The post-season picture is complete!
The division champion Newark Sugar Bears
and Vancouver Iron Fist have
first-round
byes
while four
teams battle it out in the wild card round: The third-seeded Las Vegas Rat Pack take on the sixth-seeded Hillsborough Hired Hitmen, and the
fourth-place Philadelphia Endzone Animals
match up
against
the fifth-seeded D.C. Bushslappers.
Let's take a look at how the playoff
teams were built.
|
Pre-Season |
In-Season |
Years on
Team |
Team |
Protected |
Drafted |
Signed |
Trade |
2+ |
3+ |
5+ |
Longest |
Newark |
14 |
12 |
4 |
0 |
18 |
10
|
6 |
C.Jones (13)
M.Ramirez (12)
R.Johnson (12)
|
Vancouver |
15 |
11
|
2
|
2
|
18
|
10
|
7
|
Maddux (16)
B.Wagner (11)
Alou (7)
|
Las Vegas
|
12
|
6
|
4
|
8
|
10
|
5
|
0
|
F.Thomas (4)
Four tied (3)
|
Philadelphia |
14 |
6
|
4
|
6
|
13
|
7
|
5
|
Rolen (10)
J.Drew (8)
Pujols (7)
|
D.C.
|
11
|
12
|
6
|
1
|
8
|
3
|
NA
|
Beltran (3)
J.Reyes (3)
Escobar (3)
|
Hillsborough
|
15 |
10
|
5
|
0
|
12
|
6
|
NA
|
Sabathia (4)
Five tied (3)
|
"How Acquired"
reflects only the most recent acquisition of the player; for example, a
player who was drafted, released and then re-signed is considered a
"free agent" acquisition. "Years With Team" counts only a
player's DMBL service time and does not include years missed due to
injuries, ineligiblity or the minor leagues. For
example, Newark's Hideki Matsui has been with
the Sugar Bears since 2003, but has just three years of service time --
he was an ineligible prospect in 2003, and missed all of 2007 due to
injury.
Newark Sugar
Bears (1st place, 114-48)
Hanover
Division champions for a DMBL record eighth straight year, the
defending DMBL
Champions are largely intact, with six players hoping to be a part of
history as the league's only "five-peat" champions. The Sugar Bears
also
have four players -- Chipper Jones, Manny Ramirez, Bobby Abreu
and Randy Johnson -- who also picked up a pair
of rings from the '01-'02 Sugar Bear run. Jones and Ramirez are the
only two
players remaining who have been members of all seven of Newark's league
champion teams. (Johnson, who has been with the
team since '96, missed the entire '97 season due to injury.) Jones and
Johnson are the only remaining members of the inaugural 1996 Sugar
Bears.
BATTERS |
POS |
HOW
ACQUIRED |
YEARS
WITH NWK |
Bobby Abreu
|
OF
|
protected
|
10 (99-08)
|
Jack Cust
|
OF
|
draft (1st/14)
|
1 (08)
|
Mark DeRosa
|
2/3/O |
protected
|
2 (07-08) |
Mike Fontenot
|
2B
|
draft (Supp/13)
|
1 (08)
|
Troy Glaus
|
3B
|
draft (7th/98)
|
1 (08)
|
Carlos Guillen
|
1/S |
protected
|
7 (02-08) |
Chipper Jones
|
3B
|
protected
|
13 (96-08) |
Hideki
Matsui
|
OF
|
protected
|
4 (04-06, 08)
|
Yadier Molina
|
C
|
draft (12th/168)
|
1 (08)
|
Manny Ramirez |
OF
|
protected |
12 (97-08) |
Jarrod Saltalamacchia
|
1/C
|
draft (2nd/28)
|
1 (08)
|
Luke Scott
|
OF
|
draft (9th/126)
|
1 (08)
|
Marco Scutaro
|
2/3/S
|
draft (8th/112)
