August 11, 2002

How is landing on the moon, making 300 career DMBL starts, and logging 2,000 career innings the same? Very few people have done it.

Greg Maddux of Vancouver entered the season as the only man to surpass 2,000 innings (2,142 2/3), but he's been joined this season by a slew of DMBL aces: Kevin Brown, 1,982 and Roger Clemens, 1,895 1/3, and Curt Schilling, 1,827 2/3, all of Arkansas, and Tom Glavine, 1,850 2/3, who hit the mark in his final Harrison appearance before being dealt to Stanhope. Hoboken's Mike Mussina, 1,817, likely will reach 2,000 in his next start.

It looks like there will be only one 100-game winner in the DMBL this year. Columbia's Kevin Appier, with his fourth win this season, won 100 for his career, becoming the 11th pitcher in history in triple digits. It's a little busier on the other side of the ledger where David Wells of Phoenix, 95; Vancouver's Andy Benes, 95, and Hoboken's Mike Mussina, 90, all reached 100 losses this season. In fact, Benes hit 100 before being dealt out of Hoboken, giving the Cutters two 100-game losers this year.

As Newark's Randy Johnson continues to put the strikeout title out of reach at 2,207, Pedro Martinez of Arkansas recently became the second pitcher to get to 2,000, having started the year with 1,825. Teammate Clemens will need quite a finish (1,758) to get No. 2,000 this season. Wells (916) was the only pitcher so far to get his 1,000th career whiff this season, but Newark's Andy Pettitte(821) could do it later this year.

Relievers

Rick Aguilera(513) had been the only reliever with 500 appearances before this season. Troy Percival of Phoenix, the all-time leader in relief losses with 55, and blown saves(41), started the season with 472 appearances. Trevor Hoffman(420) will be hard-pressed to join that club this year. Just as many will reach the 400-club in 2003: Jeff Nelson of Phoenix, 345.

It doesn't seem like much, until you realize how quickly teams go through closers, but only seven pitchers have recorded 100 saves. Honolulu's Uggie Urbina(71) soon will make it eight. Robb Nen(57) of Brooklyn needs a big year to make it nine and he's still got a chance.

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