The Team Toronto really do suffer from being in the AL East. They have been one of the more consistently good teams in the AL for the last six years but Tampa, Boston, and New York have been three of the best teams in baseball recently so playoff baseball is still elusive.
The Good Even with Aaron Hill and Adam Lind struggling most of the year, the Jays still managed to lead the universe in home runs and even if Bautista inevitably drops off the club still expects improved production from short, first and the outfield.
There seems to be a constant flow of pitchers coming up through the system. There's a number of guys with a legitimate shot at cracking the Jays roster this Spring.
The Bad There looks to be a lot of changes in the Toronto roster this season. The bullpen was will see its entire back end rebuilt and a number of guys will be filling new roles.
Even with all the home runs, the Blue Jays were still middle of the pack for runs scored due to being one of the worst teams at getting men on base.
Best Case Scenario Where to begin? If Morrow continues to show he's figured things out, Drabek has a RoY calibre season, Dotel and Francisco nail down the 8th and 9th, Davis and Podsednik can get on base and steal 80 bases, Hill and Lind regain their 2009 form and Rivera, Encarnacion and Escobar get their careers back in gear then a wild card spot could be theirs.
My Prediction Did you see that list of things that need to go right in order to be in the hunt for a playoff spot? They'll be a long way back of the Yankees and Red Sox and probably behind Tampa. Its even possible that Baltimore can bridge the gap but Toronto should finish with around 75 wins.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Season Preview : Oakland A's
The Team The A's haven't been to the post season since 2006 which was also the last time they finished above .500. In that time the only thing that has grown is the ego of Billy Beane as he continues to hunt down the latest market inefficiency and the patience the A's fans are having with Beane's approach.
The Good Playing in a pitchers park certainly helps. Their rotation were a big part in leading the team to an AL best 3.56 ERA while surendering the fourth fewest walks and the likes of Cahill, Anderson and Gio (Gonzalez) will be looked on to carry the club yet again.
Kurt Suzuki is one of the best all around catchers in the game and brings the kind of intangibles that allow him to provide production in the middle of the order even though on a good team he'd be batting in the 8-hole.
The Bad This team does not score runs. Their slugging percentage was tied for second worst in the AL and it all stems from the infield corners where Kouzmanoff and Barton combined for 26 homers which would be a pedestrian total for a single corner infielder on a big league roster. The addition of Josh Willingham and Hideki Matsui should help them some but neither really figures to have the kind of power needed to clear those Colisseum walls regularly.
Its also worth noting that the likes of Matsui, Willingham, Crisp, Ellis and Andrew Bailey have not been very very durable in recent seasons and all of those players will be key to any success Oakland has this year.
Best Case Scenario Bailey and Harden stay healthy, Wuertz rebounds and join Fuentes to form possibly the best bullpen in baseball backing up and excellent starting core which helps to hold opposing lineups to minimal production. The offence will be lead by Ellis, Crisp and Pennington and their speed on the bases and timely hits from the likes of Barton and Willingham see Oakland contend in the west.
My Prediction They just won't score runs. It is so hard to get by in the modern game with singles and doubles hitters and while I wouldn't be surprised to see them get out of the blocks strong there is always the risk that momentum will be be curtailed by injuries. Expect them to fight it out with Anaheim for second place out west.
The Good Playing in a pitchers park certainly helps. Their rotation were a big part in leading the team to an AL best 3.56 ERA while surendering the fourth fewest walks and the likes of Cahill, Anderson and Gio (Gonzalez) will be looked on to carry the club yet again.
Kurt Suzuki is one of the best all around catchers in the game and brings the kind of intangibles that allow him to provide production in the middle of the order even though on a good team he'd be batting in the 8-hole.
The Bad This team does not score runs. Their slugging percentage was tied for second worst in the AL and it all stems from the infield corners where Kouzmanoff and Barton combined for 26 homers which would be a pedestrian total for a single corner infielder on a big league roster. The addition of Josh Willingham and Hideki Matsui should help them some but neither really figures to have the kind of power needed to clear those Colisseum walls regularly.
Its also worth noting that the likes of Matsui, Willingham, Crisp, Ellis and Andrew Bailey have not been very very durable in recent seasons and all of those players will be key to any success Oakland has this year.
Best Case Scenario Bailey and Harden stay healthy, Wuertz rebounds and join Fuentes to form possibly the best bullpen in baseball backing up and excellent starting core which helps to hold opposing lineups to minimal production. The offence will be lead by Ellis, Crisp and Pennington and their speed on the bases and timely hits from the likes of Barton and Willingham see Oakland contend in the west.
My Prediction They just won't score runs. It is so hard to get by in the modern game with singles and doubles hitters and while I wouldn't be surprised to see them get out of the blocks strong there is always the risk that momentum will be be curtailed by injuries. Expect them to fight it out with Anaheim for second place out west.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Season Preview : Houston Astros
The Team The Astos' season started off badly and then it plateaued and culminated in the trading of long time ace Roy Oswalt to Philly. Its been a fair while since they were relevant in the NL.
The Good Its tough to really come up with anything that is particularly good about the Astros. The rotation shows some signs of being a strength. Wandy Rodriguez continues to emerge as an ace and Houston will hope that JA Happ and Brett Myers can show greater consistency behind him and that Bud Norris can start to harness his stuff better. They could be a formidable group or a very average one.
The Bad Many will see the corner infield spots as a strength for the club to build on but Brett Wallace continues to underwhelm (does anyone know how he got a reputation as a blue chip prospect?) and Chris Johnson strikes out far too much to keep that average up. Adding Clint Barmes and Bill Hall to the infield won't help that unit produce offensively either.
Brandon Lyon anchoring a bullpen doesn't fill me with confidence. He's made a career out of being the one they turn to when there's no one else better.
Best Case Scenario The team needs Pence and Bourn to get their OBP's back around the .350 mark and use that speed to create offence. After that they desperately need Carlos Lee to get back to his .300/.350/.500 self because there is not a lot of upside in that lineup.
All hope lies in that pitching and if they play to their potential then this could be a .500 club.
My Prediction Astros fans should continue to be glad they share a division with the Cubs and Pirates. Thanks to those two franchises Houston should be able to pad their win total and stay off the foot of the Central but they are a long way behind St Louis, Milwaukee and Cincinatti.
The Good Its tough to really come up with anything that is particularly good about the Astros. The rotation shows some signs of being a strength. Wandy Rodriguez continues to emerge as an ace and Houston will hope that JA Happ and Brett Myers can show greater consistency behind him and that Bud Norris can start to harness his stuff better. They could be a formidable group or a very average one.
The Bad Many will see the corner infield spots as a strength for the club to build on but Brett Wallace continues to underwhelm (does anyone know how he got a reputation as a blue chip prospect?) and Chris Johnson strikes out far too much to keep that average up. Adding Clint Barmes and Bill Hall to the infield won't help that unit produce offensively either.