|
1 (08)
|
Matt Stairs
|
1/O
|
draft (3rd/42)
|
2 (07-08)
|
Nick Swisher
|
1/O
|
protected
|
3 (06-08)
|
PITCHERS |
POS |
HOW
ACQUIRED |
YEARS
WITH NWK |
Joaquin Benoit
|
RP |
protected
|
2 (07-08)
|
Jared Burton
|
RP
|
draft (5th/70)
|
1 (08)
|
Dave Bush
|
SP |
free agent (July 6)
|
4 (05-08)
|
Manny Delcarmen
|
RP
|
draft (2nd/26) |
1 (08)
|
Scott Downs
|
RP
|
draft (6th/84)
|
1 (08)
|
Randy Johnson
|
SP |
protected
|
12 (96, 98-08)
|
Chris Ray
|
RP |
free agent (June 12)
|
1 (08)
|
Joe Saunders
|
SP |
free agent (April 18)
|
2 (07-08)
|
James Shields |
SP |
protected
|
2 (07-08) |
Brian Shouse
|
RP
|
draft (10th/140)
|
1 (08)
|
John Smoltz
|
SP |
protected
|
8 (00, 02-08)
|
Rafael Soriano
|
RP |
protected
|
2 (07-08)
|
Matt Thornton
|
RP |
free agent (June 26)
|
2 (07-08)
|
Javier Vazquez
|
SP |
protected
|
2 (07-08)
|
Chien-Ming Wang
|
SP |
protected
|
3 (06-08)
|
We're all friends here: Newark
owner/GM Craig
"Butch" Garretson likes having familiar faces around. Of the 30-man
roster, only four joined the team after Opening Day -- and of those,
only one (Chris Ray) was truly a newcomer. Dave Bush, who has been
with the team since 2005, was drafted in
the 14th Round (#196
overall), cut in Spring Training and then re-signed in July. The same
goes for Joe Saunders, who was taken with the
65th pick in
the Supplemental Draft, released, and then brought back a month later.
It's the second straight year that Saunders joined the team as a minor
league free agent, but then pitched himself into the big league
rotation. The other in-season addition, June pick-up Matt Thornton, also had
been a member of last year's team... The Sugar Bears have 12 players
from their 2008 draft, the most of any playoff team. That doesn't
include Bush and Saunders, who were drafted, released and then
re-signed... The only member of the Protected
List no longer with the team is long-time Sugar Bear Nick Johnson, who was released after announcing
he will sit out the entire 2009 season to work on his Private Pyle
impression. Johnson's release left Newark as the only team in the
post-season without an ineligible player on the roster.
Vancouver Iron Fist
(2nd place, 104-58)
The Iron Fist missed the playoffs last year, but the Morris Division
champions have plenty of post-season experience: They were here in '05 and '06, as well as every
year between 1991 and 2002. The Fisters return nine players from the
'05 wild card team, plus one more who was with the '06 division champs.
Three players -- Greg Maddux, Moises Alou and Billy Wagner
-- were members of the '02 team. But only Maddux has an Iron Fist World
Series ring, as the team hasn't won it all since 1994. (Maddux has two
rings, as he also was a member of the '93 team.) Vancouver leads all
playoff teams with most five-year players (7) and is tied with Newark
for most returning players (18) and most three-year players (10).
