DTBL News

Category: All-Star Game

  • Harper Stars in National Victory


    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

  • 2017 DTBL All-Stars


    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.

  • National By A Dozen


    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!

  • 2016 DTBL All-Stars


    Sorry for the delay, but I’m finally ready to announce the 2016 DTBL All-Stars.  The 23rd annual DTBL All-Star Game will be played at a date and time to be determined, probably in the next week or so.  It took me a while to find someone who was able to take on the manager duties for the American Division.  Mike has graciously agreed to do so.  Marc will be calling the shots for the National Division.  In addition to managing the game, they were also responsible for breaking any ties in the voting and for selecting the final player for each roster.  The Darkhorses will be the host team.

    In a bit of a departure from recent seasons, it was the voting at offensive positions that was particularly interesting to see which deserving players would be left out.  Most notably, middle infield for the National Division was as loaded as I’ve ever seen 2B/SS for a division in a given year.  Besides the three players listed below, left off the roster were the Kings duo of Robinson Cano and Ian Desmond.  Jay Bruce is a third King offensive star who didn’t make the cut.  In the American Division, Miguel Cabrera garnered just two votes at a loaded 1B/3B group.

    But enough about the guys who didn’t make it.  Here are the 2016 DTBL All-Stars.

    American Division

    Starters:

    • Pitcher – Jake Arrieta, Jackalope (1st All-Star appearance)
    • Catcher – Wilson Ramos, Choppers (1st)
    • First Base – Anthony Rizzo, Choppers (2nd)
    • Second Base – Ian Kinsler, Moonshiners (5th)
    • Third Base – Josh Donaldson, Jackalope (3rd)
    • Shortstop – Corey Seager, Gators (1st)
    • Outfield – Nelson Cruz, Gators (4th)
    • Outfield – Wil Myers, Gators (1st)
    • Outfield – Mark Trumbo, Choppers (3rd)

    Reserves:

    • Catcher – Salvador Perez, Gators (1st)
    • First Base – Paul Goldschmidt, Jackalope (4th)
    • Second Base – Rougned Odor, Naturals (1st)
    • Third Base – Nolan Arenado, Naturals (2nd)
    • Outfield – Starling Marte, Gators (2nd)
    • Outfield – Ryan Braun, Jackalope (7th)
    • Pitcher – Noah Syndergaard, Naturals (1st)
    • Pitcher – Jon Lester, Choppers (3rd)
    • Pitcher – Danny Salazar, Choppers (1st)
    • Pitcher – Chris Sale, Choppers (5th)
    • Relief Pitcher – Zach Britton, Gators (2nd)
    • Relief Pitcher – Fernando Rodney, Moonshiners (1st)
    • Relief Pitcher – Mark Melancon, Jackalope (2nd)
    • Relief Pitcher – Roberto Osuna, Moonshiners (1st)

    National Division

    Starters:

    • Pitcher – Clayton Kershaw, Mavericks (6th)
    • Catcher – Buster Posey, Demigods (5th)
    • First Base – Edwin Encarnacion, Darkhorses (4th)
    • Second Base – Jose Altuve, Demigods (3rd)
    • Third Base – Manny Machado, Mavericks (2nd)
    • Shortstop – Xander Bogaerts, Darkhorses (1st)
    • Outfield – Mookie Betts, Kings (1st)
    • Outfield – Carlos Gonzalez, Kings (5th)
    • Outfield – Mike Trout, Mavericks (5th)

    Reserves:

    • Catcher – Jonathan LuCroy, Kings (2nd)
    • First Base – David Ortiz, Demigods (6th)
    • Second Base – Daniel Murphy, Darkhorses (1st)
    • Third Base – Kris Bryant, Cougars (1st)
    • Outfield – George Springer, Darkhorses (1st)
    • Outfield – Bryce Harper, Darkhorses (2nd)
    • Pitcher – Madison Bumgarner, Cougars (4th)
    • Pitcher – Johnny Cueto, Demigods (2nd)
    • Pitcher – Max Scherzer, Kings (3rd)
    • Pitcher – Stephen Strasburg, Mavericks (2nd)
    • Relief Pitcher – Kenley Jansen, Mavericks (3rd)
    • Relief Pitcher – Jeurys Familia, Kings (2nd)
    • Relief Pitcher – Andrew Miller, Mavericks (2nd)
    • Relief Pitcher – Aroldis Chapman, Mavericks (3rd)

