March 21, 2005
Morris Division
- Arkansas Falcons
Still the team to beat, the Falcons came up one game short of winning the DMBL championship last season. Overall the Falcons are pretty much the same team. Barry Bonds returns to anchor one of the best outfields in the game. Bonds, Larry Walker, and Lance Berkman drive this offense. The Falcon pitching staff won't need much more. The big three of Pedro Martinez, Curt Schilling, and Roger Clemens return with youngsters Brad Penny and Jerome Williams filling out the rotation. Brad Lidge and Octavio Dotel will be relied on heavily in the bullpen. The rest of the pen is relatively weak and may be this club's Achilles heel.
Batting: B; Starting Pitching: A+; Relief Pitching: B- - Vancouver Iron Fist
The Fist reloaded last season and are poised to make a return to the playoffs. The big news for the club is the anticipated success of its Young Guns pitching staff. Last season Ben Sheets had a brilliant first half before falling apart in the second. He should be the ace of this staff this season. Joining Sheets are youngsters Oliver Perez, Jake Peavy, and first round pick Bobby Madritsch. Veteran Greg Maddux will take the back seat this year as the fifth starter. Billy Wagner and Eddie Guardado round out a very solid pen, as has been the tradition for Vancouver. The lineup is not too shabby either. After losing slugger Sammy Sosa in the offseason, you'd think there might be a hole, but David Ortiz should pick up the slack. The lineup has, more importantly, gotten younger.
Batting: A; Starting Pitching: A; Relief Pitching: A- - Philadelphia Endzone Animals
"Will this be the year the Animals put it together?" Seems like every year the Philly fans ask this question The Animals have a very good shot. The offense looks to be one of the better ones in DMBL with Albert Pujols and Scott Rolen leading the way. Johann Santana gives the Animals a bonafide ace, and the rest of the pitchers should be solid enough, though unspectacular, to give the Animals a chance in every game. The pen is well-stocked with live arms like Armando Benitez, Francisco Rodriguez, and Kiko Calero.
Batting: A; Starting Pitching: B; Relief Pitching: A+ - Carolina Mudcats
The Mudcats seem to be eternally riding the DMBL roller coaster. Will this be an up or down year for them? While the team is solid, it looks like the Mudcats will be fighting for a playoff spot. The lineup features some good bats, but also some mediocre ones. Jim Edmonds and Aramis Ramirez will have to pick up the slack. The once mighty Mudcats rotation is not the force it once was, but it is still formidable. Carlos Zambrano and Tim Hudson will need to be on top of their games this season. The pen also has its share of top players and average talent. Will it be enough? There are enough question marks to make a Mudcat playoff run neither likely nor unlikely.
Batting: B; Starting Pitching: B-; Relief Pitching: C+ - Tijuana Banditos
The Banditos were the miracle team of '04, making it to the playoffs by the skins of their teeth and threatening to take out the Falcons in a thrilling 7-game series finale. Unfortunately for the Banditos, things look tough for them this season. The pitching staff is in shambles and may need another year to regroup. True Eric Gagne and Guillermo Mota still give the Banditos a tough relief corps, but they will be worked heavily this year. The offense is still solid with Vladimir Guerrero and Hank Blalock. The Banditos will have to overcome a lot of negatives to sniff the playoffs this year.
Batting: B; Starting Pitching: C-; Relief Pitching: A- - Hillsborough Hired Hitmen
Another new owner for this troubled franchise, but Brent Campbell has DMBL experience. The Hitmen are on a rebuilding schedule, so most likely they will not be a contender this season. The Hitmen lineup still has its stars with A-Rod, Adam Dunn, and Carlos Delgado featured, but the rotation just might be one of the worst in the league. This means that the bullpen will see a lot of innings. 2005 should be a year for development for Hillsborough.
Batting: B; Starting Pitching: D; Relief Pitching: B- - Columbia Rattlesnakes
Columbia fans actually had a rooting interest all season last year.
Unfortunately for the snake-bitten franchise, their playoff hopes were crushed
on the last day of the season. Things, however, look bleak for the Snakes in
2005. The offense is built on speed and since that has not been attempted in a
long time in the DMBL, it is a big gamble. The Snakes will need to run a lot and
manufacture runs - a strategy that is very risky. The pitching staff is solid,
but not on the level of the other contenders. Joe Nathan has been handed the
closer's duties and the rest of the pen doesn't look too bad. The Snakes could
surprise this year if their plan pans out, but the chances are slim.
