Late Night Tidbits

Two fantasy relevant bits of news...

Howie Kendrick has been demoted to AAA. Kendrick has been dreadful all year, but I have seen some signs of life from him lately. Still, Kendrick will likely be up in 2-3 weeks tops, and hopefully have snapped out of his funk by then. He's just too good of a pure hitter to be this bad over this long of a span.

Brandon Morrow has been slated to fill in for the injured Erik Bedard tomorrow, in what is said to be a precautionary move by the M's. The plan was initially to send Morrow down to AAA to develop him into a starter, but with the Bedard news, the M's obviously adapted. He's said to be on a 60 pitch count, so don't expect much. Plus, the start is at Colorado, so I would highly suggest benching him for tomorrow if he's on your team. It'll be interesting to see how he fares. If he does well, I don't know if the M's would still send him down.

Castillo Coughs Up Game

Wow.

It's tough to even get too pumped up after having a win gift wrapped like that, but I'll take it. Luis Castillo won't survive the rest of the year in New York after that play. Epic.

Even though we deserved to lose, I saw a couple of very good signs from the Yankees in the 9th inning:

1. Derek Jeter was the Derek Jeter of old, as he went right back up the middle off of K-Rod and then stole 2nd base as Johnny Damon struck out. Jeter's hit was off a very tough pitch, but he did what he had to do to put the ball in play, and that's what good baseball is all about.

2. What a job by Mark Teixiera to score on that play from first. If he's not running hard the entire way, he ends up on third, without a doubt. Every day I watch Teixiera I just grow more and more fond of the guy. He's a tremendous baseball player and he plays the game the right way.

Final Yankees Thoughts

Now that its been a few hours and I've cooled down a bit... I want to make a few points before I pass out:

1. Anyone who says the 0-8 against the Red Sox doesn't matter is full of shit. The road to the championship in the AL runs through Boston this year, and if the Yankees can't beat the Red Sox, then all is lost. I could care less how many runs we can beat the Nationals by, and how many HR's ARod hits against the Orioles, or how many hits Robinson Cano can compile against the Toronto Blue Jays. If you can't beat Boston - nothing else matters. Thankfully, the Yankees still have 11 more meetings against the Sox. Hopefully by the time they meet again the Yankees will look significantly different, or I don't see things getting much better.

2. I think Girardi is doing the right thing giving Wang one more chance. Why? Because Phil Hughes is not ready. I keep hearing about how good he's throwing the ball, and whenever I look up he has a ERA hovering around 6.00. Plus, I watch every game, and he hasn't changed all that much since last year in terms of his stuff and mechanics. He's got a long ways to go. Now, having said that, if Wang gets lit up on Wednesday - I think Cashman needs to go out and find a SP. A damn good one, too. With Joba likely reaching his innings limit in late August, he's going to be sent to the pen, so assuming Wang continues to falter, our rotation will look like this going into September: Sabathia, Burnett, Pettitte, Hughes (?), Aceves (??). Um, yeah. Go make a deal for Cliff Lee. Give up Jackson or Montero and McCallister, or whatever it takes. Add a Cliff Lee, or a Roy Oswalt, or a Jake Peavy to this team and it's all over.

3. Putting things into perspective for a second - it's June, we're 2 games out, and just starting interleague play (where we have the best record of any team in baseball). We need to rebound from the disgraceful performance in Fenway and take 2 out of 3 from the Mets this weekend. We'll worry about Wang and the rotation next week, let's just get back to playing some half decent baseball, and maybe, just MAYBE, some of the sting from the Red Sox series will diminish.

Pitcher Power Rankings

Starters:
*Factors taken into account: Stats thus far. Ability to maintain stats. Personal affinity for particular players.

1. Roy Halladay. 10 wins. 2.52 ERA. 1.02 WHIP. Third in the AL in K's. Enough said.
2. Johan Santana. Despite his lackluster June so far (5.54 ERA), Santana still is second in the league in K's and boasts a 2.39 ERA with a 1.13 WHIP. He usually struggles one month, and is lights out for the remainder of the season.
3. Zack Greinke. Falling off just a bit, but it would've been impossible not to. Seems like the only team that can hit him is Toronto. Still, 1.55 ERA and .97 WHIP is tough to argue with. I think he's got a fighter's chance at a less than 3.00 ERA.
4. Dan Haren. 2.33 ERA and a microscopic WHIP (0.85), he' probably be the front runner for the Cy Young if not for a measley 4 wins. He can think the woeful Diamondbacks for that one. He's known as a first half pitcher, but even if he falls off a bit, he's going to be a top notch starter for the entire year.
5. Justin Verlander. He's been on a Greinke like run over his last 8 starts, giving up only 7 runs in those starts. Leads the league in K's at 106, and has a 3.02 ERA and 1.10 WHIP to go along with those. Guy with possibly the best stuff in the majors is putting it all together.
6. Josh Johnson. Peter Gammons' pick to win the Cy Young is looking solid right now, as the hefty right hander has 2.73 ERA and 1.07 WHIP. Johnson's slider is one of the nastiest in the game, and when he's spotting his upper 90's fastball, he's nearly unhittable.
7. Yovani Gallardo. After the loss of CC Sabathia, the Brewers knew that they would need Gallardo to assume the ace role as his own this year, and he's done just that. With a 2.84 ERA and 1.08 WHIP, Gallardo looks like the real deal. He's won 6 games, good for a 17 win pace. He's been a bit lucky with BABIP, but that 1.08 WHIP won't fall too much. This guy is for real.
8. Johnny Cueto. K's are down, but as Tom Seaver said, "My job isn't to strike people out, it's to get them out; sometimes by striking them out." Only 58 K's but a 2.33 ERA and 1.05 WHIP screams dominance. K's will likely go up, as will ERA and WHIP, but he's a legit dominant starter. We'll see if he has a rough second half like his teammate Edinson Volquez did last year.
9. Edwin Jackson. Talk about breakout pitcher of the year. Edwin is sitting pretty with a 2.16 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and 62 K's in 83 innings. He's always had overpowering stuff, and he's just now putting it all together. Proves that a change of scenery can make all the difference. It won't be fun going up against the Tigers in a short playoff series with Verlander and Jackson looming.
10. Chris Carpenter. I know he's only thrown 44 innings, but he's sitting on a 1.23 ERA and 0.70 WHIP in those innings. He got hit around just a little bit in his last start, but it's clear that he still has the dominant stuff. If he can stay healthy for the rest of the season -which, in itself, would be a minor miracle, he'll continue dominance.
11. Chad Billingsley. 8 wins. 90 K's in 85 innings. 2.73 ERA, 1.26 WHIP. I probably sold him a little short. He'll be moving up this list in no time.
12. Tim Lincecum. Yeah, so this is probably the lowest you'll see Lincecum ranked on this list for the next 10 years or so. Still, kid has been amazing. 2.96 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 95 K's in 75 innings. Supposed Verducci Effect candidate has done just fine so far, and will continue to dominate, while others on this list will most likely slip.
13. Jered Weaver. Not sure how much longer Weaver can maintain these numbers, but wow. 2.31 ERA, 1.04 WHIP. 69 K's in 81 innings. Dominant. I haven't seen much of Weaver this year, but I hear he's doing a much better job of keeping the hitters guessing. We'll see just how real this version of Jered Weaver is.
14. Ted Lilly. I know, I know. But his numbers are elite. 3.00 ERA, 1.05 WHIP. 63 K's in 78 innings. Lilly has always been a viable fantasy pitcher, but this is what we call stepping it up a notch. Highly doubtful that Lilly will maintain this, especially during the summer in hitter friendly Wrigley Field.
15. Erik Bedard. Like Carpenter, stuff has never been the issue with Bedard. One of the filthiest breaking balls in the game, and he's had it on display so far this year in Seattle. 2.47 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 65 K's in 65 innings. Highly sustainable if he can stay healthy.

