Sports of Boston » Fantasy Wrap-Up

Fantasy Baseball Wrap-Up: Week 1 (4-5 – 4-12)

Pete Rampino — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 11:47:29 +0000

Welcome to the 2009 season! Let me guess: You are already freaking out and making rash decisions. No, no, no. You are talking trash to every member in your league and demanding a plaque with your name on it. Then there is my personal favorite where you are in first place, but are just waiting for it to completely fall apart. These are all likely scenarios. I myself am stuck in the middle. Living in neutral will actually do better for your stress level. I suggest you try it.

The Stars of Week 1

OFFENSE

Evan Longoria (3B), Tampa Bay Rays: The Tampa Bay 3B decided to pick up right where he left off in his Rookie of the Year season of 2008 by leading the Majors with 5 HR and accumulating 10 RBI. He has at least two hits in six straight games but the only sour note for me is that he has not drawn a walk all season.

Adam Lind (LF), Toronto Blue Jays: A nice sleeper on draft day, Lind finally has the starting job in Toronto and currently leads the Majors with 12 RBI. Lind has flashed power with three of his 12 hits going for home runs and has scored five runs.

Nick Swisher (1B,LF,CF,RF), New York Yankees: Even though he is platooning with Xavier Nady, Swisher has been crushing the ball. No matter what categories your league has, Swisher helped your team. Six of his eight hits went for extra bases (3 doubles, 1 triple, 2 HR) and he even had 9 RBI and 7 runs in his limited role.

Alfonso Soriano (LF), Chicago Cubs: Proving that he doesn’t need 2B eligibility to be valuable, Soriano gave owners power and speed with 4 HR and 2 SB while hitting a respectable .286. To finish the week off, Soriano had multi-RBI games in two straight contests.

Albert Pujols (1B), St. Louis Cardinals: Pujols was hitting very well all week but was not producing big stats in other areas until Saturday when he exploded for 2 HR and 7 RBI to give him 3 HR and 9 RBI total on the season. We might as well mention my favorite part: 6 walks.

PITCHING

Josh Johnson (SP), Florida Marlins: JJ looked excellent in his starts compiling 15 K in 15.2 innings. He walked just one batter in his two starts and picked up his first complete game of the season on his way to a 2-0 record.

Johan Santana (SP), New York Mets: Despite allowing only one earned run in two starts, Santana is sporting a 1-1 record. However, he has 20 K in 12.2 innings and a 0.71 ERA.

Heath Bell (RP), San Diego Padres: Taking over for Trevor Hoffman has proved to be quite easy for Bell as he picked up three saves without giving up a run and striking out four batters in 2.2 innings.

Erik Bedard (SP), Seattle Mariners: Bedard’s second year with Seattle is already looking better than his first. Bedard is 1-0 on the young season with a 15:1 K:BB ratio and 10.13 K/9. Gotta love those contract years.

Aaron Harang (SP), Cincinnati Reds: All signs pointed to a continuation of Harang’s terrible 2008 season, but he is proving everybody wrong in his first two starts. Harang is 1-1 with a 0.64 ERA and 11 K in 14.0 innings. Harang also has a complete game to his credit this season.

Why Should I Give a Crap About These Guys?

Kevin Milwood (SP), Texas Rangers: Milwood has looked spectacular in his two starts with a 1-0 record and 11 K. He went at least seven innings in each of his outings and walked only one batter. This could be Milwood’s last season in Texas unless the Rangers pick up his option so, he could just be playing for a big payday.

Emilio Bonifacio (2B,3B), Florida Marlins: The new leadoff hitter in Florida is tearing the cover off the ball by collecting a league-leading 14 hits. His 4 SB and 2B eligibility also increase his value.

Marco Scutaro (2B,3B,SS), Toronto Blue Jays: Scutaro has been a quiet contributor in Week 1 with 10 hits including 2 HR and 5 RBI. He has scored an impressive 10 runs thanks to his patience at the plate (6 walks).

Sports of Boston Friends and Family League

I am starting the season off in fine fashion by sitting in 7th place with an 11-13 loss to SoB’s Chris. I certainly can’t blame my pitching staff (69.0 innings, 2.35 ERA).
Who is in first place? Why last season’s champion of course! Team “A-Roid” won 16-7-1 over our friend “wheredidyoucomefrom.”
The SoB Crew: Mike (2nd), Jeff (3rd), Chris (6th), Pete (7th), and KC (9th).
Recent pickups include: Freddy Sanchez, Brandon Inge, Elvis Andrus, Nyjer Morgan, Akinori Iwamura, Scott Rolen, and Jeremy Guthrie.

Fantasy Wrap-Up: Week 25 (9-22 – 9-28)

Pete Rampino — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 09:15:17 +0000

The fantasy baseball season has officially come to an end. The laughter, the tears, the tears, the tears, and more tears. Oh god the tears. I personally have been curled up into a ball and sobbing like a little baby. Since this is the very last Wrap-Up of the 2008 season, we will not be including headlines since they will not impact you’re rosters anymore. We will however do the hot players on offense and the hot players on pitching. Why? Because I love those stats baby and I know you do too.

The stars of week 25.

OFFENSE

Felipe Lopez (2B,3B,SS,LF), St. Louis Cardinals: What a player to have for your stretch run. Lopez had an amazing 17 hits including 3 doubles and a home run. He drove in 7 and scored 10 runs. And look at that, he even stole a base to boot.

Hank Blalock (1B,3B), Texas Rangers: 10 hits for the oft-injured Blalock. He blasted 4 HR, 9 RBI, 3 doubles, and crossed the plate 8 times.

Ben Zobrist (SS,LF), Tampa Bay Rays: Zobrist helped push the Rays into first place with his great final week. Zobrist knocked the cover off the ball with 4 HR and 7 RBI. He also scored 7 runs.

Joey Votto (1B,LF), Cincinnati Reds: Votto made a push for NL Rookie of the Year by collecting 13 hits, including 3 doubles, 3 HR, and 6 RBI.