Batting: C; Starting Pitching: B-; Relief Pitching: C
Hanover Division
- Newark Sugar Bears
Last year, the Swami picked the Mighty Men to win the division. However, until proven otherwise, this division belongs to the Sugar Bears. Newark's offense is still the gold standard in this league. Manny Ramirez, Bobby Abreu, Jim Thome, and Marcus Giles will give most pitchers headaches. The Sugar Bears pitching relies heavily on their two aces, Randy Johnson and Carl Pavano, and the usual list of unknowns-who-become-star-DMBL-pitchers lke David Bush and John Thomson. Maybe it's their top-notch bullpen that helps them out of jams and protects their leads. John Smoltz, Keith Foulke, and newcomer Akinori Otsuka are members of this elite bullpen. Last year's champion is still the team to beat in the DMBL.
Batting: A+; Starting Pitching: B+; Relief Pitching: A - Matthew's Mighty Men of Stanhope
Always in the shadow of their division mates, the Mighty Men are still looking to get back to the promised land that they reached way back in the fall of 2000. The offense will not be the problem this season. With the likes of Todd Helton, Mike Lowell, Gary Sheffield, and Carlos Lee, the Mighty Men should be, at the worst, a wildcard team. The rotation is solid, but not awe-inspiring. There is no true ace on this team even if there is no weak link either. The pen is strong with longtime DMBL veteran Mariano Rivera closing out the ninth.
Batting: A; Starting Pitching: B; Relief Pitching: B - Las Vegas Rat Pack
Maybe the Rats just needed some new scenery. Instead of staring out at the garbage landfills, the Ratpack has bright lights, gambling and deserts to view. After rebuilding for years, the Ratpack has a formidable lineup featuring Alfonso Soriano, Carlos Beltran, and Melvin Mora. The rotation is still developing and, though they should be solid this year, could be an excellent staff for years to come. Will the Ratpack be a playoff team in 2005? Maybe, but they should at least be in the running for most of the year.
Batting: A-; Starting Pitching: B-; Relief Pitching: B - Honolulu Sharks
The Sharks have become a consistent playoff contender, mostly due to their excellent pitching staff. The Sharks have two aces in Jason Schmidt and Roy Oswalt, but the rest of the rotation is shaky. The bullpen is adequate but will need to cover a lot of innings. Danny Kolb is a marginal closer by DMBL standards, though he could surprise. The Sharks offense is solid, despite the fact that Jason Giambi will most likely sit out this season with various injuries. Miguel Tejada and Johnny Damon lead a decent lineup, but will it be enough to keep them winning games? The Sharks should compete for a playoff spot, and could very well surprise, but it looks like they may end up falling short this year.
Batting: B; Starting Pitching: B-; Relief Pitching: C - Phoenix Dragons
The bottom three Hanover teams are probably interchangeable. The Dragons have a few components that could keep them out of the cellar, but most likely will not compete with the big boys. Phoenix has one of the better offenses in the league. Ichiro Suzuki is a top-notch leadoff hitter and Javy Lopez and Nomar Garciaparra are near the top at their respective positions. However, the Phoenix rotation is poor. David Wells returns for more punishment and rookie Noah Lowry is promising. The rest of the starters are subpar though. This puts immense pressure on the Dragons pen. There are some good arms in the bullpen, but let's hope they still have them attached by the end of the season.
Batting: B; Starting Pitching: D; Relief Pitching: B - Hoboken Cutters
One of these years the Cutters are going to surprise everyone and have a great season. But it won't be this year. Top to bottom this team is mediocre at best. While young players like Aaron Rowand, Miguel Cabrera, and Brady Clark provide hope for Cutters fans, the team is still full of over the hill vets like Vinny Castilla and Omar Vizquel. The rotation is full of average quality, though Jaret Wright and Jason Marquis could surprise. Jason Isringhausen is back to close out games and the Cutters acquired Japanese sensation Shingo Takatsu as motivation. With a good pick in 2006 and a good rebuilding plan in 2005, the Cutters could be one of the surprises in 2006.
Batting: C; Starting Pitching: C; Relief Pitching: C - Westwood Deductions
2005 is shaping up to be a difficult year for the Deductions. Besides Odalis Perez, there is not much to cheer about here. Manager Davey Johnson will have to be very creative with platoons to get the most out of his mediocre lineup. Even if he can motivate them to all have career seasons, they'll have to score a lot of runs to make up for the lack of pitching on this squad. Al Leiter is a solid #2, and Roderigo Lopez could be good as well. Braden Looper will most likely be given the closer duties.
Batting: D; Starting Pitching: B-; Relief Pitching: C+