Week Five (April 8, 2002)  

Five for the Falcons

The Arkansas Golden Falcons, after dropping two games to start the week, rebounded with a five-game win streak to add three games to their lead in the Morris Division, leading by 5 1/2 games. The team that'd been jockeying with them at the top of the standards for much of the first month of the season, the Tijuana Banditos, fell back into a tie for third after ending the week on a six-game losing skid. That opened the door for the defending division champions, the Vancouver Iron Fist, who went 4-3 to claim second place and the third-best record in baseball. The Wanaque Wolverines, after struggling for most of the early going just to reach .500, are now 5 games over and 6 1/2 games back, tied with Tijuana... Beginning the long climb back to the even mark, Philadelphia Endzone Animals and Columbia Rattlesnakes both were a game over .500 this week, while the last-place Carolina Mudcats went 2-5.

Over in the Hanover Division, what else is new? The Newark Sugar Bears ripped off another winning streak -- six in a row, the fourth time this season they've won five or more straight -- before losing the second game of Sunday's doubleheader. This week, Sugar Bears were the first team to top 200 runs scored and the last team to pass 100 runs allowed, and post the league's best run differential at +120 -- Arkansas is second at +69... Newark's torrid pace was too much for the Brooklyn Bean Counters, who fell two more games back -- now 10 games out -- and into third place after going "only" 4-3; moving into second were the Hoboken Cutters, who duplicated Newark's week by going 6-1 and also putting together a six-game win streak before losing in Sunday's early game... The Honolulu Sharks just can't get over the hump to .500. They're one-game under after going .500 for the second straight week... The Stanhope Mighty Men dropped every game but one this week, while the Phoenix Dragons went 3-4 to move just a half-game behind them for fifth place... the Harrison Rats had the misfortune of playing seven games this week in Newark, and lost all but the last one. They fell into a tie with Carolina for the worst record in baseball.

Giles Goes Gonzo

The Hoboken Cutters broke out the big lumber this week: Mike Piazza, .406 with a team-best 1.347 OPS, 4 HR, 5 runs and 7 RBIs; Mark Kotsay, .455 (.586 OBP), with 7 runs and 5 RBIs; Roberto Alomar, hitting .394 with a double, a triple, 7 runs and 7 RBIs; and Richie Sexson, hitting .323 with 3 doubles, 3 HRs and 9 RBI. But it was Brian Giles claiming the OmahaSteaks.Com Batter of the Week Award by hitting .406 with 8 runs, 2 doubles, 4 homers and a league-leading 16 RBIs. He's also tied for the league's longest active hitting streak, at 10. Giles's production contributed to a 53-run week for Hoboken, the first time all season Newark wasn’t the league’s leading offense… Nevertheless, the Sugar Bears had three players with OPS’s above 1.500: Jim Thome (.450, .500 OBP, 1.000 SLG, 3 HR, 5 R, 5 RBI); Chipper Jones (.444, .531 OBP, 1.037 SLG, 4 HR, 7 R, 11 RBI); and newcomer Paul Lo Duca (.471, .500 OBP, 1.176 SLG, 4 HR, 5 R, 10 RBI).

Phoenix slugger Luis Gonzalez led all regulars with a .536 batting average, 1.742 OPS and 15 hits. Eight of his hits were for extra-bases, with 3 doubles and 5 home runs. But he can blame his lack of free steaks on his teammates: All that offense resulted in just 6 RBIs... Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa enjoyed impressive weeks once again, but also came up short of the coveted award. Vancouver’s Sosa hit .370 with 2 doubles, 3 homers, 6 runs and 6 RBIs, though his hit streak came to an end at a season-best 20 games. Bonds hit .360 with 5 HR, 9 R and 9 RBI while drawing another 8 walks, including 3 free passes, and was hit by a pitch for a .500 OBP. Arkansas teammates Larry Walker (.414, 3 HR, 6 RBI) and Lance Berkman (.222, but 2 HR, 6 R, 9 RBI) also had productive weeks... Carolina’s Rich Aurilia hit .321, slamming 2 HRs and knocking in 7; Torii Hunter has begun to overcome his slow start, collecting a double and 3 HRs for 4 runs and a team-high 9 RBIs… After the loss of Derek Jeter and Mike Lowell, the Stanhope offense got a much-needed lift from Todd Helton (.345, 3 HR, 7 R, 6 RBI) and Jermaine Dye (.286, 2 HR, 4 RBI). But the biggest boost came from rookie Russ Branyan, playing third for the injured Lowell: Branyan posted a 1.298 OPS, with 3 HRs and 6 RBIs in 18 ABs. But the offense couldn’t overcome a 7.12 ERA, inflated by six pitchers with ERAs topping 9 this week… Also hot at the hot corner: Tijuana’s Scott Brosius (.429, 2 HR, 8 RBI), Philadelphia’s Albert Pujols (.357, 2 HR, 7 R), Phoenix’s Corey Koskie (.385, 3 HR, 7 RBI) and Wanaque’s Jeff Cirillo (.321, 2 HR, 6 RBI).

