Baseball Tri-Weekly: ATB Week 4

Arlington's Howie Kendrick has had a recent setback, but he and fellow middle infielder B.J. Upton have done good things this season now that they have finally gotten a chance to play. Find out how the pieces came together to put the Warriors at the top of the standings.

Around the Bases: Week 4
By Listen DePlayohs, Baseball Tri-Weekly

We all know why Bridgewater is winning, powered by a resurgent Alex Rodriguez, and Rakeville has pitched their way to a top spot. But what about the team sitting second in the EHCC standings.

The Arlington Warriors have been the early surprise of 2007, and it can’t just be written off because of their seemingly cupcake schedule. The Warriors opened with the defending champs, leading the game going into the final day. They then went on blow out, not just win, games against Santo Domingo and Tijuana. Blowouts are the mark of teams who aren’t just good, but serious playoff contenders.

In a span of three months, the Warriors have put together a young productive team, with veteran talent sprinkled in to create a viable EHCC franchise. They are giving playing time to players who are immensely talented, but suffered in poor systems or behind mediocre veterans. Guys like BJ Upton, Curtis Granderson and Howie Kendrick aren’t just fill in players anymore. Arlington has given them a stage and they are producing.

A trading genius?
In January, days after gaining acceptance to the league, Arlington’s GM Matt Skinner made a trade that may be considered one of the best in league history if you discount the some of the sketchy dealings made by Las Vegas in years past. Desperate for pitching, Tokyo spared no expense in acquiring C.C. Sabathia and Brandon Webb, giving up Alex Gordon, Howie Kendrick, John Danks and Curtis Grandson. The deal also included draft picks, which turned into Adam Lind and helped the team get superstar Matt Holliday a few weeks later. And to cap it off, they also have the first overall pick in this year’s minor league draft.

Essentially, Arlington may have gotten future 4 all-stars and three above average players for an ace and an above average hurler.

Their trading successes didn’t end there. The Matt Holliday deal was an expensive one, but not nearly as costly as it could have been to get one of the best outfielders in baseball. They also picked up Miguel Montero and Johnny Peralta. The book is still out on those two, but overall, Arlington’s moves have put them in the driver’s seat.

A franchise pitcher
"I offered him everything under the sun," said Las Vegas General Manager Howe Dogg. "He just wouldn’t budge. I’ve have never had such a tough time getting what I want."

Daisuke Matsusaka was the most coveted player in the 2007 general draft. At least three teams made a serious effort to trade into the top spot, and many more looked on with curiosity. Despite names like Francisco Rodriguez and Vernon Wells being thrown at Skinner, he stood firm.

"Unless the deal involves a young pitcher better than Matsusaka, then I don’t want to hear it," he said, holding true to his word.

With the first pick as expected, Matsusaka donned an Arlington cap, and a legend was born. In spring training alone, the Warrior ace killed a man, made another crazy and proved that he could anchor a young, talented pitching staff.

"There isn’t a pitcher in the league that has as much pressure on him as Matsusaka," said J.C. Stapleton, EhSPN radio. "When he does well, the whole Arlington staff feeds off of him. If he starts to struggle, then I really think the wheels will come off."

He added, Zach Grienke, Adam Wainwright, Tom Grozelanny and James Shields have a chance to be aces, but they are not there yet. Matsusaka has taken all the weight on his shoulders, allowing them to develop at their pace.

It is why he is so admired by fans, and so valuable to management. He is going to be one of the greats.

A delicate balance
Playing next to Curtis Granderson is Maglio Ordonez. Next to Chris Ray, Brian Fuentes. A 42-year-old Barry Bonds swaps time at DH with 26-year-old Mike Jacobs.

EHCC expansion teams have taken many different routes. Tokyo went young, Golden went old. Winston-Salem went for speed, Tijuana power. There has been no clear path to success. Perhaps Arlington has had better luck than most, but the combination of overlooked youth and a strategic veteran presence has spelt success.

Arlington has three legitimate closers, not hard throwing setup men looking for jobs. Their starting pitchers are young, but productive. While not as deep as most teams, the talent and potential can make an impact this year. Their seven outfielders are far too many, but only Felix Pie isn’t an option to spot start right now.

