UPDATE (3:00 a.m., Sunday): The deal for the oft-injured Rich Harden is reportedly off. According to the Boston Globe, Red Sox officials reviewed Harden’s medical records and came to the conclusion he would not be able to get through the rest of the major league season.

“I’m here and staying here,” Harden told reporters in Oakland Saturday night. “I’m happy to be part of this organization. I’m looking forward to starting Tuesday.”

————

(our earlier report is below…)

After losing out on Ubaldo Jimenez to the Indians, the Red Sox have reportedly turned to Rich Harden at the trade deadline to bolster their injury-plagued rotation.

According to multiple sources, the Red Sox have nearly completed a trade that will net them the Oakland Athletics right hander. The Boston Herald is reporting that in the exchange package, Pawtucket first basemen Lars Anderson will be the centerpiece.

Harden’s pitching prowess is unquestionable, but throughout his career, the 29-year old has consistently been hampered by injuries. This year, Harden has only started five games, after spending the first three months of the season on the DL. In those five starts, Harden is 2-1 with a 4.30 ERA and 30 strikeouts. In his last three outings against the strong lineups of the Angels, Yankees, and Rays, Harden has only surrendered 7 runs over 18-and-a-third innings.

In his eight-year career, Harden is 57-35 with a 3.65 ERA and 888 strikeouts.

In Anderson, the Sox will be parting ways with a once-blue chip prospect who has failed to live up to expectations in his young career. He has hit well for the Pawsox in 2011, though, batting .261 with 10 home runs and 57 RBI, but with Adrian Gonzalez manning first base for the next six years, Anderson is expendable.

The deal has not been announced by either club, but CBSSports.com is reporting that the trade is for all intents and purposes a done deal. With tomorrow’s 4 PM trade deadline looming, there will certainly be more to come in the next 18 hours or so.

© Ethan McCoy for Sports of Boston, 2011. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Featured, Red Sox, Top Story.

UPDATE, 6:45 p.m.: Rich Harden is reportedly signing with the Texas Rangers, who also traded Kevin Milwood to the Orioles for relief pitcher (and former closer) Chris Ray.

—–

The Red Sox are said to be eyeing oft-injured starting pitcher Rich Harden, and could sign him to a similar deal they signed Brad Penny and John Smoltz to before last season. Harden is reportedly “willing to sign a one-year deal with a lot of incentives.” According to FoxSports.com’s Jon Paul Morosi, the Red Sox, Yankees, and Mariners are seriously interested in his services.

Last year, Harden earned $7 million with the Cubs last season, going 9-9 with a 4.09 ERA in 26 starts. Still just 28 years old, Harden could be a really nice low-risk, high-reward candidate. While the dollar amount he’s seeking is unknown, Harden could seek the money Brad Penny got from the Cardinals (1 year, $7.5 million), since Penny had a less impressive year in 2009 (11-9, 4.88 ERA).

In other news…

Sox Interested in Ryan Shealy, Coco Crisp

Former hot prospect Ryan Shealy, who has largely been a bust at the major league level, could sign a minor league deal with the Red Sox, based on a tweet by Bob Dutton. Shealy hit .301 with 7 HRs and 20 RBI in just 20 games in 2009.

As we reported earlier, the Sox may also be interested in signing Coco Crisp.

Yankees Re-sign Andy Pettitte

The Yankees kept at least 3/5 of their starting rotation in tact, signing longtime Yankee Andy Pettitte to a one-year deal worth $11.75 million. Pettitte, who will turn 38 next season, finished 14-8 with a 4.16 ERA in 2009.

© KC Downey for Sports of Boston, 2009. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Featured, Red Sox, Rumors.

Five years and two days ago, the Red Sox ended an 86-year World Series drought. Today they are 18 days removed from being swept by the Angels in the ALDS. This will be a big offseason for the Red Sox because they have some glaring holes they need to fill. The team needs to acquire a big bat for the middle of the order, figure out what to do with Jason Bay, and figure out what to do with Jonathan Papelbon. There will be a lot of talk about whether the team should go after John Lackey, Matt Holliday, or Aroldis Chapman because they are the “sexy” options.

It’s true that everyone thinks they can be the world’s greatest general manager and I am no different, so here is my take on what the Red Sox should do this offseason.

Catcher

Offseason Targets: Jason Varitek

The Red Sox will definitely decline Varitek’s $5 million team option in anticipation that Varitek will accept his $3 million player option. How can they be so sure? Varitek is not going to get that kind of money anywhere else because he contributes absolutely nothing offensively and can’t throw a runner out to save his life. He could retire, but there is zero chance Varitek plays on another baseball team in 2010. Consider it my lock of the century.

First Base

Offseason Target: Adrian Gonzalez

This is where the Red Sox could make their big splash. With Jed Hoyer becoming the new GM in San Diego, I expect him and Theo Epstein to strike a deal for slugger Adrian Gonzalez, much like Danny Ainge and Kevin McHale did with Kevin Garnett and Bill Belichick and Scott Pioli did with Matt Cassell.

The move makes sense for both teams because Adrian Gonzalez gives the Red Sox a big power bat in the middle of the lineup and San Diego needs to get good young prospects and continue building for the future. More importantly, this would take the pressure off the organization to sign Jason Bay to a long-term contract. With Gonzalez, the Red Sox won’t need Bay’s offense and can fill the left field spot with a cheaper option (read below). Jed Hoyer most definitely knows the ins and outs of the Red Sox farm system so I’m sure he has his favorite players that he would like to bring to San Diego with him.