Brandon Lyon anchoring a bullpen doesn't fill me with confidence. He's made a career out of being the one they turn to when there's no one else better.
Best Case Scenario The team needs Pence and Bourn to get their OBP's back around the .350 mark and use that speed to create offence. After that they desperately need Carlos Lee to get back to his .300/.350/.500 self because there is not a lot of upside in that lineup.
All hope lies in that pitching and if they play to their potential then this could be a .500 club.
My Prediction Astros fans should continue to be glad they share a division with the Cubs and Pirates. Thanks to those two franchises Houston should be able to pad their win total and stay off the foot of the Central but they are a long way behind St Louis, Milwaukee and Cincinatti.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Season Preview : The California LA Angels of Anaheim AKA The Angels Angels of Anaheim
Looks like I'll be doing this more sporadically than initially thought so I decided to get a head start on these and alphabetical order is good way to go.
The Team The Halo's spent the whole off-season being linked with all the big free agents and then contrived not to land any of them. Having finished third in the west, 10 games back from the reigning AL champions, they must have felt the need to do something drastic to bridge the gap leading to a head scratching move for Vernon Wells and his contract.
The Good One big free agent acquisition they did land was Scott Downs who adds a strong lefty presence to a sound bullpen that will back up a great 1-2 punch of Dan Haren and Jeff Weaver at the top of the rotation.
Perhaps the biggest strength will be a defence where the two Gold Glove outfielders will not be the best defenders in the outfield. Bourjos' play in center allowed the aging Torii Hunter to shift to right where the club hopes he will be able to stay out of harms way and in the lineup where he continues to be a key performer and with Wells taking over in left Anaheim can use Bobby Abreu principally at DH.
Another bonus is the bench where Maicer Izturis will once again see time at short, second and third, Abreu can still play the outfield if needed and Alberto Callapso should provide some good at bats.
The Bad Last year Anaheim allowed more runs (702) than they scored (681) which is never a good thing and they really didn't do much to address that.
They are relying on a batting order with no obvious leadoff man and for a team that likes to run that is a problem. They also have an order lacking genuine power and what power they have belongs to aging and injury prone hitters.
As good as Haren and Weaver are you have to worry about Scott Kazmir and Joel Piñeiro and as good as the middle relief should be Fernando Rodney has never convinced anyone that he can hold down a closers role for an extended time.
Best Case Scenario The Angels need a number of players to step up - Rodney needs to solidify the relief, Kendry Morales needs to rebound from injury and provide some thump to the order, Wells needs to play like he did in 2010 not 2009, Hunter needs to stay healthy, Howie Kendrick needs to put together a full season of production rather than the odd week/month,.... If all those things come together and Haren plays to the Cy Young level he's capable of then they have the pieces to challenge in the west.
My Prediction Anaheim will, like last season, be a .500 team. They will struggle to enough runs to support the rear of the rotation and Haren, Weaver and Ervin Santana can't all win 20 games.
Mike Trout watch should begin some time in June.
The Team The Halo's spent the whole off-season being linked with all the big free agents and then contrived not to land any of them. Having finished third in the west, 10 games back from the reigning AL champions, they must have felt the need to do something drastic to bridge the gap leading to a head scratching move for Vernon Wells and his contract.
The Good One big free agent acquisition they did land was Scott Downs who adds a strong lefty presence to a sound bullpen that will back up a great 1-2 punch of Dan Haren and Jeff Weaver at the top of the rotation.
Perhaps the biggest strength will be a defence where the two Gold Glove outfielders will not be the best defenders in the outfield. Bourjos' play in center allowed the aging Torii Hunter to shift to right where the club hopes he will be able to stay out of harms way and in the lineup where he continues to be a key performer and with Wells taking over in left Anaheim can use Bobby Abreu principally at DH.
Another bonus is the bench where Maicer Izturis will once again see time at short, second and third, Abreu can still play the outfield if needed and Alberto Callapso should provide some good at bats.
The Bad Last year Anaheim allowed more runs (702) than they scored (681) which is never a good thing and they really didn't do much to address that.
They are relying on a batting order with no obvious leadoff man and for a team that likes to run that is a problem. They also have an order lacking genuine power and what power they have belongs to aging and injury prone hitters.
As good as Haren and Weaver are you have to worry about Scott Kazmir and Joel Piñeiro and as good as the middle relief should be Fernando Rodney has never convinced anyone that he can hold down a closers role for an extended time.
Best Case Scenario The Angels need a number of players to step up - Rodney needs to solidify the relief, Kendry Morales needs to rebound from injury and provide some thump to the order, Wells needs to play like he did in 2010 not 2009, Hunter needs to stay healthy, Howie Kendrick needs to put together a full season of production rather than the odd week/month,.... If all those things come together and Haren plays to the Cy Young level he's capable of then they have the pieces to challenge in the west.
My Prediction Anaheim will, like last season, be a .500 team. They will struggle to enough runs to support the rear of the rotation and Haren, Weaver and Ervin Santana can't all win 20 games.
Mike Trout watch should begin some time in June.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Fish Re-Sign Nolasco
Ricky Nolasco signed a new three year deal worth $26.5m with the Marlins. The Marlins have a tiny payroll and are always reluctant to spend money and yet they have given all that money to a guy with a career ERA in the mid-4.00's whilst playing his career in a pitcher friendly park. He has also only pitched more than 185 innings once.
This deal makes no sense.
Why handcuff yourself for three years to one guy who will be eating a good percentage of your payroll if he has never shown any consistency or reliability?
This deal makes no sense.
Why handcuff yourself for three years to one guy who will be eating a good percentage of your payroll if he has never shown any consistency or reliability?
Dotel To Toronto
Octavio Dotel has agreed to join the Blue Jays on a one year deal worth $3.5m and a club option for 2012 at the same rate.
Toronto have already been making noises about not expecting to compete in 2011 and building towards 2012 and this very much ties into that. After losing Gregg and Downs in the offseason and with Frasor coming off a down year, Dotel looks like a very cheap short term closing option. He also looks a likely trade option down the stretch, especially with the club option attached.
This move doesn't change much as so much of how well Toronto will do next year will be down to a lot of young players who will be looking to take the next step (or even the first step) in their big league careers but it certainly helps to have a veteran presence in key positions.
Toronto have already been making noises about not expecting to compete in 2011 and building towards 2012 and this very much ties into that. After losing Gregg and Downs in the offseason and with Frasor coming off a down year, Dotel looks like a very cheap short term closing option. He also looks a likely trade option down the stretch, especially with the club option attached.
This move doesn't change much as so much of how well Toronto will do next year will be down to a lot of young players who will be looking to take the next step (or even the first step) in their big league careers but it certainly helps to have a veteran presence in key positions.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
The Greinke Deal
OK, I'll get around to the lunacy of the Werth, Crawford and Lee deals eventually but this deal is fresh on my mind so here goes.