Back with more Power Rankings later on tonight or Saturday.

Once Again... Yanks just don't have it

After losing their 8th straight game to the Boston Red Sox in 2009, with their ace on the hill facing off against the terrible Brad Penny, its never been more apparent that this Yankees team just doesn't have "it." At least in its current manifestation. With the amount of talent assembled on this roster, this team should never lose eight straight games, no matter who they play. It's almost inconceivable that they've managed to do as much against a Boston team that has looked relatively fallible against the rest of the league.

I've heard the excuses. "It's only June." "These games don't matter that much anyways." Well, they do matter. In fact, they're all that matter. The road to a championship runs through Boston, like it or not, and if the first 8 games are any indication, the Yankees are nowhere near a championship caliber team. The excuse makers can bury their head in the sand if they want, though, god knows Washington will give them that opportunity next week. "Dude we just swept the Nats, this team is incredible." Essentially, this Yankees team is simply baseball's version of a bully. They beat up on teams that can't come close to physically matching up with them, but when they face a team with similar talent, they fail in every possible way. It's really the most sickening type of team that a team can be.

So, where does the blame fall for this debacle? Well, let's start with the starting pitching. AJ Burnett is a mediocre pitcher with exceptional stuff. He seems to have no drive to improve, though, even going as far to say that he's not going to try and figure out what went wrong against Boston on Tuesday, he's just going to do his best on Sunday. Well, great, AJ. That's the type of committment I've come to expect out of a perennial underachiever such as yourself. No wonder you haven't managed to develop more than 2 pitches, despite being a starter in the ML's for almost a decade now. It all makes sense now. As for Chien-Mein Wang... I don't even know what to say. All I know is even if this guy doesn't give up another earned run for the rest of the season, I wouldn't trust him one bit in a playoff game. That's irrelevant, though, as he's not even good in the regular season now. He's compiled the highest ERA in the history of baseball among pitchers who have made 5+ starts. Well done, Wanger.

Despite the ineptitude of the pitching staff, the bats had a chance to carry the Yanks to at least 2 wins in Boston, and they failed miserably. Derek Jeter, CAPTAIN CLUTCH!!!1111111, was dreaful. In the biggest series of the year to date, Captain Clutch went 2-15, with no RBI's and no R's. Jeter is a lot of things, but he isn't clutch. At least not since 2006. Robinson Cano was dreadful, and his approach at the plate is laughable. His OBP is now hovering in the .320's, and its time to drop him down to 8th or 9th in the order. Personally, I'd like to deal him and see what we can get back. Any chance the Dodgers would still deal Matt Kemp for Cano? I doubt it. I won't point out every individual that shit the bed against the Sox, I'll just say that this collection of supposed "allstars" put up 0 runs against Brad Penny in 6 innings. That's laughable, and if Brad Penny dominates you, you don't deserve to win the game.

The bullpen was bad, too, but that's to be expected. It's a joke that Cashman hasn't made a move by now. Bringing Alfredo Aceves into Fenway in a one run game with runners on is just giving up. I know Aceves has been good, and he will continue to be if he's put into situations where he can succeed, but he's not an 8th inning guy. He's a long relief guy, and always will be. The fact that Girardi was in that position where he had to go to Aceves is just inexcusable. Start working the phones Cash, do some actual GM work, instead of just filling out blank checks for the biggest FA's of the year. Epstein has been running circles around you for years.

It's a very bad time to be a Yankee fan right now, but its still a long season and I suppose things can turn around if Cashman gets his head out of his ass and actually makes some good moves for once. One thing's for sure - if Steinbrenner were still around, this type of shit would not be tolerated. Steinbrenner was the epitome of a winner, and he, better than anyone, knew what the makeup of a winner looked like. Unfortunately, it seems as though he hasn't passed down this innate sense to either of his two sons, or his GM Brian Cashman.

Johan... a bit overrated?

A Roy Halladay, Johan Santana is not. At least not this year. Santana has been mediocre over the past month, and he capped it off with a weak performance yesterday against the Phillies. He wasn't AJ Burnett bad, but he did give up 5 HR's, and 5 runs total in 7 innings, surrendering a 3-0 Mets lead in the process.

I wonder if Roy Halladay would've blown that lead.

AJ Burnett - Simply terrible

In what was probably the biggest game of the year for the Yankees up to this point, AJ Burnett humiliated himself. In 2.2 innings, Burnett surrendered 10 H/BB, and 5 runs. Sad thing is, it was much worse than that.

Worth every cent of that 85 million. Jesus.

Just another chapter in this underachiever's career.