    All-Stars per team:

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

    Paul Goldschmidt and David Ortiz were selected as the 23rd players for each roster.  There are 15 first time DTBL All-Stars, which is significantly fewer than last year, but does include some pretty exciting young stars like Corey Seager, Mookie Betts and Kris Bryant.  The most experienced All-Star participant will be Ryan Braun who was named to his seventh All-Star squad.  Here are the full voting results.  Much more All-Star Game coverage will be coming soon.

  • It’s a Walk Off!


    Nolan Arenado was the last position player on either All-Star roster to take his turn at the plate in Sunday’s 22nd Annual DTBL All-Star Game at his team’s, the Naturals, home park of Hobbs Field.  A late defensive replacement for the American Division All-Stars, he finally got his chance to swing the bat with a man on and one out in the bottom of the 9th.  Three pitches later, he launched a Trevor Rosenthal delivery deep into the seats in left-center field for a two run, walk-off home run to give the American Division a 2-1 victory over their National Division counterparts.

    For the most part, this game was a carbon copy of the last few DTBL All-Star Games.  It featured the game’s best pitchers at the top of their powers, striking out hitters left and right.  For the third consecutive year, at least 26 batters struck out in the game, this year being the highest total of them all at 30.  I don’t have great records of the games prior to 2005, but since then, this was the most strikeouts in an All-Star Game.  American pitchers compiled 16 K’s while the National squad had 14 of their own.

    There were scoring opportunities in this game, but most of them were not converted into runs.  Dallas Keuchel got the start on the mound for the American All-Stars and pitched two scoreless, hitless innings.  On the other side, Max Scherzer also completed two frames without allowing a run.  Probably the most impressive pitching performance was put up by the National’s second pitcher, Chris Archer.  He was on such a role that he was allowed to throw three innings, striking out seven total, including six consecutive batters.  Through six innings, neither team had touched home plate.

    The top of the seventh brought the game’s first run.  With two outs and nobody on for the National Division, two consecutive left handed hitters delivered hits against the tough lefty reliever Zach Britton.  Jason Kipnis reached on a single and scored on a clutch two out double by his Cougars teammate Charlie Blackmon.  The National All-Stars had a chance to build on that 1-0 lead in the 8th following a leadoff double by Albert Pujols.  But Glen Perkins retired the next three hitters in order, including a pair of strikeouts.  The game remained 1-0 heading into the bottom of the ninth.

    Aroldis Chapman got the nod to start the final half inning, but walked the leadoff man, Paul Goldschmidt.  After retiring Ryan Braun on a flyout, Chapman was relieved and Trevor Rosenthal came in to attempt to lock it down.  That he did not.  The first man he faced was the aforementioned Nolan Arenado, who promptly hit a two run home run to send the American Division home with a 2-1 victory.

    As I mentioned, I don’t have great records of the All-Star Games pre-2005, so I am unable to confirm if we’ve had a walk-off hit before.  I am fairly certain this is the first walk-off home run though.  Despite only getting that one at bat, Arenado was the unanimous choice as the game’s Most Valuable Player.  Zack Greinke was credited with the win thanks to his perfect ninth inning on the mound.  Rosenthal took the loss.  Although there is no such thing, the obvious winner of the Least Valuable Player would have been Miguel Cabrera, who took the golden sombrero striking out in all four of his plate appearances.  Fortunately for him, his Naturals and American teammate, Arenado, saved the day. The only other American hitter with a significant contribution was Starling Marte, who had a game high three hits (no other player on either team had more than one) and stole a base.

    This game ended a streak of four consecutive losses for the home team in the DTBL All-Star Game.  But it continued the streak of games dominated by the pitchers.  Five of the past six games have featured six or fewer total runs scored.  In many ways, this is very representative of the league itself though, where pitching numbers continue to improve year-to-year.  The early years of the DTBL All-Star Game featured some absurd shootouts, so I guess what comes around goes around.  Click here to view the full box score from this year’s game.

