W
|
L
|
PCT
|
GB |
Home
|
Road
|
RS
|
RA
|
Diff
|
Streak
|
L 10
|
|
14
|
10
|
0.583
|
-
|
8-4
|
6-6
|
139
|
145
|
-6
|
Won 6
|
7-3
|
|
14
|
13
|
0.519
|
1.5
|
6-6
|
8-7
|
170
|
173
|
-3
|
Won 1
|
4-6
|
|
14
|
16
|
0.467
|
3
|
10-5
|
4-11
|
206
|
176
|
30
|
Won 2
|
5-5
|
|
13
|
17
|
0.433
|
4
|
7-8
|
6-9
|
163
|
185
|
-22
|
Won 1
|
3-7
|
One thing each team in the division has in common is poor pitching. The teams occupy four of the bottom seven spots in team ERA in the entire league, and four of five in the Expansion League. The lone bright spot on the mound has been the work of the Phantoms bullpen, which actually leads all of MBL with a 2.62 ERA. Needless to say, their starters haven't fared quite as well, currently sitting on a 6.33 team ERA.
An interesting observation is that the Stouts are the only team in the division with a positive run differential, currently at +30 for the season. Both Milwaukee and Toronto, each with winning records, have scored fewer runs than they have allowed. This should be a positive sign for Baltimore in the coming weeks.
Now let's take a look at Baltimore roster position-by-position and see how it's looking one month into the young season.
CATCHER
The big story behind the plate so far has been the injury to Ivan Rodriguez, who hit the shelf just 11 games into the season. He has obviously been missed. When he played, he played well, hitting .289 with a pair of homers in only 10 games. His OPS was a stout .893. I-Rod is eyeing an early June return to action. His replacements have been serviceable. Ed Taubensee has seen the bulk of the work. He started out hot but has cooled of late. Gary Bennet was acquired to bat against LHP, and he's done quite well, knocking six hits in only 15 ABs. Robert Fick has also started a couple games behind the plate, but he's been mainly used as a left-handed bat in pinch-hit situations.
Name
|
G |
AB
|
R
|
H
|
2B
|
3B
|
HR
|
RBI
|
BB
|
SO
|
SB
|
CS
|
BA
|
OBP
|
SLG
|
10
|
45
|
11
|
13
|
3
|
1
|
2
|
6
|
4
|
7
|
0
|
0
|
.289
|
.360
|
.533
|
14
|
56
|
5
|
14
|
4
|
0
|
1
|
6
|
7
|
10
|
0
|
0
|
.250
|
.333
|
.375
|
6
|
15
|
4
|
6
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
3
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
.400
|
.500
|
.533
|
16
|
23
|
1
|
5
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
3
|
4
|
0
|
0
|
.217
|
.333
|
.217
|
FIRST BASE
Todd Helton was the Stouts first ever pick, and he has lived up to his advanced billing and then some. Through the first month of the season, Helton leads the entire league in four offensive categories (BA, OBP, HITS and RUNS). The "Toddfather" has a triple slash line of .455/.558/.754, meaning his OPS sits at a remarkable 1.312. He has started every game for the Stouts, and could very well win MBL Player-of-the-Month honors. He completely torched the Arizona Apaches late in the month, going 9-12 with four runs, four RBI, four walks, two doubles and a homer in their three game set. He reached base in 13 of 16 plate appearances. He actually ended the month of April with a .477 batting average with 11 doubles and seven HRs.
Name
|
G |
AB
|
R
|
H
|
2B
|
3B
|
HR
|
RBI
|
BB
|
SO
|
SB
|
CS
|
BA
|
OBP
|
SLG
|
30
|
122
|
37
|
55
|
11
|
1
|
8
|
31
|
31
|
11
|
0
|
0
|
.451
|
.558
|
.754
|
SECOND BASE
What was originally designed to be a platoon has turned into more of a one man show as Fernando Vina has taken the reigns and held onto the job. Hitting in the leadoff spot, Vina has played in 29 of the Stouts 30 games to date, starting in 25 of those appearances. He hitting at a .336 clip with a .403 OBP. Vina has also been stellar in the field, committing a lone error in 151 total chances. His counterpart from the right side, Jay Bell, has yet to make much of an impact to date, starting only five games. Bell has hit well against LHP when called upon, stroking six hits in 16 ABs to go along with four walks against southpaws.