Lidge to DL, White Sox call up top pitching prospect

Some interesting fantasy news emerged this afternoon with the news of Brad Lidge hitting the DL with a sore knee. Lidge has a 7.27 ERA, 1.81 WHIP, and 6 blown saves. I hope for his sake that his knee is the cause of his abysmal play so far thus year, but I have my doubts. This has the feel of a Chien-Mein Wang type injury (read: invented). While Lidge is on the DL, Charlie Manuel will undoubtedly call upon Ryan Madson to fill his shoes. If you need saves, Madson is the add for the week.

In other fantasy news... Aaron Poreda, the White Sox top pitching prospect, was called up to the majors this afternoon. While it's not clear what his role will be, speculation is that he'll replace the struggling Bartolo Colon in the rotation. Poreda had a 2.38 ERA with 69 K's in 64 1/3 innings at Double-A Birmingham. I've only heard a few second hand accounts on Poreda, and most of them describe a guy with a plus fastball that is still developing his secondary pitches. These guys are usually hit or miss, though, so if you're desperate for pitching and in a deep league, Poreda is an intriguing WW option.

Andrew McCutchen

Numerous highly touted hitting prospects have been called up to the majors already this year... and almost without exception, have done nothing. Matt Wieters, Dexter Fowler, Matt LaPorta, Jordan Schafer, Mat Gamel, Jake Fox, and the list goes on. Whether their lack of production is the result of inconsistent playing time, or just ineptitude is irrelevant to the fantasy mind.

Andrew McCutchen, however, is living up to the billing. Thus far, at least. In his first 5 games, McCutchen is batting .400, with 5 RBI's, and 2 triples. He also has 30 SB potential. The book on McCutchen is that he's never hit for exceptional average at any level (although he hit .303 at AAA Indianapolis over 50 games prior to his callup), and has a lot of speed but doesn't know how to utilize it yet. Well, damn. Wouldn't be the first time the scouts effed up. Still, the hype is growing and this is probably a good sell-high opportunity if you can find an owner with an affinity for young, exciting but still maturing players.

Either way, as a baseball fan, he's a lot of fun to watch. Too bad the Pirates had to deal McLouth for a bag of baseballs for us to get a glimpse of this kid. McCutchen, McLouth, and Morgan would've made up one of the most athletic OF's in baseball.

Trade Talks

Yesterday, I pulled the trigger on my biggest blockbuster thus far. I gave up Kevin Youkilis and Michael Bourn and got back B.J. Upton and James Shields. I wasn't overly excited about giving up Youkilis, who has carried my team in the BA category, but my skepticism for his ability to maintain his current pace, coupled with my hatred for him in real life made the decision somewhat easier.

My reasoning was that BJ Upton, coming off of shoulder surgery, is due to take off in the 2nd half. Upton has been one of the biggest disappointments in baseball so far, hitting a lethargic .221 with 3 HR's, and 15 RBI's. Still- there's hope. Over the last month, BJ has hit for a .277 average, 3 HR's, 12 RBI's, and swiped 10 bags. We'll see if his production continues its upward trend, or if BJ is just going to take the whole year off. At the very least, Upton will replace what I lost in the SB's category with trading Bourn, and score a lot of runs.

There were far less questions surrounding the other piece in the deal, James Shields. Shields has been one of the best pitchers in the AL this season, and I knew my staff pre-Shields wasn't good enough to be a championship caliber staff. As it stands now, I have 4 starters that I have a ton of faith in no matter who they're pitching against - Johan, Verlander, Shields, Joba.

Whether the deal impacts my squad positively or negatively will be determined by my bats. If my bats can sustain the loss of Youkilis, and my staff can perform to expectations, I think I'll have a chance to make a run at the title. A chance is all you can ask for in a competitive fantasy baseball league.

Rich Hill

Rich Hill makes his return to the Majors tomorrow, as he'll take the hill against the Kansas City Royals. While Hill is an enticing WW option, just be aware that his control problems still existed at AAA this season. Plus, he's pitching in the AL East now, and the thought of him facing up with the Yankees, Red Sox, Jays, and/or Rays every other week isn't too reassuring. Still, if you need pitching, it's a high-risk high-reward scenario. If Hill can get his control problems settled, he's good for 160 K's and decent ERA/WHIP ratios.

Should be interesting to watch him tomorrow.

Familiarize Yourself with BABIP

Batting Average of Balls in Play.

Basically, this stat tells us who is for real, and who has gotten lucky. If a batting average of balls in play for a pitcher is particularly low, it could indicate an anomoly, and be a signal that the pitcher is about to come back to earth. Of course, you need to take into account other factors. Is the pitcher a big strikeout pitcher? Is the pitcher a sinker-baller, who depends on the ball being put in play? Don't look at the statistics alone, use common sense and baseball knowledge, too.

Anyways, Tim Dierkes of RotoAuthority posts the BABIP stats every week or so, and he just posted this week's numbers today. Here's the link: http://www.rotoauthority.com/2009/05/babip-anyone-1.html

And just in case you're too lazy to follow the link, here's a couple of notes:

Top 5 lowest BABIP (these pitchers will likely come back to earth and see their WHIP and ERA rise significantly):

Matt Palmer (.182)
Brian Tallet (.213)
Matt Garza (.215)
Jered Weaver (.215)
Edinson Volquez (.217)

The top 5 highest BABIP (these pitchers have most likely suffered from bad luck, and will see their WHIP and ERA's drop):

Jon Lester (.396)
Andy Sonnanstine (.387)
Josh Beckett (.387)
Ricky Nolasco (.382)
Todd Wellemeyer (.377)

Pretty self-explanatory, actually. It's pretty obvious that pitchers like Beckett, Nolasco, and Lester have been very unlucky, while pitchers like Palmer (who tops out at about 87 MPH) and Brian Tallet have enjoyed a bit of luck.

Anyways, if you want to look more in depth at the list, check the above link.

Hiatus

My bad for the hiatus the past day or so, had to learn a semester worth of history in 24 hours.

Pat Bell, long time member of the legendary HP ALLSTARZ league will be helping out from now on as well, so watch out for his stuff.

Anyone else who wants to contribute to the blog, you're more than welcome as long as I know you. Just let me know.

