Look at you getting two posts today, which we will continue until next October. It’s an exciting time to be alive. Kinda like in the 1300’s when doorknobs were invented and people no longer needed to axe down the door to enter their house. So how about those Cleveland Indians brimming with prospects? It’s the biggest Native American bounty since the original Thanksgiving. Fingers crossed these Indians aren’t practically wiped from existence, then almost 400 years later Lonnie Chisenhall‘s great-great grandniece is allowed to open a casino. Lonnie Chisenhall was called up in the middle of last season, like a firefly without a light. In his first full month, he hit two homers and .217, like a slow torch burning. In his 2nd month, he didn’t do much better, like a key that could use a little turning. Seemed like he should’ve been getting somewhere. Then in September, he hit four homers and .279. Like a madman laughing at the rain. If you knew those were Soul Asylum lyrics, pat yourself on the back…with a knife. I’ll take that September month from Chisenhall every day of the week and twice on Muesday if we can get that from him every month next year, but can we? Let’s see what we can expect of Lonnie Chisenhall in 2012 fantasy baseball and what makes him a sleeper?
Chisenhall’s BABIP during his torrid-for-him month of September was .308. That’s close to doable for him, but his walk rate was pathetic last year. In 21 games in August, he didn’t walk once. His K-rate wasn’t great either. So .279 seems doable, but highly unlikely. He looks more like a .250 hitter. In September, his HR/FB was 16.0%, which is a little high for him, making 4 homers per month on the high side, too. For 2012, he’s gonna be more of a 3 to 4 homer per month guy, so you’re looking at between 18-24 homers. The Indians are saying that Jack Hannahan will compete in Spring Training for the 3rd base job with Chisenhall, but that’s just talk to motivate Chisenhall. There’s no way Jack Hannahan will win the starting job unless he brings one of his ligers into the clubhouse and releases it on Chisenhall. Since Lonnie was able to finally start to put it together in September, I’m gonna be optimistic and say he gives us 65/20/80/.250/3. Not exactly rewriting the record books, but more than serviceable if you can get him cheap in your fantasy drafts and he has some upside. Muahahahahaha! Sorry, still laughing like a madman at the rain.