Looking for Relief!

It was a week for bullpens, with just one starter – but four relievers -- going 2-0. Phoenix’s Jason Bere was the one to win both his starts this week, recording a 1.20 ERA, 0.93 WHIP in 15 IP, with 11 Ks and just one walk… Brooklyn’s Dave Williams took over the league-lead in earned run average, giving up 3 runs in two starts this week. But the bullpen blew both his starts, so he didn’t wind up with a decision this week: On the season, he’s just 1-1 in 7 starts, despite a 1.79 ERA, 1.06 WHIP.

But though the starters don’t appreciate it, the ‘pen is reaping the benefits, with three relievers combining to go 3-0 with 3 saves. Vladimir Nunez led the way, going 2-0 with no runs, 5 hits and 1 walk in four appearances. Closer Felix Rodriguez became the saves leader with 10, going 3-for-3...Not to be outdone, Columbia’s bullpen had five relievers combining to go 3-0 with 3 saves, giving up no earned runs and a 1.08 WHIP over 13 innings, led by Juan Moreno (2-0, 0.00 ERA, 1.09 WHIP in three games)… Joining Nunez and Moreno, Hoboken’s Mike Buddie and Newark’s Keith Foulke also went 2-0, but Buddie’s performance (2-0, 1.35 ERA, 0.60 WHIP in three games) was a lot prettier; Foulke again looked shaky, blowing his only save chance and posting a 4.50 ERA and 3.00 WHIP in his two appearances… Buddie’s teammate, Jason Isringhausen, racked up three more saves despite a 3.00 ERA, claiming a tie with Arkansas’s Octavio Dotel at 9 saves. Dotel picked up 2 saves despite a 4.66 ERA and 1.76 WHIP… So who was the pitcher of the week? Vancouver’s Billy Wagner, who went 1-0 with two saves in his three appearances, giving up no runs, one hit, one walk and 7 Ks to win the Britney 2032 Pitcher of the Week Award. Wagner (1-1, 6 SV, 0.82 ERA, 1.09 WHIP) has given up just one earned run this season. Four other Vancouver relievers combined for a 0.00 ERA, 0.60 WHIP and 9 K over 10 IP. Iron Fist rookie Brandon Lyon had the best effort by a Vancouver starter, going 8 innings and yielding just 1 hit, 1 walk and no runs in a thrilling 1-0 win over Philadelphia.

Monkey Business

Stanhope's Mike Lowell, frustrated by his .225 batting average to start the season, lost it after going 0-for-4 in a 12-2 loss to Philadelphia on Monday. He stole the bullpen car, put a chimpanzee behind the wheel and sent him careening into the Endzone Animals' dugout. Though everyone managed to dive to safety, Philly's Shawn Estes jumped into the driver's seat and slugged it out with the monkey. Lowell will be out at least two weeks while he undergoes psychological testing; Estes will miss a start after being sentenced to five days in jail for animal cruelty; and the monkey is on the 15-day disabled list with a strained groin... Carolina's Jim Edmonds, who witnessed the entire incident, tried to call the police for help but they arrested him on charges of being drunk in public. Though police later determined he really did see Estes trying to carjack a monkey, Edmonds decided to stay in jail for a couple weeks. "I need a break from the game to get my head together, and besides, I'm having a great time with my prison bitch, Rae Carruth".

Vancouver's Ben Petrick, who chewed tobacco all through high school and the minors, decided to kick the habit this season by switching to Number 2 pencils. He's going to miss a couple weeks with lead poisoning. The doctors are hoping to get him to switch to Bic pens... Rookie catcher Paul Lo Duca hit .240 with 1 HR, 2 runs and 4 RBI in 75 ABs with Brooklyn. In just 34 ABs with Newark, he's hitting .412 with 6 HR, 9 R and 15 RBIs. After singling in his first at-bat during Sunday's game with Harrison, Lo Duca collapsed on top of first base in exhaustion. "This is ridiculous! Every time I get a hit they make me run to first! Sometimes all the way to second!" He'll spend a few days riding the exercise bike to build up his stamina; in the meantime, the Sugar Bears re-signed Brook Fordyce, who hit .283 with a .565 slugging percentage in 26 games with the World Champs last year.

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.