After the Orioles played 18 innings on Tuesday, delirium set it in and they said, “We’ve had two bean and cheese burritos since 6 o’clock and we have to pull a double shift ice trucking. Somebody gives us a Christian side hug right now or we’re calling up Dylan Bundy. Okay, fine.” Only they did it with no punctuation and in a spot-on Christopher Walken impersonation. For the ostriches with their heads stuck in the sand, Dylan Bundy is the Orioles 19-year-old who has been labeled by some as the best prospect to come out of high school since Babe Ruth had sex with Miss Agatha Hannigan and he was kicked out of his orphanage. Bundy’s A-Ball numbers were insane. He was too good for A-Ball. A-Ball called a press conference and said, “You’re embarrassing us. Please leave” In 30 innings, he had 40 Ks and 2 walks. Only giving up 5 hits and zero earned runs. High-A wasn’t quite as bonkers, but wasn’t far off — 57 IP, 66 Ks and 18 walks with a 2.84 ERA. In Double-A, it seemed like people started to finally catch up to his talent level, but he only threw 16 2/3 IP and had 13 Ks with a 3.24 ERA. The Orioles also told him to stop using his cutter. They said go with your 99 MPH fastball, i.e., I Can’t Believe It’s Not A Cutter. So he’s adjusting. Even without the cutter, he’s going to be a number one, an ace, the head cheese, the big mahoff, the big fish in the big pond, the best, Jerry, the best. If he’s somehow not owned in your keeper, I’d grab him immediately. I imagine he’ll start the year at Double-A and be in The Show, as the grizzled scouts call it, by June of 2013. For this year, he’s not much more than a middle reliever. Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:
Andy Pettitte – 5 IP, 0 ER, 6 baserunners, 3 Ks. Going into the game he was supposed to be on a 70 pitch count, but after 68 pitches, Girardi sent him out for the fifth and he got through the inning in 7 pitches for the win. Regarding Girardi sending him back out, never underestimate a grown man, who gets braces, wanting to make people happy. For his next start, Pettitte will be on a 90 pitch count, but if he noogies Girardi, he’ll get to throw 100.
Ichiro Suzuki – 7-for-8, 2 runs, 1 RBI and 4 steals. He was obviously the pick up for yesterday’s doubleheader and not my Anthony Gose pickup. So it Gose, so it Gose…
David Phelps – 6 2/3 IP, 1 ER, 6 baserunners, 6 Ks. Be interesting if the one Yankee starter without any hype actually becomes the one who breaks out with value. And by interesting, I obviously mean not really that interesting. He’s always had decent K-rates in the minors, but he’s been dogged by injuries and it would be slightly shocking if he became a fantasy number three next year. For this year, he’s probably headed back to the bullpen with Pettitte’s return. Or maybe the Yanks trade him for Jay Buhner Jr.
Andrelton Simmons – Sat out yesterday with a sore shoulder, but the Braves hope he’s back for Friday. Andrelton has now been healthy/not healthy too many times. Should Braves fans learn how to pronounce your name or not, man?!
Max Scherzer – He says he’s hoping to make his next start. I say you put “hopes” in one hand and a sore shoulder in your other hand and tell me which one you can lift.
Miguel Cabrera – 1-for-3 with his 41st homer. Now has 6 homers in the last week. ”I’d like to dedicate this H2H trophy to Miguel Cabrera. Yes, my trophy is technically just a mule I’ve dressed in lady undergarments because I’ve watched Maria Full of Grace too many times, but it’s still significant to me.”
Jose Valverde – 1 IP, 2 ER. Kazaam!
Lance Berkman – When asked about whether he could return this year, he said, “I’m not ruling anything out, but I’m not ruling it in, either.” I’m guessing he plays all the numbers and the line between the Pass and Do Not Pass.
Yadier Molina – 2-for-3 with his 20th homer. David Freese also went deep yesterday for his 20th homer. I’m surprised by Freese, but I’m downright shocked by Yadier. As anyone who likes to criticize me knows, I wasn’t high on Molina this year (or any year, for that matter). When I recap everyone in the offseason, I’ll go more into depth here, but let me just say a 30-year-old catcher crushing his previous career high in homers, no one saw this coming…except maybe A.J. Pierzynski.
Daisuke Matsuzaka – 3 IP, 5 ER. Dice-K, there’s too much meat on that gyro.
Pedro Ciriaco – 2-for-4, 2 runs with his 15th steal. I get the feeling the Red Sox aren’t going to be starting Ciriaco next year (due to trading for people, or buying free agents), but he seems like the kind of guy that isn’t drafted in some mixed leagues, or very late, and ends up giving good value next year. Like a .290+ average and 30 steals.
Alcides Escobar – 3-for-3 with a steal. Speaking of a .290+ average and 30 steals…
Alejandro De Aza – 4-for-5, no runs and a caught stealing. I only point that out because Rudy and I have about $8,000 riding on a few runs and some steals. We have a friggin’ Mike Trout vacuum on this team. While he’s been incredible, everyone else in our fantasy clubhouse feels like they don’t need to do anything. Get your head out of your De Aza!
