Bleacher Report - Articles by Collin Hager - The Roundtable

Fantasy Baseball: 2010 Impact Free Agents, Pt. 1

Collin Hager - The Roundtable — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:56:54 -0400

Over the course of the off-season, this space is going to look at various free agents whose moves would have an impact on their fantasy statistics and draft position. This is often over-looked, but it has proven to be a difference maker in the past.

While not all players will move, the point here will be to look at potential destinations (rumored or pure speculation) and the resulting shifts.

This is not meant to be looked at from a pure mathematical sense. There will be plenty of others who spend their time evaluating the ballpark factors or resulting moves that happen from the first domino to fall. Here, the goal is strictly on potential overall impact. At the end of the day, these are all estimates. Looking at trends of the player, their age, and their ability, the picture should come more clearly in to focus.

Overall, the crop of fantasy outfielders is thinner than one might think. While there will be some big names available, the majority of players will be found to fill roles as much as anything. Certainly interest will be abundant for Jason Bay and Matt Holliday.

These two are going to be the elite of the class, at least among those that do not have an option tied to their contract, and will be the focus in this installment.

Holliday was a prime example as to how a new uniform can really change your opinion about a guy. To say his start in Oakland was atrocious is likely being kind, and there will be many that will argue that he should stay out of the American League entirely as a result. Hold back on that. Holliday was in an Oakland lineup that was at the bottom of the league in terms of production.

April was ugly, and his .240 average shows that. Still, he began to turn a corner in May by hitting .291 with five home runs, followed by a .280 showing in June. Even prior to his trade from Oakland in July, he had raised his average 11 points on the month by going 23-for-68 (.338) in 18 games.

The power numbers were not there in the way they were once he landed in St. Louis, but he was slowly proving that he could hit even in that lineup.

This is brought up because it is very likely that Holliday will have some big-name suitors. There should be little doubt that with Johnny Damon headed for free agency and Xavier Nady there as well that the Yankees could be a player.

The Red Sox will be dealing with Bay, but are likely to at least kick the tires here as well. The dollar demand will likely rule many teams out, but the Rangers could be players as well.

Should he not re-sign in the National League, temper early projections slightly, but know that in a decent lineup that he should see better production than the early months in Oakland.

Bay is a horse of a different color. Many expected Bay to produce in the power categories in line with where he did this season. Bay proved between 2008 and 2009 that he can perform when the lights are the brightest and under the greatest of scrutiny.

These are pieces that cannot be taught, but can certainly be translated across teams. It is why regardless as to where he ends up, he should be looked at as a steady draft pick. Still, owners should have concern over certain areas of his game.

The outfielder struggled dramatically in June and July, posting .230 and .192 averages respectively. Certainly, average is only part of the equation with Bay, but he did only have one home run in 78 July at-bats to go with only five RBI. He drove in 20 runs in June, but hit a home run only once every 25 at-bats for the month. Not the type of production you would want to get out of an early-round selection.

Granted, much of the Boston lineup struggled in July, but Bay was not able to provide any sort of relief. Additionally, his strikeout numbers were way up this season. Bay’s strikeouts as a percent of at-bats increased 33 percent in 2009 over 2008. They were up 18 percent against his 2007 numbers.

His walks were up as well, and his plate discipline improved. Still, owners would need to be cognizant of the number if they get penalized for strikeouts.

Just as alarming and noteworthy, though, are Bay’s contact numbers. He made contact 10 percent less often than in most other seasons. He dropped about 5 percent on making contact with pitches in the zone. Does that suggest a rebound? Certainly, but mainly because of historical consistency in these numbers. This past season could have simply been a function of contract-year pressure.

From a drafting perspective, owners should drop Holliday from the end of round one to the middle portion of round two and early round three if he signs with an American League team. Should he stay in the National League, expect him to produce first-round worthy numbers.

Owners that get him near pick 15 would be served well. Bay is likely a third or fourth round selection depending on the league. His future team should have little bearing on his draft position.

Outside of these two major names, it is possible that Manny Ramirez finds himself on the market. Ramirez has a player option for $20 million, and would again be a premier free agent. Still, he will be closing in on 40 and did not produce as effectively even after being re-instated. He hit just 10 home runs after the All-Star break while hitting only .255.

Ramirez could see a rebound in production, but there is a greater chance that we have seen his best days. After being a second-round pick this past season, owners need to drop him much further back. With plenty of players being able to produce north of 25 home runs with higher averages, Ramirez will not provide the same bang for the buck.

With what has transpired this season regarding his suspension as well as his production, Ramirez would be wise to exercise the option to stay with the Dodgers. If he does, he remains in a division filled with what certainly appear to be parks that favor pitchers. Unless there is a return to life in the playoffs, your league will need to count OBP in order for him to have a return to being a cornerstone outfielder.

The final major building block-type outfielder is Carl Crawford. Crawford’s contract calls for a club option, and it is a near certainty that Tampa will put it into effect. His impact in moving to another club is, therefore, moot.

Crawford remains in the team’s plans at this point, and the trade of Scott Kazmir likely signals the desire Tampa has to get him under a long-term contract. Given the fall-off in production from B.J. Upton and Crawford’s value to the team overall, he will remain in Tampa.

Collin Hager writes The Elmhurst Pub fantasy blog. You can get your questions answered by sending an e-mail to elmhurstpubroundtable@yahoo.com. He's also on Twitter @TheRoundtable.

Fantasy Baseball: Learning from the Playoffs

Collin Hager - The Roundtable — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 08:03:19 -0400

Where leagues have ended, only the few with way too much time on their hands continue to evaluate fantasy baseball players and rosters. Since this falls into that category, we should be good.

It might be normal to think that the playoffs show us very little when it comes to the following season. Given the smaller number of teams and the usually set lineups, that can be the case.

Still, the last few postseasons have given us at least one player to think about heading into the following year. This year, there are candidates to do just that again.

In 2007, Coco Crisp was the center fielder of choice in Boston. While Jacoby Ellsbury had come onto the scene late, there was certainly skepticism as to if he would be able to stand the pressure of the playoffs.

Ellsbury came through, even though there are some that would argue it was largely the failure of Crisp down the stretch. Still, the at-bats he had during the postseason were what allowed Boston the flexibility to deal Crisp this past offseason.

Crisp had been marginalized, and it was proven out that the younger and cheaper Ellsbury could perform the same job. While Crisp stayed on in 2008 and shared the duties, it was only a matter of time before the job was solely Ellsbury’s to have. That has brought a great benefit to fantasy owners that watched it unfold in the fall of 2007.

Last season, there is no doubt that the biggest story was the emergence of pitching in Tampa. David Price may have come up at the end of September, but few could have anticipated the impact he would have in the playoffs. His role in shutting down the Red Sox in the ALCS caused fantasy owners to salivate at the possibility of him in the 2009 rotation.

For Price, 2009 did not unfold the way he would have wanted. After starting the season in the minors, Price was roughed up in a majority of his road outings before settling into a groove during the season’s final month.

His youth alone will have owners ready to draft him again in 2010. It is much more likely that he spends a full season in the rotation and could very well experience a similar growth path to the one taken by Ellsbury.

This year, the focus for a player that could break through needs to start in Colorado. The key player that many will look at initially is Carlos Gonzalez

Gonzalez provided many owners a late-season boost based on some strong August production in terms of power and speed. Still, his numbers were already receiving attention, and he is likely to be on many sleeper lists heading into 2010.

There are a few other names still that did not receive enough recognition over the course of the season that could do so with some strong playoff work. Pitchers Jorge De La Rosa and Ubaldo Jimenez could do just that.

De La Rosa was one of the best in the National League from July through September, but his ownership never reflected the strong numbers he posted. While the Rockies will be without him for the Division Series, look for him should the team move on.

Jimenez had strong strikeout totals in 2009, closing in on 200 before the season came to an end. He drew Game One against the Phillies and would likely get another start in Game Four or Five. Jimenez has the ability to take the next step, and a national stage would do wonders to show those outside of the fantasy world what he can bring to the table.

In Minnesota, there are plenty of unsung heroes that could see their draft stock bettered with a good series against New York.

Look first at Michael Cuddyer. Cuddyer came off an injury-plagued 2008 season to be an effective replacement for Minnesota after the injury to Justin Morneau. Even with 32 home runs in 2009, he was not able to gain universal acceptance as an option at the corners or in the outfield. Watch out for him.

Do not forget about Francisco Liriano as well. He was a complete disappointment this season, but a good run in the playoffs would make owners forget many of their reasons for cutting him.

It is possible that these players are around only briefly, but there are some options even in New York. Phil Hughes has made a name for himself in the bullpen, but he could make enough of a stance to move in to the rotation.

In St. Louis, keep an eye on young outfielder Colby Rasmus. He spent the season with the Cardinals but only hit .251. His power numbers were decent, as he posted 16 home runs and 52 RBI. Rasmus was up and down, having a good month followed by a bad one. The playoffs are a time to shine, and he will have the opportunity.

The fact is, the playoffs make names for players. Those that can show success on the biggest of stages can garner expanded roles in the seasons that follow. Keep an eye out for these players, as they look to gain the same fame taken by those before them.

Fantasy Baseball: Friday News and Notes

Collin Hager - The Roundtable — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 11:25:49 -0400

The end to the season is a little bittersweet. This will be the final set of notes for the season. For those of you that have now been with us for two seasons, it has been a pleasure continuing through this year with you. For those of you new to the party, hopefully you have enjoyed the ride and obtained some good information in the process.

No doubt, next season will be just as much fun. Over the course of the fall and winter there will be some updates and posts along the way. Keep an eye out for them!

With the finals winding down, this is a good place to end the session. There are plenty of moves that can still help you. Remember, if pitchers have thrown in the last day or two, they will not be pitching the rest of the way. Drop them and grab others to fill in as needed. Wins and categories can still be had!

Thanks again for a great 2009!

On to the notes.

Thursday Rewind

Too bad there are not many leagues that reward offensive performances by pitchers. In addition to Chris Carpenter working five solid innings against the Reds yesterday, he added a grand slam and six RBI. Carpenter has to have been the most pleasant surprise in the National League in terms of pitching. He will not be available as late in drafts next season.
Cliff Lee did not end the season well, giving up 27 runs in his last 39.2 innings pitched. Five of his final seven starts were shaky, at best. Interesting piece is that two of those starts came against the Astros. Something to keep in mind heading into next season from a matchup perspective. Lee started off on fire for the Phillies, but slowed down quickly.
Derrek Lee left yesterday's game after fouling a ball off of his foot. Lee's availability for tonight's game has not been discussed, but X-rays were negative when taken. Keep a careful eye on this situation. If you are close in runs or RBI, it might be prudent to add another bat if Lee cannot go.
Jon Lester showed no ill effects of the line drive that caught him off the leg during his last start. Lester worked into the seventh inning and gave up no runs on two hits and a walk. He has been dominant against Cleveland in the past, and this outing was no exception. The lefty has asserted himself as one of the better American League pitchers. This season, he finishes with 225 strikeouts in 203.1 innings of work to go with his 15 wins.
There is little doubt that Tommy Hanson has established himself as a quality fantasy starter. Hanson worked seven innings yesterday against the Nationals and gave up one run on five hits, and two walks. His 2009 ERA ends under 2.90 with a WHIP of 1.18 in 127.2 innings. The Braves will continue to be careful with increasing his innings, but he should build on all these stats next year.
Aaron Cook produced a second solid start in his return from the disabled list. Cook threw eight innings against the Brewers, and allowed only one run. After hurling five shutout innings against the Cardinals, owners should be confident that he has fully recovered. Cook is a late-round pickup in most formats and should be ready for that same role in 2010.
As hard a time as many have given Chris Davis this season, he has hit well over the last five games. Davis is now nine for his last 19 with two home runs and four RBIs. He still has struck out four times, but that is actually a slightly better ratio than he has seen.
Kendry Morales continued his hot streak yesterday. Morales has pushed his average up over .300 with a recent five-game hitting streak. The Angels draw Oakland this weekend, a team that Morales has hit .400 against in 2009. Keep riding him now, as there is no sign of a slow-down.
Ben Zobrist is now hitting .348 over his last six games. The second basemen has multiple hits in four of his last five games played, and has now driven in 11 runs in a six-game span. Zobrist certainly broke out this year, but will not sneak up on owners in 2010. Careful, though, as he is likely to be over-drafted.

Friday Notes

Edwin Jackson has not had the best luck against the White Sox. He has given up 20 hits in 19 innings of work to go along with nine walks. Factor in 10 earned runs in this stretch, and it looks scary. Still, five of those runs came in his last outing. He is still 7-2 at home this season, and the strikeout numbers will still help.
Daisuke Matsuzaka struggled with some control problems against the Yankees, as he walked five batters in seven innings. He did give up six hits as well, but managed to work around much trouble. He has pitched well since returning to the rotation after being exiled, and the Cleveland matchup is favorable enough to keep him active.
Ubaldo Jimenez has been a nice surprise, but the Dodgers have seemingly had his number all season long. Look to get many of them in your lineup. Even Russell Martin is 8-for-21 against the Colorado starter. Only Manny Ramirez has struggled, posting just one hit in nine at-bats. How bad has Jimenez been against the Dodgers? Try 0-3 in four starts with 19 earned runs allowed in 22 innings.
Randy Wolf has only had a decision in half of his starts this season, but he has pitched well. More impressive than the 11-6 record is the 1.08 WHIP posted by the starter. Wolf has gone 1-0 in three starts against the Rockies in 2009. Todd Helton has struggled against him, going just 5-for-28. No other major flags here, as the team still shows limited at-bats against Wolf.
Derek Lowe's numbers against the Nationals look worse than they are, as he was roughed up by them early this season. He has given up five earned runs against them in his last 13 innings of work. Still, he has struggled of late, giving up at least three earned runs in six of his last eight starts. Only once in that span has he worked beyond the sixth inning.
CC Sabathia will get the ball tonight, but the Yankees are likely going to be cautious in how they use him. Sabathia is 0-1 in three starts against Tampa with a 4.35 ERA. Surprisingly, as a team, Tampa does not have stand-out numbers against the lefty. Jason Bartlett is 10-for-34, and Ben Zobrist is 4-for-10, but not much else of which to speak. If you could use a hit, look to B.J. Upton, as he is 4-for-12 against Sabathia with two home runs.
Joe Blanton has been very tough at home, going 7-3 in 2009. He has also been effective against most of the Florida Marlins. Look to avoid Dan Uggla, Emilio Bonifacio, and Jeremy Hermida, as none have been particularly good against Blanton. Nick Johnson hopes to be back this weekend, and if available he is a good start here. Johnson is 7-for-16 against Blanton.
After two rough starts to end August, Kevin Correia has been on a role. The San Diego starter has given up just two runs in his last 22.1 innings of work. The Giants are out of it, and are more likely to throw some younger hitters at Correia than not. His run of success is likely to continue as a result.
Braden Looper might get you a win on the road, but it is likely going to cost you in ERA. He is 9-3, but has posted a 5.25 ERA and .3-2 BAA away from home. The key will be in how St. Louis approaches the weekend. Regardless, you will want to avoid the 2-for-20 of Mark DeRosa.
Spot Starts: Randy Wolf, Kevin Correia, David Purcey

Weekend Notes

The question with all of the games over the weekend will be with regards to who will play. Owners that are looking for certainty are best left to look at the only remaining race being contested. The Twins and Tigers are both likely to play their regulars at least through Saturday. The Rockies and Dodgers will still fight for the division title as well, and with it the right not to play the Cardinals. Beyond that, it would be a guess as to who will show up in lineups.
Even pitching rotations could be called into question. Playoff teams are very likely to look to get work in for their starters but then pull them early. With games starting as early as Tuesday, rested arms in the bullpen will be important. Do not expect that simply because you have an ace going that they will throw seven innings. It is more likely to happen with teams that are not in the playoffs than those that are.
Josh Beckett is on track to get the start for Boston on Saturday. Beckett threw a side-session on Wednesday of 62 pitches and thinks that the back injury that caused him to be scratched on Monday is under control. Be cautious here. Not just because of his potential to be pulled early, but because of his having three cortisone shots to reduce the inflammation.
Only two players are likely worth starting for the Twins against Zack Greinke. Orlando Cabrera and Jason Kubel have the better numbers against the ace. Kubel is 4-for-14 and Cabrera is 7-for-23. Greinke is looking for a shot at the Cy Young Award, so expect him to go all out here.
Johnny Cueto has gone 3-1 against the Pirates this season with a 2.63 ERA. Ignore his less-than-stellar home numbers in this case, as the fact that it is Pittsburgh should outweigh any problems. Andrew McCutchen has gone 3-for-6 against Cueto with two home runs.
Give Jeff Niemann one more shot. With the Yankees looking to coast into the playoffs, Niemann could catch the team at a good time. He has pitched well against them this season in two starts, and, even with two rough outings, his home splits are still worth the gamble if you need a win. Niemann held the Yankees to one run on eight hits in seven innings at Yankee Stadium early in September.
A lot to like about the start on Sunday for Homer Bailey. In addition to getting the Pirates, Bailey has simply been throwing the ball well since the middle of August. After giving up five runs to the Giants on Aug. 18, he has held opponents to two runs or less in six of eight starts. He is very likely to provide a strikeout boost as well. Bailey is 3-0 against Pittsburgh this season with a .217 BAA.
If the Tigers are to clinch on Saturday, do not expect Justin Verlander to throw on Sunday. Where he has thrown as many pitches as he has in his recent outings, the Tigers will likely give him extra time off if possible. If he does pitch, he is 2-0 against the White Sox this season, and nearly unhittable at home. DeWayne Wise, A.J. Pierzynski, and Carlos Quentin would still all make good plays.
Look to avoid Curtis Granderson on Sunday. He is just 1-for-16 against John Danks. Shane Victorino and Raul Ibanez have both struggled against Josh Johnson, but your other Phillies would make good starts. Chris Davis, Michael Young, Nelson Cruz, and Brandon Boggs all hit Felix Hernandez well. No reason to avoid them.
Spot Starts: Ryan Rowland-Smith, Wade LeBlanc, Jorge De La Rosa, Homer Bailey, Wade Davis, Scott Feldman

Collin Hager writes The Elmhurst Pub fantasy blog. You can get your questions answered by sending an e-mail to elmhurstpubroundtable@yahoo.com. He's also on Twitter @TheRoundtable.

Fantasy Baseball: Thursday News and Notes

Collin Hager - The Roundtable — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 10:22:49 -0400

The lame duck status of a manager always amuses me. Whether it is a college football coach making his way to a bowl game after taking another job or simply a guy playing out the string, letting a person stay on that has no real vested interest makes little sense. That is what the Indians are going to do with Eric Wedge.