Kris Medlen, not Tommy Hanson, called up to replace Jo-Jo Reyes

Reports just released say Kris Medlen will be called up from AAA Gwinnett to take over the 5th spot in the Braves rotation. Jo-Jo Reyes has been abysmal, so a change was bound to happen. What surprises me the most is that Tommy Hanson did not get the promotion. Hanson, arguably the second best pitching prospect in the majors behind David Price, has been lights out in triple A, leading the league in K's. Many hypothesized that Hanson, like Price, would receive the call on June 4th, which would delay the prospect's eligibility for salary arbitration by an extra year. I'm not sure if this also true for Medlen, but he has been just as deserving for his big league debut. The kid has gone 5-0 with a .96 ERA so far in AAA. (I'm only bitter because I have Hanson stashed on my bench, and was expecting him to contribute for team very soon.) Medlen is not listed yet on yahoo, but he is definitely someone worth picking up as soon as he becomes available.

Weekend Update

Hey everyone. Smith has been doing a great job updating this blog, and I appreciate the fact that he's allowing me to share my insights and opinions on the world of fantasy baseball. My name is Patrick, and am in HP ALLSTARZ with Smith. The last couple years have been horrendous for me in terms of fantasy baseball, but after a month and a half into the season my team is at the the top of the standings. Lots of games to look forward to this weekend. A few pitching highlights:


Twins at Yankees: Francisco Liriano has had a sub-par beginning to the season, and this game could potentially give him more trouble, given the potency for Home runs in the new stadium as well as A-Rod, who brings a strong right-handed bat back to the lineup. However, Liriano still has electric stuff, which may lead to a buy-low type of scenario.


Rockies at Pirates: Jorge DeLaRosa is having a solid year despite not earning a win yet for the Rockies. A pitcher that is often overshadowed by the other live arm o nthe Rockies, Ubaldo jiminez, DeLaRosa is worth taking a flier on in deeper mixed leagues for his high K potential.

White Sox at Blue Jays: While a lot of people covet a guy like Danks, there's a good shot Brett Cecil will steal the show tonight. In limited action Cecil has an ERA of
.64, and pitches in a gigantic park up in Toronto. Snag him before this guy becomes a household name.

That's all for now folks. Happy Friday!!

Update: Leyland blows it.

Leyland and the Tigers bullpen spoil a brilliant performance by Verlander.  

Jim Leyland, you need to die.  You are the dumbest manager in the league by far.

The idiocy of Jim Leyland

Looks like I jumped the gun in my previous post.  Leyland decided to send Verlander out for the 7th inning, even after having thrown 110 pitches through 6.  What a moron, seriously, I hope you die Jim Leyland.

Still, Verlander's final line is solid. 

6.1 IP, 8 H/BB, 2 ER, 13 K's.

Proud Justin Verlander Owner

Justin Verlander turned in his 4th straight spectacular performance today. He went 6 IP, 6 H/BB, 0 ER, and 12 K's. He has given up 1 ER in his last 29 IP, and struck out 43 batters. It's safe to say that the door to buy low on Justin Verlander is now closed.

Morning Musings

-J.A. Happ moved to the rotation.  Something to keep an eye on (especially in deeper leagues), he could be a 3 or 4 starter if he puts it all together.

-Glavine on the comeback trail.  Don't even think about adding him.

-Carl Crawford was lifted from last night's game after diving for a ball in the outfield.  Seems like it's only minor though, as he's listed as day-to-day.

-Jimmy Rollins is back in the leadoff spot today.  That lasted long.  

More later.

Wednesday May 13 Bulletpoints

This is going to be an abbreviated version, guys.  Sorry, but I'm swamped with finals until Friday.  

• Troy Tulowitzki left the game against the Astros after being hit in the elbow with a 95 MPH fastball.  Tulo was writhing in pain on the ground, but after the game said that the injury didn't require X-Rays and he'd be day-to-day.  I'd expect to see Tulo get at least one day off, as its a good opportunity for him to rest that sore quad, too.
• As elaborated on in an earlier blog post, Matt Gamel and Nolan Reimold were called up by the Brewers and Orioles, respectively.  It's not clear how much playing time either will get, but seeing as how Adam Jones should be out for a couple of days after mildly straining his hamstring, I'd say Reimold has the better shot of seeing immediate AB's.  Both are low-risk, high-reward type guys.  
• Johnny Damon  continued his ways, going 2-5 with an RBI.  Damon is hitting everything right now, and showing no signs of slowing down.  He really wants that contract from the Yankees at the end of the year.
• Shairon Martis improved to 5-0, pitching 7 innings of 1 run ball against the Giants.  Martis isn't a big strikeout guy, but all of his pitches have a ton of movement, and all the reports I've read are relatively enthusiastic about him.  Should be owned in NL-only leagues by now, and possibly worth a flyer in deeper mixed leagues.
• The Big Puma, Lance Berkman, awoke from his slumber on Wednesday to go 4-4 with 2 RBI's, contributing to an Astros attack that put up 15 runs on Jason Marquis and the Rockies bullpen.  It felt like a vintage Coors Field game last night.
• It's official.  Cliff Lee is for real.  Pitched 7 scoreless innings against the White Sox, struck out nine, and his ERA is now down to 3.00 on the year after a rocky start.  He's not getting any run support, but he got plenty of it last year, so he has no room to complain.  
• Matt Palmer, 30 year old Angels journeyman, pitched a complete game against the Red Sox.  He surrendered 4 runs, but only gave up 5 hits, and struck out 8.  Palmer is pretty unimpressive, as he throws 88 MPH tops, and his offspeed stuff is average, but he gets the job done.  He's now pitched pretty well against both the Yankees and Red Sox.  He's making a statement to Sciosa that he wants to stick around when the Angels get their horses back.
• Speaking of which, Ervin Santana will pitch in his season debut for the Angels tomorrow against the Red Sox at 3:35 EST.  Should be interesting.

That's it for tonight.  Peace, guys.

Gamel and Reimold called up.

The Brewers and Orioles both called up one of their top prospects on Wednesday night.  Both have the ability to produce on the ML level right away, if given AB's.

