Category: Cougars

Good, Bad and Ugly

Moonshiners first baseman Prince Fielder

You’ve heard all about the champion Jackalope. Now it’s time to take a look back at the 2011 season for the other nine teams. I’ve grouped them into three categories: the good, the bad and the ugly. These groups don’t necessarily relate to the order of finish, but how competitive the teams were compared to expectations. The three teams I identified as “good” all finished higher in the standings than they did a year ago and should feel like they are headed in the right direction. “Bad” isn’t really the right word for the second group, because two of the three teams actually finished near the top of the standings. Disappointing is a better way to describe them. Finally, the teams that fall into the “ugly” category would probably like to pretend 2011 never happened.

THE GOOD

Mike’s Moonshiners

The quickest team out of the gate, the Moonshiners led the league for a good part of the first quarter of the season. They stumbled a bit in early summer and never really recovered, finishing in third place. However, that was up two spots from a year ago and was their best finish since 2008. The improvement was almost entirely due to the pitching staff, which received a huge boost from the Jackalope trade which brought them ace pitcher and Cy Young candidate Jared Weaver. While I already mentioned how beneficial that trade was to the Jackalope, the impact was similar for the Moonshiners. Weaver turned their average pitching staff into one of the league’s best. He finished in the top five of the league in ERA, WHIP and wins. Meanwhile, the offense was carried by slugging first baseman Prince Fielder (38 HR, 120 RBI) and 30/30 man Ian Kinsler (32 HR, 30 SB). Now that the pitching staff has been fixed, the Moonshiners will look to improve their offense going into 2012. With the Jackalope winning their first title this year, the Moonshiners are now the longest tenured DTBL team without a title. They figure to have a good chance to change that next year.

Dom’s Demigods

The biggest jump in the standings was made by the Demigods. After finishing dead last a year ago, they managed to move into the top half of the standings with a fifth place finish in 2011. This is despite the fact that they got almost nothing out of their first overall pick (Buster Posey); same with his catching partner Joe Mauer. The rest of the offense was surprisingly good though, finishing in the top five in every category and leading the league in batting average. The indisputable MVP of the team was Matt Kemp, who hit .324 with 39 HR, 126 RBI, 115 R, 40 SB. He led the league in RBIs and was the only player to appear on the league leaderboard in all five categories. He even flirted with the NL Triple Crown until the final week of the season. The pitching staff was a bit of a disappointment, but overall, the Demigods appear to be headed in the right direction.

Charlie’s Thunder Choppers

Although they only wound up finishing one spot higher than a year ago (6th, up from 7th), this was a much better year for the Choppers. They were a title contender in the second half of the season for the first time in five years. They wound up finishing 16 1/2 points out of first, cutting almost half the deficit from a year ago (32 points). As I documented in an article a couple months ago, it was some recent first round draft picks that helped pump some more juice into the Choppers offense. Jose Bautista and Curtis Granderson finished first and second in the league in home runs (43 and 41 respectively). Both are strong MVP candidates, while Bautista is even eligible for the DTBL Rookie of the Year award. Granderson led the league with 136 runs scored, the highest total since 2007. The Choppers boast another strong ROY candidate in closer Craig Kimbrel who saved 46 games in his first full MLB season. If the Choppers can add one or two more elite starting pitchers, they are another team to watch in 2012.

THE BAD

Nick’s Naturals

Okay, I admit it isn’t really fair to put the Naturals in a category labeled as “bad”, because they were definitely not that. But a defending champion almost always has its sights set on repeating, and the Naturals weren’t quite able to do that this year, finishing a distant second. In some ways, this Naturals team was every bit as good as the one that tied for title last year, but the Jackalope were just a little better. The Naturals were unable to repeat their amazing feat of 50 batting points from a year ago, but still led the league with 45. They figured they would need to get more out of their pitching staff though. Unfortunately for them, that didn’t really happen. Newly acquired Zack Greinke was solid, but he, along with the rest of the staff, didn’t have a truly spectacular season. Still, the Naturals shouldn’t regret their Greinke/Howard trade, because the pitching would have been worse without Greinke. Miguel Cabrera and Joey Votto led the league’s best offense. Cabrera won the batting title with a .344 average. Overall, there is nothing for the Naturals to be ashamed of this year. They were as close as one half point behind the Jackalope in late August. They figure to be right back in the title hunt again next year.

Kevin’s Kings

Again, this wasn’t a “bad” season for the Kings. They finished exactly where they did a year ago, in fourth place. However, this time fourth place meant 15 points back and not really a serious contender down the stretch. Last year, they were in the hunt right until the end and finished just five points behind the co-champions. Other than place of finish, there was virtually nothing in common between the 2010 and 2011 Kings. This year’s squad had a below average offense and one of the league’s best pitching staffs. It was just the opposite in ’10. The main reason for the pitching upswing was one man: Justin Verlander. Verlander tied a DTBL single season record with 24 wins. He also led the league in WHIP (0.920) and strike outs (250). Really, he’s the only Kings pitcher who sticks out as having an impressive year, yet they managed to garner 40 pitching points. On offense, it was an underwhelming and injury plagued season for almost all of the Kings stars. Jose Reyes bounced back to being one of the league’s elite players, but he too couldn’t stay healthy. It is hard to say where this franchise is headed. Without Verlander’s monster year, they could have finished near the bottom of the standings this year. On the other hand, had a few key guys stayed healthy, they may have been in the hunt until the end.

