Stanton eclipses career strikeout record, breaks into top 10 career HRs

Giancarlo Stanton supplanted Alex Rodriguez in the record books, setting a new DMBL mark for career strikeouts.

Stanton crushes HR No. 400

Giancarlo Stanton's first home run of the season - and his first as member of the Merrill Creek Mudskippers - was the 400th of his DMBL career.

Micro Conference: First Base

First base is typically where you'll find some of the biggest boppers in the league. And in the Micro Conference this year, that's fairly true.

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).

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.

Pujols passes Chipper into 8th place

Philly slugger Albert Pujols leapfrogged Chipper Jones into 8th place on the all-time home run list with two homers in Wednesday night's 11-9 loss at home to Amityville. It was the 5th and 6th round-trippers of the year for Pujols, who now has 413 home runs. Chipper has one so far this season, for a career total of 412, good for 9th all-time.

The first overall pick of the 2002 DMBL draft, Pujols is far from the active league leader in home runs. Ahead of him, and still playing this season, are Vlad Guerrero of Rowdy (436), Newark's Jim Thome (514) and Alex Rodriguez of Las Vegas (563).

Guerrero needs just 10 home runs to reach slammin' Sammy Sosa for 6th all-time with 446, and another dozen to catch the legendary Ken Griffey, Jr. for No. 5, at 448.

Manny Ramirez, who has decided to take the year off to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro and get back in shape for the 2013 DMBL season, ended last year stuck with 498 home runs; only three others have more than 500 career home runs: In addition to Thome and A-Rod, Barry Bonds, who finished with more home runs than anyone in DMBL: 683 home runs.

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.

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.

Pujols the 10th player to reach 400 home runs

Philly's Albert Pujols became the 10th player in DMBL history with 400 home runs, the second to reach the milestone this season. Chipper Jones of Newark hit No. 400 earlier this season.

The historic dinger, a solo shot, came off Cliff Lee in the first inning of a 3-2 win at Arkansas last week.  Pujols is in line to pass Mike Piazza soon for 9th all-time in homers, with 406, and Jones, who starts the week in 8th place with 409. New Jersey's Vladimir Guerrero is in sight but likely a target for 2012, with 431 home runs in 7th place.

It was the 34th home run of the season for Pujols. He enters play this week with 35 home runs and 88 RBIs. While his 10th season line totals of .250/.317/.505 are virtually all career lows and way off his annual averages (.307/.366/.574), Pujols has been one of the most consistent and best hitters in the DMBL since being the top overall pick in the 2002 draft.

Pujols has averaged almost 41 home runs and 129 RBIs over his first nine seasons and has driven in at least 108 RBIs every year but his second (99). Last year he put up career highs in SLG (.677), OPS (1.046), HR (64), RBI (160), runs (128) and hits (208), in winning his second straight Kevin Mitchell Award. He's also been remarkably healthy, racking up no fewer than 600 at-bats while playing in an average of 159 games each season (a career low 147 in 2009).

Guerrero passes Piazza

New Jersey's Vladimir Guerrero blasted past Mike Piazza to move into 7th place on the all-time home run list. Guerrero, who started the year with 397 home runs, has 13 dingers on the season for a career total of 410. Last week he jumped by Piazza, who's number one among catchers with 406 home runs.

Vlad the Impaler has his sights set on Ken Griffey, Jr., who is still a free agent who has vowed to hang up the spikes if he doesn't get a call by season's send. If Guerrero stays healthy he could catch Junior -- 6th all-time with 444 home runs -- in 2011. At that point, he'll also be hot on the heels of Sammy Sosa for 5th place with 446 round-trippers.

Guerrero catches Piazza at No. 7

New Jersey's Vladimir Guerrero matched Mike Piazza for 7th all-time in home runs Friday night at Home Depot Stadium. His 9th homer of the season, coming after a Seth Smith bomb off Marietta's John Danks to start the sixth inning, was No. 406 for his career.

Guerrero had been jockeying with Newark's Chipper Jones (393) for a number of seasons on the home run list but has pulled away in the last year or so. Once he passes Piazza, Guerrero will have to target the 2011 season to try to catch No. 6 Ken Griffey, Jr. (444) and No. 5 Sammy Sosa (446).

Wang stymies Hitmen, aims for McDonald

Chien-Ming Wang won his 21st game as Newark rolled to their 11th straight victory. Wang shut out the Hired Hitmen on 3 hits and lowered his ERA to 3.00, good enough for second in the league. Meanwhile, Hillsborough lost their 5th straight and stand only one game up on Carolina atop the Morris Division.

Jason Bartlett drove in 5 runs in leading Hoboken to a 9-2 win over D.C. Bartlett was 2-4 with 3 runs in the game. Miguel Cabrera who also was 2-4, added another 3 RBIs. Jeremy Guthrie went the distance, allowing 7 hits and improving to 11-12 on the season.

Rookie Chris Volstad held the Iron Fist in check and preserved a 4-2 victory for Amityville. Volstad improved to 15-10 and lowered his ERA to 3.92.

Las Vegas pounded Philadelphia 12-2, preventing the Animals from gaining any ground on Vancouver. Vlad Guerrero was 2-4 with a homer and 5 RBIs and Alex Gordon had a 3-run homer to lead the Vegas offense.

Marietta edged Blue Ridge yesterday 3-2 in 12 innings when Adrian Gonzalez came through with a walkoff single that scored Milton Bradley. However, Marietta lost future Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera for the rest of the regular season when he was mauled by vampires in the team's locker room. Rivera, now wearing a necklace of garlic cloves, plans to make it back by the playoffs.