This week we will look around the horn: first base,
second base, third base and shortstop. Next week,
catchers, outfielders and designated hitters, followed
a week later by starters and relievers.
First Base: How To Pick Just One? Cecil Fielder
There's no shortage of qualified candidates at first
base this season, even with several former All-Star
first sackers (Ryan Klesko, Edgar
Martinez, Fred McGriff, Rafael
Palmeiro and Jim Thome) listed as
designated hitters this year. The question isn't how
to justify the player you vote for; it's how to
justify who you're not voting for, particularly
in the well-stocked Hanover Division.
Stanhope's Todd Helton, hitting .309 with 49
runs and 57 RBIs, leads all 1Bs in slugging percentage
(.675), OPS (1.084), doubles (25), home runs (21), and
total bases (166). But Honolulu's Jason Giambi
is right behind Helton in several categories, posting
a .972 OPS (despite a .264 batting average), with 44
runs, 48 RBI and 18 HRs, plus 43 walks, tops among
first basemen. And what about that other
Giambi? Newark's Jeremy is hitting .336, with a .434
OBP to lead all first basemen. He's cracked 13
doubles, 5 HRs, 31 R and 21 RBI in about half as many
plate appearances. Harrison's Mike Sweeney
(.311, 9 HR, 34 R, 26 RBI) and Hoboken's Rich
Sexson (.279, 15 HR, 30 R, 37 RBI) should also
receive consideration.
In the Morris, it's going to be tough for anyone to
make a case against Philly's Albert Pujols. The
rookie sensation -- a likely All-Star starter at
first, third or in the outfield -- has a .337 batting
average, 60 RBIs, 49 runs and 82 hits to lead all DMBL
first baseman, and he leads Morris Division first
sackers with a 1.054 OPS, 22 doubles and
18 homeruns. Pujols' only competition may be Tijuana's
Sean Casey, right behind him with 81 hits for a
.315 batting average, but he hasn't shown nearly as
much power (16 doubles, 3 homeruns, 17 RBIs).
Three former All-Stars in the division are enduring
off years: Arkansas's John Olerud (.275, 8 HR,
37 R, 29 RBI), Vancouver's Jeff Bagwell (.267,
9 HR, 40 R, 36 RBI) and Wanaque's Carlos
Delgado (.219, 9 HR, 35 R, 27 RBI).
Cecil Fielder was the first player picked in the
DMBL's 1991 inaugural draft. He played for seven DMBL
teams, hitting .253 with 102 HRs in 1,762 career
at-bats. He's now a broadcaster for the Columbia
Rattlesnakes.
Second Base: Questions at the Keystone Ryne Sandberg
In the Morris Division, it's a toss-up as to who the
voters will be sending to Newark at the end of this
month; but in the Hanover, the only question is by how
wide a margin will Roberto Alomar win. The
Hoboken second baseman is hitting .328 with a .414 OBP
and .535 SLG -- first among all DMBL second basemen --
with 79 hits, 10 HRs, 48 runs and 39 RBIs. Making the
decision process even easier, it hasn't been a good
year for either of his usual rivals -- Harrison's
Edgardo Alfonzo (.262, 23 R, 26 RBI) or
Honolulu's Craig Biggio (.234, 36 R, 28 RBI).
Stanhope rookie Alfonso Soriano has marked
himself a future star with his first-half performance
(.263, 15 doubles, 27 R, 9 SB). Newark's platoon of
Chris Stynes and Desi Relaford has been
effective, but neither player has enough PT to qualify
on his own merit. Combined into a single player,
however, Newark's two-headed second baseman is hitting
.277 (.344 OBP) with 23 doubles, 6 HRs, 37 runs and 17
RBI.
If there's no question about Alomar representing the
Hanover, there's plenty of room for debate over in the
other division, where no favorite stands out from the
pack. Generally, batters fall into two categories:
Sluggers and table-setters. I was a slugging second
baseman, and so are Vancouver's Jeff Kent
(.280, 19 2B, 2 HR, 44 R, 28 RBI), Tijuana's
Bret Boone (.258, 3 3B, 9 HR, 27 R, 29 RBI) and
Wanaque's Ray Durham (.241, 14 2B, 4 HR, 22 R,
34 RBI). But there also are a lot of tablesetters in
this division, led by Philly's Jose Vidro
(.317, .383 OBP, 32 R, 14 RBI, 17 doubles)
and Arkansas's Fernando Vina (.269, 32 R, 20
RBI, 13 doubles); and, defensively, those two are
among the league's best. Carolina's Homer Bush
(.257, 21 R, 15 RBI) and Columbia's Luis
Castillo (.262, 16 R, 18 RBI) aren't quite on
their level this year.
Ryne Sandberg was the MVP of the first-ever DMBL
All-Star Game. After a four-year career with the
Austin Outlaws, he retired after the 1994 season,
making a brief comeback with Jerusalem and Toledo
from 1997-1998. He's now the third base coach for the
Double-A Kearny Critters.