First and foremost you have to say that the Brewers really did go balls out on this deal. They don't have much in the farm to give them hope for the future and Prince Fielder is likely gone at the deadline unless they really make a strong playoff push. Their window of opportunity is pretty much this coming season and having Greinke fronting the rotation with Gallardo and Marcum is a great place to start.
Of course they are still a very flawed team - how can a side with Carlos Gomez in the outfield not be? Yuniesky Betancourt's only real value is to fill the hole left by Escobar and I have no doubt it won't take long for the Milwaukee faithful to realise just what it was about Betancourt that had Mariner and Royals fans pulling their hair out in frustration. I personally can't remember a guy who combined the ability to make all the plays at short and the ability to just make countless bone-headed mistakes - and reading that sentence makes as much sense as relying on Betancourt as your every day shortstop.
The Royals side of the deal is a little bit more complicated. I can't help but feel that they got the short end of the stick to some extent. None of the parts they aquired are sure things to become stars. Escobar was a tad disappointing last year for someone who was so highly thought of out of the minors. Cain did alright after his call up but doen't really have any one impact tool he just does a bit of everything and looks more like a good fourth outfielder.
Odorizzi has plenty of potential (he was ranked the top prospect in the Brewers system by Baseball America) but is still a long, long way from the Majors. Word is he looks like Zack Greinke-lite but he has yet to show he can log serious innings which really lowers his floor.
Jeffress has an easy fastball that sits in the mid-90's but can get into the high-90's. He spent all of last year pitching in relief and with a big curveball that he struggles to command and little else in his arsenal it's easy to see why. In 10 big league innings he walked 6 and struck out 8 which are ratios (albeit in a limited sample size) that need drastic improvement.
Ultimately this deal was all about the future for KC. With a stacked system that looks like it should start baring fruit in 2012, Greinke was unhappy and unlikely to be around at that time and they cashed him in to fill some of the few holes that they had. They needed a shortstop and Escobar plays good D and should, at worst, hit enough to hold down a spot at the bottom of the order. They also don't have a natural centerfielder and Cain can hold that down even if he's not an ideal fit. They still need a catcher but they have plenty of bullets in the farm to try and make more deals.
So who won this deal? I think its hard to not say Milwaukee but KC's ambitions are all much more long term and it will be at least two years till we can see how things panned out for them.
Right now the Royals are still the worst team in the AL Central and have the best group of prospects in baseball, so nothing has really changed there. Milwaukee still have no genuine prospects on the horizon but it is easy to make a case that, coupled with the Marcum deal, they have the weapons to be right in the thick of a pennant race in 2011 which is a definate uptick from where they were. All they have to think about now is what to do with Prince Fielder.
First and foremost you have to say that the Brewers really did go balls out on this deal. They don't have much in the farm to give them hope for the future and Prince Fielder is likely gone at the deadline unless they really make a strong playoff push. Their window of opportunity is pretty much this coming season and having Greinke fronting the rotation with Gallardo and Marcum is a great place to start.
Of course they are still a very flawed team - how can a side with Carlos Gomez in the outfield not be? Yuniesky Betancourt's only real value is to fill the hole left by Escobar and I have no doubt it won't take long for the Milwaukee faithful to realise just what it was about Betancourt that had Mariner and Royals fans pulling their hair out in frustration. I personally can't remember a guy who combined the ability to make all the plays at short and the ability to just make countless bone-headed mistakes - and reading that sentence makes as much sense as relying on Betancourt as your every day shortstop.
The Royals side of the deal is a little bit more complicated. I can't help but feel that they got the short end of the stick to some extent. None of the parts they aquired are sure things to become stars. Escobar was a tad disappointing last year for someone who was so highly thought of out of the minors. Cain did alright after his call up but doen't really have any one impact tool he just does a bit of everything and looks more like a good fourth outfielder.
Odorizzi has plenty of potential (he was ranked the top prospect in the Brewers system by Baseball America) but is still a long, long way from the Majors. Word is he looks like Zack Greinke-lite but he has yet to show he can log serious innings which really lowers his floor.
Jeffress has an easy fastball that sits in the mid-90's but can get into the high-90's. He spent all of last year pitching in relief and with a big curveball that he struggles to command and little else in his arsenal it's easy to see why. In 10 big league innings he walked 6 and struck out 8 which are ratios (albeit in a limited sample size) that need drastic improvement.
Ultimately this deal was all about the future for KC. With a stacked system that looks like it should start baring fruit in 2012, Greinke was unhappy and unlikely to be around at that time and they cashed him in to fill some of the few holes that they had. They needed a shortstop and Escobar plays good D and should, at worst, hit enough to hold down a spot at the bottom of the order. They also don't have a natural centerfielder and Cain can hold that down even if he's not an ideal fit. They still need a catcher but they have plenty of bullets in the farm to try and make more deals.
So who won this deal? I think its hard to not say Milwaukee but KC's ambitions are all much more long term and it will be at least two years till we can see how things panned out for them.
Right now the Royals are still the worst team in the AL Central and have the best group of prospects in baseball, so nothing has really changed there. Milwaukee still have no genuine prospects on the horizon but it is easy to make a case that, coupled with the Marcum deal, they have the weapons to be right in the thick of a pennant race in 2011 which is a definate uptick from where they were. All they have to think about now is what to do with Prince Fielder.
Friday, June 01, 2007
Why Doesn't Anyone Like A-Rod?
Well, if you saw the game with the Jays on Wednesday you would have seen why. If things aren't going his way then he acts like a petulent child stomping his feet and screaming until someone caves.
For those of you who don't know what happened, basically the Yankees were up by two in the top of the ninth with two outs when Posada launched a pop up to third base. Newly promoted Howie Clark parked under it to end the inning and leave the Jays an unlikely chance at making a comeback against Mo Rivera. However, A-Rod wasn't satisfied with that and obviously thought that Rivera isn't quite good enough because he felt the need to call, "Mine" as he rounded third and Clark, thinking his shortstop McDonald had called him off, stepped aside and let the ball drop.
Now as much as some of us dislike the Yankees, you do respect them as throughout their history they have won games by simply playing the game the way its supposed to be played and backing their talent. There is no way you can respect such Sandlot League styled antics. Rodriguez even mentioned how it was like how Hill had stolen home earlier in the series saying both were extreme acts because they were 'desperate to win'. Newsflash Alex, you WERE winning already.
Jon Gibbons summed it up well, "One thing you know about the Yankees, one of the reasons they're so respected, is they do things right," Gibbons said. "They always have. They have a lot of pride and a lot of class. They play the game hard. That's not Yankee pride right there. That's not the way they play. I thought it was bush league."
