The
Dream Season |
Hanover
Division |
Team |
Owner
|
Composition
|
Brooklyn
Deductions
batters
| pitchers
|
David
Schlossberg |
Brooklyn
Bean
Counters (2001-2003)
Westwood Deductions (2004-present) |
Harrison
Rat Pack
batters
| pitchers
|
Eric Wickstrom |
Harrison Rats
(2001-2004)
Las Vegas Rat Pack (2005-present)
|
Hoboken
Cutters
batters
| pitchers
|
Mark Hrywna |
Hoboken
Cutters (2001-present)
|
Honolulu
Sharks
batters
| pitchers
|
Adam Kozubal |
Honolulu
Sharks (1997-present)
|
Matthew's
Mighty Rabbis
batters
| pitchers
|
David Landsman |
Jerusalem
Rabbis (1997-2000)
Matthew's Mighty Men of Stanhope (2001-2005)
Matthew's Mighty Men of Marietta (present)
|
Newark
Sugar Bears
batters
| pitchers
|
Craig "Butch"
Garretson |
Newark Sugar
Bears (1997-present)
|
Phoenix
Dragons
batters
| pitchers
|
Mike Chan |
Phoenix
Dragons (1997-present)
|
|
Morris
Division |
Team |
Owner |
Composition
|
Arkansas
Golden Falcons
batters
| pitchers
|
Mike "Stump"
Matiash |
Arkansas
Golden Falcons (1997-present)
|
Carolina
Mudcats
batters
| pitchers
|
Chris Pucci |
Carolina
Mudcats (1997-present)
|
Columbian
Cartel
batters
| pitchers
|
Brian "Dizzy"
Dissler (1997-2005)
Jamie Landsman (present)
|
Columbia
Crusaders (1997-2001)
Columbia Rattlesnakes (2002-2005)
D.C. Bushslappers (present)
|
Louisiana
Hitmen
batters
| pitchers
|
Brent Cambpell |
Louisiana
Lightning (1997-1998)
Hillsborough Hired Hitmen (2005-present)
|
Philadelphia
Endzone Eagles
batters
| pitchers
|
Anthony
"Bocci" Pucci
|
Philadelphia
Eagle Wings (1998-2000)
Philadelphia Endzone Animals (2001-present)
|
South
Lisbon Hill Bandits
batters
| pitchers
|
Paul Barbosa |
Lisbon Diabos
(1997)
Kentucky Hillbillies (2000-2001)
Tijuana Banditos (2002-2005)
South Boston Gang (present)
|
Vancouver
Ironfist
batters
| pitchers
|
Yaro Zajac
|
Vancouver
Ironfist (1997-present)
|
The rosters listed above include each
player's MLB stats and year.
Composition:
Arkansas Golden Falcons (1997-present)
One of the greatest franchises in
league
history and one of the league's seven original
teams. Golden Falcons owner Mike "Stump"
Matiash
has led his team to a DMBL-record 13-straight post-season appearances,
earning five league championships, four Commissioner's Cups and seven
Morris Division
titles. It's no surprise the Falcs' all-time roster is
stacked from top to bottom with great players. The batters are led by,
who else, Barry Bonds. It was tough picking
just one year from Bonds, but we went with 2001 (.328, 1.379 OPS, 73
HR, 173 RBI, 177 BB), the season that powered his record-setting DMBL
campaign of 2002. The pitching
is ridiculously good, leading all dream season teams in ERA (2.54), R/9
(9.7), K/9 (9.8) and K:BB (4.1). Everybody's awesome, but the leaders
are 1999's Pedro Martinez (23-4, 2.07 ERA, 8.7
R/9) and 2004's Brad Lidge (6-5, 29 SV, 1.90
ERA, 8.8 R/9).
