Chris Ianetta let loose on Hillsborough yesterday in the Bombers 11-10 victory, hitting a homer and driving in 5 runs in the game. In the same game the Hitmen's Aubrey Huff went 4-5 with 3 RBIs. Huff now leads the league (after 4 games) in batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging.
Team Buddah finally suffered their first defeat of the pre-season. The Sardines dealt them a crushing 12-2 blow thanks to a brilliant performance from Dustin McGowan (7 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, BB, 9 K). The win was also Sardine City's first of the pre-season after losing several close calls in the last two days.
The sole winless team remains the first-year Amityville Ant Slayers, who dropped a 5-2 decision to Marietta and later, 3-2 to the Las Vegas Rat Pack. The club remains upbeat though. "Hey those are two really good teams and we held our own with them" says skipper Harmon Killebrew. "We just need some time to come together as a team." The Slayers were encouraged by starts from Armando Galarraga (7.1 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 6 K) and veteran Roy Oswalt (7 IP, 3 ER, 8 H, BB, 2 K).
On the other end of the spectrum, the final undefeated team is the Newark Sugar Bears. "The team is angry," said Don Mattingly "after losing the cup to the hated Iron Fist, we won't rest until that ugly thing is back in Newark." The Sugar Bears also are anxious to point out that they can win without the crutch of playing in the old Cereal Bowl, a criticism levied on the team for much of the past few seasons. "After we crush them a few times, they'll need some time to come up with new excuses," said newcomer Jason Giambi.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Spring Training kicks off
Yesterday was the first round of pre-season games, once again played in doubleheader format.
In Marietta, all eyes were on #1 draft pick Milton Bradley, but the surly outfielder was nowhere to be found. "Milton missed all of last season with an injury" said team manager Graig Nettles "and we're not about to take a chance of him hurting himself again by putting him into an actual game." Bradley may sit a while as Nettles and the Mighty Men plan to give him as much time as he needs until he feels comfortable.
Things were a bit better for #2 overall pick Chris Davis, who played in both ends of his team's doubleheader. Davis only went 1-6 in the two games, but feels good about things. "I've never faced DMBL pitchers before" said Davis after the game. "I'll be fine by Opening Day."
Finally, #3 pick Edinson Volquez pitched well in his Team Buddah debut. Volquez pitched 6 strong innings, striking out 7 and giving up only 2 runs, one of which was unearned. "I'm so glad we don't have to go to Stamford" said Volquez. "I have a pet babboon and I hear that they're kind of anti-monkey in that area." Volquez's pet babboon was seen on the sidelines advising the team while manager Matt Nokes was taking a catnap.
In other news, the DMBL has announced that they will add another year-end award to their mix. The award, dubbed the Bret Saberhagen Comeback Player of the Year Award will reward a player who has returned to the league after facing some kind of prior adversity - be it injury, retirement, or just crappy performance. The award will be judged by a small panel of judges as determined by the commissioner.
In Marietta, all eyes were on #1 draft pick Milton Bradley, but the surly outfielder was nowhere to be found. "Milton missed all of last season with an injury" said team manager Graig Nettles "and we're not about to take a chance of him hurting himself again by putting him into an actual game." Bradley may sit a while as Nettles and the Mighty Men plan to give him as much time as he needs until he feels comfortable.
Things were a bit better for #2 overall pick Chris Davis, who played in both ends of his team's doubleheader. Davis only went 1-6 in the two games, but feels good about things. "I've never faced DMBL pitchers before" said Davis after the game. "I'll be fine by Opening Day."
Finally, #3 pick Edinson Volquez pitched well in his Team Buddah debut. Volquez pitched 6 strong innings, striking out 7 and giving up only 2 runs, one of which was unearned. "I'm so glad we don't have to go to Stamford" said Volquez. "I have a pet babboon and I hear that they're kind of anti-monkey in that area." Volquez's pet babboon was seen on the sidelines advising the team while manager Matt Nokes was taking a catnap.