For those of you who don't know what happened, basically the Yankees were up by two in the top of the ninth with two outs when Posada launched a pop up to third base. Newly promoted Howie Clark parked under it to end the inning and leave the Jays an unlikely chance at making a comeback against Mo Rivera. However, A-Rod wasn't satisfied with that and obviously thought that Rivera isn't quite good enough because he felt the need to call, "Mine" as he rounded third and Clark, thinking his shortstop McDonald had called him off, stepped aside and let the ball drop.
Now as much as some of us dislike the Yankees, you do respect them as throughout their history they have won games by simply playing the game the way its supposed to be played and backing their talent. There is no way you can respect such Sandlot League styled antics. Rodriguez even mentioned how it was like how Hill had stolen home earlier in the series saying both were extreme acts because they were 'desperate to win'. Newsflash Alex, you WERE winning already.
Jon Gibbons summed it up well, "One thing you know about the Yankees, one of the reasons they're so respected, is they do things right," Gibbons said. "They always have. They have a lot of pride and a lot of class. They play the game hard. That's not Yankee pride right there. That's not the way they play. I thought it was bush league."
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Baseball's Train Wreck AKA The AL East
Long seen as the toughest division in MLB with the two biggest franchises in the sport, you'd be forgiven for thinking that its this years worst and least competitive with Boston already amassing a ten game lead on the second place Yankees. However, if we look at whats going on behind the scenes we will see how a lot of factors have gone into making this division such a debacle.
Of course the main issue has been injuries.
We all know about the problems the Yankees have had in the rotation which has resulted in eleven different guys starting games for the side. In fact only Andy Pettitte has been ever present in the rotation since opening day and even with the resources the Yankees have, no team can expect to be consistent with that kind of turnover. Even guys like Wang and Mussina haven't been able to get settled into the season yet and they were seen as the stable elements of the staff going into the year.
Then we have the obvious dark horse in the division in Toronto who are missing three of their top starters including one of the best in baseball (Roy Halladay), their leadoff man (Reed Johnson), the principal catcher (Greg Zaun) and their ace closer BJ Ryan. So that's their most important starter, their most important bullpen guy, their leader in the field and the sparkplug of the order. Who'd have thought that would dampen a teams season?
Even the Orioles, who got off to such a hot start, have suddenly tappered off. They shot out of the gates on the back of a very good rotation and then they lost Jaret Wright (not necessarily a big loss) and Adam Loewen (now he is a big loss) and what was a very good rotation has become a rotation with a couple of good guys and a bunch of who?
Much was made of Tampa's new influx of young talent and even with Elijah Dukes subbing for Baldelli, that's still one of the best outfields in baseball. But the DRays are still the DRays and a contender for the worst record in the AL. Its also fun to look at the depth charts on MLB.com and see that the primary first baseman, second baseman and shortstop are all BJ 'E6' Upton since Iwamura went on the DL.
Thus far the BoSox have only recently picked up their first injury to an impact guy with the inevitable spell on the DL by Josh Beckett (is he their new Pedro?) and we're all still waiting for the injuries to Drew and Papelbon and Dice-K's inevitable fatigue down the stretch.
In these days of the ridiculous unbalanced schedule (how they can justify that in the days of the Wild Card is beyond me) should we be surprised that Boston are winning so many games now? They already had a very talented roster and then you handicap all the half decent teams they have to play the majority of their games against and it's going to happen. Imagine how happy Detroit would be if Santana, Ortiz, Sabathia, Carmona, Westbrook, Pierzynski, Podsednik, Buerhle and Jenks all went down?
I still say it's early and I still think the Yankees will make a race of it come September but all you people who look at Boston with those league leading 31 wins and are saying they'll win the World Series, get ready for some disappointment. To say they have a lot of things going their way is an understatement.
Of course the main issue has been injuries.
We all know about the problems the Yankees have had in the rotation which has resulted in eleven different guys starting games for the side. In fact only Andy Pettitte has been ever present in the rotation since opening day and even with the resources the Yankees have, no team can expect to be consistent with that kind of turnover. Even guys like Wang and Mussina haven't been able to get settled into the season yet and they were seen as the stable elements of the staff going into the year.
Then we have the obvious dark horse in the division in Toronto who are missing three of their top starters including one of the best in baseball (Roy Halladay), their leadoff man (Reed Johnson), the principal catcher (Greg Zaun) and their ace closer BJ Ryan. So that's their most important starter, their most important bullpen guy, their leader in the field and the sparkplug of the order. Who'd have thought that would dampen a teams season?
Even the Orioles, who got off to such a hot start, have suddenly tappered off. They shot out of the gates on the back of a very good rotation and then they lost Jaret Wright (not necessarily a big loss) and Adam Loewen (now he is a big loss) and what was a very good rotation has become a rotation with a couple of good guys and a bunch of who?
Much was made of Tampa's new influx of young talent and even with Elijah Dukes subbing for Baldelli, that's still one of the best outfields in baseball. But the DRays are still the DRays and a contender for the worst record in the AL. Its also fun to look at the depth charts on MLB.com and see that the primary first baseman, second baseman and shortstop are all BJ 'E6' Upton since Iwamura went on the DL.
Thus far the BoSox have only recently picked up their first injury to an impact guy with the inevitable spell on the DL by Josh Beckett (is he their new Pedro?) and we're all still waiting for the injuries to Drew and Papelbon and Dice-K's inevitable fatigue down the stretch.
In these days of the ridiculous unbalanced schedule (how they can justify that in the days of the Wild Card is beyond me) should we be surprised that Boston are winning so many games now? They already had a very talented roster and then you handicap all the half decent teams they have to play the majority of their games against and it's going to happen. Imagine how happy Detroit would be if Santana, Ortiz, Sabathia, Carmona, Westbrook, Pierzynski, Podsednik, Buerhle and Jenks all went down?
I still say it's early and I still think the Yankees will make a race of it come September but all you people who look at Boston with those league leading 31 wins and are saying they'll win the World Series, get ready for some disappointment. To say they have a lot of things going their way is an understatement.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
The Waiver Wire Podcast
I've had a minor hiatus away from the blog of late (I know its not like I'm posting that regularly anyway but still) but that is because I've been dallying with a new project.
Myself and Neil M from 3.079 Miles.... have just put together a semi-regular podcast called The Waiver Wire which will be an informal baseball show that can be found at www.thewaiverwire.mypodcast.com
The first few shows are up and running but it was all done in a very kamikaze fashion without much forethought which is why a 30 minute show turned into six 20 minute shows but we're confident of good things for the future so dip in and tell us what you think at our MySpace page (www.myspace.com/thewaiverwire)
Hopefully I can now get back to posting on here again and hopefully things can start to get back to normal on here...relatively speaking of course.