Composition:
Carolina Mudcats (1997-present)
The Mudcats joined the league in the '97 expansion and
were competitive the very next season, missing the playoffs by just 4
games. They would reach the promised land in '99, '01, '03 and '04, and
this year are threatening to win the Morris Division. Owner Chris Pucci has an eye for pitching talent, and
his all-time staff is one of the deepest of any franchise. The batters shouldn't be
overlooked, particularly 2004's Jim Edmonds
(.301, 1.061 OPS, 42 HR, 111 RBI), but the real stars are the pitchers, led by
1997's Roger Clemens (21-7, 2.05 ERA, 9.7
R/9) and 1998's Tom Gordon (7-4, 46 SV, 2.72
ERA, 9.1 R/9).
Composition:
Columbia Crusaders/Rattlesnakes (1997-2005); D.C. Bushslappers (present)
The Columbian Cartel is a fusion of
two franchises: Brian "Dizzy" Dissler's
Columbia Crusaders, a
founding team that played from 1991 through 2005 (renamed the Columbia
Rattlesnakes prior to the 2002 season); and Jamie
Landsman's D.C. Bushslappers, who inherited Columbia's roster
prior to this season. With just one Bushslapper year to work with, the
roster are mostly Dissler-era players, though there are several players
who overlap the two owners. Though the Crusaders/Rattlesnakes never had
a winning season, and '06 hasn't been a banner year for the
Bushslappers either, this roster is surprisingly talented. The top batter was a huge season
from 2000's Frank Thomas
(.328, 1.061 OPS, 43 HR, 143 RBI) and the top pitchers were 1997's Darryl Kile (19-7, 2.57 ERA, 11.0
R/9) and 2004's Joe Nathan (1-2, 44 SV, 1.62
ERA, 9.1 R/9).
Composition:
Harrison Rats (2001-2004); Las Vegas Rat Pack (2005-present)
The Rat Pack are well on their way to
their greatest season of all
time; with more than two dozen games left in the season, they've
already set a new franchise record in wins, beating the 78 wins they
put up in their inaugural '01 season for a 7th-place finish. This squad
takes the best players assembled by owner Eric
Wickstrom since he joined the league that spring, taking over the Austin Outlaws. Since they're having their best
season this year, it's not a surprise they have more players (9) from
the current season than any other franchise. But the best of the batters comes from the
franchise's inaugural season -- Gary Sheffield
in 2000 (.325, 1.081 OPS, 43 HR, 105 R, 109 RBI), while the top pitchers
are 2002's Derek Lowe
(21-8, 2.58 ERA, 9.3
R/9) and 2005's Todd Jones (1-5, 40 SV, 2.10
ERA, 9.6 R/9).
Composition:
Hoboken Cutters (2001-present)
Rising from the ashes of the scandal
that brought down the Arizona Rattlers
and Hawaii Volcanoes, the Cutters reached the
post-season in just their second year of existence, just missed last
year, and this year are poised to make a return trip. In between the
team has had some rough times, but they've never had a 90-loss
season. Mark Hrywna fields a team with a
loaded offense
including young Miguel Cabrera from the
current season (.323, .947
OPS, 43 2B, 106 R, 116 RBI) and a pitching staff anchored by 2002 Rookie of the Year Joel Pineiro (6-2, 2.03 ERA, 8.8 R/9) and 2005
Reliever of the Year Jason Isringhausen (2.87
ERA, 9.6 R/9, 47 SV).
Composition:
Honolulu Sharks (1997-present)
It took a few years, but Adam
Kozubal has steadily
built up the Sharks since its early years as the league's favorite
catch of the day, with five straight bottom-5 finishes from '97-'01.
The Sharks just missed the playffs in '02, then made it as the No. 5
seed for three consecutive seasons. Surprisingly, two-thirds of the
roster comes from the pre-playoff days, including a monster 2001 season
from Jason Giambi (.342, 1.137 OPS, 38 HR, 120
RBI) to lead the batters.
But the best pitchers
come from recent vintage, including huge seasons from Jason Schmidt
(17-5, 2.34 ERA, 8.8
R/9) in 2003 and Ugueth Urbina (1-6, 40 SV,
3.00 ERA, 9.6 R/9) in 2002.
Composition:
Lousiana Lightning (1997-1998); Hillsborough Hired Hitmen (2005-present)
Brent Campbell
joined the league
in its second season as an expansion franchise, the Scranton
Sparrows. In 1997, his team -- renamed the Louisiana
Lightning -- won 109 games and captured the Hanover Division title.