Many people think that because Hoyer knows the Red Sox farm system so well it will be tougher to strike a deal between the two clubs, but I think it goes both ways because it’s is very possible that Jed Hoyer values players differently than Theo Epstein. You know, he is his own person.

Hoyer is moving from a top-10 farm system to a middle-of-the-road one so it would make sense for him to trade Gonzalez for prospects. The Red Sox will have to give up a nice package – maybe Lars Anderson, Michael Bowden, Manny Delcarmen and two lesser prospect to obtain Gonzalez. It’s a deal worth making, in my opinion, because the Red Sox can’t afford to miss out on another Mark Teixeira-type player.

Second Base

Offseason Target: We’re good here.

Nothing to see here with Dustin Pedroia inked until 2014 for $39 million with an $11 million team option for 2015. Not too shabby.

Shortstop

Offseason Targets: Re-sign Alex Gonzalez, Sign Miguel Tejada?

This position has been a mess ever since Nomar Garciaparra was traded away. The fact is, this organization doesn’t expect a lot out of this position except good defense and average offense. The Red Sox could pick up Alex Gonzalez’s team option for $6 million, which would be worth it because the only other decent option in free agency is Miguel Tejada, who would probably be more expensive and has shown his willingness to stay in Houston.

Third Base

Offseason Target: Youuuuuuk!

If the Red Sox acquire Adrian Gonzalez, Kevin Youkilis would make the permanent move to third base. He is locked up through 2012 for $35.125 million with a $13 million team option for 2013.

Obviously this would be a major blow to Mike Lowell’s career in Boston because with Youkilis at third base, Lowell will be forced to the bench to platoon with David Ortiz at DH. The upside is he would give Terry Francona a legitimate bench bat for the first time in ages and he could spell Ortiz against lefties, but the downside is we would be paying him $12 million for 300 at-bats.

Left Field

Offseason Targets: Re-sign Jason Bay?, Matt Holliday? Bobby Abreu? Johnny Damon? Hideki Matsui?

Jason Bay

We know one thing: Bay is going to get paid this winter. He is the premier hitter this offseason, along with Matt Holliday, and is coming off a 2009 season where he set career highs in home runs (36) and RBI (119). My gut is telling me that Bay is going to go wherever the cash is and it’s not going to be in Boston. He is going to want that last huge contract so we can expect something in the area of four or five years at the rate of at least $15 million per year. I don’t think the Red Sox are willing to go that high because it’s not their style to give players in their thirties long-term deals. There’s too much risk involved. Of course, if the Red Sox can’t strike a deal for Adrian Gonzalez, there will be more pressure to keep Bay because the Red Sox need a big-time bat and Holliday (read below) is likely to stay in the National League.

Matt Holliday

Holliday is another unlikely scenario for the Red Sox because he most likely will stay in the National League where he seems more comfortable. I’m sure he would cross leagues again if the price was right, but the Red Sox won’t pony up that kind of cash unless they really have to. Again, this all boils down to whether the Red Sox have that premier bat in their lineup so if the need is there then there’s a chance the Red Sox would pony up the dough. Personally, I would rather have Matt Holliday than Jason Bay.

Bobby Abreu

Probably one of the most underrated players in the game, Abreu knocked in 100 runs for the eighth year in a row in 2009. The guy can flat out hit and was a steal for Angles this season at just $5 million. It’s no lie that he is getting old (35), but the Red Sox could do a lot worse when opening up their checkbooks this offseason. He is the prototypical Red Sox hitter because he gets on base (.390 OBP) and hits well with runners in scoring position (.354 BA w/RISP).

Johnny Damon

Is it a crazy thought? Yes, but it does make sense. It has been four years since Damon crossed over to the dark side, but he has shown that he can still play. The Red Sox could stick him in left field, where his diminishing range wouldn’t hurt the team, but his offense is where he could really be useful. He is still an on-base machine, can steal bases and hit for some power. He won’t get the $13 million he got from the Yankees four years ago, but the fact that the Red Sox will be trying to outbid New York means they will have to overpay somewhat. Damon is an outside shot of joining the 2010 Red Sox, but at the right price I would have no problem with it. Of course with Jacoby Ellsbury and Damon the Red Sox would have the worst collection of throwing arms in baseball.

Hideki Matsui

Another outfielder, another Yankee. Hideki Matsui rebounded nicely from his injury-plagued 2008 season with a .274 batting average, 28 home runs, 90 RBI and a .876 on-base plus slugging percentage. Matsui didn’t have bad numbers considering he is 35 years old. One major problem here is that Hideki hasn’t had to play the field since 2008 and he would have to show the ability to man left field for the Red Sox. Not that we expect much because the last two players to do it (Manny Ramirez and Jason Bay) are average fielders at best. The Red Sox could take a chance on the veteran given that his contract isn’t too high because his skills are clearly diminishing.

Center Field

Offseason Targets: 70 stolen bases not enough for you?

Jacoby Ellsbury showed what he could do if he got on base more frequently and it showed with a team-record and league-leading 70 stolen bases. The Red Sox have the speedster locked up through 2013 with arbitration so there’s no worry in center field.