Myself and Neil M from 3.079 Miles.... have just put together a semi-regular podcast called The Waiver Wire which will be an informal baseball show that can be found at www.thewaiverwire.mypodcast.com
The first few shows are up and running but it was all done in a very kamikaze fashion without much forethought which is why a 30 minute show turned into six 20 minute shows but we're confident of good things for the future so dip in and tell us what you think at our MySpace page (www.myspace.com/thewaiverwire)
Hopefully I can now get back to posting on here again and hopefully things can start to get back to normal on here...relatively speaking of course.
Monday, May 07, 2007
Where There's Money...
Surprise, surprise. Roger Clemens has come out of 'retirement' again and has signed a monster deal (prorated of course) to play for the Yankees.
I know he said he would only play for his home town team so he could spend time with his family but thats The Rocket for you. Must be hard to say no to a $28m contract (again prorated).
He has still managed to secure the ability to not go on road trips from time to time (such a team guy) and I'm sure he'll usual thing of going six and then getting out of dodge so he can keep his ERA intact (does anyone know when he last pitched a complete game?).
Does this make the Yankees any more a World Series winning team? Not likely. He's not going to spare the bullpen any more than any of the guys they've already got. He might allow them to keep Phil Hughes on the farm one more year but this team needs a horse who can churn out innings, not another primadonna looking for glory.
I know he said he would only play for his home town team so he could spend time with his family but thats The Rocket for you. Must be hard to say no to a $28m contract (again prorated).
He has still managed to secure the ability to not go on road trips from time to time (such a team guy) and I'm sure he'll usual thing of going six and then getting out of dodge so he can keep his ERA intact (does anyone know when he last pitched a complete game?).
Does this make the Yankees any more a World Series winning team? Not likely. He's not going to spare the bullpen any more than any of the guys they've already got. He might allow them to keep Phil Hughes on the farm one more year but this team needs a horse who can churn out innings, not another primadonna looking for glory.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
The Atlanta Where'd Our Pennant Go?
Last year Atlanta scored a lot of runs (more than you might think) but their pen just couldn't hold a lead. This season they have built themselves one of the best bullpens in baseball with the additions of lefty Mike Gonzalez and right Rafael Soriano who could both close out games when Bob Wickman is unavailable (and with his figure added to his age that is inevitable).
The offence took a bit of a hit when the dealt LaRoche to Pittsburgh in the Gonzalez deal but still have the likes of Francoeur (he still seems offended by walks), Brian McCann (the best power hitting catcher in baseball I'll have you know) Andruw and Chipper Jones and with Edgar Renteria continuing to look more at ease in the NL than he was in the AL, it all comes down to how well Kelly Johnson does in the leadoff spot over the year.
Of course the problem for Atlanta is that they're in the NL East with the monster Mets club and while the Braves will score some runs, NY will score many more than anyone and the Mets aren't that far behind with the pen so the only way Atlanta can hang with them is if their starters come up big and that means Tim Hudson and thus far he has been fantastic. Hudson is looking a lot like the guy who used to be the best pitcher in the AL rather than the one who has been taking to the hill for the Braves the last couple of years and bring in the ever reliable John Smoltz and oft overlooked Chuck James and you have a strong rotation that will make this a very consistent team.
It would be a very brave (honestly thats not an intended pun) person who would say that anyone could better the Mets in the East this year but a wildcard isn't out of the question. There may be deeper teams in that race in the West and Philadelphia could get on a roll (better start soon) but Atlanta should linger all year round.
The offence took a bit of a hit when the dealt LaRoche to Pittsburgh in the Gonzalez deal but still have the likes of Francoeur (he still seems offended by walks), Brian McCann (the best power hitting catcher in baseball I'll have you know) Andruw and Chipper Jones and with Edgar Renteria continuing to look more at ease in the NL than he was in the AL, it all comes down to how well Kelly Johnson does in the leadoff spot over the year.
Of course the problem for Atlanta is that they're in the NL East with the monster Mets club and while the Braves will score some runs, NY will score many more than anyone and the Mets aren't that far behind with the pen so the only way Atlanta can hang with them is if their starters come up big and that means Tim Hudson and thus far he has been fantastic. Hudson is looking a lot like the guy who used to be the best pitcher in the AL rather than the one who has been taking to the hill for the Braves the last couple of years and bring in the ever reliable John Smoltz and oft overlooked Chuck James and you have a strong rotation that will make this a very consistent team.
It would be a very brave (honestly thats not an intended pun) person who would say that anyone could better the Mets in the East this year but a wildcard isn't out of the question. There may be deeper teams in that race in the West and Philadelphia could get on a roll (better start soon) but Atlanta should linger all year round.
Friday, April 27, 2007
Philip Hughes : First Impressions
Well, we've heard the hype and seen the first game so what do we make of him?
Naturally either nerves or adrenaline took their effect on him in the first and the better hitters in the Jays lineup took advantage of some loose pitching but after that he settled down well and there was enough to believe he has a very good future. However, there was also plenty to make you think he needs more time to develop.
It all starts with his fastball which settles in the low 90's but occasionally creeps towards 95 with plenty of movement. He still left it up more than he would like and was fortunate that Toronto was missing a few of its better hitters. It was too much for many of them to handle but the likes of Rios, Wells and Thomas hit him fairly hard.
He has a very good differential between his pitches and the 75 mph curve will get him plenty of K's in conjunction with his fastball and his change shows signs of being a plus pitch. Right now the change had a tendency to stay straight and up. After the first they used the change as more of a show pitch and, as a result, it didn't hurt him.
Its funny when you see Hughes and his inexperience and compare him to Igawa who has a good few years experience in Japan as Hughes does a much, much better job at repeating his delivery with a consistent stride and arm slot. Comparisons have already been made between him and Roger Clemens' mechanically which says it all really as The Rocket is one of the most technically sound hurlers of recent years.
The thing that marks him out most of all as a potential front of the rotation guy is his mental make-up. At no point in time did he look out of place on the mound and he never backed down to any of the hitters. Even after the rough first inning he never panicked.
So what does all this mean? It's all down to fine tuning and filling out. He could do with a bit more body mass to help his durability but he just needs to fine tune his offspeed stuff and he'll be ready to be something like the pitcher everyone keeps saying he could be. He's probably a better pitcher than half the guys in the Yankee rotation right now (the reason they called him up in the first place) but his long term development could probably do with more time at AAA.
He's not as advanced at that age as guys like King Felix, Verlander and Ankiel were but few are. The sad thing for all us non-Yankee fans is that he really could be special.
Naturally either nerves or adrenaline took their effect on him in the first and the better hitters in the Jays lineup took advantage of some loose pitching but after that he settled down well and there was enough to believe he has a very good future. However, there was also plenty to make you think he needs more time to develop.
It all starts with his fastball which settles in the low 90's but occasionally creeps towards 95 with plenty of movement. He still left it up more than he would like and was fortunate that Toronto was missing a few of its better hitters. It was too much for many of them to handle but the likes of Rios, Wells and Thomas hit him fairly hard.