BATTERS |
POS |
HOW
ACQUIRED |
YEARS
WITH VAN |
Moises Alou
|
OF
|
protected
|
7 (02-08)
|
Ryan Doumit
|
C/O |
draft (4th/55)
|
1 (08)
|
Andre Ethier
|
OF
|
draft (6th/76)
|
2 (07-08)
|
Curtis Granderson
|
OF
|
protected |
2 (07-08)
|
Jose Guillen
|
OF
|
draft (3rd/40)
|
2 (07-08)
|
Todd Helton
|
1B
|
protected |
1 (08)
|
Maicer Izturis
|
2/3S
|
draft (Supp/18)
|
2 (07-08)
|
Jose Lopez
|
2/3 |
free agent (May 20)
|
1 (08)
|
Mike Lowell
|
3B |
protected |
3 (06-08)
|
Victor Martinez
|
C/1
|
protected |
4 (05-08)
|
David Ortiz
|
DH
|
protected |
6 (03-08)
|
Ryan Spilborghs
|
OF |
free agent (April 30)
|
1 (08)
|
Chase Utley
|
2B |
protected |
4 (05-08)
|
Josh Willingham
|
OF |
draft (10th/132)
|
1 (08)
|
Michael Young
|
SS |
protected |
6 (03-08)
|
Adam Jones
|
Inelig |
draft (8th/111)
|
none
|
PITCHERS |
POS |
HOW
ACQUIRED |
YEARS
WITH VAN |
Chad Billingsley
|
S/R |
protected
|
2 (07-08)
|
Manny Corpas
|
RP |
protected
|
2 (07-08)
|
Zack Greinke
|
S/R |
draft (1st/6)
|
1 (08)
|
Matt Herges
|
RP |
draft (5th/62)
|
1 (08)
|
Rich Hill
|
SP |
protected
|
2 (07-08)
|
Greg Maddux
|
SP |
protected
|
16 (92-08)
|
Hideki Okajima
|
RP |
draft (2nd/20)
|
1 (08)
|
Scott Olsen
|
SP |
trade (June 18)
|
2 (07-08)
|
Akinori Otsuka
|
RP |
trade (July 18)
|
1 (08)
|
Jake Peavy
|
SP |
protected
|
5 (04-08)
|
Troy Percival
|
RP |
draft (3rd/29)
|
1 (08)
|
Ben Sheets
|
SP |
protected
|
5 (04-08)
|
Billy Wagner
|
RP |
protected
|
11 (97-00, 02-08)
|
Hiroki Kuroda
|
Inelig |
draft (8th/104)
|
none
|
That's why they call 'em 'keepers': Vancouver
held onto all 15 players from their protected list, including a guy
they acquired shortly before keepers were due -- former Mighty Man Todd Helton. Helton, who reached the post-season six times as
a member of that team, was acquired in an off-season trade. Vancouver
GM Yaro Zajac likes bringing back familiar
faces. He drafted three players who were members of the '07 squad, and
traded for a fourth in SP Scott Olsen. The
Iron Fist still have 11 players from this year's draft, second only to
the Sugar Bears. One of those 11 is infielder Maicer
Izturis, who has the dubious distinction of being the latest draft
pick to stick all season with a playoff team. Izturis was taken in the
second round of the Supplemental Draft -- the 228th player selected
overall. (Newark's Joe Saunders was drafted in
the seventh round, #275, but was released before re-signing later.)
Las Vegas Rat Pack (3rd
place, 106-56)
The Rat Pack claimed the top wildcard seed as well as the Ian Rintel Award for the
Front Office Executive of the Year after the best turn-around in the
history of Diamond Mind Baseball. The Rats reached the post-season as a
No. 5 seed in 2006, but washed out in the first round. Owner/GM/Manager
Eric Wickstrom then embarked on the
most
aggressive rebuilding program in league history, trading away almost
everything to focus his resources entirely on the 2008 campaign. The
team lost 110 games in 2007, but those days are long
forgotten after this year's exhilirating run. Just seven players remain
from last year's team; five were with the team for the '06 playoff run.
And there's just one player here long enough to have worn a Harrison
Rats uniform: Frank Thomas, who played for the
team from 2003 to 2005 and returned this year. The Pack's roster
includes Rich Harden,a member fo the 2005 and
2006 teams who has missed the last two seasons, but is reportedly in
terrific shape and primed for a big year next season... Las Vegas has
the most first-year players -- 20 -- of any playoff team. Just five
have played three or more years for the franchise, and Thomas is the
only player to have been here as many as four years (and he hasn't been
here since 2005). In fact, just three
players have been active for the Rats for the past three seasons: Chone Figgins, Joe Mauer
and Chris Young.
