Fantasy Baseball Advice

We at Razzball realize that exporting our views across the country has damaging consequences on the blogosphere.  To help make amends, we are reaching out to leading team blogs and featuring their locally blogged answers to pressing 2009 fantasy baseball questions regarding their team.  We feel this approach will be fresher, more sustainable, and require less energy consumption (for us anyway). The 2009 Blue Jays Fantasy Baseball Preview comes courtesy of Drunk Jays Fans.

1) There may be no player more consistently frustrating in fantasy baseball as Vernon Wells.  He was awesome in 2003 and 2006.  Will he continue the ‘every third year’ pattern in 2009 or just be frustrating again?

If I were a betting man– and I am– I’d bet that Vernon’s 2009 will be his most outstanding year since ‘06. Not that it will be difficult, but he was actually quite good when healthy last year (121 OPS+), and ‘07 was really a write-off because he was playing with a cyst in his shoulder that completely threw off his swing. Plus, the Jays have been written off even earlier this year than usual, so maybe there’s reason to believe he won’t struggle under the weight of his ridiculous contract. Of course, I wouldn’t be shocked if he was brutal again, but I do expect to see Good Vernon this year.

2) Alex Rios is one of those power/speed guys that gets fantasy baseball players all tingly.  He upped his SBs last year (from 17 to 32) but fell back in HRs (from 24 to 15).  Is he just a 6′5″ Carl Crawford or can he follow in the 25/25 footsteps of illustrious Blue Jays like Raul Mondesi, Jose Cruz. Jr, and Shawn Green?

The belief seems to be that Cito Gaston and crew really helped Rios improve when they arrived last year, and the hope is that his progress will carry over into 2009. I’m leery of giving too much credit to hitting coaches, and it feels more than a little bit ridiculous to still be thinking of Rios as a developing player, but the splits are encouraging: .285/.337/.401 with 4 HR and 23 SB in the first half .299/.336/.540 with 11 HR and 9 SB in the second. I expect to see a Rios more like the latter in ‘09, so getting to 25 SBs might actually be the more difficult proposition. Likely he falls just short of both– but if he do that and add in 47 doubles again, I’m not going to complain.

3) Dustin McGowan has been called the ‘next Roy Halladay’ but his 2008 was more like the ‘next Juan Guzman’.  Can he live up to the Halladay comparisons in 2009?

Having watched Halladay pitch all these years, and hearing all of the stories about his focus and his drive and his work ethic, I think it’s extraordinarily unfair to label any young pitcher the ‘next Roy Halladay’. Roy is simply not human. McGowan has outstanding pure stuff, but it’s been a long process for him, and the shoulder injury that will keep him out until May is another big setback (he had Tommy John in 2004). Unfortunately, 2009 is not going to be the year he makes Jays fans stop worrying about Halladay’s contract nearing an end, and I expect more growing pains. So I guess for now I have to say he looks more like the next Juan Guzman– but if you look only at Guzman’s six best seasons, that’s really not so bad (just please don’t look at the other four– I wish I never had to).

4) What Blue Jay will be the biggest fantasy baseball surprise in 2009?

Aaron Hill shouldn’t be too much of a surprise, because he showed what he can do in 2007, but he’s definitely a sleeper candidate in most formats– especially since his numbers before the concussion last year weren’t great. He’ll definitely be closer to his 2007 numbers. But if I really want to be a pie in the sky optimist, I’d say Scott Rolen. I’m sure plenty of fantasy players have been burned on being optimistic about a Rolen resurgence before, but the word here is that he completely reworked his swing last year, lessening the load on his bum shoulder. The sample size is small, but if you look at his numbers after he came back off the DL for good last August (.298/.350/.532 with 4 HR and 8 doubles in 27 games), it makes you at least a little bit hopeful if you’re a Jays fan. I figure he’s worth a flier– no, seriously.

5) From the perspective of an occasionally sober Yankee fan, JP Ricciardi seems like a giant douchebag (see Adam Dunn Radio Serenade, BJ Ryan’s Spinjury) who has sucked more milk from the Moneyball teet than even Billy Beane or Michael Lewis.  Can you share the Drunk Jays fan perspective on this guy?  Do you find yourself longing for Pat Gillick?