He has a very good differential between his pitches and the 75 mph curve will get him plenty of K's in conjunction with his fastball and his change shows signs of being a plus pitch. Right now the change had a tendency to stay straight and up. After the first they used the change as more of a show pitch and, as a result, it didn't hurt him.
Its funny when you see Hughes and his inexperience and compare him to Igawa who has a good few years experience in Japan as Hughes does a much, much better job at repeating his delivery with a consistent stride and arm slot. Comparisons have already been made between him and Roger Clemens' mechanically which says it all really as The Rocket is one of the most technically sound hurlers of recent years.
The thing that marks him out most of all as a potential front of the rotation guy is his mental make-up. At no point in time did he look out of place on the mound and he never backed down to any of the hitters. Even after the rough first inning he never panicked.
So what does all this mean? It's all down to fine tuning and filling out. He could do with a bit more body mass to help his durability but he just needs to fine tune his offspeed stuff and he'll be ready to be something like the pitcher everyone keeps saying he could be. He's probably a better pitcher than half the guys in the Yankee rotation right now (the reason they called him up in the first place) but his long term development could probably do with more time at AAA.
He's not as advanced at that age as guys like King Felix, Verlander and Ankiel were but few are. The sad thing for all us non-Yankee fans is that he really could be special.
The Rhyme of the Seattle Mariners
Bottom feeders for so long in the west, Seattle shouldn't be anyones whipping boys this year but a playoff spot might be a step too far.
It all starts with a pretty decent rotation that is helped by one of the best pitchers parks in the AL and a slick fielding infield led by the athletic Yuniesky Betancourt who might be the closest thing to a true Gold Glove calibre shortstop in the AL.
The rotation will be lead by a couple of steady veterans in Jarrod Washburn and Miguel Batista who have seen their way around the league a few times and can usually supply consistent starts every fifth day without ever really being spectacular. The spectacular will be supplied by sophomore phenom King Felix (Hernandez) whose ability and poise often make you forget that he is still just 21. He comes at you with a fastball that can get into the high 90's, a good change and a truly vicious slider and he is still a long way from being as good as he will be.
The bullpen has one of the games underrated closers in J.J. Putz (more than just a guy with a funny name) to nail down the ninth but getting him the ball will be the tricky bit. Chris Reitsma might have a resurgence now he's back in the set-up role he's more suited to but Arthur Rhodes is the only other guy with any kind of track record behind him but he's coming off a hit and miss season and elbow problems and who knows what they'll be able to get out of him?
Once again the offence will be sparked by the prodigious talents of Ichiro who will once again frighten the living daylights out of baserunners with his arm in centre and catchers as he uses his speed on the bases. He'll also be in the running for another batting crown (his .330 career average is only marginally behind Todd Helton and Phat Albert among active players).
Behind Ichiro are a bunch of so so players who are merely solid citizens (Raul Ibanez, Jose Guillen) or could do better guys (Richie 'The Strikeout' Sexson and Adrian 'Is It A Contract Year?' Beltre).
Kenji Johjima will look to build on a solid rookie campaign both with the bat and in the armour and there's no reason to think he won't and the addition of Jose Vidro will add more consistency to the order but this team won't overwhelm anyone with their offence.
So what's in store for Seattle? Well they should look to improve on last years 78 wins and there is no reason to think they can't get beyond Texas and if things go well for them they might even sneak into second place but with the bullpen and reliance on youngsters consistency might be too much of an issue.
It all starts with a pretty decent rotation that is helped by one of the best pitchers parks in the AL and a slick fielding infield led by the athletic Yuniesky Betancourt who might be the closest thing to a true Gold Glove calibre shortstop in the AL.
The rotation will be lead by a couple of steady veterans in Jarrod Washburn and Miguel Batista who have seen their way around the league a few times and can usually supply consistent starts every fifth day without ever really being spectacular. The spectacular will be supplied by sophomore phenom King Felix (Hernandez) whose ability and poise often make you forget that he is still just 21. He comes at you with a fastball that can get into the high 90's, a good change and a truly vicious slider and he is still a long way from being as good as he will be.
The bullpen has one of the games underrated closers in J.J. Putz (more than just a guy with a funny name) to nail down the ninth but getting him the ball will be the tricky bit. Chris Reitsma might have a resurgence now he's back in the set-up role he's more suited to but Arthur Rhodes is the only other guy with any kind of track record behind him but he's coming off a hit and miss season and elbow problems and who knows what they'll be able to get out of him?
Once again the offence will be sparked by the prodigious talents of Ichiro who will once again frighten the living daylights out of baserunners with his arm in centre and catchers as he uses his speed on the bases. He'll also be in the running for another batting crown (his .330 career average is only marginally behind Todd Helton and Phat Albert among active players).
Behind Ichiro are a bunch of so so players who are merely solid citizens (Raul Ibanez, Jose Guillen) or could do better guys (Richie 'The Strikeout' Sexson and Adrian 'Is It A Contract Year?' Beltre).
Kenji Johjima will look to build on a solid rookie campaign both with the bat and in the armour and there's no reason to think he won't and the addition of Jose Vidro will add more consistency to the order but this team won't overwhelm anyone with their offence.
So what's in store for Seattle? Well they should look to improve on last years 78 wins and there is no reason to think they can't get beyond Texas and if things go well for them they might even sneak into second place but with the bullpen and reliance on youngsters consistency might be too much of an issue.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
The Wonderful, Most Wonderful Thing About Tiggers
OK, we'll start by saying this team scored a lot of runs in the regular season thanks to an incredible amount of depth in terms of power all the way up the order. Leyland would like to make this a more dynamic team with more guys running but Granderson is only leading off because there's no better option and while he does have speed, he's not a genuine base stealer. In other words, its all about homeruns and the only time that will become an issue is in the playoffs.
The reason why they can get away with not having the most versatile offence is because what they have is possibly the best rotation in baseball and one of the best bullpens too.
Kenny Rogers gives the team an experienced hand and then there is Jeremy Bonderman who is not far off having a monster season. Its amazing to think that this guy won't even be 25 at the start of the season.
Mike Maroth is another lefty who will eat innings and provide balance and Nate Robertson is as dependable as they come in the middle of the rotation but a return to the World Series will ultimately come down to how good Justin Verlander will be. He was always going to hit a bit of a wall in his rookie year, especially only being in his second pro year but he'll be eyeing his first 200 inning year and as he gets older and fills out more, his strikeouts per inning will go up and his ERA will get closer to 3.00. Have no doubts that Verlander knows how to make adjustments and stay ahead of the curve.
How good does the pen look? Well, Todd Jones returns to close the games and he'll be set up by two of the leagues hardest throwers in Fernando Rodney (what the heck has happened to him?)and the filthy Joel Zumaya. They've even bolstered the pen with Jose Mesa (assuming the injury was what effected his performances early on) to add even more depth and who knows if Chad Durbin will turn up because he's got massive upside.