BATTERS |
POS |
HOW
ACQUIRED |
YEARS
WITH LV* |
Chone Figgins
|
3/O
|
protected
|
3 (06-08)
|
Jonny Gomes
|
OF
|
draft (11th/141)
|
2 (06, 08)
|
Alex Gordon
|
1/3
|
protected
|
1 (08)
|
Vladimir Guerrero
|
OF
|
trade (July 14)
|
1 (08)
|
Matt Holliday
|
OF
|
protected
|
2 (07-08)
|
Jeff Keppinger
|
3/S
|
draft (1st/9)
|
1 (08)
|
Joe Mauer
|
C
|
protected
|
3 (06-08)
|
Lyle Overbay
|
1B
|
free agent (June 24)
|
1 (08)
|
Ronny Paulino
|
C
|
draft (4th/43)
|
1 (08)
|
Carlos Pena
|
1B
|
draft (1st/2)
|
1 (08)
|
Placido Polanco
|
2B
|
protected
|
1 (08)
|
Ichiro Suzuki
|
OF
|
protected
|
1 (08)
|
Frank Thomas
|
DH
|
draft (8th/99)
|
4 (03-05, 08)
|
Jim Thome
|
DH
|
trade (Jan. 29)
|
1 (08)
|
PITCHERS |
POS |
HOW
ACQUIRED |
YEARS
WITH LV* |
Josh Beckett
|
SP
|
trade (July 17)
|
1 (08)
|
Erik Bedard
|
SP
|
protected
|
1 (08)
|
Joe Beimel
|
RP
|
free agent (June 5)
|
1 (08)
|
Rafael Betancourt
|
RP
|
trade (Jan. 29)
|
1 (08)
|
A.J. Burnett
|
SP
|
trade (Jan. 29)
|
1 (08)
|
Orlando Hernandez
|
SP
|
protected
|
3 (05, 07-08)
|
Tim Lincecum
|
SP
|
protected
|
1 (08)
|
Carlos Marmol
|
RP
|
protected
|
2 (07-08)
|
Damaso Marte
|
RP
|
draft (5th/57)
|
2 (07-08)
|
Joe Nathan
|
RP
|
trade (July 11)
|
1 (08)
|
Pat Neshek
|
RP
|
trade (Jan. 29)
|
1 (08)
|
Eric O'Flaherty
|
RP
|
free agent (July 14)
|
1 (08)
|
Rafael Perez
|
RP
|
trade (July 20)
|
1 (08)
|
Brian Wolfe
|
RP
|
free agent (June 10)
|
1 (08)
|
Chris Young
|
SP
|
protected
|
3 (06-08)
|
Rich Harden
|
Inelig
|
protected
|
2 (05-06)
|
*Played as Harrison Rats, 2001-2004
|
Cleaning house: How do you bounce
back
from a 110-loss season? Get rid of everybody! Wickstrom's rebuilding
program didn't conclude with the end of the 2007 season. He added eight
players via trade, and four more by free agency -- the most in-season
additions of any team in the playoffs. As a result, he has the fewest
keeper list players (12) and draft picks (6) still with the team. And
the
protected list includes three first-time Rat Packers acquired this
off-season via trade: Erik Bedard, Placido Polanco and Ichiro
Suzuki... Remember, also, that the Rats started with the largest
protected list of any team -- 19 players -- making it all the more
amazing that they wound up with just 12... Who needs the draft? The
only player the Pack selected
during the 2007 draft who is still with the team is Tim
Lincecum, who was taken in the 7th round (#93 overall) as an
ineligible prospect. In fact, from the last three drafts, the Rats have just
three players remaining -- and two of them left and then came back! The
only player remaining from the 2006 draft is Jonny
Gomes, who was taken in the 2nd round (#19
overall) but traded; the Rats got him back this year in the 11th round
(#141 overall). And the last survivor of the 2005 draft is Orlando Hernandez, who was taken in the 2nd round
(#19 overall), but subsequently traded for a 7th round draft pick. The
Rats then got him back last year after signing him as a minor league
free agent.
Philadelphia
Endzone Animals
(4th place, 96-66)
The Endzone Animals are in the post-season for a second straight year
and the third time in franchise history. The Animals bring back 11 players from last
year's Morris Division champions, and five players who were with the
2005 squad that went to the big dance as a No. 4 seed. Four players
have been with the Animals for all three trips -- J.D.