Actually, we tend to go against the grain on a lot of things, because we find that the prevailing opinion among most Jays fans is almost always retarded. Nobody is thrilled with the way that the Ricciardi era has gone, but we acknowledge that the reasons run deeper than just what Ricciardi has done. Right now, we have much bigger issues with ownership, which is a telecommunications company worth tens of billions and much safer than most companies from the economic downturn, who insist on crying poor at a time when they could dig change from their couch cushions and get some outstanding value on the free agent market. As for JP, we may be biased because he’s fun as hell to write about, but generally we’ll defend him, or at least try to find some kind of reasoning behind the decisions he makes. That is, unless it’s as flagrantly stupid as the Dunn comments. Guy does come off like a dick, but he goes on the radio every week and takes calls from fans, which he completely gets bonus points for, and the big thing, it seems, is being willing to accept that 99% of what he says is spin, and the other 1% is probably spin. It’s easy to get down on him for the lack of success, but he’s built an excellent group of pitchers, and in the last couple of years if more than just a couple of hitters could have actually managed to play to their potential, things would seem quite different.

After the top 20 outfielders for 2009 fantasy baseball, there’s so many more outfielders to rank I need to turn this sucka to 40.  This is after already going over all of our other 2009 fantasy baseball rankings.  Since this is such a deep position, this list of 2009 outfielders could go to 60.  Crazy, right?  That’s not crazy as in crazy, but crazy as in, “Huh.  Um.  Okay.”  When I’m done with all of the top 20 and top 40 lists, I’m going to do a top 100 and top 300 overall.  That’s right, ya’ll; wonderful just gave birth to awesome.  Now before we get into our top 40 outfielder list, here’s our 2009 Fantasy Baseball Player Rater and our list of all the players with multiple position eligibility.  Anyway, here’s the top 40 outfielders for 2009 fantasy baseball:

21. Corey Hart – This is a continuation of the last tier in the top 20 outfielders post that started at Rios.  This tier ends here.  Flameout, that’s what Hart was towards the end of 2008 and his approach at the plate says this is exactly what we should be expecting.  Hart is susceptible to occasional droughts of unusability (SAT Word!), but he has a hair of upside so he ended up in this tier.  2009 Projections:  75/22/80/.275/20

22. Vladimir Guerrero -  This is a new tier.  This tier goes all the way down to Double I.  I call this tier, “You know what you’re getting and don’t expect any upside in this tier.  They are what they are.”   Sadly, Vladdy got old real fast.  He went from a 40/20 Clemente to a 27/5 Dawson in a two year time period.  2009 Projections:  85/27/100/.310/5

23. Adam Dunn -  40 home runs.  Every year.   Like clockwork.  A big, roly-poly clock with a lack of motivation according to J.P. Ricciardi.  Dunn’s average was a bit lower than it should’ve been for his career BABIP, but that’s like saying your crap smells a bit worse when you eat Thai food.  2009 Projections:  80/40/85/.245/5

24. Magglio Ordonez – I haven’t liked Mags since ‘02.  I’m just not a fan of guys that max out under 30 HRs and have no speed.  There’s some argument to made that he’s better than Vladdy at this point, but I’m not here to make arguments for guys I don’t like.   2009 Projections:  85/24/105/.310/3

25. Bobby Abreu – At some point Abreu’s going to be a 15/15 guy with the downside of 12/12.  You really don’t want to be the last one to leave and shut off the lights on the Abreu 20/20 party.  2009 Projections:  110/17/100/.300/20

26. Johnny Damon – He got a bit lucky last year with his numbers.  He’s not quite a .300 hitter.  From there, you could just read what I wrote for Abreu then subtract a bit of power and it’s Damon.  He’s a 17/20 guy just as easily as he’s a 12/17 guy or as I like to call him, Johnny DeJesus.  2009 Projections:  105/15/70/.285/20

27. Jermaine Dye – Dye is Vladdy minus thirty points on average and a bit more power.  There’s a time and a fantasy team for Dye.  But what fun is a 2nd outfielder with no upside? Not a not a not a, not a damn thing.   What’s Duke Ellington without that swing?  2009 Projections:  80/30/90/.275/3

28. Raul Ibanez – A big part of me wanted to put Ibanez in the below tier with Burrell, but his move to the Phillies lineup and that ballpark has me a bit more excited, i.e., he was yawnstipating and now he’s only midly so.  2009 Projections:  85/25/110/.290/3

29. Vernon Wells – If owning Vernon Wells causes you to have an erection for longer than 15 minutes, you might want to seek a doctor.  2009 Projections:  85/24/95/.280/7

30. Torii Hunter – His HRs peaked at 31 in ‘06 and there’s no reason to think he’s going to get above that number.  He’s Abreu with less stability on average and I’s instead of a Y.  2009 Projections:  85/24/85/.275/17