In other news, the DMBL has announced that they will add another year-end award to their mix. The award, dubbed the Bret Saberhagen Comeback Player of the Year Award will reward a player who has returned to the league after facing some kind of prior adversity - be it injury, retirement, or just crappy performance. The award will be judged by a small panel of judges as determined by the commissioner.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Dynamic Duos
Dave asked me a little trivia question earlier today:
"Now that the John Smoltz-Chipper Jones tag team has been busted up, after 16 years together, which pair of active teammates has played together the longest?"
The answer of course is
Which DMBL duos have played together the longest?
* For the sake of this conversation, we have left out players on Sardine City and New Jersey, since those teams are made up from the ashes of two defunct teams. Other teams that simply changed owners, like D.C., Las Vegas, and Blue Ridge were considered.
While Smoltz and Chipper have been together for an impressive 9 seasons, we will limit this to those duos that have spent at least 10 seasons together.
Bobby Abreu and Chipper Jones and Bobby Abreu and Manny Ramirez, Newark. The three Sugar Bear teammates have been together since 1999 when the Sugar Bears acquired Abreu from the Jerusalem Rabbis. Of course, Chipper and Manny were already on the roster when Abreu was acquired - more on them later. All three are expected to return to the Newark roster this season.
Barry Bonds and Curt Schilling, Arkansas. Bonds is the only player left over on their original roster from the inaugural 1991 draft. Schilling joined the team midseason in 1998 in a blockbuster deal with Vancouver. With the likely possibility that Bonds will retire, this one looks like it's over.
Billy Wagner and Greg Maddux, Vancouver. Maddux is probably the second-longest tenured player in the league after Bonds. He's been on the team since 1992 when the Fist signed him off the waiver wire. Wagner was drafted in 1997. Wagner will likely rejoin the team, but Maddux has noted that he will retire after this season, ending a stellar DMBL career. Maddux has already been tapped as the club's pitching coach, pending his official retirement.
Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera, Marietta. The duo is up there, not only in MLB, but also in DMBL. Both were high draft picks of the Jerusalem Rabbis in 1997 and have lived through the club's moves out of Jerusalem, to Stanhope and finally to Marietta. With both players expected to be retained by the club for years to come, these two will probably hold the record eventually.
Chipper Jones and Manny Ramirez, Newark. Yep, they've been together even longer before Abreu showed up on the scene. Ramirez was acquired from Toledo in the 1997 offseason and has been an integral part of the Sugar Bear lineup since. And that's not even the top duo in Newark.
Chipper Jones and Randy Johnson, Newark. Johnson was the first pick selected by Newark in the dispersal draft that created the Sugar Bears back in 1996. Jones was selected in that year's draft. Though Johnson missed some time due to injury, the duo has been in Newark since the beginning. Both are expected back in Newark next season, when they will officially take the title from our winning duo.
Barry Bonds and Pedro Martinez, Arkansas. Martinez was acquired from the Louisiana Lightning in a blockbuster deal during the 1994 season. Martinez did not play in the regular season, but was on the roster for the team's World Series run. The 1995 season was wiped out because of the player strike, so the two only appeared together in a regular season game in 1996, but the extra time gives these two the lead. With Bonds retiring and Pedro's status up in the air, it's likely that this duo's time is up, but what a run!
"Now that the John Smoltz-Chipper Jones tag team has been busted up, after 16 years together, which pair of active teammates has played together the longest?"
The answer of course is
Which DMBL duos have played together the longest?
* For the sake of this conversation, we have left out players on Sardine City and New Jersey, since those teams are made up from the ashes of two defunct teams. Other teams that simply changed owners, like D.C., Las Vegas, and Blue Ridge were considered.
While Smoltz and Chipper have been together for an impressive 9 seasons, we will limit this to those duos that have spent at least 10 seasons together.
Bobby Abreu and Chipper Jones and Bobby Abreu and Manny Ramirez, Newark. The three Sugar Bear teammates have been together since 1999 when the Sugar Bears acquired Abreu from the Jerusalem Rabbis. Of course, Chipper and Manny were already on the roster when Abreu was acquired - more on them later. All three are expected to return to the Newark roster this season.