Right Field

Offseason Targets: Call me in two years

Theo Epstein is behind Drew 100 percent. In a recent interview, Epstein expressed why he thought Drew was worth every penny they spent to sign him in the 2006 offseason. He is under contract for two more years at $14 million per year. Expect the Red Sox to go after a fourth outfield bat to relieve Drew once in a while.

Starting Pitchers

Offseason Targets: Pick up team options on Josh Beckett and Tim Wakefield. Sign Rich Harden? Erik Bedard? Ben Sheets? Justin Duchscherer? Aroldis Chapman?

What the Red Sox Have

While Jon Lester, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Clay Buchholz are under the team’s control long-term, the Red Sox have a solid core of starters for the foreseeable future. Theo Epstein will undoubtedly pick up Josh Beckett’s $12 million option for 2010 and should work on signing the 29-year-old to a long-term contract at around four years and $60 million. Also, the Red Sox will most likely pick up Tim Wakefield’s annual $4 million team option as well. However, the team could use another starter and could take a chance or two in this year’s market. They love taking their chances on previously injured, veteran pitchers.

Rich Harden

Harden would be a big acquisition for the Red Sox. He has failed to start 30 games in any given season since 2004, but the Red Sox have enough pitching depth to account for missed starts. Harden is an elite strikeout pitcher (783 K’s in 753 2/3 IP) who doesn’t go deep very deep into games. He would fit in this rotation as the number three or four starter and really push it towards elite status. His health and durability concerns should keep his price down enough that the Red Sox could make an offer.

Erik Bedard

Much like Harden, Bedard has been plagued by injuries in his career which have limited his progress as an elite starter. He is another pitcher the Red Sox could take a chance on to fill in the back of the rotation for reasonable money. He has been a failure in Seattle, but while he was in Baltimore he showed signs of being a future ace, especially in 2007 when he finished the year with 13-5 with a 3.16 ERA and 221 strikeouts in 182 innings.

Ben Sheets

Sheets missed all of 2009 with an arm injury, but he plans to pitch in 2010. This would be a great low risk/high reward deal, which is something the Red Sox have been doing for a couple years now. They could sign him to a cheap one-year deal and if he doesn’t pan out, they could dump him at the end of the season.

Justin Duchscherer

Duchscherer had his breakout year in 2008 when he finished with a 2.54 ERA and .210 opponent’s batting average in 141 2/3 innings. However, he missed all of 2009 recovering from right elbow surgery, which will make him an interesting target this offseason. He isn’t an elite pitcher by any stretch of the imagination, but he could be a serviceable back-of-the-rotation guy for cheap money in 2010.

Aroldis Chapman

The 21-year old Cuban defect is making a lot of noise in free agency this offseason and the Red Sox have been reported as one of the more aggressive pursuers of Chapman’s services. He is definitely a gamble because the lefty doesn’t have any polished complimentary pitches to his triple-digit heater. However, he has been touted as one of the best two pitchers not in the majors so he could be worth the investment. Buyer beware: Scouts said the same thing about Jose Contreras and look at how well that worked out.

Relief Pitchers

Offseason Targets: Trade Jonathan Papelbon and Manny Delcarmen (read above), sign Billy Wagner

Trade Jonathan Papelbon and Sign Billy Wagner

Let me start this by saying I am not reacting to Papelbon’s implosion in the playoffs so spare me the “you’re overreacting” comments. My theory with closers has always been that they are replaceable and Papelbon is no different. The Red Sox will have to pay him in the neighborhood of $10 million per year over the next two seasons and he has already stated that he is unwilling to sign an extension before he becomes a free agent. The Red Sox could offer Billy Wagner arbitration, which he would accept if he was guaranteed the closer role, and trade Papelbon to a team that can afford him for a hitting prospect.

It’s a long shot from happening, but it would make sense for the organization because Wagner could take the reins for a couple years while Bard grew into the role. The Red Sox also have several pitching prospects that are a couple years away from making an impact on the team. Potential Papelbon suitors include, but are not limited to, the Chicago Cubs, Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Angels, or the Texas Rangers.

© George for Sports of Boston, 2009. | Permalink | 4 comments
Filed under: Featured, Opinion, Red Sox, Top Story.

I wasn’t a fan of Mark Buehrle’s perfect game. Granted, he is an established pitcher who already has a no-hitter to his credit, but I don’t know, he just doesn’t seem dominating enough to deserve such an accomplishment. Plus, this makes people completely forget about the no-hitter by San Francisco’s Jonathan Sanchez on July 10th. Sanchez accomplishes a great feat and it will be lost in the Buehrle hysteria. That’s bulls**t if you ask me.

OFFENSE

Matt Holliday (LF), St. Louis Cardinals

Between his last days in Oakland and his first days in St. Louis, Holliday was tied for the league-lead in hits with 15. Included in his barrage of offense were seven doubles, two home runs, 10 RBI, and 10 runs. Holliday is hitting .636 in three games with St. Louis and hitting next to Pujols is a fantasy dream.

Justin Morneau (1B), Minnesota Twins

The former A.L. MVP led the Majors in home runs (5) and RBI (11) while hitting .333 (9-27). Morneau has reached base safely in 13 straight games and is hitting .321 in July with seven home runs.

