Sean Rodriguez

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2011 Fantasy Baseball, Sleepers to Target

| 2011 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper | 118 Comments

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Many things have changed since December when we kicked off the 2011 fantasy baseball sleeper posts.  For one, the date.  For two, some of these guys are no longer that sleepery.  For three, hut-hut-hike!  As long as you don’t reach too far, sleepers can make all the difference on your team.  You’re not grabbing a sleeper in the first round.  You’re not like, “Hey, Swiggy Cabrera, you go threaten death on the shot girl, I’m going with Juan Miranda.”  You should have a solid foundation in the first eight to ten rounds, then mix some sleepers in after that.  If you click on the names for these players, there’s entire posts about some of them with their 2011 projections.  It’s magical!  Anyway, here’s some sleepers for 2011 fantasy baseball:

Shaun Marcum – Member back in December when he was first traded and I started raving about him?  We were younger back then and you had more hair.  Also, Marcum was still sleepery then.  Now?  Not so much.  Seems like everywhere I look people are abuzz with excitement over Marcum.  Assuming you don’t pay too high of a price, he can still have value.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
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2011 Fantasy Baseball, Spring Training Numbers

| 2011 Fantasy Baseball Draft | 89 Comments

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It’s always good to look at spring training numbers to give you an idea what you can expect from guys during the season.  They’re facing the top pitchers who are all displaying their best stuff.  No one needs time to get warmed up.  No one’s trying new pitches or getting a feel for the ball.  They are at the height of their game in March.  In fact, I think someone should propose to Bud that the World Series could easily be played in March.  Yes, The March Classic.  I like how that sounds.  Since these spring training numbers mean so much, I decided to look at some players in March:

Sean Rodriguez – Has 6 homers while batting .460.  Forget Sean-Rod, how about Wow-Rod?!  Am I right or am I right-right?!

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2nd Basemen to Target, 2011 Fantasy Baseball

| 2011 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper | 57 Comments

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Between the two middle infield positions, I tend to draft a 2nd baseman early and punt shortstop.  This happens for a few reasons.  1) 2nd base has more talent.  That’s right, I draft the deeper position earlier.  Same reason I punt catchers and try to get a 1st baseman early.  If a position is deep, a lot of your leaguemates are going to have one of the top guys.  You don’t want to be one of the 3 or 4 teams without a top guy.  2) There’s less difference between a middle-tiered shortstop and a bottom-tiered one.  (Same could be said of catchers.  We have a theme!  Or is it a genre?  No, it’s a theme!) 3) Shortstops tend to give value with the steal.  You can find cheap steals later.  Most of the 2nd basemen on this list are going after the top 150 in your 2011 fantasy drafts.  This is a supplement to the top 20 2nd basemen of 2011 fantasy baseball.

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Sean Rodriguez, 2011 Fantasy Sleeper

| 2011 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper | 50 Comments

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If Sean Rodriguez didn’t have 2nd base eligibility, he wouldn’t get this 2011 fantasy sleeper post.  Keep that in mind.  I like him, but he doesn’t have a secure enough spot in the Rays’ plans to warrant his own post without that eligibility, which, of course, is much prettier at your middle infidel spot.  Last year in part-time duty (hehe, I said duty), Rodriguez had a line of 53/9/40/.251/13.  Yawn all you want, but that’s in only 343 ABs.  There were probably times when you owned him.  Say exiting Spring Training (.460 average, .873 SLG) or maybe you owned him from June to August (7 homers, 10 steals in 211 ABs).  Maybe you owned him because you remembered he was some kinda Baldwin in the minors — 30 homers and 9 steals in 2009.  That woke you up, huh?  How about this — in 744 minor league games, he has 127 homers and 104 steals.  Before we start gazing into each others’ eyes and whispering sweet-nothings, Sean-Rod put up those numbers in hitter-friendly parks.

