Greinke becomes 6th to 200 wins

Zack Greinke became the 6th pitcher in DMBL history to reach 200 wins in Hillsborough's 7-2 victory over Empire City on Wednesday night.

Pujols becomes 4th to reach 500 HRs

Albert Pujols, who compiled perhaps the DMBL's best decade by an offensive player, this season became the fourth player in league history to reach the hallowed 500 home run level, joining Jim Thome (531), Alex Rodriguez (595) and Barry Bonds (689). He's also closing in on his 500th double, a feat accomplished by just three players as well: Todd Helton (507), Manny Ramirez (538), and Chipper Jones (561).

The blast was a highlight of what's been a down year for Pujols in his first with a new franchise, the Saskatoon Shields. The historic homer came off Hopatcong's Ubaldo Jimenez, a solo shot in the 7th inning of what was eventually a 5-3 win for the Shields. The next active player is Hoboken's David Ortiz, who on Monday night tied Jason Giambi for 14th all-time with 378.

Pujols matched Manny Ramirez with 498 home runs (5th all-time) when he blasted his 12th homer of the year. That was a first-inning blow off Justin Masterson in a game Saskatoon eventually triumphed, 4-3, over Marietta in an Aug. 8 extra innings matchup. He passed Ramirez with a solo shot, his 13th of the year, off Allentown's John Lackey, in a 5-4 loss in an Aug. 13 game.

Pujols was on a trajectory for the Hall of Fame after Philly took him with the first overall pick of the 2002 draft. He was beaten out for the Pat Listach Rookie of the Year Award that season by Hoboken's Joel Pineiro, who was selected 4th overall, but routinely played 160 games a year and mashed home runs by the 40s for the next decade. Pujols averaging more than 40 a year for his first 12 seasons, including a career-high 64 in 2010 when he won his second consecutive Kevin Mitchell Award as the league's most valuable batter, the only player to do that besides Bonds.

After the Philly franchise folded this past offseason, Saskatoon grabbed him in the 14th round of the four-team dispersal draft and he hasn't been able to regain the magic yet, though he doesn't have the supporting cast he's had in previous years either.

Pujols has a respectable but mortal 17 home runs and 63 RBI for a Shields squad that scores a league low 3.7 runs per game and dealt its best hitter (Yan Gomes) at the trade deadline. He's hitting career lows of .215/.284/.365 and is on pace for his worst year by far. Only two other seasons has he not driven in 100 RBI -- 99 in his sophomore season of 2003 and 97 in 2012. He's also on pace for a career-low in home runs, which was his rookie year of 2001, when he blasted 29.

Who will get the nod to start for Micro?

A number of the Micro Conference's No. 1 starting pitchers will have a chance to make their case for the 2014 All-Star Game in Durham, with some final jockeying to possibly determine who will be named the starter (which is based on the number of votes cast).

Brick City's Jose Fernandez has been living up to the billing so far in the first half of 2014. Heading into his final start on Saturday before the All-Star break with an 8-3 mark, this year's first overall pick leads the DMBL in ERA (1.79), WHIP (0.94), batting average (.194), hits/9 (5.9), and R/9 (8.6), to go with 4 complete games, which ranks third in the conference. He trails a number of other starters in wins (8) but will his peripherals be enough to convince voters to make him the starer for the Micro Conference?

Hoboken ace Clayton Kershaw leads the Micro's in wins (10-3) and is likely to add to his leading 130.7 innings in his final start before the break on Saturday. He's also the conference co-leader with 5 complete games, ranks fourth in the league with 117 Ks, trails only Fernandez in ERA (2.76), and sports a sterling 1.05 WHIP.

With Kershaw, fellow left-hander Cliff Lee (8-6) leads the league with five complete games but is alone in quality starts (14) and within the Diamond Conference is tops WHIP (0.97). He's currently tied with teammate Hisashi Iwakuma for second in the conference with 120 innings and should add to the total as he's scheduled to start Saturday in the final game before the All-Star break. Lee is second only to Fernandez in R/9 (8.7) and has registered 108 Ks.

"I've got your All-Star vote? Exxxcellent..."

Yu Darvish's 146 strikeouts easily leads the entire league, far head of the 122 of Hillsborough's Max Scherzer, and 11.8 K/9. The Brick City hurler can be wild (evidenced by a 9K, 8 BB performance this year) but warrants consideration for the final five (7-4, 3.31 ERA, 1.14 WHIP), especially for votes who favor strikeouts.

Matt Harvey (8-3, 2.82) is putting together a fine sophomore season for Arkansas. He's second in the conference in quality starts (13), innings (124.7) and strikeouts (119).

'Hey Stump -- catch this!"

There are others who might garner attention for the five starting spots on the Micro Conference, if you're looking for under-the-rader candidates to fill out your ballot. Not to be overlooked is Allentown's Iwakuma (6-6, 3.45). The .500 record could be a turn-off (as well as the league-high 26 home runs), but in addition to logging 120 innings he sports a 1.07 WHIP, third-best in the Diamond and is tied for 4th overall in the league in R/9 (9.8), with Kershaw and Scherzer.