It's not clear what the Brewers are going to do with Gamel.  They still have Bill Hall who is getting paid 15 mil., so I doubt they're going to bench him and give Gamel all his PT.  Still, Hall is ineffective against righties (.205 AVG, .658 OPS), so hopefully Gamel doesn't get the Brandon Wood treatment.

As for Reimold, he was batting .331 at AAA with 8 HR and 31 RBI.  The O's called him up after the injury to Adam Jones on Wednesday, and Luke Scott and Felix Pie already ailing.  Earlier this year, Dave Trembley said that Reimold would start if/when he was called up, so we'll see if he holds true to his word.  Obviously, though, a lot of his potential AB's will depend on how long Adam Jones is out of the lineup.  

I'd think about taking a gamble on either one if I were in a deep league and needed a power bat.  

Retraction

Injury had nothing to do with Tulowitzki's quad... apparently he was HBP on his elbow and had to leave the game.  Hope it's nothing serious.

Fantasy Update:

With Youkilis and Vlad already on the DL, I'm about to lose Tulowitzki, too. Last seen writhing in pain on the ground.

He had a sore quad on Sunday, was lifted in the ninth.  Next day he was suppose to show up for treatment, and he didn't.  He proclaimed himself better.  Fast forward 2 days, and he'll probably be out at least a month.  What an idiot.  

Scott Richmond Exposed?

Boy just got lit up by the Yankees. 5 runs in 1.2 IP, all earned. That'll teach you about adding those 30 year old journeymen who happen to piece together a few good starts.

Z-Pack Streak Over

Ryan Zimmerman's 30 game hit streak came to an end today. Can't really hate on a guy who is hitting as well as him, but to let Barry Zito be the one to end your streak? That's just disappointing, Zim.

It's all good, though, because now the rest of American can go back to ignoring the Nationals.

Fantasy Team Update:

I'm down to 92.5 points now, and not feeling too good after Kevin Youkilis finally hit the DL. With him and Vlad out, I'm losing a ton of potential run production. Plus, I have black holes in the lineup in Michael Bourn - who I'm using to keep me afloat in SB's - and Mark DeRosa, who is just terrible.

I'm beginning to wonder if Mark Teixiera is ever going to figure it out this season. He looks as lost now as he did a month ago. What a disappointment. Luckily, Johnny Damon has picked up the production in his place.

Still, if I'm going to win the league I'm going to need Tex to figure it out, and a healthy Youkilis and Vlad, too.

LaPorta watch

With two lefties facing the Indians in the past couple of days, LaPorta has finally gotten some AB's. Unfortunately, he's gotten them from the 8 spot. Seriously? At least give the kid a chance to succeed. I thought Mark Shapiro was regarded as an intelligent GM?

Tuesday May 12 Bulletpoints

• Ryan Zimmerman increased his hitting streak to 30 games.  He's making it look easy, with another hit in his first AB today.  Who knows when he'll slow down?
• Adam Jones hit two home runs today, and drove in 4 runs.  Bedard is having a good year for Seattle, but you really have to wonder what they were thinking when they traded this kid away.  Average will obviously come down from the cool .363 its at right now, but I could see him hitting 25 bombs and batting  .300.  He's matured in a hurry.
• BJ Upton is still mired in a slow.  Going 0-4 today.  It may be time to bench him for a bit, if he can't get a hit off of Mark Hendrickson... he's obviously not seeing the ball well right now.
• Zach Duke continued his fantastic season, going 8 IP, 5 H/BB, 5 K's, 1 ER.  Sell high.  
• Brad Hawpe went 4-4 and drove in 5 RBI's for the Rockies.  He's now batting .359, and making owners who nabbed him look very smart.  He's almost a shoe in for 30 bombs and a .300 average, though.
• Troy Tulowitzki's quad is feeling better, and he was in the lineup on Tuesday.  He went 2-4 with a run scored.  Tulowitzki has been telling people that he's a slow starter and his skills are still there, and he's starting to prove it.
• Brad Lidge continued to struggle.  He notched his 5th save of the season, but gave up 3 hits and another earned run in the process.  I'm willing to bet Lidge gets a 15 day DL stint sometime in the near future, despite his claims that he's 100% healthy.  
• Roy Halladay flat out embarrassed the Yankees.  Guy hasn't lost a beat, he'll be in the Cy Young running again.
• Joe Beimel is clearly not the answer of the Nationals' pen.  He blew a 1 run lead in the bottom of the ninth on Tuesday when he gave up a 3 run home run to Pablo Sandoval.  I Unless you're desperate for saves, I'd suggest just staying away from the Nats' pen all together.
• The David Ortiz homerless streak continued on Tuesday.  And Ortiz went 0-3, bringing his average down to .218.  If there was ever a poster boy for steroid usage, I'd nominate Ortiz.
• Prince Fielder hit 2 bombs (giving him 7 on the year).  He'll take off from here.
• Dan Haren finally gave up some runs against the Reds.  He went 7 IP and gave up 3 earned.  His ERA is still at 2.09.  Still, beware, Haren is notorious for getting off to ridiculously strong starts and then having very mediocre second halves.

Back with more tomorrow.  

Horrendous Hochevar

Ouch... after 2 innings, Hochevar has allowed 8 runs, and pitched to a 4.50 WHIP.  You can go ahead and drop him now.

Jayson Werth Steals Home

He's obviously just copying Jacoby Ellsbury who was the first person to ever steal home in a baseball game.

AJ Burnett vs. Roy Halladay...Predictable

Vintage AJ Burnett tonight. 7.2 IP, 5 ER, 4 BB... yep, sounds about right. Guy must lead the league in these types of starts over the years.

This is why I wasn't too thrilled when the Yankees signed him, he's a medicore pitcher. A mediocre pitcher with tremendous stuff, which makes it even more infuriating.

As for Halladay, the guy is a beast, but the Yankees just rolled over and died for him (as they usually do against Halladay) tonight. Weak effort.

Fantasy notes from the game:

-Alex Rodriguez hit an RBI single, albeit it was a pretty weak hit.
-Johnny Damon continued his hot streak with a 2-4 effort, and looked to be the only Yankee with a pulse tonight.
-Hideki Matsui left the game with a tight right hamstring. Seriously, can we just replace the word injury with some form of "Yankees".
-Aaron Hill continued to rake, hitting a 8th inning HR against Burnett.

