March 13, 2003
Morris Division
- Arkansas Falcons
Projected Lineup C Sandy Alomar/Brad Ausmus 1B John Olerud 2B Mark Ellis 3B Phil Nevin SS David Eckstein OF Barry Bonds OF Larry Walker OF Lance Berkman DH Ellis Burks Projected Pitching Staff SP Pedro Martinez SP Curt Schilling SP Roger Clemens SP Chuck Finley SP Kevin Brown Closer Trevor Hoffman/Byung-Hyun Kim Key Setup Octavio Dotel
After last season's record-setting campaign, fan expectations will be at an all-time high, especially after the Falcons came up empty in the World Series. The rotation is the team's strength once again. With the two aces, Pedro Martinez and Curt Schilling, the team features a devastating 1-2 punch which few, if any, teams can match. The rotation is not as deep as in previous years. However the remaining three starters are all solid veterans who have had success in the DMBL. The bullpen is top-notch, with the return of Octavio Dotel and Trevor Hoffman. The Falcons have nothing to worry about in the latter innings of games this year.
The offense can be summed up in two words: Barry Bonds. Last year's Mitchell Award winner should continue his record-breaking offense this season, and really, that's all the Falcons will need. They do feature some other solid bats in the lineup -- Larry Walker, Ellis Burks, Lance Berkman, and John Olerud. Second base and catcher could be weak, but the Falcons have enough firepower to overlook this small deficiency.
Batting: B+; Starting Pitching: B+; Relief Pitching: A - Vancouver Iron Fist
Projected Lineup C Brian Schneider/Toby Hall 1B Jeff Bagwell 2B Jeff Kent 3B Eric Chavez SS Jose Valentin OF Sammy Sosa OF Steve Finley OF Bobby Kielty/Moises Alou DH David Ortiz/Edgar Martinez Projected Pitching Staff SP Greg Maddux SP Al Leiter SP Tomo Ohka SP Brian Lawrence SP Roderigo Lopez Closer Billy Wagner Key Setup Chad Bradford
One of the constants in the league, Vancouver should return to the playoffs yet again. The lineup is powerful, with slugger Sammy Sosa leading the team. A few platoon situations have a potential to blow up in Vancouver's face. However, veterans Edgar Martinez and Moises Alou should be good mentors to some of the younger hitters on this team.
The starting rotation is deep and solid. Greg Maddux and Al Leiter provide veteran leadership for the other young members of the rotation and long-time Ironfist Brad Radke waits in the wings in case one of them slips up. The bullpen is deep as well, with Billy Wagner returning to closer duties. There are no standouts among the rest of the pen, but they should be adequate for the job.
Batting: A; Starting Pitching: B+; Relief Pitching: B - Philadelphia Endzone Animals
Projected Lineup C Michael Barrett/Benito Santiago 1B Rafael Palmeiro 2B Jose Vidro 3B Scott Rolen SS Rafael Furcal OF Magglio Ordonez OF Albert Pujols OF Carlos Beltran DH Randall Simon Projected Pitching Staff SP Johann Santana SP A.J.Burnett SP Mark Prior SP Jon Lieber SP Paul Byrd Closer Armando Benitez Key Setup Darren Holmes
For the first time in years, Philly fans have something to be excited about. Philadelphia has built a new ballpark for the Endzone Animals which is gathering rave reviews from the locals. But not only is the park going to be more enjoyable, but the product on the field is much improved.
The Endzone Animals feature one of the youngest -- and most exciting -- pitching staffs in the league. Fans are excited to see what rookie phenom Mark Prior will bring to the table. With any young pitching staff, fans can expect some growing pains, but this staff seems ready for the big time. Closer Armando Benitez has been shaky in his DMBL career, but he should have plenty of save opportunities with the excellent setup crew that has been assembled by GM Anthony Pucci.
The offseason acquisition of Magglio Ordonez filled a gaping hole in the Animals' lineup. The outfield is now a contending outfield and the infield is solid. The offense should provide just enough to get the Endzone Animals some much needed wins and quite possibly their first postseason berth in franchise history.