Marc’s Mavericks

Now this is the one team in this group where the “bad” label probably applies. For the second straight year, the Mavericks finished in eighth place. But this isn’t a franchise that typically goes through long rebuilding processes. Last year, they were completely wrecked by injuries and essentially gave up with a couple months to play. This year, they had some injuries, but that wasn’t the biggest problem. Disappointing seasons from almost all of their young players gave them little hope of competing. They have had five first round picks the past two years, and I would call several of them major disappointments at this point. Carlos Santana and Matt Wieters had decent seasons at a weak offensive position, but the jury is still out on them. Gordon Beckham and Jayson Heward have been huge busts so far. The only Maverick who really stood out as having a tremendous 2011 season was Clayton Kershaw. Kerhsaw led the league in ERA (2.28) and was just behind Verlander in WHIP (0.977), wins (21) and strike outs (248). It should definitely come down to those two for the Cy Young award. The Mavericks really need to hit some home runs with their early picks in next year’s draft because the last two years have been rather forgettable.

THE UGLY

David’s Darkhorses

The Darkhorses set a standard of excellence in winning four consecutive DTBL championships from 2006-2010. This year, not only did they fail to meet that standard, but they wound up with the worst finish in league history for a defending champion, finishing a distant seventh. They won those four titles by having the most balanced team in the league, usually finishing first or second in both batting and pitching. This year, they somehow managed to fall to the middle of the pack in both areas. Injuries were a factor, but not to the extent you would expect for a team that fell apart like this. Below average seasons for most of the roster is the main explanation. I suppose it was bound to happen eventually. On the bright side, Jacoby Ellsbury turned himself into one of the best fantasy players with a 32 HR, 39 SB season while hitting .321. His Red Sox teammate Adrian Gonzalez had another solid year for the Darkhorses, but dropped off a bit in the second half. One major problem with the pitching staff was the criminally bad run support Tim Lincecum received. He only won 13 games despite putting up his usual dominating numbers in the other categories. James Shields and Chris Carpenter also won fewer games than you would expect from their other numbers. I’ll chalk this up as a worst-case scenario season for the Darkhorses. Surely, things will go better next year.

Greg’s Gators

I should point out that until the final day of the season, it appeared the Gators, and possibly the Cougars as well, were going to break the DTBL record for fewest total points in the 10 team era. Fortunately for them, both teams picked up a point or two in the final day and avoided this place in history. They wound up tied for ninth place with a putrid 21 total points, one clear of the record low mark of 20 by Tim’s Titans in 1999.

While the Gators did avoid that distinction, they managed to set a different low water mark. Their six batting points are the fewest ever in the 10 team era (since ’98, batting or pitching). Only a couple stolen bases prevented them from finishing dead last in all five offensive categories. Sadly, they were in last by a fairly wide margin in most categories. They are going to have a tough time finding enough players worthy of keeping. About the only offensive player who put up keeper-worthy numbers was Dan Uggla, and even he only hit .233. The pitching staff was a little better, mostly thanks to C.C. Sabathia. Injuries to Jair Jurrjens and Josh Johnson prevented them from having a pretty respectable staff. Overall, there is a lot of work to do for this squad. I think 2011 was clearly the worst season in franchise history.

Kelly’s Cougars

I think Kelly clearly had more important things on her mind this year, which caused her to not put a lot of time and effort into her team. I’m not sure it would have mattered though. Much as was the case with the White Sox, Adam Dunn almost single-handedly ruined the Cougars season. Nobody had a particularly good season either though. Josh Hamilton fought through injuries, and other key players were simply inconsistent. The pitching staff was especially poor, though that can be partly blamed on the loss of staff ace Adam Wainwright to Tommy John surgery before the season even started. This will be chalked up as a forgettable year for the Cougars. Perhaps with some bounce back years from their key players, 2012 should be better.

October 10, 2011
Trade Deadline Recap
Demigods outfielder Carlos Beltran

Here is my review of the trades involving one or more DTBL players which were made in the weeks/days leading up to today’s MLB trade deadline. Since I’m not too knowledgeable about prospects, my take will focus mostly on the DTBL players and the impact these guys will have on their new teams as well as the DTBL implications.

