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May 20, 2004 |
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The DMBL's coveted Rookie of the Year Award is named after Pat Listach, who hit .315 with 212 hits as a rookie with the Columbia Crusaders in 1993, but was tragically killed that off-season in a car accident. But despite being named after a batter, just two position players have won the award in its five-year existence: Phoenix's Nomar Garciaparra in 1998, and Vancouver's Homer Bush in 2000. The award went to Arkansas RP John Rocker in 1999 and has gone to starters for three straight years: Carolina's Barry Zito in 2001, Hoboken's Joel Pineiro in 2002 and Phoenix's John Lackey last year. Will a freshman slugger step forward this season to snap the pitchers' four-year run of excellence? What is a rookie?
By league
rule, a rookie is a player in his first
year of DMBL eligibility (for batters, that's 250 MLB at-bats, or 200
MLB at-bats for catchers). That can produce some unusual results. For
example, 39-year-old infielder Jeff Reboulet
has played 1,018 games (12 seasons!) in the
MLB, but he's a DMBL rookie this season because 2003 was the first in
which he was eligible for an
active roster. By the same token, Hank Blalock
is a rookie -- even though he's been with the Banditos for two seasons.
Tijuana drafted him with the sixth pick (#76 overall) of the 2002
draft, but this is his first season where he's eligible for DMBL play.
On the other hand, Stanhope youngsters Milton
Bradley and
Nick Johnson are not rookies, even though neither had
played in the DMBL before this season. Both were eligible for DMBL play
last year, but were squirreled away on Stanhope's farm team. There are 56 rookie batters in the
DMBL this season. Thirty-seven are
currently on rosters, and 19 are free agents, including two who have
been released after playing in a handful of games, and two others who
were drafted but released in spring training. Arkansas and Vancouver have the most rookie batters currently on the roster, with five each. Newark and Phoenix are next with four freshman hitters, followed by Carolina, Hoboken, Honolulu and Tijuana at three; Columbia and Harrison at two; and Hillsborough, Philadelphia and Westwood at one each. The only team currently without a rookie batter on the roster is Stanhope, who had one (Larry Bigbie) but traded him. The Cream of the Crop These rookies have established
themselves as key
contributors to their squads and have to be considered
the early favorites for the Listach. Note that the leaders in batting
average and other statistical categories are based on a minimum of 173
PA (as of May 20), the minimum required for the DMBL leader board.
While Giles is the unquestioned
starting second baseman for the All-Rookie Team, there's plenty of
competition to be his double-play partner. Three rookie shortstops were
drafted in the first round, and all three are major contributors as
every-day players for their squads. But the best of the group was the
first one taken, 25-year-old Alex Cintron,
selected with the 7th pick by Vancouver. Cintron leads all rookies with
a .336 BA -- which ranks 5th in the DMBL -- and among rookies ranks 2nd
in hits (74), runs (32) and runs batted in (32); 3rd in total bases
(96) and runs created (34.8); 4th in OPS (.802); and 5th in OBP (.365)
and SLG (.436). Like Giles, Cintron has played in every game this
season. It's been a long-time coming for Hank Blalock, drafted in the sixth round (#76
overall) by Tijuana... in 2002. Blalock, still just 23, has been
stashed away ever since, and he's proving to be a worthy investment.
Among rookies, Blalock ranks 2nd in batting average (.328), OPS (.883),
runs created (35.9), doubles (15), total bases (101), SLG (.510) and
secondary average (.317); tied for 2nd in home runs (7); 3rd in hits
(65) and OBP (.373); and 4th in runs (29). He also leads all rookie
third baseman in fielding percentage (.967). Eight rookie catchers have played in
the DMBL this season, but none have put up bigger numbers than Philly's
Matt LeCroy. The 28-year-old
rookie, who also has seen time at 1B and DH, ranks 2nd among rookies in
OBP (.387); 3rd in BA (.324), OPS (.858), SLG (.472) and RBIs (28); 4th
in runs created (31.2); and 5th in doubles (12) and extra-base hits
(17). He also has shown off the best gun of any rookie catcher, having
thrown out 6 of 16 basestealers (.625 SB%) this season -- good enough
to rank second-best in the DMBL. With a farm system that has churned out players like Juan Pierre, Jason Tyner and Roger Cedeno, Phoenix has always been a breeding ground for young burners. This year's speed demon is 28-year-old outfielder Scott Podsednik, who does exactly what a fast guy should -- get on base, then run like hell. Podsednik leads all rookies with 29 walks and a .400 OBP, and also leads rookies in stolen bases with 12 (in 16 attempts), which is also tied for the league lead. He also leads all rookies in BB:K ratio (1.21) -- the only rookie, with enough plate appearances to qualify, with more walks than strikeouts (24). When Podsednik does swing the bat, everything is down and hard, as befitting his incredible speed, resulting in an astonishing 94 percent of his hits (45 out of 48) being singles. He ranks 3rd among rookies in runs scored (30) and in secondary average (.242). Next Best These guys are still in the running,
but they're going
to have to kick it up a notch to figure in the ROY
balloting this autumn.
