Anibal Sanchez threw a complete game shutout with four baserunners and 10 Ks. I told you to draft him! (Then drop him.) Shut up, Parenthetical, you know-it-all. (That’s kinda harsh.) This is exactly what I expected from Anibal (in the NL). Seriously, Parenthetical, let me get a train of thought out here. (My bad). If there was one pitcher I said to draft this year, it was Anibal (Gio, Price, Latos (but then you dropped him). Yes, I liked more than one pitcher, your point? (Oh, nothing, was just saying. Or Cust kayin’ to use your vernacular.) This year was obviously a disappointment when you look at the whole thing (you don’t say?). His Ks are way down from 2011 and his luck hasn’t been that bad (then he should go to Vegas). You look at his 2011 and it now looks like an outlier rather than the start of a pattern (lucky he’s no quilt maker). For 2013, I’m going to project him as a lot closer to this year than 2011, even if he signs back in the NL this offseason (but enough about that; let’s get to other fantasy news). Don’t steal my lines! Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:
Delmon Young – 2-for-4, 1 RBI and back-to-back 2-for-4 games. Like I tell my girlfriends, ignore the sample size and just go for a ride.
Kris Medlen – 7 IP, 3 ER, 5 baserunners, 8 Ks. Not a bad start, but when you’re told you’re going to be made to feel so good and then all you get is a Chuck Mangione CD, you’re a bit let down.
Freddie Freeman – 2-for-4, 2 RBIs and his 22nd homer. Later today, you’re getting a podcast where we do a 2013 mock draft. I don’t tell you this now because Freddie Freeman is drafted real early, but after looking at the 1st basemen for next year, um, he might be earlier than anyone would ever think. Where did all the 1st basemen go?!
Donovan Solano – 2-for-3, 2 runs, 3 RBIs and two homers. He’s now batting over .400 in the last week. Before today, there was no power or speed to speak of, but he’s a middle infidel, how much more do you need? Damn, you greedy, yo. You need the total package for everyone? Well, package up my ass, gump!
Mike Dunn – Blew his 5th save yesterday, but he had nothing but kind words to say about Ozzie.
Giancarlo Stanton – Could return today. From his mouth to God’s ears. Hmm, but if he’s God, then is he talking to himself? Whatever, there’s nothing wrong with that. Right, Grey?
Aaron Laffey – 5 2/3 IP, 0 ER, 5 baserunners, but no Ks because there’s no Laffey gas, but yesterday that was no Laffey matter.
Nick Markakis – Having screws removed next week. Performing the operation is Dr. Frankenstein.
Darin Ruf – 2-for-3 with his 1st homer after leading the minor leagues in homers and hitting 20 alone in August. Well, not alone as in solo homers, and I’m sure there were people at the games… You catch my drift. If the Phils decide to give him a looksie in the last week, he could provide power. My guess is the Phils will continue to bench him so they can see what their other players have to offer, especially that Wiggington kid!
Domonic Brown – 1-for-4 with his 3rd homer in the last ten games. He’s on fire like he’s possessed by domons!
David Price – 9 IP, 2 ER, 7 baserunners, 13 Ks vs. the Po’ Sawx. “Wow, this Cy Young award is heavier than I thought it would be. So it’s not filled with peanut butter like Combos? Cause Verlander said it was. Guy’s always joking with me! First, I’d like to thank the Red Sox. That team is awful! Che-Hsuan Lin is your starting center fielder? If Red Sox fans think that’s a good thing, they must be deluding themselves because his name looks like Lynn and he likes rice.”
Jeff Keppinger – 2-for-4, 3 RBIs and his 8th homer. Hitting near .500 in the last week with two homers. Don’t sleep on Blanco Polanco, and not just because he looks like he’d be uncomfortable.
Nick Swisher – 1-for-4, 2 RBIs and his 24th homer. Has four homers in the past 6 games and a .350+ average in the last week. The only thing that would make me happier is if his sideburns GPS’d their way under his nose.
Russell Martin – 2-for-4 with a homer. Guess how many homers he has. Go ahead, I’ll wait. *scratches chin, cracks knuckles, sticks head out window of a train headed to Mumbai since I’m writing this post as I pretend I’m on The Amazing Race* He has 19 homers! Crazy, right?
Brett Gardner – Activated from the DL. Sweet, now steal 45 bases in the next week and we’re all good!
