Rickey is correct -- as usual -- in his rather blunt assessment of spring training. This shit don't count. Some teams bench their stars during the preseason, giving more playing time to their scrubs so they can figure out who to keep and who to cut. Others just let the computer manager fill out the lineup card and the pitching chart, something no self-respecting owner would allow during the regular season. In addition, the sample size for spring training -- 26 games this year, or roughly 16 percent of the regular season -- is small enough that a player's stats can be seriously tilted by just a couple good or bad games. And, most importantly, when spring training is over, the slate is wiped clean and all those numbers, good or bad, are quickly forgotten.

With those caveats in mind, let's take a look at the 2004 preseason and learn what lessons we can for the upcoming year!

The Banditos, after finishing dead last in 2003, exacted a small measure of revenge this preseason by racking up the league's best record (.692) and best run differential (+42). After getting out to a ho-hum 9-7 start, the Banditos won nine out of their last 10 -- including four in a row -- to march into the regular season as one of the hottest teams in baseball. Manager Sid Fernandez did it by balancing his superb offense -- which scored 143 runs (2nd place, just 2 runs out of 1st) -- with a pitching staff and defense that allowed just 101 runs (4th place, just 5 runs out of 1st).

The Banditos certainly could have finished first in runs scored if they had wanted to. Stars Vladimir Guerrero, Shannon Stewart, Mike Sweeney and Bret Boone all sat out multiple games, as did highly-touted youngsters Hank Blalock and Austin Kearns. In fact, the batter who saw the most action, Preston Wilson, also put up the worst numbers: .143, .482 OPS in 23 G, 84 AB. The biggest surprise of the spring was Mike Cameron, who led the team in batting average (.412), on-base percentage (.474) and doubles (7) with a 1.023 OPS in 51 AB. But with Guerrero, Stewart and Wilson already locked into the outfield roles, and Kearns the likely starter at DH, Cameron will likely start the season as a pinch runner and defensive replacement.

The bullpen looked particularly sharp, with closer Eric Gagne tying for the league lead in saves (8) and save percentage (1.000), set up ably by Guillermo Mota (3-0, 0.48 ERA) and Chris Hammond(1-0, 1 SV, 0.73 ERA). In fact, the Banditos were a perfect 18-0 when ahead or tied after seven innings, and were a league-best 8-2 in one-run games. Young guns Josh Beckett (3-2, 2.38 ERA, 11.9 R/9) and Dontrelle Willis (2-0, 2.80 ERA, 13.0 R/9) led the starters; they will join veterans Javier Vazquez (1-1, 2.70 ERA, 11.3 R/9) and Hideo Nomo (3-1, 3.34 ERA, 14.6 R/9) in the rotation. The fifth starter job was won by Ryan Franklin (2-3, 4.38 ERA, 13.6 R/9), whose mediocre performance was good enough to beat out Tim Redding (0-1, 9.95 ERA, 21.3 R/9).

The preason sims were very high on the Endzone Animals, predicting they would challenge for the Morris Division title and looking like a shoo-in for their first-ever post-season appearance. Hoping to get the young team used to winning, management didn't fool around in spring training, going with their best right out of the gate. The team ran what will likely be their regular-season lineup out there for every preseason game, with seven batters playing in all 26 contests, and eight players topping 100 plate appearances. The result was the league's best offense (145 RS) and a mediocre pitching staff (116 RA, tied for sixth) for a second-best +29 run-differential.

