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2023 DTBL All-Stars

Thursday, July 6th, 2023

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Sometime next week, the 29th DTBL All-Star Game will take place at the Demidome, home of Dom’s Demigods.  Last time they hosted, the American Division won one of the most lopsided All-Star games in league history, with a 12-1 victory back in 2012.  Recent editions have been far more competitive with the last four games being decided by two runs or fewer, including an American 3-1 victory last year.

22 players will make their first DTBL All-Star appearance this year, including exactly half of the players selected in the first round of this year’s draft.  That loaded draft class is certainly living up to the hype so far.  The two starting pitchers for this game are also first time All-Stars, though not DTBL rookies.  Komodos’ lefty Framber Valdez gets the nod for the American Division while Zac Gallen of the Demigods will be the first pitcher on the mound for the National All-Stars.

On the opposite end of the All-Star experience spectrum, we have Mavericks ace Clayton Kershaw making his ninth appearance.  Leading the way in experience among hitters is Jackalope first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, now an eight time All-Star.

The first place Komodos have seven players on the American roster with five of them getting starting assignments.  Interestingly, almost the entire American starting lineup will be Komodos and Jackalope.  For the National Division, the Kings have a league high eight All-Stars, half of whom will be starters.

A few notable omissions from these rosters include speedy Darhorses outfielder Esteury Ruiz who already has 40 stolen bases, Mavericks second baseman Ozzie Albies and Diamond Dogs shortstop Bo Bichette.

Without further ado, here are the 2023 DTBL All-Stars.

 

American Division

Starters:

  • Pitcher – Framber Valdez, Komodos (1st All-Star appearance)
  • Catcher – Jonah Heim, Komodos (1st)
  • First Base - Paul Goldschmidt, Jackalope (8th)
  • Second Base – Jonathan India, Jackalope (1st)
  • Third Base - Jose Ramirez, Komodos (4th)
  • Shortstop – Wander Franco, Komodos (1st)
  • Outfield – Ronald Acuna, Jackalope (3rd)
  • Outfield - Shohei Ohtani, Moonshiners (3rd)
  • Outfield – Luis Robert, Komodos (1st)

Reserves:

  • Catcher – Adley Rutschman, Choppers (1st)
  • First Base - Pete Alonso, Choppers (2nd)
  • Shortstop – Nico Hoerner, Choppers (1st)
  • Outfield – Adolis Garcia, Jackalope (2nd)
  • Outfield - Kyle Tucker, Moonshiners (2nd)
  • Outfield – Julio Rodriguez, Diamond Dogs (1st)
  • Pitcher – Luis Castillo, Jackalope (1st)
  • Pitcher – Gerrit Cole, Jackalope (6th)
  • Pitcher – Shane McClanahan, Komodos (2nd)
  • Pitcher – Nathan Eovaldi, Diamond Dogs (1st)
  • Relief Pitcher – Devin Williams, Komodos (1st)
  • Relief Pitcher – Josh Hader, Diamond Dogs (5th)
  • Relief Pitcher – Jordan Romano, Choppers (1st)
  • Relief Pitcher – Emmanuel Clase, Choppers (2nd)

National Division

Starters:

  • Pitcher – Zac Gallen, Demigods (1st)
  • Catcher – Sean Murphy, Kings (1st)
  • First Base – Freddie Freeman, Demigods (7th)
  • Second Base – Marcus Semien, Kings (2nd)
  • Third Base – Austin Riley, Kings (2nd)
  • Shortstop – Bobby Witt, Mavericks (1st)
  • Outfield - Mookie Betts, Kings (5th)
  • Outfield – Corbin Carroll, Demigods (1st)
  • Outfield – Christian Yelich, Darkhorses (2nd)

Reserves:

  • Catcher – Will Smith, Kings (1st)
  • First Base – Matt Olson, Kings (2nd)
  • Second Base – Ketel Marte, Cougars (1st)
  • Shortstop – Fernando Tatis, Demigods (2nd)
  • Outfield – Randy Arozarena, Kings (3rd)
  • Outfield – Nick Castellanos, Mavericks (2nd)
  • Pitcher – Kevin Gausman, Cougars (2nd)
  • Pitcher - Clayton Kershaw, Mavericks (9th)
  • Pitcher – Spencer Strider, Darkhorses (1st)
  • Pitcher – Marcus Stroman, Demigods (1st)
  • Relief Pitcher – Felix Bautista, Darkhorses (1st)
  • Relief Pitcher – Alexis Diaz, Mavericks (1st)
  • Relief Pitcher – Camilo Doval, Kings (1st)
  • Relief Pitcher – David Bednar, Demigods (2nd)

All-Stars per team:

  • 8 – Kings
  • 7 – Komodos
  • 6 – Demigods, Jackalope
  • 5 – Choppers
  • 4 – Mavericks
  • 3 – Darkhorses, Diamond Dogs
  • 2 – Cougars, Moonshiners

 

Mike and I will be the managers for the American and National Divisions respectively.  We were responsible for breaking all ties in the vote and selecting the 23rd and final player for each roster.  Those 23rd player selections were Julio Rodriguez and Ketel Marte.  Here are the full voting results.  One person did not vote, so players who received nine votes were unanimous selections.

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2022 DTBL All-Stars

Thursday, July 14th, 2022

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Next week, the 28th installment of the DTBL All-Star Game will take place, with the Jackalope hosting the game for the third time.  Last year, the American Division ended the National’s four game winning streak and will try to create a streak of their own.  On paper, they would seem favorites to do just that.  Three of the top four title contending teams have players making up the American roster.  But there is no shortage of talent on the National squad either.

Nearly half of the All-Star rosters consist of players who will be making their first DTBL All-Star appearance.  21 to be exact.  This exceeds last year’s total by one, which is actually quite surprising since last year followed a 2020 season in which there was no All-Star Game for league newcomers to participate in.  Among the first timers are both of the guys who will start the game on the mound:  Komodos’ rookie Shane McClanahan and Demigods’ Joe Musgrove.