A look at their team shows no real holes. Sure, they would like Montero to hit for a better average and Peralta to show more power. Wainwright isn’t pitching as expected and Joakim Soria isn’t getting the save opportunities they would like. But the question, are the Warriors struggles any less than the other teams in the EHCC? If the answer is no, then they are going to be in the playoffs this year.

Breaking down the Warriors
The Core: Matt Holliday, B.J. Upton, Howie Kendrick
The Dealers: Daisuke Matsusaka, Aaron Harang, Chris Ray
The Wildcard: Zach Grienke
The Future: Adam Wainright

What about this week’s matchups?

Arlington at Bridgewater
As hot as Arlington is Bridgewater is hotter. The Weasels entire infield is lighting up the league, with a combined 27 homeruns in three weeks. Marcus Giles and Jimmy Rollins doing the dirty work while Alex Rodriguez gets all the glory. This tidal wave of offense will be tough to stop, especially when you consider Derrick Lee and Ryan Howard have really struggled early on.

Pitching is a different story, and an area where Arlington can grab a few categories. The Weasels have a ton of depth, but no standout aces who could help take over a few categories. If Haarang, a two-start pitcher this week, can deliver a low whip, high strikeout performance, then the Warriors could really do damage. Saves is also up for grabs.

Bridgewater is hard to bet against. Arlington needs to capitalize on the categories they can win, using their versatile outfield corps to outmanage the Weasels if they want to remain at the top of the league.

Tokyo at Santo Domingo
The Omyoujis record breaking continues by burying Quebec City’s RBI total. The previous mark, set at 53 against the Plymouth Bells, was eclipsed last week in Tijuana when Tokyo sluggers hit 56 in a 5-5 tie. Outfielder Carlos Guillen had 10 while Jeff Francour and Michael Cuddyer had 8 in the game.

One has to wonder what records Tokyo will break this week as they head to Santo Domingo with a .500 record. They rank in the middle of the pack in almost every category, but have the explosive ability to jump out at teams when they least expect it.

Santo Domingo has been under the radar this season, and a lot has to do with being at the bottom of the standings. Don’t underestimate the White Devils pitching staff though. They have five pitchers with two or more wins, and six with sub-3.00 eras. Going up against a struggling Tokyo staff could really help showcase the fine rotation they have put together, hopefully leading to some wins.

Tijuana at Las Vegas
Just when you thought they were done, Las Vegas re-establishes their dominance in a stirring 8-1 victory over Winston-Salem. They have really lucked out compared to the other playoff teams struggling early on, having a much easier schedule through the first few weeks. Had they played Rakeville or Bridgewater instead of Arlington and Tokyo, then Las Vegas could have been a lot lower in the standings. Instead, they are in fourth only four games out of first with their offense clicking again.

Tijuana can’t match the Doggs pound for pound offensively, and rely needs on their speed and run scoring ability. With the pitching staffs a wash, the battle this week will be won on the basepaths. With Freel, Tavares and Lugo facing off against Ichiro, Reyes and Weeks, expect an exciting game fore fans, and a long one for Jojjima and Lo Duca.

Transactions

Quebec City will get a boost for their matchhup against Rakeville with Hideki Matsui returning to the lineup. Reliever Henry Owens was cut to make room for the outfielder.

Tokyo added David Aardsma. The reliever has pitched well, but is considered the third option for a true closing job.

Weymouth, a big fan of super utility players, picked up Rich Aurillia. He is able to play every infield position, a valuable commodity since Chone Figgins got hurt.

League Notes

-- Three golf balls were found on the field at Drunken Nest Stadium in Golden. Reports indicate the team invited Justin Timberlake to entertain at a corporate function, but the hip hop singer said he would rather be a pro golfer. Timberlake later disappeared and was believed to be driving balls from the top of the center field scoreboard.

-- To promote the upcoming minor league draft, EHCC officials have made a parody of Saturday Night Live’s Dear Sister. Instead of gun shots, the song "Hide and Seek" by Imogen plays over clips of Mark Prior getting injured. The commercial ends with the motto, "Scouting Matters."

-- A police scanner was installed in the visitors bullpen of The Concrete Jungle in Bridgewater, to alert players that their car is being towed.