Philly fans will have to hope the offense keeps firing on all cylinders, because their pitching staff of has-beens and who-dats can't possibly keep up the pace they set in spring training. Esteban Loaiza, a journeyman starter with a career 13-25 record and 5.63 ERA, ate up the competition this spring (3-1, 1.88 ERA, 9.2 R/9) and came out of nowhere to land a spot in the team's rotation with lefties Johan Santana (3-1, 3.86 ERA, 13.4 R/9) and Mike Hampton (3-2, 4.38 ERA, 13.6 R/9) and sophomore Mark Prior (2-3, 5.31 ERA, 35 K in 39 IP). The fifth starter will likely be Jeremi Gonzalez (2-2, 6.40 ERA, 16.1 R/9), who coaches say has much better stuff than his spring training numbers would suggest. Minor-league veteran Danny Kolb (5 SV, 0.00 ERA, 8.1 R/9), Rule 5 pick Kyle Farnsworth (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 4.0 R/9, 3 BB, 18 K) and 32-year-old rookie Ron Mahay (1.04 ERA, 10.4 R/9) wildly exceeded expectations and one could step in if veteran closer Armando Benitez (5.00 ERA, 12.0 R/9) continues his struggles into the regular season.

The stars this spring were Magglio Ordonez, who hit .350 (.969 OPS) with 5 HR, 9 2B and 20 RBI in 117 AB, led the league in hits (41) and had the league's longest hitting streak (17 games); Vernon Wells, who hit .330 (.886 OPS)  with 9 2B, 3 HR and 19 RBI; and Jose Guillen, who hit .314 (.944 OPS) with 7 HR and 23 R and won himself a spot on a DMBL roster for the first time in five years. Albert Pujols (.241, .673 OPS) and Rafael Palmeiro (.204, .582 OPS) are apparently saving themselves for the regular season.

Last year's Game 7 loss shook this franchise and its fans. Had the Sugar Bears won it -- and become the first team in history to win three straight DMBL championships -- no one in Newark would have doubted that the juggernaut would keep rolling unimpeded toward another season of greatness in 2004. But now, fans wonder: Is the team too old? Is manager Don Mattingly too soft on his veterans? Have they been surpassed by hungrier teams in their division? The prophesies of doom on sports talk radio were only stoked by the team's failure to land a big free-agent over the winter: Their top signings were minor league swing-man Scot Shields and journeyman outfielder Frank Catalanotto. Things didn't look much better when ace Randy Johnson showed up in camp 50 pounds overweight and addicted to Kraft Lunchables. But all the doubters were silenced, at least for now, as the Johnson-less pitching staff gave up just 97 runs -- second-best in the league, and just 1 run behind first place -- and the offense scored 124 runs (5th place) for a third-best +27 run-differential.

With stars Bobby Abreu, Chipper Jones, Mike Piazza and Manny Ramirez sitting in the bleachers during exhibition games as part of a "meet the players" promotion, there was plenty of playing-time to go around for the benchwarmers. The biggest surprise may have been the performance of 32-year-old utility man Bill Mueller, who won the starting job at third base after hitting .344 (33-96) with a .430 OBP and .563 SLG. Rookies Jeff DaVanon (.271, .683 OPS), Marcus Giles (.333, .993 OPS) and Orlando Hudson (.316, .780 OPS) also opened some eyes. Another "rookie" -- veteran Japanese League star Hideki Matsui -- was clearly overmatched (.192, .538 OPS) and will likely start the year on the bench if not in the minors. Reigning Kevin Mitchell Award winner Jim Thome had an all-or-nothing spring: He hit just .169 (12-for-71) but led the Brick City Bombers with 7 home runs. 

The aforementioned Shields proved to be a good fit in Newark's bullpen, giving up just 1 earned run in 24.2 IP (0.36 ERA). But with the one-two punch of John Smoltz (1.13 ERA, 7.9 R/9) and Keith Foulke (0.75 ERA, 4.5 R/9) returning for another year, Shields might be better used in the rotation, which didn't have many highlights this spring beyond the performance of former minor-league phenom Carl Pavano (3-1, 3.93 ERA, 10.3 R/9) -- the best bet to be the latest career resuscitation performed by pitching guru Mike Grace. 

Stuck in a five-way tie for fourth-place, the Destroyers can make the best case for being the best of the bunch: They compiled the league's fourth-best run-differential (+14) and also were the only team among the five-team pile-up to have a Pythagorean Won-Loss record of 14-12. The four teams tied with them were all one win "luckier" than their run diffs, meaning they all could have just as easily been 13-13, leaving fourth-place solely to Hillsborough. On the other hand, the Destroyers didn't hold anything back this spring, going with regulars in just about every game.