Mike Naploli (C), L.A. Angels: Holy crap! Napoli raised his average from .250 to .273 by getting 11 hits with 3 doubles and 2 HR. Napoli drove in 8 RBI as well. He had an under-the-radar season for a catcher with 20 HR.

PITCHING

CC Sabathia (SP), Milwaukee Brewers: What else can we say about Sabathia. I think he has been mentioned more times in the wrap-up than any other player. Making two starts, one on short rest, Sabathia gave up one earned run in 16 IP and struck out 18 batters. His overall stint with the Brewers yielded an 11-2 record, 1.65 ERA, 128 K in 130.2 IP and 7 CG.

Johan Santana (SP), New York Mets: Santana probably won himself the NL Cy Young award with his two starts last week. In total, he struck out 19 batters in 17 IP while giving up just two runs. No need to say it but, he did win both his starts.

Mike Mussina (SP), New York Yankees: The Moose gave up zero runs in 11 IP and won both his starts as he struck out 9 batters. He improved to 20-9 on the season. Putting aside the whole stupid Yankees/Red Sox rivalry, much respect goes out to Mussina who finally achieved a 20-win season. Congrats Moose. Two more seasons and he can reach 300 wins.

Chad Qualls (RP), Arizona Diamondbacks: Taking over as closer seems to fit Qualls who has 9 saves in his short stint as the 9th inning man. Last week he picked up three of those saves and struck out 4 batters in 3 innings.

Fernando Rodney (RP), Detroit Tigers: Rodney saved three games and had six K’s in 3.1 IP to give himself 13 saves for the year. With the retirement of Todd Jones, Rodney may be the next in line to close out games in Detroit.

Why Should I Give A Crap About These Guys? (2009 Edition)

David Price (SP,RP), Tampa Bay Rays: Tampa Bay’s prospects are still amazing. Price’s brief stint in the majors yielded great stuff. In total, he pitched 14 innings and struck out 12. He gave up just three runs in his time. In his one start, he went 5.1 IP, 1 ER, 3 K.

Matt LaPorta (OF), Cleveland Indians: LaPorta didn’t get to see major league action in 2008 but seeing as he was the main prize in the CC Sabathia trade, I assume the Indians’ organization won’t keep him hidden for 2009. In his 2008 minor league year, he hit 22 HR and drove in 68 RBI in 101 games.

Nelson Cruz (LF,CF,RF), Texas Rangers: After years of hype in the minors, Cruz finally delivered in his short time in 2008 with a .330 avg, 7 HR, 26 RBI, and 3 SB in just 31 games. He finally seems to be the real deal and playing in Texas assures big numbers. Keep an eye out for him in 2009.

Sports of Boston Friends and Family Baseball League

When all was said and done, it was not a member of SoB who stood alone. No, it was a reader! “B12″ defeated Dev by a score of 13-9-2 to become the first ever SoB Baseball League Champion. Be proud of that trophy, you deserve it.
I finished in 10th…but we don’t have to discuss it any further.
The SoB crew: Dev (2nd), Dan (3rd), KC (5th), Geoff (7th), Jeff (8th), Me (10th), Chris (11th).
For the record, I stopped paying attention after I missed the playoffs by one friggin’ game. STUPID!!!
Adrian Beltre in Round 2 is still the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen.
See you next season!

Fantasy Wrap-Up: Week 25 (9-15 – 9-21)

KC Downey — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 10:24:05 +0000

It’s the final week of Fantasy Baseball in all Yahoo! leagues, and for those lucky people in the Championship Round, it’s time to pick up the players who are going to surge as the regular season comes to a close. Make reckless moves! Stream your pitching! Drop those players you once never thought were droppable (well be careful that your opponent doesn’t cash in).

Here’s the headlines impacting your fantasy roster in the final week of the season.

Season Over for Hideki Matsui

Hideki Matsui has decided not to travel to Toronto with his team, instead opting for season-ending knee surgery. With the Yankees virtually eliminated from the playoffs, Matsui decided to start his treatment early.

Carmona, Sheffield Suspended After Brawl

Indians SP Fausto Carmona was suspended for six games (basically one start) and Detroit OF Gary Sheffield was suspended four games after a brawl last week. Sheffield expects to serve the suspension before the end of the season, but Carmona may appeal. Stay tuned.

Yankee Stadium Shuts its Doors

The final game at Yankee Stadium was played this past Sunday, with the Yankees prevailing over the Orioles. For the first time in almost 15 years, the Yankees played their final game of the season at Yankee Stadium during the regular season (and not the playoffs).

Now to the Stars of Week 25:

HITTING

Stephen Drew (SS), Arizona Diamondbacks: J.D.’s brother was on a tear last week, going 14/31 with 5 doubles and 3 HRs. He also scored 10 runs.

Prince Fielder (1B), Milwaukee Brewers: The Brewers are fighting for their playoff lives, and Prince Fielder is doing all he can to get them there. The big guy went 12-26 with 6 doubles, 3 HRs, and 11 RBI over the last week.

Jose Reyes (SS), New York Mets: The Mets are on the brink of blowing it again, but Reyes is not the reason. Jose has gone 9-30 with 2 doubles, 2 HRs, and 2 SBs over the past week.

Jorge Cantu (1B, 3B), Florida Marlins: Cantu makes his second-straight appearance on the Wrap-Up, and for good reason. He went 10-27 with 3 doubles, 3 HRs, and 10 RBI.

Joey Votto (1B, LF), Cincinnati Reds: Votto is making a late surge for NL Rookie of the Year after going 8-26 with 3 doubles, 3 HRs and 1 SB.

PITCHING

Dan Haren (SP), Arizona Diamondbacks: Haren was back to his dominant ways, going 2-0 with 16 Ks and a complete game in 15 innings of work.

Aaron Harang (SP), Cincinnati Reds: Harang has had an up-and-down season, but his play of late has been outstanding. Harang went 2-0 this past week with 10 strikeouts and a 2.25 ERA in 16 innings.

Kerry Wood (RP), Chicago Cubs: The starter-turned-closer has put together a pretty good season, helped recently by 1 win, 3 saves, and 7 strikeouts in 4.1 innings.