If you're only looking at wins, there's Hoboken teammates Mike Leake (9-6) and Hiroki Kuroda (9-5) but you'd have to overlook some things, like Leake's 5.01 ERA/1.39 WHIP and Kuroda's only slightly better (4.80/1.40) but does have three complete games. Left-hander Madison Bumgarner has a losing record (4-7) but has been solid for Blue Ridge (3.71 ERA, 1.33 WHIP), striking out 102 in 104.3 innings. Others who might go unnoticed judging only their records are Sardine City's Nathan Eovaldi. Just 6-5, Eovaldi has a 3.50 ERA in 110.7 innings but also a 1.33 WHIP. Hey, at least they're not Zach Greinke, who's suffered through a 1-12 first half with Saskatoon.

A look at the Micro all-star ballot

Yesterday we looked at bats who could make the Diamond Conference all-star team, so today we take a gander at the positions players who might warrant your ballot for the Micro Conference.

'The beard? Is fake'

C: Saskatoon's Yadier Molina has been a stalwart behind the plate for years and is enjoying a solid year, leading conference catchers with 91 hits and 26 doubles while hitting 4 HRs and 34 RBI; he's also gunned down 11 would-be base stealers and is tops with 23 assists. Brick City's Wilson Ramos leads the conference's catchers with 17 HRs but if you're looking for defense, you won't find it there: he's yielded a league-high 32 stolen bases. If it's defense you're looking for, Buster Posey of Arkansas leads the Diamonds with 13 caught stealing but there is a drop-off in his offense so far this year with his .230 BA and .624 OPS.

1B: If you're looking for the traditional power first baseman, your man in the Micro Conference might be Adrian Gonzalez of Allentown (.285/.349/.470). He leads the bunch with 13 HR, to go with 54 RBI. Sardine City's Eric Hosmer (.313/.350/.421) leads in hits (99) and matches Gonzo's 54 RBI. Hoboken's Ryan Howard (.297/.351/.459) -- who once blasted 65 HRs in a season -- has hit 24 doubles but just 4 HR and 28 RBI. Michael Cuddyer of Vancouver (.296/.351/.463) also has eligibility in OF and was putting together a fine season before hitting the DL last week with 13 HR, 51 RBI.

2B: An all-star last year, Hoboken's Jed Lowrie (.292/.355/.407) leads Micro keystoners with 98 hits and 48 runs. The man he replaced, Ian Kinsler (.270/.321/.390) who's now in Allentown, has the longest hitting streak in the league this season (22 games), helping to collect 86 hits and 42 runs. If you're looking for some speed, you might consider Saskatoon's Jose Altuve (.303/.318/.352), who has 10 stolen bases and is right behind Lowrie with 94 hits, though not much pop.

'I eat peetchers like you for brea'fast'

SS: Not a banner year at SS for the Micro's. Stephen Drew of Hoboken (.255/.364/.455) has only 65 hits but 5 have been triples and 9 HR, leading the conference shortstops with 53 runs. His competition might come from Jhonny Peralta of Arkansas (.283/.329/.388), who is tops with 91 hits, to go with 19 doubles.

3B: Hoboken's Miguel Cabrera (.312/.390/.663) plans to move to 1B next year but this season he's still at 3B and putting together a mammoth year with a league-high 29 home runs and second only to Hanley Ramirez with 77 RBI. Sardine City's Evan Longoria (.291/.379/.555) is no slouch either with 16 HRs, 43 RBI and a conference-leading 29 doubles. There's also Josh Donaldson of Brick City (.271/.363/.440) who has 47 RBI.

And how many have won the Mitch?

OF: The reigning Mitchell Award winner is now in Allentown and Mike Trout (.305/.396/.595) has a solid sophomore season so far, with 57 runs scored, 19 doubles, 5 triples, 17 home runs and 39 RBI. Sardine City 1st rounder Christian Yelich (.337/.413/466) seems to be batting in the neighborhood of .333 virtually all year and heads into the break as a serious batting title contender. He does lack some pop with 4 HRs. Wil Venable might be considered a journeyman but he's leading the Arkansas offense with 12 HR and 54 RBI, and also has a conference-leading 13 SBs.

In Vancouver, they may lack some in the power department but Michael Brantley (.332) and Carl Crawford (.328) have been chasing a batting title with Yelich. Saskatoon's Allen Craig has reached 100 hits already and bopped 21 doubles, though only 28 RBI. If it's free-swinging power you want, you might want to look again in Allentown where veteran Marlon Byrd is slugging .541, with 13 homers and 21 doubles, or in Hoboken where 18 of of Justin Maxwell's 59 hits have been home runs for a .561 slugging percentage. Teammate Ryan Raburn also has 20 homers, but also has already surpassed 100 strikeouts. Blue Ridge's Nelson Cruz (.258/.300/.484) has driven in 51 runs on 19 home runs.

DH: The primary word in DH is hitter and a few batters in the Micro have raked in the first half. Hoboken's David Ortiz (.315/.385/.653) is nearly matching his teammate, Miguel Cabrera, trailing him for the conference lead in RBI (74) and home runs (27). He leads the conference in runs scored (65) and tied with Craig for the high in hits (100). Edwin Encarnacion (.273/.349/.549) powers the Blue Ridge Bombers offense behind his 21 HRs, 63 RBI and 22 doubles. He also has a keen eye with 35 BBs to just 37 Ks. If you're looking for Yan Gomes (.337/.393/.558) on your ballot he's been the primary DH for Saskatoon but has spelled Molina behind the plate in 14 games so far this year. The rookie leads the conference in batting average, along with 90 hits 11 homers and 4 triples.

Tomorrow: A look at the Diamond Conference's best bets for for all-star starting pitchers.