    Congrats to Nick on managing his squad to a victory and thanks to both Nick and Dom for taking the time to play out the game.  Although the All-Star Game is not a particularly important part of a fantasy baseball season, it is something I look forward to doing every summer, so thanks for at least humoring me and I hope you enjoyed it as well.  On to the rest of the season!

  • 2015 DTBL All-Stars


    The first half of the 2015 DTBL season has been dominated by the Jackalope, so it is no surprise that they have been rewarded with a whole slew of All-Star selections.  In the last couple weeks, the Mavericks have reduced the Jackalope lead a bit, and many of the players responsible for that are on the list below as well.  Examining the full standings, the balance of power between the American and National Divisions seems relatively even.  The American squad boasts the first place squad, but two of the bottom three as well.

    As has been the case for the last several years, pitchers have continued to dominate all across the league.  The current league-wide ERA of 3.24 is well below the record full season low of 3.31, set just last year.  So it is not a huge surprise that some pitchers with incredibly strong resumes won’t be part of this year’s All-Star Game.  Just to name a few, Felix Hernandez, Jake Arrieta, David Price and Johnny Cueto didn’t make the cut.  Nor did some relievers with out-of-this-world numbers like Wade Davis and Dellin Betances.  Overall, the American Division seems to have the stronger pitching staff, but I’ll give a slight edge to the National Division on offense.

    The 22nd annual DTBL All-Star Game is tentatively scheduled for Sunday, July 19 at 9 p.m. EDT, 6 p.m. PDT.  Due to their top two finishes last season, Nick and Dom will be the managers for the All-Star squads.  Nick’s Naturals will be the host for the game, which will once again be played out using OOTP.  The managers were responsible for breaking all ties in the vote and for selecting the 23rd player on each roster. Here are the 2015 DTBL All-Stars.

    American Division

    Starters:

    • Pitcher – Dallas Keuchel, Moonshiners (1st All-Star appearance)
    • Catcher – Evan Gattis, Jackalope (2nd)
    • First Base – Paul Goldschmidt, Jackalope (3rd)
    • Second Base – Brian Dozier, Moonshiners (1st)
    • Third Base – Josh Donaldson, Jackalope (2nd)
    • Shortstop – Troy Tulowitzki, Naturals (4th)
    • Outfield – Nelson Cruz, Gators (3rd)
    • Outfield – Giancarlo Stanton, Jackalope (3rd)
    • Outfield – Starling Marte, Gators (1st)

    Reserves:

    • Catcher – Derek Norris, Choppers (1st)
    • First Base – Miguel Cabrera, Naturals (9th)
    • Second Base – Dee Gordon, Gators (1st)
    • Third Base – Nolan Arenado, Naturals (1st)
    • Outfield – Ryan Braun, Jackalope (6th)
    • Outfield – Brett Gardner, Jackalope (1st)
    • Pitcher – Sonny Gray, Jackalope (1st)
    • Pitcher – Gerrit Cole, Jackalope (1st)
    • Pitcher – Chris Sale, Choppers (4th)
    • Pitcher – Zack Greinke, Moonshiners (4th)
    • Relief Pitcher – Glen Perkins, Naturals (1st)
    • Relief Pitcher – Mark Melancon, Jackalope (1st)
    • Relief Pitcher – Huston Street, Gators (3rd)
    • Relief Pitcher – Zach Britton, Gators (1st)

    National Division

    Starters:

    • Pitcher – Max Scherzer, Kings (2nd)
    • Catcher – Buster Posey, Demigods (4th)
    • First Base – Albert Pujols, Mavericks (8th)
    • Second Base – Jose Altuve, Demigods (2nd)
    • Third Base – Todd Frazier, Darkhorses (2nd)
    • Shortstop – Hanley Ramirez, Mavericks (5th)
    • Outfield – Bryce Harper, Darkhorses (1st)
    • Outfield – Mike Trout, Mavericks (4th)
    • Outfield – J.D. Martinez, Demigods (1st)