Brad Lidge (RP), Philadelphia Phillies: Lidge is making a strong case for Comeback Player of the Year, and added to that resume with 4 saves, 8 Ks, and no runs allowed in 4 innings of work.

Derek Lowe (SP), Los Angeles Dodgers: Lowe is pitching like it’s October already, as he allowed just one run in 14 innings of work, earning one win while compiling 10 Ks.

Why Should I Give a Crap About These Guys?

Alfredo Amezaga (2B, 3B, SS, LF, CF), Florida Marlins: If you need him, grab him right away. He’s got great position eligibility, and he’s on fire. He hit .391 last week with one double, triple, home run, and stolen base each.

Cameron Maybin (LF, CF), Florida Marlins: The Marlins may be out of it, but they are not quitting. Maybin did not provide much power, but gave a boost to your team’s batting average with a .440 week (11-25) with 2 SBs and 7 runs scored.

Odalis Perez (SP), Washington Nationals: He’s still in the majors? Yes! He was great last week in 13.1 innings. He went 1-1 with a 2.02 ERA and 17 strikeouts (good for a 11.48 K/9).

Sports of Boston Friends and Family League

SoB’s Dev and reader Fu are engaged in a tough battle for the league championship. Fu is currently leading 13-10, thanks to some strong pitching. Dev’s team (6.35 ERA) has not performed well from the mound, but has provided some power at the plate (15 HRs). It’s hard to predict a winner as both teams averages are low…Another week of activity could swing it one way or the other.
SoB’s KC clinched the fifth place nod after beating reader Dave 6-5. Because they both lost in the first round, they failed to pay attention to their pitching staffs in the fifth place round, and both missed minimum innings.
Recent pickups in the league include: Chris Iannetta, Garret Anderson, David Price, Brian Wilson, Eugenio Valez, and Ryan Shealey.

Fantasy Wrap-Up: Week 24 (9-8 – 9-14)

Pete Rampino — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 21:44:40 +0000

The Fantasy Baseball finals are here! Yahoo! leagues have started league championship matchups. These two week duels have been known to kill many men and leave those who survive wishing that they were among the deceased. A bit too dramatic for you? Too bad! You’ve got to show no mercy, take no prisoners, do whatever it takes to squeeze that last bit of juice from the orange (or any other metaphorical fruit). Strap yourselves in for 14 days of stress, sweat, and even more sweat!. The finals are here!!!

Dodgers’ Saito Returns From DL

Takashi Saito, sidelined since July after having elbow surgery, returned September 15th and pitched a scoreless inning. Those wanting extra saves should see if he is available.

Michael Cuddyer Makes Return

Twins’ OF Michael Cuddyer returned to action after being on the DL for injuring his hand and suffering a broken foot in June. He will be utilized as a DH for the rest of the season.

David Price Makes Major League Debut

Prized pitching prospect David Price made his first start in the majors for Tampa Bay against the Yankees. He gave up two runs in 5.1 innings and struck out four. His combined numbers in the minors were 12-1 with a 2.30 ERA and 109 K’s in 109.2 innings.

Now, the stars of Week 24.

OFFENSE

Ryan Howard (1B), Philadelphia Phillies: Bitch and moan about his average (.244) all you want but give the man his credit. Howard is the best power/RBI man in the game and he added to his legacy last week with 4 HR and 12 RBI. For the critics, he also raised his average with 10 hits.

Kelly Shoppach (C), Cleveland Indians: Considering he has a girl’s name, Shoppach is proving he is all man on the field. His eight-hit week included six for extra bases (3 doubles, 3 HR) and he drove in seven.

Jorge Cantu (1B,3B), Florida Marlins: Jorge can you see, by the dawn’s early light! Three of Cantu’s seven hits were home runs and he drove in eight. With such a great week, you wouldn’t figure that Cantu is hitting a dismal .238 in September.

Denard Span (Cf,RF), Minnesota Twins: Wow, he really SPANned the globe with such a good week. Yeah screw it, I will throw out as many puns I want. Anyway, 9 hits, 8 runs, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 3 BB, and drumroll please………2 SB. Whew, what a week!

Adrian Gonzalez (1B), San Diego Padres: Yo Adrian, I did it! Yeah, I love me too. Gonzalez blasted four home runs, had eight RBI, and my favorite, walked seven times in his all around great week.

PITCHING

Tim Lincecum (SP), San Francisco Giants: If Sabathia wasn’t traded to the NL, then Lincecum would be a lock for the Cy Young. Oh well. Tiny Tim picked up two wins (now at 17-3) and struck out 21 batters in 17.1 innings. He gave up only one run in his two starts.

Jon Lester (SP), Boston Red Sox: Nothing new for Lester, just two more wins to bring him to 15-5. His 15 K’s brought him to 144 for the season and he is 7-2 in his last 10 starts.

Brett Myers (SP,RP), Philadelphia Phillies: Myers pitched on September 10th and then again on four days rest on the 14th. The result was a 1-1 record and 13 K’s in 16.1 innings. The trip to the minors has done remarkable things as evident by his 1.80 ERA since the break.

Francisco Cordero (RP), Cincinnati Reds: Four saves in four innings for Cordero who now has 31 on the year. He has yet to give up a run in seven innings of work in September.

Carlos Zambrano (SP), Chicago Cubs: Zambrano made his one start count. Pitching on 12 days rest, Zambrano no-hit the Brewers and fanned 10 batters. Congrats you fat bastard!

Why Should I Give a Crap About These Guys?

Ryan Shealy (1B), Kansas City Royals: Shealy has been recalled from Triple-A and promptly made an impact over the weekend with three HR and seven RBI. Those in need of a quick power fix should take a chance.

Oscar Salazar (1B), Baltimore Orioles: I guess Baltimore is sick of seeing Kevin Millar play. They are just a few years behind me in that department. Salazar is starting everyday at 1B and had a great weekend with three HR and six RBI.

Hank Blalock (1B,3B), Texas Rangers: Blalock flashed some of the power he used to be famous for last week by hitting a home run in three straight and driving in five.