Drew, Albert Pujols, Scott
Rolen and Johan Santana. That doesn't
include Magglio Ordonez, who spent the entire
'05 season on the roster as an ineligible player... Rolen, who missed
the entire '06 season due
to injury, is the only remaining member of the original '98 team, then
known as the Eagle Wings. He was the team's very first draft pick,
taken #2 overall... Drew, a member of the franchise since he was
drafted as an ineligible prospect in '99, spent his first six years
with Philly, played in 2006 with
the Iron Fist and then came back last year... Going by contiguous
service, the senior member of the
squad is actually Albert Pujols, who has spent
his entire seven-year career with the Animals.
|
BATTERS |
POS |
HOW
ACQUIRED |
YEARS WITH PHI |
J.D. Drew
|
OF |
protected
|
8 (00-05, 07-08) |
Adam Dunn
|
OF
|
trade (July 16)
|
1 (08)
|
Brendan Harris
|
2/S
|
free agent (Aug. 1)
|
1 (08)
|
Kelly Johnson
|
2B
|
trade (June 23)
|
1 (08)
|
Milke Lamb
|
1/3 |
draft (8th/110)
|
2 (05, 08)
|
Adam Lind
|
OF
|
free agent (June 24)
|
1 (08)
|
Dioner Navarro
|
C
|
draft (Supp/11)
|
1 (08)
|
Magglio Ordonez
|
OF
|
protected
|
5 (03-04,06-08)
|
Jorge Posada
|
C
|
protected
|
1 (08)
|
Albert Pujols
|
1B
|
protected
|
7 (02-08) |
Scott Rolen
|
3B
|
protected
|
10 (98-05, 07-08)
|
Jimmy Rollins
|
SS |
protected
|
2 (07-08) |
Gary Sheffield
|
OF
|
draft (10th/138)
|
1 (08)
|
Mark Teixeira
|
1B |
protected
|
1 (08)
|
Chris B. Young
|
OF
|
protected
|
1 (08)
|
PITCHERS |
POS |
HOW
ACQUIRED |
YEARS WITH PHI |
Jason Bergmann
|
SP |
draft (4th/47)
|
1 (08)
|
Matt Cain
|
SP
|
protected
|
2 (07-08) |
Francisco Cordero
|
RP |
protected
|
2 (07-08) |
Octavio Dotel
|
RP
|
free agent (July 12)
|
1 (08)
|
Jason Frasor
|
RP
|
free agent (July 20)
|
1 (08)
|
Yovani Gallardo
|
SP
|
protected
|
1 (08)
|
Aaron Harang
|
SP |
trade (July 19)
|
1 (08)
|
Jason Isringhausen
|
RP |
trade (June 23)
|
1 (08)
|
Kyle Kendrick
|
SP |
trade (June 18)
|
1 (08)
|
J.J. Putz
|
RP |
protected |
3 (06-08)
|
Jon Rauch
|
RP |
draft (6th/82)
|
2 (07-08) |
Johan Santana
|
SP |
protected |
6 (03-08) |
Justin Speier
|
RP |
trade (July 5)
|
2 (06, 08)
|
Brandon Webb
|
SP |
protected |
3 (06-08) |
David Price
|
Inelig |
draft
(7th/96)
|
none
|
Finding the balance: There's more than one
way to make a playoff team. Sugar Bears, for example, were
built almost entirely through their keeper list and draft, with just
one new face since Opening Day; the Rat Pack were a work in progress,
with a dozen players added to the roster after keeper lists were due.
Owner/GM Anthony "Bocci" Pucci's strategy was
somewhere in between: The Animals were tied for the second-most
protected players (14), but also are tied for the fewest drafted
players (6); they're second for most players added through
trades (6) but in the middle of the pack for free agents (4). The
missing keeper is Michael Cuddyer,
who was cut Aug. 1 to make room for middle infielder Brendan Harris. Cuddyer, acquired from the Iron
Fist in a trade last year, was hitting .263 with a .739 OPS as a
reserve... They also have three first-year players who were on the
keeper list after being acquired in off-season trades: Jorge Posada, Mark Teixeira
and Chris B. Young (the outfielder), plus Yovani Gallardo, who spent all of the 2007 season
in the minors... The Animals in-season moves included bringing back a
member of the 2006 team: middle reliever Justin
Speier... Philly struggled with injuries all season and it shows in
their roster: The team had 47 players make an appearance this year, the
most of any playoff team. (Las Vegas was second with 42, followed by a
tie between D.C. and Hillsborough with 35, Newark with 34 and Vancouver
with 31.) That doesn't include pitching prospect David
Price, who has spent the entire year on the 30-man roster as an
ineligible player.
