Week 1 - March 30, 2008

Let's get it started!

Hello and welcome back to This Week In The DMBL.  It's our eighth season of bringing you the week's highlights from around the DMBL! And remember, you can get up-to-the-minute DMBL news through the DMBL News Blog. Subscribe today!

The first week of the 2008 season had two perfect teams - one without a loss and one without a win! And what were the Butchsims thinking about when they predicted there were more good teams in the Morris Division this year? The Hanover Division has four teams with winning records, while there's just two in the Morris. Overall, the Hanover teams had the much better opening week, combining to go 28-22.

The start of this year's standings are a mirror image of the end of last year's - with the Las Vegas Rat Pack on top with the league's best record. The Rats, who lost 110 games last year, have yet to lose a game in 2008, going 7-0 to start the season. Nearly perfect, and tied for the league's second-best record, are the upstart Tampa Bay Plunkers, who went 5-1 this week... The Newark Sugar Bears would normally be happy with a 6-3 week - except in 2008, that's only good enough for the third-best record in the Hanover Division, and fifth overall! Incredibly, it's the first time in two years - since April 24, 2006! - that the Sugar Bears didn't end a week in first place. But some things never change - they still lead the league in offense, with 61 runs scored... The fourth Hanover team with a winning record are the Hoboken Cutters, who stumbled out of the gate with a 1-2 start before recovering with three straight wins, then lost a heart-breaker in 12 innings to Newark to finish the first week at 4-3...  Fans of Matthew's Mighty Men of Marietta are expecting it's going to be a tough season, but so far the team has shown some spirit, going 3-4... For the second year in a row, the Sardine City Straphangers and New Jersey Team Buddah each had slow starts. The Fish are 2-5, including four straight losses; the Buddahs won their first game of the year, but then dropped their next six.

Over in the Morris, the D.C. Bushslappers won five of their first six games to take the early division lead. The defending division champion Philadelphia Endzone Animals are just a half-game behind them with a 5-2 record... Tied for 3rd in the division and 7th overall are the Blue Ridge Bombers and Hillsborough Hired Hitmen, who both went 3-4; a half-game behind them are the Carolina Mudcats, who went 3-5... The Vancouver Iron Fist got off to a strange start, winning their first two, then sandwiching two three-game losing streaks around an extra-innings win over the Mudcats... Bringing up the rear are the Arkansas Golden Falcons, who are still looking for their first win of the season.

A Big Week From Big Papi

The Iron Fist aren't off to the kind of start their fans envisioned, but you can't blame Vancouver's David Ortiz. Big Papi had a huge opening week, leading the league in OPS (1.752), OBP (.585), SLG (1.167), RBIs (18), HRs (6), total bases (35), extra base hits (10), walks (9), runs created (20.8), RC/27 (31.2), isolated power (.733), total average (2.556), secondary average (1.033), AB/HR (5.0)... and also hitting .433 with 13 hits, 9 runs and 4 doubles... and he has at least one hit in every game this season! Ortiz will be enjoying a box of stoogies as this year's first winner of the JRCigars.com Smokin' Batter of the Week Award. One note of caution, however: Ortiz also led the league in intentional walks (3) and tied for the league lead in HBP (2). Considering the rest of the team hit .269 with a .409 SLG, you have to wonder if opposing pitchers have already decided they'll take their chances with the rest of the lineup.

This week's other top performers: Arkansas's Justin Morneau (.421, 1.184 OPS, 1 HR, 5 RBI); Blue Ridge's Prince Fielder (.370, 1.215 OPS, 3 HR, 9 RBI); Carolina's Travis Hafner (.357, 1.133 OPS, 2 HR, 5 RBI); D.C.'s Jeff Kent (.444, 1.111 OPS, 3 2B, 3 RBI); Hillsborough's Dmitri Young (.333, .975 OPS, 2 2B, 8 RBI); Hoboken's Miguel Cabrera (.448, 1.086 OPS, 4 2B, 3 RBI); Las Vegas's Matt Holliday (.448, 1.259 OPS, 5 2B, 5 RBI); Marietta's Jason Bay (.444, 1.355 OPS, 4 2B, 6 RBI); New Jersey's Alfonso Soriano (.308, 1.091 OPS, 3 HR, 6 RBI); Newark's Jack Cust (.382, 1.269 OPS, 4 HR, 10 R); Philly's Magglio Ordonez (.469, 1.236 OPS, 2 HR, 9 RBI); Sardine City's B.J. Upton (.423, 1.185 OPS, 3 2B, 8 R, 2 SB); and Tampa Bay's Torii Hunter (.435, 1.462 OPS, 3 HR, 9 RBI).