From the left side Jamie Walker will be missed. Wilfredo Ledezma will likely split time between the pen and the rotation and is the only lefty with a track record on the 40 man roster and he's not really a situational guy but there is so much quality they probably won't need to worry about match ups (although Seay has done a solid job so far).
Things are on the up and up in Detroit with a tonne of young pitching thats only going to get better (even Kyle Sleeth is starting to shake off the injuries and he was once higher up the prospect list than Verlander and Zumaya) and they've even brought in a Gary Sheffield to give them more runs to play with. Even in a very tough AL Central they have to like their chances.
The reason why they can get away with not having the most versatile offence is because what they have is possibly the best rotation in baseball and one of the best bullpens too.
Kenny Rogers gives the team an experienced hand and then there is Jeremy Bonderman who is not far off having a monster season. Its amazing to think that this guy won't even be 25 at the start of the season.
Mike Maroth is another lefty who will eat innings and provide balance and Nate Robertson is as dependable as they come in the middle of the rotation but a return to the World Series will ultimately come down to how good Justin Verlander will be. He was always going to hit a bit of a wall in his rookie year, especially only being in his second pro year but he'll be eyeing his first 200 inning year and as he gets older and fills out more, his strikeouts per inning will go up and his ERA will get closer to 3.00. Have no doubts that Verlander knows how to make adjustments and stay ahead of the curve.
How good does the pen look? Well, Todd Jones returns to close the games and he'll be set up by two of the leagues hardest throwers in Fernando Rodney (what the heck has happened to him?)and the filthy Joel Zumaya. They've even bolstered the pen with Jose Mesa (assuming the injury was what effected his performances early on) to add even more depth and who knows if Chad Durbin will turn up because he's got massive upside.
From the left side Jamie Walker will be missed. Wilfredo Ledezma will likely split time between the pen and the rotation and is the only lefty with a track record on the 40 man roster and he's not really a situational guy but there is so much quality they probably won't need to worry about match ups (although Seay has done a solid job so far).
Things are on the up and up in Detroit with a tonne of young pitching thats only going to get better (even Kyle Sleeth is starting to shake off the injuries and he was once higher up the prospect list than Verlander and Zumaya) and they've even brought in a Gary Sheffield to give them more runs to play with. Even in a very tough AL Central they have to like their chances.
Washington Nationals
We went on a momentary hiatus with the previews so we're going to attempt to wrap them up pretty quickly so we can talk about better things. This was originally written back in March and I couldn't be bothered to redo it so instead I've plugged in some 'hilarious' abridgements.
How Ryan Zimmerman didn't win the Rookie of the Year award is beyond me. He showed tremendous presence at the plate (especially surprising as he was really in his first full year of pro ball), good ability on the bases and was so good defensively that people had to think for a bit whether Scott Rolen should have won the Gold Glove (of course he should but Zimmerman is the only 3B even in the same league defensively). He is an exciting player and will be an All Star for years.
The main reason I'm waxing lyrical about Zimmerman is that not only is he a great player who is fast becoming one of my favourites but there's not a whole lot else to talk about in Washington. So much of the team is in the air as to how it will pan out with Felipe Lopez at second, Brian Schneider at catcher, Austin Kearns and Ryan Church in the outfield and John Patterson will likely be the opening day starter (if he's physically able that is). Its not even that these guys are that good (except maybe Schneider), it's just they're just the only ones who really have any kind of track record in The Bigs.
You could also throw in that either Nick Johnson or Larry Broadway will be at first. Broadway offers more pop but his D is nowhere near as good as Johnson and I'm not even a fan of Johnson's D (he just seems to do dumb things from time to time).
The bullpen should be better than last year but there are questions. Chad Cordero is still a dependable ninth inning guy and Jon Rauch had a strong year setting him up. Luis Ayala is coming back after elbow problems (at least that's the rumour) and should settle back in and will be looking to re-establish himself as a top tier middle reliever.
Ray King is a non-roster invitee who could be a good pick up for this club (he's inactive but on the 40 man roster). Last year was a rough one but he certainly has a strong pedigree during his career as a situational guy and would allow the club to use Micah Bowie more creatively (Bowie is rooted in the pen now).
The line-up lacks a table setter or a dominant hitter, there are holes in key positions defensively and they have one solid starter who is injured a lot (not that he's looked it so far but Shawn Hill has done well). It really isn't a good time to be a Nationals fan. I think they call these times "transitional years".
How Ryan Zimmerman didn't win the Rookie of the Year award is beyond me. He showed tremendous presence at the plate (especially surprising as he was really in his first full year of pro ball), good ability on the bases and was so good defensively that people had to think for a bit whether Scott Rolen should have won the Gold Glove (of course he should but Zimmerman is the only 3B even in the same league defensively). He is an exciting player and will be an All Star for years.
The main reason I'm waxing lyrical about Zimmerman is that not only is he a great player who is fast becoming one of my favourites but there's not a whole lot else to talk about in Washington. So much of the team is in the air as to how it will pan out with Felipe Lopez at second, Brian Schneider at catcher, Austin Kearns and Ryan Church in the outfield and John Patterson will likely be the opening day starter (if he's physically able that is). Its not even that these guys are that good (except maybe Schneider), it's just they're just the only ones who really have any kind of track record in The Bigs.
You could also throw in that either Nick Johnson or Larry Broadway will be at first. Broadway offers more pop but his D is nowhere near as good as Johnson and I'm not even a fan of Johnson's D (he just seems to do dumb things from time to time).
The bullpen should be better than last year but there are questions. Chad Cordero is still a dependable ninth inning guy and Jon Rauch had a strong year setting him up. Luis Ayala is coming back after elbow problems (at least that's the rumour) and should settle back in and will be looking to re-establish himself as a top tier middle reliever.
Ray King is a non-roster invitee who could be a good pick up for this club (he's inactive but on the 40 man roster). Last year was a rough one but he certainly has a strong pedigree during his career as a situational guy and would allow the club to use Micah Bowie more creatively (Bowie is rooted in the pen now).
The line-up lacks a table setter or a dominant hitter, there are holes in key positions defensively and they have one solid starter who is injured a lot (not that he's looked it so far but Shawn Hill has done well). It really isn't a good time to be a Nationals fan. I think they call these times "transitional years".
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
The Yankee Circus Comes To Town With New Acts
Roll up, roll up! Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, rolling into town in the pinstriped big top is the marvel of marvels, the saviour of saviours, the messianic one himself, Philip Hughes as he begins his long awaited tenure at the Bronx Zoo on Thursday.
His call up has been confirmed and after the disappointment of other young pitchers and injuries to most of the guys the team were set to rely on, the Yankees have decided that not rushing their prized prospect and protecting his arm is a tactic for wimps (or a very good idea depending on how things pan out) and Philip Hughes will make his first start of his big league career on Thursday against Toronto...not exactly breaking him in easy now are they.