Brett Anderson – Fell down throwing a pitch in the 3rd inning and strained his oblique. There’s injury prone and there’s accident prone. Brett Anderson walks that tightrope between the two, falls, lands awkwardly in the net and hurts something.
Luke Scott – 2-for-3, 1 run, 1 RBI. I’m contractually obligated to mention Luke Scott whenever he gets multiple hits because it usually means he’s about to go on a week long streak.
Frank Francisco – Wasn’t available yesterday because he had throwing elbow tendinitis. The Mets could go to Parnell or Rauch, depending on whether they go alphabetically or by elevation.
Matt Harvey – 7 IP, 1 ER, 1 Hit, 3 BBs, 7 Ks. I just went over my Matt Harvey fantasy, so I’ll keep this brief — I’ll see you next year on my fantasy teams. Bye-bye! (Okay, I also wanted to be brief because I want to watch Survivor…. Jeff Kent! Okay, back from watching, hmm…I hope Jeff Kent knows there’s no 15-day DL on Survivor.)
Aroldis Chapman - Threw yesterday without incident, but will need a few more sessions to work on command. That never stopped Marmol!
Ryan Ludwick - He left yesterday’s game with tightness in his groin. Sounds like someone saw Blair from The Facts of Life in wet mom jeans.
Ruben Tejada – 3-for-5, 1 run and his 3rd steal. With 409 ABs, he’s batting .289 from leadoff (for the majority of his ABs) and he only has 48 runs. How?! I’ve mentioned this before, but could someone please look up if anyone’s ever batted first for the majority of the season and had so few runs as Tejada? Or tweet the question to Tim Kurkjian and let him look it up.
Jimmy Rollins – 1-for-3 with his 22nd homer. He now has more homers, steals and runs scored than anyone else in the last week. Meanwhile, Kimmy Collins put a recipe for a blueberry milkshake on her Pinterest page.
Asdrubal Cabrera – Left yesterday’s game with renewed wrist soreness. He says he might be able to return this weekend. Sounds like *pinkie to mouth* wristful thinking.
Adrian Beltre – Sat out yesterday as he dealt with intestinal issues. It seems it’s also “he who dealt it, felt it.”
Josh Hamilton – Missed yesterday’s game because of sinus issues. Same thing used to sideline Felix Unger.
Joe Nathan – Returned to action to put a nail in the-relatively-close-to-LA Angels’ heart. Though it wasn’t a save situation, so I don’t know why Nathan needed to pitch last night after sitting for six days. Guess mine is not to reason why.
Luis Cruz – 4-for-9 in the doubleheader. Now has a five-game hitting streak and is hitting .300 in 233 ABs (with nothing else notable).
Matt Kemp – 3-for-8, 3 runs, 2 RBIs and his 19th homer. Or 19 more than Chris Brown.
Michael Morse – 3-for-8, 2 runs, 3 RBIs and a homer as he returned to the lineup. I’m guessing he got a cortisone shot.
Alfonso Soriano – 1-for-4 with his 30th homer. This is his first 30-homer season since 2007 back when he was 46 years old.
Andrew Cashner – Shut down for the year with a recurrence of his lat problems. Would’ve been nice if he mentioned that the lat was hurting him before I threw him into my lineup for his last abomination. Too much to ask, apparently.
Marco Estrada – 7 IP, 0 ER, 4 baserunners, 4 Ks. The Stream-o-Nator had him as 124 score, which comes after it took a couple of lumps the other day. Stream-o-Nator, “Don’t call it a comeback, I’ve been here for most of the year!”
Norichika Aoki – 2-for-4 with his 9th homer. Here’s a little insight into how I write these roundups. I first write, “Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball,” then I write, “Norichika Aoki -” and just assume he’s going to do something.
Andrew McCutchen – 2-for-4 with a slam (29) and legs (19). The Dread Pirate’s kicking some booty! I think that’s a pun.
Jordan Zimmermann – 6 IP, 1 ER, 8 baserunners, 4 Ks. For a young pitcher, Zimmermann’s been remarkably consistent. I’m gonna geek out for a second, because this got me all jazzed. Going into yesterday’s game, Zimmermann’s K-rate was 6.98; in 2011 it was 6.92. His walk rate was 1.88 and 1.73 the year before. His xFIP was 3.74 and last year 3.78. He threw a 93.9 MPH fastball 61.8% of the time and last year he threw a 93.4 MPH fastball 61.3% of the time. He threw exactly a 84.6 MPH slider both this year and last and one year 24% of the time and one year 24.1% of the time. There’s more similarities: his changeup, curveball, BABIP, LOB%… It’s like there’s a glitch in the Matrix, whoa…. Throwing luck out the window, he is exactly what we’ve seen the last two years — a reliable number two fantasy starter.
Gorkys Hernandez – 1-for-4, 2 steals. I was just saying that we might have to wait for Gorkys’ Revenge to see the speed, but this is Gorkys II: The Next Day and guess what I’m peeping through the hole in the locker room? SAGNOF!