    Reserves:

    • Catcher – Brian McCann, Darkhorses (3rd)
    • Second Base – Jason Kipnis, Cougars (3rd)
    • Third Base – Manny Machado, Mavericks (1st)
    • Outfield – Charlie Blackmon, Cougars (1st)
    • Outfield – Joc Pederson, Mavericks (1st)
    • Outfield – Lorenzo Cain, Mavericks (1st)
    • Pitcher – Chris Archer, Cougars (1st)
    • Pitcher – Jacob deGrom, Darkhorses (1st)
    • Pitcher – Clayton Kershaw, Mavericks (5th)
    • Pitcher – Madison Bumgarner, Cougars (3rd)
    • Relief Pitcher – Trevor Rosenthal, Demigods (2nd)
    • Relief Pitcher – Jeurys Familia, Kings (1st)
    • Relief Pitcher – Aroldis Chapman, Mavericks (2nd)
    • Relief Pitcher – Andrew Miller, Mavericks (1st)

    All-Stars per team:

    • 9 – Jackalope, Mavericks
    • 5 – Gators
    • 4 – Cougars, Darkhorses, Demigods, Naturals
    • 3 – Moonshiners
    • 2 – Choppers, Kings

    Miguel Cabrera and Lorenzo Cain were selected as the 23rd players for each roster.  The rosters feature 22 first time DTBL All-Stars, including an incredible group of young superstars like Bryce Harper, Joc Pederson, Sonny Gray and Chris Archer.  Over half of the American team will be making their DTBL ASG debuts.  Another interesting item is the number of All-Stars who were involved in trades just this past March:  Josh Donaldson, Gerrit Cole, Zack Greinke, Albert Pujols, Hanley Ramirez and Aroldis Chapman.  So all of these top performers are paying big dividends for their new squads.  Here are the full voting results.  Much more All-Star Game coverage will be coming soon.

  • American Pitchers Prevail


    In a season where pitchers have once again dominated while offense has lagged behind, it was fitting that the 21st Annual DTBL All-Star Game turned into a pitchers duel.  On Tuesday night at DK Memorial Field, home of Marc’s Mavericks, the American Division jumped out to an early lead and held on for a 3-2 victory over the National Division in the Mid-Summer Classic.

    As it turned out, there were a lot of similarities between the DTBL All-Star Game and last week’s MLB All-Star Game, especially when it came to the starting pitchers, and particularly Adam Wainwright.  Like the MLB game, Wainwright got the start for the National All-Stars and was opposed by Felix Hernandez.  And in similar fashion to his performance last week, things didn’t go that well for Wainwright.  In the top of the first inning, he promptly allowed singles to Yasiel Puig and Troy Tulowitzki to start the game.  Both would later score on RBI singles by Paul Goldschmidt and Jose Bautista.  So the American Division opened up a quick 2-0 lead before King Felix took the mound.  No truth to the rumors that Wainwright was laying in pipe shots to the American hitters.  Clayton Kershaw relieved Wainwright in the second, but he too was greeted by some quick hits.  Victor Martinez and Ian Kinsler started the second with singles.  Martinez scored on a one out double by Miguel Cabrera.  Kershaw was then able to shut the door, but the American squad already had a 3-0 lead after an inning and a half.  Meanwhile, Hernandez was much more effective in his two innings.  He retired the side in order in the first and kept the National All-Stars off the board in the second despite a pair of hits.

    After the second inning, the pitchers on both sides went into cruise control, racking up strikeouts and extinguishing a few mild scoring threats.  It wasn’t until the sixth inning when the next serious scoring chance popped up.  Jonathan Papelbon surrendered a single and a double to put two American runners in scoring position with just one out.  But Trevor Rosenthal relieved him and struck out the only two hitters he faced to keep the score 3-0.  This appeared to be a potential turning point in the game, particularly with what happened next in the bottom of the sixth.  Facing Jon Lester, Jacoby Ellsbury reached on a one out single.  Then, Mike Trout followed with a two run blast to left to cut the National deficit to a single run.  Sean Doolittle proceeded to extend the streak of American hitters going down on strikes as he struck out the side in the top of the seventh.  Momentum seemed to be completely on the National side at that point.