D.C. Bushslappers (5th place,
88-74)
The Bushslappers have been around just three years -- but they're
already making their second straight post-season appearance. It's even
all the more remarkable as owner Jamie
Landsman took over in 2006 what had been one of the league's worst
franchises -- the Columbia Crusaders/Rattlesnakes, which in 14 years
never posted a winning
record, let alone reached the post-season. How did he do it? By
expunging the team of all Crusaders and Rattlesnakes, of course! The
only players on the team who wore a Columbia uniform are Ryan Freel, who played for them in '05; Ramon Vazquez, a member of the '03 team; and Mike Timlin, who played for the Crusaders way
back in '92. Freel was released after Landsman took over the team,
played with Vegas in '06 and Honolulu in '07, and was brought back as a
free agent. Vazquez, already gone when Landsman took over, actually
hasn't worn a Bushslapper uniform yet -- he's been in the minors since
joining the team as a free agent in June. Timlin, who pitched in 14 games for Columbia in
'92 and was so traumatized by the experience that he didn't return to
the DMBL for four seasons... Who has the most playoff experience? Well,
that would be Sammy Sosa, in the playoffs for
an eighth time (but not since 2002). Sosa reached the post-season seven
times as a member of the Iron Fist and played in four World Series. Jeff Kent, Adrian Beltre
and Cliff Floyd are in the post-season for the
seventh time, while Derek
Lowe and Jason Giambi are a six-timers.
Floyd has two rings from the '01-'02 Sugar Bear squads, Beltre has one
as his teammate in '01, and Giambi won his with Arkansas in '98. Paul Lo Duca, here for the fifth time, also has
two rings, won with the '02 and '04 Newark teams.
BATTERS |
POS |
HOW
ACQUIRED |
YEARS
WITH DC |
Carlos Beltran
|
OF
|
protected |
3 (06-08)
|
Adrian Beltre
|
3B |
draft (7th/93)
|
1 (08)
|
Cliff Floyd
|
OF
|
free agent (Aug. 18)
|
1 (08)
|
Ryan Freel
|
3/O
|
free agent (July 15)
|
1 (08)
|
Jason Giambi
|
1B |
free agent (May 26)
|
1 (08)
|
Scott Hatteberg
|
1B
|
draft (6th/79)
|
1 (08)
|
Matt Kemp
|
OF
|
draft (1st/4)
|
1 (08)
|
Jeff Kent
|
2B |
protected
|
2 (07-08)
|
Derrek Lee
|
1B |
protected
|
1 (08)
|
Paul Lo Duca
|
C |
draft (14th/191)
|
1 (08)
|
Brian McCann
|
C
|
protected
|
1 (08)
|
Jose Reyes
|
SS
|
protected
|
3 (06-08)
|
Sammy Sosa
|
OF
|
draft (8th/107)
|
1 (08)
|
Dan Uggla
|
2B
|
trade (July 19)
|
1 (08)
|
Ramon Vazquez
|
2/3/S
|
free agent (June 2)
|
none
|
Ryan Zimmerman
|
3B |
protected
|
2 (07-08)
|
Jay Bruce
|
Inelig
|
draft (4th/51)
|
none
|
Kosuke Fukudome
|
Inelig
|
draft (9th/121)
|
none
|
PITCHERS |
POS |
HOW
ACQUIRED |
YEARS
WITH DC |
Kelvim Escobar
|
SP |
protected
|
3 (06-08)
|
Chad Gaudin
|
SP |
free agent (June 28)
|
none
|
Aaron Heilman
|
RP |
draft (5th/65)
|
1 (08)
|
Shawn Hill
|
SP |
draft (2nd/23)
|
1 (08)
|
Bob Howry
|
RP |
draft (11th/149)
|
1 (08)
|
Derek Lowe
|
SP |
protected
|
2 (07-08)
|
John Maine
|
SP |
protected
|
2 (07-08)
|
Ron Mahay
|
RP |
free agent (June 22)
|
1 (08)
|
Shaun Marcum
|
S/R |
protected
|
1 (08)
|
Darren Oliver
|
RP |
draft (15th/205)
|
1 (08)
|
Jonathan Papelbon
|
RP |
protected
|
2 (07-08)
|
Mike Timlin
|
RP |
draft (10th/135)
|
1 (08)
|
Please allow me to introduce myself: It's
understandable that a team in just its third year of existence wouldn't