Pablo Sandoval – 3-for-5, 2 runs, 3 RBIs and a slam (9) and legs (1). There was a special giveaway yesterday in AT&T Park, everyone over 300 pounds gets a 50 foot lead off of first.
Angel Pagan – 2-for-5, 2 runs and a steal. He’s now hit in 9 of the past ten games with three steals in that time frame. With 8 homers, 27 steals and a .291 average on the year, he’s quietly having a productive season. Well, less quiet now.
Kris Medlen - 8 IP, 0 ER, 5 baserunners, 6 Ks. Okay, live with me for a second. Since I picked up Medlen, his stats on my team are: 7 wins, 0.60 ERA, 0.76 WHIP and 63 Ks in 60 1/3 IP. Hello, gorgeous! What’s your name? Kris? That’s an androgynous name and I’m oddly turned on. Do you want to watch me eat this corn on the cobb without using my hands?
Oh boy.Drop Sale and pull Pettite off my DL so I can unlock my daily roster to grab a bat by dropping Ev Cabrera or drop Pettite and pray that Sale gets another start or 2?
Could drop CC too, he looks a little worn down.
Also,any idea why the Dodgers used League last night instead of Kenley?
I thought I got lucky when I heard he was supposed to be the man after the blood thinners were gone and I snagged him off the wire.
Cut bait?It’s a 10×10 H2H league that counts holds even if he doesn’t close.
@Hondo, Kenley’s been out almost a month; Donnyboy wants to ease him back in to the closer role and avoid make-or-break-type situations right off. The “make” being playoffs, the “break” being the heart of Kenley Jansen…
@Hondo, Kenley question answered above… I wouldn’t cut him… I’d cut Sale…
Grey,
Right now, who do you like more for 2013: Will Middlebrooks or Todd Frazier? … Matt Joyce or Travis Snider? … Josh Ruteledge or Chris Nelson?
Thanks!
Stay Thirsty my Friend
@Racehorse, Frazier… Joyce…. Rutledge… You too!
SON has Edgar Gonzalez at 114! Except it says he plays for SD when he actually plays for the lowly Altuvites…does this affect his score and/or still make him a good spot start to replace Cashner this week?
@BoneFace n Harmony, Yeah, it would change his score… And he’s not so good…
I have a conundrum for this afternoon. In my H2H match-up, my opponent is one of those guys with 2 SP’s and an endless amount of closers.
I’ve had 3 solid starts this week and my ratios are looking good…do I bother starting Cueto @Cubs or Fiers @Pirates? If any, it’s going to be one and not the other. Cueto’s been crap his last 3 starts, I should tread with caution me-thinks!
And why does Josh Willingham have 110 RBIs?
@Randy BoBandy, I wouldn’t start them… Willingham’s bonkers…
Nice write-up on J-Zimm. He’s one of the two SP I’m committed to in my keeper league (along with Bumgarner), so I’m especially interested – and yeah, he’s been a great #2 behind MadBum. Do you see him looking about the same next year or at some point does he take a step forward?
@Jon, Thanks! I see him being the same…
I’m not surprised by Beltre’s intestinal issues with the way he’s been sh*ting on my opponents the last 4 weeks
@Cole, Ha!
Thoughts on Carpenter for a spot start?
I here he can build a mean set of shelves
@the hungarian hippo, HA! I wouldn’t go near him…
@the hungarian hippo, I think you have him confused with Tom Wilhelmsen or Casey Janssen.
So Colvin has started sucking…jump ship and go to the next hot schmomato?…if so, would you replace him with Alonso, McClouth, M. Saunders or Maxwell?
@jackinthebox, McLouth
@jackinthebox, man, you held on to him for this long you might as well keep him for his weekend at coors.. coors and away games are like night and day for him.Cust Kayin…
Morning, Grey. First a lineup question, then a rotation question….
Who sits today from this list (I’m leaning Coco because of his pink eye and day-to-day status, but he’s the king of the last minute lineup insertion that sees him go 1-for-3 with a run and a SB (which I need)):
C – Wilin Rosario
1B – Youkilis
2B – Howie Kendrick
3B – Moustakas
SS – Jimmy Rollins
MI – Kipnis
CI – Rizzo
OF – McCutchen
OF – Bruuuuuce
OF – Desmond Jennings
OF – Carlos Gomez
OF – Dewayne Wise
Util – Espinosa
Util – Mike Napoli
Bench – Coco Crisp
———————————
Thanks, dude. Rotation question in next comment…
@Chillmodious, NEVERMIND. Coco ruled out today. Please skip to next comment. Thanks.
…That rotation question:
I have the following Probable Pitchers on my roster and plan to throw them all today:
Greinke vs. Texas (SON 121)
Detwiler vs. Dodgers (SON 108)
Anibal vs. Oakland (SON 111)
Jaime Garcia vs. Houston (SON 117)
1. Would you hold anyone back or start ‘em all?
2. I can easily grab Mike Fiers (@ Pittsburgh, SON 113) and start him today in addition to the above. My ratios are sparkling, I’m up by 1 in Wins, and I’m up by a couple of Ks…but my opponent has 8 more pitchers scheduled to throw this week (Cliff Lee and YoGa being two of them) compared to my 5. I worry that I’ll be chasing a win and a few Ks on Sunday with only the Samuel Dedunos of the world to pick from. Should I go all in and grab/start Fiers?