July 12 – Brewers/Mets
- Brewers get: RP Francisco Rodriguez (Moonshiners)
- Mets get: 2 PTBNL
- MLB impact: The Brewers made a significant improvement to their bullpen without giving up any players of note. When this deal was initially completed, it wasn’t clear what this would mean to their closer situation. However, John Axford has continued to save games for the Brewers, so Rodriguez appears to have been acquired strictly for set-up duties. Meanwhile, the Mets were able to unload a potentially enormous payroll drag had K-Rod finished enough games to kick in his guaranteed player option for 2012. This appears to have been a win-win deal for everyone but Rodriguez.
- DTBL impact: This was a costly trade for the Moonshiners, leaving them with just two closers. Fortunately, another rumored trade of Drew Storen to the Twins never happened, or they could have been left with a single closer. They still rank third in saves, but that position could be in jeopardy.
July 26 – Nationals/Reds
- Nationals get: OF Johnny Gomes (Cougars)
- Reds get: LHP Chris Manno, OF Bill Rhinehart
- MLB impact: Not much point in discussing this one too much. This was simply a dump trade by the Reds to make room for a rookie. I don’t really know why the Nats were interested in Gomes though, as they clearly aren’t going anywhere this season.
- DTBL impact: Gomes has been on the Cougars bench since May. Since he figures to remain a platoon player in DC, it is unlikely he’ll give the Cougars much of a boost from here on out.
July 27 – Cardinals/Blue Jays/White Sox
- Cardinals get: SP Edwin Jackson (free agent), RP Octavio Dotel (free agent), RP Marc Rzepczynski, OF Corey Patterson, 3 PTBNL
- Blue Jays get: OF Colby Rasmus (Naturals), 3B Mark Teahen, RP Brian Tallet, RP Trevor Miller, RHP P.J. Walters
- White Sox get: RP Jason Frasor, RHP Zach Stewart
- MLB impact: This was one of the strangest trades of the week in that it featured two teams in tight division races selling off pieces while a non-contender acquired the biggest impact player. Rasmus had lost favor in St. Louis and had been relegated to the bench. So the Cardinals getting rid of him wasn’t terribly surprising, but they certainly sold low on a talented player. They did acquire some much needed help for their rotation with Jackson though. The 27 year old Jackson has already been traded 7 times in his career! He’s a free agent after this season too, so it is likely he’ll be in yet another uniform next year. The White Sox got a nice reliever in Frasor, but this trade was mostly done to shed some payroll. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays are probably the big winners in this trade, getting Rasmus for hardly anything.
- DTBL impact: Jackson and Dotel are free agents. The Kings dumped Jackson about a month ago. It is possible some other team will give him a shot now that he is pitching for a NL team that can score some runs. This was a great trade for the Naturals since Rasmus will return to being an everyday player. Also, he could see a big spike in his numbers playing in a good hitters park and as part of a strong lineup.
July 28 – Giants/Mets
- Giants get: OF Carlos Beltran (Demigods)
- Mets get: RHP Zach Wheeler
- MLB impact: Beltran was considered the premier offensive player on the market, and the Giants definitely needed some offensive help. Beltran should give the Giants a significant boost as they attempt to defend their World Series title. He will be a free agent following this season, so it made sense for the Mets to trade him. Apparently, Wheeler is a very highly regarded pitching prospect, so this should be a good trade for both teams.
- DTBL impact: Even though this was one of the biggest trades of the week, it will probably have a minimal effect on the Demigods. Beltran is moving from one pitchers park to another and probably a weaker supporting cast. Beltran is also not the fantasy player he used to be since his power numbers are down and he doesn’t steal a lot of bases any more.
July 29 – Phillies/Astros
- Phillies get: OF Hunter Pence (Jackalope)
- Astros get: RHP Jarred Cosart, 1B/OF Jonathan Singleton, RHP Josh Zeid, PTBNL
- MLB impact: This is a huge trade for the Phillies who have had a bit of a black hole in right field this season. It makes their already impressive lineup just a bit stronger, further strengthening their resume as the best team in the National League. The Giants are still a threat due to their pitching, but the Phillies are the team to beat in October. Meanwhile, this was phase one in the Astros fire sale. They acquired some very good prospects, but the near term future is not bright.
- DTBL impact: I would call this deal a big win for the Jackalope, who have had almost nothing but positive developments all season. Pence figures to get a lot more RBI opportunities in Philly and is going to a great hitters park. The Jacaklope lead has shrunk a bit in recent days, but this trade should give their offense a boost.
July 30 – Red Sox/Royals
- Red Sox get: 2B Mike Aviles (free agent)
- Royals get: INF Yamaico Navarro, RHP Kendal Volz
- MLB impact: Not much to this deal. Aviles was simply a utility player in Kansas City and that will continue to be the case in Boston.
- DTBL impact: It is unlikely the DTBL free agent Aviles will attract much attention following this deal. His playing time will be severely limited.
July 30 – Rangers/Orioles
- Rangers get: RP Koji Uehera (Gators)
- Orioles get: P Tommy Hunter, 1B/3B Chris Davis
- MLB impact: The Rangers picked up a setup man who has some of the best numbers in the league this season. Uehera has incredible 64/8 strike out/walk numbers in 48 IP. They gave up a pair of players who they didn’t have much use for either, so this has to be viewed as a good deal for them. On the Orioles side, not receiving any legitimate prospects was surprising, but they did get two MLB ready players. They didn’t appear to have anywhere to put Davis when the trade was made, but the Lee trade a few hours later opened up 1B for him.
- DTBL impact: Minimal. The Gators have used Uehera almost all year, but unless he’s going to start getting save opportunities (very unlikely), this trade doesn’t change his value at all.
July 30 – Indians/Rockies
- Indians get: SP Ubaldo Jimenez (Gators)
- Rockies get: RHP Alex White, RHP Joseph Gardner, IF/OF Matt McBride, LHP Drew Pomeranz