Sports of Boston Friends and Family League

I am currently in the consolation bracket and am playing for 9th place. Yeah, I don’t care either. Moving on!
The league championship is between Dev and reader “B12″. Dev won his matchup in decisive fashion with a 16-7-1 victory and “B12″ won with the same score. It seems like an even matchup and I can’t wait to see who wins.
Recent pickups include: Elijah Dukes, Pablo Sandoval, Juan Uribe, Bronson Arroyo, Coco Crisp, Chase Headley, and Joe Inglett.

Fantasy Wrap-Up: Week 23 (9-1 – 9-7)

Pete Rampino — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 10:46:21 +0000

One week is done in the fantasy playoffs, and in the majority of leagues there’s just four teams left. There were some major stories around baseball this past week that may have a major effect on your rosters. Here’s the top headlines of the week.

Carlos Quentin to Undergo Surgery

Chicago White Sox OF Carlos Quentin will have surgery on his forearm and may miss the rest of the season. Quentin who is hitting .288 with 36 HR and 100 RBI, injured his forearm after hitting it with his bat during a game Sept. 1 against Cleveland.

Billy Wagner to Miss Rest of 2008 Season and All of 2009 Season

ESPN.com is reporting that Mets Closer Billy Wagner will have surgery on his elbow and will miss the rest of the season and most likely the entire 2009 season.

Rays’ Longoria Returns to Action

Rookie of the Year candidate Evan Longoria was activated from the disabled list this past weekend. Longoria has been out with a fractured wrist and hopes to help keep Tampa Bay ahead in the race for the AL East.

Now the stars of Week 23.

OFFENSE

Nate McLouth (LF,CF,RF), Pittsburgh Pirates: McLouth has cooled off since his hot start but last week he shined again. He compiled 10 hits that included his 24th HR of the season. He also swiped an impressive six bases.

Andre Ethier (LF,RF), L.A. Dodgers: Ethier slapped the ball to all parts of the field with his 13 hits. He had 3 doubles, a triple, and 2 HR. Ethier also had eight RBI and scored 10 runs.

Alex Rodriguez (3B), New York Yankees: A-Rod homered in three consecutive games and had 10 RBI last week. In seven September games, he is hitting .346.

Alfonso Soriano (LF,CF), Chicago Cubs: Soriano hit four home runs last week (three came in one game). He also had six RBI…five came in one game. Soriano had seven total hits for the week, and four came in one game. Lastly, he had two stolen bases. Guess how many he had in one game.

Coco Crisp (CF), Boston Red Sox: With 13 hits, Coco has raised his average to .284. For the rest of the week, he scored eight runs and stole two bases.

PITCHING

Roy Oswalt (SP), Houston Astros: Oswalt has made seven straight quality starts including two last week where he picked up two wins while surrendering zero runs and fanning nine batters in 17.1 IP.

Cliff Lee (SP), Cleveland Indians: In 16.1 IP, Lee gave up just one run and won both his starts to improve to 21-2 this season. His numbers are just plain ridiculous. He has won seven straight and has three complete games in his last 10 starts. In those 10 starts, he hasn’t surrendered more than two runs in nine of them.

Jonathan Broxton (RP), L.A. Dodgers: Broxton pitched four innings and picked up three saves. He gave up no runs and struck out six batters. He has 81 K in 61.2 IP this season.

Jose Valverde (RP), Houston Astros: Just three more saves for Valverde who has converted his last 14 save opportunities and has given up only one run in that time.

Joakim Soria (RP), Kansas City Royals: K-Rod can get all the saves he wants, but Soria has been a better closer this season. Last week he picked up saves 34 and 35. He also got his 2nd win of the year against Oakland.

Why Should I Give a Crap About These Guys (The All-Giants Special!!!!)

Scott McClain (1B), S.F. Giants: The 36-year-old rookie has hit his first two major league HRs in his first week of work and is batting .429 in his six games since being called up.

Nate Schierholtz (RF), S.F. Giants: Another Giants’ prospect benefiting from a September call-up. In his time, he is 11-22 with a home run, two doubles, two RBI, and six runs scored.

Pablo Sandoval (C,1B,3B), S.F. Giants: Sandoval has made the most of his 21 games. He is hitting .364 with 2 HR, 13 RBI, and 13 runs scored. Best of all is that he qualifies at catcher!

Sports of Boston Friends and Family League

Well, I didn’t make the playoffs so who cares about the league anymore. See you next week!
Just Kidding.
SoB’s Dan just edge out beloved Celtics writer KC by a score of 12-11-1. In the battle of two readers, “B12″ beat out “Falcones” 13-10-1.
Next week’s Semifinal matchups will be a battle of the readers between “Merkle” and “B12″. We also have a SoB showdown with Dev taking on Dan.
Recent pick ups include: Shin-Soo Choo, Billy Butler, Rajai Davis, Justin Upton, Chris Young (SD), Ronnie Belliard, Lyle Overbay, and Jack Cust.

Fantasy Wrap-Up: Week 21 (8-18 – 8-24)

Pete Rampino — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 21:45:41 +0000

Nelson Cruz Called Up to Play for Rangers

Rangers’ OF Nelson Cruz was called up to the majors and will play almost everyday for the rest of the season. In Triple-A, he was absolutely destroying everything he saw with a .342 avg, 37 HR, and 99 RBI. In 96 games last year he hit very differently with a .235 avg, 9 HR, and 34 RBI.

Yankees SP Pavano Wins First Start Since April 2007

Carl Pavano finally returned after rehab from Tommy John Surgery over a year ago and picked up the win in a 5-3 Yankees victory. Pavano gave up three earned in five innings and struck out 5 batters on 91 pitches.

Eddie Guardado Traded, Heads Back to Minnesota

After finding little success in Texas, relief pitcher Eddie Guardado is back to the team where he started his career in 1993. In his last appearance, Guardado couldn’t close out the game and he took the loss for Texas. Frank Francisco has been named the new closer for the Rangers and now Guaradado is nothing more than a middle reliever.