    But that momentum would not continue.  No hitters reached base in the 7th or 8th for either team.  The American All-Stars handed the ball to Craig Kimbrel to protect a one run lead in the ninth, facing Trout to start the inning.  He induced a ground out from Trout before walking Freddie Freeman.  But a double play ball off the bat of Brandon Moss sealed the deal as the American Division held on for a 3-2 victory.

    Pitchers dominated not only in keeping runs off the board, but also in compiling a ridiculous number of strikeouts.  The National pitchers somehow fanned 16 hitters in a losing cause.  The American pitchers weren’t short on punch-outs either.  They had 10 of their own for a game total of 26.  I only have easy access to the box scores from the last 10 All-Star Games, so I can’t confirm any ASG records.  However, I’m not aware of a single team strikeout performance greater than the National’s 16.  But believe it or not, 26 is NOT the combined record.  Just last year, the teams combined for 29 strikeouts (15 and 14 each)!  So apparently these absurd K totals are now an All-Star Game trend.

    Felix Hernandez recorded the win on the strength of his two scoreless innings.  Adam Wainwright took the loss.  Craig Kimbrel recorded the save.  OOTP inexplicably named Sean Doolittle as the Player of the Game, despite only pitching one inning for the losing team.  So we had to overrule that selection.  Those present at the game selected Moonshiners second baseman Ian Kinsler as the 2014 DTBL All-Star Game MVP.  Kinsler recorded a game high 3 hits in his 4 at bats.  Interestingly, this is Kinsler’s second DTBL ASG MVP award.  He also received that honor back in 2009 when he hit a key three run homer off Johan Santana to spark an American victory.

    Click here to view the game box score.

    Congrats to Charlie on leading the American Division to the victory!  It was fun, despite being on the losing side.  Too bad I won’t be able to get revenge next year since there is no chance I’ll be managing the National Division again in ’15.

  • 2014 DTBL All-Stars


    I probably could have figured this out by glancing at the standings, but it wasn’t until I went to vote for the 2014 DTBL All-Stars when I realized that the balance of power in this league has dramatically shifted from the National Division to the American Division.  A few years ago, the National Division roster was clearly stronger as several very deserving players were left off the roster.  Last year was fairly even, although even then the clear top two teams were both on the National side.  But this year, it’s all about the American Division.  Three of the top five teams in the current standings are American teams.  But the position depth paints an even more unbalanced picture.  Several very deserving American players won’t be part of this year’s All-Star Game.  Having said that, both teams possess incredible starting pitching depth.  And in one game, anything can happen.

    On a date yet to be determined, but probably in a week or two, the 21st annual DTBL All-Star Game will take place.  This game will occur very close to the 20th anniversary of the inaugural DTBL All-Star Game in 1994, played in my family’s basement using dice and custom player cards made by yours truly.  That game was a slug-fest, due primarily to the fact that only hitters’ stats were used to create said cards.  Interestingly enough, 10 years ago was another one of the more memorable All-Star Games.  Due to a glitch in the OOTP game setup, players were nearly incapable of hitting fly balls.  So the National Division burned a lot of worms on their way to a 2-1 victory.  So will this year provide more memorable moments?  We shall see.  The Mavericks will be the hosts for the game.  Charlie will manage the American Division and I will call the shots for the National Division.  There is some question about Charlie’s availability for the game, but we will sort that out later.

    As managers, Charlie and I broke all ties in the voting and selected the 23rd players for each roster.  Here are the 2014 DTBL All-Stars:

    American Division

    Starters:

    • Pitcher – Felix Hernandez, Jackalope
    • Catcher – Victor Marinez, Naturals
    • First Base – Paul Goldschmidt, Jackalope
    • Second Base – Ian Kinsler, Moonshiners
    • Third Base – Miguel Cabrera, Naturals
    • Shortstop – Troy Tulowitzki, Naturals
    • Outfield – Jose Bautista, Choppers
    • Outfield – Nelson Cruz, Gators
    • Outfield – Giancarlo Stanton, Jackalope