- MLB impact: I don’t like to criticize teams for trying to go for it all when the opportunity presents itself, but I think this may be a bit of a short-sighted trade by the Indians. Yes, they are only a couple games out of first right now, but I believe they have overachieved to this point and are unlikely to win the division even with Jimenez. Meanwhile, they traded away two of their best pitching prospects. Jimenez should benefit by no longer pitching in Coors Field. Also, the NL to AL switch is less significant in this case since he is going to pitch in a very mediocre AL Central. He is not a free agent to-be, so this trade could be an important building block for the Indians, but call me skeptical. Great deal for the Rockies, IMO.
- DTBL impact: It will be very interesting to see how Jimenez pitches in Cleveland. He hasn’t been a truly elite pitcher in well over a year now. The Gators need him to return to his early 2010 form in order to help revive their middle-of-the-road pitching staff. It’s all about how well he pitches. This trade probably won’t affect his numbers that much one way or the other.
July 30 – Giants/Indians
- Giants get: SS Orlando Cabrera (Moonshiners)
- Indians get: OF Thomas Neal
- MLB impact: I was a little surprised by this trade on the Indians side. On the heals of their Jimenez deal, they sold off a valuable veteran in Cabrera. Apparently, they are very comfortable with Jason Kipnis as their everyday 2B, even though he just made his MLB debut earlier this week. I think it came down to Cabrera requesting to go somewhere he was wanted. The Giants are a perfect fit. He has a wealth of playoff experience and can help fill a number of roles for the Giants.
- DTBL impact: The Moonshiners have been shuffling Cabrera in and out of their lineup. That doesn’t figure to change much, but this is still a good trade for them because Cabrera was seeing his role diminish in Cleveland. He could still provide some value for the Moonshiners before this season ends.
July 30 – Pirates/Orioles
- Pirates get: 1B Derrek Lee (Choppers)
- Orioles get: 1B Aaron Baker
- MLB impact: The Lyle Overbay era as the Pirates starting 1B is mercifully over. The Pirates got so little production from that position, it is a miracle they are still in contention. Lee provides a significant upgrade at that position. I doubt it will be enough for them to hang with the Cardinals and Brewers, but it was the right move to make. Obviously, getting rid of the veteran Lee made sense for the Orioles who are going nowhere fast.
- DTBL impact: The Choppers haven’t used Lee since May. I don’t see this trade changing his role too much since he is probably in a worse hitting situation in Pittsburgh. He is a capable replacement though, should they need to call on him.
July 31 – Cardinals/Dodgers
- Cardinals get: SS Rafael Furcal (Moonshiners)
- Dodgers get: OF Alex Castellanos
- MLB impact: Furcal is clearly a big upgrade over Ryan Theriot at shortstop for the Cardinals. This all comes down to him staying healthy. If he is able to stick in the lineup, he will be a nice addition to the highest scoring team in the NL. This is pretty much just a dump for the Dodgers.
- DTBL impact: Pretty much the same as the impact for the Cardinals. If Furcal can actually stay healthy, he will be a valuable contributor for the Moonshiners. This trade doesn’t change his value too much, though he will probably have a chance to score more runs with the likes of Pujols, Holliday and Berkman hitting behind him.
July 31 – Braves/Astros
- Braves get: OF Michael Bourn (Jackalope)
- Astros get: OF Jordan Schafer, RHP Juan Abreu, RHP Paul Clemens, LHP Brett Oberholtzer
- MLB impact: Big addition for the Braves. They are trying to piece things together with all their recent injuries. Two obvious needs were center field and leadoff hitter. Bourn fills both holes. I think the Braves could have used another power hitter too, but Bourn will certainly improve the offense. This was part two of the Astros fire sale. Of course it makes sense for them to get as many decent prospects as they can, but boy are they going to struggle to win games the rest of this year and probably next season too.
- DTBL impact: Once again, the Jackalope benefit from the Astros upheaval. Bourn was putting up great numbers for a pathetic team. I doubt he will be able to improve upon his current stats too much, but getting out of Houston is definitely a net positive for him and the Jackalope.
July 31 – Rangers/Padres
- Rangers get: Mike Adams (Cougars)
- Padres get: LHP Robbie Erlin, RHP Joe Wieland
- MLB impact: You can pretty much read everything I wrote about the Uehera trade and repeat it here. In fact, Adams’ stats are almost identical to Uehera’s too. They have been two of the best setup men in baseball this year. So Adams is a very nice addition to the Rangers bullpen. Unlike the Uehera deal though, the Rangers actually gave up prospects to get Adams. Therefore, I would say this is a good trade for the Padres too. The Rangers are going to have an awfully strong bullpen.
- DTBL impact: Again, a non-closing reliever changing teams doesn’t really change his value much. Neftali Feliz has struggled at times this season, so Adams could be next in line to get saves if that continues. But for now, Adams fantasy value is unchanged by this deal. Perhaps a slight downgrade based on going from a great pitchers park to a hitters paradise. The Cougars will no doubt continue to use him though.
July 31 – Pirates/Padres
- Pirates get: OF Ryan Ludwick (Moonshiners)
- Padres get: PTBNL
- MLB impact: The Pirates need all the help they can get to improve their offense. Although I doubt he will make a major splash, Ludwick should help. Remember, he is only a couple years removed from being a big time power hitter for the Cardinals. Getting out of PETCO could be just what the doctor ordered. On the flip side, the dreadful Padres offense will only get worse without Ludwick. Hard to judge this trade for the Padres though since all they got was a player to be named later.
- DTBL impact: This wasn’t one of the big deadline trades, but it has the potential to be one of the biggest in terms of fantasy implications. The Moonshiners haven’t gotten much out of Ludwick since signing him in early June, but he could be a major contributor the rest of the way. This deal is a big win for them.
Just a reminder that the DTBL trade deadline is still a couple weeks away. Trades must be completed by August 15. We haven’t had a trade since the draft, but this could certainly change in the upcoming weeks. I think the reason for the lack of trades is two-fold: a lot of teams have had their hands tied due to a rash of injuries, leaving few healthy bodies to deal. Also, it seems a lot of teams have needs at the same positions (3B and OF in particular). But now that the race is starting to heat up, perhaps some teams will get creative to make a deal.
July 31, 2011
2011 DTBL All-Stars
Jose Bautista highlights a loaded American roster.