Now for the stars of week 21.

OFFENSE

Nick Swisher (1B,LF,CF,RF), Chicago White Sox: Swisher’s season has been seen as a dissapointment but last week he has tried to right his wrongs by hitting a home run in four consecutive games to bring his total to 21 for the year. Swisher also drove in eight runs as part of his great week.

Mark Teixeira (1B), L.A. Angels: Tex Mex raised his average to .302 with a 9-23 (.391) week which included three home runs and five RBI. Tex is hitting .386 since joining the Angels.

Brian Roberts (2B), Baltimore Orioles: Roberts didn’t impress anybody last week with his power (1 HR), but he did manage to slap 11 hits, drive in 5, and swipe 3 bases. Roberts is 7-7 in SB attempts in August.

Mark DeRosa (1B,2B,3B,LF,RF), Chicago Cubs: DeRosa’s bat woke up last week with 10 hits including four for home runs. He drove in runs in five straight games (6 RBI total) and now has 77 RBI on the season.

Vernon Wells (CF), Toronto Blue Jays: Wells’ week was pretty much dead before Toronto faced the Red Sox. In that series alone he was 6-11 with three home runs and six RBI.

PITCHING

Rich Harden (SP), Chicago Cubs: There is no better pitcher in baseball right now than Rich Harden and yes, I am including CC Sabathia. Harden just added to his ridiculous stats last week by striking out 21 batters in 14 innings to pick up two more wins. Out of his eight starts with the Cubs, five of those games saw Harden strike out 10+ batters.

Ricky Nolasco (SP), Florida Marlins: Nolasco won both of his starts to bring his record to 13-7. His wins included his first complete game of the season and 21 K’s while surrendering just two runs.

Brian Wilson (RP), San Francisco Giants: Even though Wilson blew a save last week, he still picked up two wins and two saves. Even with the blown save, Wilson has a 2.93 ERA and 10 saves post break.

Barry Zito (SP), San Francisco Giants: Yes you read that correctly, I did type Barry Zito’s name. Zito put together a great week with two wins while working 15 innings. OK, so he only struck out eight batters but come on, give the man the little credit he gets.

Mariano Rivera (RP), New York Yankees: The best closer of our generation did what he does best. Rivera picked up three more saves and gave up zero runs in 3.2 innings while fanning three batters.

Why Should I Give A Crap About These Guys?

Jensen Lewis (RP), Cleveland Indians: Hey, it’s an Indians’ closer with an ERA under 4.00. Lewis has gotten comfortable as the 9th inning man in Cleveland and has converted five straight save opportunities and now has six total in August.

Rocco Baldelli (CF), Tampa Bay Rays: Hey, remember him? In eight games since his return from the DL, Baldelli is hitting .308 with 2 HR, and 4 RBI.

Ryan Church (LF,CF,RF), New York Mets: Church has battled issues with multiple concussions all year and has finally returned to the everyday lineup. In the 60 games he has played, Church is hitting .310 with 10 HR, and 37 RBI.

Sports of Boston Friends and Family League

Well crap, I am back in 7th place after a 12-11-1 victory. My star of the week was Ian Stewart who hit .480 with a home run, seven RBI, and four doubles.
My special thanks this week goes out to Shaun Marcum who blew up against the Res Sox for 5 ER in 3.2 innings of work. After that start, he was sent down to the minors.
This week is the final week of the fantasy regular season so I have to finish in the top 6 to advance to the playoffs. One problem, in order to make it, I have to go through the best team in the league. Crap!
The rest of the SoB crew: Dev (3rd), KC (4th), Dan (5th), Jeff (9th), Chris (10th), Geoff (11th).
Recent pickups include: Todd Wellemeyer, Chris Perez, Omar Infante, Mike Jacobs, Chris Volstad, and Chris Dickerson.

Fantasy Wrap-Up: Week 20 (8-11 – 8-17)

Pete Rampino — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 19:07:55 +0000

The latest news and notes from around baseball:

Greg Maddux Traded to Dodgers

This just in: On Monday, August 18, future Hall of Fame pitcher Greg Maddux was traded from the San Diego Padres to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Maddux played for the Dodgers for half a season in 2006 after being traded from the Chicago Cubs. Maddux is currently at a 6-9 record witha 3.99 ERA. So far in August he is 2-1 with a 1.89 ERA.

1B Richie Sexson Fails to Impress Yankees

First baseman Richie Sexson was waived by the Yankees on August 15. During his tenure with New York, Sexson hit .250 with one home run and six RBI. His 2008 season has been worse than terrible (.224/12 HR/36 RBI) and the Yanks were clearly left with no other choice.

Troy Percival Heads to Disabled List…Again.

Tampa Bay Rays closer Troy Percival is on the DL for the third time this season after spraining his right knee in a game against Oakland. This injury is different than his others this season as his two previous DL stints were due to his left hamstring.

Now for the stars of Week 20:

Offense

Melvin Mora (3B), Baltimore Orioles: Mora has been tearing it up since the break (.432, 9 HR, 43 RBI) and last week he showed no signs of slowing down with 18 hits including 3 HR and 13 RBI. Impressively, out of Mora’s last 10 games, he has multiple hits in 9 of them.

Ty Wigginton (1B,2B,3B,LF), Houston Astros: I faced Wigginton in one of my leagues last week and I think he sensed it. Wigginton blasted 4 HR and drove in 11 as part of a 16-hit week that saw him raise his average from .282 to .308.

Willy Taveras (CF), Colorado Rockies: Even though Taveras had only eight hits including one for extra bases, you know that he must have been fast on the basepaths to make it to the wrap-up. Taveras swiped seven bags to bring his total to 58.

Kevin Youkilis (1B,3B), Boston Red Sox: The Greek God of Walks hasn’t been walking as much this year (42) but, with his 3 HR, 8 RBI, and 9 R last week, I am sure he doesn’t mind.

Alex Rios (CF,RF), Toronto Blue Jays: An all-around good week for Rios included 5 doubles, 2 triples, a home run, 5 RBI, 2 SB, and 8 runs as part of an 11-hit week.