Mike Trout returns to the All-Star Game after missing the roster for the first time in his career a year ago.  This will be his ninth appearance.  Kenley Jansen, Justin Verlander and Paul Goldschmidt are on rosters for the seventh time in their careers.  Goldschmidt is making his first appearance since 2018.

I think we all do a very good job picking these All-Stars, so I wouldn’t say anyone got snubbed.  But a few of the more notable players who did not make the rosters include Dylan Cease, Tony Gonsolin, Luis Robert and Jazz Chisholm.

Here are the 2022 DTBL All-Stars.

 

American Division

Starters:

  • Pitcher – Shane McClanahan, Komodos (1st All-Star appearance)
  • Catcher - Alejandro Kirk, Choppers (1st)
  • First Base - Paul Goldschmidt, Jackalope (7th)
  • Second Base - Whit Merrifield, Choppers (4th)
  • Third Base - Jose Ramirez, Komodos (3rd)
  • Shortstop – Trea Turner, Diamond Dogs (4th)
  • Outfield - Yordan Alvarez, Komodos (2nd)
  • Outfield - Shohei Ohtani, Moonshiners (2nd)
  • Outfield - Kyle Tucker, Moonshiners (1st)

Reserves:

  • Catcher - Daulton Varsho, Moonshiners (1st)
  • First Base - Pete Alonso, Choppers (1st)
  • Third Base - Rafael Devers, Moonshiners (3rd)
  • Shortstop - Dansby Swanson, Jackalope (1st)
  • Outfield - Kyle Schwarber, Choppers (1st)
  • Outfield - Adolis Garcia, Jackalope (1st)
  • Pitcher - Sandy Alcantara, Diamond Dogs (1st)
  • Pitcher - Justin Verlander, Moonshiners (7th)
  • Pitcher – Gerrit Cole, Jackalope (5th)
  • Pitcher - Alek Manoah, Moonshiners (1st)
  • Relief Pitcher - Emmanuel Clase, Choppers (1st)
  • Relief Pitcher - Edwin Diaz, Moonshiners (2nd)
  • Relief Pitcher - Josh Hader, Diamond Dogs (4th)
  • Relief Pitcher - Luis Severino, Jackalope (2nd)

National Division

Starters:

  • Pitcher - Joe Musgrove, Demigods (1st)
  • Catcher - Willson Contreras, Demigods (3rd)
  • First Base - C.J. Cron, Demigods (1st)
  • Second Base - Tommy Edman, Darkhorses (1st)
  • Third Base – Manny Machado, Mavericks (5th)
  • Shortstop - Francisco Lindor, Demigods (2nd)
  • Outfield - Mookie Betts, Kings (4th)
  • Outfield - Bryce Harper, Darkhorses (4th)
  • Outfield - Aaron Judge, Mavericks (4th)

Reserves:

  • Catcher - J.T. Realmuto, Darkhorses (2nd)
  • First Base - Freddie Freeman, Demigods (6th)
  • Third Base - Austin Riley, Kings (1st)
  • Shortstop - Trevor Story, Cougars (2nd)
  • Outfield - Mike Trout, Mavericks (9th)
  • Outfield - Randy Arozarena, Kings (2nd)
  • Pitcher - Max Fried, Demigods (1st)
  • Pitcher - Corbin Burnes, Cougars (1st)
  • Pitcher - Carlos Rodon, Cougars (1st)
  • Pitcher - Zack Wheeler, Kings (2nd)
  • Relief Pitcher - Kenley Jansen, Darkhorses (7th)
  • Relief Pitcher - David Bednar, Demigods (1st)
  • Relief Pitcher - Scott Barlow, Cougars (1st)
  • Relief Pitcher - Taylor Rogers, Darkhorses (1st)

All-Stars per team:

  • 7 – Demigods, Moonshiners
  • 5 – Choppers, Darkhorses, Jackalope
  • 4 – Cougars, Kings
  • 3 – Diamond Dogs, Komodos, Mavericks

 

Charlie and I are the managers for the American and National Divisions respectively on the strength of our top two finishes a year ago.  We were responsible for breaking all ties in the vote and selecting the 23rd and final player for each roster.  Those 23rd player selections were Rafael Devers and Austin Riley.  Here are the full voting results.  One person did not vote, so players who received nine votes were unanimous selections.

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2021 DTBL All-Stars

Sunday, July 11th, 2021

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After a one year hiatus, the DTBL All-Star Game will take place later this week.  The game will be played at Cougar Coliseum, making the Cougars the first franchise to host the Mid-Summer Classic for a fourth time.  The last time they played hosts was in 2010, when the National All-Stars prevailed 4-1.  For this year’s game, Jay and David are the designated managers for the American and National squads respectively, on the strength of their teams finishing in the top two spots a year ago.  They were responsible for breaking ties in the votes and for selecting the player for the final roster spot.

With the the All-Star Game not having taken place a year ago, it is unsurprising that there are a large number of first time All-Stars this year:  20 in total and 13 on the National roster alone.  On the other end of the spectrum, Mavericks pitcher Clayton Kershaw is the All-Star veteran, making the National squad for an eighth time.  However, this is his first selection since 2017.  Similarly, Choppers catcher Buster Posey is making his seventh appearance and first since 2017.  It will also be his first appearance with a team other than the Demigods.

Perhaps most notable of the players who will not appear in this year’s game is Mavericks outfielder Mike Trout, who had made the All-Star roster every season of his DTBL career prior to this one.  Of course, he probably would have made it once again if not for getting injured back in May and not having played since.

The National Division has won the last four All-Star Games, but will have their hands full in their attempt to extend that streak.  The American roster appears to be exceptionally strong, particularly among hitters.  Vladimir Guerrero, Shohei Ohtani and Ronald Acuna highlight a loaded American lineup.  The National squad will be able to counter with some of the league’s best pitchers though, including Jacob deGrom, Kevin Gausman and Max Scherzer.