With an offense built around Alex Rodriguez, it's no surprise that the Destroyers racked up the league's third-best offense (134 RS) and led the league in OPS (.764). A-Rod had a solid if unspectacular spring, hitting .286 (.893 OPS) with a team-high 6 HR and 21 RBI. Even more impressive were 2B Ray Durham (.382, 1.052 OPS, 18 RBI), CF Juan Pierre (.338, .390 OBP, 8 SB in 10 attempts) and C Jason Varitek (.323, .971 OPS, 5 HR). With that kind of production up the middle, this offense has the luxury of waiting for Adrian Beltre (.218, .567 OPS), Jose Cruz (.185, .586 OPS) and Raul Mondesi (.194, .613 OPS) to sort themselves out. 

The pitchers, who allowed 120 runs (tied for 8th), also showed mixed results this spring. Kevin Millwood was among the best starters in the preseason, going 5-0 (3.13 ERA, 10.8 R/9) in six starts (with three complete games and a shutout). The 'pen as a whole did very well, particularly setup men Tom "Flash" Gordon (1.00 ERA, 10.0 R/9 in 18 IP) and LaTroy Hawkins (2.02 ERA, 10.1 R/9 in 13.1 IP). But Luis Ayala -- despite picking up seven saves in eight chances -- was frequently pounded (17 H, 8 ER, 4 HR, 0 K in 9.2 IP), as were starters Bartolo Colon (2-2, 5.30 ERA, 14.4 R/9), Kirk Rueter (1-1, 5.52 ERA, 17.5 R/9) and Matt Morris (1-3, 6.62 ERA, 13.2 R/9). 

Dragon fans hope to see their team make its first-ever playoff appearance this year after a successful spring showing that placed them in the thick of a five-way tie for fourth-place. The team scored 128 runs this spring (4th place), but also allowed 124 runs (10th place) for a sixth-best +4 run-differential.  

The team didn't rest many veterans this spring and the graybeards led the offense, with Luis Gonzalez pacing the team in batting (.356), on-base percentage (.446), OPS (1.005), runs (21) and walks (13). Javy Lopez (.323, .952 OPS, 10 2B, 3 HR, 17 RBI), Garret Anderson (.286, 3 HR, 15 RBI) and Nomar Garciaparra (.248, 4 HR, 21 RBI) also appear ready for the regular season. Newcomer Bernie Williams -- acquired in an off-season trade with Stanhope -- had just 23 at-bats this spring (.261, .631 OPS) and it remains to be seen where he will fit into this lineup. Ichiro Suzuki (.228, .683 OPS), Jeff Conine (.228, .606 OPS) and Todd Walker (.222, .602 OPS) struggled. Infielder Aaron Boone didn't do much on the baseball diamond (.139, .395 OPS) but he did shoot better than 90 percent from the free-throw line for the team's intramural basketball squad.

Rookie Brandon Webb, the team's first-round pick, justified the hype with an excellent spring (2-1, 2.80 ERA). The Wyrms had hoped to give the 24-year-old another year of seasoning at Triple-A, but he may have won a starting job, particularly after the struggles of fellow rookie Claudio Vargas (0-3, 6.46 ERA, 15.3 R/9) and veteran David Wells (0-1, 5.52 ERA, 14.1 R/9). Jamie Moyer (3-2, 3.32 ERA) and Shawn Chacon (2-1, 4.29 ERA) round out the rotation. Relievers Javier Lopez (1.32 ERA, 6.6 R/9) and Rafael Betancourt (3.20 ERA, 16 K, 2 BB in 19.2 IP) had fine numbers, as did closer Troy Percival(1-0, 1.04 ERA in 8.2 IP), but there are whispers he may have to share saves this year with Joe Borowski (1-2, 4 SV, 4.40 ERA, 13.2 R/9) -- the other player acquired, with Lopez, for Jorge Posada. 