31. Jay Bruce – This is a new tier.  This tier goes from here to Pence.  This tier I like to call, “They might not do anything but strikeout a lot, but they’re worth the risk.”  When Jay Bruce was called up to the majors, he did a Triple Lindy into the hearts of fantasy owners.  Then people called him a nipple-ringed bust.  Well, don’t let last year scare you away from Jay Bruce in 2009.  2009 Projections:  85/30/90/.280/10

32. Ryan Ludwick – There was some discussion on the Josh Hamilton in 2009 post about Ludwick’s potential.  Rudy said this, “(Ludwick’s) K rate is 27% which is well above (Carlos) Quentin (16%) and (Carlos) Lee (11%). Ludwick’s .299 last year was a fluke (.349 BABIP) – with his swing and miss rate, he’s a better bet for .250 than .300.”  And that’s me quoting Rudy!   2009 Projections:  85/30/100/.275/3

33. Krispie Young – Unlike the Diamondbacks last year, you don’t want Krispie on the same team as Dunn, but as a cheap 25/20 guy Krispie’s got value.   2009 Projections:  80/25/80/.245/20

34. Brad Hawpe – Hawpe’s splits in 2008 against lefties weren’t as dramatic as they were in the past, but even if you want to slot him in only against righties in daily leagues, he’s worth the draft pick.  He’s nothing flashy, but he’s solid without any severe downside.  2009 Projections:  70/30/95/.280

35. Hunter Pence – Leaving the plate from April through June of last year, Pence says, “Make adjustments, stupid!”  In the 2nd half of the season, Pence says, “Now you’re cooking with gas.”  I’m not sure if he is completely done struggling yet, but if Pence was completely out of the woods, would it make a sound?  Yup, a pretty big one.  2009 Projections:  85/28/95/.275/10

36. Pat Burrell – Here we are in another tier.  This tier goes down to Drew.  I call this tier, “You know exactly what you’re getting, and you’re getting less than the last tier where you knew exactly what you were getting.”  You can see why I wanted to place Ibanez in this tier.  Anyway… With Pat Burrell, you get 30 HRs and a .250 average.  2009 Projections:  70/30/85/.250

37. Milton Bradley – With Milton Bradley, you’re getting a headcase that is not going to give you more than 400 ABs.  The great thing about Bradley going the distance (more or less) last year was we were able to see what he’s capable of.  He’s capable of 22 HRs and 5 steals. Um, okay.  2009 Projections:  60/18/75/.290/4

38. J.D. Drew – J.D. Drew, Nomar Garciaparra and Rickie Weeks get onto your crosscountry flight, do you get off?  2009 Projections:  80/22/75/.280/5

39. Carlos Gomez -  Now for the last tier of the top 40 outfielders for 2009.  I call this last tier, “Probably not the 39th thru 41nd most valuable outfielders, but I’m just pointing out some upside guys.”  There’s a chance for 10 HRs and 40 steals with CarGo.  Granted, his average might be tremendously bleh.  I wasn’t crazy about CarGo last year, and I’m not completely sold on him yet, but a sleeper is a sleeper is a sleeper.  I could have wrote Denard Span here instead of Gomez, but he’s not as exciting to me.   2009 Projections:  90/10/60/.260/40

40. Lastings Milledge – At some point early on last year, I said get rid of Milledge.  He’s not ready yet.  He needs more time to season and absorb some of his juices.  Of course, Bowden left him on the grill for those first four months, and, by August, Milledge started to finally cook.  2009 Projections:  75/18/90/.280/20

After the top 40 outfielders for 2009 fantasy baseball, there’s a lot of names, but here’s two that stand out:

Cameron Maybin – I already went over a Maybin 2009 post so I’m not going to belabor the point.  Let me just say, SAGNOF.  Okay, I’ll say one more thing, Ellsbury in 2008.  2009 Projections:  85/5/50/.280/40

Delmon Young – He has only 26 HRs in over 1300 ABs.  Well, this is supposed to be in favor of him so ignore that.  Young is a hot head that hasn’t shown an ounce of potential.  Oops, that’s not positive either.  Um, he’s still only 23.  There, that’s positive!  And he can throw a bat at an ump harder than anyone else.  Shoot, there I go again.  2009 Projections:  70/15/85/.295/15

While many players have been able to resurrect their careers, no player (outside of perhaps Ivan DeJesus) has been able to resurrect themselves.