3.
4. Lastly, League got the save last night and Kenley saw no action. If I find myself desperate for a save over the next few days, who do I go for? (I worry that League is looking like the guy, but Kenley will get the next save opp and screw everyone who went with the obvious)
——————-
Thanks again, Grey.
@Chillmodious, 1. Start them 2. Grab Fiers 4. League
SON doesn’t like Capuano today (92) @ WAS. Are you starting him?
@Jon, I wouldn’t…
Ryan Howard was just dropped- I know he sucks right now, but is it worth dropping Reynolds for him and hoping he gets hot in the H2H playoffs? I mean he did hit a dong last night….
@BoneFace n Harmony, I’d take him over Reynolds…
Dah! Just saw that rosters lock in like 20 minutes. FYI for anyone unaware.
@Chillmodious, Thanks for the heads up!
@Grey: H2H semi-finals, 32 inning minimum, I’m at 18 innings already he’s at 16 innings. Pitching categories are very close, we both have 2 wins and 0 losses. I have a 1 era, he has 0 era. I have 1.06 whip, he has .8 whip. I have 9 k/9, he has 7 k/9.
Do I use Greinke tonight home vs LAA? Part of me is scared by Texas, but its not in Texas, Greinke has always been good at home and if I’m going to go down I feel like it should be with who I think is one of the best SPs in the game.
I also have:
Niese vs Mia Friday
Lester vs Balt Friday
Bum vs SD Saturday
Latos vs LAD Saturday
Scherzer vs Min Sunday (questionable to start)
I need to throw 2-3 to safely hit the innings minimum and I don’t trust Scherzer to start on Sunday.
Thoughts?
@Harley, I’d start Greinke…
keepers for next year
2 maybe 3 spots can u put these guys in order
(20 team 20 keepers per 5×5 weekly h2h)
d brown
ruggiano
cicaro
trayvon robinson
ruf
chris johnson
d wise
@tyler, Brown, Johnson
Ahhhh, Grey, you missed me! Please see Comment #10 above. I’m really scrambling and lineups lock in a couple minutes. Thanks!
@Chillmodious, Ok
@Grey, Thank you so very much. I just couldn’t make the call on Fiers myself. I wasn’t going to chance it, but it’s big boy time and here’s hoping fortune favors the bold (or so the cliche goes). I have one move left this week (my opponent only has 2 so no big deal) and being that I’m starting Detwiler today I figured why hedge on playing League–I’m all in on the Nats today even though the Doyers kinda broke out last night. I’m planning to see how the next 2 days shake out and then maybe go after League if I’m tied or close in saves.
Cool, no problem…
Ya think Uggla can steal 29 more bases in 13 games? Honestly, I didn’t see yesterday’s game but I assume he just megaflexed his biceps and they got so pumped they grazed second.
@Long Bawls, Huh?
@Grey, You make a good point. Uggla stole a base yesterday, and I was just trying to imagine a scenario where that could happen. But, as my grandfather told me, “If you have to explain that your joke involves Uggla’s upper body being so hypertrophied that his biceps can stretch from first to second base, your joke ain’t working.” At least I think that’s what he was saying; gramps was kinda hard to understand with that accent.
Ha! Gotcha… Are his arms that long? Uggla not your grandfather…
@Grey
Which one hitter gets to sit on the bench today…
1) Sandoval v. DLR (4-20, 3 xbh, 4 K)
2) Cargo @ Zito (8-26, 2 xbh, 4 K)
3) Granderson v. Laffey (2-8, 0 xbh, 0 K)
4) Jennings v. Buchholz (1-4, 0 xbh, 0 K)
Thanks!
Jennings unless CarGo isn’t playing…
Grey – Please rank these 3 for a keeper league with no limits on the years they can be kept:
Bumgarner
Bundy
Medlen
Thanks!
You ranked them…
@JB, Based on what he’s done for me these last 4 weeks, Medlen should be #1, 2, 3, and 4 on that list. He and Jimmy Rollins (bless his little heart) have single-handedly kept me in the running. You want to know how much I lurve Medlen?:
Medlen > Gangnam Style
I also have to send Desmond Jennings an apology note for covering up all his squiggly hearts, glitter, and photos on my trapper keeper with tributes to Kris Medlen. He’s so dreamy.
[I wrote the above while parked next to Amanda Bynes and wearing nothing but a flat-billed hat]
HA!
@Chillmodious, That’s why I keep asking the question. My brain tells me Bumgarner, but my heart tells me Medlen. Medlen, Swiggy and the Dread Pirate are carrying me to titles in both of my money leagues – makes me want to join the Excalibur’s Tournament of Kings tumbling team. Er, oops?
Dusty Baker has been diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat, spent last night at the hospital, and is still away from the team.
In related news, Frazier is in today’s starting lineup.
@Carnac, Also, Drew Stubbs had his first productive game in forever last night, hitting 2nd in the order. Mo Dusty, Mo Problems.