After seeing their squad reach the playoffs for the first time in franchise history last season, Shark fans are hungry for more and hopeful that this spring's performance is an omen of even better things to come this year. The Sharks joined the five-way tie at 4th place with a 14-12 record, scoring 118 runs (8th place) while giving up 116 (tied for 6th) for a seventh-best +2 run-differential. 

Manager Gary Carter pretty much used his regulars this spring -- the only likely full-timer who didn't play much was Shawn Green, who got just 10 at-bats (with a single, a double and a homer) after battling an ingrown toe nail for much of the early going. Green says he'll be 100 percent for Opening Day, however. There were plenty of stars taking the field every day: Sean Casey (.224, .537 OPS), Jason Giambi (.198, .799 OPS), Jacques Jones (.272, .717 OPS), Jason Kendall (.298, .710 OPS), Joe Randa (.250, .690 OPS) and Miguel Tejada (.276, .737 OPS) all played in at least 20 of this spring's 26 games. The only spring surprises were Rookie 2B Bo Hart, who may have won a starting job with his solid spring (.298, .743 OPS), and veteran OF Jay Payton, who may have lost his after looking absolutely helpless at the plate (.127, .340 OPS). J.T. Snow (.304, .689 OPS) may have made the roster as a pinch hitter/defensive replacement. 

The big surprise this spring was Rafael Soriano (1.50 ERA, 9.8 R/9, 14:3 K:BB ratio), who came out of nowhere to post some impressive numbers in an otherwise mediocre bullpen. The starting pitchers looked much sharper, with Jason Schmidt (1-2, 2.58 ERA, 10.3 R/9), Mark Mulder (3-1, 2.87 ERA, 13.1 R/9), Roy Oswalt (2-2, 3.47 ERA, 10.7 R/9) and Russ Ortiz (1-3, 3.98 ERA, 12.6 R/9) all having fine springs. The fifth starter, despite his poor numbers, will likely be lefty Ted Lilly (3-2, 6.15 ERA, 15.0 R/9), but if he continues to struggle pitching coach Randy Myers won't hesitate to call on former Endzone Animal Jason Johnson (1-0, 6 H, 5 BB, 4 ER in his only appearance), who will start the year in Triple-A after missing most of the spring action due to a problem with his visa. 

The defending World Champions had a decent spring, despite scoring just 98 runs (tied for 12th). That's because their all-star pitching staff gave up just 99 runs (third place), for a -1 run-differential (8th place). The opposition has to be worried because the Falcons sat their best starters for much of the spring, revealing just how deep -- and good -- this pitching staff is.

The Big Three -- Pedro Martinez, Curt Schilling and Kevin Brown -- combined to go 5-1 with a ridiculous 1.45 ERA, 0.81 WHIP. Southpaw C.C. Sabathia (2-0, 1.83 ERA, 11.5 R/9) probably secured a slot in the rotation, while swing-man Byung-Hyun Kim (2-2, 1.95 ERA, 9.2 R/9) will likely start the year in the 'pen despite pitching well in five starts. Veteran Roger Clemens (1-3, 5.76 ERA, 14.9 R/9) held onto the fifth slot -- his poor spring was a lot better than competitors' Brad Penny (0-3, 5.82 ERA) and Kris Benson (0-1, 9.00 ERA). The bullpen, led by Octavio Dotel (1-0, 2 SV, 0.00 ERA) and Brad Lidge (1-0, 1 SV, 1.86 ERA), was excellent.

Any offense featuring Barry Bonds (.260, .975 OPS, 5 HR, 17 RBI in 73 AB) is bound to be good, and it's just not fair when guys like Ronnie Belliard (.353, 1.024 OPS) also start creaming the ball. Corey Patterson (.315, 2 3B, 4 SB) and John Olerud (.314, 5 2B, 9 R) also had good numbers. A miserable spring by prospect Ken Harvey (.138, .357 OPS) probably cost him his chance to make the big club as a reserve; catcher Jason Phillips (.207, .579 OPS) will likely stick despite his struggles at the plate.  