Barry Bonds and Curt Schilling, Arkansas. Bonds is the only player left over on their original roster from the inaugural 1991 draft. Schilling joined the team midseason in 1998 in a blockbuster deal with Vancouver. With the likely possibility that Bonds will retire, this one looks like it's over.
Billy Wagner and Greg Maddux, Vancouver. Maddux is probably the second-longest tenured player in the league after Bonds. He's been on the team since 1992 when the Fist signed him off the waiver wire. Wagner was drafted in 1997. Wagner will likely rejoin the team, but Maddux has noted that he will retire after this season, ending a stellar DMBL career. Maddux has already been tapped as the club's pitching coach, pending his official retirement.
Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera, Marietta. The duo is up there, not only in MLB, but also in DMBL. Both were high draft picks of the Jerusalem Rabbis in 1997 and have lived through the club's moves out of Jerusalem, to Stanhope and finally to Marietta. With both players expected to be retained by the club for years to come, these two will probably hold the record eventually.
Chipper Jones and Manny Ramirez, Newark. Yep, they've been together even longer before Abreu showed up on the scene. Ramirez was acquired from Toledo in the 1997 offseason and has been an integral part of the Sugar Bear lineup since. And that's not even the top duo in Newark.
Chipper Jones and Randy Johnson, Newark. Johnson was the first pick selected by Newark in the dispersal draft that created the Sugar Bears back in 1996. Jones was selected in that year's draft. Though Johnson missed some time due to injury, the duo has been in Newark since the beginning. Both are expected back in Newark next season, when they will officially take the title from our winning duo.
Barry Bonds and Pedro Martinez, Arkansas. Martinez was acquired from the Louisiana Lightning in a blockbuster deal during the 1994 season. Martinez did not play in the regular season, but was on the roster for the team's World Series run. The 1995 season was wiped out because of the player strike, so the two only appeared together in a regular season game in 1996, but the extra time gives these two the lead. With Bonds retiring and Pedro's status up in the air, it's likely that this duo's time is up, but what a run!
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Not a creature was stirring, except an Endzone Animal
Yeah I know we said we'd take a vacation, but the Endzone Animals just had to wake us out of hibernation.
The Animals have been extremely busy on Christmas Eve Eve, completing three deals in the span of a few hours. The first deal sent third baseman Troy Glaus to division rival Vancouver in exchange for a 5th round draft pick. The acquisition of Glaus likely spells doom for incumbent third baseman Mike Lowell.
Next on the agenda, and the biggest deal of the three, was sending ace pitcher Johan Santana to another divisional rival, Arkansas, in exchange for superstar slugger Alex Rodriguez. Neither player performed up to expectations last season (yes the Falcons expected even more out of A-Rod than a .993 OPS!), so a change of scenery may work out well for both.
Finally, in another deal with a divisional foe, the Animals acquired pitcher Shawn Marcum from D.C. in exchange for two mid-level draft picks. Marcum was 11-8 with a 4.93 ERA last year for the Bushslappers and should slot in to the 4th or 5th spot in the rotation.
The Animals have been extremely busy on Christmas Eve Eve, completing three deals in the span of a few hours. The first deal sent third baseman Troy Glaus to division rival Vancouver in exchange for a 5th round draft pick. The acquisition of Glaus likely spells doom for incumbent third baseman Mike Lowell.
Next on the agenda, and the biggest deal of the three, was sending ace pitcher Johan Santana to another divisional rival, Arkansas, in exchange for superstar slugger Alex Rodriguez. Neither player performed up to expectations last season (yes the Falcons expected even more out of A-Rod than a .993 OPS!), so a change of scenery may work out well for both.