Third Base: Why Not Me? Ken Caminiti
It's a rather dismal field of third basemen in the
league this year. It's rather surprising that a league
with more sad sackers than third sackers can't find
room for a career .285 hitter and defensive wizard
like, say, me. In the Hanover Division, Chipper
Jones is doing a fairly good impression of my 1997
season (.308, 42 HR, 116 RBI). He's consistently
ranked among the top hitters in baseball all season
long: .352 batting average (2nd), 1.109 OPS (3rd), 93
hits (1st), 22 home runs (3rd), 62 runs (3rd), 58 RBIs
(4th) and 180 total bases (2nd), and leads all DMBL
third baseman in just about every offensive category.
Jones hasn't missed a start all season and strung
together the league's fourth-longest hitting streak,
16 games. But don't overlook Corey Koskie, who
splits time with Craig Paquette in Phoenix.
Koskie is hitting .345 with a .945 OPS, and has
collected 13 doubles, 7 homers and 27 RBIs in 47
games. Harrison's Mike Lamb is hitting .325
with 32 runs and 28 RBIs, but doesn't have the pop
(.396 slugging percentage) you expect from a corner
infielder.
The Morris Division is a toss-up, with Arkansas's
Phil Nevin (.282, 21 HR, 42 R, 56 RBI) the
favorite. He's followed closely by Tijuana's Scott
Brosius (.322, 15 doubles, 27 R, 38 RBI),
Vancouver's Eric Chavez (.298, 20 doubles, 30
R, 39 RBI), Wanaque's Jeff Cirillo (.299, 7 HR,
40 R, 28 RBI), Carolina's Aramis Ramirez (.286,
13 HR, 30 R, 28 RBI) and Philly's Scott Rolen
(.247, 14 HR, 34 R and 41 RBI). With two weeks until
the All-Star ballots are due, there's still time for
any of these guys to pass Nevin as the favorite. (Note
that Albert Pujols is listed at 1B and Troy
Glaus at DH.)
You may not believe this, but no other third baseman
on the ballot is hitting above .240 or has more than 5
HRs. Did I mention I had 210 hits and 46 doubles in
1996?
Ken Caminiti played seven years in the DMBL, mostly
with Arkansas and Columbia. The MVP of the 1997
All-Star Game, Caminiti retired two years ago after
hitting .347 in 39 games with Arkansas. After spending
the entire 2001 season in an intensive conditioning
program, the 38-year-old says he's in the best shape
of his life and is sitting by the phone, waiting for
someone to call him: (973) 555-CAMY.
Shortstops: A-Rod? How about A-Rilia? Barry Larkin
For two straight seasons, the starting shortstop
hasn't changed in either division. The Hanovers will
definitely have to look for a new shortstop after
Phoenix's Nomar Garciaparra underwent
season-ending wrist surgery in spring training.
Derek Jeter, the last man to start at short
before Nomar's ascendence, had an off-year last year,
but appears to be rebounding (.286, 30 R, 14 RBI). He
still hasn't rediscovered the power stroke he had
before the franchise moved from Jerusalem to Stanhope,
however, slugging just .340 (5 2B, 2 HR in 206 ABs).
Honolulu's Miguel Tejada (.224, 16 2B, 8 HR, 28
R, 23 RBI) and Hoboken's Omar Vizquel (.249, 7
2B, 4 3B, 28 R, 4 RBI) also aren't living up to their
reputations. The balloting could come down to two
former teammates, Sugar Bears Mark McLemore and
Ricky Gutierrez. Gutierrez, now Brooklyn's
starting shortstop, leads all Hanover shortstops with
a .311 batting average and 75 hits, with 23 R and 24
RBI. McLemore, hitting .289 with 24 RBI, leads the
league in triples (9) and stolen base percentage
(7-for-7), and is No. 1 among all shortstops in OBP
(.391), runs (37), walks (34) and fielding percentage
(.993).
The torch also could be passed in the Morris Division.
Though Wanaque's Alex Rodriguez is hitting just
.267, his other numbers are impressive (11 HR, 32 R,
36 RBI) -- but Carolina's Rich Aurilia beats
him and every other shortstop in baseball in batting
average (.321), OPS (.931), hits (79), HRs (15) and
RBI (50). With those two at the head of the class,
it's tough for Columbia's Christian Guzman
(.271, 12 2B, 8 3B, 4 HR, 26 R), Philly's Rafael
Furcal (.271, 13 2B, 30 R) or Vancouver's Jimmy
Rollins (.250, 9 2B, 5 3B, 30 R, 13 SB) to get
noticed.
Barry Larkin was a perennial All-Star over a
nine-year DMBL career, making his final appearance in
1999's mid-summer classic. After an aborted comeback
with Stanhope this season, Larkin retired with a .299
career batting average, 1,720 hits, 148 HRs, 791 RBI
and 183 SBs.
Remember, the All-Star Ballots are due Monday, May
20, and the game will be played in the Cereal Bowl
in Newark on Monday, May 27.
|