After dismissing Wedge and firing the entire coaching staff, the team is either letting him stay on or he agreed to stay on to finish out the weekend.

How often do you see a person let go and then go back to the office for a few more days? Unless it is an actual layoff, it is pretty rare. In sports, you know it means that the inmates will be running the asylum for a while.

Wedge should walk away relatively proud, and he deserves another shot to manage. Not many managers would have won this year without the list of players he lost due to injury. Curious, though, what the difference is between the expectations they had in Cleveland and the ones that Jerry Manuel has failed to live up to for consecutive years.

On to the notes.

Wednesday Rewind

There is no way not to lead with Ricky Nolasco. The Marlins starter struck out nine consecutive Braves last night and whiffed 16 overall in 7.2 innings. This season, he ended up throwing 185 innings and striking out 195 batters to go with his 13 wins. There was no way for his ERA to recover after the disaster of a beginning, but owners should be encouraged with his performance after his recall. He went 11-4 from June on and held batters to a .231 BAA after the break.
Freddy Sanchez will undergo surgery on his knee that has had him in and out of the lineup for the Giants. Sanchez was brought over to help push the Giants into the playoffs, but was sidelined far too often. While his season is over, he is expected to be ready to go by spring training. Yes, it is already being talked about.
Roy Halladay did pitch well last night, but he faced the Red Sox JV squad. The only regulars in the lineup for Boston last night were David Ortiz and Alex Gonzalez. Congratulations to you if you were able to capitalize on this one. Halladay has pitched well in three consecutive starts after having problems all through August and in to early September.
Nolasco did not have the only impressive performance last night. Brandon Morrow worked eight innings, giving up just one hit and two walks to Oakland while striking out nine. Morrow has improved in each of his last three outings. He was expected to start at the beginning of the season, but injuries held him back again. Look for his breakout year in 2010.
There is reason to be bullish on Clayton Richard at the back of the Padres' rotation next season. Since coming over in the trade for Jake Peavy, he has gone 5-2. His September ERA was 3.90, while the August numbers were largely skewed by one bad outing against Atlanta. He has given up just two earned runs in his last 19 innings, pitching against two playoff teams in the process.
Jamie Moyer is done for the season. The pitcher will require shoulder surgery that will keep him out through the playoffs. Moyer was a solid spot-start option for owners in deeper leagues, but at 48 next year and recovering from surgery, his days as a useful fantasy player in any respect have come to a complete end (unless he pitches against Florida).
Couple things to actually like about the Texas-Los Angeles game last night. Julio Borbon hit leadoff again for the Rangers last night. In his four at-bats, he saw 22 pitches and drew one walk. Borbon's ability to work counts and pitchers is going to be a benefit for the Rangers moving in to next year. With his speed, he gives Texas an option rather than re-signing Marlon Byrd.
Mark Buehrle pitched an effective game against the Indians last night, working six solid innings and giving up just three hits and no runs. Buehrle is done for the season, but ends with 13 wins and an ERA of 3.84. Since 2001, he has recorded double-digit wins every season. This year, his strikeout numbers fell off quickly. In 2008, he had a K/9 number of 5.77 after a 5.20 number in 2007. This year, that figure dropped to 4.44.
There are only so many ways to discuss how impressive Bronson Arroyo has been since the All-Star break. His ERA since then is 2.34, even if the record is only 5-5. He has allowed two runs or less in nine of his last 10 starts. Arroyo grabbed the win last night, as the Reds gave him run support.

Thursday Notes

Scott Baker gets the ball for the Twins against the Tigers, but this is a matchup to avoid. Baker is 0-1 in three starts against Detroit, and he has given up 10 runs in his last nine innings against them. He is 8-4 on the road this season, but his 4.50 ERA does not shout confidence. Curtis Granderson, Brandon Inge and Placido Polanco have all seen him at least 30 times and not one is hitting above .235.
Ugly numbers for the Orioles against Matt Garza. There is no one worth starting in this one. Brian Roberts is just 4-for-21, but he does have two home runs in those four hits. Nick Markakis has been bad as well, posting a .150 average in 20 at-bats. AL-only owners should avoid Melvin Mora as well, given his 1-for-18.
Between pitching on the road and against the Angels, Kevin Millwood could be a stretch tomorrow. Millwood is 1-1 in four starts against the Angels, but has given up 35 hits in 23.2 innings to go with 17 earned runs. On the road, he has been roughed up, going 4-7 with a 4.35 road ERA. In other words, start your Angels. Only Chone Figgins should be benched, as he is 6-for-38 against Millwood.
The only Diamondback with decent numbers against Tim Lincecum is Justin Upton. He has gone 6-for-17 against the pitcher. Look to avoid as many as you can otherwise. Mark Reynolds is only 2-for-13, and Stephen Drew is just 3-for-23 when facing the Cy Young candidate.
Jon Lester feels he should be good to go against the Indians. He threw a side session on Monday and thinks that the start should be set. Lester is 6-3 at home this season and has gone 4-1 in September. All good signs for certain, but this is one start where owners in tight races should be careful.
John Lackey has struggled against the Rangers, having gone just 1-2 this season in four starts with a 6.75 ERA and .316 BAA. All your regular Rangers are worth a start in this one, as just Ivan Rodriguez and Omar Vizquel are below .300 against Lackey. Start as many as you can in this one.
All signs remain positive on Chris Carpenter, so owners would be advised to avoid all their Reds in this one. Carpenter is 8-2 on the road this season, posting a 2.15 ERA and a .200 BAA in those starts. Against the Reds, he is 3-0 with a 1.57 ERA. In those three outings, he has allowed just 16 hits in 23 innings.
Aaron Cook will get the start for the Rockies against the Padres. Cook returned last week and pitched well in his first start back. He reported no problems with his shoulder and draws a favorable matchup against the Brewers. Cook has thrown the ball well at home, and is a decent spot play in deep leagues where owners could use a win.
The Giants do not have great numbers against Dan Haren, but Haren has struggled in his last two outings. He has given up five earned in each of his last two starts. Still, avoid Randy Winn, as he is only 7-for-41 against Haren. Aaron Rowand is a bust as well, and though Juan Uribe has been red-hot, he is only 2-for-10 against Haren.
Spot Starts: Brett Anderson, Aaron Cook

Friday Notes

Edwin Jackson has not had the best luck against the White Sox. He has given up 20 hits in 19 innings of work to go along with nine walks. Factor in 10 earned runs in this stretch, and it looks scary. Still, five of those runs came in his last outing. He is still 7-2 at home this season, and the strikeout numbers will still help.
Ubaldo Jimenez has been a nice surprise, but the Dodgers have seemingly had his number all season long. Look to get many of them in your lineup. Even Russell Martin is 8-for-21 against the Colorado starter. Only Manny Ramirez has struggled, posting just one hit in nine at-bats. How bad has Jimenez been against the Dodgers? Try 0-3 in four starts with 19 earned runs allowed in 22 innings.
Derek Lowe's numbers against the Nationals look worse than they are, as he was roughed up by them early this season. He has given up five earned runs against them in his last 13 innings of work. Still, he has struggled of late, giving up at least three earned runs in six of his last eight starts. Only once in that span has he worked beyond the sixth inning.
Joe Blanton has been very tough at home, going 7-3 in 2009. He has also been effective against most of the Florida Marlins. Look to avoid Dan Uggla, Emilio Bonifacio, and Jeremy Hermida, as none have been particularly good against Blanton. Nick Johnson hopes to be back this weekend, and if available he is a good start here. Johnson is 7-for-16 against Blanton.
Braden Looper might get you a win on the road, but it is likely going to cost you in ERA. He is 9-3, but has posted a 5.25 ERA and .3-2 BAA away from home. The key will be in how St. Louis approaches the weekend. Regardless, you will want to avoid the 2-for-20 of Mark DeRosa.
Spot Starts: Randy Wolf, Kevin Correia, David Purcey

Collin Hager writes The Elmhurst Pub fantasy blog. You can get your questions answered by sending an e-mail to elmhurstpubroundtable@yahoo.com. He's also on Twitter @TheRoundtable.

Fantasy Baseball: Wednesday News and Notes

Collin Hager - The Roundtable — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 09:48:07 -0400

All that matters is getting in to the playoffs. A team can back their way in, stumble, trip, crawl, or show up bloody and battered, but getting in is the goal. The Red Sox are out to prove that, relying on the Angels defeating the Rangers over the last two nights to clinch the AL Wild Card spot in 2009.

On the heels of an awful performance from Michael Bowden, Clay Buchholz went out and allowed more home runs in a game than he has in his entire career. Sure, Boston came back, but it was thwarted when Kevin Youkilis struck out looking to end the game. The fact is, the team has looked lifeless.

Whether Terry Francona is out to rest players or get them ready for the playoffs is entirely his decision. The fact remains that not winning, and in playing the way that they have, does not instill confidence. Maybe the manager has earned the right to manipulate the roster how he sees necessary, but something about losing five straight does not give fans the warm and fuzzies.

Whatever the case, the result is a rematch with the Angels and Red Sox in the ALDS. These teams seem to meet nearly every season. For the Angels, they will simply be looking for a different result. There is no doubt that they will be catching Boston at the right time.

On to the notes.

Tuesday Rewind

For a guy that says that there is nothing major going on, taking three cortisone shots seems like a weird way to enforce the opinion. Josh Beckett did just that yesterday, but declared himself ready. Beckett claims nothing major is wrong, and he should, in fact, be ready to make his next start over the weekend.
Aramis Ramirez missed yesterday's game with a sore shoulder. The question is if he will be able to play much the rest of the season. Ramirez is not expected to need shoulder surgery, but he is in pain. Lou Piniella said he is unsure how much playing time Ramirez will see the rest of the way. Daily leagues should be very cautious. If you need a stick, dropping him likely will not hurt you.
Josh Hamilton is officially done for the season. For those of you that were hoping he might be able to provide a quick boost of offense, it is time to cut the cord. He has missed 21 of the last 23 games, and Texas has finally decided to sit him with the pinched nerve the rest of the way. Need outfield help as a result? Garrett Jones can provide a power boost.
Just as Adam Lind was featured in this week's Roaming the Outfield column found here, he hits three home runs against Boston last night. Lind has simply been on fire. He is now hitting .305 this season with 35 home runs. Travis Snider was the guy talked about before the season started, but Lind is the one that has solidified his spot as a top outfielder in 2010.
Effectively wild might be the best characterization of Wade Davis last night. Still, the rookie picked up another win against the Orioles. He went seven innings giving up seven hits and walking three. He allowed just one earned run and struck out three more. It was not as impressive as his last outing against them, but he did only need just over 100 pitches to get through seven innings. His next start will be a test, as he draws the Yankees to end the season.
The Rangers have been giving Hank Blalock more at-bats recently, and it is largely coming at the expense of Nelson Cruz. Cruz has been seeing less time against right-handed pitching, and his recent numbers are a good indication why. Cruz is just seven for his last 37 with only one home run. Keep this in mind, especially where a righty goes today for the Angels.
Homer Bailey has been the tale of two seasons. He threw another solid outing last night against the Cardinals, and he is now 5-1 since Aug. 23. Bailey worked seven innings last night, striking out seven batters and allowing just one earned run. It is hard to overlook the disaster that was early this season, but look at this as a way for him to build in to next year.
Chad Billingsley has now walked nine batters in his last 12 innings of work. He looked awkward yesterday. While he gave up just two hits in six innings, the five walks were alarming. In fact, in his last six starts, he has walked at least three batters four times and not once has worked through the sixth inning.
Is anyone else concerned about the sheer volume of pitches being thrown by Justin Verlander? In his last 10 starts, six times he has thrown more than 120 pitches in a game. In his last three starts, he has thrown more than 125. Strikeout pitchers tend to throw more pitches, but this reads like a danger flag for 2010.

Wednesday Notes

Tim Wakefield was pushed back a day to start on Wednesday against Roy Halladay and the Blue Jays. Only Kevin Millar has decent numbers against Wakefield, but the Red Sox starter has really struggled after his back injury. Normally, he is a good play at home, but avoid him in this one, despite what the numbers say.
Continue to keep Mike Lowell out of your lineups. Boston does not expect him to be ready until Thursday, and he is only a .233 hitter in 30 at-bats against Halladay. Dustin Pedroia and Jason Varitek have both struggled as well. Otherwise, play your Red Sox as normal. The team has already beaten Halladay twice this season.
John Lannan may be just 1-4 in September, but his last two starts have been very good. Even against the Mets his last time out, Lannan gave up just three runs over seven innings. He is 2-2 against them this season, with both wins coming at home. He will face them in his own park and is a nice deep-league addition.
Javier Vazquez has been roughed up by the Marlins this season. He has gone 0-2 against them in four starts and has allowed 10 earned runs in his last 12 innings of work. Vazquez is largely solid, but this is certainly a situation where owners should be careful. Need a hit or two? Grab Ross Gload, who is 15-for-32 against Vazquez.
Carl Pavano did not get a win against Detroit last time out, but gave up just two runs over seven innings. He is 4-0 against them in 2009, posting a 1.69 ERA in those five starts. Pavano may not be a regular in your fantasy rotation, but his numbers against Detroit should have you adding him for this matchup.
Mark Buehrle will make his final start of the season on Wednesday against the Indians. The matchup, though, does not look to be in his favor. Buehrle is just 1-2 against the Indians this season with a 4.98 ERA in 21.2 innings of work. Get Shin-Soo Choo and Jhonny Peralta into lineups today, both make great starts.
Owners should start Hank Blalock against Jered Weaver, but he is about it in terms of offense. Blalock has four home runs in 33 at-bats to go with a .394 average. Avoid Nelson Cruz, who has struggled against Weaver and over the last two weeks as a whole. In both cases, he is under .200.
Pedro Martinez is going to get the start for the Phillies today against the Astros. Martinez has not pitched in 11 days. He lasted just three innings in a start against Atlanta. Still, he is 2-0 at home and this represents a decent matchup for owners in deeper leagues.
Ricky Nolasco is still pitching better than he is being given credit for. Yes, he was knocked around by St. Louis, but he has three other wins this month and would have had four if not for his bullpen. Batters are still hitting just .238 against him this month and he will generate strikeouts.
Spot Starts: Pavano, Martinez, Bronson Arroyo

Thursday Notes

Scott Baker gets the ball for the Twins against the Tigers, but this is a matchup to avoid. Baker is 0-1 in three starts against Detroit, and he has given up 10 runs in his last nine innings against them. He is 8-4 on the road this season, but his 4.50 ERA does not shout confidence. Curtis Granderson, Brandon Inge and Placido Polanco have all seen him at least 30 times and not one is hitting above .235.
Between pitching on the road and against the Angels, Kevin Millwood could be a stretch tomorrow. Millwood is 1-1 in four starts against the Angels, but has given up 35 hits in 23.2 innings to go with 17 earned runs. On the road, he has been roughed up, going 4-7 with a 4.35 road ERA. In other words, start your Angels. Only Chone Figgins should be benched, as he is 6-for-38 against Millwood.
Jon Lester feels he should be good to go against the Indians. He threw a side session on Monday and thinks that the start should be set. Lester is 6-3 at home this season and has gone 4-1 in September. All good signs for certain, but this is one start where owners in tight races should be careful.
All signs remain positive on Chris Carpenter, so owners would be advised to avoid all their Reds in this one. Carpenter is 8-2 on the road this season, posting a 2.15 ERA and a .200 BAA in those starts. Against the Reds, he is 3-0 with a 1.57 ERA. In those three outings, he has allowed just 16 hits in 23 innings.
The Giants do not have great numbers against Dan Haren, but Haren has struggled in his last two outings. He has given up five earned in each of his last two starts. Still, avoid Randy Winn, as he is only 7-for-41 against Haren. Aaron Rowand is a bust as well, and though Juan Uribe has been red-hot, he is only 2-for-10 against Haren.
Spot Starts: Brett Anderson, and if you're desperate, Manny Parra

Collin Hager writes The Elmhurst Pub fantasy blog. You can get your questions answered by sending an e-mail to elmhurstpubroundtable@yahoo.com. He's also on Twitter @TheRoundtable.

Fantasy Baseball: Tuesdsay News and Notes

Collin Hager - The Roundtable — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:09:14 -0400

North Carolina weather is not too shabby at all. When you consider that it stays close to 80 this late in September, and that two inches of snow can shut the state down, there is a fair amount of upside to spending time in the south. Unfortunately for my cousin and his bride, they picked the worst day for weather in the last six months.

Saturday was supposed to bring an outdoor wedding. Friday was nice enough, but Saturday morning showed serious rain. It just kept going all day. While there was some waiting to see if there was a break, eventually the whole thing needed to shift indoors. Not what the bride had in mind, and obviously the place was not exactly prepared for it either.

Still, it all went off well enough. Everyone enjoyed the day, and now it is back to reality. That is good news for readers here, because there are plenty of notes that need to be discussed.

On to the notes.

Monday Rewind

Terry Francona is seemingly ready to treat this week like the Red Sox have already clinched their playoff spot. After playing a mixed up lineup while in New York, Boston returned home to still see Casey Kotchman playing first base and Josh Beckett scratched from his start. It does not sound like there is much to worry about with Beckett. This looks like it is setting up their playoff rotation.
Sticking in Boston for one more. Michael Bowden simply does not seem to have the stuff to be a major league pitcher. Bowden gave up seven runs in three innings on seven hits and a walk. Has he had many starts? No. Still, his fastball is not good enough to get by hitters and his secondary pitches are not located well. Basically, he has no out pitch and fails to have the command to get away with mistakes.
John Danks finished his first complete game yesterday, going all nine against the Indians. Danks improved to 8-3 on the road in 2009 with a 3.08 ERA and .238 BAA. He does not strike many batters out, but Danks has proved valuable to the rotation in Chicago. Since the beginning of August, he has been very good outside of one rough start.
Andy LaRoche had a career-game yesterday against the Dodgers. LaRoche went 5-for-5 with two home runs while driving in six. This is not a fantastic player, but he does have a hit in nine of his last 10 games. In those efforts, he has knocked four multi-hit games and raised his average 11 points to near .260.
The Dodgers continue to struggle, and are now adding injuries to insults. Manny Ramirez was out of the lineup yesterday with a sore hamstring, and that same problem sent Casey Blake back to Los Angeles. Ramirez is available to pinch hit, but he tends to blow these problems out of proportion.
Ronnie Belliard being out a few days with a groin issue will give Orlando Hudson a bit more playing time. The Dodgers are going to be cautious based on Belliard's history, and that likely means another day or two on the sidelines. Adjust your lineups accordingly here.
The season of Cole Hamels continues to be feast or famine. Hamels was roughed up for the second time this year by the Astros, and has now surrendered 10 earned runs in his last 13 innings of work. In five of his last 10 starts, he has given up at least four runs, but in four others he has given up one run or less.
The Mets continued to struggle with the Nationals. Ross Detwiler stopped the New York offense last night, holding them to one run on seven hits over six innings of work before the bullpen took over. Detwiler recorded his first major league win in the effort. He has not had the same hype as Jordan Zimmermann, but he could make a name for himself in deeper leagues next season.
Jeff Niemann was blown up by the Orioles again last night. While it seemed that he was back on track after his last outing, Niemann fell victim to Baltimore for the second time in three starts. He has given up 10 runs in his last 7.2 innings against the Orioles. Sometimes, a team just has your number, as the Orioles' .351 average against him would indicate.