The following season his team won 84 games and returned to the
post-season. Campbell then took a seven-year hiatus from the league,
returning in 2005 to take over the moribund Hillsborough franchise,
which he renamed the Hillsborough Hired Hitmen.
There are a number of terrific batters, including 2005's Alex
Rodriguez (.321, 1.031 OPS, 48 HR, 130 RBI).
The top pitchers
bookend the franchise: 1996's John Smoltz
(24-8, 2.94 ERA, 9.1
R/9) and 2005's Chad Cordero (2-4, 47 SV,
1.82 ERA, 9.0 R/9).
Composition:
Jerusalem Rabbis (1997-2000); Matthew's Mighty Men of Stanhope
(2001-2005); Matthew's Mighty Men of Marietta (present)
Having reached the playoffs for three
consecutive seasons -- and seven out of the last eight -- the team
founded in the 1996 dispersal draft as the Jerusalem
Rabbis won the 2000 World Series, becoming the only team other than Arkansas, Newark or
Vancouver to win it all. Owner David Landsman
moved the team in 2001 and became Matthew's Mighty
Men of Stanhope, reaching the post-season in four of five seasons.
This year, they moved again, becoming Matthew's
Mighty Men of Marietta, and they're once in the thick of a playoff
battle. The potent offense
features a number of great hitters, including Todd
Helton (.372, 1.162 OPS, 59 2B, 42 HR, 147
RBI), who had a monster 2000 season. There's no shortage of great pitchers either, but maybe
the fondest memories for Jerusalem fans will be evoked by Jose Lima (21-10, 3.58 ERA, 11.0 R/9), whose huge
1999 MLB season helped lead the team to the world's championship. The
top reliever is, of course, Mariano Rivera.
All his seasons have been great, but we went with his current season
(43 SV, 1.38 ERA, 8.3 R/9).
Composition:
Newark Sugar Bears (1997-present)
The Newark Sugar
Bears, founded in the 1996 dispersal draft, have reached the
playoffs in each of their 10 seasons. They've won the Hanover Division
title eight times, the Commissioner's Cup four times and the World
Series five times.
Suffice it to say, this is a loaded franchise, particularly when it
comes to the batters.
The Sugar Bears lead all teams in the dream season in OBP (.407), SLG
(.551), OPS (.958) and RC/27 (8.6). It's tough to settle on one guy as
the top batter, but let's go with Mark McGwire
and his eye-popping '98 season (.299, 1.222 OPS, 70 HR, 147 RBI). The pitching
is more in the middle of the pack, but 2004's Randy
Johnson
(16-14, 2.60 ERA, 8.5
R/9, 290 K in 245.2 IP) and 2003's John Smoltz (45
SV,
1.12 ERA, 7.8 R/9) would make any franchise.
Composition:
Philadelphia Eaglewings (1998-2000); Philadelphia Endzone Animals
(2001-present)
Founded in 1998, taking over the Lisbon
Diabos, this franchise was originally named the Philadelphia
Eaglewings, then became the Philadelphia
Endzone Animals. They found little success in their first seven
seasons, finishing no higher than 9th place -- a stretch that included
back-to-back-to-back 99+ loss campaigns. Finally, last year, Owner Anthony "Bocci" Pucci built a winner almost
entirely through the farm system, and this year is in the midst of what
could be the franchise's second-straight playoff season. The offense is anchored by Albert Pujols (.359, 1.106 OPS, 43 HR, 137 R, 124
RBI in 2003), while the pitchers
include young Johan Santana
(20-6, 2.61 ERA, 8.6
R/9 in 2004) and Francisco Rodriguez (1.82
ERA, 9.1 R/9, 123 K in 84.0 IP in 2004).
