Archive for August, 2011
The Marlins & The Future
With 72 losses already, their ace out for the season (Josh Johnson=Gimpy?), and their best hitter taking it easy (Hanley Ramirez Exposed!!, more on that next time), the Marlins have nothing to lose. But we can all see that Ole Man McKeon is playing every game like it’s his last (which each game very well [...]
Fantasy Baseball: Who’s Running Hot & Cold – August 28, 2011
HOT James Loney (LAD) – The light-hitting Dodgers first baseman always seems to leave fantasy owners wanting more. Over the past week however, Loney has been scorching at the plate going 15-for-26 (.577 AVG). He has also contributed 3 HR to go along with 7 RBI and 7 runs. He’s alos available in the vast majority [...]
2011 WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon
Join me in raising the awareness to the wonderful work of The Jimmy Fund, the Boston Red Sox official charity for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The Jimmy Fund was founded in 1948 and made popular by the generosity and support of the late great Red Sox LF Ted Williams. To learn more about The Jimmy Fund, click HERE. The main [...]
Detroit Controls its Own Destiny Heading into Season’s Final Month
After the Detroit Tigers most recent series against the Cleveland Indians ending in a sweep for Detroit, the Tigers are in complete control to win—or lose—the division. Since the All Star Break the Tigers have made moves both on and off the field that has brought excitement, confusion, anger and every feeling in between to [...]
Looking Ahead to the 2012 Mets
After some encouraging moments, the 2011 season is essentially over for the Mets. Actually, it’s been over for a while. So it’s not too soon to talk about 2012, since General Manager Sandy Alderson is building for next year and beyond. Here is how next year’s starting lineup shapes up: JOSH THOLE (C): [...]
Versatile & Error: Good & Bad Utility Players for the Fantasy Baseball Playoffs
For many fantasy baseball leagues, the month of September is considered the ‘playoffs’ (the viability of this can be addressed in a separate article). As you head into the playoffs, one issue to contend with is the fact that many major league teams will be looking to give their veterans some rest as well as calling up someyoung prospects from the [...]
August’s Reflections on the Indians
The Indians were just involved in a series sweep with the division rival Detroit Tigers, but unfortunately they were the ones getting swept. At one point in the season, the Indians had a seven game lead in their division with fans planning their schedules for October, but now with just over a month left in [...]
Fantasy Baseball: Who’s Running Hot & Cold – August 21, 2011
HOT Peter Bourjos (LAA) – Even though he continues to bounce around the Angels’ batting order, Bourjos has caught fire as of late. In the past week, he has scorched along at a 14-for-28 (.483) clip and added 7 R, 2 HR, 4 RBI and 2 SB into the mix for an all-around fantasy effort. Mitch Moreland (TEX) – [...]
Reflecting on the Giants Midseason Trades
I love baseball trades, especially in midseason. They are exciting! You just do not know what you are going to get. of course, it also depends on whether your team is a buyer or a seller. Is your team competitive and trying to build for the post season? Or, is your team auctioning good players [...]
Vote of Confidence Signals Long Overdue End
Few words scare any team executive, coach, or even player quite like the dreaded “vote of confidence.” In fact, according to a Wall Street Journal study done last year, 20% of coaches who receive a vote of confidence from their boss are pursuing gainful employment within just the next month, while others are fired shortly [...]
A First Look at 2012 Keepers
For some fantasy baseball GM’s, the quest for the 2012 championship has already begun. For others, 2011 is still within grasp and every effort is being made to win it all this year. If you are in a keeper league it is a great advantage to know when this season is out of reach so [...]
Young Rookie ‘Heroes’ to Consider for the Middle Infield Spots in Fantasy Baseball
There was a time when fantasy baseball success in your middle infield spots meant using veteran players. That rule certainly does not hold true in the 2011 season. Remember the days when an established player was an asset at second base or shortstop? It wasn’t long ago when having Derek Jeter, Chase Utley or Miguel [...]
Having an Offseason Baseball Plan
The end of July is one of those transition times of year when kids stop competing in baseball and begin playing or practicing for another sport. Playing multiple sports when young is good and a great form of conditioning. Taking a break from playing any sport for a while is also OK, as long as [...]
Introducing Y Athlete
Y Athlete… Assisting and Empowering Todays Athletes The one thing that separates the successful athletes who reach their highest potential level from those who don’t are the ones who lack focus. Focus defined is the concentration of attention or energy on something: i.e. a goal. As an athlete looking to make it in their respective [...]
A Review of the Documentary: Jews in Baseball
Released last November (2010), the documentary Jews in Baseball lives up to the hype, documenting some of (if not all of) the most important Jewish major leaguers that have ever played the game of baseball. The DVD shows how players such as Hank Greenberg and Sandy Kofax honored their Jewish faith, while paving the [...]