Tuesday Notes

Nick Blackburn has been a nice spot play in certain situations, but this is not going to be one of them against Detroit. Blackburn is 4-7 on the road with an ERA over 4.00. Batters are hitting .289 against him away from home. In September, he has been up and down, but against Detroit he has been roughed up. Start your normal Tigers here with the exception of Brandon Inge. Blackburn just doesn't have the stuff on the road.
Outside of Chipper Jones, there is nothing pretty about the numbers the Braves have put up against Josh Johnson. Avoid as many as you can here. Johnson is recovering from flu symptoms that caused him to miss his start on Sunday, but that should not scare owners away in this matchup.
Justin Verlander has struggled in his last two starts against the Twins, giving up 10 runs in 13 innings of work. Verlander is very tough at home, but he has given up at least three runs in each of his last four home starts. Twice in that span it has been five earned runs. Nick Punto and Michael Cuddyer have been red-hot, but they are 4-for-21 and 5-for-30 respectively against Verlander and are the only concerns owners should have.
Trevor Cahill has won his last four decisions, covering five starts. He has not allowed more than three earned runs in a start since August 11th. Cahill is on a good stretch here and has been tough on the Mariners. Though he does not have a win, his ERA is just 1.89 in three starts this season.
There are some players to avoid in the Los Angeles lineup against Scott Feldman. Kendry Morales has been smoking the ball, but is only 2-for-13 against Feldman. Chone Figgins is 4-for-27, Juan Rivera checks in at 3-for-17, and Bobby Abreu is 2-for-16. Need a reach play? Try Mike Napoli. He has nine hits in 17 at-bats against the Texas starter. Feldman has been knocked around by the A's, but he is 3-0 in four starts against the Angels.
Homer Bailey is 4-1 in his last seven starts and 2-1 in September. Bailey has come on strong, but did struggle in his last start against the Cardinals. Still, his strikeouts are going to help and his consistency should play well for those owners that need a quick boost in deeper formats.
Need some offense? Look to the Giants against Doug Davis. Bengie Molina has four home runs in 47 at-bats to go with a .370 average. Randy Winn is well over .300 as well. Even Eugenio Velez is 5-for-11 against Davis. The Giants, as a team, have hit him very well, and this is a decent place to grab a couple hits in the finals.
The only blemish on the resume of Wade Davis is his start against the Red Sox. Davis, otherwise, has been incredibly solid. He has struck out 28 hitters in 24.1 innings of work for Tampa so far, making him worth adding in most formats for this start against the Orioles. Do not expect a repeat of the complete game, but Davis is going to well not to add.
This start will likely be one that the Dodgers look at to get Chad Billingsley back on track. Billingsley has struggled in September, going 0-2 in four starts with a 5.70 ERA in 23.2 innings. He is, though, 3-0 against San Diego this season and has given up just 18 hits in 26 innings.
Spot Starts: Davis, Bailey, Brian Duensing

Wednesday Notes

Tim Wakefield was pushed back a day to start on Wednesday against Roy Halladay and the Blue Jays. Only Kevin Millar has decent numbers against Wakefield, but the Red Sox starter has really struggled after his back injury. Normally, he is a good play at home, but avoid him in this one, despite what the numbers say.
John Lannan may be just 1-4 in September, but his last two starts have been very good. Even against the Mets his last time out, Lannan gave up just three runs over seven innings. He is 2-2 against them this season, with both wins coming at home. He will face them in his own park and is a nice deep-league addition.
Carl Pavano did not get a win against Detroit last time out, but gave up just two runs over seven innings. He is 4-0 against them in 2009, posting a 1.69 ERA in those five starts. Pavano may not be a regular in your fantasy rotation, but his numbers against Detroit should have you adding him for this matchup.
Owners should start Hank Blalock against Jered Weaver, but he is about it in terms of offense. Blalock has four home runs in 33 at-bats to go with a .394 average. Avoid Nelson Cruz, who has struggled against Weaver and over the last two weeks as a whole. In both cases, he is under .200.
Ricky Nolasco is still pitching better than he is being given credit for. Yes, he was knocked around by St. Louis, but he has three other wins this month and would have had four if not for his bullpen. Batters are still hitting just .238 against him this month and he will generate strikeouts.
Spot Starts: Pavano, Clayton Richard, Bronson Arroyo

Collin Hager writes The Elmhurst Pub fantasy blog. You can get your questions answered by sending an e-mail to elmhurstpubroundtable@yahoo.com. He's also on Twitter @TheRoundtable.

Fantasy Baseball: Thursday News and Notes

Collin Hager - The Roundtable — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 11:29:00 -0400

Today is a full day here, but the schedule across baseball is light. Since there is a plane to catch in just a few hours, it is much more important that we get to the notes today than for you to hear me come up with a bunch of stuff that is only of interest to a select few! There should be a set of notes up tomorrow as well, provided there is an Internet connection available.

On to the notes.

Wednesday Rewind

* Josh Beckett was able to come away with a win last night, working six innings against the Royals while giving up two runs on 12 hits. The hits are scary, as Beckett worked into and out of trouble all night long. It was a different type of outing, as Victor Martinez was behind the plate. Where Beckett got the win and had some run support, it seemed the battery mate had little impact.

* Those of you hanging on to Brad Lidge for saves can likely make the move to get rid of him. Lidge imploded AGAIN last night, costing the Phillies the game. It was his 11th blown save of the year, dropping his record to 0-8. To be fair, Ryan Madson did give up a run in the eighth on two hits. Still, he will be the more consistent option. There is no way Philadelphia can keep Lidge in this role.

* Wade Davis was not nearly as dominant in his last outing as he was against Baltimore, but he still gave up just two earned runs on seven hits in 5.2 innings of work. He was not able to get the win but should have helped owners with his six strikeouts last night. Davis is proving that he could be a force in the Rays rotation and needs to be a pickup for those that need strikeouts. Keep an eye on him in 2010.

* Jorge Posada did not have a break in his foot after fouling a ball off himself on Tuesday. Posada did not play on Wednesday despite finishing Tuesday's game. He will be re-evaluated when the team returns home to face Boston this weekend. Expect the Yankees to be careful based on their playoff position.

* After four successive rough outings against the Marlins and Diamondbacks, Bud Norris seems to have found a groove. The Astros pitcher has given up just four earned runs in his last 23 innings of work. He shut down the Cardinals last night, working six innings without giving up a run. Even with a low strikeout total, he has still struck out 24 batters in these 23 innings.

* Mark Buehrle continues to have problems with the Twins. After last night's disaster, he has now given up 17 runs on 32 hits in 29 innings of work. Buehrle has had some good success this season, but his numbers against his own division are much further off than they have been in past seasons.

* Carlos Guillen his his first home runs since the first of the month, knocking two against Cleveland last night. Despite this power display, Guillen is still just hitting .231 for the month of September. There are better options available for those looking to gain some help in the middle of their infield.

* Though still hurting, Tim Wakefield will take the ball for Boston on Tuesday against Toronto. This is more notable because of the shift that takes place in the overall rotation in regards to days. Wakefield is not necessarily an option at this point, even if when he pitches at home.

* Chris Narveson showed off for the Brewers last night, striking out 10 Cubs while allowing just one earned run on four hits over 5.2 innings. The young starter has had two consecutive solid outings, and Milwaukee will give him a chance to continue with one more start this season. Deep leagues take note.

Thursday Notes

* Bronson Arroyo will get the ball against the Pirates. It cannot be stressed enough how good he has been of late. After starting August with an ERA of 5.10, he now posts a number of 4.04. This late in the season, it takes some good innings and starts to do that. Against Pittsburgh, he is a solid spot start.

* Jason Hammel has been relatively consistent in recent starts, allowing three earned runs or less in nine of his last 10 appearances. In seven of these starts he has managed to get through the sixth inning. Against the Padres, Hammel should be looked at as a decent option as a spot start, especially where has has struck out at least five batters in each of his last four starts.

* Ignore the last two outings put together by Justin Verlander and take note of the fact that he is 3-0 this season against the Indians. Verlander has thrown 23 innings against Cleveland and allowed only nine hits and one earned run. Avoid as many of your Indians as you can in this matchup.

* So, unless you planned to start Miguel Cairo, it might be a good idea to get your Phillies in the lineup against Jeff Suppan. The Phillies have simply pounded the Milwaukee starter, with Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, and Ryan Howard all getting in on the fun with averages above .300.

* J.A. Happ is still expected to take the ball for the Phillies despite being removed from his last start after three innings. That move was precautionary, but there is certainly going to be some question as to if Happ will throw enough innings to qualify for a win. Against Milwaukee, he is a solid start, but beware.

* On the road, you have to start Scott Feldman. His numbers against the A's are skewed simply because of his last outing against them. It was bad, but it also came at home. In Oakland, he is 2-0 against them this season and 12-1 on the road overall. Batters hit just .228 against him on the road—not that you would be starting any A's anyway.

* Brad Penny has had some trouble with the Cubs lineup. While he has been solid since returning to the National League, Derrek Lee is hitting .462 against him, and Aramis Ramirez is at .385. Penny is not likely to keep his pace up and is not as good as his first three starts would indicate. Avoid him here.

* Spot Starts: Feldman, Arroyo, Clay Buchholz

Friday Notes

* Jon Lester has some decent numbers against the Yankee lineup, and owners should look to avoid the 3-for-20 of Robinson Cano. Both Alex Rodriguez and Nick Swisher sit at 2-for-14. Otherwise, keep active the starters you normally would. Both Derek Jeter and Johnny Damon are going to be good to go in terms of numbers.

* Interesting to note that Carl Pavano has had some of his worst outings of 2009 against the Royals. Pavano has seen them five times, posting a 6.75 ERA in 30.2 innings. The 38 hits and .306 BAA are tough to get around in this one. Kansas City has some bats in the lineup, and it would be best to not look at Pavano as an option for a win or strikeouts.

* John Lannan's numbers at home are not as good as they were just a month ago. His last two starts in his own ballpark have been disasters. He is still 5-2 at home with an ERA south of 3.00, but it is a high risk proposition against Atlanta. Only Yunel Escobar sticks out as a benching option. The majority of the Atlanta starters are hitting well over .300 against Lannan.

* While he came out with a win against them last time, the Mets have simply torched Ricky Nolasco overall. David Wright has hit .394 in 33 at-bats with three home runs, and Carlos Beltran, Jeff Francoeur, Dan Murphy, and Luis Castillo are all hitting above .300 against the Florida starter. Nolasco has pitched well, but be very wary here. Start your Mets.

* Jake Peavy will get the ball for the White Sox against the Tigers. Peavy got a nice reintroduction to baseball by throwing against the Royals in his first start, but the Tigers are going to be very different. He is still good for strikeouts and the like, but owners need to keep expectations away from dominance and more towards a six-inning, three-run type of outing.

* Spot Starts: Robinson Tejeda, Paul Maholm, David Hernandez

Collin Hager writes The Elmhurst Pub fantasy blog. You can get your questions answered by sending an e-mail to elmhurstpubroundtable@yahoo.com. He's also on Twitter @TheRoundtable.

Fantasy Baseball: Wednesday News and Notes

Collin Hager - The Roundtable — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 10:42:00 -0400

The weather has been all over the place here in New England. After a few days that hovered in the low- to mid-60s, today is going to be close to 80. Friday, though, is going to be back near 60. You wonder why people in this area are always getting sick. No one knows how to dress. They say there are four seasons in New England. Largely, that is true. They just can happen all at once.

This weekend, though, the escape is on for this writer, as my cousin is getting married down in Charlotte. Talk about extremes of temperature. After leaving here, it is very likely the weather we enter down there will be near 80 for the better part of the weekend. While we suffer in tuxedos. Fantastic.

Still, there is a certain amount of excitement when it comes to heading down for events such as this. While everyone complains about family, seeing them together under the presence of alcohol can make the time entertaining if nothing else.

The bride graduated from UNC, which means my brother and myself will be entering the rehearsal wearing Duke gear. Just to start everything off on the right foot. It is only fair after all. It is certain to go over well!

On to the notes.

Tuesday Rewind

Got a great stat from Andrew Kneeland this morning on Zack Greinke. The batter with the lowest OPS among those that qualify is Yuniesky Betancourt at .607. Greinke has held the batters he has faced to a number of .612. Virtually, he has turned every hitter into Betancourt. That is simply dominance.
All good streaks must come to an end, and Jamie Moyer saw his run against the Marlins do just that. Moyer had been 8-0 when pitching on the road against Florida, but last night fell victim. He pitched well, going seven innings and scattering nine hits and a walk to go along with three earned runs.
Apparently, every pitcher that goes through a run of bad luck has been tipping their pitches. Edwin Jackson seems to have found whatever his problem was in that regard. Jackson shut down the Indians last night, going seven strong innings without giving up a run. He has pitched well against Cleveland all year, so seeing another start before declaring him fixed would be prudent.
Bobby Jenks is likely done for the season. Jenks pulled a muscle while warming up on Tuesday prior to the game. He has been up and down throughout this year, and this simply ends the frustration most of his owners had with him. Look for Jenks to land somewhere else next year, especially with his potential arbitration award and the rise of Matt Thornton.
Anibal Sanchez threw a gem of a game against the Phillies in the second portion of the double-header. Sanchez worked eight innings while giving up just two walks and two hits. His problems, on top of injuries, has been pitch counts. That was not the case during this game. He has the potential, just needs to put it all together.
Good news for the Rockies, as they will get starter Aaron Cook back this weekend to throw against the Cardinals. His start here is not going to be fantasy relevant, mainly because it has been indicated that he will be on a strict pitch count of 70. Keep an eye on this start, as he could get one more before the season ends.
Still looking for a boost in your offense? Andrew McCutchen has been raking this week and hits very well at home. McCutchen has not hit a home run this week, but is nine for his last 26. With the speed potential as well, owners would be wise to use him as a fill-in at worst when they need to plug a spot.
It might have taken until September, but Matt Wieters is chewing gum and taking names. In September, Wieters is hitting .358 after going 3-for-5 last night. This is what was expected of him back when he came up, but is now just coming to fruition. Take note, as his production should be at a much higher level in 2010.
The Red Sox have not announced when Tim Wakefield will make his next start. Wakefield struggled in his outing on Monday against the Royals, and seemed to have as much trouble moving as he did pitching. While Paul Byrd struggled in the first inning last night, he settled down after that. Makes it unlikely that Wakefield will take that spot on Sunday.

Wednesday Notes

Most of the Yankees have really struggled against Scott Kazmir. Among players with double-digit at-bats, only Melky Cabrera and Jorge Posada are hitting above .200 against the lefty. Derek Jeter, Johnny Damon, Robinson Cano, and Alex Rodriguez are all in the group of prime offenders. Avoid them if you can.
A.J. Burnett has had his share of troubles with nearly everyone on the road this season, but he has shown some decent mastery of the Angels lineup overall. Look to avoid Torii Hunter in this one, as he is just 2-for-20 against the righty. Vladimir Guerrero is not much better, as he has just nine hits in 46 at-bats. Make sure to start Bobby Abreu, who is 20-for-61.
Homer Bailey has lowered his ERA nearly two runs since Aug. 1. Bailey is pitching admirably well of late, striking out 39 hitters in his last 39.1 innings of work. He is 2-0 this season against the Pirates. In September, his ERA is just 2.59 in four starts. Good spot option in this matchup.
While Cole Hamels has been solid this month, he has struggled pitching on the road most of the season. Batters may only hit .232 against him at home, but they hit over .300 against him on the road. His one bad start this month has been on the road, where he gave up four runs on eight hits in six innings to the Astros. Simply be aware.
While he managed a no-decision last time out, Mark Buehrle has been hit hard this season by the Twins. In five starts, his ERA is 5.28, as he has allowed 17 runs in 29 innings. Given that Joe Mauer is only 7-for-33 against the lefty, it would not be entirely shocking to see Mike Redmond in the lineup. Cannot find anything that says he is injured, and he is a .432 hitter in 37 at-bats against Buehrle.
Carlos Beltran has hit the ball hard against Tim Hudson. Beltran has hit four home runs as part of his .356 average in 59 at-bats against the Atlanta starter. His All-Star teammate David Wright is just 9-for-41 against Hudson. No other red flags in this matchup. Hudson has pitched well in his return to the rotation, and owners should not hesitate with him here.
Jason Marquis has been roughed up in September, but the Padres can be good for what ails you. Marquis is 2-1 against San Diego this season, posting a 2.49 ERA in three starts. This is a better matchup for him than you might think, despite the fact San Diego put up five runs on him during his last start.
Mark Reynolds is just two for his last 23, and he has just three hits in 16 at-bats against Jonathan Sanchez. Reynolds always has home run potential, but if you have a better option today, this might not be a bad spot to use it. Chris Young could be a good toss into your lineups, as he is 6-for-19 against Sanchez.
Rick Porcello was just out-done his last time out, but he has been a decent start against Cleveland in 2009. Porcello is 2-0 in three starts covering 20 innings against the Indians this year. He has posted a 1.48 ERA while allowing just 14 hits and walking only three. Good enough to earn a nod.
Spot Starts: Porcello, Bailey, Wade Davis

Thursday Notes

Bronson Arroyo will get the ball against the Pirates. It cannot be stressed enough how good he has been of late. After starting August with an ERA of 5.10, he now posts a number of 4.04. This late in the season, it takes some good innings and starts to do that. Against Pittsburgh, he is a solid spot start.
Ignore the last two outings put together by Justin Verlander and take note of the fact that he is 3-0 this season against the Indians. Verlander has thrown 23 innings against Cleveland and allowed only nine hits and one earned run. Avoid as many of your Indians as you can in this matchup.
J.A. Happ is still expected to take the ball for the Phillies, despite being removed from his last start after three innings. That move was precautionary, but there is certainly going to be some question as to if Happ will throw enough innings to qualify for a win. Against Milwaukee, he is a solid start, but beware.
On the road, you have to start Scott Feldman. His numbers against the A's are skewed simply because of his last outing against them. It was bad, but it also came at home. In Oakland, he is 2-0 against them this season and 12-1 on the road overall. Batters hit just .228 against him on the road, not that you would be starting any A's anyway.
Brad Penny has had some trouble with the Cubs lineup. While he has been solid since returning to the National League, Derrek Lee is hitting .462 against him and Aramis Ramirez is at .385. Penny is not likely to keep his pace up, and is not as good as his first three starts would indicate. Avoid him here.
Spot Starts: Feldman, Arroyo, Clay Buchholz

Collin Hager writes The Elmhurst Pub fantasy blog. You can get your questions answered by sending an e-mail to elmhurstpubroundtable@yahoo.com. He's also on Twitter @TheRoundtable.

