Jones are the active leaders in hits, ranking second through fifth. Going into the season, Jeter looked like the surest shot, as the only other player above the 2,500 mark (2,507). But the majority of playing time as the Marietta shortstop this year has gone to Cezar Izturis, leaving Jeter with just 40 starts, 78 games in all, and a measly 45 hits, putting him at 2,553 -- 22 hits from Bonds with 31 games to play.

The other three players all went over 2,500 career hits within the past few weeks but the numbers don't seem to add up for a legitimate run at Bonds in 2011. Ramirez has no more than 31 games remaining in his DMBL career and entered the week with 2,517 hits -- 58 behind Bonds. Guerrero and Jones currently are separated by just five hits, 2,516 for Vlad (trailing Bonds by 59), 2,511 for Chipper (64 behind Bonds). Guerrero's Team Buddah has 29 games to play while Chipper's Sugar Bears has the fewest of the quartet -- 27.

For 2012, only Jeter currently stands a shot at finding some playing time, and that's likely only against lefties. Ramirez already has announced his retirement at the conclusion of 2011 while Guerrero and Jones need to get hot if they don't want to avoid hoping for sentimentality to find a roster spot in 2012.

As long as we're looking toward 2012, it might be safe to say that another player might reach Bonds at some point next year. Alex Rodriguez of Las Vegas has 103 hits so far this season, 6th all time with 2,414 hits -- 161 behind Bonds. Ivan Rodriguez, getting some playing time with Amityville of late, is the only other active player in the all-time top 10, at 2,367.

Thome the third into 500-club

Jim Thome smacked the 500th home run of his career last week in a 4-2 win at home over Sardine City, becoming the third player in league history to reach 500. The historic bomb came off of Phil Hughes, leading off the second inning. With Monday's home runs, he now has 502.

Thome joins the all-time home run leader, Barry Bonds, and Alex Rodriguez as the only members of the 500-home run club. Bond is first with 689 homers, followed by A-Rod, who enters Thursday's games with 551 dingers.

The exclusive club could get another member before the seasons is over, as Marietta's Manny Ramirez enters Thursday's action third all-time with 493 home runs. He also is among the league's all-time leaders in RBI, runs scored, strikeouts, walks, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and games played.

A first basemen who's seen time exclusively at designated hitter with Arkansas this year, Thome adds to his Hall of Fame resume. Thome's best DMBL years were spent with the juggernaut Sugar Bears, his lone Mitchell Award coming in 2003, interrupting what could have been a four-year streak of Mitchell Awards for Bonds.

Thome has enjoyed a resurgence this year, now with 25 home runs, his most since he hit 37 in 2008 with Las Vegas. He spent parts of the past three seasons in Las Vegas, Newark and Arkansas. He came up with Newark in 1996, hitting 21 home runs, before reeling off 11 straight seasons of at least 32 home runs (well, almost -- the streak was interrupted when he missed the entire 2006 season due to injury), including 65 in his Mitchell Award season of 2003, to go with a career-high 154 RBIs.

Bonds breaks decade-old mark

Lots of interesting things happened over the weekend.

Arkansas' Barry Bonds had a big day in Friday's 18-3 drubbing of Marietta. Bonds was 4-5 with 3 runs and 3 home runs, and - ready for this? - a new DMBL record 11 RBIs! Yeah, remember when Adam Dunn tied that record earlier this year? Well too bad, Adam, try again. The master broke the record that was held by three men, only one of which did it in the DMB Era. Rick Wilkins of Cheyenne was the first to set the record way back in 1994. The record was tied two years later by Jerusalem's Mickey Tettleton. No one else could approach the record until this year when Dunn did it in April and now when Bonds broke the mark. Bonds is already the all-time leader in career RBIs with 1967. It's looking likely that Bonds will become the first to reach the 2000 mark.

Philadelphia put the smackdown on Newark in game one of their series yesterday. It marked the first loss for the Sugar Bears at home in 20 tries. Lefthander Johan Santana pitched a brilliant six innings, holding the Crunch with Punch to two runs on eight hits and striking out 10. Jimmy Rollins hit two homers and a triple, and drove in five runs to lead the Philly offense. Newark got their revenge in game two with a 9-0 blanking. Javier Vazquez pitched 7 shutout innings and struck out 9 to earn the win.

Las Vegas is in the middle of their longest losing streak of the season - now at five games - after dropping two to Vancouver yesterday. Game two saw the Rats lose a close 4-3 game in extra innings - the first one-run game that the Rats lost all season in 10 tries. Curtis Granderson hit a 2-run single in the top of the 11th to give the Fist a 2-run lead. The Rats, perhaps not realizing their obscure record was on the line, tried to rally in the bottom of the inning, but left the bases loaded. More on the Rats interesting record and other teams' first quarter reports can be found in today's Number Crunch article.