    Reserves:

    • Catcher – Evan Gattis, Jackalope
    • First Base – Anthony Rizzo, Choppers
    • Second Base – Anthony Rendon, Naturals
    • Third Base – Josh Donaldson, Moonshiners
    • Outfield – Andrew McCutchen, Naturals
    • Outfield – Yasiel Puig, Jackalope
    • Pitcher – Zack Greinke, Naturals
    • Pitcher – Jon Lester, Choppers
    • Pitcher – David Price, Naturals
    • Pitcher – Chris Sale, Choppers
    • Relief Pitcher – Craig Kimbrel, Choppers
    • Relief Pitcher – Greg Holland, Naturals
    • Relief Pitcher – Francisco Rodriguez, Naturals
    • Relief Pitcher – Huston Street, Gators

    National Division

    Starters:

    • Pitcher – Adam Wainwright, Cougars
    • Catcher – Jonathan LuCroy, Kings
    • First Base – Edwin Encarnacion, Mavericks
    • Second Base – Jose Altuve, Demigods
    • Third Base – Todd Frazier, Darkhorses
    • Shortstop – Starlin Castro, Mavericks
    • Outfield – Michael Brantley, Cougars
    • Outfield – Carlos Gomez, Demigods
    • Outfield – Mike Trout, Mavericks

    Reserves:

    • Catcher – Buster Posey, Demigods
    • First Base – Brandon Moss, Mavericks
    • First Base – Freddie Freeman, Demigods
    • Second Base – Robinson Cano, Kings
    • Outfield – Adam Jones, Mavericks
    • Outfield – Jacoby Ellsbury, Darkhorses
    • Pitcher – Johnny Cueto, Demigods
    • Pitcher – Clayton Kershaw, Mavericks
    • Pitcher – Julio Teheran, Darkhorses
    • Pitcher – Madison Bumgarner, Cougars
    • Relief Pitcher – Sean Doolittle, Kings
    • Relief Pitcher – Kenley Jansen, Mavericks
    • Relief Pitcher – Jonathan Papelbon, Kings
    • Relief Pitcher – Trevor Rosenthal, Demigods

    All-Stars per team:

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

    A few comments.  First, nine Naturals on the team is pretty impressive, and completely deserving considering the way they have dominated this league through the first half of the season.  The 23rd players selected for the respective rosters were a pair of first basemen:  Anthony Rizzo (American) and Freddie Freeman (National).  One of the offensive players listed as a reserve for each division will actually start the game since DHs will be used.  The lineups will be compiled at a later time.  Here are the full voting results.  Much more to come soon, including an official announcement of the game date and time.

  • DTBL June Awards

    We’re finally at the halfway point of the DTBL season, and it’s time to look at the best players up to this point. While a couple of players had ridiculous months that almost placed them in my top 5 list, I’ve decided to focus a bit more on consistency with my rankings. Sorry, Jose Altuve. I’ve again used ESPN’s Player Rater to help sort selections, particularly with Rookie of the Year. However, thanks to Kevin’s hard work with Points Above Replacement (PAR), I’ve used this stat to help with Cy Young and MVP ranks as well.To spice up the column a bit, and without giving away my entire ballot, you’ll find at the end my picks for All Star starters at every position, along with a closer. At the halfway point, it seems appropriate to recognize solid players who aren’t quite good enough to crack the top 5 at the end of year awards positions.

    ROY:

    1. Julio Teheran, Darkhorses – 0.950 WHIP, 2.34 ERA, 7 W, 0 SV, 103 Ks
    2. Josh Donaldson, Moonshiners – .248 BA, 57 R, 18 HR, 61 RBI, 3 SB
    3. Anthony Rendon, Naturals – .281 BA, 53 R, 12 HR, 46 RBI, 6 SB
    4. Yaisel Puig, Jackalope – .311 BA, 44 R, 11 HR, 45 RBI, 7 SB
    5. Billy Hamilton, Naturals – .281 BA, 40 R, 4 HR, 28 RBI, 34 SB

    The top three from May still reside here in the Rookie of the Year rankings. Julio Teheran has continued his stellar rookie season here in DTBL; more on him to come. Josh Donaldson and Yasiel Puig continue to put up big numbers. Anthony Rendon returns to this list after falling off in May, with 6 homers, 19 RBI, 18 runs, and a .310 batting average making up for a lackluster May.

