Moose, McCann, claim honors

This week featured a pretty light schedule for most teams. Only two teams played every day this week - Marietta and Carolina - while other teams barely played at all - Blue Ridge only had 3 games this week. Some of the favorites for the JR Cigars Smokin' Batter of the Week prize were already mentioned in last week's Blog entries. Sentimental choice Ken Griffey had a good week for Vancouver, hitting .368 with a 1.113 OPS and a home run. We all read about the hot streak that Lance Berkman and David Wright had for Arkansas. Berkman was the clear winner between those two - .409/.480/.955 with 4 homers, 7 runs, and 10 RBIs, though most of that was done in two games. But this week's prize will go to D.C.'s Brian McCann who hit an astounding .435 with a .567 on base percentage and 1.130 slugging. He led the league with 5 home runs this week and scored 10 runs while driving in 8. Enjoy your Fonsecas, Brian!

Other top batters this week: Carolina's Xavier Nady (.433/.419/.500), D.C.'s Dan Uggla (.381/.435/.905, 3 HR), Las Vegas' Joe Mauer (.464/.464/.679), Philly's Mark Teixeira (.368/.429/.684) and Sardine City's Conor Jackson (.375/.407/.583). We have to give a special acknowledgement to Jason Kubel who, although he only got into 3 games this week as a part-timer, hit 3 home runs in 7 at bats. Maybe we need to make a new award for Bench Guy of the Week?

It was a close race for this week's pitcher prize, but Marietta's Mike Mussina gets the nod for this week's Weird Graves Pitcher of the Week Award. Moose won both his starts and holding his opponents to only 3 runs on 8 hits and 2 walks in 15 innings, while striking out 16 batters. He ends the week with a 1.80 ERA and 0.67 WHIP. His closest competition was Las Vegas' Josh Beckett, who also won both his starts, including a complete game shutout of Amityville. Beckett also struck out 15 batters in his 16 innings of work, but his 1.31 WHIP cost him the prize this week.

Other top pitchers: Carolina's Daisuke Matsuzaka (0-0, 2.45 in 2 games) and Carlos Zambrano (1-0, 3.29, 11 K, in 13.2 IP), D.C.'s Jonathan Papelbon (1-0, save, 1.50 in 6 games), Marietta's Ervin Santana (1-0, 3.18, 16 K), and Hoboken's Aaron Cook (1-1, 3.00). Two more one-game wonders of note: Amityville's Roy Oswalt, who pitched a 4-hit shutout and Blue Ridge's Adam Wainwright, who pitched a 3-hitter.

Divisional position shuffling

Josh Beckett pitched a complete game shutout of Amityville yesterday - a 10-hit, 8-strikeout effort en route to a 7-0 decision. Carlos Pena hit a 2-run homer in the third and Alex Gordon did the same in the fourth to propel the Rat Pack offense.

Meanwhile, first-place Marietta fell into a tie with idle Newark for first place in the Hanover Division after dropping a 9-4 contest to Hillsborough. Ron Belliard was 3-5 and Billy Butler was 2-5 with 3 RBIs to lead the way for the Hitmen. Wandy Rodriguez earned his first victory of the season with a strong 6-inning effort. Hillsborough moves into first place, a half a game ahead of Carolina.

The Mudcats dropped an extra-inning affair to fraternal rival Philadelphia. The Cats built up a quick 8-3 lead on the Animals, but Philly clawed their way back. A four-run 8th inning, highlighted by a 2-run Albert Pujols double, tied up the game. Pujols then came through again in the 10th when he hit the game winning single off reliever Buddy Carlyle.

Dustin McGowan was smoked in the first few innings of his start against New Jersey yesterday, but the Sardines ended up with an 11-7 victory anyway. Conor Jackson was 2-3 with 5 RBIs and Ryan Braun had 3 RBIs to power the Straphangers.

Final Regular Season Players of the Week

Whoops, looks like I missed a post yesterday, but no fear, we have the selections for Players of the Week today!

Hitter of the Week

It was pretty hard to find good candidates this week - few had eye-popping numbers despite having two extra days to accumulate stats. Nevertheless, Philadelphia's Adam Dunn looks lik ea runaway winner for the final regular season JR Cigars Smokin' Batter of the Week Award. Dunn led all hitters with a 1.095 slugging percentage and was second with a .538 on-base percentage. He was second in the league in RBIs (10) and tied for first in home runs (4).