Thanks to our favorite stat resource (FanGraphs) and one of our favorite projection systems (Marcel) we have the next best thing.

Hard to argue with these projections.  Coming back after a 2 year layoff has got to be tough…

The other day we went over the top 20 third basemen for 2009 fantasy baseball, finishing up the infield for our 2009 fantasy baseball rankings.  Today, we turn our attention to the top 20 outfielders.  As mentioned the other day, the top twenty outfielders will need to go to top 40 because there’s so many of them.  If you want, check out our 2009 Fantasy Baseball Player Rater.  Or a list of all the players with multiple position eligibility.  This top 20 for 2009 list will be broken up into tiers, as the other top twenty lists have been.  Anyway, here’s the top 20 outfielders for 2009 fantasy baseball:

1.  Grady Sizemore – See the top 10 for 2009 fantasy baseball post for Grady Sizemore’s 2009 projections.

2.  Ryan Braun – See the top 10 for 2009 fantasy baseball post for Ryan Braun’s 2009 projections.

3.  Carlos Beltran – See the top 20 for 2009 fantasy baseball post for Carlos Beltran’s 2009 projections.

4.  Carlos Lee – See the top 20 for 2009 fantasy baseball post for Carlos Lee’s 2009 projections.

5.  Matt Holliday – See the top 20 for 2009 fantasy baseball post for Matt Holliday’s 2009 projections.

6.  Josh Hamilton – See the top 20 for 2009 fantasy baseball post for Josh Hamilton’s 2009 projections.

7.  Alfonso Soriano – I came thisclose to putting Soriano in the top twenty overall.  I notice there’s a lot of, “What have you done for me lately?” with fantasy baseball rankings.  Hamilton’s a top ten player now, Manny’s a top twenty player now, Jessica Shaw says Carlos Lee is so five minutes ago, etc.  My general feelings on this, “What have you done for me lately?” mentality will have to wait for another post, but let me say this, Soriano just missed going 30/20 in 2008.  That’s a solid year, in what was an off year.  Soriano seems to be getting a bit more injury prone with age and he may be a Latin 32, so that kept him out of the top 20, but he didn’t miss by much.  2009 Projections:  110/32/85/.275/15

8.  Carlos Quentin – This is the 3rd tier of outfielders.  This tier goes from Quentin to Ichiro.  I call this tier, “The last guys I’d want to be calling my first outfielder.”  In 2010, you’ll be looking at rankings and Carlos Quentin will be higher than he is now, because CQ is a riser.  (CQ is also a God-awful Coppola-offspring movie.  Could someone give me a running tally of how many dreadful movies Coppola’s nepotism has made us sit through?  I loved Rushmore, but Jason Schwartzman sucks donkey balls.)   2009 Projections:  105/35/110/.275/7

9.  B.J. Upton – I’m not over ranking Upton just because I watched him hit some home runs in the playoffs.  Let’s be real, I’m looking at people who can actually outproduce where they’re being drafted and Upton is one that can shoot to the 1st round in 2010.  That’s right; I’m not, um, down on B.J.  2009 Projections:  95/20/80/.280/35

10. Carl Crawford – Even though it feels like Crawford has been around forever, he’s only going to be 27 for the better part of 2009 (turning 28 in August.  Oh, that reminds me, Outliers, the new Malcolm Gladwell book is solid.  I’m reminded because in Outliers Gladwell talks about how a majority of Major League Baseball players are born from August to October because of the cutoff date for Little League baseball.  I usually don’t recommend books because, frankly, you people probably don’t give a flying eff in the ear what books I’m reading.).  Crawford’s legs are still capable of 50 steals.  His power may never go to the next level, but 15 home runs is doable.  So put 2008 out of your mind, you’re not getting it back or that twelve dollars you spent on your “super” haircut.  2009 Projections:  85/15/80/.300/45

11. Matt Kemp – I not only bought into the Matt Kemp hype, I rolled it up in decorative sugar and began to sell it at a local bake sale.  You want someone in the fourth round in 2009 that could be a first or second rounder in 2010?  Matt Kemp’s your man, man.  He’s the future, kids.  (Speaking of future, I accidentally wrote 2099 the other day instead of 2009 and I started thinking how someone should cover Prince’s 1999 song in 2099.  I think it would do well with Generation X².   Also, I Googled to see if anyone had come up with this idea yet and no one had.  So, future boy that’s reading this in 2099 and who decided they were going to cover 1999, this is my idea and I want you to make note of it in your 2099 liner notes.  Or I will haunt you.)  2009 Projections:   95/24/80/.295/30