Fantasy Baseball: Who’s Running Hot and Cold
HOT J.J. Hardy (BAL) – The Baltimore shortstop has been able to avoid major injury this season and has been riding some serious hot streaks. He has gone 10-for-26 with 6 R, 4 HR, 10 RBI over the past week. His 23 HR in 2011 leave him just 3 shy of his career high from 2007. Jose [...]
Cool WHIP: Fantasy Baseball Pitchers to Help Your Team’s WHIP
As we enter the final 2 months of the 2011 baseball season, fantasy baseball owners will no doubt be taking a closer look at their teams in trying to identify shortcomings and solidify themselves in certain categories. In looking at your pitching roster, you may be one of the many fantasy owners who could use a boost in [...]
Picking Up Stolen Bases from the Waiver Wire or Trading Block in Fantasy Baseball
If you are like many fantasy baseball owners, you may have a glaring need for stolen bases on your team. The basic problem is that many owners will place a higher value on hitters who deliver power as opposed to speed. Since a home run will technically also contribute in 3 other categories (run scored, [...]
Grading the Trade Deadline: Part 2
The Deal: The Cardinals trade Colby Rasmus (and Trever Miller, Brian Tallet, and PJ Walters) to the Blue Jays for recently-acquired SP Edwin Jackson, SP Marc Rzepczynski, RP Octavio Dotel, and OF Corey Patterson. The White Sox were also involved in this deal, as the Blue Jays acquired Edwin Jackson and Mark Teahen’s Fat Ugly [...]
Killer K’s: Fantasy Baseball Strikeout Options
If your fantasy baseball team is in dire need of help in the category of strikeouts, a quick trip to the waiver wire or trading block may be just what the doctor ordered. However, there may be some side effects from the medication the fantasy doctor prescribes. In other words, you may be able to pick up a pitcher or two to [...]
Grading the Trade Deadline: Part 1
This year’s crop of deadline deals was widely expected to be one of the weakest trading markets in recent history, and in many ways, it was. So many teams in dire need of a shortstop or catcher simply couldn’t find suitable ones on the market, and teams looking to make big additions were met with [...]
Fantasy Baseball: Who’s Running Hot and Who’s Running Cold
Every now and then it’s time to check in on some players who are hot and some who are cold. HOT Dan Uggla (ATL)- It hasn’t been a stellar season for Ugly Dan but with 9 hits in his last 24 AB (.375), he has started to show signs of life at the plate. Uggla has also [...]
Try to Beat Me at Fandazzle’s Game of Gurus
WEEKLY FANTASY GAMES Congratulations! You have created (0) league(s) for the game : Fantazzles Game of Gurus Fantasy Baseball 7:05pm ET (8/8 – 8/14) Name: SS – My selection: Rafael Furcal Name: 3B – My selection: Jose Bautista Name: 1B – My selection: Adrian Gonzalez Name: OF – My selection: Jacoby Ellsbury Name: C [...]
Splits List Section for Starting Pitchers At MoneyStats.COM
This article was written by our friends at MoneyStats.com At MoneyStats, we have developed a Splits List Section for starting pitchers. In our Splits Lists, you can break down the lists by American and National League, by team and by number of starts for easy comparisons. Our Splits Lists include breakdowns on all [...]
Donnie Baseball Hit’s Another Home Run
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Toms River, NJ, Apr. 23, 2011—Bob Salomon, Co-Creator and driving force of “A Glove of Their Own,” an award winning book, is pleased to announce Don Mattingly and Mattingly Charities has joined the “Glove Team.” Mattingly, or Donnie Baseball, as he is so often referred to as is a lifelong [...]
Baseball, More Than the Fundamentals
Recently, I was asked to evaluate players for a 13-year-old travel baseball tryout. I was surprisingly impressed and disappointed at the same time. Impressed with the baseball skills that many of the young players displayed, but disappointed with the athleticism of a majority of the kids. Many of the players had good baseball fundamentals, but [...]
Baseball Trade Deadline 2011 and the Impact on Fantasy Baseball
Although it wasn’t one of the most intense trading deadlines in memory, July 31, 2011 came and went with a few trades of note. The baseball players that landed on new teams no doubt want to do everything they can to prove their worth to a new team which valued their services enough to trade away assets [...]
2011 Team by Team Trade Deadline Rankings
The non-waiver trade deadline ended on Sunday afternoon, and there was no shortage of teams looking to make some sort of move. With nearly every division being within the grasp of a strong run within the last two months of the season, perhaps no trade season in recent memory has had the potential impact this [...]
The Walking Wounded: Forgotten Fantasy Baseball Players on the DL
Fantasy baseball is often a game of the “here and now”. Owners frequently concern themselves so much with notions like “what have you done for me lately?” that they can sometimes forget about those baseball players that are lurking in the shadows. Every baseball season, there are a number of players that spend a significant [...]
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