have a lot of long-term players, but there's just eight players on the
roster from last year's wild card winning team! What happened to 15
players on their protected
list? Three were traded away -- Alfonso
Soriano, Joe Nathan
and Carl Crawford -- and the fourth, prospect Lastings Milledge, was released. Another two
keepers actually made their D.C. debuts this
year: Derrek Lee, who was acquired in a trade
with Las Vegas last year but was ineligible; and Brian
McCann, picked up Jan. 3 in a trade with the Honolulu Sharks, their
last action before going belly-up. The other "new" keeper is swingman Shaun Marcum, who was on the 30-man roster but
didn't make an appearance with the big league
club last year, so technically this is his first season with D.C. ...
Their 12 holdovers from this year's draft doesn't include Jason
Giambi, who was selected by the Bushslappers in the Supplemental
Draft
(#231 overall), released and then re-signed as a free agent...
Infielder Ramon
Vazquez and starter Chad Gaudin didn't
play in the
regular season, so they don't have any service time with the
Bushslappers.
Hillsborough Hired Hitmen
(6th place,
87-75)
After near-misses in '06 and '07, Brent Campbell
is back in the post-season for the first time in 10 years. Campbell
took a hiatus from the league following the '98 season after leading
his previous team, the Louisiana Lightning, to the playoffs in
back-to-back years. (Note: We checked to see if any players from the
Lightning or his previous team, the Scranton Sparrows, are now with the
Hired Hitmen... alas, the answer is no.) Campbell came back as the
owner of the Hired Hitmen in
2005 and, after suffering through a 99-loss debut to get things in
order, lost out on the post-season after losing a play-in game after
there was three-way tie for the final berth. Last year, the Hitmen
again came up just short as they finished two games out of the
post-season in 7th place. This time the Hitmen are in and ready to do
some damage. The Hitters are led by the sole remaining member
of that '05 squad, C.C. Sabathia; five other
players have been here since '06. That doesn't include Felix Hernandez or Ryan
Howard, who have been with the team since the Hitmen drafted them
as ineligible prospects in '05. King Felix also missed all of '07 with
an injury, so he has just two years of service time. Everyone else on
the roster is relatively new -- in fact, half the players just joined
this season, and there's three more ineligible players on the 30-man
roster waiting to make their DMBL debut! But just because they haven't
been with the Hitmen long doesn't mean they don't have post-season
experience. Carlos Lee is making his fifth
post-season appearance, after making the big dance as a member of the
Mudcats in '01 and three times with Stanhope ('03-'05); Aubrey Huff is here for the fourth time, with all
his previous visits coming with Carolina ('03, '04, '06), while David Eckstein and Ramon
Hernandez are here for the third time, and Dan
Haren and Scott Linebrink are making their
second post-season appearances. (The only one with a World Series ring
is Linebrink, a member of the 2006 Sugar Bears.) Everyone else is a
virgin -- even Dmitri Young, who made his DMBL
debut in 1998 but
never made the post-season before. "I'm getting a late start but I'm
going to make a habit of this," Young said. "I'll be back here next
year!"