Here are the 2021 DTBL All-Stars.

 

American Division

Starters:

  • Pitcher – Brandon Woodruff, Choppers (1st All-Star appearance)
  • Catcher – Buster Posey, Choppers (7th)
  • First Base – Vladimir Guerrero, Moonshiners (1st)
  • Second Base – Jake Cronenworth, Komodos (1st)
  • Third Base – Rafael Devers, Moonshiners (2nd)
  • Shortstop – Trea Turner, Beanballers (3rd)
  • Outfield – Ronald Acuna, Jackalope (2nd)
  • Outfield – Whit Merrifield, Choppers (3rd)
  • Outfield – Shohei Ohtani, Moonshiners (1st)

Reserves:

  • Catcher – Gary Sanchez, Jackalope (4th)
  • First Base – Jared Walsh, Jackalope (1st)
  • Third Base – Jose Ramirez, Komodos (2nd)
  • Shortstop – Bo Bichette, Beanballers (1st)
  • Outfield – Jesse Winker, Jackalope (1st)
  • Outfield – Yordan Alvarez, Komodos (1st)
  • Pitcher – Trevor Bauer, Choppers (2nd)
  • Pitcher – Walker Buehler, Komodos (2nd)
  • Pitcher – Gerrit Cole, Jackalope (4th)
  • Pitcher – Yu Darvish, Moonshiners (2nd)
  • Relief Pitcher – Josh Hader, Beanballers (3rd)
  • Relief Pitcher – Craig Kimbrel, Choppers (7th)
  • Relief Pitcher – Raisel Iglesias, Jackalope (2nd)
  • Relief Pitcher – Mark Melancon, Komodos (3rd)

National Division

Starters:

  • Pitcher – Jacob deGrom, Darkhorses (3rd)
  • Catcher – Salvador Perez, Cougars (3rd)
  • First Base – Freddie Freeman, Demigods (5th)
  • Second Base – Ozzie Albies, Mavericks (2nd)
  • Third Base – Manny Machado, Mavericks (4th)
  • Shortstop – Fernando Tatis, Demigods (1st)
  • Outfield – Nick Castellanos, Mavericks (1st)
  • Outfield – J.D. Martinez, Demigods (3rd)
  • Outfield – Randy Arozarena, Kings (1st)

Reserves:

  • Catcher – Willson Contreras, Demigods (2nd)
  • First Base – Matt Olson, Kings (1st)
  • Second Base – Jose Altuve, Demigods (6th)
  • Shortstop – Marcus Semien, Kings (1st)
  • Outfield – Aaron Judge, Mavericks (3rd)
  • Outfield – Austin Meadows, Demigods (1st)
  • Pitcher – Kevin Gausman, Cougars (1st)
  • Pitcher – Max Scherzer, Kings (7th)
  • Pitcher – Zack Wheeler, Kings (1st)
  • Pitcher – Clayton Kershaw, Mavericks (8th)
  • Relief Pitcher – Matt Barnes, Kings (1st)
  • Relief Pitcher – Liam Hendriks, Darkhorses (1st)
  • Relief Pitcher – Freddy Peralta, Demigods (1st)
  • Relief Pitcher – Ryan Pressly, Cougars (1st)

All-Stars per team:

  • 7 – Demigods
  • 6 – Jackalope, Kings
  • 5 – Choppers, Komodos, Mavericks
  • 4 – Moonshiners
  • 3 – Beanballers, Cougars
  • 2 – Darkhorses

 

The players who were selected for the 23rd and final roster spots by the managers were Jose Altuve and Jose Ramirez, both of whom were nearly unanimous selections in the vote anyway.  Here are the full voting results.  For the record, one person did not vote, so players who received nine votes were unanimous selections.  More All-Star Game coverage coming soon.

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Yelich Slams National To Victory

Sunday, July 28th, 2019

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A year ago in the DTBL All-Star Game, the National Division staged an incredible comeback to defeat the American Division. They scored seven runs in the 7th and 8th innings to win by a score of 8-7. The game winning hit was a home run off of Aroldis Chapman. Sometimes history does repeat itself. In the 26th Annual DTBL All-Star Game, played for the first time at The Dragon Den, home of Kat’s Komodos, Christian Yelich launched a grand slam off of Chapman in the top of the seventh to give the National All-Stars their first lead of the game. They would hold on to defeat the American team by a final of 5-4, collecting their fourth straight victory in the mid-summer classic.

Just like a year ago, the game got off to a great start for the American Division. Hyun-Jin Ryu got the start and survived a couple of singles to pitch a scoreless top of the first. In the bottom of the first, National starter Max Scherzer was uncharacteristically knocked around. The first three hitters he faced all recorded hits, highlighted by a run scoring double by Rafael Devers. The damage could have been worse had Willson Contreras not picked off Cody Bellinger at first. But the Americans had an early one run lead. It didn’t last long, however, as Trevor Story tied the game with a solo home run leading off the second. Scherzer continued to struggle in the bottom half, surrendering a mammoth, opposite-field 464 foot bomb by Eddie Rosario. Scherzer’s Kings teammate Justin Verlander struggled in the third inning as well. He gave up a two run homer to Nolan Arenado to stake the American squad to a 4-1 lead after three innings.

After the third, things started to settle down and return to usual DTBL All-Star Game mode of an inordinate number of strikeouts. In the fourth inning, all six batters who stepped up to the plate were retired on strikeouts. Gerrit Cole for the American Division and Jacob deGrom for the National both struck out the side. Neither team really mounted much of a scoring chance in any of the middle innings. It remained 4-1 heading into the seventh inning, when everything changed.