It was a good offensive week for Vancouver. Mike Lowell led all batters with 13 RBIs and Andre Ethier was second in the league in slugging (.862) and tied for the lead in doubles (7). Curtis Granderson led the league in triples (3) further extending his DMBL-era record. David Ortiz had another good week, tied for the league lead in walks (10).

Other notables...Shane Victorino of New Jersey led the league in batting with a .472 average and had 3 stolen bases to boot...Las Vegas' Vlad Guerrero was one of four players tied for the lead in home runs with 4, but also put up a 1.217 OPS, 10 runs, and 8 RBIs on the week.

Pitcher of the Week

Unlike the hitters category, there were several deserving pitchers for top honors this week. Las Vegas, in particular, seemed to have the top stable of arms for the week. Old man El Duque pitched a complete game and went 1-1 with a 1.80 ERA and 1.13 WHIP in his 15 innings. Chris Young, who has been a disappointment this year, put together a solid 1-1, 1.29 ERA week with an 0.71 WHIP and 13 strikeouts in 14 innings. But the cream of the crop was the much-maligned Josh Beckett who finally fulfilled some of his promise. Beckett was 2-0 with a 1.23 ERA, including a complete game shutout and 16 strikeouts in 14.2 innings. Beckett takes this week's Drama Prairie Dog Pitcher of the Week Award.

Beckett has some seriously stiff competition from Hillsborough's C.C. Sabathia. Sabathia kept pace with Beckett, winning both his starts, including a complete-game shutout. C.C. put in another 8 innings in his other start and totalled 18 strikeouts with a 1.59 ERA and 0.71 WHIP - both just slightly higher than Beckett. Sabathia's teammate Justin Verlander also had a good week preparing for the playoffs (1-1, 2.76 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, CG, 10 K, 16.1 IP).

The top reliever had to be Tampa Bay's Lee Gardner. Gardner pitched in 6 scoreless appearances, earning a tie for the league lead in saves (3) with an 0.63 WHIP.

Other top performers: New Jersey's Brad Penny led the league in ERA with 1.29 and was 2-0 with a 1.21 WHIP...Vancouver's Jake Peavy notched two more wins to extend his league lead in the category, but also had 17 Ks to go with it...Sardine City's Fausto Carmona was another 2-0 pitcher with a 2.08 ERA in his 13 innings of work...Finally Hoboken's Jeremy Guthrie deserves some kudos for his 1-1, 1.93 ERA, 1.07 WHIP week which includes a 7-0 shutout of D.C.

Vegas gambles on Beckett

A Las Vegas Rat Pack fan who had gone on vacation for a couple weeks may be surprised to find that he doesn't recognize the team when he gets back. The Rat Pack completed yet another trade, this time acquiring Josh Beckett from Blue Ridge for Clay Buchholz and a 4th round draft pick. Beckett, who was the pet project of former owner Paul Barbosa, never realized his potential in the DMBL. This is probably his best season in the DMBL and he is 6-11 with a 5.45 ERA. For his career, Beckett is 32-71 with a 6.13 ERA and 1.64 WHIP. Beckett will replace rookie Tim Lincecum (10-6, 5.97 ERA) in the rotation. Owner Eric Wickstrom has high hopes for Beckett, despite his failed prospect label. "I just can't help myself!" he said in an interview. Meanwhile, Blue Ridge owner Tom Zagenczyk thinks that Buchholz may have a high ceiling. "He could be the next Beckett!" he said. "He's got a 5.70 ERA already (at AAA East Newark), so he's got that going for him."

The D.C.-Blue Ridge deal will execute Saturday morning as the players involved will go through a physical. "Carl Crawford is already on the freakin' DL for crying out loud" said Zagenczyk. "I want to make sure Landsman isn't trying to pull a fast one." Crawford is eligible to come off the DL, but D.C. will hold him there so that they can retain the roster spot until the trade is executed.

Hillsborough took another hit yesterday, losing a 5-0 game to Sardine City. The game was held up by an unexpected rain delay in the second inning. Both starters were forced to leave the game - Hillsborough starter John Lackey caught a cold because he was slipping and sliding on the tarp during the rain and Sardine starter Dice-K Matsuzaka wouldn't go back out because he had just bought new cleats and didn't want to "mess them up". The Hitmen would end up getting blanked by the Sardine pen and losing their fifth in a row. The loss narrows their lead on the final playoff spot to only 2 games over Tampa Bay and 4 over Sardine City. Carolina, Arkansas, and Blue Ridge are not too far behind and, with a nice winning streak, work their way back into contention. Add in the fact that D.C. seems to be in "sell mode" and we could be seeing a good battle for the final two playoff spots.