If he hadn't spent most of the first month of the season riding the bench, the Newark rookie everybody would be talking about would be 29-year-old Hideki Matsui, who is hitting .343 (35-for-102) with a .391 OBP, .598 SLG (.989 OPS). Despite his limited playing time, Matsui ranks third among rookies in doubles (14), which corresponds roughly to a double every 7 AB -- a pace that would give him over 80 doubles in a full season! Matsui, who was drafted in the second round (#28 overall) by Newark last year, also ranks fourth among rookies in runs batted in (27) and in extra-base hits (18). Another Newark rookie making the most of his limited PT is 30-year-old Jeff DaVanon, drafted by the Sugar Bears in the 10th round (#139) this year. Playing mostly against southpaws, DaVanon is hitting .315 with a .430 OBP, and has drawn 18 walks -- good enough to be tied for third among rookies -- despite having just 107 plate appearances this season.
Arkansas's fourth-round pick (#56), third baseman Sean Burroughs, was looking like a bust, hitting .253 (.688 OPS) in 198 AB, including a brutal .208 (.568 OPS) against LHP. Meanwhile, Philly's 11th round pick (#146), Wes Helms, was the forgotten man on the bench over the first six weeks of the season (0-for-4, 1 BB, 2 K) and the Endzone Animals finally cut him on May 7. Arkansas Assistant GM Beeker Lazarko deduced that the two rookies would be better off working together, and quickly signed Helms to set up a rookie platoon at third base. The shared job probably means neither player will win many ROY votes, but the platoon is off to a terrific start, with Helms hitting .400 (1.155 OPS) in 10 AB against LHP, and Burroughs hitting .267 (.726 OPS) in 150 AB against RHP... That's not the only all-rookie platoon experiment in Arkansas, with Jason Phillips and Keith Osik splitting the catching duties. The two players were selected at opposite ends of this year's draft, with the 27-year-old Phillips going in the first round (#14 overall) and the 35-year-old Osik dropping to the 11th (#154). Overall, Phillips is hitting .275 (.720 OPS) in 131 AB, while Osik is hitting .325 (.844 OPS) in 80 AB; in their platoon roles, Phillips is hitting .283 (.736 OPS) against righties, while Osik is hitting an eye-popping .400 (1.021 OPS) against lefties... Another Golden Falcon rookie in a platoon role is Adam Everett, who is sharing shortstop with four-year veteran Julio Lugo. Everett is getting the at-bats against lefties and he's been a monster, hitting .403 (.464 OBP, .516 SLG) in 62 AB. Busts Before the start of the season,
prognosticators were
arguing over which of these phenoms would be taking
home the Listach. Now they're trying to just survive
their first season in The Show.
A favorite of prognosticators and
statheads, minor-league phenom Erubiel Durazo
was drafted four times -- the first time in 2000 by Carolina (10th
round, #130), and as high as a 4th round pick (#55 overall) in 2003 by
Philadelphia -- but this year, at the age of 29, he is finally making
his debut, after being drafted in the 11th round (#141) by Tijuana. But
after all the build-up, Durazo has struggled, hitting just .205
(17-for-83) with an awful .250 OBP, .337 SLG (.587 OPS). Another long-awaited debut that has
fizzled is Harrison's Mark Teixeira. The
24-year-old can play 1B, 3B or OF, but his best position is designated
hitter. He was initially drafted in 2001 by Carolina (#210 overall) and
was selected the following year (#236) by Stanhope, but neither team
could afford to stash him on their farm team for a full season.
Harrison scooped him up in the 4th round (#43) of the 2003 draft and
hid him away all year, finally unveiling him at the start of this
season. But it's been a rough freshman year for the former Georgia Tech
Yellowjacket, hitting just .216 (.613 OPS) in 153 AB, with 34 K against
8 BB. He's also struggled in the field, with an awful .871 fielding
percentage (8 errors, 4 double plays) in 25 starts at third base. Jody Gerut was taken in the second round (#25) by Carolina and given the starting job in left field. But the 25-year-old has struggled mightily, hitting just .248 (.747 OPS) in 141 AB... Catcher Chad Moeller, drafted in the 8th round (#106) by Vancouver, is hitting just .219 (.616 OPS) in 146 AB... Josh Bard, a catcher signed as a free agent by Harrison, is hitting .240 with an awful .603 OPS in 75 AB. Basestealers are 9-for-9 off him this season... Reed Johnson, Phoenix's 9th round pick (#116), was banished to the bench after a miserable start (.132 BA, .344 OPS in 68 AB). Put Me In, Coach! These rookies may have nice numbers, but haven't
had nearly enough playing time to
warrant consideration for the Listach Award. Of course, there's
