Archive for June, 2010

Jason Hammel

Jason Hammel has quietly become the type of pitcher a team can depend on and he has become an option in NL-Only Leagues and deep mixed leagues. On Tuesday night, Hammel was solid for the first six innings and didn’t allow a run until the seventh inning when Jerry Hairston led off with a home run in a victory over the NL West leading San Diego Padres. Hammel was charged with two more runs after leaving the game with nobody out and two runners on. He allowed three runs on seven hits, a walk and struck out seven in six innings to pick up his sixth win.

There was a stretch in June that Hammel pitched 22 2/3 scoreless innings while earning four wins in six opportunities this month. His 4.32 ERA is not that impressive, but the 6 wins and 60 strikeouts are enough to take a chance on him. Take a look at the free agent list in your league. My guess is that you will find Jason Hammel available.

In other fantasy news from Tuesday…..

• With Jair Jurrjens returning from the disabled list, Kris Medlen will remain in the Braves rotation and Kenshin Kawakami is headed to the bullpen.
• Alfonso Soriano hit two home runs in the Cubs rare victory over the Pirates. Both home runs were solo shots, but we could have just seen the beginning of one of Soriano’s patented hot streaks.
• Prince Fielder hit his  9th and 10th home runs of June. Fielder also had three RBI. This was Fielder’s second three RBI game of the season with the other coming April 22nd.
• Albert Pujols hit 2 two-run home runs in the Cardinals win over the Arizona Diamondbacks
• The St. Louis Cardinals placed David Freese on the 15-day disabled list on Tuesday with an ankle sprain that he suffered June 5th.  Freese has been struggling since the injury occurred and the club has not said when Freese will return.
• Dan Haren  said that he would “like to play here again” when asked about the possibility of him joining the Cardinals by the trade deadline.
• The Rockies recalled Dexter Fowler on Tuesday. Fowler had a successful stint at Triple-A, but Fowler has been very inconsistent at the major league level. Before rushing out to acquire Fowler in your league, use the wait and see approach.
• Homer Baily threw 30 pitches off a flat surface this week without a problem. Bailey hopes to throw off a bullpen mound a couple times before the All-Star break.

Jason Heyward

Jason Heyward’s nagging left thumb injury has placed him on the 15-day disabled list Monday. The Braves are concerned that Heyward will have to manage the pain until the offseason when he can let it rest for an extended period of time, but the Braves are hoping a few weeks of rest will give him some immediate relief.

Heyward leads NL rookies with 11 home runs and 45 RBI, but he has struggled the last 24 games with a .172 BA with one homer, 7 RBI, and 33 strikeouts. This was the right move for Heyward. The Braves need his production in the second half of the season as the team is in the thick of the NL East race. Going on the disabled list could jeopardize Heyward’s chance of playing in the All-Star game, but there will be plenty of All-Star games for  Heyward in the future. Heyward owners have to hope that two weeks off will give his left thumb the necessary rest and allow him to get back to his early season offensive production.

In other fantasy news from Monday…..

• Jason Bay hit two home runs in Puerto Rico yesterday. Bay has been struggling all season and probably wishes the Mets played their home games there and not Citi Field.
• Ubaldo Jimenez earned his 14th win of the season against the Padres. He had a no-hitter through five innings, but then the Padres began to claw their way back into the game. Jimenez gave up four runs on four hits and struck out seven. Every start can’t be perfect.
• Mike Stanton hit his second home run in Puerto Rico. Stanton is only hitting .215 since joining the Marlins. Be patient with Stanton – he will be just fine.
• Chris Coghlan continued his hot streak with two hits, including his 5th home run of the season. Coghlan has reached base safely in 24 of his last 26 games. So much for the first half slump. Fantasy owners that may have thrown in the towel with Coghlan after his unexpected slow start have to be shaking their heads.
• Chad Billingsley threw six solid innings in his return from the disabled list. Billingsley was not credited with the win, but he gave the Dodgers exactly what they needed after the devastating loss to the Yankees Sunday night.
• Hong-Chih Kuo earned his second save of the season and may just be the best relief pitcher of the first half of the season. Kuo has 2 wins, 2 saves, 12 holds, and a 1.11 ERA. Kuo does have a history of injuries, but at the moment, he is a solid option for relief pitchers in all fantasy formats.