Batting: B; Starting Pitching: B+; Relief Pitching: A - Hillsborough Destroyers
Projected Lineup C Dan Wilson/Jason Varitek 1B Carlos Delgado 2B Ray Durham 3B Mark Loretta SS Alex Rodriguez OF Juan Pierre OF Roger Cedeno/Jose Cruz OF Ben Grieve DH Brad Fullmer Projected Pitching Staff SP Bartolo Colon SP Matt Morris SP Jeff Weaver SP Kevin Millwood SP Kirk Rueter Closer Kazuhiro Sasaki Key Setup Latroy Hawkins
Back in Hillsborough after two consecutive playoff appearances in different locations, GM Scott Boehler returns to the team that he built. The pitching staff on this team is downright dangerous. The starting rotation is young but has a lot of DMBL experience. Matt Morris and Bart Colon anchor a staff this is solid from top to bottom. But the real depth on this team is in its tough bullpen. In fact, the Destroyers may have too many relievers and may be planning a trade to shore up its weak offense. Kaz Sasaki and rookie Jorge Julio may share closer duties, and the rest of the bullpen should shut things down the rest of the way.
The offense looks fine until you see who is starting in the outfield. Ironfist castoffs Ben Grieve and Roger Cedeno barely belong on a DMBL active roster, yet both figure to get many at-bats. With Juan Pierre and Cedeno, the team features a lot of speed, but they will have to get on base first. With the pitching depth, the Destroyers may want to seek a trade for offense, because that may be what keeps this team from securing their third straight playoff appearance.
Batting: C; Starting Pitching: A; Relief Pitching: A+ - Carolina Mudcats
Projected Lineup C A.J.Pierzynski 1B Richie Sexson 2B Mark Bellhorn 3B Aubrey Huff SS Rich Aurilia OF Jim Edmonds OF Torii Hunter OF Randy Winn DH Pat Burrell Projected Pitching Staff SP Barry Zito SP Tim Hudson SP Roy Halladay SP Carlos Zambrano/Corey Lidle SP Ted Lilly Closer Jose Mesa Key Setup Brendan Donnelly
The Mudcats are set to contend for a wildcard spot once again. The strength of the team once again is their big three starting rotation with young guns Zito, Hudson, and Halladay anchoring the staff. The youngsters who will fill out the rotation could make or break the Mudcats' playoff hopes. The bullpen is solid, but shaky Jose Mesa is always a question mark at closer.
The offense is solid, with a particularly strong outfield. The Mudcats have a lot of depth in the outfield, but suffer when it comes to the infield. The starters are solid, but could just as easily tank this season. The fate of the Mudcats will rest with how many runs the lineup will produce. There are many question marks on this team, but the Mudcats should at the very least be a player in the wildcard race.
Batting: B-; Starting Pitching: B+; Relief Pitching: A- - Tijuana Banditos
Projected Lineup C Damian Miller/Ramon Hernandez 1B Derrick Lee 2B Bret Boone 3B Corey Koskie SS Edgar Renteria OF Vladimir Guerrero OF Austin Kearns OF Shannon Stewart DH Josh Phelps Projected Pitching Staff SP Randy Wolf SP Hideo Nomo SP Ramon Ortiz SP Javier Vazquez SP Josh Beckett Closer Eric Gagne Key Setup Braden Looper
It could be a rough year for Tijuana, who snuck into the playoffs last year. The starting lineup looks very formidable. The DMBL community will have their eyes on two Bandito rookies, Josh Phelps and Austin Kearns, who are expected to get a lot of at-bats. The Banditos should have no problem scoring runs with the lineup they currently have.
As for the pitching, the Banditos have one of the best closers in the game in Eric Gagne. Now the bad news. The starting rotation has been getting hammered in the spring, despite featuring some decent names. Maybe it's just a fluke, but the signs point to a lot of high scoring games for the Banditos. All this is bad news for an undermanned bullpen. Perhaps if the Banditos sign some much-needed arms for the pen they can take some pressure off the starters. As it is now, the Banditos are slated to be fighting just to stay afloat in this division.
Batting: A-; Starting Pitching: C+; Relief Pitching: C- - Columbia Rattlesnakes
Projected Lineup C Ivan Rodriguez 1B Doug Mientkiewicz/Carlos Pena 2B Luis Castillo/Ramon Vazquez 3B Troy Glaus SS Christian Guzman OF Trot Nixon OF Robert Fick/Corey Patterson OF Juan Encarnacion/Jay Gibbons DH Placido Polanco Projected Pitching Staff SP Mark Buehrle SP Miguel Batista SP Kevin Appier SP Ryan Jensen SP Sidney Ponson/Casey Fossum Closer Mike Williams Key Setup Chris Hammond
It looks like it might be another rebuilding year for the long-suffering fans of the Rattlesnakes. A ton of platoons in the lineup usually signals few batters that are worthy of fulltime duty. The trade for Troy Glaus filled the hole at third base, but opened up a new hole in the outfield.