    Unfortunately, Michael Wacha (injury) and Sonny Gray have fallen off this list for now. Brian Dozier and Corey Kluber’s full season numbers would easily be worthy of Top 5 consideration; however, their late entries to their team’s major league rosters continue to keep them off. Finally, Evan Gattis had a ridiculous June with a long hitting streak and 6 homers of his own, but he, too, has fallen victim to the injury bug.

    Cy Young:

    1. Felix Hernandez, Jackalope – 0.919 WHIP, 2.10 ERA, 10 W, 0 SV, 137 Ks
    2. Johnny Cueto, Demigods – 0.836 WHIP, 1.88 ERA, 8 W, 0 SV, 122 Ks
    3. Adam Wainwright, Cougars – 0.903 WHIP, 2.01 ERA, 10 W, 0 SV, 105 Ks
    4. Clayton Kershaw, Mavericks – 0.920 WHIP, 2.04 ERA, 9 W, 0 SV, 107 Ks
    5. Julio Teheran, Darkhorses – 0.950 WHIP, 2.34 ERA, 7 W, 0 SV, 103 Ks

    This list is largely unchanged from May, only seeing Clayton Kershaw’s utter dominance since returning from the DL replacing Zack Greinke. The superlatives of this group run long – top 5 in ERA. 5 of the top 6 in WHIP. Fantastic strikeout totals. Solid win amounts. Anyone in DTBL would be thrilled to have any of this quintet heading their rotation.

    That being said, there is no shortage of pitchers knocking on the door of this group. Greinke. Madison Bumgarner. Jon Lester. David Price. Max Scherzer. Yu Darvish. The overall pitching talent in DTBL may never have been better than it is now.

    MVP:

    1. Giancarlo Stanton, Jackalope – .313 BA, 57 R, 21 HR, 60 RBI, 7 SB
    2. Mike Trout, Mavericks – .314 BA, 54 R, 18 HR, 59 RBI, 10 SB
    3. Edwin Encarnacion, Mavericks – .278 BA, 55 R, 25 HR, 65 RBI, 2 SB
    4. Nelson Cruz, Gators – .281 BA, 48 R, 25 HR, 66 RBI, 1 SB
    5. Troy Tulowitzki, Naturals – .353 BA, 65 R, 18 HR, 47 RBI, 1 SB

    Another month, another top two finish for Giancarlo Stanton and Mike Trout. These two players have almost identical numbers; Stanton’s slight power edge gives him the nod here over Trout’s speed. Edwin Encarnacion, after just missing in May, rightfully shows up here with his prodigious power numbers; better counting stats gives him the edge over Nelson Cruz. Finally, Troy Tulowitzki, who’s been here from the beginning, continues to ride his Coors Field numbers to an outstanding season. Hard to argue with a .353 batting average in June.

    As I mentioned above, Jose Altuve raked in June. A .411 batting average. 17 steals. 11 runs and 9 RBI. He even missed three games. It was hard to leave him off this list, but consistency for the existing top 5 allowed them to hold on to their spots. If Altuve has a July even close to his June, he has a good chance of jumping into best of the best. Rounding out the just missed it group are Carlos Gomez, Michael Brantley, Paul Goldschmidt, and Victor Martinez. And, yeah, I’m still wondering when Miguel Cabrera will show up.

    Here are my All Star starters.

    American Divison:
    C: Victor Martinez, Naturals
    1B: Paul Goldschmidt, Jackalope
    2B: Ian Kinsler, Moonshiners
    3B: Josh Donaldson, Moonshiners
    SS: Troy Tulowitzki, Naturals
    OF: Giancarlo Stanton, Jackalope
    OF: Nelson Cruz, Gators
    OF: Jose Bautista, Choppers
    SP: Felix Hernandez, Jackalope
    CL: Craig Kimbrel, Choppers
    National Division:
    C: Jonathan LuCroy, Kings
    1B: Edwin Encarnacion, Mavericks
    2B: Jose Altuve, Demigods
    3B: Todd Frazier, Darkhorses
    SS: Hanley Ramirez, Darkhorses
    OF: Mike Trout, Mavericks
    OF: Carlos Gomez, Demigods
    OF: Michael Brantley, Cougars
    SP: Adam Wainright, Cougars
    CL: Trevor Rosenthal, Demigods

    Comments? Disagreements? Have at it in the comment section.