SB NATION

Tyler Colvin hit his 10th home run on Sunday in just 135 at-bats. Colvin had 3 hits and 4 RBI and helped the Cubs salvage one game against the White Sox. This was a pleasant surprise because Colvin has struggled against left-handers this season batting .258.  His .296 BA, 10 HR, 27 RBI, and a very impressive .962 OPS are solid numbers for his rookie campaign.  Since Lou Pinella declared that Kosuke Fukudome was going to be benched at the beginning of June, Colvin has quietly become a solid fantasy option, but he remains available in 95 percent of YAHOO leagues.

With the regular playing time that Colvin is receiving, he is a solid option in deep mixed leagues and NL-Only leagues. Unless the Cubs turn around their disappointing season in the next few weeks, the northsiders will turn into sellers. Rumors are swirling about Ted Lilly, Derek Lee, and Kosuke Fukudome as likely candidates to be traded as the Cubs begin a somewhat modified youth movement. They are not able to completely clean house because of a few contracts that no other team would take on. Alfonso Soriano and his ridiculous contract are not going anywhere in the next five years. Hopefully, the Cubs will be able to trade Carlos Zambrano after his latest breakdown. Aramis Ramirez has a player option for 2011 and although he says that its about winning, my guess is Ramirez does not walk away from the $12 or $13 million he can make next year with the Cubs.

Colvin, Starlin Castro, and Andrew Cashner are the first three players the Cubs have promoted to represent this youth movement. Others are in route and we will probably get to see them sooner than September. Colvin can play all three outfield positions and gives management flexibility. If Colvin is available in your league, I suggest you take give him a shot.

In other fantasy news from Sunday…..

• Carlos Beltran is making progress in his rehab and getting close to returning to the Mets lineup. With Angel Pagan playing so well in Beltran’s absence, Beltran was asked if he has been told that he will return to center when he returns to the Mets.
  
• Patrick Saunders from the Denver Post suggests that the Rockies face a tough rotation decision when Jorge De La Rosa returns from the disabled list on July 7th. Jhoulys Chacin, despite a career-high 12 strikeouts on Sunday, could be the option to move out of the rotation and back to Triple-A.
  
• Jorge De La Rosa dominates in his second rehab start at Colorado Springs.
• Matt Kemp was given a mental health day by Joe Torre. Kemp is having a down season, but still on pace for 20 home runs. Expect Kemp back in the line-up on Monday.
  
• Yadier Molina continues to struggle through a hitting slump. Tony La Russa was asked if he is concerned about Molina’s innings behind the plate.
  
• Will Venable stayed hot on Sunday with a two-run homer that helped the Padres win again on the road. Venable is hitting .313 in his last ten games with 4 home runs and 13 RBI.
  

Prince Fielder

Prince Fielder has averaged 120 RBI over the last three years for the Milwaukee Brewers. Now in a contract year, Prince Fielder finds himself in a down season batting .260, 15 HR, and only 31 RBI. Saturday was only his fourth multi-hit game in June, which has resulted in an ugly .244 BA this month. He has the power going this month with seven home runs, but that is all he has contributed in June. The majority of his home runs have all been solo shots and Fielder is on pace to have only 65 RBI this season. After last season and his 46 HR and 141 RBI, fantasy owners had no reason not to expect similar production this season.