Name
|
G |
AB
|
R
|
H
|
2B
|
3B
|
HR
|
RBI
|
BB
|
SO
|
SB
|
CS
|
BA
|
OBP
|
SLG
|
29
|
125
|
20
|
42
|
9
|
3
|
0
|
14
|
9
|
12
|
0
|
0
|
.336
|
.403
|
.456
|
15
|
29
|
5
|
8
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
5
|
5
|
0
|
0
|
.276
|
.382
|
.310
|
SHORTSTOP
Ricky Gutierrez has been a pleasant surprise at the SS position through the month of April. Drafted for his glove, Gutierrez has been quite good at the plate so far, blasting three homers (two in one game) and getting on base at a very good .391 clip. He's started every game so far, and is actually third on the team in RBI with 25 batting exclusively from the number eight hole in the lineup. His defense has been superb, committing only two errors (both in the same game) in 143 total chances. Donnie Sadler was traded for halfway through the month to provide backup at the position. He's performed quite well in limited duty, smacking five hits in 15 ABs. He's yet to commit and error in the field at either SS or CF.
Name
|
G |
AB
|
R
|
H
|
2B
|
3B
|
HR
|
RBI
|
BB
|
SO
|
SB
|
CS
|
BA
|
OBP
|
SLG
|
30
|
106
|
18
|
29
|
7
|
0
|
3
|
25
|
18
|
14
|
0
|
0
|
.274
|
.391
|
.425
|
6
|
15
|
4
|
5
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
.333
|
.375
|
.467
|
THIRD BASE
Another player who has started every game so far for the Stouts is third baseman Bill Mueller. Strong in the field, Mueller has committed only one error in 76 chances at the hot corner. His offense has been steady throughout the season thus far, proving adept at drawing walks and putting the ball in play. He is currently sixth in all of MBL in walks with 25, holding a .423 OBP. Couple that with his .292 batting average and Mueller has been a pleasant surprise. His production in the absence of Ivan Rodriguez has been critical.
Name
|
G |
AB
|
R
|
H
|
2B
|
3B
|
HR
|
RBI
|
BB
|
SO
|
SB
|
CS
|
BA
|
OBP
|
SLG
|
30
|
113
|
17
|
33
|
6
|
1
|
2
|
20
|
25
|
15
|
0
|
0
|
.292
|
.423
|
.416
|
LEFT FIELD
The left field position has been manned by a variety of players in the month of April. Lance Berkman would have to be considered the "regular" at the position, starting in 25 of the teams 30 games so far. He's been a killer against RHP, hitting them at a .311 clip with a 1.055 OPS. He's belted nine doubles, second on the team to Todd Helton. Berkman was originally platooning with Rondell White in left, but White was shipped to the New York Rippers mid-month. In his place came Ruben Mateo, who has been quite good in limited action thus far, currently hitting .389. Eric Owens has also seen action at the position, though he has predominantly been used as the number one pinch-hitter off the bench.
Name
|
G |
AB
|
R
|
H
|
2B
|
3B
|
HR
|
RBI
|
BB
|
SO
|
SB
|
CS
|
BA
|
OBP
|
SLG
|
25
|
81
|
19
|
24
|
9
|
1
|
5
|
14
|
16
|
18
|
0
|
0
|
.296
|
.412
|
.617
|
6
|
18
|
4
|
7
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
4
|
0
|
0
|
.389
|
.421
|
.500
|
21
|
38
|
9
|
9
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
0
|
6
|
2
|
1
|
.237
|
.237
|
.237
|
14
|
39
|
5
|
12
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
5
|
1
|
10
|
1
|
0
|
.308
|
.325
|
.333
|
CENTER FIELD
Garrett Anderson has started every game in center for Baltimore thus far and had an exceptional April. His 39 RBI lead all of the Millennium League. He is second in the MBL in hits behind only Todd Helton. His nine homers lead the team and place him sixth in the league in the category. Anderson has also been exceptional in the field. Error free in 87 total chances, he has gunned down six opposing runners on the basepaths.
Name
|
G |
AB
|
R
|
H
|
2B
|
3B
|
HR
|
RBI
|
BB
|
SO
|
SB
|
CS
|
BA
|
OBP
|
SLG
|
30
|
139
|
24
|
46
|
5
|
3
|
9
|
39
|
7
|
19
|
0
|
0
|
.331
|
.358
|
.604
|
RIGHT FIELD
The right field position had a major shakeup with the mid-month trade that saw Shawn Green exit and Larry Walker come into the fold. Green was drafted in the 4th round of the MBL dispersal draft, but he was used in trade to acquire not only Walker, but reliever Armando Benitez as well. Green, for his part, performed decently while wearing the Stouts jersey, belting a couple of homers and getting on base at a .378 clip. He also had four outfield assists. Walker comes to town with his rifle arm which nobody has tried to run on as of yet. He has yet to find his groove in a Baltimore uniform, currently hitting .256 with a pair of doubles, a triple, a homer and a pair of stolen bases in nine games.