still over 100 games to go. Columbia's Rocco Baldelli, a fifth-round pick (#59), is platooning in outfield, facing mostly lefties and hitting the hell out of the ball (.373, .967 OPS). Overall, he's hitting .286 (.740 OPS) but has just 77 AB... Hoboken's Larry Bigbie, acquired earlier this month from Stanhope in exchange for Roberto Alomar, is hitting .282 (.676 OPS) with his new team, but that also includes a home run and a steal of home. Overall, he is hitting .295 (.701 OPS) in 78 AB... Tijuana infielder Keith Ginter (8th round, #99) is still waiting for his DMBL action... Other rookies who haven't seen much PT this season include Carolina's Travis Hafner (1-for-12); Columbia's Joe Crede (3-for-21); Honolulu's Ty Wigginton (8-for-40); Newark's Orlando Hudson (1-for-1); Phoenix's Luis Matos (3-for-10) and Yorvit Torrealba (4-for-29); and Vancouver's Miguel Olivo (5-for-24) and Lyle Overbay (0-for-3). Free Agents Catcher Vance Wilson went undrafted but was signed by Carolina on April 3 and got into four games over the next three days. Despite hitting .333 (5-for-15, all singles), he was released on April 6. He got his second shot on May 2 when fellow rookie Jason Phillips got hurt for Arkansas. Over two weeks, Wilson got into 10 games and went 6-for-34 (.176) with a .376 OPS before Phillips came off the D.L. and Vance was sent packing again. Overall this season, Wilson is hitting 11-49 (.224) with a .464 OPS. The only other rookie who was released after getting a cup of coffee in the DMBL this season was 3B Eric Munson, drafted in the 14th round (#190 overall) by Vancouver. Munson was released May 1 after going 1-for-6, but the one hit was a home run... OF Xavier Nady was drafted by Vancouver (#204) and 1B Ken Harvey was drafted by Arkansas (#238), but both were released in spring training without ever appearing in a DMBL contest. The same goes for the following free agent rookies, who have yet to appear on a DMBL roster this season: 3B Casey Blake; 1B Ben Broussard; OF Eric Byrnes; OF Ron Calloway; 2B Juan Castro; OF Endy Chavez; OF Brady Clark; OF Coco Crisp; 2B Matt Kata; OF Craig Monroe; 2B Brandon Phillips; IF Jeff Reboulet; 3B Damian Rolls; SS Ramon Santiago; and 1B Kevin Witt. Phil Plantier, one of the top prospects of the last decade, was picked by baseball guru Bill James in 1991 as the player most likely to lead the majors in HRs during the 1990s. In 1994, at age 24, he hit 47 round-trippers with 118 RBIs for the Charleston Chiefs, his first and last DMBL season. He's currently an analyst for Fox Sports Net. Click Here for past articles. |
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The Newark Sugar Bear trophy case
includes three 
The youngest player taken in this
year's draft was 21-year-old Jose Reyes,
taken in the first round (8th overall) by Westwood. Reyes, born June
11, 1983, is two months younger than the next youngest (Hoboken's Miguel Cabrera). The switch-hitter is batting
.297 with a .337 OBP and .434 SLG (.771 OPS), is tied for 2nd
among rookies in triples (3) and tied for 3rd in stolen bases (3), but
otherwise doesn't rank higher than 5th in any offensive category among
rookies. He ranks first among rookie shortstops in fielding percentage
(.974). Speaking of Cabrera, Hoboken's fourth-round pick (#47), he's
hitting .278 (.776 OPS) with 3 HR, 16 R and 12 RBI in 144 AB, including
an incredible .358 (1.112 OPS) in 53 AB against LHP.
One of this year's biggest rookie bargains is Aaron Guiel, signed as a free agent two weeks
into the season by Vancouver. Guiel, picked up after injuries to Sammy Sosa and Jeff Kent,
stuck around after those players returned to the lineup and has pretty
much taken over the starting job in left field from the struggling Torii Hunter (.235, .672 OPS). In 120 AB, Guiel
is hitting .292 (.868 OPS) with 9 2B, 6 HR and 20 RBI.... The third
shortstop drafted this
year, 11th
overall by Carolina, was 26-year-old Angel Berroa,
who has played in every game this season and is hitting .267 (.740
OPS). He ranks 4th among rookies in SLG
(.438), doubles (13) and total bases (95). He will have to do something
about his
strikeouts, though (5 BB, 47 K)... The first rookie batter selected in
this year's draft, Hoboken's Morgan Ensberg
(.273 BA, .725 OPS), ranks fourth among rookies in hits (59) and has
the year's longest hit streak by a rookie (13 games and counting).
However, 47 of his 59 hits have been singles, producing an anemic .394
SLG... Marlon Byrd, finally making his debut
after being drafted in the 9th round (#123) last year by Hillsborough
and then protected this off-season, is hitting .297 (.748 OPS) in 111
AB, doing most of his damage against lefties (.341, .883 OPS). 
The 10th player selected in this year's
draft, Honolulu's Bo Hart, has to be
considered one of this year's biggest busts. Hart has the starting job
at second base despite hitting .208 (.559 OPS) in 192 AB, with 40 Ks
against 8 BBs. Though he hasn't shown much range (10th in total chances
per game), he leads the league in fielding percentage (.996) at 2B. But
his glove isn't the only thing keeping him in the lineup; the only
other 2B on the roster is fellow rookie Mark
DeRosa, who has struggled even worse at the plate (.157 BA, .385
OPS, 51 AB).