Pitching

Javier Vazquez (SP), Chicago White Sox: Vazquez brought his record to an even 10-10 after winning both of his starts. He struck out 18 batters in his 16 innings pitched and only allowed one free pass.

Roy Oswalt (SP), Houston Astros: Oswalt seems to be over his injury woes and picked up two wins. In his last three starts, Oswalt is 3-0 with a 1.64 ERA and 20 K’s in 22 innings.

Edinson Volquez (SP), Cincinnati Reds: Although he has been up and down lately, Volquez showed better consistency last week with two more victories (now 15 on the year) and giving up just one run while fanning nine batters.

Chris Perez (RP), St. Louis Cardinals: Perez seems to be settled in the closer role in St. Louis and he picked up three saves last week. Perez struck out six batters in 4.1 innings and has four saves total in August.

Jose Valverde (RP), Houston Astros: Valverde also picked up three saves last week to bring his total to 31. Valverde is having a great August with a 1.13 ERA after a terrible July where he posted a 6.75 ERA.

Why Should I Give A Crap About These Guys?

Chris Dickerson (LF), Cincinnati Reds: With Adam Dunn’s departure to Arizona, Dickerson seems to be the everyday LF for the Reds. In his time since the call up, Dickerson has been hitting very well by going 9-22 (.409) with seven of those hits going for extra bases. He was hitting .287 in Triple-A with 16 doubles, 9 triples, 11 HR, 53 RBI, and 26 SB.

Travis Ishikawa (1B), San Francisco Giants: The Giants seem to be trying out thier young players for the rest of 2008 and Ishikawa is benefiting. He is already hitting .385 in his first four games with his first home run and three RBI. Prior to being brought up, Ishikawa was hitting .299 with 24 HR and 94 RBI between Double-A and Triple-A.

Jeff Kent (2B), Los Angeles Dodgers: If anybody has benefited the most from the Manny trade, it is Kent. Since Manny started playing in L.A. on August 1st, Kent has been killing the ball. He is currently hitting .410 this month with 11 RBI. Batting 3rd in front of Manny lets him see better pitches and those in need of a boost to your batting average should take a look at Kent.

Sports of Boston Friends and Family League

Holy Crap Batman! I have vaulted in the standings up to 5th after a blowout victory of 15-6-3. My star of the week was Mark Teixeira who was 10-20 with two home runs and six RBI.
My special thanks this week goes out to Carlos Zambrano. The man hasn’t been good lately and his 6 IP, 5 ER line from last week earns him dubious honors.
Our reader “Merkle” stays in first after an 11-10-3 victory even though “Merkle” claims he hasn’t checked his team in months. Trash talking will get you nowhere with the SoB crew fella.
The rest of the SoB Boys: Dev (2nd), KC (4th), Dan (7th), Jeff (9th), Chris (10th), Geoff (11th).
Recent pickups include: Jeff Karstens, Willie Harris, Andre Ethier, Jody Gerut, Jeff Baker, Ramon Vazquez, Jerry Hairston Jr., Ben Francisco, and Chris Snyder.

Fantasy Wrap-Up: Week 19 (8-4 – 8-10)

Pete Rampino — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 17:36:38 +0000

Week 19 was full of news that will effect your fantasy world. Here are some headlines that you should pay attention to.

Astros LF Carlos Lee Suffers Broken Pinky Finger

Houston OF Carlos Lee is done for the season after taking a pitch off his left pinky finger. It was reported that there were six fractures total in that one tiny digit. At the time of injury, Lee was hitting .314 with 28 HR and 100 RBI.

Arizona 2B Hudson Fractures Wrist

Dependable Arizona 2B Orlando Hudson was just placed on the 60-day DL after fracturing his wrist and he too is done for 2008.

Tampa Bay’s Longoria Heads to Disabled List

Potential AL Rookie of the Year Evan Longoria was placed on the 15-day DL with a fractured wrist. Willy Aybar (6 hits, 2 HR, 4 RBI last week) will most likely get the majority of playing time in his absence.

Adam Dunn Traded to Diamondbacks

Cincinnati LF Adam Dunn is now a Diamondback. He brings his raw power (32 HR, 74 RBI) and great plate presence (80 BB, .373 OBP) to a offensively deficient Arizona ball club. For what it’s worth, Dunn is a career .150 hitter at Chase Field.

Now for Week 19′s stars…

Offense

Raul Ibanez (LF), Seattle Mariners: Ibanez was 11-31 (.355) with 3 HR and 12 RBI for the Mariners last week. He is hitting .337 in 23 games since the break. Remember folks, it is his contract year.

Jacoby Ellsbury (LF, CF, RF), Boston Red Sox: Is he waking up? Hopefully so. Ellsbury had an all-around productive week with power and speed. He had two home runs and three stolen bases. Interesting stat: Ellsbury hasn’t had a walk since July 13th.

Lastings Milledge (LF, CF, RF), Washington Nationals: Milledge is riding an 11 game hit streak and last week he compiled 13 hits, 3 HR, and 7 RBI. In 10 August games he is hitting .415 with 5 HR.

Curtis Granderson (CF), Detroit Tigers: Granderson has four home runs in his last ten games including three last week. His week also included five RBI and eight runs scored.

Albert Pujols (1B), St. Louis Cardinals: Winnie the Pujols didn’t get stuck in any honey jars but he did hit three homers and drove in eight. The only other delicious thing besides the honey was the fact that Pujols also had seven walks. Mmmm mmmm, love those free passes.

Pitching

Brian Moehler (SP, RP), Houston Astros: He isn’t flashy, but he gets it done. Moehler pitched 12 innings in two starts and got the win in both. He only struck out seven batters but he didn’t issue any walks and only gave up one earned run.

Fernando Rodney (RP), Detroit Tigers: Rodney broke out of a recent funk last week by picking up two saves in 5.2 innings of work. He fanned eight men during his time on the mound.

Troy Percival (RP), Tampa Bay Rays: Percival tossed 2.2 innings of perfect baseball and was rewarded with two saves and his second victory of the season.