The Brewers confirmed on Saturday that there are no current negotiations going on between the organization and Fielder’s agent, Scott Boras. At this point, neither side knows when or if those talks will start up again. This situation puts fantasy owners that participate in NL-Only leagues in a difficult situation as the All Star Game break approaches. If Fielder were to be traded and stay in the National League, all is well. But, Fielder getting traded to an American League team is just as possible and who knows what you get in return. Sticking with Fielder through this down stretch may leave you disappointed. Its a challenging situation to manage and you need to proceed with caution. Don’t overreact, but if the opportunity presents itself to include Fielder in a package deal, you may want to cut ties now instead of being left in the cold.

In other fantasy news from Saturday…..

• Jayson Heyward is expected to miss at least 2 games with a thumb injury. Stay tuned as this may last more than two games.
• Brandon Phillips was arrested for reckless driving on Saturday.Phillips was driving 73 mph in a 35 mph zone. Phillips said he was late meeting his parents for dinner. No fantasy impact from a speeding ticked, but just another player getting in trouble.
• Madison Bumgarner suffered his first loss of the season against the Red Sox Bumgarner did not throw particularity bad as he pitched 7 innings and gave up 4 runs. He is going to be given every chance to succeed.
• Aramis Ramirez got his first hit since returning from the disabled list. It was a home run that tied the game in the 7th inning. The Cubs went on to lose again, but it was good to see Ramirez come through with a big hit in a game.
• When Carlos Zambrano does return from his suspension, he will do so by returning to the bullpen role that he held earlier in the season. This situation could not be worse for those of you that own Zambrano. My advice, cut ties and move on. This is just a ticking time bomb that will explode again and again.
• Dustin Pedroia was placed on the disabled list with a broken foot. Its unclear at this time how long Pedroia will be out of the Red Sox lineup.
• Jon Garland had allowed one run on four hits over 6 2/3 innings and got a win over Josh Johnson and the Florida Marlins. Garland even had an RBI in the game. Padres continue to get excellent pitching and just enough offense to win games.

On Friday, I appeared on The Sports Buzz with Julie Buehler to discuss this weekend’s inter league match up between the Dodgers and the Yankees. Game one of the series went to the Yankees 2-1. Vicente Padilla threw seven strong innings, but the Dodgers offense continued its recent struggles and only had four hits against C.C. Sabathia.

PART I

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

PART II

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Sports Illustrated

The year of the pitcher marches on! Despite walking seven batters through the first three innings Friday night, Diamondbacks right-hander Edwin Jackson regained his control and pitched a no-hitter against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Jackson was so wild and the pitch count was high that the Diamondbacks had relievers warming up from the sixth inning on. With the victory, Jackson got his fifth win of the season.

Jackson has a record of 5-6 and a 4.63 ERA for the season. Although those numbers aren’t impressive, Jackson has not given up more than 3 runs in his any of his last three starts. Early in the season Jackson was getting hit hard and often. Fantasy owners were ready to pull the plug and look for other options.  He has turned his season around and is worth keeping an eye on in NL-Only leagues. The Diamondbacks bullpen, which is the worst in the league, keeps Jackson’s value lower than it would be with the necessary support.

Congratulations Mr. Jackson on a job well done!

In other fantasy news from Friday…..

• Carlos Zambrano was indefinitely suspended by the Chicago Cubs for his tirade that followed a first inning that saw him give up four runs. The Cubs must move mountains to move Zambrano out of Chicago. Zambrano never should have been given the $91.5 million dollar contract for five years. He is not the same pitcher that he was a few years ago. Find a spot on your bench for Zambrano or just drop the guy. He is worthless for awhile….
• Scott Rolen continued his great start to the season with his 16th home run and two RBI.
• Drew Stubbs had a big night with two hits, including a home run, four RBI, a stolen base, and two runs scored. Stubbs is a solid options in all formats.
• Lance Berkman hit his 7th home run of the season. Berkman is off to a horrible start this season with a .244 BA, 7 HR, and 32 RBI. After tonight’s home run, maybe you can entice someone in your league to take Berkman off your hands.
• Nyjer Morgan put on a show with his bat going 4-5 with three runs scored.  Morgan also made one of the most incredible catches that I can remember.
• Aramis Ramirez returned to the Cubs lineup after declaring that he was ready to go. After going 0-3 with a walk, one has to wonder what Ramirez was thinking…..

