Julio Borbon has been running around like a chicken without its head or maybe Borbon is *pinkie to mouth* a Wild Turkey. Yesterday, he even hit a home run. The word out of the mean streets of Arlington was he’d sit once Cruz returned. Cruz returned. Borbon played. Natch! Will Borbon’s brilliance continue? Unfortunately, I don’t think so. He’s doing his best Mr.
Please, blog, may I have some more?Gary Sheffield
J.A. Happ threw a complete game shutout yesterday with only 6 baserunners and 10 Ks vs. Jorge de la Rosa’s 5 IP, 7 ER, 3 Ks line. I pretty much saw this matchup going almost exactly opposite. Maybe I had my contacts in backwards. dlR had won seven games in a row. Happ was coming off two losses. dlR’s a lefty, the Phils don’t hit lefties well. Maybe I underestimated Happ’s desire to stay in the rotation with Pedro breathing down his neck. This was a solid case for that, but if the Phils don’t pull Happ from the rotation they’re jeopardizing his 2010 (when people take flying cars to the ballpark). Happ should be moved to the bullpen and Pedro should be put into the rotation. Even if that means Pedro throws a bunch of 4 inning, 3 run games and Happ comes in in the 5th inning and throws three dominant innings. It’s the right move for everyone and I think that’s the way the Phils should/will go. To clarify, this is not an endorsement of Pedro. Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:
David Wright – HR yesterday. As I said yesterday in the comments, “(The Mets play-by-play man, Cohen, said) that was (Wright’s) first opposite field homer in the new park. For a guy that goes that way, that’s not great. After all, we’re in August.” And that’s me quoting me quoting Gary Cohen! Cohen also said the humidity may be helping the ball carry. So now Metco is Yellowstone instead of the Grand Canyon. Sah-weet.
Please, blog, may I have some more?In his last four games, J.J. Hardy has gone 8-for-17 with two homers. You waited and waited. Went for a dip in the ocean. Washed ashore in Finland. Smoked a bowl with some guy who wore only a potato sack. Fell asleep on a raft. Woke up in your kiddie pool wearing your water wings. And finally Hardy got hot. In July last year, Hardy hit .339 with 9 homers. Followed that up with a .294 August and 5 homers. I know Hardy’s sucked the life out of you with his April through June, but if he’s indeed hot now, and it seems that way, he’ll bat 2nd, he’ll hit some homers and a decent average for a month or so. He’s currently batting .232. That’ll come up. He has 8 homers, he should finish with 25. Will he always be as delightful as your Finnish friend wearing a potato sack? No, probably not, but he’s better than he’s been. Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:
Raul Ibanez – Won’t be returning this Friday when eligible. No set backs; Phils are just taking precautions. For those wanting to say something derogatory about him, I’d wait until he doesn’t have so much free time.
Please, blog, may I have some more?
Matt Wieters was finally called up by the Orioles. We know what you’re all thinking – how could they give up on Gregg Zaun so quickly? Don’t the Orioles brass have the intestinal fortitude to withstand the hype surrounding this ‘phenom’ when they’ve got the ultimate journeyman? Evidently not. So how has Wieters been spending his near two months in AAA detention? He’s been awesome…ly average. .285 average. 5 HRs. 30 Ks in 137 ABs. There’s little doubt that Wieters will be an excellent hitter for years to come (see his .350+ average b/w A and AA last year) but those AAA numbers are more likely what you’ll get from him in 2009. Think .285 with 12 HRs. He could prove us wrong and you can do worse than bet on hitting upside at Catcher. Just don’t overpay for it. Anyway, here’s what else we saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:
Jason Bartlett – Another day, another injury to a Rays middle infielder. Yesterday, it was Iwamura. Now Bartlett goes on the DL with a sprained ankle that he hurt while practicing his dismount from the statistical stratosphere (.373 AVG!). Reid Brignac, who has been hyped for a while, will replace him.