BATTERS |
POS |
HOW
ACQUIRED |
YEARS
WITH HIL |
Billy Butler
|
1B
|
protected
|
1 (08)
|
Robinson Cano
|
2B
|
protected
|
3 (06-08)
|
David Eckstein
|
SS
|
free agent (Aug. 8)
|
1 (08)
|
Yunel Escobar
|
2/3/S
|
draft (2nd/21)
|
1 (08)
|
Brad Hawpe
|
OF
|
protected
|
3 (06-08)
|
Ramon Hernandez
|
C
|
free agent (April 8)
|
1 (08)
|
Ryan Howard
|
1B
|
protected
|
3 (06-08)
|
Aubrey Huff
|
1/3
|
free agent (June 24)
|
1 (08)
|
Howie Kendrick
|
2B
|
protected
|
2 (07-08)
|
Carlos Lee
|
OF
|
protected
|
3 (06-08)
|
Nick Markakis
|
OF
|
protected
|
1 (08)
|
Russell Martin
|
C
|
protected
|
2 (07-08)
|
Mark Reynolds
|
3B
|
draft (4th/49)
|
1 (08)
|
Dmitri Young
|
1B
|
draft (4th/50)
|
1 (08)
|
Justin Upton
|
Inelig.
|
draft (5th/63)
|
none
|
PITCHERS |
POS |
HOW
ACQUIRED |
YEARS
WITH HIL |
Jeremy Accardo
|
RP
|
protected
|
2 (07-08)
|
Heath Bell
|
RP
|
draft (1st/8)
|
1 (08)
|
Justin Hampson
|
RP
|
draft (6th/77)
|
1 (08)
|
Dan Haren
|
SP
|
protected
|
1 (08)
|
Felix Hernandez
|
SP
|
protected
|
2 (06, 08)
|
J.P. Howell
|
SP
|
free agent (July 7)
|
1 (08)
|
John Lackey
|
SP
|
protected
|
3 (06-08)
|
Scott Linebrink
|
RP
|
free agent (June 17)
|
none
|
Peter Moylan
|
RP
|
draft (3rd/35)
|
1 (08)
|
C.C. Sabathia
|
SP
|
protected
|
4 (05-08)
|
Takashi Saito
|
RP
|
protected
|
2 (07-08)
|
Kevin Slowey
|
SP
|
draft (7th/92)
|
none
|
Justin Verlander
|
SP
|
protected
|
2 (07-08)
|
Johnny Cueto
|
Inelig |
draft (9th/119)
|
none
|
Max Scherzer
|
Inelig |
draft (13th/175)
|
none
|
*No players from Scranton Sparrows, '92-93, or
Louisiana Lightning, '94-'98
|
Know when to hold 'em: The Hitmen were
primarily built through their keeper list
and this year's draft -- they have only five in-season additions, all
free agents. The Hitmen join the Iron Fist as the only team to retain
all 15 keepers; they also have 10 players from this year's draft.
Missing, however, is third rounder (#34 overall) Ryan
Spilborghs, who was cut April 8 and signed five days later by the
Endzone Animals. But he almost immediately went on the D.L., and
as soon as he was healthy enough to be activated, Philly released him.
Vancouver claimed him off waivers -- and he quickly went on the D.L.
again. Three teams and two D.L. trips in six weeks! But Spilborghs gets
the last laugh as he's still with the Fisters, and thus heads to the
post-season with the Morris
Division champions...Two keepers
were acquired in a trade made before the protected list deadline: Dan Haren and Nick Markakis.
The young pair were acquired, along with four draft picks over the next
three years, from Arkansas in exchange for Alex
Rodriguez, Adam Dunn, Jeremy
Bonderman, Ian Snell and Jonathan Broxton. At the time, the mega-deal
looked like it was Arkansas loading up for a post-season run and
Hillsborough rebuilding for '09, but that's not how it worked out. The
same two teams swung a mega-deal in 2005, when the Hitmen shipped the
first pick overall -- which everyone knew would be David
Wright -- to Arkansas for a package that included C.C. Sabathia and a number of draft picks...
Hillsborough has the most ineligible players (3) of any post-season
team, plus two eligible players -- Scott Linebrink
and Kevin Slowey -- who spent no time on
the big league roster. Neither has any service time with the Hitmen.
|