12.  Ichiro Suzuki – I’m not drafting Ichiro because he’s always overrated and I don’t believe in drafting outfielders this early who won’t get to double digits in home runs.  See Victorino for a lower budget Suzuki.  2009 Projections:  110/7/50/.315/35

13. Alex Rios – This is a new tier.  This tier goes from Rios to the end of the list and picks up again on the top 40 outfielders list.  I call this tier, “I want these guys on my team, but they’re not a 1st outfielder.”  Alexis Rios, potential 30/30 hitter, disappointed me so badly in 2008 that he had to transform into Alex Rios, “Just Take 20/20 And Be Happy” hitter.  I’m fine with 20/20.  I really am.  Don’t I seem fine?  Okay, moving on.  2009 Projections:  85/25/90/.295/20

14.   Nick Markakis – I have love for Markakis.  Remember I was the one who coined the phrase, “I am Sparkakis,” which is sweeping a 7 person section of the eastern tip of Calvert County, Maryland.  His walks went up in 2008, which a solid sign that he’s becoming a better hitter and the Orioles are a terrible lineup that rewards people for not pitching to Markakis.  His RBIs should bounce back a bit in 2009, but his power doesn’t seem like it’s going in the right direction, which is to say up.  At least not as high as I want it.  2009 Projections:  95/25/100/.310/10

15. Shane Victorino – Hello, and a big hearfelt welcome to those of you who just came from reading Ichiro’s 2009 Projections.  Now, try and see the difference in Victorino and Ichiro. Go ahead, I’ll wait.  Some average in Ichiro’s favor and some power in Victorino’s favor.  Maybe I’ve gone completely cracked for Victorino, but if you can get Rollins-type numbers in the outfielder it’s worth something to ya, isn’t it?  Okay, maybe I just heart Victorino.  2009 Projections:  100/15/60/.285/35

16. Jacoby Ellsbury -  I feel like Jacoby Ellsbury might be a healthier, but riskier Victorino.  re: your thoughts — Yes, it is all about Victorino.   2009 Projections:  110/10/60/.285/40

17. Jason Bay -  This guy killed me in 2007.  Then he ended up returning to past glory in 2008 and making me look bad again because I said he couldn’t do it.  At this point, I’m going to assume whatever I say about Bay will come true in its exact inverse.  So Bay’s going 10/30 and will bat .082.  2009 Projections:  100/32/110/.280/10

18. Nate McLouth -  McLouth’s minor league numbers look like McCrap, but he’s found some power in the majors and it doesn’t seem like it’s going away.  He’s also not going to turn into a 40/40 hitter.  If you heard an “ouch” last year, that was McLouth bumping his head on his ceiling.  2009 Projections:  95/22/90/.270/22

19. Curtis Granderson – Here’s a guy I didn’t like at all going into 2008 and ended up proving me right.  I think he returns more value in 2009, which means he’ll be a worthwhile 2nd outfielder, then he’ll be overrated going into 2010.  Do you see a pattern?  2009 Projections:  115/22/75/.275/17

20. Manny Ramirez – Overpaid free agents for $100 (million), Alex.  The answer is, “To make a point.”   “What is the reason Manny was placed 20th?”  Manny went from an average draft pick of 42nd overall in 2008 to 20th overall in 2009.  Not to get all Spanish on you, but, “¿Porque?  ¿Manny juega en el fountain del chicos o Manny juega por dinero?  ¡Que rhetorico!”  2009 Projections:  85/30/90/.300

We at Razzball realize that exporting our views across the country has damaging consequences on the blogosphere.  To help make amends, we are reaching out to leading team blogs and featuring their locally blogged answers to pressing 2009 fantasy baseball questions regarding their team.  We feel this approach will be fresher, more sustainable, and require less energy consumption (for us anyway). The 2009 Phillies Fantasy Baseball Preview comes courtesy of The Fightins.

1) Will Ryan Howard hit above .260 in 2009?

Yes. Yes he will.

Even I, the staunch Ryan Howard defender, can’t possibly begin to explain what the hell was going on with him at the start of 2008. By the end of May, the greatest power hitter in baseball was batting a dismal .206 with 78 punchouts; well on his way to obliterating the single-season strikeout record. He spent the better part of the summer trying to boost that first number while lowering the second. Over the next 4 months, he regained that MVP swagger and wound up hitting .273 with just 121 K’s in twice the amount of at-bats that he had in April and May.