Name
|
G |
AB
|
R
|
H
|
2B
|
3B
|
HR
|
RBI
|
BB
|
SO
|
SB
|
CS
|
BA
|
OBP
|
SLG
|
9
|
39
|
5
|
10
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
5
|
6
|
11
|
2
|
0
|
.256
|
.348
|
.436
|
18
|
72
|
12
|
18
|
6
|
0
|
2
|
18
|
12
|
16
|
1
|
1
|
.250
|
.378
|
.417
|
The Stouts offense has been just that so far in 2000, STOUT. Baltimore leads the league in hits, runs, doubles, RBI, walks and on-base percentage. They are second in the league in batting average, trailing the Arizona Apaches .306 to .305. For the month of April they averaged a remarkable 7.1 runs per game. Jeff D'Amico of the Milwaukee Phantoms is the only pitcher to completely solve the Stouts offense, tossing a complete game five-hit shutout back on April 6. It is impossible to complain about the Baltimore offense through the first month of the season.
Baltimore pitching, on the other hand, has been pretty much a complete disaster. The team ERA currently sits at 5.58. The bullpen has blown a league leading eight saves in 16 chances. Relievers are also responsible for 10 of the teams 16 losses. Baltimore also has the league's worst record in one-run games at 3-11, another indication of how badly the bullpen has performed to this point. Help has been acquired in the form of Armando Benitez. He will man the 9th inning. The task at hand is for the setup guys to actually get the game to him. Hopefully May and beyond will prove to be better than April has been.
STARTING PITCHERS
The Stouts staff up to this point in the season has been mostly sub-par, with the notable exception of Kirk Rueter. The core three of Rueter, Shawn Estes and Kevin Appier has seen one pitch exceptionally well (Rueter), one pitch mediocre (Estes), and one get roughed up rather badly (Appier).
Rueter has been the unquestionable "Ace" of the staff through the month of April. He currently ranks sixth in ERA in the Expansion League with a 2.96 mark. He is also second in innings pitched behind only Greg Maddux. He's also been able to keep baserunners off the paths rather effectively, sporting a 1.22 WHIP. He has a 3-1 record in seven starts.
Estes is sitting at 4-1 through the same amount of starts, making the two a combined 7-2 on the year. But Estes has achieved his record in a totally different manner. He's been unable to keep opposing hitters off base, giving up more hits than innings pitched while allowing 25 walks in only 44 innings. Those numbers equate to a 1.73 WHIP. His ERA of 5.11 is also above the league average.
Appier has struggled mightily in the early going, tossing only one quality start in seven total games. He's been hit early and often, failing to make it through three innings in three of his seven starts. His WHIP is even worse than Estes' at 1.76. He was the Opening Day starter for Baltimore so much more is expected from him that what he has shown to date. He is currently in the midst of a seven game suspension for hitting three opposing batters in one game. Maybe the time off will help him refocus.
The final two spots in the rotation have been manned by four different hurlers. Todd Stottlemyre opened up the season in the rotation, but after two starts which saw his ERA sit at 10.64 with a WHIP of 2.00, he was dealt away to Miami. Jaret Wright was called up from Triple-A Indianapolis and he hasn't fared much better in his three starts, going 1-1 with a 6.60 ERA and 2.07 WHIP. A mid-month trade landed Bryan Rekar for the back end of the rotation. Although his numbers in three starts don't look all that impressive, he has pitched fairly well when called upon. In three starts, he is 1-1 with a 6.86 ERA and 1.57 WHIP. He is the only starter to toss a complete game so far, going the distance in his April 22 start against Colorado. Elmer Dessens has worked mostly out of the pen thus far. He does have one start under his belt, and he pitched quite well in it, tossing 7.1 innings, allowing only two earned runs. He's been the hard-luck loser of three games out of the bullpen despite a 3.33 ERA and 1.32 WHIP. He's slotted to keep his spot as the number five starter going forward.