Fantasy Baseball: Tuesday News and Notes

Collin Hager - The Roundtable — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 10:29:09 -0400

Dancing with the Stars is an interesting premise, and one that seemingly is not going to outgrow its usefulness. Currently in its ninth season, the show has a fan base that comes across as strong as ever. They reach across a wide variety of areas of the American culture and provide entertainment in a different way.

Some married men will even admit that if their wife is going to watch something, there are certainly worse shows to be subjected to. The women show up half-naked and most of the men, especially this round, are recognizable. While only catching part of it last night, the dance performed by Chuck Liddel had to have been one of the more interesting ways to start a season.

Liddel knows he is out of his element in every way imaginable, but the crowd absolutely loved it, and it is likely he gets called back next week simply for that fact. And, honestly, that should be ok.

Did Tom DeLay look unbelievably awkward? Of course. The train wreck was enjoyable to watch. That is what is fun about it. With the women celebrities dancing tonight, and not much on in the way of sports, might not be a bad idea to hand over the remote.

On to the notes.

Monday Rewind

Nick Blackburn continued his mastery of the White Sox in 2009. Blackburn threw seven scoreless innings, improving his ERA against Chicago to 2.12 in five starts this season while running his record to 4-1. He has been solid in four of his last five outings, discounting a rough start against Oakland. Blackburn is on a decent run and would draw the Royals on Sunday.
Wade LeBlanc pitched well in his outing as well, going five innings while allowing five hits and just one earned run. While he did not earn the win thanks to the bullpen, LeBlanc is showing signs that he could be valuable at the back end of the rotation for San Diego next year. In that ballpark, he is at least a spot play at home in deep leagues for 2010.
Joe Saunders continued his recent run of success, grabbing a win against the Yankees. Saunders worked into the ninth inning, giving up only two earned runs on seven hits and no walks. He has now won his last five decisions, covering six starts. In that time, he has had good outing against both Boston and New York.
Mark DeRosa went deep twice last night, giving him 23 on the season. The issue is that he is hitting only .240 since joining the Cardinals. DeRosa is a nice player, and a valuable asset in the late-middle of drafts because of his versatility. Still, there are a fair number of .250 hitting guys around that can produce 20 home runs. Value the versatility, but do not get over-excited.
Tim Wakefield took the mound and looked somewhat awkward. It was evident that he was having problems moving around the mound and it seemed to take its toll in his latter innings. Wakefield had little control, probably not helped by the weather. He walked seven, his most in a start this season.
Aramis Ramirez continues to swing a hot bad. Ramirez is hitting .333 this month, and that number is better over the last two weeks, registering at .404 in his last 47 at-bats. The infielder has pounded the ball, despite his shoulder injury this year. It would be surprising to see this injury actually bother him next year at all.
Barry Zito struggled last night, not working out of the fifth inning last night. Zito gave up a bomb of a home run to Mark Reynolds, and seemed to have trouble keeping the ball on the ground all night long. In three of his previous four outings, Zito had forced double-digit ground balls. In this one, nine of the 21 batters he faced put the ball in the air.
His outing last night was one of the worst of the season for Wandy Rodriguez. Rodriguez did not go beyond the fifth inning, giving up six runs on eight hits. He has just one win in five starts against St. Louis this season, but this was his only problem outing against them. Rodriguez, though, is now 1-4 in his last six starts.
Do not read much in to Derek Lowe being taken out after five innings last night. Lowe did only throw 69 pitches, and did have a blister going in, but the Braves came out and were up 11-1 after three innings. This was just as much to not put unnecessary wear on the arm and create a problem as it was anything else. Side note, Kenshin Kawakami threw four innings of one-hit ball in relief.

Tuesday Notes

Zack Greinke is still expected to make his start on Tuesday against the Red Sox. Greinke was removed from his last start after taking a shot off of his pitching arm. He tested it over the weekend and did not experience any discomfort. At this point, he would be a start even against the hot-hitting Boston lineup.
Johnny Cueto has pitched well against the Pirates this season. Cueto has recorded three starts and is 2-1 with a 2.37 ERA. In 19 innings of work, he has allowed 15 hits and only three walks, keeping his WHIP under 1.00. The Pirates are not the strongest offensive team, and Cueto seems to have their number.
No doubt that the recent starts of Edwin Jackson have been hard to deal with. Still, Jackson is 3-0 against the Indians this season, and the Tigers need him to have a good outing in terms of their position within the division. Look to avoid Andy Marte, as he is 0-for-10, but start Shin-Soo Choo, given that he is 5-for-13 against Jackson.
Dave Bush has kept Derrek Lee off balance, but he has not had much success with the remainder of the Chicago lineup. Kosuke Fukudome is hitting .400 in 15 at-bats, and Aramis Ramirez has three home runs to go with a .276 average in 29 at-bats. Bush gave up four runs in 5.2 innings against the Cubs just a week ago, and has a 5.87 September ERA.
Make sure to get Michael Cuddyer in your lineup against John Danks. Cuddyer is 13-for-27 with four home runs and 10 RBI against Danks. Start your normal Twins otherwise, but do not look to reach in this matchup. Danks has pitched well of late, and has given up just 21 hits in 25 innings against the Twins this season.
Jorge De La Rosa is 7-2 over his last 10 starts, and has been dominant over his last four. De La Rosa has given up just three earned runs in his last 26 innings of work. He is 0-1 this season against San Diego in four starts, but the Padres do not have enough offense to scare any one. De La Rosa is a must start.
Nick Johnson has been swinging a good bat as a Marlin, and he has hit Joe Blanton well overall. He is 7-for-13 against Blanton with a home run. Blanton, outside of a bad start against the Nationals, has pitched well in nine of his last 10 outings. He continues to be a decent start, and has pitched well against Florida this season. He has even average better than a strikeout an inning against Florida.
Though he was roughed up by the Orioles his last time out, Jeff Niemann has been solid in three of his last four starts. At home, Niemann is 5-2 with a 2.48 ERA and .246 BAA. Innings have to be a concern, as he is already increased his total by 10 percent over his career high of 150.
The Marlins have a double-header against the Phillies. Philadelphia will start Jamie Moyer in the second game against them. Moyer does nothing but win against the Marlins, especially in Miami. Moyer is 8-0 with a 1.37 ERA lifetime when pitching down in Florida. Deep leagues should add him here.
Spot Starts: Jeff Niemann, Ryan Rowland-Smith, Jorge De La Rosa

Wednesday Notes

Most of the Yankees have really struggled against Scott Kazmir. Among players with double-digit at-bats, only Melky Cabrera and Jorge Posada are hitting above .200 against the lefty. Derek Jeter, Johnny Damon, Robinson Cano, and Alex Rodriguez are all in the group of prime offenders. Avoid them if you can.
Homer Bailey has lowered his ERA nearly two runs since Aug. 1. Bailey is pitching admirably well of late, striking out 39 hitters in his last 39.1 innings of work. He is 2-0 this season against the Pirates. In September, his ERA is just 2.59 in four starts. Good spot option in this matchup.
While he managed a no-decision last time out, Mark Buehrle has been hit hard this season by the Twins. In five starts, his ERA is 5.28, as he has allowed 17 runs in 29 innings. Given that Joe Mauer is only 7-for-33 against the lefty, it would not be entirely shocking to see Mike Redmond in the lineup. Cannot find anything that says he is injured, and he is a .432 hitter in 37 at-bats against Buehrle.
Jason Marquis has been roughed up in September, but the Padres can be good for what ails you. Marquis is 2-1 against San Diego this season, posting a 2.49 ERA in three starts. This is a better matchup for him than you might think, despite the fact San Diego put up five runs on him during his last start.
Rick Porcello was just out-done his last time out, but he has been a decent start against Cleveland in 2009. Porcello is 2-0 in three starts covering 20 innings against the Indians this year. He has posted a 1.48 ERA while allowing just 14 hits and walking only three. Good enough to earn a nod.
One small note. Ted Lilly will not start on Wednesday for the Cubs. He has been scratched with a shoulder issue.
Spot Starts: Porcello, Bailey, Wade Davis

Collin Hager writes The Elmhurst Pub fantasy blog. You can get your questions answered by sending an e-mail to elmhurstpubroundtable@yahoo.com. He's also on Twitter @TheRoundtable.

Fantasy Baseball: Monday News and Notes

Collin Hager - The Roundtable — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 10:37:34 -0400

After another disastrous week that saw this writer relying on Steve Slaton and Santana Moss to take him to a win, having fantasy baseball entering the finals is a welcome reprieve. The last week or two, depending on your host site, has everything boiling down to the final two. Again, continue to make moves that maximize your opportunities.

As teams become further removed from pennant races, veterans will find themselves sitting more regularly. Be careful; youth can help, but owners are often best suited to continue to play the girls that brought them to the dance. Others should be discarded as playing time becomes more scarce, but only in favor of those that can provide regular at-bats.

This is what owners have wanted to be involved with all season. Bragging rights for next season are completely worth making multiple moves on a daily basis. Stay competitive, and enjoy the final matchups of the regular season.

Weekend Rewind

Owners that were able to take advantage of the Red Sox this weekend will be upset to see the team does not take on Baltimore again this season. After going 16-2 against them in the regular season, Boston will focus on other opponents. More Red Sox in the starting lineup hit above .350 against Baltimore than below it. Remember this heading in to next season.
Milton Bradley will not take the field again the rest of the season, as the Cubs have suspended the outfielder. Bradley made some incendiary comments regarding the team, the fans, and the city itself that will have him watching the rest of the games from the comfort of his living room couch.
Obviously, yesterday, Marty McFly took us back to 1991. That is the only way to explain the offensive outburst from Ken Griffey. Griffey drove in a season-high four runs against the Yankees, after driving in just three over his previous 13. No doubt that this is a swan song for the outfielder, but not a bad way to go out.
Jacoby Ellsbury is quickly vaulting himself into an elite class of outfielder. Ellsbury disappointed in his first full season in 2008, but is hitting .304 with 63 stolen bases in 2009. He is not getting on base at the clip owners might hope, posting just a .356 OBP, but he is working doubles and triples through shortening his swing and using the opposite field. With the potential for 10-15 home runs as he matures, the outfielder will be near the top of most draft boards in 2010.
Robinson Tejeda put together another solid outing, despite battling a blister on his pitching hand again. Since re-joining the rotation, Tejeda has allowed just two runs in 22.1 innings of work. He has compiled a 3-0 record in that time. Is he a long-term answer? No. Owners should ride this out though.
Run support doomed Roy Halladay again against the Rays. Halladay allowed just two runs over seven innings, but came out the loser. In six starts this season, he is 1-4 against Tampa, despite posting a 3.35 ERA in those starts. Halladay has been solid, just seems to have some trouble getting help.
Yovani Gallardo pitched on Sunday, but that will be his last start of the season. Milwaukee will shut him down over the final two weeks. In 185.2 innings this season, he struck out 204 hitters. His record is not indicative of an elite pitcher, going only 13-12. His 1.31 WHIP is not great, but he will likely improve on these numbers next season.
J.A. Happ was removed from his start this weekend for precautionary reasons. Happ had started for the first time since suffering a limited oblique injury, but said in his postgame comments that he had felt fine. Owners need to be careful with him, as this is not a good sign for those looking for wins.
Kevin Correia grabbed win No. 11 of the season with a solid performance on the road against the Pirates. Correia is a healthy option inside Petco, as judged by the 3.65 home ERA, but is still a matchup play on the road. Owners should note that he has allowed only five earned runs in 27 innings this month.

Monday Notes

Andrew McCutchen started September very slow, but is 7-for-21 over his last five games. The Pirates will get their next 10 games at home, and the outfielder has hit .304 inside his own ballpark this season. He and Garrett Jones continue to be the only regular options in Pittsburgh.
Do not expect a lot out of Kyle Lohse, especially on the road. Lohse continues to battle back from a forearm injury that has cost him some major time this season. He is going to be given a few starts, but the Cardinals are going to restrict him and make sure they get wins. On the road, even last season, Lohse was barely average. Avoid the 1-for-14 of Michael Bourn, but the remaining Astros are good to go.
Not that you would ever sit him, but if you would, today would be a good option. Albert Pujols is only 4-for-28 against Wandy Rodriguez. Only Matt Holliday has stellar numbers against the Houston starter. Given that Rodriguez is 8-2 at home this season with a 1.58 ERA, it would be best to avoid your Cardinals.
If you are looking for a nick in the armor of Barry Zito, it is his performance on the road. Zito's season stats leave a lot to be desired, as shown by the 4-7 record. That does not take in to account his recent run. In his last 10 starts, Zito has allowed three runs or less in all of them. Deep leagues should look to him as a start in this one.
Keep A.J. Pierzynski, Alexei Ramirez, and Carlos Quentin in your lineups against Nick Blackburn. The three are all hitting north of .300 against him. These are the best and only bets though. Blackburn is 3-1 against Chicago in four starts this season, posting a 2.37 ERA in those outings.
Andy Pettitte missed his last start with shoulder fatigue, and the Yankees were in a position to give him some extra rest. He has been very good away from home this year, going 8-2 with a .225 BAA. Still, the Angels have all hit him VERY well. Only Torii Hunter sticks out as a red flag, as he is 7-for-30 against the lefty. Otherwise, look even to Erick Aybar and Robb Quinlan in deeper and AL-only formats. Every regular is worth starting the Los Angeles lineup.
So, would you want to take advantage of a guy that has allowed at least eight hits in his last four starts? That is exactly what Braden Looper has done for the Brewers. His ERA for the month is 4.94, and the Cubs have hit .313 against him in three shots this season. Look to avoid him here and start your Cubs.
Avoid Kevin Millwood, as he is still working himself back into the rotation. He has given up at five runs in four of his last five outings, and he is only 3-7 on the road this year. Yes, this is still Oakland, but they are playing better baseball than they were earlier this year. The risk far outweighs the reward.
There is still some concern on Derek Lowe. Lowe was knocked out of his last start with a blister, but feels he is ready to go tonight. Kenshin Kawakami is being held ready to start in his place, so keep an eye on this situation. If Lowe does pitch, look to avoid Carlos Beltran, as he is hitting just .185 in 27 at-bats. Jeff Francoeur is not much better, checking in at only .238.
Spot Starts: Blackburn, Joe Saunders, Zito

Tuesday Notes

Zack Greinke is still expected to make his start on Tuesday against the Red Sox. Greinke was removed from his last start after taking a shot off of his pitching arm. He tested it over the weekend and did not experience any discomfort. At this point, he would be a start even against the hot-hitting Boston lineup.
No doubt that the recent starts of Edwin Jackson have been hard to deal with. Still, Jackson is 3-0 against the Indians this season, and the Tigers need him to have a good outing in terms of their position within the division. Look to avoid Andy Marte, as he is 0-for-10, but start Shin-Soo Choo, given that he is 5-for-13 against Jackson.
Make sure to get Michael Cuddyer in your lineup against John Danks. Cuddyer is 13-for-27 with four home runs and 10 RBI against Danks. Start your normal Twins otherwise, but do not look to reach in this matchup. Danks has pitched well of late, and has given up just 21 hits in 25 innings against the Twins this season.
Nick Johnson has been swinging a good bat as a Marlin, and he has hit Joe Blanton well overall. He is 7-for-13 against Blanton with a home run. Blanton, outside of a bad start against the Nationals, has pitched well in nine of his last 10 outings. He continues to be a decent start, and has pitched well against Florida this season. He has even average better than a strikeout an inning against Florida.
The Marlins have a double-header against the Phillies. Philadelphia will start Jamie Moyer in the second game against them. Moyer does nothing but win against the Marlins, especially in Miami. Moyer is 8-0 with a 1.37 ERA lifetime when pitching down in Florida. Deep leagues should add him here.
Spot Starts: Jeff Niemann, Ryan Rowland-Smith, Jorge De La Rosa

Collin Hager writes The Elmhurst Pub fantasy blog. You can get your questions answered by sending an e-mail to elmhurstpubroundtable@yahoo.com. He's also on Twitter @TheRoundtable.

Fantasy Baseball: Friday News and Notes

Collin Hager - The Roundtable — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 11:28:39 -0400

The message for the weekend is simple: Maximize your opportunities. Players sitting on the bench will not help you win. If you are in the semifinals, do not go out and drop necessities, but certainly drop those you feel could be picked up again later. Often times, the players dropped can be filled in with someone of equal caliber.

Strikeouts and stolen bases are easiest to find, as other categories require dependence on others. If you are close in those two, make some moves. The points today will highlight some of those that are widely available and can help you out this weekend.

Have playoff questions? Need some last minute advice? Do not be afraid to send an email to elmhurstpubroundtable@yahoo.com or a message to me on Twitter @TheRoundtable. We will get through this and on to the titles.

On to the notes.