Ha… Mark Prior sends his regards…
I need to replace Kaiser Scherzer with a sneaky deep league starter that’s going to get me 2 QS’s in his last two starts to secure the league championship. On waivers, I’m left with these schmohawks:
Correia
Floyd
Liriano
Tillman
Huff
Zito
Perez
Doubront
Help!
I don’t know their matchups… Tillman…
I have Medlen envy and i just can’t help it, I do not I own him and it pains me because i went out drinking got home and he was gone, i was at least hoping for a Dear John letter, but instead I just got empty cupboard.
speaking of Medlen,I had the roasted corn at the fair twice yesterday with all the fixins. I passed on the deep fried Twinkie, I love Chocodiles and hate twinkies, go figure. But i did have the deep fried snickers….mmmmmh that hit the spot. I was tempted by the bacon maple donut at the Texas Donut spot, but knew it would not be as good as the one’s at the nickle diner and I’m holding out for those.
I didn’t see any guys with amazing stauches with a stauche entourage, so i figured you didn’t go yesterday, but the boobies were out and the were NICE! I seriously think it was stripper mom take your kid to the fair day.
The Nickel Diner donuts are ridiculous…. Stripper Mom Take Your Kid To The Fair Day is every day… I never knew some of those things would work so well on corn, but they do… Lime, cheese and hot sauce? Yes, please!
@Grey, I’ve had the tapatio many times in the past on street corners, but never Louisianna style, which is now my new fav way to go, I was a little sad they had no queso fresco, but it was really good, and the girl at the spot was flirting it up with me…extra spicy!
The white boys have definitely gentrified the corn on the cob, but it tastes good no matter what you put on it… How knew corn was such a conducive palette?
@Grey, I went full Mexican with the Mayonaise the garlic salt, the lemon pepper, some lemon juice and cayan all topped with the louisiana hot sauce. Outside of the hot sauce that was very Mexican.
Damn, now I’m hungry for roasted corn.
Also, they are having an Octoberfest at the fairgrounds this year. Time for some schnitzel, brats and beer.
Damn, I might just go the last weekend and stay there for a few weeks… Lemon Pepper is the bomb… I want one of those industrial-sized containers for everything I eat…
@Grey, I want to bring my kids wagon to trolly the food around. I had some Elvis popcorn that was peanut Butter, Bannana and Bacon flavored. It was damn good and the girl was hot!
I always enjoy how there’s one booth selling fruit… Just fruit… I always go up to them and ask if they can fry it for me…
@Grey, my buddy told me about deep fried watermelon, i couldn’t find it, but I hear it exists.
do they ever answer or just stare at your stauche in awe the whole time
They just stare in awe of the stache and disgust at my request… Deep fried watermelon — ha… I love when they take something that has no business being fried… It’s like “Ooh, avocado is healthy… Let’s fry it!”
@Grey, Isn’t that what tempura is for?
Ive seen that stand, and if you asked for a deep fried lime/lemon wedge covered in chile, the powdered kind, then they would probably hug you for your inovation
Ha! Yeah, can I get two 500 MG multi-vitamins, deep fried?
@Grey, i wonder if they will deep fry something that is still living?
Of course! It’s called “fair sushi.”
@Grey, they just have a mystery aquarium that they net a fish out of and then send it right into the batter and then in the oil. Damn that sounds like a great idea for a restaurant, the peta people might be pissed, but it will be a hit in the asian communities.
Oddly enough, I think it probably already exists at low end sushi places and very high end sushi places…
@Grey, I know I’ve had it with the sweet shrimp when they bring the head out with the sushi and the head is still moving then they take it back and deep fry and it taste like a very delicate pork rind.
Yeah, totally… On a different but similar note, have you ever been to Typhoon in the Santa Monica Airport? They serve fried crickets and earth worms…
@Grey, There’s a Santa Monica Airport?
Ha…Yeah, small airport for private planes that has a restaurant…
@Jack Full of Hate, he didnt even leave you a John Deere letter? What a girly bastard!
@Prezii, hey there buddy, ready for our matchup this week?
@Jack Full of Hate, yes sir! My line up is set and ready.. perpare for yoy to know youe fate by tonight.
cruzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
@Prezii, cruz schmooz. one catch for 6 yards and leaves in the first quarter with a knee injury.
@Jack Full of Hate, haha no nicks so cruz is goin off!
@Prezii, even worse, they will double team him all night, whoever is filling in at WR2 should have the big game
Gangnam style is out of control, been reading the local rag and twice its made front page about the lifguards that got fired over making a spoof video on city property and they had a open meeting at city hall yesterday overflowing with people in support, hitting national status now and Psy even throwing in his two cents…Gangnam Style.
Where is this that lifeguards got fired for Gangnam’ing?
@Grey,
http://articles.latimes.com/2012/sep/19/local/la-me-gangnam-lifeguards-20120919
El Monte should be embarrassed of themselves… There should be a town ordinance that everyone on the street between the hours of noon and 6 has to Gangnam Style
@Grey, it would have to be done in at least three different languages, but it might work…Gangnam Style.