Please, blog, may I have some more?On Sunday, Akinori Iwamura was carted off the field. (No, it wasn’t some sorta Japanese custom when a player makes an out.) So Reid Brignac may get some short-term value if the Rays play him. Right now, they don’t seem committed to that plan. And, frankly, I can see why. He hasn’t exactly been tearing it up in Triple A. The Rays should go to Ben Zobrist aka The Best Home Run Hitter In The World With The Last Name Zobrist. With shortstop eligibility and potentially 2nd base, Zobrist will have value getting everyday at-bats. Much has been made of Zobrist’s out-of-the-blue power surge. The only explanation that seems to be out there is that he worked in the offseason with Jaime Cevallos, The Swing Mechanic. (Turns out he helped Little Jake Current too!) Honestly, I don’t think it matters much for Ben Zobrist since he already has shortstop eligibility. It’s worth a flier to see if the power continues. Just don’t cut anyone too worthwhile for that flier, including Little Jake Current — he’s got power to all fields! Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:
Troy Percival – Hit the DL and made J.P.
Please, blog, may I have some more?Frenchy’s back, Jordan Schafer’s going to hit 161 home runs (accounting for one rainout, of course) and McCann’s going to win the MVP. Oh, and Lowe’s winning the Cy Young. Unanimous. Spring has sprung and baseball’s back. It’s a good time to be alive. Aren’t you glad you didn’t eat any peanuts in the last three months? They’re poisonous, ya’ll. (It’s a wonder Jimmy Carter’s still going strong. He is a superhero.) Right now, I feel like putting some tilapia on the grill, an Olde English in an oversized cozy and kicking back for the next six months while the sounds of baseball dance in my head. Oh, and win all my fantasy baseball leagues; that would be nice too. The number one thing you don’t want to do in the next few weeks is overrate anything you see. You’re not winning your league in the first few weeks, but you can sure as heckfire lose them. As inviting as Jordan Schafer seems right now, don’t drop Milton Bradley for him. Even if Milton does the devil’s work. Jordan Schafer’s an intriguing name in deep leagues. Just don’t jump out the window until you see how real the fire is. On the other hand, don’t ignore what goes on these first few weeks. This is when The ’08 Nadys (<–great band name) emerge. Anyway, here’s what I saw this weekend for fantasy baseball:
Joey Devine – Aching Joey Devine is out for 60 days. Punt! Not worth holding a “potential” closer who may not be back for a while.
Please, blog, may I have some more?Losing Gary Sheffield from your fantasy baseball team is about the best thing that could’ve happened to you if you owned him. This isn’t really a big fantasy story as far as Sheff goes. He was a decrepit ex-roider. (He was a great hitter to watch in his prime and it’s sad when great players devolve into nomadic, expensive NVORPS (negligible value over replacement players). For every neat and tidy retirement like Ripken and Gwynn, there seems to be at least three like this.) The best thing that could happen is he ends his career at 499 homers. Instant karma’s gonna get you. What this does do is open up a spot for someone else. As I said in the comments yesterday, “The Thames runs through it.” Damn, I’m pithy. I’m like Charles Nelson Reilly on The Match Game pithy. RIP, C N R, you were one of a kind… Until me. Marcus Thames is a source of 20 – 25 HRs and a .240 average. Not bad for AL-only but not remarcusable. He usually only plays against lefties, so I’m not sure if Sheff’s departure gives him that many more ABs. He’s a masher to watch. Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in spring training for fantasy baseball:
Joey Devine – Now Aching Joey Devine is off to see Dr.
Please, blog, may I have some more?Before we take our 2009 fantasy baseball rankings to the arms, we look at the top 5 designated hitters for 2009 fantasy baseball. These players are only eligible at Utility. Frankly, I don’t think you should draft any of these hitters. They don’t allow enough flexibility. For example, what if you had David Ortiz clogging up your Utility spot last year and you really wanted to pick up Jayson Werth but had 5 outfielders already? You would’ve been S to the Crewed. If you want some perspective on where these 5 designated hitters fall in the big picture, look at our 2009 Fantasy Baseball Player Rater. As always, this top 5 for 2009 will be broken up into tiers, and their 2009 projections will be included. Anyway, here’s the top 5 designated hitters for 2009 fantasy baseball:
1.
Please, blog, may I have some more?Our boy Timmy took a Lincecumbacker to the knee. Not good if you’ve been riding his amazing 12-3 record (for the Giants?!?!), sub 3.00 ERA, and 10 K/9 IP. He hobbled out of the game. We’ll have to see if he’s as bad off as our other favorite Timmy but start scouting pitchers just in case.
Please, blog, may I have some more?And now for the actual opening day of the baseball season. The first full slate of games is almost in the books (minus the rainouts.) What I saw:
Verlander was dealing. He easily could’ve gotten the win, if not for…
Alex Gordon.
Please, blog, may I have some more?