The pitching staff looks to be solid, however. Returning ace Mark Buehrle should prove to be a good anchor to this hodgepodge rotation, but it's unclear who will occupy the last two slots of the rotation. Rookie Casey Fossum may be brought in slowly in the bullpen, but he will likely get a few starts before the season is over. The Rattlesnake bullpen looks to be solid with Mike Williams taking over the fulltime closer role after sharing last year's duties with Jeff Shaw. The setup crew is solid. They will have to be with all the innings they are expected to pitch this year.
Batting: C; Starting Pitching: C-; Relief Pitching: B+
Hanover Division
- Newark Sugar Bears
Projected Lineup C Paul Lo Duca 1B Jim Thome 2B Mark McLemore/Alex Cora 3B Bill Mueller/Mark McLemore SS Jack Wilson/Jose Hernandez OF Manny Ramirez OF Bobby Abreu OF Chipper Jones DH Ron Gant/Jeremy Giambi Projected Pitching Staff SP Randy Johnson SP Andy Pettitte SP Darryl Kile SP Ryan Franklin/Runelvys Hernandez SP Brian Meadows/Ismail Valdes Closer John Smoltz Key Setup Arthur Rhodes
The Sugar Bears will attempt to take an unprecedented third consecutive World Series championship this season. They certainly have the offensive firepower to do it. Jim Thome and Manny Ramirez anchor one of the league's best offensive forces. The outfield is in great shape with Bobby Abreu and former third baseman Chipper Jones moving over. The platoons may seem like a sign of weakness, but manager Don Mattingly has had a lot of succes running lineups riddled with platoons over the years.
No, the real problem may lie in the starting staff. When a reanimated corpse has a shot to make your rotation, then you know you may have a problem. Randy Johnson, of course, will stop any possible long losing streaks, and the trade for Andy Pettitte will help fill out the rotation. The final two spots are in disarray and could be filled by any of four or more candidates. The bullpen should be very solid, as veteran John Smoltz returns with a solid veteran relief corps.
Batting: A; Starting Pitching: C+; Relief Pitching: A - Matthew's Mighty Men of Stanhope
Projected Lineup C Mike Lieberthal/Eli Marrero 1B Todd Helton 2B Alfonso Soriano 3B Mike Lowell SS Derek Jeter OF Bernie Williams OF Cliff Floyd OF Johnny Damon DH Tim Salmon Projected Pitching Staff SP Tim Wakefield SP Kerry Wood SP Damian Moss SP Matt Clement SP Elmer Dessens Closer Mariano Rivera Key Setup Joey Eischen
Stanhope is poised to make a huge turnaround after last season's disastrous effort. The pitching staff is in prime shape to emerge as one of the better staffs in the division. Kerry Wood seems ready to assume the mantle of staff ace. The staff is young and should continue to develop. Any bullpen that is anchored by Mariano Rivera is an excellent one. Stanhope has assembled a cast of unknowns in the pen, but they seem to have the full confidence of manager Buck Showalter. Mike Stanton provides the veteran presence that is needed with a bunch of no-names.
The Mighty Men lineup is solid, though unspectacular. There are no glaring holes, but other than second baseman Alfonso Soriano, there are no big guns in the lineup either.
Batting: B; Starting Pitching: B+; Relief Pitching: A- - Honolulu Sharks
Projected Lineup C Jason Kendall 1B Jason Giambi 2B Eric Young/Fernando Vina 3B Aaron Boone SS Miguel Tejada OF Shawn Green OF Jacques Jones OF David Roberts DH Jay Payton Projected Pitching Staff SP Mark Mulder SP Russ Ortiz SP Roy Oswalt SP Jason Schmidt SP Jason Simontacchi Closer Ugueth Urbina Key Setup John Riedling
With all the Jasons on this team, you'd think they were shooting a Friday the 13th movie. The Sharks feature five Jasons, yet oddly enough, only one Ugueth. The Sharks young rotation seems to be at least as good as last year's edition. Freddy Garcia has been demoted to spot starter duty, but the rest of the rotation is solid. The bullpen features a good cast of arms, but they are severely undermanned. Fatigue and injury will play a big role in the Sharks playoff fortunes unless some help is obtained.
The Sharks lineup has its ups and downs. On the upside: Miguel Tejada, Jason Giambi, Shawn Green. On the downside: Aaron Boone, Eric Young, Jason Kendall. The Sharks have a deep bench, so platoons may be in order at certain key positions. A lot of pressure will be put on manager Gary Carter's shoulders after last year's near miss with the playoffs.