Kirby Yates started the seventh inning on the mound for the American side. He had major trouble finding the strike zone, loading the bases on three walks while also striking out a pair of hitters. The third walk was to Mike Trout, bringing Christian Yelich to the plate with the bags full and two outs. The American All-Stars then turned to Aroldis Chapman to set up a lefty vs. lefty matchup in the games biggest moment. Unfortunately for them, playing the matchup didn’t pan out. Yelich greeted Chapman with a first pitch opposite field bomb to left to clear the bases, giving the National All-Stars a 5-4 lead.

After that, pitchers resumed their domination of hitters on both sides.  The National Division sent lefty Brad Hand to the mound to start the bottom of the ninth.  He retired the first two hitters he faced, but then surrendered a single to Cody Bellinger giving the American squad some life.  Kenley Jansen was then called upon to get the final out.  Sure enough, he struck out Anthony Rendon to lock up the 5-4 victory for the National All-Stars.  In keeping with the theme of repeating last year’s game, Jansen also closed out that National win.

Will Smith picked up the win for the National team, having pitched an inefficient, but effective scoreless bottom of the sixth.  Chapman was tagged with a blown save and a loss for the second straight year.  And as just mentioned, this was the second consecutive save in an All-Star Game for Jansen.  Christian Yelich was the clear recipient of the game’s Most Valuable Player award.  The Darkhorses outfielder had a pair of hits, including the game deciding grand slam, walked once and drove in 80% of the National runs.  It is the third time in this four game winning streak by the National Division that the MVP has been won by a member of the Darkhorses, with Xander Bogaerts and Bryce Harper also earning this honor in recent years.

Continuing the recent trend of a plethora of strikeouts in DTBL All-Star Games, there were 26 in this ballgame.  The National pitchers struck out 11, while the American hurlers recorded 15 K’s.  DeGrom, Cole and Roberto Osuna all struck out the side in their innings of work.  Besides Yelich, some of the other offensive standouts included Charlie Blackmon with a pair of hits for the National team and  Cody Bellinger who had a game high three hits for the American side.  Arenado probably would have been in line for the MVP award had the American Division held the lead as he recorded a home run and a double.  One other notable performance was Javy Baez who took the golden sombrero, striking out in all four of his plate appearances.

The four straight victories by the National Division is a new DTBL All-Star Game record for consecutive wins by a team.  They have extended their overall lead to 15-11.  Click here to see the box score from the 2019 DTBL All-Star Game.

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2019 DTBL All-Stars

Sunday, July 7th, 2019

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Later this week, the 26th Annual DTBL All-Star Game will take place with the Komodos hosting for the first time at the Dragon Den.  The exact date and time will be announced soon, so stay tuned for that.  Officially, the managers for the squads will be Charlie for the American Division and myself for the National Division.  Charlie and I broke all ties in the voting and chose the 23rd and final player for our respective rosters.

As usual, there are a lot of first time All-Stars:  a total of 20, 11 on the American squad and nine more for the National team.  But what sticks out the most about those first-timers is that the American starting lineup will consist almost exclusively of them.  The only American starter who *won’t* be making his DTBL All-Star debut is Komodos outfielder Eddie Rosario.  Meanwhile, the National starting lineup has a lot more experience, led by Mavericks outfielder Mike Trout who has amazingly been an All-Star in all eight of his DTBL seasons.

The current DTBL standings feature three National teams in the top spots, but also two at the bottom, surrounding the five American squads.  So, on paper, this looks like a fairly even match-up.  The National All-Stars will be looking to win their fourth straight All-Star Game.

Here are the 2019 DTBL All-Stars.

 

American Division

Starters:

  • Pitcher – Hyun-Jin Ryu, Naturals (1st All-Star appearance)
  • Catcher – Omar Narvaez, Choppers (1st)
  • First Base – Cody Bellinger, Komodos (1st)
  • Second Base – D.J. LeMahieu, Choppers (1st)
  • Third Base – Rafael Devers, Moonshiners (1st)
  • Shortstop – Adalberto Mondesi, Jackalope (1st)
  • Outfield – Ronald Acuna, Jackalope (1st)
  • Outfield – Domingo Santana, Jackalope (1st)
  • Outfield – Eddie Rosario, Komodos (2nd)

Reserves:

  • Catcher – Gary Sanchez, Jackalope (3rd)
  • Second Base – Whit Merrifield, Choppers (2nd)
  • Third Base – Nolan Arenado, Naturals (5th)
  • Third Base – Anthony Rendon, Jackalope (2nd)
  • Outfield – Marcell Ozuna, Naturals (2nd)
  • Outfield – Joey Gallo, Komodos (1st)
  • Pitcher – Walker Buehler, Komodos (1st)
  • Pitcher – Gerrit Cole, Jackalope (3rd)
  • Pitcher – Zack Greinke, Moonshiners (6th)
  • Pitcher – Charlie Morton, Moonshiners (2nd)
  • Relief Pitcher – Josh Hader, Naturals (2nd)
  • Relief Pitcher – Kirby Yates, Komodos (1st)
  • Relief Pitcher – Aroldis Chapman, Komodos (5th)
  • Relief Pitcher – Roberto Osuna, Moonshiners (3rd)

National Division

Starters:

  • Pitcher – Max Scherzer, Kings (6th)
  • Catcher – Willson Contreras, Demigods (1st)
  • First Base – Freddie Freeman, Demigods (4th)
  • Second Base – Javier Baez, Mavericks (2nd)
  • Third Base – Alex Bregman, Darkhorses (2nd)
  • Shortstop – Trevor Story, Cougars (1st)
  • Outfield – Charlie Blackmon, Cougars (3rd)
  • Outfield – Mike Trout, Mavericks (8th)
  • Outfield – Christian Yelich, Darkhorses (1st)

Reserves:

  • Catcher – Yasmani Grandal, Mavericks (1st)
  • Third Base – Eduardo Escobar, Mavericks (1st)
  • Third Base – Mike Moustakas, Kings (1st)
  • Shortstop – Xander Bogaerts, Darkhorses (2nd)
  • Outfield – George Springer, Darkhorses (3rd)
  • Outfield – Mookie Betts, Kings (3rd)
  • Pitcher – Justin Verlander, Kings (6th)
  • Pitcher – Jose Berrios, Darkhorses (1st)
  • Pitcher – Jacob deGrom, Darkhorses (2nd)
  • Pitcher – Stephen Strasburg, Mavericks (4th)
  • Relief Pitcher – Brad Hand, Darkhorses (2nd)
  • Relief Pitcher – Kenley Jansen, Mavericks (6th)
  • Relief Pitcher – Will Smith, Kings (1st)
  • Relief Pitcher – Alex Colome, Cougars (1st)

All-Stars per team:

  • 7 – Darkhorses
  • 6 – Jackalope, Komodos, Mavericks
  • 5 – Kings
  • 4 – Moonshiners, Naturals
  • 3 – Choppers, Cougars
  • 2 – Demigods

 

For the record, the 23rd player selections were a pair of third basemen:  Anthony Rendon and Mike Moustakas.  Although Rendon actually found himself in a three way tie for the starting spot as well, so his roster spot was well earned.  Some of the notable players who weren’t able to make the cut include Moonshiners shortstop Tim Anderson, Demigods second baseman Ketel Marte and Mavericks outfielder Juan Soto.  Here are the full voting results.  More All-Star Game coverage coming soon.

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Lindor Caps Epic Comeback

Saturday, July 28th, 2018

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On paper, the National Division appeared to be the stronger squad in the 25th Annual DTBL All-Star Game.  But it took a comeback for the ages for them to prove it.  The American Division broke out to a 7-0 lead in the game’s first two innings and maintained a six run advantage at the seventh inning stretch.  But then the script flipped and the National All-Stars stormed back.  Francisco Lindor completed the comeback with a go-ahead two run homer in the bottom of the 8th.  The National Division won the silver anniversary mid-summer classic at Kings Park by a final score of 8-7.

The game could not have gotten off to a much better start for the American Division.  Facing Corey Kluber in the top of the first, the American team scored three runs.  Paul Goldschmidt started the scoring with a two run home run, knocking in Jean Segura who had singled to start the game.  Giancarlo Stanton followed the Goldschmidt blast with a single and reached third on a double by Eddie Rosario.  Nelson Cruz knocked in Stanton on a groundout to give the American squad a three run lead before the National Division stepped to the plate against American starting pitcher Luis Severino.

Things appeared to unravel for the National team in the top of the second with Max Scherzer on the mound.  Whit Merrifield reached on an error by National shortstop Javy Baez.  A Jose Ramirez single and Goldschmidt walk loaded the bases with two outs for Stanton.  On an 0-2 pitch, Stanton launched an opposite field grand slam home run, increasing the lead to 7-0.  All four runs were unearned.

The American Division seemed to have this game under control.  Severino completed two solid, scoreless innings.  The National All-Stars did get one back in the third off of Chris Sale though, on another opposite field home run.  Manny Machado’s blast to right cut the lead to 7-1.  That would be it for the scoring until the seventh as both teams scattered a few hits but never really mounted any great scoring opportunities.  In the top of the seventh, Brad Hand hit the first batter he faced, but then struck out the next three hitters to send the game to the seventh inning stretch.  That’s when everything changed.

Craig Kimbrel came on to pitch for the American Division and promptly walked Aaron Judge.  Then Freddie Freeman hit yet another opposite field home run.  Like Stanton’s grand slam, this Freeman blast came on an 0-2 pitch.  Lindor followed with an impressive nine pitch walk.  After a one out single by Jose Altuve, Kimbrel was relieved of his duties.  In came Josh Hader.  His rough week continued.  Mookie Betts greeted Hader with a three run home run to center, capping off a five run inning that cut the American lead to one run.

Sean Doolittle pitched a perfect top of the eighth with a pair of strikeouts, allowing the National All-Stars to maintain their momentum.  In came Aroldis Chapman to try to protect the one run advantage.  He did not.  Aaron Judge reached on a walk for the second time in the game.  With two outs and a runner on first, Lindor came up to the plate to face Chapman.  He launched a two run homer to left, completing the epic comeback and giving the National Division an 8-7 lead.

Kenley Jansen got the call for the National squad in the ninth and retired the side in order to close out the stunning victory for the National Division.  Doolittle was credited with the win, Chapman took the loss and Jansen recorded the save.  Lindor was named the game’s Most Valuable Player, mainly on the strength of his game winning homer.  But the Demigods shortstop also played a role in the big seventh inning with a key walk.

There were six home runs hit in the game, four for the National and two for the American.  14 of the 15 runs in the game were knocked in on home runs.  As has been the norm in DTBL All-Star Games in recent years, there were lots and lots of strikeouts.  National pitchers struck out an incredible 20 American hitters.  American pitchers recorded 11 strikeouts too.  Amazingly, no individual hitter struck out more than twice.  But of the 14 American hitters who played in this game, Segura was the only one who didn’t fan.

Not to be overlooked was the impressive pitching by the National squad after the first two innings.  In the final seven frames, National pitchers allowed just three hits, no runs, one walk and 17 strikeouts.  The only base-runner of the final four innings for the American team was via a hit by pitch.  Perhaps the most notable performance came from Blake Treinen, who struck out all three hitters he faced.

This was the third straight All-Star Game victory for the National Division.  They now hold a 14-11 lead in the all-time series.  Click here to check out the box score from the 25th edition of the DTBL Al-Star Game.

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2018 DTBL All-Stars

Tuesday, July 10th, 2018

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The 25th Annual DTBL All-Star Game will take place at Kings Park, home of Kevin’s Kings, at a date and time to be determined.  As the defending champion, Marc will be the official manager for the National Division while Nick will call the shots for the American Division.  The National Division will look to win their third straight mid-summer classic.