Stephen Drew (SS), Arizona Diamondbacks

Drew was tied for the league-lead in hits with 15 and he filled up the stat sheet evenly with 10 runs, five doubles, two triples, a home run, and five RBI. Drew even swiped a base for good measure. Drew has posted a multi-hit game in six of his last seven contests and with the depearture of Felipe Lopez to Milwaukee, Drew has been batting leadoff and is hitting .486 in nine games at the top of the order.

Andre Ethier (LF, RF), L.A. Dodgers

Ethier cranked out a .545 avg. (12-22) including seven extra base hits (five doubles, two home runs) and he drove in six RBI. Ethier loves have Manny back. Since Manny’s return on July 3rd, Ethier is hitting .312 with five home runs and 10 RBI.

Mark Reynolds (1B, 3B), Arizona Diamondbacks

By all logic, he shouldn’t be this good. Reynolds posts a .366 BABIP which has pointed to a regression for the past few months, but it just hasn’t happened. Oh well, I won’t complain. Flashing more power and speed, Reynolds blasted two home runs and stole two more bases. With an 11-hit week, Reynolds extended his current hitting streak to 10 games.

PITCHING

Cliff Lee (SP), Cleveland Indians

Lee picked up two wins including his third complete game of the year while posting a 1.69 ERA in 16.0 innings. Lee has been on fire as of late with three straight wins and he hasn’t allowed a walk in those starts.

Rich Harden (SP), Chicago Cubs

Harden dazzled opposing offenses again last week with 14 K’s in 13.0 innings and a win to improve to 7-6 on the season. Harden has turned it on lately with a 0.95 ERA, 9.95 K/9, and a 21:2 K-to-BB ratio in his last three starts.

Mark Buehrle (SP), Chicago White Sox

Not much from Buehrle last week as he only tossed the 18th perfect game in major league history. He’ll just add this to his resume along with his no-hitter and World Series ring. Next stop is a Cy Young award…maybe.

J.P. Howell (RP), Tampa Bay Rays

Howell had a productive week for a relief pitcher as he picked up two saves and a victory in 3.2 innings of work. Only 62% owned in Yahoo! leagues, Howell seems to be the definitive go-to guy in the 9th for Tampa Bay.

Jonathan Broxton (RP), L.A. Dodgers

Toe problems aside, Broxton pitched beautifully last week picking up one save and one win to give himself a 7-0 record this season. Broxton’s toe injury may linger all season, but his last four appearances have been encouraging as he hasn’t allowed a baserunner since July 19.

Why Should I Give a Crap About These Guys?

John Lannan (SP), Washington Nationals

Lannan is very unappreciated in the fantasy realm. Yes, the strikeout numbers (3.69 K/9) leave something to be desired, but he has put together a spectacular season with a 3.25 ERA in 135.2 innings. He would have more wins if he wasn’t on the Nationals and his 51.7 GB% means he keeps the ball in the park.

Jorge De La Rosa (SP, RP), Colorado Rockies

De La Rosa is 8-1 in his last nine starts with a 3.58 ERA and 8.78 K/9. Not too bad considering he started the season 0-6 with a 5.43 ERA. De La Rosa just wrapped up his best month of the season with a 2.43 ERA and 4-0 record.

Erick Aybar (SS), L.A. Angels

Though not flashy with the power, Aybar is a good source of avg. and speed. Over the past month, Aybar has hit .404 (36/89) with three stolen bases.

Brad Bergesen (SP), Baltimore Orioles

Again, another pitcher who is not going to boost your strikeout totals, but he has 12 quality starts on the season (six straight) and a respectable 3.56 ERA. Hey, if you need innings-eaters who won’t kill your ERA, then look no further.

Leo Nunez (RP), Florida Marlins

Those in need of saves should pick up Nunez. He has become the primary closer for Florida and has picked up four saves this month to give him seven on the season.

Sports of Boston Friends and Family League

• I continue my winning streak as I defeated SoB’s Jeff by a score of 18-5-1 to extend my lead to 26.5 games.
• With eight playoff spots up for grabs, it is still a tight race with 11th place being only six games out of the playoff race.
• Someone in the league hasn’t checked their team since June 3rd and is in last place as a result. Needless to say, that person won’t be back next season (or in any of the SoB leagues for that matter).
• Recent pickups include: Joe Blanton, Jake Fox, Brett Anderson, Jose Contreras, Miguel Montero, C.J. Wilson, and Ryan Garko.

© Pete Rampino for Sports of Boston, 2009. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Fantasy, Featured.

In the fantasy baseball world, the All-Star week can be a blessing or a total nightmare. With the week being cut in half, your team needs to prove that it can perform in a limited amount of time. I myself was fortunate in one league, but failed tremendously in three others. Over at Yahoo! Fantasy, the minimum innings requirement for pitchers is thrown out the window for the week and just one appearance is needed in order for your pitching stats to count. I hate this rule because owners will just throw out one relief pitcher (usually a closer) and pick up one inning of work with no earned runs and two or three strikeouts. Depending on your league settings, this means that they have probably won the majority of the pitching categories. Personally, I think it is bush league to sneak by on a loophole.

One thing I do love about the All-Star week is that we see unexpected players being mentioned in these sections. I remember last season when I highlighted Willie Harris as an offensive juggernaut during the All-Star week. Oh, it’s fun to laugh.