Sorry I’m a few days late with this, but I’m finally ready to announce the 2011 DTBL All-Stars. The 18th annual DTBL All-Star Game is tentatively scheduled for next Friday, July 15 at 10 p.m. EDT, 7 p.m. PDT. As mentioned a few days ago, the game will be live video-streamed here.

For the second straight year, the American Division will be managed by Nick while Dave will call the shots for the National Division. Perhaps there will be a little extra drama involved in this matchup as Nick and Dave try to claim final bragging rights from their championship tie a year ago. They broke all ties in voting and chose the 23rd player for their rosters. For the first time in league history, there was a team without any representation on the initial All-Star roster. Therefore, Nick was forced to use his 23rd player slot to make sure the Gators received a bid. He chose third baseman Johnny Peralta, who wasn’t even on the All-Star ballot (also a first). Peralta had fewer at bats than Danny Valencia at the time I created the list, which kept him off the ballot. Dave was able to use his 23rd slot with a more conventional pick, David Ortiz.

The American Division appears to have the stronger roster, which is not surprising considering they hold four of the top five spots in the standings. Their rotation of Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Jered Weaver, Felix Hernandez and Dan Haren is about as good as you can get (all but Haren were Jackalope a year ago). Meanwhile, the National team is loaded with Kings. 10 of the 23 players are from the Kings roster, which isn’t terribly surprising since they are the division’s lone contender so far this year.

Here are the 2011 DTBL All-Stars:

American Division

Starters:
- P – Roy Halladay, Jackalope
- C – Brian McCann, Jackalope
- 1B – Prince Fielder, Moonshiners
- 2B – Rickie Weeks, Naturals
- 3B – Adrian Beltre, Choppers
- SS – Asdrubal Cabrera, Naturals
- OF – Jose Bautista, Choppers
- OF – Ryan Braun, Jackalope
- OF – Curtis Granderson, Choppers
Reserves:
- C – Victor Martinez, Naturals
- 1B – Paul Konerko, Moonshiners
- 3B – Johnny Peralta, Gators
- SS – Troy Tulowitzki, Naturals
- OF – Hunter Pence, Jackalope
- OF – Justin Upton, Naturals
- P – Cliff Lee, Jackalope
- P – Jered Weaver, Moonshiners
- P – Felix Hernandez, Jackalope
- P – Dan Haren, Moonshiners
- RP – Craig Kimbrel, Choppers
- RP – Heath Bell, Jackalope
- RP – Mariano Rivera, Choppers
- RP – Drew Storen, Moonshiners
National Division

Starters:
- P – Justin Verlander, Kings
- C – Miguel Montero, Kings
- 1B – Adrian Gonzalez, Darkhorses
- 2B – Robinson Cano, Kings
- 3B – Alex Rodriguez, Kings
- SS – Jose Reyes, Kings
- OF – Matt Kemp, Demigods
- OF – Carlos Gonzalez, Kings
- OF – Jacoby Ellsbury, Darkhorses
Reserves:
- C – Carlos Santana, Mavericks
- 1B – Mark Teixeira, Cougars
- 1B – David Ortiz, Demigods
- 2B – Brandon Phillips, Cougars
- OF – Jay Bruce, Kings
- OF – Matt Holliday, Darkhorses
- P – Cole Hamels, Demigods
- P – James Shields, Darkhorses
- P – Clayton Kershaw, Mavericks
- P – Tommy Hanson, Kings
- RP – Joel Hanrahan, Cougars
- RP – Francisco Cordero, Kings
- RP – Brian Wilson, Darkhorses
- RP – J.J. Putz, Kings
Click here to view the full voting results.
July 6, 2011
Rivera Breaks Save Record

Choppers closer Mariano Rivera

Talk about a long overdue post. Over a month ago, Choppers relief pitcher Mariano Rivera became the DTBL’s all-time save leader. His 561st DTBL save moved him ahead of Trevor Hoffman. He has added another five saves since then and currently sits at 566 for his DTBL career.

Rivera has shown absolutely no sign of slowing down. In 2011, he has recorded 16 saves, putting him just a few behind the league leaders. His ERA of 1.90 and 1.056 WHIP are tough to beat. Even at 41 years old, there is no reason to think Rivera can’t keep pitching for several more years. Since turning 40, he has continued to rack up the saves with an ERA below 2.00.

Most of Rivera’s 16 DTBL seasons came with the Cougars. He was their first round pick in the 1997 Draft and remained with the club until a 2009 trade. Prior to the trade, Rivera appeared to be aging a bit, posting a career high 3.33 ERA. But almost immediately after he arrived with the Mavericks, he returned to his perch as the best relief pitcher in baseball. Following a strong year and a half with the rebuilding Mavericks, they traded him to the Choppers this past March for a second round draft pick. So after spending most of his career with one team, Rivera has now been traded twice in the last three years.

A model in consistency, Rivera has posted an ERA under 3.00 in every season except one (2007) and has had at least 30 saves every year but one (2002). Incredibly, he has been under a 2.00 ERA in nine seasons and has a career mark of 2.02. His career ERA and WHIP (0.976) are both the best of any pitcher in league history. It is virtually indisputable that he is the greatest relief pitcher in league history and possibly the best pitcher overall.