El Monte should lose taxpayer’s money for disallowing Gangnam Style…
@Grey, If you have ever been it seems like they never had taxpayer money over there. The only thing in El Monte is the biggest toyota dealership in the world and gangs.
Not even sure where it is… Is it by Cerritos?
@Grey, where the 10 meets the 605. near Baldwin park, Rosemead and Irwindale….its deep in SGV
Oh, wow, never would’ve guessed that… Don’t know that area that well (obviously)…
@Grey, Its where us simple folk live
@Jack Full of Hate, wow, i can see if they were doin this on the job.. but just sayin they used “private resources” is basically sayin “hey were old tarts and were jealous you kids have fun dancing and we cant!”… People dont like fun now a days..
@Prezii, they don’t like fun gangnam style, I’m going to imaginary horse stampede your team this weekend Gangnam Style.
@Jack Full of Hate, “imaginary”, being the key word in that sentence! Haha
@Prezii, well it is “fantasy” which is imaginary football, so then yes “imaginary” is the key word. You need one hell of an “imagination” to put these fake teams together.
Hi Grey — How’d you rank McLouth, Jon Jay, de Aza, Aoki, and Murphy over the rest of the season?
Thanks!
Aoki, McLouth, De Aza
@Grey, I was afraid you might list De Aza among them. He’s the one guy I don’t have. Should I drop Jay or Murphy for him? Or is it a tossup?
Pretty much a toss up, but I’d lose Murphy for him if you need runs and steals…
Martin Perez @ Seattle tomorrow?
You think hes worth giving a shot?
@joe from pt pleasant,
or do you think odorizzi is a better shot vs cleveland?
I’d go with Perez…
Grey,
Kendrick vs. PHI
or
Arroyo vs. LAD
Who is the better streaming choice – SON has them on top of one another
Kendrick vs. PHI?
@Grey,
Ha, Kendrick vs. ATL
Which one?
Kendrick
I’ve got both Yu and Greinke facing off today with only 5 starts left in my 180 start limit league. It’s hard, but I’m thinking about benching both.
The way I see it I’ll pitch Wainwright vs. Cubs, Greinke vs. Seattle twice, on the 26th and hopefully Oct 1, and Yu vs. Oakland. That’s 4.
That leaves me with Wain vs. Washington and Cincinnati and Yu vs. the Angels again.
I’m nervous pitching Halladay against Atlanta, Marlins, or the Nationals the way he’s been going.
So I can spot start the fifth or go with one of my aces vs. tough matchups. Sorry for the loaded question, but what would you do?
Makes sense to bench both today… And go with Wainwright…
@Grey, Thanks, dude. This is the first year I’ve come to your site and the first time I’ve done an RCL and it’s been great. I’ll be donating to your daiquiri fund for all you help.
No problem… Thanks!
yo greyman,
SON showing mad love to floyd. he bad against LAA tho
what u think
respeckt.
I don’t like Floyd, but in SON we trust… I wouldn’t start him though… Respeckt.
Best bench OF for the weekend (Beltran popping in and out of the lineup is KILLING me):
Maxwell
Gose
Ruggiano
Alonso
De Aza
Thank you as always Grey! Appreciate the crunch time help in a big way
Ruggiano… No problem…
Worth picking up any of the following to replace Cabrera at SS, or will he be back shortly? Hardy, E. Cabrera, Ciriaco, Plouffe. Thanks.
EverCab
Nice round-up, Cowpoke. And unlike Monsanto’s, your round-ups don’t cause birth defects… do they?
Let’s say, hypothetically, that I have Chris Carpenter coming off the DL tomorrow for a juicy start against the Cubs. Would I, hypothetically, want to drop Maholm or Beckett to make room?
Annnd who would you keep for next year (in a 12-team H2H league that counts QS instead of Wins): Jordan Zimmermann or Brandon Morrow? I like JZ’s consistency and reasonable ratios, but lord awmighty, do I love Morrow’s K-rate.
Not that I know of? But I’m not making any promises… Beckett… Zimmermann…
@Grey, thanks! I kinda knew you’d pick those two, but I had to ask.
Oh, no, I’ve become predictable…
@Grey, not really. I’m just aware of your hate-on for Beckett (and being a Sox fan, I respect it), and JZ’s got better ratios and less inclination to miss time with injuries. So basically I just assumed you’d make the more sensible picks. #asskissing
That said, Beckett’s next start is against the Padres in the Whale’s Vagina… and I have to say that’s pretty tempting. Maholm’s remaining starts are both juicy, as well. Miami and Pittsburgh both, well, suck. So it seems like a bit of a schmotato/schmotahto decision.
Yeah, they really are a toss up, Maholm hasn’t been great of late and Beckett hasn’t been great all year… Beckett in Petco is pretty tasty, but I’d still go with Maholm…
Looking to stream 2 starters tomorrow – who do you like from these (where K’s/ERA & Whip are more important than wins):
Villanueva @TB
Arroyo vs. LAD
Parker @NYY
Martin Perez @SEA
Thanks!
None? Perez, Villanueva…
hey grey,
just wondering…how would you rank span, revere, murphy, carlos gomez, yonder for the next week.
thanks.