Much like the MLB All-Star rosters, the top-end talent seems to be tilted towards a particular team.  But unlike MLB, that would be the National squad in the DTBL.  That’s not terribly surprising when you take a look at the standings.  National Division teams currently occupy the top four positions.  The American Division roster features four starters and nine total players who weren’t even selected for the MLB All-Star Game (so far).  Meanwhile, here is an impressive list of National Division players who did not make this team:  Eugenio Suarez, Scooter Gennett, Jacob deGrom and Jose Berrios.  That’s not to say there weren’t any good players who missed the American roster.  Jon Lester and James Paxton certainly would have been worthy selections.

There are an impressive 20 first time All-Stars this year, 10 per team.  Without further ado, here are the 2018 DTBL All-Stars.

 

American Division

Starters:

  • Pitcher – Luis Severino, Jackalope (1st All-Star appearance)
  • Catcher – Wilson Ramos, Choppers (2nd)
  • First Base – Paul Goldschmidt, Jackalope (6th)
  • Second Base – Whit Merrifield, Choppers (1st)
  • Third Base – Jose Ramirez, Komodos (1st)
  • Shortstop – Jean Segura, Komodos (2nd)
  • Outfield – Eddie Rosario, Komodos (1st)
  • Outfield – Giancarlo Stanton, Jackalope (5th)
  • Outfield – Nelson Cruz, Komodos (5th)

Reserves:

  • Catcher – Gary Sanchez, Jackalope (2nd)
  • Third Base – Nolan Arenado, Naturals (4th)
  • Shortstop – Trea Turner, Naturals (2nd)
  • Shortstop – Tim Anderson, Moonshiners (1st)
  • Outfield – Starling Marte, Komodos (3rd)
  • Outfield – Mitch Haniger, Jackalope (1st)
  • Pitcher – Gerrit Cole, Jackalope (2nd)
  • Pitcher – Chris Sale, Choppers (7th)
  • Pitcher – Trevor Bauer, Choppers (1st)
  • Pitcher – Charlie Morton, Moonshiners (1st)
  • Relief Pitcher – Aroldis Chapman, Komodos (4th)
  • Relief Pitcher – Edwin Diaz, Moonshiners (1st)
  • Relief Pitcher – Craig Kimbrel, Choppers (6th)
  • Relief Pitcher – Josh Hader, Naturals (1st)

National Division

Starters:

  • Pitcher – Corey Kluber, Demigods (2nd)
  • Catcher – Evan Gattis, Kings (3rd)
  • First Base – Freddie Freeman, Demigods (3rd)
  • Second Base – Ozzie Albies, Mavericks (1st)
  • Third Base – Manny Machado, Mavericks (3rd)
  • Shortstop – Javier Baez, Mavericks (1st)
  • Outfield – Mookie Betts, Kings (2nd)
  • Outfield – Aaron Judge, Mavericks (2nd)
  • Outfield – Mike Trout, Mavericks (7th)

Reserves:

  • Catcher – J.T. Realmuto, Darkhorses (1st)
  • Second Base – Jose Altuve, Demigods (5th)
  • Third Base – Alex Bregman, Darkhorses (1st)
  • Shortstop – Francisco Lindor, Demigods (1st)
  • Outfield – Andrew Benintendi, Mavericks (1st)
  • Outfield – J.D. Martinez, Demigods (2nd)
  • Pitcher – Max Scherzer, Kings (5th)
  • Pitcher – Blake Snell, Cougars (1st)
  • Pitcher – Justin Verlander, Kings (5th)
  • Pitcher – Aaron Nola, Demigods (1st)
  • Relief Pitcher – Brad Hand, Darkhorses (1st)
  • Relief Pitcher – Kenley Jansen, Mavericks (5th)
  • Relief Pitcher – Blake Treinen, Cougars (1st)
  • Relief Pitcher – Sean Doolittle, Kings (2nd)

All-Stars per team:

  • 7 – Mavericks
  • 6 – Demigods, Jackalope, Komodos
  • 5 – Choppers, Kings
  • 3 – Darkhorses, Moonshiners, Naturals
  • 2 – Cougars

Interestingly enough, the 23rd players selected by the managers were both middle infielders:  Tim Anderson and Jose Altuve.  This makes sense since an unusually high percentage of the extra “DH” votes were cast for middle infielders this year.  One very unusual voting oddity is that five National Division outfielders were unanimous selections.  So Marc and to pick three of those five to be the starters.  Obviously, no bad choices in that group.  Mike Trout and Chris Sale are both making their 7th DTBL All-Star Game appearances.  Trout has never NOT made the team and Sale only missed out his rookie year when he was toiling in the bullpen.  Here are the full voting results.  More All-Star Game coverage coming soon.

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Harper Stars in National Victory

Monday, July 17th, 2017


Strikeouts have been a prevailing factor in DTBL All-Star Games basically dating back to when we started using OOTP to sim the games.  However, whiffs have really been kicked into overdrive the past five Mid-Summer Classics.  All previous iterations pale in comparison to what happened at The Landing Pad, home of Charlie’s Thunder Choppers, in the 24th annual DTBL All-Star Game.  36 batters were retired via strikeouts, obliterating the old record of 30 set two years ago.  National Division pitchers struck out 19 hitters while opposing American hurlers racked up 17 K’s.  The National All-Stars got the better results from balls that were actually put in play though.  Bryce Harper reached base five times, leading the National squad to a 5-2 victory.

While 36 strikeouts is kind of ridiculous, it isn’t completely unbelievable when you look at the season stats of the pitchers on these two rosters.  And there are a fair number of All-Star hitters who strikeout at very high rates as well.  Yet the end results went way beyond anything that should have been expected.  This game was a BABIP inflator with the teams combining to hit .483 on balls in play.  Probably a good thing, or runs would have been really scarce.