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Arizona Calls Up Allen Who Plays With Reckless Abrandon

| Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 47 Comments

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I already put my feet on your coffee table while typing up my notes on the September call-up hitters and September call-up pitchers.  Oh, and I didn’t use a coaster for my forty of Colt 45.  Natch!  Not too many surprises in the call-ups.  The peasant Royals are dragging their feet on Mike Moustakas, not calling him up.  What else is new?  Carlos Carrasco was called up and got the start.  Go Indians, it’s your birthday.  I’ll get to Carrasco later on.  I’ll fill in a Mad Libs blurb for Wilson Ramos’ call up.  I’ll even go over J.P.

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Never Say Never Surrender

| Fantasy Baseball Buy/Sell | 425 Comments

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Since breaking Pink’s heart, Corey Hart has been living the surreal life.  He has 19 homers already with his career high being 24.  He has 61 RBIs, his career high is 91.  He has an Amish beard, his career high was scruff.  The Brewers are talking of trading their 80′s pop icon.  Say you, say me, are they crazy?  No, actually, those talking heads are making sense.  Yes, I’m talking to you owner of a Corey Hart.  (Oh, Corey Hart and your endless punsabilities.)  Hart’s HR/FB is way above his career high and the RBIs are a product of dumb luck.  His speed hasn’t really shown up this year, though it could.  But if it doesn’t, he’s giving all his fantasy value in power, something he can’t be counted on.  Not to mention, Corey Hart has never been the model of consistency.  In 2009, he was injured.  In 2008, he had 15 homers and a .289 average pre-All-Star break.  After the break, he hit .239 and 5 homers.  It’s nice you think you have Hart for a career year, but you really have Hart for a career 1st half.  Don’t trade him for a half ounce bag of oregano and three Phillie Blunts, but I’d see what you can get.  Anyway, here’s some more players to buy or sell this week in fantasy baseball:

BUY

Corey Patterson – Looking for a guy that can give you an 0-for-35?  Look no further!  For a limited time only, Patterson might be a worthwhile fantasy add for steals.  SAGNOF!

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You Bawled? Aw… Sad Emoticon

| Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 98 Comments

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Yesterday, Bob Feller told a story about how he once threw 117 MPH while urinating.  He went on to talk about Triscuits and where he left his teeth.  When he came back around to baseball, he said no one’s throwing a 1.15 ERA, even that guy with no hair.  Once again, the old Feller has forgotten more than you could ever know.  To paraphrase EPMD, last night Ubaldo Jimenez had his ERA tooken.  He gave up 6 earned runs in 5 and two-thirds innings.  It’s no crime to be hit by the Red Sox in Coors and you had to expect the ERA was going to come up at some point.  All things considered, he K’d 7 and walked no one vs.

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Sox Programmers Enable Perfect Nava Script

| Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 114 Comments

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The 27-year-old, no-name rookie, Daniel Nava, came out of nowhere, hitting a grand slam on the first major league pitch he saw.  This all came after not making his college team, working as their equipment manager, finally playing college ball, going undrafted in the major league draft then being cut by the Chico Outlaws, which I believe is the minor league affiliate for Chico’s Bail Bonds.  Even his ESPN player photo makes it seem like he was in the Witness Protection Program.  Shoot, maybe he is.  If so, I hope Hermida starts his car for him.  Eventually, Nava caught on with the Outlaws, impressed the Sawx and the rest is history.  Nava is old for a rookie and his success at the majors may be short-lived, but he showed a good eye in the minors with modest pop.  He could be a flash-in-the-pan, but he’s worth grabbing in AL-Only leagues and monitoring in mixed leagues.  He may get bumped when Ellsbury returns and then it’s back to egg noodles and ketchup.  Anyway, here’s what else I saw this weekend in fantasy baseball:

Josh Beckett – Played catch from 90 feet.  Guess when he returns he’s going to pitch from 2nd base.

Please, blog, may I have some more?