Rivera has been a welcomed addition to the very surprising Choppers squad. After years of disappointment, they find themselves in title contention. They are currently tied in fourth place. Perhaps most surprising is their grip on the league lead in saves after finishing dead last in that category a year ago, 32 saves behind the next worst team. Obviously, Rivera has played a big part in that resurgence. The bullpen has helped keep the Choppers pitching staff afloat while the rotation has been decimated by injuries. The latest coming to Brett Anderson, who may need Tommy John surgery. But with a powerful offense and a great bullpen, the Choppers figure to remain in contention as the season progresses.

June 7, 2011
A Flurry of Trades

The most active trade deadline in DTBL history saw five deals completed in the final two weeks before the August 15 deadline. From what I heard, many other deals were discussed as well. Some of the deals were made by the top three teams who are in an extremely tight race for the league championship. Others were made by teams looking to the future.

The activity began a little more than a week prior to the deadline. On August 9, the three time defending champion Darkhorses completed a pair of trades. First, they acquired catcher Ryan Doumit from the Kings for starting pitcher Ervin Santana. The Darkhorses ran into a bit of a problem right before the deadline as both of their regular catchers suffered injuries (Russell Martin and Geovany Soto). Martin’s injury was especially problematic because he will miss the remainder of the season. Doumit took Martin’s spot in the Darkhorses lineup. The Darkhorses released Martin who was a key member of their three championships. Doumit has been mostly disappointing following a third round selection by the Kings. He was recently replaced in the Pirates and Kings lineups by Chris Snyder. He is getting time at other positions though, so he does have some fantasy value. Meanwhile, Santana gives the Kings a little more depth to a starting rotation that has been mostly disappointing this season. For now, Santana is on their bench, but the Kings had little to lose in this deal since Doumit was no longer part of their plans.

The Darkhorses second deal on the 9th was a minor one. They acquired second baseman Alberto Callaspo and a 10th round pick in exchange for a 9th round pick to the Mavericks. The Mavericks had little use for Callaspo once Brian Roberts returned from the disabled list. so they were happy to move up a round for next year’s draft. Callaspo does have value for the Darkhorses though. Injuries to Martin Prado and Rafael Furcal have left the Darkhorses a little short handed in the middle infield. In fact, all of the deals made by the Darkhorses were primarily to shore up spots vacated by injuries. So far, they are still hanging on at the top of the standings, but their lead is tenuous at best.

Three more deals were completed in the final weekend before the deadline. The first was a pretty significant trade between two teams still in the championship hunt. The Jackalope made their first trade in years, acquiring second baseman Kelly Johnson from the Kings for starting pitcher Max Scherzer. The Jackalope have had the best pitching staff in the league all year, but their offense has kept them out of first place. Johnson has had a very good year for the Kings, but was expendable due to a log jam in their middle infield. Johnson should give the Jackalope an immediate power boost. Meanwhile, Scherzer may have been the most talented pitcher sitting on a DTBL bench for most of the season. He was stuck behind the Jackalope’s five superstar aces. The Kings have had their eye on him for quite a while. He provides them with a power arm. Until earlier this week, the Kings were buried in last place in strike outs. The Kings have a lot of ground to make up, so this trade may not be enough. However, Scherzer will probably be part of their future plans.

Perhaps the biggest trade was between two teams near the bottom of the standings. The Mavericks traded DTBL home run leader Adam Dunn and a fourth round pick to the Cougars for a first round pick in next year’s draft. So the Mavericks will have two of the first four or five picks in the draft again next year. Hopefully for their sake, those picks will pan out a little better than they did this year. On the other hand, the Cougars know exactly what they are getting in Dunn. One of the most consistent power hitters in the league, Dunn will give the Cougars a huge power boost. He clearly would have been a top five pick in the draft if he had been eligible next year, so trading the pick made sense for the Cougars.

Finally, the Mavericks weren’t done with their fire sale. The last trade before the deadline saw the Mavs deal veteran catcher Jorge Posada to the Darkhorses for relief pitcher Daniel Bard. Posada fills the other injury hole in the Darkhorses catching duo. Bard is a likely closer of the future, although if the Red Sox don’t make a decision soon on him vs. Papelbon, the Mavericks will have a difficult decision to make when roster cut time comes. This deal also leaves the Mavericks very shorthanded for the remainder of this season. They are out of free agent signings, so they will have to go with one catcher the rest of the way. On top of that, they had to activate Magglio Ordonez to fill Dunn’s spot. Ordonez probably won’t return until late September. So the Mavericks are playing two men short at the moment. Clearly, the Mavericks don’t have any particular desire to move up the standings.

So what do these deals mean as far as this year’s pennant race is concerned? The Darkhorses made a bunch of moves to cover up for injuries. They weren’t necessarily big improvement type deals, but filled needs. They are obviously still the team to beat, although they did lose their first place spot for one day earlier this week. The Jackalope held first place for that one day. It was their first taste of the top of the standings since early in the season. Johnson should give the Jackalope offense a boost, but will it be enough? The Jackalope pitching is so strong that they should be right in the running until the end. As of today, they are just two points out. The third team in serious contention is the Naturals. Although they did not make any deadline deals, they still have as good a shot as anybody. They continue to dominate the batting categories, but have some pitching issues. Essentially, they are the exact opposite of the Jackalope. Meanwhile, the Darkhorses remain strong in batting and pitching. The Kings bolstered their starting pitching, but 11 1/2 points will be difficult to make up in a month and a half. The moves they made were not just about this season though. They hope to keep their strong offense in tact, while improving the starting pitching.

