Deja vu All Over Again
With the fantasy world up in arms regarding the Dodgers’ outfield situation, I have to laugh. It has always been known that Joe Torre favors veteran players (Juan Pierre) and enjoys fostering the careers of unselfish players (Andre Ethier). More so, the situation with Matt Kemp is eerily similar to the one he had with Alfonso Soriano in years past. Torre knew Soriano had all the ability in the world, but his attitude affected his playing time in the early days. Plus, how did that relationship ultimately turn out? So the next time you get all vocal about how in the world Torre can sit a fantasy-superstar-in-the-making like Kemp, realize this game involves targeting players that can play and will play. Owners often overlook the latter and, in a competitive league, that is what makes a fantasy team a pretender instead of a contender.
Nuke or Meat?
Edwin Jackson was the talk of the town this week. Are we looking at a breakout? Well, while his walks are down slightly (10.9%) and his K-Rate is okay (18.2%), many will point out that his low BABIP (.192) is clearly an indicator of a lot of good luck. How long can that last? I like him, but also realize he's not this good.
The Second Coming of Liriano
I think bringing up Liriano is the best thing for him. Look, he is almost 18 months removed from surgery, so as far as post-Tommy-John prognosis, he's good to go. If it's just him trusting his arm again and letting go, as many speculate, then I think his competitive fire will be the best medicine. Put A-Rod or Ortiz or Magglio in the box with him on the mound and I think we'll see that kid we fell in love with in 2006 once again. Personally, I cannot wait.
Unreasonable Coverage
I live in Los Angeles and subscribe to DirectTV's MLB Ticket. Have for years. I relish it six days a week, dreading every Saturday morning when the Ticket is blacked out and only one game is televised, FOX's Regional Coverage of Saturday Baseball. This is when the network offers up at least three match-ups and distributes those feeds according to region. This week, I was surprised to see my FOX Regional Coverage Game was the Yankees versus the Red Sox. Imagine that. I did not know those cities were so near, especially with Matt Cain mowing down St. Louis hitters in Northern California and the Diamondbacks slugging away against Colorado in AZ. Um, what exactly is FOX's definition of "regional." I would really, really like to know.
Able Cain
Speaking of Cain, I am starting to feel sorry for him. This kind of losing has to have an effect. You'd have to agree that being on a World Series Champion team so early in his career helped Josh Beckett become Josh Beckett. If anything, it has given him loads of confidence every time he takes the mound. Therefore, can't you theorize quite the opposite for Cain and Lincecum too? I sure do hope not.
Offensive Versus No Offense
Mr. Wang ("no offense" -- as Rodney Dangerfield would say) is off to a hot start with the Yankees. Funny, I do not own him in any leagues and have never really been a big fan. Yeah, I'm a K-Whore. K-Whore. That needs to be someone's nickname in the majors, no? Personally, I'll take Lincecum every time, even without much of an offense to back him up. I own him in almost every keeper league I compete in and you could not pry him from me for anything, even for a shot at a pre-pregos Jessica Alba. Yeah, that's how much I value Timay.
Crooked Cap's Slanted Start
I am so tired hearing about C.C.'s innings pitched in 2007 affecting his 2008. Look, even if that is true, it is not why he's had a rough start to the season. If we see any ill effects from that workload, it's sure to come post-All-Star Break, not in April, after a whole lot of time off. If anything, I'd agree with those who chalk up his poor start to his big overworked head. I have to believe his impending FA Status and now Fausto Carmona's out-of-the-blue contract extension has had some effect on his concentration. C.C. will be fine. As the cliche goes, as it warms up, he'll warm up.
Ditto
Same can be said for Fausto. In fact, even more so with this kid regarding his 215 innings pitched in 2007. Why? Well, (I do have to credit Lenny Melnick with these stats -- look up his article “Do Innings Really Matter” for more), if we are going to put so much weight on IP, should we not also be looking at Pitches Per Inning (PPI)? If so, Fausto threw the fourth fewest PPI in the majors last year at 14.59, behind only Tim Hudson (14.11 PPI), Wang (14.35 PPI), and Brandon Webb (14.56 PPI). My opinion, F.C. will also be fine.
Rule Five Gem
Brian Barton should be playing every day and the Cleveland Indians can add his name to list of Brandon Phillips and Jeremy Guthrie as 'ones that got away.'
Mine Eyes Have Seen The Coming…
I got to see Clayton Kershaw pitch in Dodgers stadium in a Spring Exhibition against the Red Sox the Sunday before Opening Day. Kershaw pitched four innings of relief, gave up a mere hit, struck out six and walked none. We all know he is going to be something very, very special. I just got to see it with my own eyes.
2B Or Not 2B?
Blake DeWitt is going to be a very nice ballplayer. His glove is a magnet and I do believe his bat will only improve. The fact that the 22-year old has never played above Double A before this season is astonishing as, if you’ve watched him play, his poise is that of a veteran. I like the kid's potential a lot. I just wonder if 3B is where he will play. At 2B I know he'd be a fantasy gem. What the Dodgers do with him in the future, especially if/when Jeff Kent retires, is a mystery, but also a scenario to keep an eye on.
Half Full or Half Full?
Here's what I find scary about the Diamondbacks. They remind of the Indians teams of the mid-late 90's that had Kenny Lofton, Jim Thome, Carlos Baerga, Manny, and Albert Belle, except the Diamondbacks have much better pitching. They also remind me of the A's teams of the early 00's that had Hudson, Mark Mulder, and Barry Zito, except they have better hitting.
Fact: For Halloween, Chuck Norris Dressed As Cole Hamels
Every time I watch Cole Hamels pitch I think, “One day I’ll be telling my kids I watched Cole Hamels pitch.”
Bogg-ball Tonight
So, ESPN's Baseball Tonight announces that on Sundays they are going to have in-studio guests/analyst. Yipee! This week they kicked it off with Wade Boggs and then proceeded to pepper the telecast with recaps of Bogg's Career Stats, him reminiscing about days gone by and, of course, video highlights from his career. Are you kidding me? What is this, force-fed ESPN Classic? Are you telling me that enough did not happen during a full slate of Sunday games to avoid an in-studio guest meandering about his glory days and instructing us how he and Ichiro are similar hitters? He honestly took up two-thirds of the telecast. Ugh. I actually miss the days of Harold Reynolds. I'm serious.
Who I'm Watching This Week:
Erik Bedard, B.J. Ryan, Max Scherzer
Joe Crede, Edwin Encarnacion, Evan Longoria
Justin Upton, Jason Kubel, Franklin Gutierrez
John Bowker, Fred Lewis, Jason Werth
Red Sox at Indians, Red at Cubs, Mariners at Angels
Major League Words of Wisdom:
Listen, here's the thing. If you look up and down a line-up and don't see the hole in it, you ARE the hole.
Phil Brody resides in Los Angeles, California. He works as a freelance writer and director. In his spare time, he devours everything baseball. He can be reached at philbrody@earthlink.net.