Rounding out the fourth-place log jam were the Mighty Men, who scored 116 runs (9th place) while allowing 120 (tied for 8th) for a ninth-best -4 run-differential. On paper, that looks like a disappointing spring for the team that The Swami picked to end the Sugar Bears' three-year run as Hanover Division champs. But Stanhope fans aren't worried as new manager Graig Nettles used his first spring training at the helm to sort through his reserves and prospects, not pile up meaningless wins.

Nettles tried out nine different starting pitchers and the guy who may have opened the most eyes is journeyman southpaw Brian Anderson (2-0, 1.50 ERA, 8.0 R/9). Sinkerballer Derek Lowe, acquired last season from the Harrison Rats, also looked sharp, going 1-1 with a 2.42 ERA and inducing four double plays in three starts. Matt Clement got the most work (1-2, 4.20 ERA, 12.4 R/9 in 6 starts) this spring and was named the Opening Day starter; a bit of a surprise, but he did out-pitch Tim Wakefield (0-0, 5.02 ERA), Wilson Alvarez (1-0, 5.68 ERA), Kerry Wood (0-1, 7.11 ERA),  Freddy Garcia (1-1, 5.21 ERA), Jon Garland (0-1, 6.00 ERA) and Damian Moss (0-1, 6.32 ERA). In the 'pen, Mariano Rivera was lights-out as usual (0.54 ERA, 9.2 R/9, 13:2 K:BB ratio), set up ably by Paul Quantrill (4-1, 1.50 ERA, 12.0 R/9).

The veteran batters used their limited PT to play themselves back into shape after the long winter, with mixed results -- Todd Helton (.283, 6 HR, 14 RBI) and Alfonso Soriano (.265, 9 2B, 6 HR, 18 RBI) can't wait for the season to begin, while Mike Lowell (.140) and Derek Jeter (.222, .615 OPS) are eager to put the spring behind them and start again with clean slates. But several new faces used this spring to prove themselves and claim jobs with the big club. Most impressive was highly-touted and oft-troubled phenom Milton Bradley (.301, .815 OPS, 2 HR, 2 SB), who proved just how good he can be if he can listen to his coaches instead of his inner demons. Nick Johnson (.250, .385 OBP) also may have finally made the jump from Triple-A to the Show. 

Playing their final season in New Jersey -- ownership announced that the team would be moving to Las Vegas to open the 2005 season -- the Rats will have to hope that their pitching staff performs better than it did this spring and in the sims if they want to leave Harrison with a bang. Though the Rats scored an adequate 121 runs (7th place), they allowed 127 (11th place) for a fifth-worst -6 run-differential.

The star of the show this spring, without a doubt, was slugger Gary Sheffield. If they handed out OmahaSteaks.com Batter of the Week Awards for spring training, the Sheff would be cooking up some Grade A prime right about now. Sheffield led the DMBL in SLG (.750), homers (10), extra-base hits (17), RBIs (29), runs created (32.7) and OPS (1.192), ranked second in OBP (.442) and AB/HR (10.0) and third in BA (.370) and hits (37). Also swinging a hot bat this spring were Derrek Lee (.390, 1.086 OPS, 7 HR, 20 R, 17 RBI), Corey Koskie (.301, .753 OPS, 13 R, 11 RBI) and Mark Teixeira (.387, .973 OPS  in 31 AB). The rest of the offense struggled, though, particularly Carl Crawford (.220, .520 OPS), Frank Thomas (.177, .623 OPS) and D'Angelo Jimenez (.165, .485 OPS). Catching prospect Josh Bard had one of the worst springs in the DMBL, going just 2-for-34 (.059 BA, .145 OPS), but he will likely make the team because of his solid glovework.