Through 5 1/3 innings on Thursday, Yovani Gallardo was perfect. Gallardo (7-3) even had two hits of his own before allowing any Thursday as the Brewers beat the Twins, 5-0, to complete a three-game sweep at Miller Park.Entering the sixth inning, Gallardo was four innings away from becoming the third pitcher to throw a perfect game this season, but Drew Butera broke it up with a single in the sixth inning.

This was Gallardo’s best start of his career. For the first time in 16 starts, he did not walk a batter and he also tied his career high in strikeouts with 12. Gallardo’s command was outstanding and he is putting together another solid season for the Brewers. He will face the Astros in his next start.

In other fantasy news from Thursday….

• Jose Tabata has his best hitting night of his young career with three hits. Tabata has been hitting a lot of balls hard lately, but just not seeing the results yet. If you picked up Tabata when he arrived in Pittsburgh, hang in there with him.Tabata has value in NL Only Leagues and deep mixed leagues.
• Prince Fielder hit his 14th home run of the season. Fielder is not giving fantasy owners much in the way of average or RBI this year, but he is on pace to hit 25-30 homers.
• Aramis Ramirez will return to the Cubs lineup on Friday. Ramirez has been out since June 8th with a left thumb injury.
• Jonathan Herrera had three more hits to extend his hitting streak to six games for the Rockies. With Tulowitzki out for six to eight weeks, the Rockies need a spark and right now Herrera is doing a nice job. Herrera has some value in deep NL-Only Leagues while he is hot.
• Manny Ramirez had a couple hits and two RBI Thursday against the Angels. Ramirez needs a big weekend against the Yankees.

To those who say Stephen Strasburg should not play in this year’s All Star Game – I ask a simple question, “Do you think Strasburg is one of the best thirteen pitchers in the National League?” If your answer to that question is “yes” , then you have your answer to whether or not Strasburg should be selected by Charlie Manuel to pitch for the National League.  The reasons to include Stephen Strasburg in this year’s All Star Game are more powerful than his fastball. But to be fair, lets evaluate the pros and cons to this debate.

Those against Strasburg are saying that it would be unfair for Manuel to select a player that has only been in the major leagues for a month compared to a player that has been there 3 1/2 months. Who else deserves to represent the Washington Nationals? One could argue that Matt Capps deserves that honor with a major league leading 22 saves. But, who would you tune into watch – Strasburg or Capps? Manuel said “Strasburg has to earn it” and I agree 100%.  Even though Strasburg hasn’t been in the league long, he has demonstrated his amazing talent with the  2 wins, 1.78 ERA, and 41 strikeouts in his first four starts. The two games he did not earn a win, the Nationals offense was non-existent. With three more starts scheduled before the all-star game, Strasburg has the opportunity to improve on those solid numbers. Strasburg has set the major league record with 41 strikeouts in his four starts. He has been dominant to this point and definitely has earned the respect and admiration of the public and the hitters he has pitched against.

Lets remember that the National League wants to win the game to earn home field advantage in the World Series. The National League has not won an All-Star game since 1996 at the old Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia and it would be nice to win one of these games for a change. Ulbado Jimenez deserves the honor to be the National League starting pitcher this year. It would be great to have Strasburg follow Jimenez to begin the game.

With all the negative news currently in our society, Strasburg has been a bright spot for people to talk about and he has had such a positive impact on the game. People would enjoy watching this phenom take on the best the American League has to offer. And, lets be honest, from a business standpoint Strasburg’s presence would help television ratings for the game and the powers that be want to show him off with such a grand stage.  It is essential for Major League Baseball (MLB)  to distance themselves from the non-stop steroid barrage and I can’t think of a better way to do it then to showcase new, young talent.  Strasburg has captured the attention of the public and more importantly the younger audience which MLB definitely needs to attract in higher numbers.