Back with more later.

Rollins bumped to 5th in lineup

Damn, and I was frustrated with Tex. I can only imagine the pain Rollins owners are feeling right now. Still, I think people are overreacting just a little with pronouncing him washed up, or a product of the steroid era. Rollins has a long track record of producing, and while he may not find the power numbers of 2006 and 2007 (25 and 30 HR's, respectively), he's a good bet to hit .290, steal 40 bags, and knock in 60-70 runs. His fly ball percentage (FB%) is still at 40%, which is a good sign that the power will resurface in some form.

It'll be interesting to see how the new spot in the order effects him, in particular his stolen base rate.

Off Topic: Roger Clemens

I know this isn't fantasy related, but I just wanted to mention this real quickly:

Roger Clemens' PR guy, you FAIL. Clemens gets a break with the Manny news breaking earlier this week, and before that with the ARod news breaking, and how does he decide to take advantage of it? By thrusting himself right back in the steroid limelight with his interview on Mike & Mike this morning. Seriously, stick to softball lob interviews and book autograph sessions, how hard is it? The more you talk, the less people believe you.

I just listened to the replay of the interview, and was cracking up when Clemens mentioned how taking steroids would be suicidal for him. He used the fact that his stepfather had heart problems as his reasoning. Pretty sure you didn't get any bad heart genes from your STEPFATHER, Roger. Dude, now that I think of it, my neighbor has diabetes. Runs in the family. I better lay off those sweets.

Matt LaPorta - What are the Indians doing?

I really didn't think Mark Shapiro would allow Eric Wedge to mess around with LaPorta. Seeing as how LaPorta has been platooning with David Dellucci since coming up, I was clearly wrong. LaPorta was absolutely mashing in AAA (batting over .400), and is clearly ready to make an impact at the major league level right now. The Indians have been so terrible offensively, you would have thought that even Wedge would have been intelligent enough to get LaPorta's bat in there everyday. Instead, though, the Indians are letting LaPorta ride the bench much like the Angels did with Brandon Wood. Makes a lot of sense.

In 13 at bats, LaPorta is only 2-13 (no doubt due to his erratic playing time), but has already outproduced David Dellucci, who hasn't managed to muster up an RBI in 33 AB's thus far.

Basically, either play him or send him back down. The last thing you need is your top all-world prospect playing every 5 days. In Triple A he'll be out there everyday working on things, and when Wedge finally decides to break up with David Dellucci (or the Indians decide to break up with Wedge), he needs to be called up to play every day and bolster the Indians' anemic offense.

Halladay vs. Burnett

Master vs. apprentice tonight in Toronto, when the AL East leading Jays take on the Yankees. If there was EVER a fantasy lock, it's Roy Halladay pitching 8 (or so) innings of 1 run ball tonight. In 30 career starts (207.1 IP) against the Yankees, Halladay has a 2.86 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 162 K's, and Yankees hitters are batting .239 against him. Having watched Halladay against the Yankees over the past few years, those numbers don't even begin to tell the entire story. The Yankees are flat out hapless against Halladay.

The only Yankee who has had much success in recent years against Halladay is Johnny Damon (.338 career average against Halladay).

Anyways, should be a fun game to watch. For Roy Halladay owners, at least.

Monday Bulletpoints

Pretty depressing when there are only 4 games in a day.  Anyways, here's a quick rundown of Monday's fantasy relevant news:

• Johan Santana was once again victimized by poor Mets defense and hitting.  It's an absolute enigma as to why the Mets can rake for an entire week straight, then have Johan on the hill and look so terrible.  Derek Lowe definitely had something to do with that, though.  The sinker was on, and I didn't think the Mets would even score a run after watching their AB's through the first few frames.  Lowe deserves credit, and he's going to continue to pile up the fantasy points all year long.
  
• As aforementioned, Ryan Zimmerman's hit streak is now at 29.  He's showing no signs of slowing down, either.  
• Gavin Floyd's ERA has now ballooned to over 7 after his disastrous outing against the Indians tonight.  (5 IP, 14 H/BB, 8 ER)  I know he's young, but I don't see much there.  If you can't bring yourself to cut him yet, he needs to ride the bench until he can at least be serviceable out there.
• Asdrubal Cabrera was the beneficiary of Floyd's terribleness, going 2-4 and raising his average to .325.  Cabrera is a solid hitter, and should be able to hit above .300 for the season.  He should be owned in most formats by now.
• Alexi Ramirez  showed signs of life hitting out of the 9 hole, as he knocked in 2 RBI's. He only went 1-4, but was robbed by Mark DeRosa of a hit on a scorching line drive.  It's too early to give up on Alexi, even though Ozzie Guillen has.  
• Justin Upton upped his hit streak to 18 games and added a HR to boot.  He's showing why he's regarded as one of the best young talents in the game, and his breakout is eerily similar to the way his brother BJ broke out.  He's not going to continue at this pace all year, especially with the AVG, but he'll hit his fair share of bombs and give you some R and SB production, too.  
• On the other end of the spectrum, Chris Young still sucks.  Seriously, if you own this guy, do yourself a favor and drop him.  He's not going to "come around", he is what he is. 
• Adam Rosales continues to hit for the Reds, as he went 3-5 with a solo HR (2) on Monday.  It'll be interesting to see what Baker does with Rosales when Edwin Encarnacion comes back.
• Joey Votto continues to rake and is now hitting .381.  What a stud.  The Reds have one of the best compilations of young stars in the majors.
• Randy Johnson picked up career win #298 by striking out 9 Nationals in 5 innings.  He did allow 8 hits and 4 runs, however, and these are the types of lines RJ is going to put up from here on out.  
• Brian Wilson picked up a cheap save, 0.1 IP, 1 K, and its his 8th on the year.  The more I watch of him, the more I like him and think he has staying power as a fantasy closer.  

Back with a lot more tomorrow.  Thanks for reading.

Z-Pack Watch

Ryan Zimmerman increased his hit streak to 29 games tonight. In the Top of the 8th inning against the Giants, he's currently 3-4 with a HR (7) and is now batting a cool .358 on the season.

Now..the question for fantasy players is...sell high?