Marvelous Marmol

Three relievers are tied for the saves lead by going 3-for-3 in the opening week, but Las Vegas's Carlos Marmol has taken the very early lead in the Rolaids Reliever of the Year standings by also adding a win. Marmol, who was shelled in two appearances as a rookie last year (1 ER, 2 H, 3 BB in 0.1 IP), has been nearly unhittable so far this year, allowing just 4 hits and no walks while striking out an astonishing 13 batters in just 6 innings. The only blemish was a solo home run he gave up to Marietta's Josh Hamilton in the very first game of the season, but the Rats were up six runs at that point anyway. "I'm not going to say I grooved that pitch to Josh, but let's just say that wasn't my best fastball," Marmol said after the game with an impish grin. "What can I say? The boy knows where to get the best weed." Despite the dinger, Marmol's tasty numbers earned him the Cooking With Coolio Pitcher of the Week Award... Most observers thought Marmol would be the understudy to two-time Dennis Eckersley Award winner Francisco Rodriguez, who was acquired this off-season from the Endzone Animals (along with Erik Bedard) in a blockbuster trade; it appears K-Rod will have to do his mentoring from the bullpen bench, as he's had just two appearances and no saves in the first week.

Welcome to the DMBL: What a debut by Marietta's Jon Lester. The 23-year-old lefty - who isn't a rookie, as he was eligible last year - made his first career start last week in New Jersey and threw a shutout, giving up just three hits (all singles) and one walk. Just one runner made it as far as second base, and Lester retired the last 12 men he faced, including four by strikeout. The performance was all the more impressive as his opponent, Joe Blanton, kept the pressure on by throwing a no-hitter going for the first five and two-thirds innings. The game unraveled for Blanton when he hit Derek Jeter on a 1-0 pitch; Orlando Hudson then smacked the first pitch he saw for an RBI double. The Mites would tack on two more runs on a sac fly in the 7th and a ground-out in the 9th to give Lester a 3-0 win.

The first week's other top pitchers: Blue Ridge's Josh Beckett (2-0, 1.84 ERA, 10.4 R/9, 4 BB, 16 K in 14.2 IP); Carolina's Brian Bannister (1.98 ERA, 10.5 R/9, 6 BB, 6 K in 13.2 IP); D.C.'s Kelvim Escobar (2-0, 2.25 ERA, 12.4 R/9, 6 BB, 9 K in 16.0 IP); New Jersey's Ryan Dempster (0 R, 1 H, 0 BB, 7 K in 3.2 IP); Newark's Javier Vazquez (2-0, 1.72 ERA, 8.0 R/9, 1 BB, 17 K in 15.2 IP); Philly's Francisco Cordero (2-0, 0.00 ERA, 13.5 R/9, 2 BB, 3 K in 4.2 IP); Tampa Bay's Roy Oswalt (2-0, 1.50 ERA, 7.5 R/9, 5 BB, 9 K in 18.0 IP); and Vancouver's Jake Peavy (2-0, 0.60 ERA, 12.0 R/9, 8 BB, 13 K in 15.0 IP).

A Rough First Week

A half-dozen people were struck down with various ailments over the first week, including a few top-name players. The first injury of the year happened on the very first day, when Sardine City's Fausto Carmona went down with a wicked case of athlete's foot after his first inning of week. "I had the itching, the burning, the cracking," Carmona said. "I gotta get boom! Tough Actin' Tinactin." Nine out of ten doctors say Carmona should be able to pitch again by next week... It appears the Rat Pack will give the Sugar Bears all they can handle this season, and it's even worse for Newark as they'll be without their best player this week when the two teams face off for a three-game series. Team captain Chipper Jones was caught passing a note during a team meeting and will be suspended seven games. "It's a tough break, but rules are rules," no-nonsense team manager Don Mattingly said. "Maybe next time Chipper will keep his little notes to himself." Chipper said he had no comment but later said Mattingly was acting like a "doo-doo head."... Vancouver's Chad Billingsley will miss at least three starts after coming down with a rare case of Elvis-itis... Arkansas fans were very worried after hearing Chuck James was arrested by Chinese police in Tibet, as that could mean a lengthy jail sentence - or even execution. But they were relieved to hear James was actually demonstrating in support of the Chinese authorities in their crackdown on Tibetans. "These stupid monks ought to try working for a living," said James, a huge fan of the Chinese Communist Party. He's expected to be back home by mid-April.