Thursday Rewind

Yovani Gallardo owners should be ready to make other plans. With the Brewers out of the race, they are looking at shutting down the pitcher. Gallardo is still recovering from surgery he had last season, and has thrown 3,125 pitches this year. That number is sixth in the league. The Brewers have purchased the contract of a minor league pitcher that is throwing on the same schedule as Gallardo. Could be a monkey wrench on Sunday.
Steals are widely available in many leagues. The easiest name, and the one that provides some value in other categories is Rajai Davis. Davis has nine steals in the last two weeks, which is best in the majors. To boot, he is hitting .386 with 12 runs scored. If he is not around, check out Carlos Gonzalez of Colorado. Gonzalez has seen his bat slow down, but he still has six steals in the last two weeks.
Rich Harden will be skipped by the Cubs this time around. Harden has been injury prone over his career, and with the Cubs not ready to make post-season plans, the team is being careful down the stretch. He will pitch again this season, but has certainly had a rough go of it even prior to this missed start.
Zack Greinke was removed from the game after the fifth inning yesterday. He was struck during the fifth with a line drive off the bat of Miguel Cabrera. There was no major damage, but the team will monitor him over the next few days to determine if he can make his next start. Greinke did not allow a run over five innings, lowering his ERA to 2.14 this season.
The best effort of the night came from Wade Davis. Davis struck out 10 batters last night in a complete game effort against the Orioles. Davis shut the team out and allowed just four hits all night long. This is what the Rays were hoping he would bring to the table. Look to him as a spot start next week for strikeouts alone.
Victor Martinez extended his hitting streak to 16 games with a single in his second at-bat last night. Martinez returned to the lineup after missing two games, and will likely find himself behind the plate some this weekend. After the disasters that happened the last two nights for Jason Varitek, it would only make sense. Martinez is 8-for-16 this season against the Orioles, Boston's next opponent.
Bobby Jenks spoiled another impressive White Sox pitching performance last night. John Danks had worked eight innings, allowing only one run on four hits and a walk. Jenks undid all of it in the manner of two pitches, allowing back-to-back home runs in the ninth to send the game to extra innings. The lesson, as always, you cannot predict wins.
Cole Hamels has now allowed either zero or one earned run in four of his last five outings. At home, he has allowed just two earned in his last 23.2 innings of work. Hamels improved to 3-1 in September with a 1.82 ERA in these starts. He certainly has turned away from the early problems that had owners questioning their draft pick.
Dan Murphy is getting hot for the Mets. In his last 25 at-bats, Murphy is hitting .320 with five extra-base hits. He is not the greatest play in more shallow leagues, but he could give a slight boost in deep leagues and NL-only formats. Murphy could find himself as a starter next season, and this is how he will prove worthy.

Friday Notes

Owners should look to start Lyle Overbay against James Shields. Overbay is 10-for-33 with three home runs against Shields. Adam Lind is always a start, and he has three home runs in 24 at-bats against the Tampa starter. Only other major option would be Kevin Millar, and that is only in deeper leagues.
Health and availability are turning out to be issues for the Red Sox, so the team likely does not have an option other than Mike Lowell. If you do, though, sit him. Lowell is 4-for-19 against Jeremy Guthrie. Otherwise, all your Red Sox end up being solid options in this matchup.
Mark Buehrle does own the Royals, but there are several in that lineup Buehrle has to at least pay rent to. Billy Butler is swinging a hot bat, and he has gone 10-for-32 against Buehrle. Others to start would be Willie Bloomquist, who checks in at .464 in 28 at-bats, and Mark Teahen, who is available again and has hit .453 in 53 at-bats against the lefty.
Rick Porcello has struggled on the road this season, only having gone 5-5 with a .280 BAA and 4.35 ERA in 13 starts. He does have a win against Minnesota this season, and has been pitching better of late. Still, he has given up nine earned runs in his last two starts, covering 11.1 innings, on the road.
Ted Lilly suffered his only loss to the Cardinals this season on the road, where he has had little success this season. Away from home, Lilly is only 4-7 with a 4.62 ERA. He has been dominant in September, but two starts were at home with the third on the road against Pittsburgh.
Jason Marquis has been one of the better spot-start options this season, but he has struggled of late. While he has had two solid outings against the Giants and Reds, he has also given up five runs in three of his last five starts. One start was against the Padres, another against the Mets, not two offensive powerhouses. On the road here, look elsewhere. Batters are hitting .318 against him this month.
A.J. Burnett has been a disaster on the road this season. His 6-6 record is ok, but the 5.12 ERA should scare owners off, even against Seattle. Burnett has given up six runs in two of his last three starts overall, and has an ERA of 7.50 in his last five starts on the road. Nothing about this screams "start me in the playoffs."
J.A. Happ will return to the rotation tonight, sending Jamie Moyer back to the bullpen. Happ has been very good this season, but struggled in his two outings before the injury. Against Atlanta, he has thrown 16.1 innings and allowed only 11 hits. That history likely outweighs the last outings. Still, an oblique injury is not easy to come back from. Be careful in this one, as he does not provide enough strikeouts and could backfire.
Avoid Andre Ethier against Jonathan Sanchez. The outfielder is only 3-for-19 against the starter lifetime. Keep normal Dodgers active otherwise. Russell Martin, Matt Kemp, and Manny Ramirez are all over .400 against Sanchez and Orlando Hudson sits at 7-for-22.
Need strikeouts? Look to Homer Bailey. He is averaging nearly a strikeout an inning over his last 32 innings of work, covering the last month.
Spot Starts: Tim Stauffer, Tim Hudson, J.A. Happ

Weekend Notes

You likely will not find much help in the Baltimore lineup against Jon Lester. Lester has held down the better bats, including Nick Markakis. The outfielder is just 7-for-32 against Lester. Luke Scott is 0-for-8 in his at-bats. The bright spot? Ty Wiggington, who is 5-for-10.
It is slightly surprising that the Pirates are continuing to use Ross Ohlendorf, but if he pitches at home than you should use him as well. Ohlendorf has had two rough outings in his last three, but both were on the road. At home he is 8-2 with a 2.74 ERA and .232 BAA in 15 games this season. Great spot start.
John Lannan has dominated the Mets this season, going 2-1 with a 1.96 ERA in three starts. He has had complete games in two of those outings. Lannan had both of those come at home, and has struggled some on the road this season. Still, in deeper leagues, Lannan has some upside.
Speaking of dominance, look at Carl Pavano against the Tigers. Pavano is 4-0 against them this season between his time with Cleveland and Minnesota. In 30.1 innings, he has allowed only 23 hits and one walk, holding batters to a .215 average. Against the Tigers, he has a 1.48 ERA this season.
Really, you do not want to ignore Bronson Arroyo on Saturday against the Marlins. Arroyo has been nearly unhittable in September and has worked into the seventh inning in all of his last 10 starts. In his last seven, he has not allowed more than two earned runs in any single outing.
Outside of Orlando Hudson, look to avoid your Dodgers against Tim Lincecum on Sunday. Juan Pierre would be a good reach play, as he is 6-for-12 and could get a start as well as provide a couple steals late in the game. Beyond that, the entire Los Angeles roster is only hitting .232 against Lincecum.
Ryan Spilborghs and Seth Smith are going to be the best options available to owners against Dan Haren. These two are the only Colorado starters over .290 against Haren. Spilborghs is 9-for-21, while Smith is 6-for-18. Troy Tulowitzki is just 4-for-24, but does have two home runs.
Roy Halladay has dominated most of the Rays lineup. Look to avoid Ben Zobrist in this one, as he is 3-for-20 against Halladay. Akinori Iwamura and Dioner Navarro would be other major problem spots in this one. Other regulars would be good to go. Halladay has largely suffered from run support issues, as he is 1-3 against Tampa this season but only has a 3.50 ERA.
Scott Baker could be a problem against the Tigers. He has been awful in two outings against them this season. He has been pitching much better of late, allowing three or fewer earned runs in each of his last five home starts while working into the sixth in every outing. Baker is not great against the Tigers you are likely to play. Keep them active as normal.
The Rangers have simply raked against John Lackey. Any you are likely to have in the lineup is hitting over .300, and the team checks in at .332 in 319 combined at-bats. If Michael Young is back, he is a fantastic play. Only beware of the .231 of Nelson Cruz.
Spot Starts: Robinson Tejeda, Ross Ohlendorf, Bronson Arroyo, Carl Pavano, Ubaldo Jimenez

Collin Hager writes The Elmhurst Pub fantasy blog. You can get your questions answered by sending an e-mail to elmhurstpubroundtable@yahoo.com. He's also on Twitter @TheRoundtable.

Fantasy Baseball: Thursday News and Notes

Collin Hager - The Roundtable — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 10:18:33 -0400

So no one wanted to win the game last night between the Angels and Red Sox. Both teams took leads, gave them back, and stranded small villages on the bases. Beyond that, it was one of the more exciting and entertaining games of the season.

Still, the Angels got rooked on a couple calls that likely made the difference in the game itself. Both came in the ninth inning, and both came on basically the same at-bat. With Nick Green at the plate with the bases loaded, Brian Fuentes was set to record the final out.

Green got down quickly 0-2. The next pitch, Green checked his swing. The Angels appealed to first, but it was ruled that he did not break the wrists. Mike Scioscia and the Los Angeles bench saw it the other way. Replays showed it was close, but it did look like the right call was made. After a sequence of foul balls, Green had forced the count to 3-2.

The next pitch sent two sides into a frenzy. Fuentes threw a fastball that to the naked eye, and everyone in the ballpark, looked like a strike. Green hesitated, but home plate umpire Rick Reed called it a ball. The replay showed that not only was it not a ball, it caught plenty of the zone.

The Angels had every right to be angry with the call, but, face facts, that did not lose this game. Los Angeles blew three different leads in this one, and the call was simply a culmination of these wasted efforts. They have one more shot to take down Boston today, but rest assured they are not looking forward to playing this team in the opening round of the playoffs.

On to the notes.

Wednesday Rewind

There is plenty of concern with Josh Hamilton. The outfielder is continuing to experience nagging issues that have forced him out of the lineup. The Rangers have not said that he will not return, but between the back issues and muscle tightness, he could certainly be sidelined through the weekend. The team could get Michael Young back for the weekend.
Victor Martinez missed the game for Boston last night, but he is expected to be back and in the lineup against the Angels today. Martinez traveled to Cleveland for personal reasons, so there are no injuries to be concerned with. Certainly expect Jason Varitek to be given the game off. Kevin Youkilis' back is slowly getting better, but it is likely he still misses today's game.
While he worked five innings on Tuesday, Roy Oswalt complained of more issues and soreness in his pitching arm. As a result, the Astros have decided to shut down the pitcher for the remainder of the season. There are still plenty of options available for owners. One of the most successful of late has been Bronson Arroyo. If he is not available, look for Jorge De La Rosa.
Sticking with De La Rosa, he picked up win No. 15 last night. De La Rosa threw eight shutout innings, allowing only three hits while striking out nine. This month, he has given up just three earned runs in 26 innings. After starting the season 0-6, De La Rosa is 15-3 since June 4th and could end the season with over 200 strike outs. Still just 35 percent owned.
After having surgery to repair his elbow earlier this week, Grady Sizemore had another procedure to address a sports hernia. Sizemore came through fine. He expects to be fully recovered by spring training. When it comes to drafting next year, expect Sizemore to slip. A savvy owner could get him in a good rebound year in 2010.
No one is paying attention, but David DeJesus is riding a 14-game hitting streak and has recorded multiple hits in four of his last 10 games. DeJesus is hitting .322 for the month, coming off an August where he hit over .300 as well. The Royals are not going to provide much for fantasy owners, but deep leagues could use what DeJesus brings to the table.
Owners can still find Hiroki Kuroda available in about 30 percent of all leagues. He continues to improve with each outing, and has now pushed his ERA under 4.00 for the entire season. Kuroda draws the Nationals in his next outing, one that should be very favorable for those heading into the finals.
Michael Cuddyer continued his hot-hitting, recording three hits yesterday. Cuddyer has multiple hit games in three of his last four and is 10 for his last 27 overall. The Twins draw the Tigers over the weekend, and Cuddyer is hitting .333 against them in 48 at-bats this season. He is still about 50 percent available.
As a result of the brawl the other night, Jorge Posada will be forced to sit for three games. It is not likely that he appeals the suspension at this point in the season. Look to get him out of your lineup over the next few days.

Thursday Notes

Look to avoid most of your Tigers against Zack Greinke. Greinke is 2-1 against the Tigers in four starts this season, posting a 1.16 ERA. Over his last four starts overall, covering 32 innings, he has given up only three earned runs. The only safe bet? Placido Polanco, who checks in with 13 hits in 38 at-bats.
Look to avoid Bobby Abreu today against Josh Beckett. Abreu is only a .215 hitter in 65 at-bats against Beckett. Torii Hunter, Howie Kendrick, Chone Figgins, and Maicer Izturis are all over .300 in at least 12 at-bats against Beckett. These four should remain in all lineups.
Careful with Derrek Lee against Dave Bush. He is hitting just .148, with just four hits in 27 at-bats. The Cubs this season are hitting only .208 in two starts against him this season. Bush, though, struggles dramatically on the road. His 6.84 road ERA in 10 starts would not make for a decent option even in NL-only formats.
Edwin Jackson has had a fair amount of problems of late, but he still is 7-1 at home with a 2.35 ERA. Jackson has allowed four or more runs in three of his last four starts, which does not bode well for many owners. Still, he has given up 16 hits in 12.1 innings to the Royals this season. He is a start, but be aware.
Jair Jurrjens is 2-0 against the Mets this season in three starts. He has not allowed more than three earned runs in his last six starts. While David Wright remains effective against the starter, the rest of the Mets have had no luck. Jurrjens has been on a role, and is very hard to hit at home.
Gavin Floyd showed his struggles on the road yesterday, but John Danks does not have those same problems. Danks is 7-3 with a 3.45 ERA away from home this season. Over his last three road starts he has given up just five earned runs in 19 innings of work. Against Seattle, he should be a good start.
While Cole Hamels does not have great numbers against the Nationals this season, his last few starts have showed marked progress from where he was prior to the All-Star break. He has given up only one run at home in his last two starts, covering 15.2 innings. In his last four starts, he has given up more than one earned run just once.
The Red Sox would not likely start Jason Varitek, and certainly will not with Martinez available. Varitek is 0-for-11 against Ervin Santana. Santana has had a better run of success lately, but has given up at least three earned runs in five of his last six road starts. In not one of those starts did he work beyond the sixth inning.
Spot Starts: Randy Wells, Justin Masterson, Wade Davis

Friday Notes

Owners should look to start Lyle Overbay against James Shields. Overbay is 10-for-33 with three home runs against Shields. Adam Lind is always a start, and he has three home runs in 24 at-bats against the Tampa starter. Only other major option would be Kevin Millar, and that is only in deeper leagues.
Mark Buehrle does own the Royals, but there are several in that lineup Buehrle has to at least pay rent to. Billy Butler is swinging a hot bat, and he has gone 10-for-32 against Buehrle. Others to start would be Willie Bloomquist, who checks in at .464 in 28 at-bats, and Mark Teahen, who is available again and has hit .453 in 53 at-bats against the lefty.
Ted Lilly suffered his only loss to the Cardinals this season on the road, where he has had little success this season. Away from home, Lilly is only 4-7 with a 4.62 ERA. He has been dominant in September, but two starts were at home with the third on the road against Pittsburgh.
A.J. Burnett has been a disaster on the road this season. His 6-6 record is ok, but the 5.12 ERA should scare owners off, even against Seattle. Burnett has given up six runs in two of his last three starts overall, and has an ERA of 7.50 in his last five starts on the road. Nothing about this screams "start me in the playoffs."
Avoid Andre Ethier against Jonathan Sanchez. The outfielder is only 3-for-19 against the starter lifetime. Keep normal Dodgers active otherwise. Russell Martin, Matt Kemp, and Manny Ramirez are all over .400 against Sanchez and Orlando Hudson sits at 7-for-22.
Spot Starts: Tim Stauffer, Tim Hudson, J.A. Happ

Collin Hager writes The Elmhurst Pub fantasy blog. You can get your questions answered by sending an e-mail to elmhurstpubroundtable@yahoo.com. He's also on Twitter @TheRoundtable.

Fantasy Baseball: Wednesday News and Notes

Collin Hager - The Roundtable — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:33:31 -0400

One of the best shows on television was the old Iron Chef shows that were dubbed over in English from the original Japanese. As a guy, it made even cooking competitive, so watching it was not as hard as some of the other stuff the wife picks from time to time. It got to the point where there was actual enjoyment from what these chefs would cook and how they would do it.

When Food Network went to make an Americanized version, it seemed like a natural fit. Unfortunately, it was much less fun than its Japanese counterpart. The food products were not quite as interesting, and there seemed to be less respect for the elite chefs. The Japan version made the challengers really out-do the incumbent.

As Americans, we often then take things too far. Competitions for the "next" Iron Chef did not deliver on some of the promise.

Flipping through the channels early this week, though, suddenly there was the original version on the screen. Complete with bad dubbing and true play-by-play analysis. Is it ridiculous? Absolutely. Still, if you are looking for a good laugh, give this show a shot. Hopefully, you find it as amusing.

After all, anything that becomes a competition has to be good. We all watch the hot dog eating competitions, after all.

On to the notes.

Tuesday Rewind

Fair amount to cover out of Boston. Kevin Youkilis missed last night's game with back spasms. Youkilis originally thought he had kidney stones, but doctors revealed nothing more than spasms. The Red Sox do expect him to miss another day or two, so adjust your lineups accordingly. It is certainly not likely he plays tonight.
Victor Martinez also missed last night's game, flying back to Cleveland for personal reasons. Martinez is also not expected to be in the lineup tonight. That means Jason Varitek will be behind the plate, Mike Lowell is likely set for third base, and Casey Kotchman will be at first.
Daisuke Matsuzaka pitched well in his first outing since June 19. Matsuzaka worked into the seventh inning and did not allow a run. More impressive was that his control seemed to be better. He hit 93-94mph with his fastball and only a few times did at-bats get away from him. This is a good sign, but playoff managers should still remain skeptical.
Those of you that put Michael Young back into your lineups last night can safely remove him tonight. Young lasted one at-bat before being removed from the game. Young does not plan to play in the game tonight against Oakland, and it is unknown if he will be available for this weekend.
Jake Peavy will make his debut on Saturday against the Royals. Not a bad team to make your debut against. Peavy is not expecting to be 100 percent, and at this point there is no indication of a pitch count or innings limit. Still, owners that need strikeouts to close out a week could look here.
Kevin Kouzmanoff will not play until Friday for the Padres. Kouzmanoff is battling a calf injury that has him sidelined. He has been taking batting practice and seems to only be a few days away from returning to action. Keep him in mind in terms of some cheap power over the weekend.
Those of you looking to fill-in for Justin Morneau should look at two players that have frequented this space of late. Billy Butler continues to be owned in only 50 percent of leagues. Butler is hitting .375 in September with a 1.092 OPS. He continues to simply rake, and is a good add. The other is Garrett Jones. Jones struggles against left-handed pitching, as evidenced by his .207 average, but is otherwise delivering in the power categories. He is hitting .321 this month.
Anyone paying attention to less-than-20-percent owned Barry Zito? Since the All-Star break, Zito is 4-3 with a 2.34 ERA and .234 BAA. His ERA for the season is now officially under 4.00. He has not allowed more than three earned runs in a start in his last 10, working into the sixth inning in seven of those appearances.
Matt Wieters finally put together an impressive game for owners. Wieters had three hits and drove in five runs against the Rays last night. It has been slow for the super prospect, but he is now hitting .300 over the last two weeks. The power will come, but this should teach us all about over-hyping prospects...again....