C.C. Sabathia (SP), Milwaukee Brewers: Like he doesn’t get enough coverage in this section. Sabathia pitched complete game #4 as a Brewer and struck out nine. Sabathia is 6-0 witha 1.58 ERA since being traded from Cleveland.

Brandon Webb (SP), Arizona Diamondbacks: Webb continues to dominate with two wins and two earned runs in 15 innings. Webb’s ERA in his last seven starts is a microscopic 1.59 and he hasn’t lost since June 22nd.

Why Should I Give a Crap About These Guys?

Marlon Byrd (LF, CF, RF), Texas Rangers: Those looking for some pop in place of Carlos Lee may want to add Byrd aka the AL Player of the Week. Byrd’s award winning week included 16 hits, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 4 doubles, and 2 SB.

Jody Gerut (CF, RF), San Diego Padres: Gerut is quietly having a power surge. In 21 games post break, he is hitting .324 with 7 HR and 14 RBI.

Cesar Izturis (3B, SS), St. Louis Cardinals: Izturis has given owners a surge of offense lately with 10 hits in his last 6 games with 4 stolen bases.

Sports of Boston Friends and Family League

I sit in 8th place after a 14-9-1 victory last week. I have precious, little time left to climb to 6th place in order to make the playoffs. My star of the week went to Ichiro who hit .419 with a home run and three stolen bases.
My special thanks goes out to ERA killers Carlos Zambrano (4.1 IP, 9 ER) and Ubaldo Jimenez (5 IP, 6 ER).
SoB reader “Merkle” is now leading the league by 6 games after a dominant victory of 15-8-1.
The rest of the crew: Dev (3rd), KC (4th), Dan (6th), Jeff (9th), Chris (10th), Geoff (11th).
Recent pick ups include: Eddie Guardado, Denard Span, Rafael Perez, Brad Ziegler, Jeff Karstens, and Willie Harris

Fantasy Wrap-Up: Week 18 (7-28 – 8-3)

Pete Rampino — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 12:39:31 +0000

The trade deadline has come and gone. Several big names such as Jason Bay, Manny Ramirez, and Mark Teixeira have found new homes. I was very happy to see that Pat Burrell was not traded to the Red Sox because now I don’t have to trade him in my leagues (I hate having Sox players). Of course, now I do have to trade Jason Bay in one league. Although we may not all agree on the fact that Jason Bay was enough for Manny, what we can all agree on is that Craig Hansen is gone and we have never been happier.

OFFENSE

Bobby Abreu (RF), New York Yankees: Abreu was 12-27 (.444) with 4 HR and 9 RBI for the Bronx Bombers. Abreu scored 10 runs during his offensive explosion and even stole his 14th base of the season for good measure.

Ryan Ludwick (LF, RF), St. Louis Cardinals: It just seems like yesterday when Ludwick graced the pages of Sports of Boston in April in only the second wrap-up. He has continued his dominant season with a 14 hit, 4 HR week. He just finished a July where he hit .323 with 7 HR.

Xavier Nady (LF, CF, RF), New York Yankees: He was killing the ball in Pittsburgh and he is killing the ball in New York. During his first week as a Yankee, Nady has 10 hits and 10 RBI to go with 3 HR. I see no reason why he will slow his production anytime soon.

Kelly Shoppach (C), Cleveland Indians: If you thought that the catcher’s spot in Cleveland would be useless without Victor Martinez then think again. Shoppach has been on a tear lately with 11 hits last week. Nine of those were for extra bases (5 doubles, 4 HR) and he also had 6 RBI.

Chone Figgins (2B, 3B, RF), L.A. Angels: Chone had 13 hits including 3 games of 3+ hits. He also showed off his incredible speed by swiping four bags.

PITCHING

Zack Greinke (SP), Kansas City Royals: Greinke picked up two wins while striking out 17 batters in 14.2 innings. Greinke is a bit too overrated for my taste. His ERA’s for May, June, and July were 4.38/5.25/5.22. What makes his season seem good was his month of April where he posted a 1.25 ERA.

A.J. Burnett (SP), Toronto Blue Jays: Burnett’s name came up during the trade deadline but it amounted to nothing. His week brought his owners two more wins and 14 K’s. Burnett has won 7 of his last 10 and has already set a new career high for victories in a season with 13.

Ricky Nolasco (SP), Florida Marlins: Nolasco simply blew away opposing batters with a 13 K performance against the Rockies. That game was apart of a 21 K week which saw Nolasco pick up one victory to improve to 11-6 on the season.

Joakim Soria (RP), Kansas City Royals: Soria surrendered no runs and fanned four batters on his way to a four save week. His 31 saves are 2nd best in the majors behind Francisco Rodriguez (45) and his 0.69 WHIP is best among closers with 20+ saves.

Jeremy Guthrie (SP, RP), Baltimore Orioles: Guthrie got two wins last week and his first complete game of the season against Seattle. Guthrie has an ERA of 2.38 in his last five starts.

Why Should I Give a Crap About These Guys?

Francisco Liriano (SP), Minnesota Twins: Those of you turned off by Liriano’s disastrous opening to the season (0-3, 11.32 ERA), should invest in him now. Liriano made his return to the majors and went six strong innings while giving up zero runs. Before the call up, Liriano was 10-2 in Triple A with an ERA of 3.28.

Jamie Moyer (SP), Philadelphia Phillies: Even at 45, Moyer can still bring it. Moyer has 7 quality starts in his last 10 games and has not given up more than 3 runs in a game in that span.

Alberto Gonzalez (3B, SS), Washington Nationals: With Cristian Guzman sidelined, Gonzalez has been making the starts at SS. Acquired at the deadline from the Yankees, Gonzalez is currently hitting .462 in 4 games in Washington. If Guzman can’t get over his thumb injury any time soon, Gonzalez is the starter for the Nationals.