Name
|
G
|
GS
|
CG
|
W
|
L
|
SV
|
BS
|
IP
|
H
|
R
|
ER
|
HR
|
BB
|
SO
|
BA
|
WHIP
|
ERA |
7
|
7
|
0
|
3
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
51.2
|
46
|
17
|
17
|
4
|
17
|
29
|
.246
|
1.22
|
2.96
|
|
7
|
7
|
0
|
4
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
44
|
51
|
26
|
25
|
3
|
25
|
35
|
.293
|
1.73
|
5.11
|
|
7
|
7
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
34
|
42
|
31
|
31
|
8
|
18
|
29
|
.304
|
1.76
|
8.21
|
|
3
|
3
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
15
|
18
|
11
|
11
|
1
|
13
|
12
|
.305
|
2.07
|
6.60
|
|
4
|
3
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
21
|
31
|
16
|
16
|
4
|
2
|
14
|
.352
|
1.57
|
6.86
|
|
2
|
2
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
11
|
15
|
13
|
13
|
3
|
7
|
7
|
.313
|
2.00
|
10.64
|
|
8
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
0
|
0
|
24.1
|
25
|
9
|
9
|
0
|
7
|
21
|
.269
|
1.32
|
3.33
|
|
TEAM TOTALS
|
30
|
30
|
1
|
10
|
6
|
0
|
0
|
183
|
207
|
115
|
114
|
22
|
83
|
133
|
0.290
|
1.58
|
5.61
|
RELIEF PITCHERS
As bad as the starters have been as a group, the bullpen has been even worse. Despite an ERA which is slightly better as a whole (5.53 to 5.61), the relief staff has been nothing but for the Stouts so far in the young season. Baltimore relievers have blown eight saves in 16 opportunities. Obviously a TERRIBLE ratio. Before the arrival of closer Armando Benitez, the ratio was eight in 13 chances. HORRENDOUS. They have accounted for ten of the teams 16 losses. If all eight save opportunities had been converted, the Stouts would be sitting on a 22-8 record which would be the best in the league. As is, they end the month of April three games below the .500 mark at 12-15.
But there is hope on the horizon. The mid-month acquisition of closer Benitez is being viewed in Baltimore circles as nothing short of a team saver. Benitiez came to the team from New York having tossed 12 scoreless innings. In six inning for the Stouts, he has allowed only three hits, two walks, one run while striking out eight. He has also converted all three of his save chances. The team is confident that if the rest of the bullpen can get the ball into Armando's hands in the 9th, chances are the team will come away with a victory.
That has been the problem so far on the young season. Steve Kline, who was the first reliever drafted by Baltimore in the dispersal draft, has been an unmitigated disaster through the first month, losing two games, blowing four saves while giving up 23 hits and 18 runs in only 16 innings of work. Antonio Alfonseca has arguably been even worse. The "closer" out of spring training, El Pulpo has given up 21 hits and seven walks in only 10.1 innings, making his WHIP a PUTRID 2.71. LaTroy Hawkins, Alan Embree and Antonio Osuna have all been slightly below average, which on this team is pretty good. Osuna has probably been the best of the bunch, collecting three wins in April in relief.
Name
|
G
|
GS
|
CG
|
W
|
L
|
SV
|
BS
|
IP
|
H
|
R
|
ER
|
HR
|
BB
|
SO
|
BA
|
WHIP
|
ERA |
5
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
0
|
6
|
3
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
8
|
.150
|
0.83
|
1.50
|
|
15
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
13.2
|
16
|
6
|
6
|
3
|
5
|
13
|
.281
|
1.54
|
3.95
|
|
15
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
12
|
12
|
6
|
6
|
2
|
6
|
7
|
.267
|
1.50
|
4.50
|
|
10
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
13
|
9
|
7
|
7
|
1
|
11
|
13
|
.191
|
1.54
|
4.85
|
|
8
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
10
|
9
|
6
|
6
|
2
|
3
|
7
|
.231
|
1.20
|
5.40
|
|
12
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
2
|
10.1
|
21
|
9
|
9
|
1
|
7
|
9
|
.457
|
2.71
|
7.84
|
|
17
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
2
|
4
|
16.1
|
23
|
18
|
18
|
3
|
6
|
11
|
.333
|
1.78
|
9.92
|
TEAM TOTALS
|
29
|
0
|
0
|
4
|
10
|
8
|
8
|
99.1
|
114
|
61
|
61
|
14
|
46
|
82
|
.290
|
1.61
|
5.53
|
So there you have it. One month down, and although the record is below .500, signs point towards a resurgent May and beyond, especially if the bullpen can round into form.
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