The rotation is most likely set, with just five starters seeing game action this spring: Vicente Padilla (2-0, 2.72 ERA), Wade Miller (3-2, 4.46 ERA), Jerome Williams (2-3, 4.50 ERA), Randy Wolf (1-1, 5.19 ERA) and Kip Wells (3-3, 5.75 ERA). Shigetoshi Hasegawa (2.35 ERA, 1-2, 5 SV) had an excellent spring and will likely assume the closer duties.

The league's stingiest pitching staff and defense allowed just 96 runs, but could only score 106 (10th place) -- which is still good enough for a fifth-best +10 run-differential. But while the Pythagorean Won-Loss Formula says they should be good enough to be 14-12 and in the thick of the pile-up at 4th place, the 'Cats were lucky to manage a 12-14 record after a miserable 5-11 start.

Carolina's pitchers, with one glaring exception, were very sharp this spring. The only question concerning Ron Villone (4-0, 2.50 ERA), Roy Halladay (2-1, 2.89 ERA), Barry Zito (1-2, 2.97 ERA), Tim Hudson (2-2, 3.05 ERA) and Carlos Zambrano (0-2, 3.23 ERA) is who do you name the fifth starter? They were all superb, as were relievers Ray King (2.16 ERA, 6.5 R/9) and Brendan Donnelly (2.87 ERA, 9.8 R/9). The only troubling spring was turned in by veteran closer Rod Beck (0-4, 11.25 ERA, 16.9 R/9), who assured the media he is 100 percent recovered from the arm injuries that had derailed his career after six strong seasons in the DMBL. "Everything's feeling fine. I just got hit a little," Beck told reporters. "So what? It's just spring training."

On offense, Richie Sexson (.320, .913 OPS, 5 HR, 20 RBI) and Mark Grudzielanek (.340, .822 OPS, 10 2B, 14 R) led the way, with strong supporting performances from Aubry Huff (.300, .770 OPS, 8 2B, 11 RBI) and Jim Edmonds (.278, .929 OPS, 5 HR, 16 RBI). Richard Hidalgo hit just .204, but none of them were cheapies: half of his 22 hits were for extra bases. 

The Cutters' front office took umbrage with The Swami, who graded their offense a "D" -- the worst in baseball! But they didn't do a good job of proving him wrong with their performance this spring. The Cutters scored just 96 runs -- yes, last place. But they only allowed 114 runs, good enough for 5th; still, that works out to an 11th-place -18 run-differential. And it must be pointed out that the Cutters mixed up their lineup throughout the spring, with their star players seeing only limited duty.

Mike Mussina had a frustrating spring, posting a 2.10 ERA and 8.7 R/9 with an amazing 32:6 K:BB ratio, but went 0-2 -- because the offense averaged just 2.0 runs per game over his four starts. Behind the Moose will be Darrell May (0-2, 4.33 ERA), Joel Pineiro (1-1, 4.79 ERA) and Mark Redman (1-1, 5.30 ERA), with Jae Seo (2-2, 3.57 ERA, 11.8 R/9), Jarrod Washburn (2-1, 3.33 ERA, 10.4 R/9) and Kurt Ainsworth (0-2, 4.58 ERA, 14.6 R/9) battling for the fifth spot. Jason Isringhausen (3-2, 1 SV, 6.94 ERA) didn't look sharp, but it remains to be seen if manager Wally Backman will give up on his veteran closer; the other options are David Riske (1-2, 2.70 ERA) or Rheal Cormier (3.24 ERA, 1 hold).

The only Cutter to see action in all 26 games this spring was Kevin Millar, and boy was he terrible (.198 BA, .591 OPS in 117 PA). But  free-agent addition Dmitri Young ranked second with 105 PA, and he was probably the team's most potent weapon on offense, hitting .327 with a .892 OPS, 18.1 RC and 10 2B. Fellow free agents Geoff Jenkins (.225, .658 OPS) and Greg Myers (.178, .434 OPS) didn't have as much success but will see plenty of playing time this summer. Veteran Vinny Castilla had an awful spring (.220, .604 OPS) and was released. Held out of most of the preseason action: Brian Giles (3-for-22), Morgan Ensberg (4-for-14) and Ryan Klesko (12-for-37).   