CarGo, Span, Yonder
Can you rank these keepers for me?
Capuano, Minor, Medlen, Lester, Anibal, Anderson
Tough calls… Lester, Medlen, Minor, Anderson…
@Grey, yeah there’s obviously a lot of unknowns in that group. Will Medlen have a rotation spot? Can Anderson stay healthy? Can Lester bounce back? etc.
Earlier I’m pretty sure you said you’d keep Anderson before Medlen – have they switched?
Yeah, but a lot has to do with Anderson’s health and Medlen’s rotation spot…
@Grey, yup, makes sense.
Trust Guthrie at all tonight vs. CWS? In 3 starts against them this season, he’s 1-0, 2 R, 0 ER, 13 hits, 1 BB, 15 K and a .163 BAA in 23.2 innings. SoN has it at a 102
I wouldn’t trust him…
@Grey, Cmon, I think you have trust issues. I dropped Hughes against the Jays for Guthrie. He wouldn’t let me down after that.
For your sake, I hope you’re right…
@Grey, Thanks. I know Hughes will shut down the Jays, now. At least I’ll be watching football.
Football? What’s that?
@Grey, Hockey on grass.
Still not ringing a bell…
@Grey, I feel like we’ve had this conversation before.
Ha! Probably…
@Grey, Didn’t turn out too bad. Missed the win for Hughes, but Guthrie only gave up 1 ER to help me gain a point in ERA.
Yeah, not too shabby…
Wow, Jaime/Fiers/Anibal. Thanks for the Ks guys, but could you have at least bought me a meal and paid for the cab?
The funny part? My ERA was so microscopic (0.580 as of this morning) because of Medlen/Estrada/Harvey/Tillman, that today’s shizz show only pushed it up to 2.356 (and probably climbing). The not so funny part? My opponent has a 2.118 ERA and still has Gio/Cliff Lee/Yoga/Morrow to throw. FMFBBL.
Yeah…Ouch… Hopefully his starts don’t end up as pretty as they look….
@Grey, Let’s keep hope alive!
You gotta, man… You gotta…
I’ve got one move left for the week to pick up a spot start in a 12-team H2H points league (-1 pt per earned run/hit, 1 point per out). Who is my best option?
Turner @ Mets
Hanson @ Philly
Peralta @ Wash
Ubaldo @ KC
Floyd @ LAA
Werner @ SF
Chacin vs. ARI
Wily
@Grey
Any of these pitchers jump out as a “must stream” for tomorrow in a 10 team league? All categories are close right now…
Vogelsong v. SD
Perez @ SEA
Arroyo v. LAD
Villanueva @ TB
Gonzalez @ BOS
Mendoza v. CLE
Iwakuma v. TEX
Also…I read above, you like Petalta @ WAS. Good for a stream as well?
Thanks!
Re: Wily, Not with your options… None are a must stream either… Perez and Willanueva would be at the top of my list, if I had to…
@Grey,
So was that a yay or nay for streaming Wily? Sorry I’m dyslexic (not really)
Nay…
@Grey,
Nay is for horses..I mean, what? Thanks
Ha… No problem… It’s not a terrible start, but in a ten team league it feels like it’s stretching a little bit…
Meanwhile, in saudi arabia….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQYqtxKv3r0&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Warning: graphic content
Oh, man, I wish I didn’t see that… Yikes…
@Grey, terrible right?? What the hell are they doing out there…
I don’t know, but I know whenever I start watching something that I know I don’t want to see I can never stop watching it until it’s too late…
@Grey, sorry man i had to!! I did the same thing.. like a trainwreck! I dont know how i got there, it started with a video of a nasty ass LS1 camaro.. and 15 videos later my jaw is at the floor.. so i took razzball nation down with me..
That makes me respect america a hell of a lot more though. Crazy bastards…
I have to Gangnam Style to get that video out of my head…
@Grey, agreed! Im gonna go watch it over and over! Gangnam style that is….
Much better.. PSY fixes everything.
Word to the wise. Not sure getting acupuncture with a hangover is an especially good idea.
You were out carousing last night huh?
@Grey, More just sitting around drinking, but I guess that counts as carousing for an old geezer like me.
Just tucking into a coffee and a samosa now.
Drinking brown liquor? Why do you say no acupuncture when hungover?
@Grey, Think it’s because you’re a bit more sensitive to any discomfort. Not that I’ve ever found it painful, by any means, but it felt like every needle hit every spot today!
Do you get it a lot? I went for a few months once, didn’t really work for me… Or at least I don’t think it did…
@Grey, I’ve had it a bit lately. Had some treatments that worked quite well, but the last couple don’t seem to have helped much.
I want it to work, it’s not like I don’t believe in it or anything.
For your back?
@Grey, Shoulder. Been bugging me for almost 4 years. Had a cortisone shot a couple of months back, which has worked for me in the past, but this time not so much.
Could you hit homers afterwards? I dated this girl once whose father did acupuncture (they were Asian) and whenever we went to this one restaurant everything was on the house because the owner/chef said that the acupuncture had saved his life…
@Grey, Hah – not quite. Not quite the build for that.