Zack Greinke – 5 IP, 1 ER, 9 baserunners, 13 Ks. Whoa, it’s like Mike Trout pitched.
Justin Smoak – 2-for-3, 3 RBIs and 2 homers. The homer in the 4th inning was held up for review. The umpires convened and watched a video of Safeco being empty with the lights out. When everyone was clear they weren’t in Safeco, the homer was allowed.
Wilin Rosario – 2-for-4, 2 runs and his 27th homer. I know what you’re thinking, “His average isn’t good though.” His average is up to .276. I know what you’re thinking now, “Wow, his average is up that high?”
Huston Street – Got the save yesterday but gave up a run for the 2nd straight appearance. I don’t think he’s going to lose the job in the last week, but I do think I’m about to drop him because I don’t really need saves on my RCL team, but could use clean innings.
Tim Lincecum – 4 IP, 7 ER. I wanna wear a sock over my entire brain to avoid the Lincecum-stained memories this year is leaving.
Glen Perkins – Got the save but made it interesting when he gave up an Andruw Jones homer. “Tell ’em Grey,” said Matt Capps.
Josh Willingham – His shoulder MRI came back clean, but he won’t return until Friday, at the earliest. The Twins have nothing to play for so they could just shut him down. BTW, I’ve copied and pasted “The Twins have nothing to play for” the last two years.
Aroldis Chapman – Recorded his first save since he had the dead arm, which is different than Alfredo Simon who has a killer arm.
Johnny Cueto – 7 IP, 2 ER, 5 baserunners, 5 Ks and his 19th win. Ugh. 19 wins and not that great of a WHIP or Ks…You know what this means, right? We’re gonna have to read a Keith Law post about why he didn’t vote for Cueto for Cy Young.
Yu Darvish – Scratched yesterday due to a stiff neck. A stiff (itchy) neck, apparently.
Tommy Milone – 6 IP, 0 ER, 6 baserunners, 3 Ks in Arlington. If you started him in this game, you got giant Milones and I’m not sure how you get into your pants.
Chris Carter – 1-for-3 with his 16th homer. I wish I knew if he’s going to be a full-time player next year. I got excitement that’s building and I need an outlet!
Jordany Valdespin – 1-for-3, and a steal as he pinch hit early on when McHugh showed why fantasy owners are weary of New York pitchers with Hugh in their name. Valdespin has 8 homers and 10 steals in less than 200 ABs. You can go ahead and figure out what he would’ve done in 500 ABs. Thank your deity of choice that the Mets kept finding PT for Bay and Scott Hairston.
Frank Francisco – Likely shut down for the year. Jon Rauch said ‘I got this’ but he didn’t aim his mouth down so the Mets didn’t hear him. Yesterday, when Rauch gave up two runs, it sure looked like the Mets were wise to not strain their ears.
Pedro Alvarez – 1-for-2, 4 RBIs with his 30th homer. Pedro from Pittsburgh has officially hit the cut off (30 HRS) where even casual fantasy baseballers (<–my mom’s term!) will take notice.
Russ Canzler – The AAA masher is doing pretty well in his September call-up, hitting a HR for the second straight day while going 3-for-4. They didn’t call him up sooner because the Indians front office figured he was bad in the clubhouse as every malcontent player was compared to him.
Corey Kluber – 7 IP, 2 ER, 7 baserunners, 4 Ks vs. the White Sox, and his final start of the year will come against them too. What a Coreyinkidink.
A.J. Pierzynski – Hit his 27th homer yesterday, while Konerko hit his 25th. A.J. has 75 RBIs and Konerko has 71. Too bad Pierzynski doesn’t have 1st base eligibility. Great googly moogly!
Dayan Viciedo – 2-for-3 with his 22nd homer. He’s going to be an interesting name to look at for next year. Someone wake up January Grey! January Grey, “I’m awake. Just huffing.”
Jack Wilson – Retired from baseball. According to the stat Defensive Wins Above Replacement, Wilson is the third-best defensive player in the Pirates’ 126-year history (Bill Mazeroski and Honus Wagner are the top two) and Wilson is the 45th best overall in all of baseball history. On offense, he ranked 12,157,687,006th for shortstops of the last ten years.
Jaime Garcia – 7 IP, 0 ER, 6 baserunners, 5 Ks vs. the Astros. We learned in this game that a pitcher Card always beats a team dropping a deuce.