OFFENSE

Nyjer Morgan (LF, CF, RF), Washington Nationals

Morgan, still churning out hits in the nation’s capital, led the majors with nine hits and showed off his speed with four stolen bases. Since the move to Washington, Morgan is hitting .367 with 10 stolen bases in 15 games.

Jim Thome (Util), Chicago White Sox

Thome is trying to salvage a craptacular season by launching two home runs last week and driving in seven RBI. July is his best month yet with a .372 average and .651 slugging percentage. Now if he could only just be eligible at 1B.

Yunel Escobar (SS), Atlanta Braves

Escobar led the league in extra base hits with three doubles and two home runs. He even drove in a league-best eight RBI. Only 59% owned in Yahoo! leagues, Escobar is an underrated option at SS.

Matt Kemp (CF, RF), L.A. Dodgers

Kemp filled out your stat sheet all across the board with a home run, three RBI, a stolen base, and a league-leading five runs scored. Kemp has six multi-hit games in his last 10 contests.

Raul Ibanez (LF), Philadelphia Phillies

We should end things with a familiar face. Ibanez blasted two home runs with five RBI during his five-hit week. Ibanez hasn’t slowed down since coming off the DL and is hitting .368 since his return. His 24 home runs already surpass his total (23) from last season.

PITCHING

John Lackey (SP), L.A. Angels

Starting pitchers made only one start each this week. Lackey picked up the win (5-4) and the complete game…oh wait, no he didn’t. Lackey threw nine shutout innings, but the Angels finally broke the 0-0 tie in the top of the 10th thus denying Lackey his first complete game of the year.

Jamie Moyer (SP), Philadelphia Phillies

How does a man with a 5.58 ERA and 1.41 WHIP end up tossing seven innings of shutout ball? Well, Moyer got to play the Marlins in Florida Where he owns an ERA of 1.37 in eight career starts at Dolphins Stadium.

J.P. Howell (RP), Tampa Bay Rays

Howell saved all three of Tampa Bay’s games and struck out four batters in 3.0 innings of work.

Mariano Rivera (RP), New York Yankees

Rivera also saved three games last week and didn’t surrender a single run. In fact, Rivera hasn’t given up an earned run since June 12 and hasn’t blown a save since April 24.

Rich Harden (SP), Chicago Cubs

Apparently Harden remembered that his contract expires at the end of the season. After remembering such important information, Harden finally put together a great outing with 6.0 IP, 0 ER, and 7 K’s. It was the first time this season that Harden allowed zero runs in a start.

Why Should I Give a Crap About These Guys?

Orlando Cabrera (SS), Oakland A’s

After a disappointing start to the season (.247 avg), O-Cab has been reborn in July by hitting .371 to raise his average to .268. Cabrera has nine multi-hit games in July and just came off of an eight game hitting streak.

Kendry Morales (1B, RF), L.A. Angels

Morales has three home runs and seven RBI in his last six games and is having a great rookie season with 17 HR and 52 RBI. With Vladimir Guerrero and Torii Hunter on the DL and Juan Rivera battling a leg injury, someone has to step up on the Angels’ offense.

Brett Anderson (SP), Oakland A’s

After five straight starts with three earned runs or less, Anderson gets my seal of approval. Within the last month, Anderson has sported a 1.15 ERA in 31.1 innings with a 8.04 K/9.

Joe Blanton (SP), Philadelphia Phillies

Blanton is on pace for his best season yet. As for now, he is sporting a more than respectable 7.93 K/9 and he has seven quality starts in his last 10 games.

Miguel Montero (C), Arizona Diamondbacks

Montero capped off a good week with a four-hit game on Saturday. Montero has three home runs and six RBI in his last six games and is sporting a respectable .286 average. Even though his playing time increase is only due to the injury of Chris Snyder, I think Montero should get more playing time even after Snyder (.224, 5 HR) returns.

Sports of Boston Friends and Family League

• The shortened week worked to my advantage as I was victorious by a score of 15-8-1. I am now 23 games ahead of 2nd place.
• SoB’s Mike still won’t stop using the “league blast” feature on Yahoo!
• Recent pickups include: Joel Pineiro, Josh Willingham, J.A. Happ, Marlon Byrd, and Garrett Jones.

© Pete Rampino for Sports of Boston, 2009. | Permalink | 3 comments
Filed under: Fantasy, Featured.

I had already planned on making the trip to Chicago to visit my friend, who is a senior at Northwestern. When he asked if I’d want to see a Cubs game, I immediately agreed to it and StubHub turned out to be a pretty good friend.

Outside Wrigley Field

Upon entering into Wrigleyville, there were a lot of Cubs-centric places, just like around Fenway or Yankee Stadium. However, it was interesting to see a lot of open air merchandise vendors, especially given that it was raining.

This year the Cubs added a Captain Morgan’s club as apparently a way to try and cater to more of a yuppie crowd. Yeah, the Tribune Co. is in the process of selling the team, also, so I think that about sums that one up.

I think the other noticeable thing about the outside of Wrigley was how small it felt. Fenway and Yankee Stadium (the old one) come across as so much larger on the outside, but Wrigley feels almost like it’s just an oddly colored and shaped apartment building. I think this picture I took outside of Wrigley illustrates it, especially with the height of the people compared to the stadium.