Meanwhile, veteran Pat Burrell missed almost the whole first week of games after he went down in the second game of the year. Lots of fans were complaining about Tampa Bay's selection of the 31-year-old outfielder as the franchise's first-ever draft pick, so Burrell decided to win over the Plunker faithful by tending a concession stand between innings. Unfortunately, Burrell soon started a four-alarm fire. Seven fans were killed and dozens of others were hideously burned; Burrell survived but was overcome by smoke. "Somehow I don't think I made a lot of friends, but I'll keep trying," he vowed after leaving the oxygen tent.

A Rough First Week

There were numerous comings and goings just before the season started as teams cut down their rosters to 30 players. Let's take a look at some of the more notable cuts.

There have already been two casualties from keeper lists. The first to go was catcher Jason Kendall, who was protected by Tampa Bay in an apparent bookkeeping error. The following day, Hoboken cut ties with long-time Cutter Jarrod Washburn, who was likely protected solely to avoid paying a huge buy-out clause in his contract. By renewing the deal and then releasing him, the Cutters only had to pay a fraction of his 2008 salary. But there's apparently no hard feelings between Washburn and owner Mark Hrwyna, a source inside the Hoboken front office said. "It doesn't matter how many times Mark releases him, Jarrod always winds up with the Cutters at some point during the season, especially if the injuries start piling up," the source said. "If I was Scott Kazmir, I'd be real careful about ordering take-out."

Catcher prospect Justin "J.R." Towles was selected in the 6th round (#74 overall) by Blue Ridge, but was released prior to Opening Day. Several owners reportedly had the 24-year-old Towles on their "sleeper" lists and were disappointed to see him scooped up by Blue Ridge, so it was somewhat surprising to see him get the boot. We'll see if anyone remembers his name come Draft Day 2009. But at least for now, Towles will be remembered as the player drafted earliest in 2008 who has already been released.  Everyone else from spots #1 through #73 made it to the end of the first week of the regular season... Other players selected in the first 10 rounds who didn't make it: Vancouver RP Brian Wolfe (7th, #85); Sardine City RP Dan Wheeler (7th, #86); Hillsborough 3B prospect Andy LaRoche (7th, #91); Hillsborough RP Ron Mahay (8th, #105); Tampa Bay RP Jamie Walker (8th, #109); Vancouver SS Brendan Harris (9th, #118); Tampa Bay SP Noah Lowry (9th, #123); Hillsborough OF Matt Lindstrom (10th, #128); New Jersey RP Chad Cordero (10th, #129); and Hoboken 2B Matt Murton (10th, #136).

What was it with the 11th round? Six of the 14 players taken in that round didn't survive spring training, the most cuts from any round in the regular draft - even more than the 15th round, when presumably weaker players were being drafted! The unlucky half-dozen who were taken in the 11th and then released: Vancouver OF Adam Lind (#146 overall); Hillsborough OF Wily Mo Pena (#147); Arkansas OF Jacque Jones (#148); Hoboken SP Scott Baker (#150); Tampa Bay 2B Luis Castillo (#151) and Marietta SP Brandon McCarthy (#153). Of the six, only Baker has since caught on with another team.

As expected, there were a number of players selected in the 12th round or later who didn't make it to Opening Day: Vancouver 3B Greg Dobbs (13th, #174); Vancouver OF Joey Gathright (14th, #188); Newark SP David Bush (14th, #196); D.C. SP Sean Marshall (15th, #197); Hillsborough RP Renyel Pinto (15th, #203); Tampa Bay OF Garret Anderson (15th, #207); Marietta SP Zach Duke (15th, #209); and Newark OF Mark Teahen (15th, #210). Everybody else who was cut was either taken in the supplemental draft or signed during spring training.

We also saw the last two trades of the preseason completed just before Opening Day -- rookie pitcher Mike Pelfrey was dealt from Philly to Carolina for an 8th round draft pick, and ineligible outfielder Felix Pie went from the Sugar Bears to the Plunkers for a 15th rounder.

And the first week of the season saw our first two official in-season moves. Sardine City released outfielder Alfredo Amezaga and signed pitcher Scott Baker; Arkansas put Chuck James on the D.L. and added Tim Wakefield.