The other six teams have very little hope of making a run this year, but the Cougars and Mavericks both made moves with an eye to the future. The Mavericks have suffered through a miserable year full of injuries and disappointments. With the picks they have acquired, they hope for better results next year. The Cougars gave up their first round pick for ’11, but picked up a first round caliber player in Dunn.

With three teams within four points of first place, the next month and a half should be very entertaining.

August 18, 2010
National Pitchers Prevail

In a baseball season with headlines dominated by pitchers, it was quite appropriate that the pitching staff for the National Division was primarily responsible for a 4-1 victory in the 17th annual Dream Team Baseball League All-Star Game. The game took place last Monday night, a day later that originally scheduled due to travel problems for yours truly. But fortunately we were able to get the game in a day later. A three run seventh inning proved to be the difference in the game as the National All-Stars picked up the victory at Cougar Coliseum, home of Kelly’s Cougars.

Only two players from the host team made the National All-Star squad, but both played significant roles in the victory, including staff ace Adam Wainwright who got the start on the mound. He was opposed by early Cy Young Award candidate, Ubaldo Jimenez of the Gators. Both starters were sharp in this one, pitching a pair of scoreless innings. Jimenez did get into a bit of a jam in the bottom of the second though. Justin Morneau touched him up with a one out triple. However, successive strike outs of Robinson Cano and Hanley Ramirez ended the threat. The Ramirez at bat was especially dominating as Ramirez whiffed at three consecutive pitches.

Chris Carpenter took the mound for the National Division in the third and was rudely greeted with a lead-off home run by Ryan Braun, giving the American All-Stars an early 1-0 lead. The National squad quickly answered in the bottom half. Cougars outfielder Josh Hamilton knocked a two out single to right-center scoring Joe Mauer who had singled to lead off the inning. The National team recorded three singles in the inning off league ERA leader Josh Johnson.

The score remained tied until the bottom of the seventh. Neither team recorded more than one hit in an inning during the middle frames. Rafael Soriano took the mound for the American Division in the seventh and quickly retired the first two batters he faced. But it started to unravel after that. Soriano hit Torii Hunter and uncorked a pair of wild pitches on his way to walking Alex Rios. Billy Wagner then relieved Soriano with runners on the corners. An Adam Dunn single scored Hunter. Then Kevin Youkilis reached on an error by third baseman David Wright to load the bases. A bases loaded walk to Morneau increased the lead to 3-1. Then Cano followed with another single to score the third run of the inning. When the inning finally ended, the National All-Stars had built a 4-1 lead.

The American Division never really had an opportunity to get back in the game after the big seventh inning. Mariano Rivera pitched a scoreless eighth inning and Brian Wilson retired the American hitters in order in the ninth, including a pair of strike outs. The game ended on a Wilson strike out of Albert Pujols after a lengthy nine pitch at bat. Jonathan Broxton picked up the victory for the National Division while Soriano took the loss and Wilson recorded the save.

There was a small controversy regarding the selection of the game’s Most Valuable Player. OOTP chose Ryan Braun, but Dave and I immediately overruled that selection since not only was he on the losing team, but his solo home run was his only hit of the game. There were a number of candidates, including Dunn and Cano, but we went with Kings first baseman Justin Morneau. Morneau was one for two with a triple and two walks in four plate appearances. One of his walks was with the bases loaded, so he also had an RBI.

National pitchers were completely dominating in this one. Not only did they surrender just the one run on a solo home run, but they gave up only four hits to a very impressive American lineup. National pitchers also recorded 10 strike outs with just one walk. American pitchers were not quite as dominant, but they gave up just two earned runs and struck out nine.

Thanks to Dave and Nick for the time they spent making the final roster selections, setting their lineups and then showing up to manage the game. It was a well played game and a great way to kick off the second half of the season. Now we will just have to see if someone is going to make a run at the Darkhorses who appear primed to make it four in a row.

July 26, 2010
2010 DTBL All-Stars

Thanks to everyone for voting for the 2010 DTBL All-Stars. The 17th annual DTBL All-Star Game is tentatively scheduled for Sunday, July 18 at 9 p.m EDT / 6 p.m. PDT. Nick will be managing the American Division while Dave will be calling the shots for the National Division. The two of them were responsible for breaking all ties in the voting and for selecting the 23rd player for each roster. And now, here are your 2010 DTBL All-Stars. The final voting results are posted below the rosters.