The other notable item from outside the stadium was how scalpers were having problems selling tickets to the game. My friend and I witnessed one guy with what looked to be a hundred tickets in his hand. The reselling market has hit a tough time and it’s pretty easy to walk up to most stadiums and get a ticket to the game in some fashion. Unfortunately, this led to a less-than-full attendance at Wrigley.

Inside Wrigley Field

Inside the stadium, there are some similarities to Fenway, but enough differences to set it apart. It has the wide walkways that also allow concession stand lines to grow long. There is not all that much to walk around to on the inside, though. Much like the old Yankee stadium, the bleacher seats have their own entrance. There are obstructed views and the stadium allows air to carry quite easily through.

When I went to Fenway, the seats, at least in my section (Outfield Grandstand section 1) did not have cupholders. However, Wrigley, despite it’s age, provided that, which turned out to be useful considering how much people in my section left and came back.

Another interesting item you’ll see in this photo from my section is that the pole has a TV on it. The Cubs try to help out those with obstructed view. Unfortunately those close to the pole are not helped much.  But you can’t fault them for trying, which is something Fenway doesn’t do.

Another thing that strikes you is just how little advertising and billboard space there is in the park. Obviously the park’s maintenance costs are covered quite well by ticket prices and there isn’t exactly much room to advertise on anyway. The ivy on the outfield wall had not grown in yet, so instead it looked like the wall was coated in fertilizer. The brick behind home plate did look very nice and showed why a lot of teams seek to replicate the look.

The roof top seats are somewhat more bizarre than the Monster seats. At least all of the Monster seats guarantee good views. Some of the roof top seats face into the seats in foul territory on the first base side. What sense does that make?

As for food and drink, the drink options provided a wide beer choice (so that’s why so many crazy fans feel invincible enough to run on the field), yet the food options were not very numerous. However, I will say that what they had available was more than what the old Yankee stadium had from their non-cart options, which is a bit surprising. Chicken fingers, Italian sausage, pizza, a BBQ Pulled Pork sandwich, a buffalo dog, a footlong hot dog, buffalo fries, pretzels and nachos are the first items I can remember off the top of my head.

The Game: Cubs vs. Marlins

We got a Friday afternoon matchup between the Chicago Cubs and the Florida Marlins. The starting pitchers were Graham Taylor and Rich Harden. Unfortunately, neither starter pitched very well, as there were 14 walks, one HBP, and two wild pitches in the game. So…there was not exactly good pitching at all.

However, the game didn’t become a offensive show either. The game just kind of dragged along. Both teams had a star player sitting with Hanley Ramirez (FLA) and Aramis Ramirez (CHC) both resting to start the day. Of course, Hanley later came in for essentially a third of the game, which begs the question that if he wasn’t healthy enough to start, why was he healthy enough for three innings of play?

I also got to witness Carlos Zambrano pinch hit, an idea that is probably crazy to a lot of fans of AL-style baseball. The rain basically kill the experience as the crowd seemed pretty mellow until around the 7th inning when the sun started showing up. Or, maybe it helped that the Cubs took the lead in the bottom of the 6th on a Ryan Theriot grand slam (these are words I expect will never be uttered ever again).

Of course, no trip to Wrigley would be incomplete without the singing of Take Me Out to the Ballgame. And the only thing I can say is please do not let Denise Richards ever sing again.

© Adam for Sports of Boston, 2009. | Permalink | 3 comments
Filed under: Featured, Opinion.

OFFENSE

Albert Pujols (1B), St. Louis Cardinals: There are no holes in Pujols’ game as he hit 3 HR last week with 11 RBI. In addition to his great hitting (9/20), Pujols proved he has talent on the basepaths with 3 SB.

Jay Bruce (LF,CF,RF), Cincinnati Reds: Last season’s mega prospect is showing us he is legit. Six of Bruce’s 10 hits went for extra bases (4 HR) and he collected 8 RBI. Bruce is currently riding a six game hitting streak.

Jacoby Ellsbury (LF,CF,RF), Boston Red Sox: A little home town love for Jacoby this week. Ellsbury’s steal of home against the Yankess was just one of his six stolen bases last week. Thanks to his 10 hits, he raised his avg. from .240 to .289 and he has multi-hit games in six of his last nine contests.

Ryan Braun (LF), Milwaukee Brewers: Braun’s 13 hits last week tied for the lead (with Carlos Beltran) among all hitters. Braun’s power stroke came back with 3 HR and he had 8 RBI. Braun scored 7 runs and he even displayed patience at the plate with 5 walks.

Adam LaRoche (1B), Pittsburgh Pirates: LaRoche usually isn’t useful until the 2nd half, but he is contributing right now. He helped the very surprising Pirates better their record by collecting six extra base hits (4 doubles, 2 HR) and driving in 8. LaRoche scored 7 runs and my favorite part, he walked 6 times.

PITCHING

Rich Harden (SP), Chicago Cubs: Harden’s good fortune only lasts so long until he finds himself on the DL. For the time being, he is producing well. Last week, he gave owners 14 IP and 17 K en route to a 2-0 record. Harden has at least 8 K in each of his four starts this season (even in his 3 IP loss to Colorado).