The starting pitching match-up was identical to the MLB All-Star Game last Tuesday:  Chris Sale for the American Division against Max Scherzer for the National Division.  Both pitched two scoreless innings in this game, but Scherzer was far more dominant.  He retired all six hitters he faced, four via strikeouts.  Sale managed to scatter three hits and a walk in his two scoreless frames.  In his second inning, the first three batters recorded hits, but Khris Davis threw out Ryan Zimmerman at the plate on a Ryon Healy single to keep the National All-Stars off the board for the time being.

The American Division drew first blood in the top of the third when Salvador Perez homered off Clayton Kershaw.  Immediately following that, Kershaw allowed consecutive doubles to Corey Seager and Marcell Ozuna, which gave the American team a 2-0 lead.  That score would hold until the fifth.  Dallas Keuchel retired the first two hitters in the top of the fifth, but then ran into trouble.  Bryce Harper walked for the second of three times in the game.  Mike Trout then knocked him in with a double to deep right-center.  That cut the American lead in half heading to the second half of the game.

One of the most pivotal moments of the game came in the bottom of the fifth.  The American All-Stars were looking to break things open against Carlos Martinez.  They loaded the bases thanks to a pair of walks and a Trea Turner pinch hit single.  Giancarlo Stanton came to the plate looking to unload the bases.  Instead, he grounded out to second to end the inning.  The Americans put a couple more runners on base via singles in the sixth, but that rally ended on a strikeout of Chris Owings by Corey Knebel.  The game was delayed due to rain for 66 minutes during the top of the 6th.  To the best of my recollection, this was the first rain delay in a DTBL All-Star Game.  Eventually, the game moved to the seventh with the American All-Stars still ahead 2-1.

Greg Holland took the mound for the American Division to start the seventh.  He did not fare well.  Carlos Correa started the inning with a walk and immediately scored on a Charlie Blackmon double to tie the game.  Harper then walked yet again.  Holland managed to get Mike Trout to fly out and Aaron Judge to strikeout and was on the verge of escaping further damage.  But Jose Altuve knocked a clutch single up the middle to score the go-ahead run.  That would prove to be the difference.

The National Division added some insurance in the ninth inning off the usually unhittable Craig Kimbrel.  Harper reached base safely for the fifth time, starting the inning with a bomb over the right field fence.  Trout made it back-to-back home runs with a 410 foot blast to left-center.  Kenley Jansen made quick work of the American team in the bottom of the ninth, striking out a pair and then getting Turner to ground out to end the game.  The National Division recorded a 5-2 victory.  Corey Knebel picked up the win, Greg Holland took the loss and Jansen earned the save.

Bryce Harper was an easy selection as the game’s Most Valuable Player.  He reached base in all five plate appearances, going 2 for 2 with 3 walks, a home run and two runs scored.  Perhaps most notably, he did not strike out.  Very few other hitters in this game could make that claim.  Khris Davis wore the golden sombrero, striking out four times.  Another hitter with a less than spectacular game was Aaron Judge who struck out three times and hit into a double play.  Some of the top pitching performances belonged to Scherzer and his Nationals, and National Division, teammate Stephen Strasburg who combined to strike out seven batters in three innings.  On the American side, Roberto Osuna was the top pitcher, striking out all four batters he faced.

This was the second straight victory for the National Division.  They now hold a 13-11 lead in the all-time DTBL All-Star series.  Next year will mark the 25th Anniversary of the league and the 25th All-Star Game.  Perhaps fittingly, Kevin’s Kings will have the honor of hosting that milestone game.

Box Score

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2017 DTBL All-Stars

Wednesday, July 5th, 2017


The 2017 DTBL All-Star Game will be the 24th annual mid-summer classic between the American and National Divisions.  Charlie will be the manager for the American squad while I will take the reigns for the National team.  I haven’t decided exactly how the game will be played this year.  It will likely be played using the Out of the Park baseball simulation game again.  However, I may scale back the amount of time and effort I put into it this year.  This is TBD though.  I’ll announce the plans once they’ve been finalized.  The Choppers are the host team for this year’s game.  The last time they were host, ten years ago, the American Division won the biggest blowout in All-Star Game history, 17-2.  But the American team will be looking for revenge this year after losing by a dozen a year ago.

As for the players making up the All-Star rosters, it is a pretty interesting group.  Not surprisingly, there are a whole bunch of guys with eye-popping offensive numbers.  But while pitchers have struggled a bit this season as a whole, you wouldn’t know it by looking at these guys’ stats.

There are a few notable players who weren’t able to make the teams.  Much like the National League in MLB, the American Division features a ton of great third basemen this year, leading to the omission of Jose Ramirez, Anthony Rendon and Miguel Sano.  Outfielders Adam Duvall and Mookie Betts were among the most deserving non-invitees for the National squad.  Betts probably would have made it had a majority of the league not already voted before his monster game this past Sunday.

Now for the guys who did make the teams.  Here are your 2017 DTBL All-Stars.

American Division

Starters:

  • Pitcher – Chris Sale, Choppers (6th All-Star appearance)
  • Catcher – Salvador Perez, Gators (2nd)
  • First Base – Joey Votto, Naturals (2nd)
  • Second Base – Brian Dozier, Moonshiners (2nd)
  • Third Base – Jake Lamb, Moonshiners (1st)
  • Shortstop – Corey Seager, Gators (2nd)
  • Outfield – Khris Davis, Moonshiners (1st)
  • Outfield – Corey Dickerson, Gators (1st)
  • Outfield – Marcell Ozuna, Naturals (1st)

Reserves:

  • Catcher – Gary Sanchez, Jackalope (1st)
  • First Base – Paul Goldschmidt, Jackalope (5th)
  • Third Base – Nolan Arenado, Naturals (3rd)
  • Shortstop – Chris Owings, Naturals (2nd)
  • Outfield – Trea Turner, Naturals (2nd)
  • Outfield – Giancarlo Stanton, Jackalope (4th)
  • Pitcher – Zack Greinke, Moonshiners (5th)
  • Pitcher – Dallas Keuchel, Moonshiners (2nd)
  • Pitcher – Robbie Ray, Moonshiners (1st)
  • Pitcher – Carlos Carrasco, Naturals (1st)
  • Relief Pitcher – Craig Kimbrel, Choppers (5th)
  • Relief Pitcher – Roberto Osuna, Moonshiners (2nd)
  • Relief Pitcher – Greg Holland, Naturals (2nd)
  • Relief Pitcher – Raisel Iglesias, Naturals (1st)