While no one expected Zimmerman to put up these kinds of numbers to start the season, I saw numerous projection services entertaining the possibility of Zimmerman batting around .300 with 25 HR's. I think that's a fairly safe guess at this point, actually. Obviously, he's not going to bat .358 all year long, so if you can find a gullible owner and get a top notch arm or outfielder for him, you need to pull the trigger.

Bulletpoints later.

Johan-Lowe update

well, both guys had their 'B' games.  The only team in the NL East that gives Johan any type of trouble whatsoever is the Braves, and Johan still managed to hold them to 1 earned run over 6 1/3 innings.  Just another run of the mill Johan start.

Lowe was brilliant for the first 6 innings, but ran into a bit of trouble in the 7th before getting lifted.  Still, 6 2/3 IP and 2 ER, and leaving with the lead over Johan is nothing to downplay.  Another strong start for Lowe, these should continue to be extremely frequent this year.

Back with more later.

Yahoo! Most Added Players (May 11)

Every week or so I'll try and list some of the most added players in Yahoo! Fantasy and add a note on what I think about the players being  added.

So, for May 11, here are the Top 7 most popular adds:

Juan Cruz.  Should be owned in all formats with the news of Soria's shoulder.  In fact, there are some rumblings that Soria's injury could be season ending (hold your breath Soria owners).  I think he'll do just fine in the closers role, but an occasional blowup isn't out of the question.

Luke Hochevar.  Royals' top pitching prospect has dominated the minor leagues the past 2 seasons.  Was largely ineffective when called up last year, but you know how young pitchers are.  High-reward type add if he can put it all together.

Brett Cecil.  I touched on him in yesterday's bullet points, but he's definitely worth an add in deeper Yahoo! leagues.  Prior to the season Baseball Prospectus projected him as a ROY candidate with an ERA in the low 4's and a WHIP of 1.24.  Not too shabby.  His command is what impresses me most.  

Juan Pierre.  He'll only be an everyday player until Manny returns, barring an injury to Kemp or Ethier, but he's good for a .300 AVG and 20 SB minimum over the next 2 months.  Enjoy him while you can.

Rafael Soriano.  Soriano will continue to get sporadic save opportunities since Gonzalez is an erratic left hander.  He's good for double digit saves on the year, and should anything happen to Gonzalez, Soriano would be the primary closer for Bobby Cox.

Todd Wellemeyer.  Dave Duncan has a reputation for turning guys with very mediocre stuff into extremely serviceable arms, but Wellemeyer has been subpar so far this year.  He's currently sitting on a 4.75 ERA and ugly 1.61 WHIP.  He's had two good starts in a row, but they've come against the Nationals and Pirates.  Not much to see here.  Avoid him.

Todd Helton.  Average is for real (although it'll come down just a bit), power is non-existent (compared to the old Helton).  He'll hit .310 and hit 12-15 HR, if that's serviceable in your league- grab him.

Back with more later.

The Ian Kinsler Question

The last thing I want is for this blog to turn into a rumor mongering cesspool, but a poster by the name of Skoodog posted these two pictures of Ian Kinsler on Rotoworld. The first, was taken in 2008, and the second in 2009. He went from boy to man overnight. Could that type of growth possibly be natural?

2008: http://blog.ingamenow.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/ian-kinsler.jpg
2009:http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/multimedia/photo_gallery/0804/mlb.future.stars/images/ian-kinsler.jpg

I guess all this speculation is just a byproduct of yet another star getting caught, but since there's only a handful of games on today, I figured I'd throw this out there.

HP ALLSTARZ team (14 team, mixed, 5x5)

This is my team in my most competitive league. I'm currently in 3rd place with 95 points.

C Brian McCann
1B Mark Teixiera
2B Mark DeRosa
3B Kevin Youkilis
SS Troy Tulowitzki
OF Vernon Wells
OF Johnny Damon
OF Michael Bourn
OF Hideki Matsui
UTIL Mike Lowell
B Derrek Lee
DL Vladimir Guerrero

SP Johan Santana
SP Justin Verlander
RP Brad Lidge
RP Juan Cruz
P LaTroy Hawkins
P Joba Chamberlain
P John Maine
B Andy Pettitte
B Sean Marshall
B Chien-Mein Wang (DL)

I like my team OK right now, but with Lidge's struggles I'm pretty concerned about my RP. Soria going down with the shoulder injury helps me now that Cruz will gave some save opps, but I feel that Hawkins is about ready to implode any day now.

I'm doing relatively well in all categories, except SB's(11th), which is why I have Michael Bourn taking up a roster spot. I've been trying to manuever a deal for Juan Pierre, haven't been able to work anything out yet.

Overall, I'm confident that I'll be right there in all of the hitting categories, as I have Vlad coming off the DL in a couple of weeks, and Teixiera hasn't heated up yet. As for pitching, I think I have two legitimate aces in Johan and Verlander, but I'm going to need one of the other guys in my rotation to step up. Joba hasn't been great thus far, which I think will change, and I'm hoping John Maine can continue to piece together some good outings as well.

Anyways, if you have any suggestions or comments, they'd be appreciated.

Andrew Bailey Time

And yet another relief pitcher benefits from the misfortunes of a closer. It was announced today that Brad Ziegler will sit out 10 days due to sickness. Ziegler hasn't been the same since missing some time a couple of weeks ago due to the flu, and even before then Bob Geren had expressed interest in slotting the electric Andrew Bailey into the closers role. This could be the perfect excuse for Geren to make the change a permanent one, as it would seem that Ziegler is far better suited for the 7th or 8th inning, or as strictly a situational righty.

Bailey should be owned in all formats.

Johan Anyone?

Johan Santana is on the hill tonight as the Mets take on the Braves. The game is on ESPN, to the delight of all the Johan owners out there. Even if you don't own this guy, as a baseball fan, he's just amazing to watch.

Every 5th day for Johan owners is like a holiday. You're almost assured of a gem, and a big boost in K's.

However, while Johan pitched to a 2.57 ERA against the Braves in 3 starts last year, his WHIP was not very Johan-like at 1.43. He only struck out 8 in 21+ innings, too. Should be interesting to watch.