Jered Weaver (SP), L.A. Angels: Weaver is becoming a cheap source of quality outings. Weaver sported a 1.93 ERA in 14 IP which included 11 K and a victory. Weaver is 2-1 on the season and has three quality starts in four outings.

Ryan Franklin (RP), St. Louis Cardinals: Franklin has settled in nicely as the closer. He showed he can handle the pressure in the 9th with three saves last week. He struck out 3 batters in 2.1 IP and didn’t allow a run.

Yovani Gallardo (SP), Milwaukee Brewers: Gallardo, one of the hot young stars in Milwaukee, showed he could earn his keep when he tossed the first complete game of his career which helped him improve to 2-1 on the season. He fanned seven batters in his one start and that 7 ER game against the Reds is a thing of the past.

Zack Greinke (SP), Kansas City Royals: Greinke earned his 2nd straight complete game and 4th straight win in his one start last week. He struck out 10 batters and still has not allowed an earned run all season (although his scoreless inning streak ended when he allowed an unearned run against Detroit).

Why Should I Give a Crap About These Guys?

Ross Ohlendorf (SP,RP), Pittsburgh Pirates: With the way the Pirates are playing, anybody could be a hot pick up. This week it is Ohlendorf who has won two straight games (both quality outings) and has gone at least 7 IP in both contests.

Alberto Callaspo (2B,SS), Kansas City Royals: Callaspo has 14 hits in his last 10 games which includes riding a nine game hitting streak (3 doubles and a HR in that span). He is batting .377 on the young season and he qualifies at two of the shallowest positions in fantasy baseball.

Jesus Flores (C), Washington Nationals: Speaking of shallow positions, if you need help at catcher, look at Flores. He has 9 RBI in his last six games with 2 HR. In the past week, he has raised his avg from .242 to .327.

Sports of Boston Friends and Family League

• I shoot up to 5th place after a convincing 16-6-2 victory over our friend Dan.
• Defending champ “A-Rod” hangs onto first place after a 15-6-3 win.
• We have some controversial trash talking on the league message board over a trade that was not vetoed. Further infractions won’t be tolerated. This is a game, lets have some fun already.
• Recent pickups include: Glen Perkins, Luis Castillo, Ryan Franklin, Braden Looper, Nick Johnson, Tim Wakefield, and Jason Kubel.

© Pete Rampino for Sports of Boston, 2009. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Fantasy, Featured.

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.

© Pete Rampino for Sports of Boston, 2008. | Permalink | 2 comments
Filed under: Fantasy, Featured.

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.

© Pete Rampino for Sports of Boston, 2008. | Permalink | 2 comments
Filed under: Fantasy, Featured.

BEST FANTASY ROOKIE

Oh simple youth. Not every rookie can make an impact. Those who do can pay off big when they are drafted late or if they are picked up in your free agent pool for no additional cost. The nominees are:

-Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay Rays
-Jay Bruce, Cincinnati Reds
-Kosuke Fukudome, Chicago Cubs
-Geovany Soto, Chicago Cubs
-Joba Chamberlain, New York Yankees

And the winner is…Geovany Soto!

Soto has come into 2008 on a rampage. After a brief stint with the Cubs in 2007 where he hit .389 in 18 games, Soto picked up where he left off. He leads all catchers with 56 RBI. Soto also has 16 HR on the season and a great eye at the plate with 42 walks. He is currently batting .288 and just came from the All-Star game where he was the first NL rookie in history to start at catcher. If he keeps this up, he will be the NL rookie of the year.

BEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK

We could call this the “Wal-Mart Award”. Why? Because we are giving it to the player who was the best bargain on draft day silly. Who gave us great numbers at discount prices? The nominees are:

-George Sherrill, Baltimore Orioles
-Milton Bradley, Texas Rangers
-Rick Ankiel, St. Louis Cardinals
-Jason Giambi, New York Yankees
-Rich Harden, Chicago Cubs

And the winner is…Rich Harden!

A tough choice here. Everybody passed on Harden due to his history of injuries and notoriety of breaking down. Those who have taken the risk have been rewarded. Harden has put up Cy Young-esque numbers with 2.19 ERA and a 5-1 record in 14 starts. The wins didn’t come due to a shallow Oakland offense but now a move to Chicago looks to finally give him some W’s. Harden has 102 K’s in just 82.1 IP for a staggering 11.15 K/9. Stop worrying about if we will get injured and just bask in your glory.

BEST PLAYER WHO PROBABLY WENT UNDRAFTED

These are the men nobody wants. You’d rather be stripped naked and paraded around in front of family and friends while they hurl raw vegetables at you. There is a reason they go undrafted. That is until they have a great game and you rush to add them for their current hot streak. Then before you know it, this player has been a permanent fixture in your everyday roster. The nominees are:

-Nate McClouth, Pittsburgh Pirates
-Edinson Volquez, Cincinnati Reds
-Ryan Ludwick, St. Louis Cardinals
-Jorge Cantu, Florida Marlins
-Carlos Quentin, Chicago White Sox

And the winner is…Edinson Volquez

The man traded for Josh Hamilton was basically unknown until 2008. Teammate Johnny Cueto was the name coming out of Spring Training but Volquez quickly outshined him. Volquez has made 19 starts and has given up three runs or less in all but one. His 2.29 ERA is tops in the NL and his 126 K’s are good enough for 3rd best in the NL. He is currently at 12-3 and has impressively only surrendered 5 home runs this season.