American Division

Starters:
P – Ubaldo Jimenez, Gators
C – Mike Napoli, Moonshiners
1B – Miguel Cabrera, Naturals
2B – Rickie Weeks, Naturals
3B – David Wright, Moonshiners
SS – Elvis Andrus, Jackalope
OF – Carl Crawford, Naturals
OF – Vladimir Guerrero, Choppers
OF – Ryan Braun, Jackalope

Reserves:
C – Victor Martinez, Naturals
1B – Albert Pujols, Jackalope
1B – Paul Konerko, Moonshiners
2B – Dan Uggla, Gators
OF – Vernon Wells, Jackalope
OF – Shin-Soo Choo, Moonshiners
P – Roy Halladay, Jackalope
P – Josh Johnson, Gators
P – Yovani Gallardo, Moonshiners
P – Jon Lester, Naturals
RP – Rafael Soriano, Moonshiners
RP – Heath Bell, Jackalope
RP – Phil Hughes, Choppers
RP – Billy Wagner, Gators

National Division

Starters:
P – Adam Wainwright, Cougars
C – Joe Mauer, Demigods
1B – Justin Morneau, Kings
2B – Robinson Cano, Kings
3B – Evan Longoria, Demigods
SS – Hanley Ramirez, Darkhorses
OF – Josh Hamilton, Cougars
OF – Carlos Gonzalez, Kings
OF – Alex Rios, Kings

Reserves:
C – Jorge Posada, Mavericks
1B – Kevin Youkilis, Mavericks
2B – Dustin Pedroia, Demigods
2B – Martin Prado, Darkhorses
OF – Torii Hunter, Darkhorses
OF – Adam Dunn, Mavericks
P – Chris Carpenter, Darkhorses
P – Tim Lincecum, Darkhorses
P – Clayton Kershaw, Mavericks
P – Clay Buchholz, Kings
RP – Neftali Feliz, Mavericks
RP – Jonathan Broxton, Darkhorses
RP – Mariano Rivera, Mavericks
RP – Brian Wilson, Darkhorses

Players by team:
7 – Darkhorses
6 – Jackalope, Mavericks, Moonshiners
5 – Kings, Naturals
4 – Gators
3 – Demigods
2 – Choppers, Cougars

Voting Results

American Division

Catchers

10 – Mike Napoli, Moonshiners
8 – Victor Martinez, Naturals
2 – Kurt Suzuki, Gators

First Basemen/Third Basemen

10 – Miguel Cabrera, Naturals
8 – Albert Pujols, Jackalope
7 – Paul Konerko, Moonshiners
6 – David Wright, Moonshiners
5 – Joey Votto, Naturals
3 – Adrian Beltre, Choppers
1 – Scott Rolen, Naturals

Second Basemen/Shortstops

8 – Dan Uggla, Gators
8 – Rickie Weeks, Naturals
5 – Elvis Andrus, Jackalope
4 – Derek Jeter, Gators
3 – Troy Tulowitzki, Naturals
1 – Howie Kendrick, Naturals
1 – Chase Utley, Choppers

Outfielders

10 – Carl Crawford, Naturals
10 – Vladimir Guerrero, Choppers
9 – Ryan Braun, Jackalope
8 – Vernon Wells, Jackalope
5 – Shin-Soo Choo, Moonshiners
4 – Jayson Werth, Choppers
3 – Andrew McCutchen, Naturals
1 – Justin Upton, Naturals

Starting Pitchers

10 – Ubaldo Jimenez, Gators
8 – Roy Halladay, Jackalope
7 – Josh Johnson, Gators
6 – Yovani Gallardo, Moonshiners
6 – Jon Lester, Naturals
4 – Jered Weaver, Jackalope
3 – Felix Hernandez, Jackalope
3 – David Price, Naturals
2 – Cliff Lee, Jackalope
1 – C.C. Sabathia, Gators

Relief Pitchers

9 – Rafael Soriano, Moonshiners
7 – Heath Bell, Jackalope
6 – Phil Hughes, Choppers
6 – Billy Wagner, Gators
5 – Jose Valverde, Naturals
3 – Francisco Rodriguez, Moonshiners
2 – Carlos Marmol, Choppers
1 – Matt Capps, Jackalope
1 – Joakim Soria, Naturals

National Division

Catchers

9 – Joe Mauer, Demigods
7 – Jorge Posada, Mavericks
2 – John Buck, Cougars
2 – Geovany Soto, Darkhorses

First Basemen/Third Basemen

9 – Evan Longoria, Demigods
9 – Justin Morneau, Kings
7 – Adrian Gonzalez, Darkhorses
7 – Kevin Youkilis, Mavericks
4 – Alex Rodriguez, Kings
4 – Michael Young, Darkhorses

Second Basemen/Shortstops

10 – Robinson Cano, Kings
10 – Hanley Ramirez, Darkhorses
7 – Dustin Pedroia, Demigods
2 – Martin Prado, Darkhorses
1 – Rafael Furcal, Darkhorses

Outfielders

10 – Josh Hamilton, Cougars
9 – Carlos Gonzalez, Kings
9 – Alex Rios, Kings
6 – Torii Hunter, Darkhorses
4 – Adam Dunn, Mavericks
3 – Matt Kemp, Demigods
3 – Ichiro Suzuki, Demigods
2 – Andre Ethier, Darkhorses
2 – Magglio Ordonez, Mavericks
1 – Matt Holliday, Darkhorses
1 – Shane Victorino, Cougars

Starting Pitchers

10 – Chris Carpenter, Darkhorses
10 – Tim Lincecum, Darkhorses
10 – Adam Wainwright, Cougars
9 – Clayton Kershaw, Mavericks
8 – Clay Buchholz, Kings
2 – Justin Verlander, Kings
1 – Roy Oswalt, Darkhorses

Relief Pitchers

9 – Neftali Feliz, Mavericks
8 – Jonathan Broxton, Darkhorses
8 – Mariano Rivera, Mavericks
6 – Brian Wilson, Darkhorses
5 – Andrew Bailey, Cougars
2 – Francisco Cordero, Darkhorses
1 – Matt Lindstrom, Demigods
1 – Leo Nunez, Kings

July 8, 2010