Common Fantasy Blunder

Just was up reading some late night posts on Rotoworld, and it reminded me of a common fantasy blunder that is far too common.  For instance, if you decide you are going to go out and trade Cole Hamels for a top catcher, don't propose one deal for Geovany Soto.  If you're that dead set on getting a Catcher for Hamels, why not offer him for McCann, Mauer, and maybe even Martin first?  Then, if those owners turn you down, you can pull the trigger on Soto (although I wouldn't advise it).  

Just saying, it's laziness.  You need to assess the market value of a player before you trade him, or you're leaving stats on the table.

Sunday May 10 Bulletpoints

• In a completely unsurprising development, Joakim Soria has hit the DL with shoulder soreness.  Soria hasn't been right all year, and I'd be shocked if he came back after the 15 days (May 23).  While this is discouraging news for Soria owners, Juan Cruz owners just did a Joba fist pump.  Cruz all of a sudden has a ton of fantasy value, as he's a live arm who will be closing games for one of the AL Central's better teams.  Trey Hillman has said that it'll be a "closer by committee", but I'd be shocked if anyone but Cruz gets a save opp. while Soria is out.  
• Johnny Damon hit a huge three run home run for the Yankees today, and now has an astonishing 9 HR's and 25 RBI's on the year.  Damon is in a contract year, and is making a statement to the Yankees right now.  Still, he has a long track record, and his FB % is abnormally high right now (54% compared to his career 36%), so selling high wouldn't be too bad of an idea.
• Brett Cecil followed up his impressive big league debut with an absolute gem at Oakland on Sunday.  Cecil went 8 IP, yielding 5 H/BB, and striking out 5.  While Cecil was getting hit pretty hard in AAA prior to his call-up, he was pretty highly-touted before the season, and Baseball Prospectus actually labelled him as a potential ROY candidate with an ERA in the low 4's.  He should be owned in most formats, and has a ton of upside.  
• Manny who? Juan Pierre has been raking over the past three games, since the Manny suspension.  Although he'll only be an everyday player for 2 months, he has a ton of value, as he's a .300 career hitter and in 2 months he'll probably steal 25 bags.  
• Brad Lidge continued to struggle on Sunday, giving up a RBI double to Casey Kotchman (who also victimized Lidge for a 3run HR on Friday night).  It would appear as though Lidge's knees are still bothering him (despite his claims to the contrary).  It would probably be a good speculative move to grab Ryan Madson , in case Lidge needs a 15 day DL stint to sort out his issues.
• Fernando Rodney went back to being the Rodney we all know and love on Sunday, nearly blowing a 4 run lead in the bottom of the ninth.  Rodney is 7-7 on save opps so far, but you have to figure he'll implode sooner rather than later, and the keys to the closers role will be turned over to Joel Zumaya.  Zumaya has looked sharp since coming back off the DL, and the velocity is certainly still there.  
• Emmanuel Burris went 4-7 with a SB on Sunday, bring his SB total up to 9 on the season.  He may be worth an add in a deeper league, especially if you're looking for steals.
• The Mets continued their winning ways (8-4 over Pittsburgh), and it seems as though Jose Reyes has finally awaken.  Reyes was 7-13 in the series against the Pirates, with 3 SB's.  Expect Reyes to take off from here, and the window to buy low on him is closing fast.
• Carl Crawford stole yet another base on Sunday against the Red Sox, bringing his total to 22 on the year.  He's on pace for well over 100+ SB's on the year, and while he won't maintain that pace, the catchers in the AL East (Posada, Varitek, Zaun) aren't particularly proficient at throwing runners out.  Crawford should be able to steal 75+ bags this year, if he stays healthy.  
• Ryan Zimmerman brought his hit streak up to 28, and he's now halfway to Joe D's record.  The Nationals are probably wondering if he could pitch for them out of the bullpen, too.
• OK, rapid fire... Alex Rodriguez hit a single in the first inning, but then went 0 for his next 3.  It'll be a couple weeks before he's the real ARod again... Albert Pujols hit another home run today.  Best player in baseball and it's not all that close.  Huston Street looked pretty good in the 9th today, notching his 4th save of the year.  The way Manuel Corpas has been throwing the ball, Street's job is pretty secure right now.  Joe Mauer continues to rake since coming off the DL.  He and Justin Morneau are going to terrorize AL Central Pitching this year.  Daniel Bard,  the Red Sox top pitching prospect, was called up on Sunday.  Unless your league counts holds, Bard won't be of much value to you, but he should be good for a bunch of K's.  It'll be interesting how the Sox use him, as he's gotten a reputation for not being dependable in tight spots.  Troy Tulowitzki is mysteriously raking again, as he went 2-3 with a HR on Sunday.  Tulo was pulled in the 9th, however, with quad soreness.  Tulo indicated that the injury is minor, but it sucks to see this happen to a guy just warming up.  

Be back later today with more stuff.  

Welcome to 24Seven Fantasy!

What's up, guys?  

First of all, my name is Andrew Smith, I have no *real* fantasy credentials, other than having played this game for a decade with an extreme passion and devotion.  I know there are a ton of fantasy blogs out there, with guys who are far more respected and known than me, so this blog is going to be a little different than the others.  For us true fantasy fans, there is no down time, no sleep, no leisure time.  Fantasy is our job, in fact, for many of us, we put a lot more energy and time into fantasy than our actual jobs.  So, what I'm doing is offering fantasy players a blog that will update more frequently than any other.  Seeing as how I devote 7-8 hours a day on fantasy, I don't think that's unattainable by any stretch of the imagination.  

Now, as for how I envision it working - I want to get as many people involved with the writing, analysis, commentary, etc... as possible.  I'm a member of one of the most competitive fantasy leagues in the world (in my opinion).  Not made up of credentialed experts, but true fans of the game who pride themselves on their knowledge and passion for the sport.  The league, called HP ALLSTARZ (hometown reference), has been in existence for 10 years.  It's primarily made up of college kids (with a few exceptions), whose undying passion for fantasy can best be evidenced by the fact that we continue to hold a live draft every year, despite being spread out from Massachusetts to Hawaii.  In summation, it's a serious league, and you better know what you're doing or you'll be embarrassed.  Hopefully, I can get a number of members from HP ALLSTARZ to contribute to this blog, as their passion and knowledge would be a great addition.

Anyways, glad you're on board.  And stick around.  You won't regret it.