WHAT A WASTE OF MONEY

You could have bought a corvette with the money you wasted on these players. This award is given to the player who we thought would give us big production but instead decided to be a bigger disappointment than the Patriots going 18-1. The nominees are:

-Jimmy Rollins, Philadelphia Phillies
-Victor Martinez, Cleveland Indians
-Alex Rios, Toronto Blue Jays
-Erik Bedard, Seattle Mariners
-Prince Fielder, Milwaukee Brewers

And the winner is…Victor Martinez!

Oh the humanity! Martinez was ranked as the best catcher in all of fantasy baseball coming into to 2008. As a catcher, he already had two 100+ RBI season and three 20+ HR seasons under his belt. He also qualifies as a 1B, so clearly he he was depended on to deliver similar numbers. Currently, Martinez is on the DL after undergoing elbow surgery. Before the DL stint, Martinez stunk up the batters box with a .279 avg and just 21 RBI in 54 games. As for that 20 HR power, Martinez did his home run trot only in his mind. He has hit zero longballs in 2008. That’s right, ZERO! No power, no average, no offense. Victor Martinez is one of the biggest flops of 2008.

THE ADRIAN BELTRE AWARD

In 2004, an infielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers was relatively unknown outside of the Dodger fanbase. Then, this player decided to explode offensively for the biggest year of his career. This was coincidentally his contract year. That man was Adrian Beltre. In 2004, Beltre’s line was: .334, 48 HR, 121 RBI. These numbers are nowhere near what he has done in the rest of his career and he won’t do it again until the next time his contract is about to expire. Many feel a player is driven to put up big numbers solely because he is playing for a big money payoff when the offseason comes a knockin’. The following are players who are in contract years and look like they are playing for that cash money. The nominees are:

-Pat Burrell, Philadelphia Phillies
-Adam Dunn, Cincinnati Reds
-Milton Bradley, Texas Rangers
-Ryan Dempster, Chicago Cubs
-Ben Sheets, Milwaukee Brewers

And the winner is…Ben Sheets!

Another close one to call but in the end, Sheets gets the trophy. It’s not like Sheets has not shown flashes of brilliance in the past. However, during his contract season he has all of a sudden decided to stay healthy and become the dominant man he was a few short years ago. Sheets has a 10-3 record with a minuscule ERA of 2.85 and 108 K’s. He is on pace to surpass his innings pitched total from 2005, 2006, and 2007 while at the same time having a much better ERA than any of those seasons.

OH YOU TEASE!

Every season we draft players or we spend high waiver priorities on them in the hopes that they will help us. At first they show us they are worth it and then as quickly as they arrive, they quickly let us down. We give this award to the player who teased us with a hot start and the fizzled away. The nominees are:

-Johnny Cueto, Cincinnati Reds
-Jay Bruce, Cincinnati Reds
-Miguel Tejada, Houston Astros
-Aaron Harang, Cincinnati Reds
-Justin Upton, Arizona Diamondbacks

And the winner is…Jay Bruce

What an entrance! In his first week in the majors, Bruce annihilated NL pitching with a .577 avg, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 7 R, 6 BB, and 2 SB. Clearly he wasn’t going to keep this pace up the whole year but, it seemed that the uber prospect had arrived and this year’s Ryan Braun was upon us. Since then, he has hit .212 with 3 HR and 14 RBI. He has been up and down in the batting order which has just added to his inconsistent hitting at the plate. Congrats to Jay Bruce, the biggest tease of 2008.

BEST FANTASY PLAYER

Ah yes, the Best Picture award of fantasy baseball. Many have come this season but only one man stands alone atop the mountain of fake baseball teams and fantasy GM’s. The nominees are:

-Lance Berkman, Houston Astros
-Chipper Jones, Atlanta Braves
-Hanley Ramirez, Florida Marlins
-Ian Kinsler, Texas Rangers
-Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers

The envelope please. Drum roll: and the winner is……….IAN KINSLER!

Wow, what an upset. Every award show needs some controversy people, that’s how we maintain an audience. Ian Kinsler has been nothing short of phenomenal. As the leadoff man in Texas, Kinsler leads the AL with a.337 batting average and has 14 HR, 58 RBI, and 23 SB (only been caught stealing once). In addition, he also has 84 runs and a .397 OBP. Kinsler’s value of also being a 2B added to his victory seeing as 2B is widely regarded as the shallowest position in fantasy baseball. For those of you crying Berkman, he only lost out on this award because although he has had an amazing year (.347, 22 HR, 73 RBI), he has dipped a bit in July by hitting only .211 with zero homers and 5 RBI. Kinsler’s July has been his best month where he is hitting .447 with a homer, 8 RBI and 3 SB. It was close but, Kinsler has hit .300 or better in every month and during the final leg of the first half, Berkman just couldn’t keep up in July. Give it up for Ian Kinsler, the best fantasy player of the first half!

I know you all won’t agree with me. But hey, life can’t exist without a little conflict now can it? Well, I am spent. See you Tuesday morning for the wrap-up.

© Pete Rampino for Sports of Boston, 2008. | Permalink | One comment
Filed under: Fantasy, Featured, Top Story.