Free food? Wow. Something must have been really wrong for you to break that one off.
Yeah, she was totally psycho…. It was sushi too…
@Steve, I have a friend who found that the opposite was true, in a way – he said that when he went in after a few days of clean living, his acupuncturist told him about how bad his chi or whatever was, but when he went in with a hangover (and it took a lot to give this guy a hangover), she would remark on how good he looked. Dissuaded me from pursuing it, because I don’t need any more excuses to drink.
@royce!, It could just be that I’m a big baby when I have a hangover.
@royce!, Thinking very seriously about a brown Brown t-shirt BTW.
@royce!, The only thing that puts me off slightly is that Joe Paterno and Chris Berman went there.
@Steve, Yeah, but so did Ira Glass…and Chubb Rock!
Holy Hefner.
Go and stand in the corner, SON.
SON hangs its head…
Our music content partner has just sent me some links to feature on the mobile site that I look after.
There’s one called ‘Gangnam Style’. Anyone head of it?
Nope, what’s it about?
David Price cruises through 5 and now he’s in all sorts of shit in the 6th. 2 runs in and the bases are juiced. Fuck. Have Buchholz going on my other team, but I really need at least a QS out of Price.
@letsgobravos, Whew…got out of it without anymore damage.
Yeah, saw that… Still could probably get another inning out of him… But he’s got the QS now…
@Grey, WTF?…Maddon sends Price back out for the 8th trailing 2-0 with 111 pitches.
@letsgobravos, …and of course he gets stuck with another ER. Got another K out of it, but still a dumb move to send him back out when he’s been struggling and he’s over 110 pitches.
Yeah, that made no sense… Can’t even figure out a way to justify it…
I learned today that Bruce Bochy’s hat size is 8 and 1/8. Yet somehow Fathead doesn’t make any Bochy themed items.
Like how has Fathead not realized the marketing potential of a Bochy partnership?
In other marketing news, I’m thinking about starting a smoked and cured meats venture…GangHam Style!
If you need an investor, I’m in for GangHam Style Meat Products. Could tie it in to Fathead and make a Fathead ballcap made of capicola…
@Grey, Consider yourself part of the gang!
And yum…the salt from my sweaty head would keep it cured, too. (Oh, and also, yuck.)
Yuck and delicious are the first things I want to come to mind when people think of GangHam Meats. Maybe I won’t be in charge of marketing…
@Grey, We’re talking about mold-enhanced meat, which is pretty much the pinnacle of yuck and delicious, so perhaps your marketing scheme would work…
I just want meat flaps…
@Grey, I knew this would end up here eventually.
Of course it did!
@Grey, Well, I suppose we could get Janice Dickinson as a celebrity spokesperson…
Perfect!
@Grey, Great! Janice Dickinson’s Meat Flaps, by GangHam Style Meats.
Well, I feel like we got a lot of good work done here today, now we just wait for the money to start flooding in! Tomorrow we can start designing our corporate campus.
I want meat elevators, I don’t know how we get them done, but there’s not my concern. Just that we have them.
Stellar effort from Bailey there.
Ha… Yup…
There goes Buchholz’ win. FUCK. Second night in a row I’ve lost a W in the 9th inning. Fucking bull shit. My opponent in the other league had Upton who got the 3 run walk off jack. Double FUCK.
In closing, Fuck you BoSox.
Yeah, that was an epic collapse… A fitting cherry to the Red Sox season…
you hate carpenter tomorrow? why?
I don’t like him coming back after all his injuries unless it’s an NL-Only league, sorry…
There’s not a Hosmer owner anywhere who would disagree with what the White Sox just did.
Amen
@Grey, But Hosmer and Holland owners are glad they did!
Yup
hi grey
hope your still reading these
need replacement for hamilton
need runs plus 1 of these sb/hr/rbi
waiver wire has these left:
ichiro, c gomez, reddick, lawrie, morneau, mayberry, dav murphy, frazier, wewayne, viciedo
who to get?
leaning toward gomez based on your prior suggestions, but ichiro seems to be getting hot and is facing minn this weekend
thnaks for the help
have a good night, gangam style
Carlos Gomez… You too man!
FUCK! My streamer Edgar Gonzalez left the game after 1.2 pitched because he couldn’t breathe. Freaking 3-0 lead down the drain. Son of a bitch.
Damn, SON couldn’t even have predicted that…Or could it? No, probably not…
Damnit…Soriano with a blown save. I knew I should have sat all my relievers. League counts both saves and BS. I have a 3-0 lead on saves and my opponent only has frieri. Meant to pull all my relievers, but forgot to do it before the yankees game locked. Just gifted my opponent a cat.
Damn, that sucks…
@Grey, Tell me about it. Went into today leading 9-0 in that league…now 6-5 after Peavy crapped all over my ERA and WHIP.
Peavy’s shitting the bed and of course my opponent in my other league has Santana who’s racking up Ks like he’s pitching against a middle school team. FMFBL.
Hey, go to the newest post so I don’t have to go searching for your comments in back posts…