His call up has been confirmed and after the disappointment of other young pitchers and injuries to most of the guys the team were set to rely on, the Yankees have decided that not rushing their prized prospect and protecting his arm is a tactic for wimps (or a very good idea depending on how things pan out) and Philip Hughes will make his first start of his big league career on Thursday against Toronto...not exactly breaking him in easy now are they.
Monday, April 23, 2007
10 Players Of Note So Far
It's been a while since we've had a top 10 list on here so here we go.
10 Mark Buehrle - A firm favourite in Spuriousville for a while now, Buehrle has looked good in his attempt to rebound from a disapointing '06. The no-no was special but what was so great about it was the way he picked off the only guy he allowed to reach.
9 Braden Looper - All the talk about St Louis before the year was how their pitching was going to suck at the back end and you know that no one thought this career head scratcher would do much. His arm will likely fall off eventually but right now he's acting like the ace.
8 Oliver Perez - 2004 seemed like a distant memory for many and it says how much of a blip that year seemed to be as he got more k's that year than he has in all the seasons since combined. After a strong Spring, Perez has been a real lift for a club that really doesn't need more weapons.
7 Cole Hamels - The early front runner in the NL Rookie of the Year stakes with a ridiculous 33K/6BB ratio. He's been the one of the few bright spots in Phillie this year.
6 Rich Harden - Injured so often that you forget he's one of the very, very few guys in the same league as Santana. It says so much about the A's that Harden has given up 3 runs in three starts and is only 1-1. Lets hope he can stay healthy and we can see how amazing a pitcher he is.
5 Daisuke Matsuzaka - It's been a strange year so far for Hype-K with his worst outing so far counting for one of his two wins after two losses with an aggregate score of 5-1. He's done enough to show that he could well be a very good pitcher but who's have thought we'd be asking for better run support from the Boston hitters?
4 Tim Hudson - Well, it's been a while but the real Tim Hudson has started to stand. He has looked filthy this year with the tilt and late movement that made him a perennial Cy candidate back in Oakland. Already my bet for NL Cy this year.
3 Felix Hernandez - Last year I heard so many people saying how much of a disappointment King Felix was because 20 year olds should win more than 12 games for last placed teams. I hope those people have been watching The King this season. Dominant doesn't begin to describe what he has done so far. As he is still just 21 (that's 21) you know he'll hit a wall at about 180 innings and start to fade but he really has everything he needs to be the best in baseball. Did you see him destroy Boston?
2 Barry Bonds - Barry has started this year like a man on a mission. Regardless of how you feel about the man, he has always had the jewellers eyepiece at the plate and those amazing hands, in a nutshell he's always been a great hitter and while he's healthy he'll rake it. There's not much to support him in San Francisco this year but Barry has never been afraid to tell the naysayers where to go.
1 Alex Rodriguez - It seems that after off-season surgery to remove the broomstick that was up his butt he has come back happy, relaxed and hitting the ball like it called his mother a naughty word. A 1.418 OPS at any time of the year is just silly.
10 Mark Buehrle - A firm favourite in Spuriousville for a while now, Buehrle has looked good in his attempt to rebound from a disapointing '06. The no-no was special but what was so great about it was the way he picked off the only guy he allowed to reach.
9 Braden Looper - All the talk about St Louis before the year was how their pitching was going to suck at the back end and you know that no one thought this career head scratcher would do much. His arm will likely fall off eventually but right now he's acting like the ace.
8 Oliver Perez - 2004 seemed like a distant memory for many and it says how much of a blip that year seemed to be as he got more k's that year than he has in all the seasons since combined. After a strong Spring, Perez has been a real lift for a club that really doesn't need more weapons.
7 Cole Hamels - The early front runner in the NL Rookie of the Year stakes with a ridiculous 33K/6BB ratio. He's been the one of the few bright spots in Phillie this year.
6 Rich Harden - Injured so often that you forget he's one of the very, very few guys in the same league as Santana. It says so much about the A's that Harden has given up 3 runs in three starts and is only 1-1. Lets hope he can stay healthy and we can see how amazing a pitcher he is.
5 Daisuke Matsuzaka - It's been a strange year so far for Hype-K with his worst outing so far counting for one of his two wins after two losses with an aggregate score of 5-1. He's done enough to show that he could well be a very good pitcher but who's have thought we'd be asking for better run support from the Boston hitters?
4 Tim Hudson - Well, it's been a while but the real Tim Hudson has started to stand. He has looked filthy this year with the tilt and late movement that made him a perennial Cy candidate back in Oakland. Already my bet for NL Cy this year.
3 Felix Hernandez - Last year I heard so many people saying how much of a disappointment King Felix was because 20 year olds should win more than 12 games for last placed teams. I hope those people have been watching The King this season. Dominant doesn't begin to describe what he has done so far. As he is still just 21 (that's 21) you know he'll hit a wall at about 180 innings and start to fade but he really has everything he needs to be the best in baseball. Did you see him destroy Boston?
2 Barry Bonds - Barry has started this year like a man on a mission. Regardless of how you feel about the man, he has always had the jewellers eyepiece at the plate and those amazing hands, in a nutshell he's always been a great hitter and while he's healthy he'll rake it. There's not much to support him in San Francisco this year but Barry has never been afraid to tell the naysayers where to go.
1 Alex Rodriguez - It seems that after off-season surgery to remove the broomstick that was up his butt he has come back happy, relaxed and hitting the ball like it called his mother a naughty word. A 1.418 OPS at any time of the year is just silly.
Friday, April 20, 2007
Spurious Fantasy League - Friday night update - 20th April 2007
Not much change to talk about this week ...
Purple Haze 2 keep the lead at the top of the table ... whilst Dee-Raynged stay firmly rooted to the bottom. The rest of the teams, unsurprisingly, are somewhere in-between!
... more next week!
Purple Haze 2 keep the lead at the top of the table ... whilst Dee-Raynged stay firmly rooted to the bottom. The rest of the teams, unsurprisingly, are somewhere in-between!
... more next week!
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Spurious Fantasy League - Friday night update (on a Sunday!) 15th April 2007
Two days late .... sue me, i've been sunbathing!
2 weeks in, and Purple Haze 2 retains the lead, but must be nervous at an advancing Chow plays for Amy in close pursuit (god, we'll never hear the end of it!)
Dee-Raynged still props up the table, and the less said about my team the better!
Another update next week, i might (no promise) even make it on a Friday!
2 weeks in, and Purple Haze 2 retains the lead, but must be nervous at an advancing Chow plays for Amy in close pursuit (god, we'll never hear the end of it!)
Dee-Raynged still props up the table, and the less said about my team the better!
Another update next week, i might (no promise) even make it on a Friday!
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