Batting: B-; Starting Pitching: B+; Relief Pitching: C - Harrison Rats
Projected Lineup C Robert Machado/Todd Hundley 1B Mike Sweeney 2B David Bell 3B Edgardo Alfonzo SS Jose Vizcaino OF Gary Sheffield OF Andruw Jones OF Alex Sanchez/Reggie Sanders DH Fred McGriff/Frank Thomas Projected Pitching Staff SP Tom Glavine SP Derrick Lowe SP Vincente Padilla SP Wade Miller SP Steve Trachsel Closer Billy Koch Key Setup Buddy Groom
The Rats foresaked this entire season for the future, but maybe it was a bit premature. The Rats starting rotation ranks among the league's elite, with long time DMBL veteran Tom Glavine and converted reliever Derrick Lowe anchoring the staff. The staff is solid from one to five. The bullpen is adequate and should be enough to take the team through the final innings. No one spectacular but no time bombs either.
Had the Rats focused their draft a little more on the offense, they may have had a good chance of sneaking into the playoffs. Gary Sheffield and Andruw Jones, along with Mike Sweeney form a solid core to build on. The lineup isn't quite minor league, but there are some glaring holes that need patching before this team is a contender.
Batting: C-; Starting Pitching: A; Relief Pitching: B- - Phoenix Dragons
Projected Lineup C Jorge Posada 1B Paul Konerko 2B Adam Kennedy 3B Eric Hinske SS Nomar Garciaparra OF Luis Gonzalez OF Ichiro Suzuki OF Garrett Anderson DH Adam Dunn Projected Pitching Staff SP Jamie Moyer SP David Wells SP Oliver Perez SP John Lackey SP Peter Munro/Kazuhisa Ishii Closer Troy Percival Key Setup Tim Spooneybarger
The Dragons seem to be headed back to their old slugfest days. Their lineup is potent with Nomaaaaaaaahh coming back from injury and Ichiro and Luis Gonzalez roaming the outfield. The Dragons seem poised to score many runs.
On the flip side, the rotation is iffy. Veterans Jamie Moyer and David Wells should be solid. Youngsters John Lackey and Oliver Perez have yet to prove what they can do. They could be solid contributors or they could spontaneously combust. The bullpen is solid, though somewhat undermanned, especially with a young staff full of wild cards.
Batting: A; Starting Pitching: C+; Relief Pitching: C- - Brookly Bean Counters
Projected Lineup C Mark Redmond 1B Raul Ibanez/Scott Spiezio 2B Junior Spivey 3B Robin Ventura/Scott Spiezio SS Chris Woodward OF Darrin Erstad OF Bobby Higginson OF Timo Perez DH Brian Jordan Projected Pitching Staff SP Woody Williams SP Kip Wells SP Odalis Perez SP Kenny Rogers SP Rick Reed Closer Robb Nen Key Setup J.C. Romero/Steve Reed
The other team unveiling a brand new ballpark, the Bean Counters feature a state-of-the-art retractable roof stadium.
The Bean Counters have made great improvements to half of their team. The pitching staff looks very formidable, with veterans Rick Reed and Kenny Rogers joined by youngsters Odalis Perez, Woody Williams, and Kip Wells. The bullpen is well-stocked and has great depth.
The batting, on the other hand, is very weak. First round pick Junior Spivey should do well, but the rest of the lineup is filled with spare parts, at least compared with other DMBL teams' lineups. There may be a lot of one-run nailbiters in the Jelly Bean Dome this year, but more likely, there will also be a lot of heartbreaks.
Batting: D; Starting Pitching: A-; Relief Pitching: A - Hoboken Cutters
Projected Lineup C Mike Piazza 1B Ryan Klesko 2B Roberto Alomar 3B Joe Randa SS Omar Vizquel OF Quinton McCracken OF Mark Kotsay OF Brian Giles DH Kevin Millar/Scott Hatteberg Projected Pitching Staff SP Jarrod Washburn SP Joel Pineiro SP Orlando Hernandez SP Andy Benes SP Mike Mussina Closer Jason Isringhausen Key Setup Jayson Durocher
The Cutters surprised many last year by charging into the playoffs, but they may take a step back in 2003. The starting rotation is very solid, with young stars Jarrod Washburn and Joel Pineiro at the top of the heap. The bullpen features some good arms, but the depth is a question mark. Should an injury strike the rotation Dennis Stark or Chris Reitsma are poised to take over, but any injury will leave the bullpen in a difficult position.
The true Achilles heel of this team is the offense. Brian Giles and Mike Piazza should still be threats, but after Ryan Klesko the lineup doesn't strike fear into most opposing staffs. The offense also lacks any kind of speed threat. The Cutters bench is deep, however, so it could minimize some of the deficiencies, if manager Wally Backman is able to use his platoons well.
Batting: C; Starting Pitching: B+; Relief Pitching: B