Composition:
Phoenix Dragons (1997-present)
Founded during the 1997 expansion,
the Phoenix Dragons had an inasupicious
beginning, posting a 44-118 record -- the second-worst record in league
history. (The worst team of all time were the 1993 Waikiki
Keys, who went 33-129. The following year the Keys improved to a
modest 76-86 -- not great, but an astounding 43 wins better, the best
one-year improvement in league history.) In their nine-year history,
the Dragons have never made the playoffs or even reached .500. In fact,
they've finished in the bottom 5 in every season but one -- 2001, when
they went 78-84 to join a four-way tie for 7th, 4 games out of the
playoffs. This season won't be a banner year either, as the Dragons
have already "clinched" another losing season and a lottery pick. But
this franchise does have some notable talent on offense, including a
monster 2004 season from Ichiro Suzuki (.372,
101 R, 36 SB) in which he set the league record for most hits in a
season (268) and longest consecutive game hitting streak (33). The pitchers include terrific
seasons from David Wells
in 1998 (18-4, 3.49 ERA, 9.4
R/9) and Troy Percival in 2001 (39 SV, 2.65
ERA, 9.2 R/9).
Composition:
Lisbon Diabos (1997); Kentucky Hillbillies (2000-2001); Tijuana
Banditos (2002-2005); South Boston Gang (present)
Owner Paul
Barbosa has the distinction of having headed the most teams in
league history. Barbosa was a founding member, joining in 1991 as the Newark Crimewave. Poor attendance forced the team
to move the following season, and they became Tampa
Bay Sweat Sox until 1994. The team folded during the 1995 strike, but in 1997, Barbosa
bought an expansion franchise and rejoined the league with the league's
first Portugal-based team, the Lisbon Diabos.
Barbosa later explained he put the team in Europe because of a
"misunderstanding" with the Internal Revenue Service; that
misunderstanding eventually led to a three-year prison sentence. When
he got out in spring 2000, he took over the Toledo
Mutthens, moved them south and renamed them the Kentucky
Hillbillies. Two years later, more trouble with the feds forced a
relocation further south, to Mexico, where the team played as the Tijuana Banditos from 2002-2005. This year, his
financial dealings with the government apparently straightened out,
Barbosa has returned to the states with the South
Boston Gang. Despite all the upheaval, Barbosa's teams have
generally been competitive, with post-season appearances in 2000, 2002
and 2004. This season may continue the trend as the 2006 squad is
battling for the final wildcard seed. Barbosa's All-Star squad is
well-balanced on offense and defense. The lineup is built around Vladimir
Guerrero and his monster 2000 season (.345, 1.074 OPS, 44 HR, 123
RBI). The pitchers are
of recent seasons -- there's just two on the roster who came before the
team went to Tijuana. The ace is Chris Carpenter
from last year's MLB campaign (21-5, 2.83 ERA, 9.6 R/9), while the
nasty bullpen is headed by Eric Gagne's
jaw-dropping 2003 season (55 SV, 1.20 ERA, 6.6 R/9)..
Composition:
Vancouver Ironfist (1997-present)
One of the league's founding members,
the Vancouver Ironfist have won the World Series three times, the Commissioner's
Cup four times and the Morris Division five times. They've also reached
the post-season in 11 out of their 14 seasons, and this year it appears
they'll make it an even dozen and perhaps win their sixth division
title. It's no surprise that the Ironfist all-time roster has some of
the league's most talented players. Out of all the "dream season"
franchises, the Ironfist rank in the top 3 in almost every offensive
category -- including the most doubles, home runs and stolen bases --
and also rank at the top in most pitching categories, including 2nd in
team ERA and R/9. Their balanced offense includes a huge 2001 season from Sammy Sosa
(.328, 1.174 OPS, 64 HR, 160 RBI), while the pitching includes one of Greg Maddux's three Ben McDonald Award-winning
seasons (1997: 19-4, 2.20 ERA, 8.7 R/9), as an Eck-winning campaign
from Billy Wagner (1999: 39 SV, 1.57 ERA, 7.1
R/9).
|