Wednesday Notes

Nick Blackburn is 1-3 against the Indians in 2009 with a 4.84 ERA. At home, batters are hitting over .300 against him, and he has only been able to post an ERA of 4.41 in 14 starts. He was roughed up by Oakland last time out. Get your Indians in the lineup for this one.
He should be only looked at in deeper leagues, but Livan Hernandez has pitched well against the Phillies. Look to avoid the struggles of Jimmy Rollins in this one. He is just 12-for-58 against Hernandez and has not hit well over the last two weeks. Ryan Howard is only 3-for-21, but he does have two home runs against Hernandez.
Yes, Joe Blanton has been a nice surprise this season, but he has had a lot of problems pitching against the Nationals. In 20 innings and four starts against them this season, he is 0-2 with a 9.45 ERA. He has given up six home runs and 28 hits to go with 14 walks. He was hit hard by Washington last week, and this is just not a good matchup to use.
While it is a virtual certainty that Lowell will play for Boston tonight, he is just a .235 hitter in 17 at-bats against Joe Saunders. David Ortiz is not much better. Ortiz has only three hits in 18 at-bats against the starter. While Saunders has been good in his last few outings, but he has a 5.88 ERA on the road.
Clint Barnes is 0-for-12 and Brad Hawpe is just 3-for-25 against Matt Cain. Overall, the Rockies are only hitting .231 against Cain in 229 at-bats as a team. Use the Rockies you have no other options for, but outside of the 5-for-12 of Ryan Spilborghs, the numbers just are not good enough to reach.
Gavin Floyd has not looked good against the Mariners this season, having gone 0-1 in two starts. In 11.2 innings, he has given up 17 hits. He continues to struggle on the road, posting just a 5-7 record this season in 16 starts. With an ERA of 5.36 in 99 innings of work to go with a .278 BAA, he is not the best start outside of Chicago.
Doug Davis has mixed in two bad outings to go with eight respectable ones in his last 10 starts. Largely, you can set your watch to him working at least six innings and giving up three runs. Against San Diego, though, he is 2-0 this season with a 1.38 ERA in three starts. Good spot start in this one, even on the road.
Joel Pineiro has pitched very well at home, and could be involved in a pitchers duel tonight. Pineiro is 7-5 at home, but his ERA represents a much better opportunity. His 2.52 number is indicative of more production. Batters are hitting just .244 against him at home.
The name of the game for Braden Looper has been run support. He is 8-3 on the road, but has an ERA of 5.00 in 14 starts this season. The Cubs have not pounded him, but certainly look to use them as normal. The best numbers? Kosuke Fukudome is 6-for-19 against Looper in his career.
Spot Starts: Ryan Rowland-Smith, Jorge De La Rosa, Doug Davis

Thursday Notes

Look to avoid most of your Tigers against Zack Greinke. Greinke is 2-1 against the Tigers in four starts this season, posting a 1.16 ERA. Over his last four starts overall, covering 32 innings, he has given up only three earned runs. The only safe bet? Placido Polanco, who checks in with 13 hits in 38 at-bats.
Careful with Derrek Lee against Dave Bush. He is hitting just .148, with just four hits in 27 at-bats. The Cubs this season are hitting only .208 in two starts against him this season. Bush, though, struggles dramatically on the road. His 6.84 road ERA in 10 starts would not make for a decent option even in NL-only formats.
Jair Jurrjens is 2-0 against the Mets this season in three starts. He has not allowed more than three earned runs in his last six starts. While David Wright remains effective against the starter, the rest of the Mets have had no luck. Jurrjens has been on a role, and is very hard to hit at home.
While Cole Hamels does not have great numbers against the Nationals this season, his last few starts have showed marked progress from where he was prior to the All-Star break. He has given up only one run at home in his last two starts, covering 15.2 innings. In his last four starts, he has given up more than one earned run just once.
The Red Sox may be forced to start Jason Varitek, but fantasy owners are not. Varitek is 0-for-11 against Ervin Santana. Santana has had a better run of success lately, but has given up at least three earned runs in five of his last six road starts. In not one of those starts did he work beyond the sixth inning.
Spot Starts: Randy Wells, Justin Masterson

Collin Hager writes The Elmhurst Pub fantasy blog. You can get your questions answered by sending an e-mail to elmhurstpubroundtable@yahoo.com. He's also on Twitter @TheRoundtable.

Fantasy Baseball: Tuesday News and Notes

Collin Hager - The Roundtable — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 11:23:12 -0400

Any fan of the Patriots that walks away from that game last night satisfied needs their head examined. Despite dominating in every statistical category, it took a Buffalo mistake in order for them to come away with a win. The defense could not stop the Bills. The Bills.

This is the team that fired their offensive coordinator just 10 days ago and had an offensive line where 60 percent of the players never had a snap in the NFL.

That same line manhandled the front seven of New England. With Terrell Owens barely around, Fred Jackson tore them to shreds. It was as if the team had never seen a screen pass before. This was an all-around bad game for New England. More over, if this game is against a good team, they lose.

Every non-Pats fan will join the chorus of boos at Leodis McKelvin. Whether or not he thought that he had to come out of the end zone, you need to protect the ball and hit the ground. One extra yard in that circumstance was not going to make the difference.

Simply astounding. That is why the Bills are the Bills and the Patriots are the Patriots.

On to the notes.

Monday Rewind

Justin Morneau will miss the remainder of the season as a result of a back injury. The slugger has been bothered by the injury for about a month, and fluid build up had the team looking for answers. The result found was a stress fracture in the back. This is an injury that should heal in time, so Morneau will do nothing for three months. Sort of like the Twins from April to June.
Tim Lincecum was able to shake off his back injury to shut down the Rockies in a key late-season matchup. He threw seven innings and more than 115 pitches in the effort last night, underscoring the fact that the Giants feel he is set to go the rest of the way. Owners should have no further concerns.
Do not read much into Randy Johnson re-joining the Giants. The lefty threw a simulated game where he felt good, but the team will not look to move him back to the rotation. Expect Johnson to spend some time coming out of the bullpen as long as the team can continue to hang around.
Bronson Arroyo is owned in just a quarter of all ESPN leagues, but continues to be one of the most dominating pitchers of the last month. Over his last seven starts, covering 52.1 innings, he has given up just eight earned runs. That is good for an ERA of 1.38 in that stretch.
It is safe to say that Joba Chamberlain has little remaining fantasy value. Yes, he threw four good innings last night, but the fact remains that he was not in line for a win because of his pitch totals and the innings limit imposed by the Yankees. Chamberlain is young, but the reins being placed on him make him virtually useless for owners in the playoffs. Look elsewhere.
Scott Feldman fell to 4-4 at home with a 4.88 ERA. He allowed six runs in just 6.1 innings of work yesterday to Oakland. Feldman has been very good on the road, but certainly is struggling with the type of offense that the Ballpark at Arlington can generate. He is too hit or miss at home to start there in the playoffs.
Looking ahead, as pleasant as the starts of Joe Saunders have been recently, his next two will come against the Red Sox on the road and then the Yankees. If you are looking for wins, these will not be the easiest teams to get them against. Spot start options are the way to go instead of using the Anaheim starter.
Derrek Lee continued his ownership of Jeff Suppan. Lee now has 22 hits in 51 at-bats against the Milwaukee starter, including five home runs. Lee has pounded the ball at home to the tune of .322 in 2009, but he has not had much success against Brewers not named Suppan. With those numbers included, he is still hitting under .235.
Outside of one really bad outing against Seattle, Brett Tomko has been a solid pitcher since moving to Oakland. Not one part of that last sentence makes any logical sense. Tomko, though, is 4-1 over a six-start stretch. Last night, he worked a complete game against the Rangers, allowing just five hits and three walks.

Tuesday Notes

Daisuke Matsuzaka finally returns to the mound for the Red Sox. Matsuzaka has missed most of the season due to fatness, but will draw the first game of the series against the Angels. Owners should stay far away from this one. Even if he pitches well, the risk of a bad start far outweighs the reward.
Do not be surprised to see Boston give Mike Lowell the night off against John Lackey. Lowell is only 3-for-19 against the starter. Jason Varitek is no better, and owners should keep him reserved where possible. Start your normal Red Sox otherwise. Look to J.D. Drew and David Ortiz. Drew is 5-for-16, and Ortiz is a .333 hitter. Victor Martinez has the best numbers at 10-for-21.
There is concern expressed by Roy Oswalt about his ability to make his next start. Oswalt threw two horrific innings against the Braves last time out, but has always had the number of the Reds. He does not have a decision against them in three starts this season, but is a 20-game winner against them for his career.
Robinson Tejeda has filled in admirably for the injured Gil Meche. Tejeda has not allowed a run in two September starts, striking out 14 batters in 11.1 innings of work. Tejeda's issues have always been control, but owners that need some strikeouts should look to him tonight against Detroit.
Ubaldo Jimenez will make the start for Colorado tonight against the Giants. Jimenez had been bothered by a hamstring injury that forced the Rockies to push his start back a few days. Bengie Molina is only 3-for-20 against Jimenez, and both Aaron Rowand and Randy Winn are just 5-for-23.
You might be surprised to find out that, individually, the Padres hit Dan Haren pretty well. Kevin Kouzmanoff is 7-for-22 with two home runs against Haren in his career. Nick Hundley has gone 5-for-12. These are deeper league plays, but there are some hits out there if needed.
Scott Baker will make his fifth start this season against Cleveland tonight. He is 4-0 in 2009 with a 0.93 ERA and .139 BAA. Travis Hafner has good numbers against Baker, but there is not much else of which to speak. Deep leagues should look to Andy Marte, who is 3-for-10 with two home runs against Baker. Otherwise, avoid this matchup.
Another matchup where you likely will not see J.J. Hardy. The shortstop has struggled against Carlos Zambrano. In 22 at-bats, he has just two hits. Look to use most of your Brewers as normal, but note that Zambrano has been much more effective in his two September starts than in the few leading up to it.
Get Jason Kubel in the lineup against Fausto Carmona. Kubel is 10-for-23 with two home runs and eight RBI against the Cleveland pitcher. No major issues for your Twins otherwise here. Carmona has been awful on the road, posting an ERA over 8.00 in nine starts. He is also 0-2 against Minnesota in three starts with a 7.71 ERA.
Spot Starters: Jeff Niemann, Tejeda, Jimenez

Wednesday Notes

Nick Blackburn is 1-3 against the Indians in 2009 with a 4.84 ERA. At home, batters are hitting over .300 against him, and he has only been able to post an ERA of 4.41 in 14 starts. He was roughed up by Oakland last time out. Get your Indians in the lineup for this one.
Yes, Joe Blanton has been a nice surprise this season, but he has had a lot of problems pitching against the Nationals. In 20 innings and four starts against them this season, he is 0-2 with a 9.45 ERA. He has given up six home runs and 28 hits to go with 14 walks. He was hit hard by Washington last week, and this is just not a good matchup to use.
Clint Barnes is 0-for-12 and Brad Hawpe is just 3-for-25 against Matt Cain. Overall, the Rockies are only hitting .231 against Cain in 229 at-bats as a team. Use the Rockies you have no other options for, but outside of the 5-for-12 of Ryan Spilborghs, the numbers just are not good enough to reach.
Doug Davis has mixed in two bad outings to go with eight respectable ones in his last 10 starts. Largely, you can set your watch to him working at least six innings and giving up three runs. Against San Diego, though, he is 2-0 this season with a 1.38 ERA in three starts. Good spot start in this one, even on the road.
The name of the game for Braden Looper has been run support. He is 8-3 on the road, but has an ERA of 5.00 in 14 starts this season. The Cubs have not pounded him, but certainly look to use them as normal. The best numbers? Kosuke Fukudome is 6-for019 against Looper in his career.
Spot Starts: Ryan Rowland-Smith, Jorge De La Rosa, Doug Davis

Collin Hager writes The Elmhurst Pub fantasy blog. You can get your questions answered by sending an e-mail to elmhurstpubroundtable@yahoo.com. He's also on Twitter @TheRoundtable.

Fantasy Baseball: Friday News and Notes

Collin Hager - The Roundtable — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 11:37:24 -0400

Outside of the day after the All-Star Game, last night had to be the quietest night of the baseball season.

With only seven games on the schedule, there was little for most markets in the country to watch without the special packages. A weird feeling, no doubt, but one we all were able to deal with largely thanks to the return of the NFL.

Tonight, let us turn our attention back to playoff races and matchups. Easier said than done for many.

Today will always bring back memories of the tragedy that struck eight years ago. Just as many remember where they were when Neil Armstrong walked on the moon or when John F. Kennedy was shot, this day is frozen in time. Images and remembrances will bombard the television screens and radio waves.

This space tends to shy away from aspects to society in this way, but this is a day and a feeling that we should never forget. Not only should we not forget it, but we should live the spirit that erupted in the following weeks and months continually.

After the tragedy, Americans were frightened, but we bonded like never before. It is that spirit that should be carried with us through our daily lives.

A society should never live in fear, but it should respect the culture and the standard to which they are accustomed. Many put their lives at risk that day and in the hundreds of days since in defense of the freedom we often take for granted.

So, today, do not remember 9/11 for the one day it was. Remember it for how it made you feel about your country and the men and women who protect it each day.

The everlasting image of that day should continue to be the three firemen raising the flag above the site, proving that the American spirit will never falter.

On to the notes.

Thursday Rewind

Those of you that popped over yesterday to check out the Thursday notes read that Joe Blanton has had nothing but problems with the Nationals. Those continued last night, as he lasted just 4.2 innings and gave up eight runs on seven hits while walking four. Blanton allowed two home runs, giving him six in his last four outings. In 20 innings against Washington, the Philadelphia starter has a 9.45 ERA. Oh, and he gets them again next week.
The Royals likely took two major blows to their pitching staff yesterday. Gil Meche is likely done for the year with a shoulder problems and Brian Bannister is heading to New York for a second opinion on his. Meche failed to live up to some promise seen last season, and Bannister had rebounded to be a fringe starter in deeper leagues. Owners should take note.
Roy Oswalt lost again to the Braves. Atlanta remains the one team that Oswalt has never beaten while pitching for the Astros. This one was just plain ugly, as Oswalt worked just two innings and allowed six earned runs in the process. He seemed healthy, but just not able to throw anything past the Atlanta bats.
Dan Uggla entered last night's game just 7-for-43 against the Mets this season, but went 2-for-5 with a home run. Uggla hit his 25th home run, marking the fourth year in a row he has reached the mark. If you can handle the .245 average, Uggla's power is a welcome addition to any club. Careful this weekend, as he is hitting only .231 in 52 at-bats against the Nationals.
A relatively solid pitcher's duel last night between John Lackey and Ryan Rowland-Smith. Lackey was simply better, throwing a complete game, five-hit shutout against the Mariners. Rowland-Smith allowed just three runs over seven innings, but did surrender 10 hits and a walk, not helping anyone's WHIP.
Scott Baker lost yesterday for the first time since July 7. Baker still pitched well, allowing just three runs over 6.2 innings of work and just five hits while striking out seven. His major issue in his last two starts have been walks, and he has now put eight on via the walk in his last 12 innings.
Jose Contreras left yesterday's game against the Reds in the second inning with an apparent leg injury. Contreras was not injured while pitching, but while running out a ground ball. No word at this point on the severity of the quad injury. The Rockies continued to play without Troy Tulowitzki, who was sidelined again. Keep him reserved until we see him in a lineup.
Colorado also announced that they will be pushing the start of Ubaldo Jimenez from Saturday to Tuesday. Jimenez is dealing with a strained hamstring, but likely could have gone. This is more a precaution than anything else. The Rockies will use a minor league starter to cover him on Saturday.