I don’t think it would be asking too much to expect those same type of numbers throughout a full season in 2009.

For some odd reason, many baseball fans — especially in Philadelphia — don’t give Howard the propers he deserves. They think the strikeouts are way too high and average way too low, therefore dismissing the brute strength that has been known to deposit poorly-placed fastballs 25 rows deep in right field.

Me on the other hand, I have faith in the big guy. I’ll gladly take the behemoth who hits 175 homers in 3½ years, thankyouverymuch.

The point of baseball is to score more runs than the opposing team. Nobody will help you do this on a nightly-basis better than he. Because Ryan Howard just doesn’t produce — he PRODUCE.

2) When will Chase Utley return?  How do you think the surgery will change his game?

Your guess is as good as mine.  I assume he’ll miss the first month of the season, but then again, this is Chase F*cking Utley we’re talking about.  Towards the end of last year, you could really notice how the hip was bothering him.  He’d swing at pitches he usually crushes and put his head down right away knowing he didn’t get enough of it.

Chase’s offseason training regimen is sick, though.  By the end of next year, he’ll put up his usual line of .300+ BA/30+ HR/100+ RBI/100+ Runs and everyone will forget he was injured in the first place.

3) Cole Hamels avoided injuries and got above 30 starts in 2008. But does the 262 innings in 2008 worry you?  Can he stay healthy in 2009?

Yes, the increase in innings are definitely a cause for concern.

I wouldn’t dare call Cole Hamels soft (blasphemy!), but his stick-like frame and injury history would lead one to believe that a repeat performance is nearly impossible. As long as it’s nothing major, we (and by “we” I mean “the Phillies and I”) should have enough above-average pitching available (Happ, Kendrick, Carrasco) to come in and fill the void if need be.

But until he actually gets injured, I will go on believing that Cole Hamels is a cot damn iron man who will show up every fifth (or sixth) day with that outstanding change-up of his and continue to baffle MLB hitters.

Plus, he’s so dreamy!

4) The Phillie fans were notoriously hard on Mike Schmidt and Scott Rolen yet they don’t boo Pedro Feliz.  Is this because his name translates to Pete Happy or is there another reason?

There is definitely another reason, and I’m pretty sure it has something to do with being the least productive member of the greatest run-producing infield ever assembled. While Schmidt and Rolen were supposed to be the team’s main source of offense, Pete Happy is best served playing in the shadow of guys like Chase, Young James, and Big Brown.

The reason Phillies fans were so hard on Mike Schmidt and Scott Rolen was simple: they loved to complain. When a player in Philadelphia bitches about the fans, or the way they are being treated, the fans repay those players by booing the ever-loving shit out of them. Over time, we have forgiven Schmidt. He was a sensitive fellow, but at the end of the day, he was THEE greatest third baseman to ever play. Rolen on the other hand, was, is, and always shall be, a joyless prick with loads of talent who never lived up to his potential. At least now he gets to revel in the obscurity of playing for Toronto.

It’s just how he likes it, too. When no one pays attention to you, no one complains.

Say what you want about Feliz, but he was an unsung hero during the playoffs who — might I add — smacked the game-winning hit in the deciding contest of the World Series. And his glove work makes up for the fact that he can’t hit an off-speed pitch to save his life.

Seriously, why do pitchers even bother throwing him fastballs?

5) Because Raul Ibanez is boring, we’re going to end this with a Pat Burrell question.  It’s rumored that Pat Burrell was the man back in college days, earning the nickname, ‘Pat The Bat.’ (My girlfriend was a Sugarcane, the baseball team’s cheerleaders at University of Miami, and Burrell slept with a bunch of her friends.  I refuse to believe she was one of them.) So a friend of yours calls you up from a bar to tell you your wife/girlfriend is talking with a player.  Are you more worried if it’s Burrell or Brett Myers?

Rumored?!!?? That’s a FACT, brother.

Stories of Pat’s philandering — especially in his early days — are legendary around these parts. If you happen to run into an attractive girl under 30 in the Tri-State area, chances are Pat has slept with her, one of her good-looking friends, or both at the same time. Phils broadcaster Harry Kalas even told a story this year how teammates used to call him “Pat the Bait” because they would take him to a bar just so they could sample his leftovers. His LEFTOVERS!

The sad truth is, if you see your girlfriend/wife chatting it up with Pat Burrell in a bar, let her go man. It’s over.