So, do you think Stephen Strasburg is one of the best 13 pitchers the National League has right now?  Do you think he is one of the most positive and exciting stories currently in MLB?   If you can answer yes to these questions, then Stephen Strasburg should be on the all-star team this year.

YAHOO

Lance Berkman has been a fantasy stud since he began his career in 1999 and that is why its tough to cut ties with him. Berkman has averaged a .297 BA, 26 home runs, and 89 RBI a season.  Despite missing the first twelve games of the season after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee March 13, Berkman was expected to have another productive season. The Astros lineup is not what is once was with the Killer B’s (Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell, Berkman), but with a lineup that includes  Hunter Pence and Carlos Lee batting behind Berkman, fantasy owners expected him to be productive this season.

Berkman’s inability to get hits this season has fantasy owners wondering if it is time to release him. Through Wednesday, Berkman only has a .239 BA,6 HR, and 29 RBI. Berkman has shown spurts, but that is not enough to keep me from starting to looking for other options in my league.

In other fantasy news from Wednesday…..

• Rafael Furcal returned to the Dodgers lineup after the death of his father.
• Stephen Strasburg set a new MLB record with 41 strikeouts in his first four starts. Strasburg struck out ten, but the Nationals offense could not get him any run support.
• Matt Holliday delivered in the ninth inning with a two out single that scored the winning run for the Cardinals
• Kevin Correia and Bud Black saw improvement in his outing against the Rays.
• Buster Posey sat for the second straight day, but Bruce Bochy just wants to give him a couple days off.
• Chris Carpenter threw eight scoreless innings against the Blue Jays and improved his record to 9-1 this season.
• The Reds GM, Walt Jocketty suggests that Aroldis Chapman might pitch out of the bullpen when he reaches Cincinnati.

Jhoulys Chacin kept the powerful Boston Red Sox offense in check on Tuesday night. Chacin pitched 6.2 innings and scattered four hits while striking out five. Chacin needs to thank Joe Beimel for getting him out of a 7th inning bases loaded jam by forcing David Ortiz to ground out to end the Red Sox lases loaded threat. Rafael Betancourt and Matt Belisle were able to preserve the lead and Chacin earned his first victory since May 25th. Chacin’s control was far from solid as he issued five walks.

Chacin is quietly having a respectable rookie campaign. His win-loss record does not standout, but his  3.56 ERA and his 59 strikeouts  are very respectable. Look for Chacin to continue to improve and gain confidence. With the loss of Tulowitzki, odds are the Rockies are going to be in alot of tight ballgames and will need the pitching staff to keep opposing offenses in check. Chacin has value in NL-Only formats and deep Mixed Leagues.

In other fantasy news from Tuesday night…..

• Carlos Beltran will begin his rehab with his season debut on Thursday in Port St. Lucie.
• After Aramis Ramirez declared himself ready to play, the Cubs have said they want to see more and Ramirez will not return until Friday when the Cubs play the White Sox.
• Matt Holliday stayed hot while batting second in the Cardinals lineup as he hit another home run- his fifth in the last four games.
• Ubaldo Jimenez left the ballpark feeling sick and pitching against the Red Sox on Wednesday is not a sure thing. Stay tuned….
• Jimmy Rollins returned from the disabled list and went 0-4. Expect Rollins to take a few games to shake off the rust.
• Mark DeRosa is out for the season with season ending wrist surgery
• Stephen Strasburg is going to get an extra days rest before All Star game
• Matt Latos threw seven scoreless innings against the Tampa Bay Rays to earn his eight win on the season. Latos was brilliant and struck out eight -including his last five batters – and walked one.
• The Texas Rangers activated Nelson Cruz from the 15-day disabled list.
• The Colorado Rockies activated Huston Street from the 15-day disabled list. Don’t look for Street to start closing games just yet. It appears the Rockies will ease him back into the closer slot.