Thursday Notes

James Shields has actually been hit relatively hard by the Red Sox. There are some issues in the Boston lineup. Look to avoid Kevin Youkilis, as he is 3-for-23 against Shields. Jason Varitek is no better at 3-for-18 and Jacoby Ellsbury is 4-for-21. The rest of the Red Sox lineup is good to go.
Jon Lester recorded his first win of the season against Tampa earlier this month. The lefty is very tough at home, posting a 3.38 ERA, and he is unbeaten in his two September starts. Owners should keep Akinori Iwamura and Jason Bartlett active. They have gone 8-for-24 and 9-for-19, respectively, against Lester.
Zack Greinke is 2-0 against Cleveland this season in four starts against them. Greinke has only a .500 record on the road, but his ERA is still under 3.00. Look to use Asdrubal Cabrera against Greinke, as he has gone 9-for-17 in his career against the Kansas City starter. Shin-Soo Choo is the only other starter above .300 against Greinke.
Joel Pineiro has won his last seven decisions, going back to July 19. At home, he has been very solid, posting a 2.62 ERA and .247 BAA in 62.1 innings of work. Pineiro has beaten the Braves once already this season, and continues to be a pleasant surprise for deep league owners. Good start in this one.
Andre Ethier is hitting .567 against Matt Cain in 30 at-bats. Keep Rafael Furcal and Matt Kemp active as well. Orlando Hudson is the toughest bet in the Dodger lineup. He is only 2-for-21 against Cain. At home, Cain is tough, having gone 6-2 this season with batters hitting only .227 against him.
Jorge De La Rosa has not been stellar against the Padres, but he has only allowed them to hit .211 against him in three starts. He simply has fallen victim to the long ball on a few instances over 12 innings of work. De La Rosa has been solid in the second half of the season, and is a solid start in the big ballpark against a struggling offense.
Andy Pettitte has given up just two earned runs in his last 14 innings of work at home, and he tends to pitch very well against the Orioles. Look to avoid the 2-for-21 of Ty Wiggington and the 0-for-9 of Luke Scott in this matchup. Pettitte's season at home has not been fantastic, but Baltimore is putting up a lot of young, impatient hitters and that plays well to Pettitte's strengths.
After a series of rough starts, Joe Saunders is now riding a five-game winning streak heading into the game tonight against the White Sox. Saunders has allowed just four earned runs in those three starts, showing that something seems to have clicked. Gavin Floyd has really struggled on the road, posting an ERA well over 5.00. Should mean even an average start by Saunders would be good for a win.
Cole Hamels has been lit up by the Mets in two starts this season. Hamels has given up 21 hits in just 10 innings of work. The Mets do not have a ton to throw at him, but it seems to simply be the uniform, as he is only 1-4 against the Mets since 2006.
Spot Starts: Joel Pineiro, Doug Davis, Jorge De La Rosa

Weekend Notes

This dance has been done before. The Red Sox do not hit pitchers that they have never seen well. The Red Sox have never seen Wade Davis pitch before. Therefore, the Red Sox will struggle getting hits off the prospect. Do yourself a favor and avoid any non-essential Red Sox in this one Saturday.
If, and it is a big if, Alfonso Soriano is going to play, it will be against Johnny Cueto. He, along with the rest of the Cubs' lineup, have done some serious damage against the Cincinnati starter. Soriano is 8-for-18 with three home runs. Start as many as you can, since the bulk of the order is at or above .300.
Jamie Moyer is scheduled to make another start in place of J.A. Happ on Saturday. Happ continues to be bothered by the strained oblique muscle that forced him to miss his last start. While Carlos Beltran has been back, he is only a .230 hitter against Moyer. Make sure to start David Wright as always, considering he is hitting .432 against the lefty.
As nice a surprise as Ross Ohlendorf has been this season, he has struggled away from home. In 12 starts, he is 3-7 with a 5.55 ERA and a .296 BAA. The Astros have hit him very well this season. Ohlendorf has not recorded a win in two starts against them, allowing 16 hits and eight earned runs over 10 innings.
While Edwin Jackson has not done it efficiently, he has won five of his last six decisions going back seven starts. The issue is he has allowed at least three earned runs in five of those starts while getting beyond the sixth inning in just two. Jackson does get to pitch at home against a Toronto team that is struggling. Continue to trust him here.
Brandon Phillips is just 2-for-22 against the Sunday starter for the Cubs, Ted Lilly. Joey Votto, on the other hand, is hitting .313 with two home runs and eight RBI in just 16 at bats. Do not expect much from the Cincinnati offense. Lilly is 7-1 at home this season with a 1.72 ERA.
Look to keep Nelson Cruz in the lineup against Felix Hernandez, but that is about it in terms of your Rangers. Cruz is 7-for-22 with a home run, and it the only likely starter outside of Chris Davis hitting above .300 against Hernandez. Josh Hamilton is only 2-for-21 against the Seattle starter.
Good numbers from Mark DeRosa against Javier Vazquez. DeRosa is 8-for-25 with a home run against the starter. Vazquez is tough on the road, and reaching in the St. Louis lineup as a result is not the best idea. He has gone 8-2 away from home while posting an ERA of 3.05.
John Maine will take the ball in the first game of the double-header against the Phillies on Sunday. Maine threw a simulated game on Thursday and will be finally returning to the mound after suffering from shoulder weakness. Do not look to get him right back in your lineup. See how he performs before inserting him in to any playoff rotation.
Matt Garza remains undefeated against the Red Sox in 2009 in five starts. Garza has largely owned the Boston lineup going back to last season. Jacoby Ellsbury and Kevin Youkilis are both over .300, but the rest of the lineup should be on hold if you have better options. David Ortiz is only 2-for-21, but both hits were home runs.
Spot Starts: Clay Buchholz, Tommy Hunter, Carlos Carrasco, Wade Davis, Randy Wells, Tim Hudson

Collin Hager writes The Elmhurst Pub fantasy blog. You can get your questions answered by sending an e-mail to elmhurstpubroundtable@yahoo.com. He's also on Twitter @TheRoundtable.

Fantasy Baseball: Thursday News and Notes

Collin Hager - The Roundtable — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 11:15:54 -0400

Baseball movies always seem to go one of two ways. They either are fantastic high-comedy or fall flat. Major League has had staying power, but Hardball not so much. It is what makes For Love of the Game all the more intriguing. Anyone with cable know that movie has been on repeatedly this week.

One night, it was on the cycle of channels to be flipped to between innings of the Red Sox game and whatever else was on that evening. Certain scenes in it are fantastic, and the baseball in it even seems relatively realistic. Kevin Costner is still believable as a ballplayer, throwing somewhat in a Greg Maddux style.

Nothing in it comes across as too over-the-top. Is the last out a stretch? Maybe, but not unlikely in the course of a game. Now, would a manager have sent up a rookie to pinch hit? Doubtful. Would a guy get killed for bunting in the seventh inning to break up a perfect game? You bet. Those moments can be found in any sports movie.

The problem comes in the scenes between the baseball. Major League on cable is great partly because it cuts Rene Russo's unnecessary lines out of the movie entirely. You cannot do that with For Love of the Game. It results in a 30-minute sitcom. Kelly Preston comes across as a big-time wet blanket straight out of the Rocky mold.

It is why the re-watchability (channeling the inner Mel Kiper) is in question. It can be flipped to for a few minutes, but most people likely are just trying to catch a few scenes here and there. Straight through is another question entirely.

Sure, it comes down to personal preference. There are just plenty of other sports movies that seem to have better staying power.

Not to say that having a ball signed by Costner that says "Tell them I'm through 'for love of the game'" would not be a sweet collectible. Decide for yourself.

On to the notes.

Wednesday Rewind

While the result has little impact outside of the three-hit game itself, congratulations are in order to Derek Jeter for tying the all-time Yankee hits record. There are very few Yankees that Red Sox fans respect, but his all-around play and respect for the game make him impossible to dislike. This weekend will be electric in that stadium when he breaks it.
Tim Lincecum expects to be able to make his next start on Monday. Lincecum missed his appearance on Tuesday because of back problems, and it had been evident that there was some diminished velocity in his last start. Hopefully, he can get back on the mound and help as teams push for the playoffs.
In another weird sign out of Philadelphia, Ryan Madson closed out the win last night for the Phillies while Brad Lidge watched. Madson could pilfer a few saves the rest of the way, and if you are close in that category, look to him to help out. It will not be regularly, so only if you have some roster flexibility.
Quite the night for the Cardinals last night. Albert Pujols hit two more home runs last night, giving him 47 for the season. It would be hard to imagine selecting nearly anyone else as the top pick in next season's draft. Pujols has proven that the injury we thought would impact him is in the past.
How many owners expected Scott Feldman to win 12 games this season, let alone on the road? Feldman simply dominated Cleveland yesterday, recording his 16th win of the season overall. Let him be another example as to why owners do not need to go after pitching early.
While Randy Wolf was expected to take the ball for the Dodgers on Friday, he will instead miss a start with elbow inflammation. Wolf has been a very pleasant surprise this season for owners, and this should not have them treating him much differently. Look to him next week as you normally would. Hiroki Kuroda will start in his place.
Tommy Hanson threw eight shutout innings last night, but had his game blown by Rafael Soriano. On top of Hanson's performance, Wandy Rodriguez went seven innings and gave up just one run in the process. The two have been as good as advertised this season. Hanson needs to be looked at as a number two starter in deeper leagues next season and at least a three in all formats.
Owners looking for wins should not necessarily be relying on Tampa starters. The bullpen has continued to struggle with Grant Balfour being among the worst offenders. Jeff Niemann threw a fantastic game last night, but the revolving bullpen door doomed his win against New York. Joe Maddon may want to ease off on the itchy trigger finger to pull some of his starters.
Ricky Nolasco started his outing with six shutout innings before being torn apart a bit in the seventh. Nolasco still managed to win his 11th game of the season, and put together back-to-back wins for the first time since June. He seems to have figured it out. No doubt, he will be buried on some draft boards next season because of the ERA, but batters have hit just .237 against him since the All-Star break.

Thursday Notes

Sometimes things just do not make sense. Joe Blanton is 0-1 in three starts against the Nationals this season, allowing them to hit .323 against him in 15.1 innings. Ryan Zimmerman has had the most fun, going 7-for-14 with two home runs against the Philadelphia starter.
It is rarely pretty, but Scott Baker has gone 7-3 on the road this season. In his last 10 starts overall, he is 5-0. Baker has had problems, but has managed to allow three or fewer runs in eight of his last 10 outings. Against a struggling Toronto team, Baker is not a bad play in deeper leagues.
While owners should look to keep Ichiro, Kenji Johjima, and Jose Lopez active against John Lackey, look to sit Adrian Beltre. Beltre is only 9-for-41, good for a .191 average, against Lackey. The others are all hitting well above .320. Lackey has given up 17 hits in 12.1 innings to the Mariners this season.
Ryan Rowland-Smith is not the sexy name, but he has been productive. Rowland-Smith has a 3.25 ERA over his last three starts and is slowly solidifying his spot in the rotation for next season. It is not likely he keeps his WHIP at 1.07, but he is a reasonable bet for a 1.30-1.35 WHIP over the course of an entire year.
Another pitcher with back issues should be able to make his start on Thursday. Roy Oswalt has not had much luck this season, but is expected to take the mound. Oswalt has had good success against Chipper Jones, but look to use both Adam LaRoche and Nate McLouth. Both have good numbers.
Derek Lowe has a win this season against the Astros this season, but he has had some problems on the road in 2009. Lowe has a 4.87 ERA and batters have hit over .300 against him away from Atlanta. Look to keep all your normal Astros in the lineup for this one, as they have solid collective stats against the starter.
After missing a start with knee issues, Jarrod Washburn will take the mound against the Royals. His last start against Kansas City was his best as a Tiger. He held the Royals without a run over eight innings of work. In four of his six starts with Detroit, he has allowed at least five earned runs. Still, the bad offense should do his numbers good.
Very limited schedule across baseball, as only seven games are on the docket. Not much else to look at in terms of matchups here.
Spot Starts: Brett Cecil, Ryan Rowland-Smith

Friday Notes

James Shields has actually been hit relatively hard by the Red Sox. There are some issues in the Boston lineup. Look to avoid Kevin Youkilis, as he is 3-for-23 against Shields. Jason Varitek is no better at 3-for-18 and Jacoby Ellsbury is 4-for-21. The rest of the Red Sox lineup is good to go.
Zack Greinke is 2-0 against Cleveland this season in four starts against them. Greinke has only a .500 record on the road, but his ERA is still under 3.00. Look to use Asdrubal Cabrera against Greinke, as he has gone 9-for-17 in his career against the Kansas City starter. Shin-Soo Choo is the only other starter above .300 against Greinke.
Andre Ethier is hitting .567 against Matt Cain in 30 at-bats. Keep Rafael Furcal and Matt Kemp active as well. Orlando Hudson is the toughest bet in the Dodger lineup. He is only 2-for-21 against Cain. At home, Cain is tough, having gone 6-2 this season with batters hitting only .227 against him.
Andy Pettitte has given up just two earned runs in his last 14 innings of work at home, and he tends to pitch very well against the Orioles. Look to avoid the 2-for-21 of Ty Wiggington and the 0-for-9 of Luke Scott in this matchup. Pettitte's season at home has not been fantastic, but Baltimore is putting up a lot of young, impatient hitters and that plays well to Pettitte's strengths.
Cole Hamels has been lit up by the Mets in two starts this season. Hamels has given up 21 hits in just 10 innings of work. The Mets do not have a ton to throw at him, but it seems to simply be the uniform, as he is only 1-4 against the Mets since 2006.
Spot Starts: Joel Pineiro, Doug Davis, Jorge De La Rosa

Collin Hager writes The Elmhurst Pub fantasy blog. You can get your questions answered by sending an e-mail to elmhurstpubroundtable@yahoo.com. He's also on Twitter @TheRoundtable.

Fantasy Baseball: Wednesday News and Notes

Collin Hager - The Roundtable — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 10:53:24 -0400

While the allure of Starbucks continues to make perfect sense, Dunkin' Donuts is certainly still the go-to place in the New England area for coffee. Maybe it has something to do with the much faster paced lifestyle that this region has when compared to the lack-of-Dunkin' areas of California.

Sure, there is something nice about your "barista" knowing what you want when you walk in. There is something equally depressing about forking over more than two dollars for a large coffee though.

Add in when you lose one Dunkin' inn, the rear view mirror of another one is coming up in front of you, and it becomes easier to understand the obsession New England has with this brand.

Which brings us to this morning. Each day, the order placed from this writer is the exact same: large hot coffee, skim milk, no sugar. Make your jokes now about the milk and the sugar.

Done? Good.

The time of arrival is almost exactly the same each day, and this particular shop does not have a drive thru, meaning you have to go inside. With standing meetings at 8 AM, sometimes there is a particular rush to get in and get out. Aimee, who regularly is at the counter, watched me walk in and immediately got the coffee ready despite my being nearly 10 people deep.

Were others irritated? Probably. But it is that kind of experience that makes you go back to different places. At Dunkin', it also is the type of service that makes you leave a tip more than change.

So, thanks, Aimee. You got me to work on time and made me feel important, if only for a couple seconds.

On to the notes.

Tuesday Rewind

Everyone came out of a crowded bullpen for Baltimore last night, as the Red Sox offense broke out. Dustin Pedroia was riding a 3-for-26 slump before hitting two home runs last night. That marked his first multi-home run game of his career. The Red Sox hit six home runs in all, including the 20th by J.D. Drew. Want some thoughts on Drew the rest of the year? Click here.
Tim Lincecum missed his start last night with back spasms and was replaced by highly-touted rookie Madison Bumgarner. Bumgarner left in line for a win, and did not disappoint in his debut. He gave up a couple home runs, but the Giants certainly must be encouraged by what they saw in this outing.
Carlos Beltran was (finally) activated by the Mets. The outfielder has been sidelined the majority of the season with various injuries, the most major of which was a bone bruise on his knee. Owners should not expect too much out of him, but it certainly is a positive to have him back in the lineup. Daily leagues that do not need him should hold off a few more games and see if he is able to play consecutive days prior to starting him.
Looking for some saves? Check out Philadelphia. Charlie Manuel has backed off his support of Brad Lidge as closer, according to reports. Lidge has certainly struggled, and he was removed from the game last night after loading the bases. Deeper leagues should grab Ryan Madson for some sporadic saves.
Manny Parra was removed from last night's game after just one inning after suffering neck spasms. Parra had pitched well against the Cardinals this season, so they likely were happy to see him off the mound that early in the matchup. Parra is of no concern outside of NL-only leagues or matchup plays, but this likely means a return to the rotation for Carlos Villanueva.
Troy Tulowitzki is listed as day-to-day with his back issues, and was out of the lineup last night. The shifts put Eric Young at second base for the first time in his short career. Any added eligibility for Young heading in to next season would be a good thing. As Tulo sits, the speedster could rack up enough games in some leagues to have it added.
Javier Vazquez continues to put together solid outings. While he has had trouble against the Marlins, giving up 10 runs in his last 12 innings against them, Vazquez continues to be strong away from home. This season he is 8-2 on the road with a 3.05 ERA. We often do not speak of him in terms of aces to draft high because of his ERA. He now, though, has struck out at least 200 batters in each of the last three seasons.
Another not-too-sexy name is Marlon Byrd. The Texas outfielder went 7-for-9 in the double-header yesterday, and now has a hit in six consecutive games. Byrd is just under 10 percent owned, but stands a shot at passing 20 home runs (currently at 16) and 85 RBI (currently at 72).
Troy Glaus has seen some sporadic time in the lineup for the Cardinals with Mark DeRosa's back problems. Glaus is not a material fantasy impact in any format, but it is good to see he is healthy. DeRosa owners should also anticipate some days off for him, especially where St. Louis is running away with the division.

Wednesday Notes

Do not look for much help from the Brewers against Adam Wainwright. Prince Fielder is only 5-for-24 and even Ryan Braun is 6-for-25. Given that two shortstops are up, bet on J.J. Hardy being on the bench. Against Wainwright he is only 5-for-26. Just not good enough to start.
The fact that the Yankees are playing some weird game with Joba Chamberlain's innings should have owners dropping him. Chamberlain has gone just three innings in each of his last two outings. There is certainly a limit being placed on him, and if he is going to be held to this total, his value is minimal.
Casey Blake, Manny Ramirez, and Andre Ethier are all solid bets against Dan Haren. Ramirez is 13-for-24 with two home runs against the Arizona ace. If you can avoid Rafael Furcal and Russell Martin, you should do so. Neither have been able to break above the Mendoza line against Haren.
Ricky Nolasco has had issues with Mets in two earlier starts this season, and the team that will face him has hit him well. David Wright is a .419 hitter with three home runs in 31 at-bats. If the Mets use Beltran in back-to-back games, he is .321 against Nolasco. Nolasco is just 5-4 on the road with a 5.45 ERA.
Adrian Beltre has done nothing but struggle against Jered Weaver. Beltre is a .212 hitter in 33 at-bats and does not have a home run. Who could be a sleeper play for owners? Check out Kenji Johjima. The catcher is 12-for-29 against Weaver lifetime.
Wandy Rodriguez has gone 29 innings over his last four home starts and allowed just one earned run in that time. Batters are hitting only .211 against him in his own ballpark, and the 8-2 record shows his complete dominance. There are very few pitchers that have the stats up front to be a better start today.
Get Billy Butler in you lineups against Justin Verlander. Butler has two home runs and is 10-for-23 against the Detroit pitcher. Otherwise, there is not much to speak of in terms of offense for Kansas City. While Verlander has a 4.14 ERA on the road, he has been too good lately to risk loading any sort of lineup with reaches from Kansas City.
Continuing with some dominant starters, Scott Feldman needs to be discussed as well. The Texas starter is 11-1 on the road this season with a 2.80 ERA. Feldman has allowed just one run over his last 19.1 innings of work. He grabbed a win against Cleveland once already this season, giving up one run over six innings.
If you were told that Barry Zito had not allowed more than three earned runs in any of his last 10 starts, would you buy it? He has been that good since the All-Star break, and owners are starting to take notice. Zito is 0-3 this season against the Padres, but chalk it up to him being due.
Spot Starts: Barry Zito, Jeff Niemann, Trevor Cahill

Thursday Notes

Sometimes things just do not make sense. Joe Blanton is 0-1 in three starts against the Nationals this season, allowing them to hit .323 against him in 15.1 innings. Ryan Zimmerman has had the most fun, going 7-for-14 with two home runs against the Philadelphia starter.
While owners should look to keep Ichiro, Kenji Johjima, and Jose Lopez active against John Lackey, look to sit Adrian Beltre. Beltre is only 9-for-41, good for a .191 average, against Lackey. The others are all hitting well above .320. Lackey has given up 17 hits in 12.1 innings to the Mariners this season.
Another pitcher with back issues should be able to make his start on Thursday. Roy Oswalt has not had much luck this season, but is expected to take the mound. Oswalt has had good success against Chipper Jones, but look to use both Adam LaRoche and Nate McLouth. Both have good numbers.
After missing a start with knee issues, Jarrod Washburn will take the mound against the Royals. His last start against Kansas City was his best as a Tiger. He held the Royals without a run over eight innings of work. In four of his six starts with Detroit, he has allowed at least five earned runs. Still, the bad offense should do his numbers good.
Spot Starts: Brett Cecil, Ryan Rowland-Smith

Collin Hager writes The Elmhurst Pub fantasy blog. You can get your questions answered by sending an e-mail to elmhurstpubroundtable@yahoo.com. He's also on Twitter @TheRoundtable.

