Ah Flexibility. It’s like when you were a kid, (or still are a kid) and you have to do that v-sit reach test. You stretch and stretch and in your mind you are awesome, but in reality there is some Romanian chick in your class name Nadia who can eat spaghetti-o’s one at a time with her naval and makes everyone look horrible. This, my friends, is all about the fake baseball flexibility, the laid back one where you pick Cheetos’s one by one out of your belly button, and that to me is grandiose. First lint and now artificially flavored cheese snacks — the world will never cease to amaze me, next thing you know we will put a man on the moon. So last week I gave a preemptive strike into the flexibility thing covering RP that will or may be starting come regular season and are only eligible at RP. Now I am covering some guys that will have both RP and SP, it’s like a fluffer and porn star all rolled into one. So with out the frills and more annoying hullabaloo here are some cats that have dual eligibility. Keep in mind that everyone plays with different settings, so I am only giving guys with 5 starts/5 relief appearances or more to be considered.
Please, blog, may I have some more?Joe Kelly
Gird your loins – we’re going to be navigating positions battles in each division. Today I’m talking about the NL Central, which loses the Astros this year, so you can basically knock off five wins from each team’s 2012 win total. It feels like this could be a close race for the first couple months until the Reds replace Dusty’s toothpick with bubblegum at the trade deadline. There’s also a good amount of both young and rebound pitchers spread out across the division, so this could be a boon for late round draft picks in mixed leagues. Am I telling you to draft a pitching staff solely from the NL Central? Those are your words, not mine. Although I kind of wish they had been my words (you quick thinker, you). You can also read about the position battles for the NL East and the AL Central. Anyway, here are some of the position battles to watch in the NL Central:
Please, blog, may I have some more?
Just in time for the H2H playoffs, Troy Tulowitzki returns to throw a quandary into your lineup. Do you bench a guy that has actually been performing for a guy that hasn’t done anything this year and is coming back from an injury?
Please, blog, may I have some more?It’s getting close, can you smell it? The payoffs, not the playoffs, but the payoffs. The reason you pay attention from basically the beginning of February thru September. That’s almost as long as people stay married to professional sports athletes. So with the payoffs and the dollar signs (or banners for you non-money league participants) being near, staying ahead of the game to secure your seed or to gain the last few points are is crucial. So good luck this week and if your playoffs start this week double good luck. (Please keep in mind that pitchers and match-ups change.)
J.A.
Please, blog, may I have some more?Texas finally caught a glimpse of MLB’s best Japanese starter as Hiroki Kuroda went 9 IP, 0 ER, 4 baserunners, 5 Ks vs. the Rangers. Did they play this game in the Old Yankee Stadium? The one that was 700 feet to center and had Red Ruffing’s mausoleum in dead left?
Please, blog, may I have some more?Another week closer to the end. Well my friends, it is getting to be that time, crunch time. I wish they sold some kind of crunch machine for this time of the year, as every start becomes more important than the last. As you are calculating your starts remaining, innings remaining, and most inevitably the trade deadline in your leagues, take a look at where you’re trailing. It is now the time to do something about it, not yesterday or in 3 days. This is why we do all that preparation for the draft and read countless blurbs about players. We want to win or at least look good doing it. So take this week to make your final push, because it feels better to try and lose then to not care at all. Good luck and happy fantasy baseballin’. (Please keep in mind that match-ups and pitchers change.)
Blake Beavan (Tb vs Cobb, Min vs Deduno) Leave it to Beavan, not literally but figuratively.
Please, blog, may I have some more?These weeks just seem to be flying by, I know that seems cliche and tacky. We are at the trade deadline practically and it seems as though there are a lot of teams looking to buy, and some very intriguing names that are on the market right now. Starting pitching makes the fantasy world go round, it’s the truth, I slowed it down and saw Cliff Lee on a bicycle attached to it, pedaling. I can’t make that type of stuff up. So it seems like this week is a real ball em and rank em scenario. Not very many great options that are standing out for me.
Please, blog, may I have some more?Francisco Rodriguez got the save yesterday, then K-Rod told the reflection in his mirror I’m nobody’s dork. He’s been Marmolesque (1.42 WHIP, 4+ BB/9), but saves plus a solid K rate has its value. If you really need saves, you could do worse.
Please, blog, may I have some more?Tim Lincecum has a 6.07 ERA. Seriously, we’re in July and Lincecum’s ERA is six point oh seven. There’s ugly. There’s brutal. There’s murderous. There’s the guy with the goiter down the street from you that you talked to at a red light once and now he wants to hang out.
Please, blog, may I have some more?The week leading up to the All Star break is always fun times for me — it’s when I can take my paid vacation to beautiful Bayonne, NJ. My all-inclusive cab ride includes a firsthand view of a few muggings, a stop for gas, and a flavored shaved ice from Primo, the traveling shaved ice guy. In all seriousness, this is a good time to look at your roster and actually commit to it or start pondering the fantasy football drafts. So happy 4th of July to all and I hope the fantasy gods bless you with bountiful stashes of herbs and RBI’s. (Please note that pitchers and match-ups may change)
Everett Teaford (@Tor vs Romero, @Det vs Fister) Sounds like a guy I would want selling Butterscotch Krimpets, not throwing two games in one week. I have seriously reconsidered how much I like those Krimpets now that I have written about them.
Please, blog, may I have some more?