Though Hoboken scored the fewest runs this preseason, a case could be made that the worst offense this spring belonged to the Rattlesnakes: They scored just 98 runs (tied for 12th), just two more than the Cutters; and they ranked last in team OPS (.632), hits (215), home runs (14) and runs created (90.3). The Rattlesnakes posted a league-worst .297 OBP -- the only team not to break .300. But offense wasn't their only problem; they also gave up 131 runs, the second-highest in baseball, for a second-worst -33 run-differential. Manager Lee Mazzilli, who was named the team's skipper in August, will have his work cut out for him as he tries to get this team to .500 for the first time in its 13th year of existence.

Long-suffering Columbia fans can take solace in the fact that regulars 2B Luis Castillo  (7-for-14) and 3B Troy Glaus (1-for-7) hardly played at all this spring as Mazzilli tried to sort out his infield reserves. Rookie Rocco Baldelli (.324, 1 SB in 34 AB) is an exciting prospect who could stick as a pinch runner/defensive replacement. Reggie Sanders (.264, .703 OPS) and Trot Nixon (.231, .787 OPS) tied for the team lead in HRs (4) and were joined by Placido Polanco (.253, .725 OPS) for the lead in RBIs (15). The other likely starters -- Ivan Rodriguez (.247, .623 OPS), Doug Mientkiewicz (.257, .623 OPS), Juan Encarnacion (.172, .460 OPS) and Jimmy Rollins (.207, .486) -- all had forgettable preseasons.

The pitching highlights were mostly in the bullpen, especially newly anointed closer Matt Mantei (4 SV, 0 R, 9 H, 3 BB, 16 K in 8.1 IP), who will be set-up by Ben Weber (0.93 ERA) and Joe Nathan (1-1, 1 SV, 1.23 ERA). Former Ben McDonald Award winner Mark Buehrle (1-2, 5.85 ERA) anchors the rotation with Livan Hernandez (1-3, 3.63 ERA), Miguel Batista (1-3, 3.51 ERA) and Sidney Ponson (2-2, 4.86 ERA); veteran Tom Glavine, who didn't pitch at all this spring, brings leadership and experience to the young staff. Waiting in the wings are youngsters Zach Day, who lost in his only start (6 H, 5 BB, 2 ER, 2 K in 8 IP), and Jeremy Affeldt, who only saw action in intra-squad games.  but may be back in the bigs before too long, Veterans Jeff Suppan (1-4, 6.97 ERA) and Mike DeJean (0-1, 20.25 ERA) were released after their awful springs. 

It's looking like it will be a long and disappointing campaign for the Iron Fist, who until last season had reached nine straight post-seasons. Though the team scored a respectable 123 runs this spring (6th place), they allowed a league-high 164 runs -- a combination of the league's highest ERA and a tie for the worst fielding percentage -- for a league-worst -41 run-differential.

New manager Darren Daulton mixed up the lineups fairly regularly this spring as he searched for just the right combination. In fact, the only player to top 100 plate appearances was shortstop Alex Cintron (.231, .578 OPS), who is being touted as Vancouver's best shortstop prospect since Orlando Cabrera. The team's leading hitters this spring were Eric Chavez (.355, 1.035 OPS), Steve Finley (.304, .991 OPS) and Jeff Kent (.281, .715 OPS), but the player everybody wants to see -- still -- is Sammy Sosa, who went just 18-for-88 (.205) but half of his hits were home runs, with a team-high 18 R and 20 RBI. Edgar Martinez(.230, .696 OPS) and Torii Hunter (.230, .574 OPS) struggled, and rookie Xavier Nady was dropped from the 40-man roster after hitting just .154 (.385 OPS).