  • National Pitchers Shine in Victory

    All-Star Game MVP Edwin Encarnacion

    A couple months ago, I wrote an article with the headline “A Strikeout Epidemic”.  I could have used it again to headline this recap of the 20th DTBL All-Star Game.  On Wednesday night at Moonshiner Ballpark, home of Mike’s Moonshiners, 29 at bats resulted in a strikeout.  Amongst all of the whiffs, the National Division was able to string together enough hits to pull out a 5-1 victory over the American Division.  The National pitchers were dominant from start to finish, striking out 15 hitters, walking none, and surrendering just four hits.

    The National All-Stars set the tone early against American starting pitcher Cliff Lee.  Mike Trout started the game by walking on four pitches and scored two batters later on a double by Evan Longoria.  A Chris Davis single moved Longoria to third with one out.  But the National All-Stars failed to break the game open, and started the K parade when the next two batters were retired on strikes.  Again in the second, the National Division looked poised to run away with things.  Buster Posey started the inning with a single, advanced to third on a double by Adam Jones and scored on an infield single by Ian Desmond.  But once again, the threat didn’t amount to much as two of the next three hitters struck out.  The 2-0 lead would prove to be all they would need though.

    Max Scherzer started the big night for National pitchers with two scoreless innings, striking out three.  Matt Harvey followed with a pair of strikeouts in his inning.  Then Adam Wainwright turned it up a notch, striking out all three batters he faced in the fourth.  The biggest hit of the night came in the top of the fifth.  Facing Chris Sale with one man on and two outs, Edwin Encarnacion worked Sale through a nine pitch battle, ending with a two run home run to deep left.  This gave the National squad a commanding 4-0 lead at the mid-point of the game.

    The American Division finally got on the board in the bottom of the 8th.  Andrew McCutchen hit a solo home run on a 0-2, 2 out pitch from Yu Darvish.  It was McCutchen’s second hit of the night, giving him half of the American’s total hits.  Mariano Rivera made his final DTBL All-Star Game appearance in the top of the 9th, but it was not nearly the fairy tale ending that the real Rivera provided the night before.  He surrendered the final run of the game, a sacrifice fly by David Ortiz scoring Longoria.  Sergio Romo took the mound with a four run lead in the bottom of the 9th and, fittingly, struck out the side to end the game.

    Scherzer was the winning pitcher and Lee took the loss.  There was a tough call for the MVP award.  Longoria reached base four times on two hits with a RBI.  Davis had three hits.  Sherzer had the two impressive innings on the mound.  But in the end, we decided to go with OOTP’s choice of Mavericks first baseman Edwin Encarnacion.  His two run homer was definitely the biggest hit of the game.

    You never know how these games will play out.  Although the 29 strike outs were pretty mind-boggling, the domination of the National pitching staff was not.  They had as strong of a collection of starting pitcher as you will ever see.  In fact, the National Division could have fielded a very strong 5-man rotation of guys who didn’t even make this team.  Both teams had impressive lineups, but good pitching beat good hitting on this night.

    We had some technical difficulties, so the game wasn’t played quite the way I had planned.  Nick had connectivity issues, making the webcast a no-go.  So we went “old school” and started a Facebook chat with me typing in the play-by-play, which is pretty much how we did things until the LiveStream idea popped up a couple years ago.  So I apologize to anyone who tried to tune into the webcast last night.  We’ll try something similar next year, although I’m thinking about switching to a Google+ Hangout.  But we’ll worry about that a year from now.

    I hope you had a restful All-Star break.  The baseball action resumes tomorrow!

    Here is the box score from last night’s game.