The Ian Rintel Award for Front
Office Executive of the Year recognizes the
league's most improved team from one season to the
next. The award is named after former owner Ian Rintel, whose Waikiki
Keys bounced back from a 33-129 record in 1993 to
a 76-86 record in 1994. The 43-win jump stood for
14 years as the best turn-around in DMBL history
until it was eclipsed in 2008 by Eric Wickstrom, who
improved his Las Vegas Rat Pack by 54 wins.
And the award
goes to....
Mike "Stump" Matiash,
Arkansas Golden Falcons
The Falcons were a Cinderella story in 2015, upsetting
the heavily favored Tucson Scorpions, then the San Francisco
Experience in the playoffs. In 2014, however, it was a much
different story. The Falcons struggled to the tune of a 66-96
record, good for 5th worst in the league. The good draft position
allowed the Falcons to solidify their team and came out of the gate
leading the Fisk Division for much of the first half. An up
and down second half and a red hot Vancouver run cost the Falcons the
Division title and forced them to win the wild card with 93 wins.
Still, that was good enough for a 27-win improvement. Leading the
Falcons on offense was top draft pick Steven Pearce (.291/.369/.583,
41 HR, 101 RBI). A rock solid bullpen anchored a shaky starting
rotation, but those pitchers turned things around come playoff
time.
Arkansas barely edged out Vancouver
for the Rintel Award, as the Iron Fist improved by 25
wins from 2014. Vancouver will have to console themselves
with the consolation prize of taking the division title.
The only other team with a double digit
improvement was Hillsborough, though it was still not
enough to finsih with a winning record. Still a 14-win
improvement is nothing to sneeze at.
Other teams heading in the right
direction are Hopatcong (+9) and Blue Ridge (+7).
The two biggest losers were 2013 Champion and 2014 runner up
Hoboken Cutters and the Livingston Lords of the Swing, both at
a -24 difference. Hoboken stayed in the playoff hunt until the
last week, however. Livingston struggled just to make it above
the .500 mark. Last year's champion San Francisco, lost
13 wins to last year, but still managed a return trip to the
DMBL World Series.
Poovey Farms took over control of Brick City last
season, but lost 5 wins, despite winning their division. Two other teams,
El Paso and Philadelphia, will have to wait until next year to
be eligible for the award.
TEAM |
2014
W |
2015
W |
CHANGE |
Arkansas |
66 (12th)
|
93 (4)
|
+27 |
Vancouver |
71 (8thT)
|
96 (3)
|
+25 |
Hillsborough
|
62 (13th)
|
76 (12th)
|
+14
|
Hopatcong
|
61 (14th)
|
70 (13th)
|
+9 |
Blue Ridge |
71 (8thT)
|
78 (11th)
|
+7 |
Empire City
|
68 (11th)
|
68 (14th)
|
0 |
Charlotte/Philadelphia
|
--
|
51 (16th)
|
N/A |
El Paso
|
--
|
81 (10th)
|
NA |
Marietta
|
88 (7th)
|
90 (6th)
|
-2 |
Poovey Farms (Brick City) |
95 (6th)
|
90 (5th)
|
-5 |
Sardine City
|
53 (16th
|
58 (15th)
|
-5
|
Tucson (Durham)
|
107 (3rd)
|
101 (1st)
|
-6 |
Allentown
|
92 (6th)
|
85 (7th)
|
-7 |
San Francisco
|
113 (1st)
|
100 (2nd)
|
-13 |
Hoboken
|
108 (2nd)
|
84 (8th)
|
-24 |
Livingston
|
106 (4th)
|
82 (9th)
|
-24 |
Let's take a look at the previous
award winners:
PREVIOUS IAN RINTEL AWARD
WINNERS |
YEAR |
TEAM |
OWNER |
YEAR
1
W |
YEAR
2
W |
CHANGE |
2014-2015 |
Arkansas Golden Falcons
|
Mike Matiash
|
66 |
93 |
+27 |
2011-2012 |
Newark Sugar Bears
|
Butch Garretson
|
49 |
87 |
+38 |
2010-2011 |
Carolina
Mudcats
|
Chris
Pucci
|
60 |
89 |
+29 |
2009-2010 |
Sardine City Straphangers
|
Calvosa Brothers
|
62 |
91 |
+29 |
2008-2009 |
Marietta
Mighty
Men
|
David
Landsman
|
61 |
96 |
+35 |
2007-2008 |
Las
Vegas Rat Pack
|
Eric
Wickstrom
|
52 |
106 |
+54 |
2006-2007 |
Honolulu
Sharks
|
Adam
Kozubal
|
58 |
86 |
+28 |
2005-2006 |
Hillsborough
Hired
Hitmen |
Brent
Campbell |
63 |
84 |
+21 |
2004-2005 |
Vancouver
Iron
Fist
Philly Endzone Animals
|
Yaro
Z. Zajac
Anthony Pucci
|
77
76
|
93
92
|
+16 |
2003-2004 |
Tijuana
Banditos |
Paul
Barbosa |
66 |
80 |
+14 |
2002-2003 |
Stanhope
Mighty
Men |
David
Landsman |
70 |
94 |
+24 |
2001-2002 |
Arkansas
Golden
Falcons |
Stump
Matiash |
85 |
120 |
+35 |
2000-2001 |
Hillsborough-Vatican
City |
Jeremy
Berger |
51 |
89 |
+38 |
1999-2000 |
Hawaii
Volcanoes |
Mike
Day |
49 |
80 |
+31 |
1998-1999 |
Carolina
Mudcats |
Chris
Pucci |
80 |
94 |
+14 |
1997-1998 |
Phoenix
Dragons |
Mike
Chan |
44 |
64 |
+20 |
1996-1997 |
Toledo
Mutthens |
Jon
Knowsley |
58 |
81 |
+23 |
1994-1996 |
Louisiana
Lightning |
Brent
Campbell |
66 |
89 |
+23 |
1993-1994 |
Waikiki
Keys |
Ian
Rintel |
33 |
76 |
+43 |
1992-1993 |
Scranton
Sparrows |
Brent
Campbell |
59 |
90 |
+31 |
1991-1992 |
Maine-San
Antonio |
Ryan
DeRonde |
54 |
91 |
+37 |
Top 10 biggest
improvements in DMBL history: |
1 |
2007-2008 |
Las
Vegas Rat Pack
|
Eric
Wickstrom |
52 |
106 |
+54 |
2 |
1993-1994 |
Waikiki
Keys |
Ian
Rintel |
33 |
76 |
+43 |
3T |
2000-2001 |
Hillsborough-Vatican
City |
Jeremy
Berger |
51 |
89 |
+38 |
3T |
2011-2012 |
Newark
Sugar Bears |
Butch
Garretson |
49 |
87 |
+38 |
5 |
1991-1992 |
Maine-San
Antonio
|
Ryan
DeRonde |
54 |
91 |
+37 |
6T |
2001-2002 |
Arkansas
Golden Falcons
|
Stump
Matiash
|
85 |
120 |
+35 |
6T |
2008-2009 |
Marietta
Mighty Men
|
David
Landsman |
61 |
96 |
+35 |
8T |
1992-1993 |
Scranton
Sparrows
|
Brent
Campbell
|
59 |
90 |
+31 |
8T |
1999-2000 |
Hawaii
Volcanoes
|
Mike
Day |
49 |
80 |
+31 |
10T |
2009-2010 |
Sardine
City Straphangers
|
Calvosa
Brothers
|
52 |
91 |
+29 |
10T |
2010-2011 |
Carolina
Mudcats
|
Chris
Pucci
|
60 |
89 |
+29 |
|