Despite leading the league in runs allowed, the pitching staff is probably not as bad as it would appear from this spring's numbers. Pitching coach Dennis Eckersley was determined to see exactly what he had to work with and just about everybody got a chance to pitch -- even Adam Eaton was allowed to get bombed for four starts (9.53 ERA, 21.4 R/9) before mercifully being cut. The only guarantees in the rotation are staff foundation Greg Maddux (1-0, 4.70 ERA, 10.0 R/9) and third-year starter Brian Lawrence (1-2, 6.52 ERA, 14.4 R/9); everything else is up for grabs. Highly touted pitching prospect Brett Myers posted a respectable 3.38 ERA but allowed a jaw-dropping 18 walks in 16 innings while striking out just 5, and would probably be better served starting the year in Triple-A for more seasoning; a fellow phenom who may be farther along, Rich Harden (2-0, 4.22 ERA, 14.3 R/9), could very well get a chance to pitch every fifth day in the show, as could Ben Sheets (0-3, 4.45 ERA, 11.3 R/9), once one of the most-hyped youngsters in the Carolina organization. Unlikely to get a chance after rough springs are Jake Peavy (1-3, 7.20 ERA) and Gil Meche (0-2, 11.57 ERA). The bullpen was solid, especially southpaw co-closers Eddie Guardado (1-0, 3 SV, 0.00 ERA) and Billy Wagner (0-2, 2.35 ERA) and rookie Julio Mateo (3.38 ERA, 11.6 R/9 in 24 IP). 

Everybody from the sims to The Swami to The Sports Guy is picking the Deductions to finish dead last in the DMBL. And who can blame them? They scored just 105 runs (11th place) while allowing 130 (12th) for a -25 run-differential -- third-worst in the league. But take heart, Westwoodians. The Pythagorean Won-Lost Formula says that the Ducks are two wins better than their actual record, which would make them 10-16 -- not good, but at least they'd be in 12th place, ahead of Vancouver and Columbia.

Manager Davey Johnson did hold back a little this spring, keeping big bopper Josh Phelps on the bench as a pinch hitter (he had four hits and a walk in eight plate appearances). Bengie Molina (8-for-22) also pretty much rode the pine, along with Tim Salmon (7-for-26) and Junior Spivey (5-for-31). All four are likely to see significantly more playing time once the games count. The most exciting Duck to watch this spring was Andruw Jones (.291, .907 OPS), who led the team with 8 HR, 16 R and 21 RBI; new arrival Matt Stairs (.312, .920 OPS, 5 HR, 15 RBI) also did significant damage. Highly touted middle infield prospect Jose Reyes (.187, .465 OPS) had a rough time of it but will likely platoon at shortstop with Chris Woodward (.300, .733 OPS). Veterans Carlos Beltran (.218, .656 OPS), Raul Ibanez (.211, .516 OPS), Scott Spiezio (.237, .655 OPS) and Edgardo Alfonzo (.204, .486 OPS) will have to significantly step up their production if Westwood wants to prove the prognosticators wrong.

Rookie relievers Jason Kershner (1.26 ERA, 8.2 R/9) and Oscar Villarreal (3.38 ERA, 11.8 R/9) likely made the team after strong springs; Steve Reed (1.35 ERA) will continue to set-up for closer Tim Worrell, who is shrugging off his poor performance in limited duty this spring (0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 1 ER). Fronting the rotation will be veterans Woody Williams (1-4, 6.03 ERA), Al Leiter (1-1, 3.68 ERA) and Steve Trachsel (2-1, 3.72 ERA). The final two spots will be shared out among former Sugar Bear Runelvys Hernandez (1-2, 3.82 ERA), veteran southpaw Odalis Perez (1-4, 5.88 ERA), reigning Listach Rookie of the Year winnerJohn Lackey or rookie Jason Davis -- the latter two did not pitch in exhibition games as pitching coach Jesse Orosco prefers to keep their repertoires secret. 

TWIB may have Ozzie Smith, but we have the better Smith! Zane Smith, former pitcher for the San Antonio Slingers and Sacramento Seahawks, now writes this column exclusively for the Diamond Mind Baseball League. Click Here for past articles.