Sports of Boston Friends and Family League

I moved up to 9th place!!! Everybody cheer for me. I won my matchup 14-7-3 over SoB’s Jeff. My pitching was locked in with a 1.70 ERA in 47.2 innings. I am also happy to report the return of Francisco Liriano to my staff.
Special thanks goes out to Troy Percival who can’t seem to stop hemorrhaging runs. His 5.40 ERA in 3.1 innings thankfully didn’t kill my team ERA.
Our reader “Merkle” is still in first despite losing 9-13-2. It won’t be long before he falls from first place.
The rest of the SoB crew: KC (2nd), Dev (3rd), Dan (6th), Jeff (8th), Chris (10th), and Geoff (11th).
Two trades went down last week. First we had Joe Mauer/Tyler Yates for Jason Varitek/Magglio Ordonez. I don’t see the fantasy value in Varitek(.218/8 HR/32 RBI). If they needed a better catcher, I am sure free agency had something. Tyler Yates isn’t even the permanent closer in Pittsburgh. Why they couldn’t just do Magglio for Mauer is a mystery to me.
The second trade was Trevor Hoffman for Zack Greinke. A simple trade to understand. One man gave up on saves and the other was willing to part with a decent starting pitcher. Everybody wins.
Recent pick ups include: Kurt Suzuki, Josh Willingham, Nick Blackburn, Kevin Slowey, Ken Griffey Jr., Gil Meche, and Billy Butler.

Fantasy Wrap-Up: Week 17 (7-21 – 7-27)

Pete Rampino — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 18:30:59 +0000

We are about to enter August and also about to see the end of the trade deadline. I really hope the Red Sox don’t trade Manny because for the sake of three of my fantasy teams, I don’t want Pat Burrell in Boston. It’s not that I don’t like Pat Burrell, I love the guy. It’s just that I am notorious for having a strict policy of having no Red Sox players on my teams. So, I don’t want to have to go through the pain in the butt of trading him and not to mention losing a player who is going to hit close to 35 HR and walk 100 times. Enough small talk, lets talk hot players.

OFFENSE

Conor Jackson (1B, LF), Arizona Diamondbacks: Future Sox LF? If he keeps this up then I hope so. Jackson is riding a five game hit streak with 13 hits and 5 HR last week. He drove in six to bring his total to 55 on the season.

Shane Victorino (CF, RF), Philadelphia Phillies: The Flyin’ Hawaiian looked great as he collected 9 hits including a surprising 3 HR. His HR total for the year stands at 8 so don’t expect a power surge to continue but, his 3 stolen bases are a lot closer to the skills he possesses and he now has 25 for the year.

Ryan Braun (3B, LF), Milwaukee Brewers: How do you spell “locked in”. I guess I answered my own question. Braun has homered in 4 of his last 5 games. Those 4 HR were part of a 13 hit week that included 9 RBI.

Alex Rios (CF, RF), Toronto Blue Jays: Where the hell has Rios been all year? He finally decided to show up last week. Rios had 3 HR, 5 RBI, and 3 SB in week 17. My theory on why he has been explosive lately? Well, somewhere between July 10 and July 18, Rios welcomed a brand new baby into his life. I swear, players who have babies tend to go through explosive streaks.

Adam LaRoche (1B), Pittsburgh Pirates: Hello Mr. 2nd Half! I told you this would happen. LaRoche had 4 HR, 5 RBI, and my personal favorite, 5 BB last week. So far after the break, LaRoche is hitting .375 with 4 HR and 9 RBI and he is annihilating the month of July with a .390 avg and 16 XBH.

PITCHING

Jon Lester (SP), Boston Red Sox: He saved us from being swept against the Yankees but that’s not all he did. Lester’s week included two starts, two wins, and 14 K’s in 14.1 innings. Lester lowered his ERA to 3.17 after giving up just two runs in his starts.

Rich Harden (SP), Chicago Cubs: Harden can’t be touched in Chicago. In two starts, he gave up two runs in 12 innings while striking out a ridiculous 20 batters. In three starts as a Cub, Harden has an ERA of 1.04 and 30 strikeouts in 17.1 innings for a K/9 of 15.79.

Randy Johnson (SP), Arizona Diamondbacks: The Big Unit won both of his starts without surrendering a single run. Disappointingly he only fanned six batters but hey, I’ll take the two quality starts any day.

Paul Maholm (SP), Pittsburgh Pirates: Maholm has turned into a useful starter as evident by his two great starts. He only picked up one win but, he did strike out 14 batters and gave up just two runs in 15 innings of work.

Salomon Torres (RP), Milwaukee Brewers: A good week for a reliever. Torres got 3 saves and a win last week. Any fears about an Eric Gagne takeover should be put to rest by now.

Why Should I Give a Crap About These Guys?

Zach Miner (RP), Detroit Tigers: Miner has been an up and down reliever this season but now has been moved to the rotation. He has won both of his starts which have both been quality outings of 6IP, 0ER and 6IP, 2ER.

Bryan LaHair (1B), Seattle Mariners: With Richie Sexson gone, LaHair has been getting the bulk of the work at 1B. Currently he is riding a 5 game hit streak including his first major league home run in Monday’s game against Texas.

Fernando Tatis (LF, RF), New York Mets: In his last 4 games, Tatis has 8 hits, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 4 BB, 3 2B, and 4 R. Whew, what a gathering of stats. He is capping off a July where he is hitting .410 in 22 games and he gets a personal nod from me because he is the only player in major league history to hit two grand slams in one game…in the same inning.

Sports of Boston Friends and Family League

Gosh darn it! I am stuck in 10th place. My silver lining is that I did win my match up 13-9-2. Much love goes out to Ubaldo Jimenez who gave me 15 innings and an ERA of 0.60.
Our reader “Merkle” still stands in 1st place after winning his matchup 12-10-2.
The trade deadline in the league is August 24th. Will anybody make a move or will we just have to declare the Griffey/Bill Hall trade as the best of the season?
The rest of the SoB crew: Dev (3rd), KC (5th), Jeff (7th), Dan (8th), Chris (9th), and Geoff (11th).
Recent pick ups include: Fred Lewis, Kelly Shoppach, Josh Johnson, Jamie Moyer, Ian Stewart, Adam Lind, and Fernando Rodney.