Opening Day notes

Josh Beckett led Blue Ridge to their first victory. The Bombers bested the Falcons 4-1 behind Beckett's solid performance (6.2 IP, 1 ER, 8 Ks). The game was locked at 1-1 entering the seventh, but the Bombers scored a couple of runs to take the lead. Huston Street closed the game for his first save of the season.

Meanwhile the defending champion Sugar Bears staved off a comeback attempt by the Mudcats, eking out an 8-7 victory. The Sugar Bears jumped out to an early 8-1 lead after two innings, but the Mudcat pen held the powerful Newark offense in check throughout the rest of the game - almost enough time to mount an improbably comeback. Manny Delcarmen got out of a jam in the bottom of the seventh and pitched the final two innings for the save.

Team Buddah crushed the Hoboken Cutters 7-1 behind Brad Penny's 3-hit effort (in 7 IP). Alfonso Soriano was 3-5 with a home run and 2 RBIs and Ty Wigginton drove in 3 runs.

Las Vegas' Chris Young continued his unbeaten streak into the regular season, winning a 7-2 decision against the Mighty Men. Young struck out 11 and surrendered only one run one 3 hits in his 7.2 innings of work.

Pre-Season Opening Day Notes

The mighty Newark Sugar Bears opened spring with a whimper yesterday. Roy Halladay and the Carolina Mudcats held the defending champs to only six hits in an 8-0 blanking. Halladay went the distance and Aramis Ramirez went 3-3 with a homer and 4 RBIs. Number one pick overall Dustin Pedroia also had three hits and scored three runs.

Alex Rodriguez had four RBIs and a homer in his Arkansas Falcon debut. The Falcons pounded away on Blue Ridge 11-4. Josh Beckett continues his DMBL-related struggles after giving up six runs (four earned) on nine hits in 3 2/3 innings.

Chris Young opened strong for the Rat Pack by pitching a 2-hit, one-run, complete game agaisnt the Mighty Men. Matt Holliday hit two homers and drove in four runs and Frank Thomas also had a homer in the contest.

Jose Reyes led the D.C. Bushslappers to an 11-2 rout of the Philly Endzone Animals. Reyes was 4-5 with a homer and five RBIs. Johan Santana was roughed up in his spring debut (3 IP, 5 ER). Santana claimed that he was tinkering with some new pitches in the game and was off on his location. "Don't worry, I'll be ready on Opening Day" said Santana in a postgame pres conference. D.C.'s top pick Matt Kemp went 2-4 with an RBI in the game.

Sardine City and Tampa Bay battled it out to a 1-0 final in the Straphangers favor. Fausto Carmona pitched all nine innings, surrendering only three hits, though he walked five. Mark Buerhle (8 IP, 7 H, ER) was the hard-luck loser for the Plunkers.

Beckett, Schmidt come up Aces

Well Miguel Cabrera's hit streak came to an end at 22 yesterday after the Cutters were shut down by Brad Penny and Team Buddah. Penny didn't give up an earned run, but the numbers show that he was more lucky than good. Penny walked four and gave up six hits in seven innings, while only striking out one. The Buddahs also had three errors, so that may have contributed to it. Penny improved to 4-2 on the season.

The highest hit streak now is Marietta's Todd Helton, at 16. Teammate Matt Diaz also has a 15 game hit streak, so I'm guessing there's a little sidebet going on in that clubhouse as to who stops hitting first.

Josh Beckett pitched a gem yesterday - a complete game, four-hit shutout of Arkansas, which means Barry Bonds will have to wait another day to hit his 600th homer. Beckett has not had a good DMBL career to date. He is 3-2 with a 4.70 ERA on the year, which if he continues on this pace would be a career year for him. Expectations are low for Beckett this year and being the number five starter should alleviate a lot of the pressure he might have felt in previous seasons.

Beckett's line was impressive, but Jason Schmidt had an equally impressive start against Sardine City. Schmidt and the Sharks blanked the Straphangers 2-0 as Schmidt went the distance and allowed a mere two hits and three walks while striking out eight. Schmidt is now 4-2 on the season. The Sharks begin their big series with Newark today.