National Division

Starters:

  • Pitcher – Max Scherzer, Kings (4th)
  • Catcher – Buster Posey, Demigods (6th)
  • First Base – Ryan Zimmerman, Demigods (1st)
  • Second Base – Daniel Murphy, Darkhorses (2nd)
  • Third Base – Ryon Healy, Kings (1st)
  • Shortstop – Elvis Andrus, Darkhorses (3rd)
  • Outfield – Bryce Harper, Darkhorses (3rd)
  • Outfield – Aaron Judge, Mavericks (1st)
  • Outfield – Mike Trout, Mavericks (6th)

Reserves:

  • Catcher – Brian McCann, Darkhorses (4th)
  • First Base – Freddie Freeman, Demigods (2nd)
  • Second Base – Jose Altuve, Demigods (4th)
  • Shortstop – Carlos Correa, Kings (1st)
  • Outfield – George Springer, Darkhorses (2nd)
  • Outfield – Charlie Blackmon, Cougars (2nd)
  • Pitcher – Clayton Kershaw, Mavericks (7th)
  • Pitcher – Carlos Martinez, Darkhorses (1st)
  • Pitcher – Stephen Strasburg, Mavericks (3rd)
  • Pitcher – Corey Kluber, Demigods (1st)
  • Relief Pitcher – Kenley Jansen, Mavericks (4th)
  • Relief Pitcher – Corey Knebel, Darkhorses (1st)
  • Relief Pitcher – Andrew Miller, Mavericks (3rd)
  • Relief Pitcher – Jim Johnson, Darkhorses (2nd)

All-Stars per team:

  • 8 – Darkhorses, Naturals
  • 7 – Moonshiners
  • 6 – Mavericks
  • 5 – Demigods
  • 3 – Gators, Jackalope, Kings
  • 2 – Choppers
  • 1 – Cougars

Nolan Arenado was selected as the 23rd player for the American Division.  On the National side, Elvis Andrus, Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa all received eight votes.  Andrus was given the starting nod, so take your pick between Altuve or Correa as the official 23rd man.  Either way, all are deserving All-Stars.  Just like last year, there are 15 first time DTBL All-Stars, including the entire American starting outfield and headlined by Aaron Judge for the National Division.  Clayton Kershaw is the All-Star veteran, making his seventh appearance.  Buster Posey and Chris Sale are on their sixth All-Star squads.  Here are the full voting results.  More All-Star Game coverage coming soon.

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National By A Dozen

Friday, July 22nd, 2016


The 23rd installment of the DTBL All-Star Game was practically over as soon as it started. The National Division scored five runs in the bottom of the first on their way to a blowout 12-0 victory over the American Division at In-N-Out Park, home of David’s Darkhorses. National hitters knocked around the American pitchers, while the National pitchers were nearly untouchable. The winning side knocked 17 hits while allowing just one infield single. The National All-Stars hit four home runs on their way to that easy win. Xander Bogaerts was named the game’s Most Valuable Player.

Jake Arrieta got the start on the mound for the American Division, but it did not go well for him. After retiring the first hitter he faced in the bottom of the first, he then surrendered five consecutive singles, highlighted by a two run hit by Manny Machado. After that streak was halted with a strikeout, Xander Bogaerts added to Arrieta’s troubles with another two run single. Following the seventh single of the inning, Arrieta was mercifully relieved. Unfortunately for the American All-Stars, the pitchers that followed were only slightly more successful.

Mike Trout led off the bottom of the second with the game’s first home run, off of Noah Syndergaard. But it was the fifth inning when balls really started flying. It was a rough game for Cubs pitchers as Jon Lester was the victim of the damage done in the fifth. Following a Daniel Murphy double, George Springer hit a 453 foot bomb to left to score a pair. Bogaerts immediately followed with a solo shot to left. Two batters later, Bryce Harper added a run-scoring single to make it 10-0 after five. Had this been a Little League game, the mercy rule would have been enacted at that time. The National All-Stars weren’t quite done scoring though. Two more hits in the sixth led to another run. Then, in the bottom of the seventh, Harper struck again with a solo bomb to center.

Meanwhile, while National hitters were teeing off, their pitchers were in complete control. National starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw was very impressive. He pitched two perfect innings, striking out five of the six hitters he faced. It was just the start of a complete whiff-fest for the American hitters. In total, the National pitchers recorded 19 strikeouts. They struck out the side three times and recorded at least two strikeouts in all but two innings. The American Division tallied just a single hit, an infield knock by Corey Seager. Besides Kershaw, the other impressive pitching performances for the National squad included Madison Bumgarner, Johnny Cueto, Kenley Jansen and Aroldis Chapman.

In the end, Bogaerts was named the Most Valuable Player with his two hits and three runs driven in. There were plenty of other candidates though, including Harper, Trout, Murphy, Springer and Kershaw. Kershaw picked up the victory while Arrieta took the loss.

Blowouts are nothing new to the DTBL All-Star Game. While recent editions have mostly featured close pitching duels, this game was almost a mirror image of the 2012 game, except with the other side winning. The American Division won that ’12 game by a score of 12-1. The National Division broke a two year losing streak, having lost the last two games by single runs.

Click here to view the game’s full box score.

Thanks to Mike for filling in for Jay as the American Division manager and to Marc for making the National roster decisions and sending me instructions to follow while playing out the game. The second half of the season is well underway. It appears, unlike last year, that we are in for a fun title race. Enjoy the rest of the summer!

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