Finally, in another deal with a divisional foe, the Animals acquired pitcher Shawn Marcum from D.C. in exchange for two mid-level draft picks. Marcum was 11-8 with a 4.93 ERA last year for the Bushslappers and should slot in to the 4th or 5th spot in the rotation.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Team Review: Vancouver Iron Fist
The Iron Fist ended their 13-year skid by winning their first championship since 1994. Vancouver then went on to take the top two awards - the McDonald and Mitchell - in an unprecedented trifecta.What went right: Almost everything. Sure the Fist took both teams to 7 games in the playoffs, but they got the result they wanted. Jake Peavy took the McDonald award and was the anchor of a very solid rotation. Meanwhile, David Ortiz led one of the top offensive lineups en route to his Mitchell award. Manny Corpas claimed the closer role in one of the top bullpens in the league.
What went wrong: Ben Sheets continued to underwhelm and Billy Wagner slipped a bit before rebounding towards the end of the year. Rich Hill was pretty much a bust until atoning in the World Series. Michael Young and Victor Martinez were somewhat ordinary in a star-powered lineup.
2009 Outlook: Can Vancouver defend their title? The offense will take a bit of a hit as some of the older players regress. Moises Alou will hang up his spikes and Andre Ethier was traded in the offseason. But the pitching staff is still strong and the Fist should have enough to at least return to the playoffs.
We are going to be taking a break for the rest of 2008. Have a happy Holidays!
Monday, December 22, 2008
Team Review: Tampa Bay Plunkers
When Bill Levesque inherited the Plunkers, he was taking on a team that had a good recent history of making the playoffs. The Plunkers were in contention until the last week of the season despite some unforeseen circumstances that led to Levesque's abdication of the franchise towards the end of the 2008 season.What went right: Torii Hunter had perhaps his best DMBL season and James Loney and Brian Roberts were solid as well. Lee Gardner was a find as one of the league's best closers (tied for 2nd in the league with 28 saves). Andy Pettitte started out winning his first 7 decisions, and ended with a solid 15-6 record. Despite a lot of mediocrity on the roster this team was in contention for most of the season.
What went wrong: The smoke died down and the mirrors broke before the season was over. The rest of the pitching staff ranged from disappointing - Roy Oswalt (11-13, 4.38) - to ugly - Jered Weaver (7-11, 6.56). The offense was very mediocre and could not overcome the deficits in the rotation.
2009 Outlook: Returning as the Amityville Ant Slayers and under new ownership, the team has some work to do. Already there has been some roster maneuvering (Adrian Gonzalez is out, Jon Lester and Dioner Navarro are in). There are enough parts on this team to actually be competitive in 2009, so a complete overhaul is probably not necessary. Look for the Ant Slayers to finish somewhere in the middle of the pack in '09.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Team Review: Sardine City Straphangers
The Straphangers made major strides in their second season. Despite only improving by 11 wins and finishing 10th overall, the Straphangers were in the playoff race for a good portion of the season, even flirting with a .500 record at one point. The Calvosa brothers knew that the team had little hope of advancing in the playoffs should the stars align, so they ended up trading away a some of their spare parts before the deadline. However, things look very good for the Straphangers in 2009...What went right: B.J. Upton and Ryan Braun blossomed into stars on the offensive side, while Fausto Carmona and Cole Hamels did well in the rotation. Akinori Otsuka was an anchor in a shaky bullpen before being traded away.
What went wrong: The Calvosas had no pretense of their team's abilities - there were some smoke and mirrors involved in the team's improbably playoff run. Daisuke Matsuzaka showed signs of life but ultimately lost 19 games with a 5.22 ERA. Most of the bullpen was inconsistent. The team got subpar production from Kevin Youkilis, Ken Griffey, and Raul Ibanez.
2009 Outlook: The Sardines look like they might make the first step toward becoming a contender this season. With a real shot to make the playoffs, it will be interesting to see what strategy the Calvosas employ in their draft. The club has high expectations of youngsters Braun, Youkilis, Evan Longoria, and Carlos Quentin. The pitching staff may require a bit of tinkering, but Hamels and rookie Joba Chamberlain should be a good start.
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