Fantasy Baseball: Tuesday News and Notes

Collin Hager - The Roundtable — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 12:47:37 -0400

At this point, everyone should be focusing on the playoffs. The field has been narrowed, and the title is getting closer for many. Owners need to be certain to create opportunities and watch players that seem to be sidelined for unexplained reasons.

Unless you are certain that an injured player is going to be in the lineup, the gamble simply is not worth taking. Not now.

Injuries are piling up, and it is only a matter of time before some players are shut down for the season with their team out of contention. Unfortunately, those players are not often put on the DL. That makes dropping them a bit of a risk.

Make moves that continue to fit with your ultimate goal. Fewer teams means that there are likely less owners paying attention. Players that you drop not be helping your team. Do not worry about what they will do to your opponents. Remember, there is a reason they are not in your lineup.

On to the notes.

Monday Rewind

Alfonso Soriano continues to sit with knee problems. While the Cubs have not shut him down for the season, there is really nothing to gain by playing him. All the team risks is making the injury harder to come back from next season. Best to keep him out of the lineup entirely as opposed to taking the chance that he might be in the lineup.
Josh Hamilton received a second injection in his back and is likely out until the weekend. Hamilton continues to nurse an aggravated nerve in his back. With the Rangers fighting for the playoffs, Hamilton will no doubt look to be back quickly. Still, owners should not expect him in their lineups prior to Friday.
Tim Wakefield will not make a start for another nine days or so. The Red Sox are being very conservative with the veteran hurler because of the injuries he has sustained. Wakefield was only adequate in his last start and is being bothered by lingering problems with his back and calf.
J.A. Happ missed his scheduled start on Monday after straining a muscle in his side during warmups. Happ has suffered this injury before, but feels he should be good with some limited rest. It could cause him to miss at least one more start based on his comments from yesterday.
Carlos Pena is done for the season. Pena was hit on the hand by a C.C. Sabathia pitch that broke two of his fingers. The slugger has been one of the best spots in the lineup for Tampa, and this is certainly a significant blow for those who were hoping to see him hit more home runs than singles.
Clayton Kershaw will not make his next start. In what can only be described as a dumb and freak injury, Kershaw bruised his shoulder while shagging flies in the outfield prior to the game last night. The lefty will not pitch on Friday as scheduled, but hopes to make his next start. Look for Randy Wolf to be moved up a day to make the start for the Dodgers.
Troy Tulowitzki left yesterday's game in the seventh inning after straining a muscle in his back. The Rockies shortstop singled in the inning to drive in a run but was unable to continue. No word on his status heading in to the rest of this week, but owners should look to avoid him today if possible.
Chris Carpenter continues to make his pitch for the Cy Young. Carpenter tossed a one-hit shutout against the Brewers yesterday to record his 16th win of the season. He continues to be dominant, picking up where he left off prior to injury. In looking at pitchers next season, Carpenter needs to be near the top of your lists.
Mark Reynolds is just three for his last 21, but has been suffering from effects of the flu. Reynolds lost 12 pounds in a week, and certainly seemed to be lacking in strength despite a return to the lineup. He will get better, but he needs to be at 100 percent. Expect a few days off here and there as he gets to that point.

Tuesday Notes

While John Lannan is 5-1 at home with a sub-3.00 ERA, he continues to have problems with the Phillies. Lannan is 0-2 against them this season, posting a 5.17 ERA in three starts. As a team, Philadelphia has hit nearly .300 against him in 2009 and have added four home runs in 19.2 innings.
Ryan Dempster has given up only four earned runs in his last 20 innings of work. Dempster does not have much of a track record against this particular Pirates team, mainly because it was sold for spare parts. He struggled against an earlier version in one appearance in 2009. Put more stock into the recent starts than in the history.
Justin Upton is just 1-for-13 against Chad Billingsley. Also be careful of starting either Chad Tracy or Reynolds in this matchup, as neither have hit above .235 against the Los Angeles starter. Stephen Drew is a solid play in this one. He has hit .394 against Billingsley in the past.
No doubt he is dominant at home, and Tim Lincecum's pedigree should never have owners thinking about benching him. Still, in deeper leagues, look to start Kevin Kouzmanoff. He already has driven in 83 runs this season and is 11-for-31 lifetime against Lincecum.
Felix Hernandez was able to keep the Angels at bay during his last start against them, but this next one comes in Anaheim. The Angels have a solid track record against the ace, as evidenced by the bulk of the order hitting north of .300 against him. Start Kendry Morales and your normal Angels. Look to avoid the 1-for-15 of Juan Rivera and the 2-for-18 of Howie Kendrick.
David Price is simply not a play on the road at all. He has given up 16 runs in his last 22.1 innings of work away from home. For the season, he is 1-4 with a 6.81 ERA in eight road starts. The Yankees have been hitting all too well for this to be a good gamble in the playoffs for owners in any format.
Rick Porcello has seemingly found his groove again. Porcello had a bump in the road against Oakland, but has allowed more than two earned runs only once in his last six starts. He is still young, but this is a bad Kansas City team he will be facing. On top of that, Bruce Chen is the opposition. Even an average start should generate a win.
If you can explain this, certainly send an email this way. Manny Parra is 2-1 against the Cardinals this season in four starts. The Cardinals have hit just .211 against him as a team, and Parra has allowed only 20 hits in 26 innings of work. The Milwaukee starter is coming off a win against them on the road. He is a reach even in deep leagues, but there seems to be something there this season.
While the Rangers continue to play good baseball, they go into the double-header against the Indians already short-handed. Aaron Laffey held them scoreless over six innings in his only outing against them this season, but has gone 4-0 at home with a 1.90 ERA in that span.
Spot Starts: Laffey, Clay Buchholz, Porcello

Wednesday Notes

Do not look for much help from the Brewers against Adam Wainwright. Prince Fielder is only 5-for-24 and even Ryan Braun is 6-for-25. Given that two shortstops are up, bet on J.J. Hardy being on the bench. Against Wainwright he is only 5-for-26. Just not good enough to start.
Casey Blake, Manny Ramirez, and Andre Ethier are all solid bets against Dan Haren. Ramirez is 13-for-24 with two home runs against the Arizona ace. If you can avoid Rafael Furcal and Russell Martin, you should do so. Neither have been able to break above the Mendoza line against Haren.
Adrian Beltre has done nothing but struggle against Jered Weaver. Beltre is a .212 hitter in 33 at-bats and does not have a home run. Who could be a sleeper play for owners? Check out Kenji Johjima. The catcher is 12-for-29 against Weaver lifetime.
Get Billy Butler in you lineups against Justin Verlander. Butler has two home runs and is 10-for-23 against the Detroit pitcher. Otherwise, there is not much to speak of in terms of offense for Kansas City. While Verlander has a 4.14 ERA on the road, he has been too good lately to risk loading any sort of lineup with reaches from Kansas City.
If you were told that Barry Zito had not allowed more than three earned runs in any of his last 10 starts, would you buy it? He has been that good since the All-Star break, and owners are starting to take notice. Zito is 0-3 this season against the Padres, but chalk it up to him being due.
Spot Starts: Barry Zito, Jeff Niemann, Trevor Cahill

Collin Hager writes The Elmhurst Pub fantasy blog. You can get your questions answered by sending an e-mail to elmhurstpubroundtable@yahoo.com. He's also on Twitter @TheRoundtable.

Fantasy Baseball: Friday News and Notes

Collin Hager - The Roundtable — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 11:43:30 -0400

While the weekends are no doubt favorites of every person out there working, the one that really signifies the end of summer is not quite as much fun. Sure, kids have been back at school for a few days now, but Labor Day really calls summer festivities to a stop.

This weekend is still fantasy baseball playoffs, but the start of college football last night means that the real playoffs are just around the corner. Teams certainly are making roster moves and starting to protect some of their players. It is apparent that the next few weeks will be used to keep players fresh for many playoff contenders.

It becomes that much more important to check lineups as soon as they become available. Unfortunately, especially for teams that are no longer in contention, starters will change on a daily basis. Why should a team take a chance with a player that might be hurt when there is no hope for them going anywhere beyond a golf course in October?

Fortunately, there are still some races to be had. The AL wildcard is still available, as are divisional races in the NL and their wild card. Some teams will play to be spoilers, others will see what youth can bring to the table.

For those of you in the final days of the regular season, maximize your opportunities this weekend and best of luck!

On to the notes.

Thursday Rewind

Buster Poseyis starting to become more of a figure than Bill Brasky (google it). Is he a solid catcher? Yes. Is he going to hit 25 home runs next year? No. Just stop now.

As pointed out by my friend Michael Sylvie, the Matt Wieters hype got out of control before drafts last season, and this is on its way there. Posey is going to hit around .270 over a full season with 15 home runs in his first year. Write it down. Remember it. He will not make a deer say his name.
While Nate Robertson replaced a struggling and sore Armando Galarraga, Galarraga will replace a sore Jarrod Washburn on Saturday. Washburn will miss his turn in the rotation with soreness in his knee.

The pitcher has struggled some since coming over from Seattle, and the few days off could help get him back on track. Considering he has just one win in six starts with Detroit, it cannot hurt.
Tim Wakefield looks like he will start for the Red Sox on Saturday against the White Sox. Wakefield was skipped his last time through the rotation after suffering a setback with his injured back. He received a cortisone shot in his back and reports are out that he is good to go in this one.
Watching Pedro Martinez when he is on is just awesome. No other way to put it. Last night, he was just that against the Giants. Martinez went seven innings and only needed 87 pitches to strike out nine hitters. He allowed just one run on five hits in his first "real" home start. By the way, he gets the Nationals in his next start.
One of the worst things in fantasy for a player to be is day-to-day. Josh Hamilton suffered a pinched nerve in his back and will be re-examined by the team when they arrive in Baltimore for the weekend series.

It will then be decided if he can play. Right now, he is the dreaded day-to-day. Keep him out of the lineup tonight if you can and look at the situation again tomorrow.
Hard to believe he recorded his 10th win of the season last night, but such has been a weird season for Ricky Nolasco.

The Marlins starter still has an ERA over 5.00, but that number is driven largely by one bad start since his return from the minors and the disaster that was his early season. Nolasco still is 12th in strikeouts in the National League, having struck out 154 hitters.
Alfonso Soriano continues to have some rough times. The outfielder is still struggling with a knee injury, and looked bad in every aspect of the game last night.

He went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts and slipped going after a ball in the outfield. Some sites are concerned that he could be shut down at any time based on the continued decline in production.
Jake Peavy is back to hoping he can simply play catch on Friday. Peavy has been sidelined most of the season, first with an ankle injury and now with an elbow injury. There is no doubt he wants to pitch, but the White Sox are going to be cautious, especially as their playoff hopes fly away.
Ricky Romero certainly has talent, but he seems to be wearing down and shutting down in the same way the rest of his Blue Jays teammates are. Romero has been hit hard by the better offenses in the AL East. At 32 percent owned, there are better options available for the few still hanging on to the pitcher outside of keeper leagues.

Friday Notes

The Yankees have had a lot of at-bats against Roy Halladay. In over 80 appearances, Derek Jeter has hit just .230 against the Toronto starter. Other potential problems come in the form of Nick Swisher's 2-for-14 and Melky Cabrera's .214 average in 36 at-bats. Otherwise, play your Yankees as you normally would.
Do not expect much help tonight from Victor Martinez or David Ortiz tonight. Ortiz is hitting just .174 against Freddy Garcia, while Martinez is just 5-for-23. It is possible we have a Jason Variteksighting tonight. Tek has gone 5-for-17 against the Chicago starter.
There is not much good in the Colorado lineup that would make owners want to play them against Dan Haren. While the Rockies have not used him much, their best option against Haren is Ryan Spilborghs. The outfielder is 9-for-21 against Haren.

Beyond him, Chris Ianetta leads the charge at 4-for-14. After that, it falls off the cliff. Todd Helton's .235 ranks third in players with more than 10 at-bats.
Both Jermaine Dye and Alex Rios are hitting under .200 against Paul Byrd. The two have had plenty of at-bats against him, with both posting over 20. A.J. Pierzynski is not much better.

The catcher is hitting only .212 in 33 at-bats against Byrd. Who could lay down the hammer? What about Mark Kotsay? He is a .464 hitter, with 13 hits in 28 at-bats against Byrd. That includes two home runs.
Adrian Gonzalez has not had good luck against Clayton Kershaw. Gonzalez is just 2-for-13 against the lefty. Kershaw has not received much run support at home, as evidenced by his 3-3 record in 14 starts.

In those games, his ERA is at 2.00 and batters are hitting only .199 against him in 76.1 innings of work. In other words, keep sitting your Padres.
Some guys you just are not sure what to do with. Ryan Rowland-Smith might be one of them. He has struck out 33 batters over his last nine starts, and was only really hit hard by Detroit on the road. Rowland-Smith draws the A's tonight in a big ballpark.

This is the same team he held to two runs in 6.1 innings last time out. Would an owner rather have him right now than a benched Chris Volstad (still 65 percent owned)? They should.
Adam Wainwright has been good all season, and the Pirates that are left have little to go on against him. Avoid Ryan Doumit, as he has gone just 2-for-15 against Wainwright. he is the only player left on the Pirates with any sort of numbers to use.
Do not bet against Wandy Rodriguezat home. The starter is 7-2 with a sub-2.00 ERA when pitching in "The Juicebox." Rodriguez continues to be basically dominant. In his last 31 innings of work at home, he has allowed only one earned run. That is it. One. Batters are hitting only .207 against him at home this season.
Jered Weaver is hittable on the road. Away from home, the starter has posted a 5.35 ERA despite having a 5-3 record. Jose Guillen has been back in the lineup for the Royals, and he has gone 8-for-18 against Weaver in the past. The Royals do not have much offense to speak of, so the concerns in using Weaver should be minimal.
Spot Starts: Jeff Niemann, Jason Hammel, Paul Byrd

Weekend Notes

Vernon Wells has hit .372 against Andy Pettitte. This is going to be one of the few times to ever recommend using him this season. Otherwise, look to the 7-for-21 of John McDonald. Remember, Pettitte has been dominant on the road all season and is already 2-1 against Toronto in 2009.
Outside of starting Grady Sizemore and Travis Hafner, avoid all your other Indians against Scott Baker. The likes of Shin-Soo Choo and Jhonny Peraltaare hitting .230 and under against the Minnesota starter. Not a good matchup in this one for them.
Joe Blanton has not allowed more than three earned runs in any of his last 10 starts. Blanton has been very consistent in the second half of the season, and his 3.77 ERA reflects that.

Owners need to recognize that while he does not provide great strikeout numbers, he will help teams with his ERA and WHIP. At 25 percent owned, he is a great pickup against Houston.
As a team, the Rockies have rocked Doug Davis. Though they have not had a large number of at-bats, the .330 average is still nice to see. Look to all your regulars in this matchup.

Davis has a 4.37 ERA on the road this season, and Colorado has pounded him twice this season. He has a 14.73 ERA in two starts that have seen him total only 7.1 innings.
Do not trust Nick Blackburn and his .290 BAA on the road against anyone. Against Cleveland this season, he is just 1-2 with a 5.17 ERA. The Indians, as a team, are hitting over .300 against him in 2009. Blackburn has some potential, but he is one pitcher not to look at away from home.
The Wade Davis era is set to begin in Tampa on Sunday. Davis is scheduled to face Edwin Jackson and the Detroit Tigers. Davis is very highly touted, and this is certainly an audition as the Rays begin to look to next season. Keeper league owners should give him a long look.
This space does have an unnecessary infatuation with Pirate pitching. Paul Maholmdoes provide reason for that at home. Maholm is 4-2 in 13 starts with a 3.34 ERA. While he has not recorded a win against St. Louis this season in two starts, he has kept his ERA under 4.00 in those starts. In deep leagues or NL-only formats, he is a good start on Sunday.
Hiroki Kurodawill return to the mound after taking a line drive to the head and suffering a concussion. Kuroda draws a Padres team that if you call them toothless it is a compliment. Kuroda is 2-0 against San Diego this season with a 1.00 WHIP in 11 innings of work. Great start on Sunday.
John Dankshas held opponents to a .236 BAA at home and has already beaten the Red Sox once this season. Danks can be inconsistent, but he has a sub-4.00 ERA at home despite only being 5-5. He has held opponents to three earned runs or less in each of his last five starts.
Spot Starts: Ross Ohlendorf, Joe Blanton, Randy Wolf, Joe Saunders, Hiroki Kuroda, Jorge De La Rosa

Collin Hager writes The Elmhurst Pub fantasy blog. You can get your questions answered by sending an email to elmhurstpubroundtable@yahoo.com. He's also on Twitter @TheRoundtable.

Fantasy Baseball Thursday News and Notes

Collin Hager - The Roundtable — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 10:21:53 -0400

Senator Curt Schilling.

Not sure if it has the ring to it that many would expect. Of course, how many would have pegged Schilling to already be throwing his hat into the ring for any political appointment? He certainly would not be the first, and he likely will not be the last. Jim Bunning, a Hall of Fame pitcher, has held a seat in the Senate since 1999.

Tom Osborne gave politics a try, and Steve Largent is no stranger in the arena as well. Bunning was as outspoken as Schilling, albeit in a different era and in a different way. So, it can be done.

In the state of Massachusetts, it would actually be entertaining to see unfold. As many know or will find out, Massachusetts is very much a state of Democrats. They were, after all, the only state in the country to support George McGovern against Richard Nixon.

Schilling is as far from a Democrat as you can get. He openly campaigned for both George W. Bush and John McCain.

How will voters and fans reconcile the two? No one fully understands Schilling's political leanings. Would he win the seat simply because of the bloody sock? It is certainly conceivable.

In any case, best of luck to him in making the decision that is best for himself and his family. Not many would ever want their lives put under that type of scrutiny. If you thought people followed your every move because you were an athlete, you ain't seen nothing yet.

On to the notes.

Wednesday Rewind

The joke has already been made by plenty of people on the Internet, so there is no claim of credit here. Still, it is worth repeating. The next person to fail at their job should immediately apply to the National League.

Brad Penny could not get out of his own way pitching for Boston yet somehow manages eight shutout innings against the Phillies. John Smoltz has had plenty of early success pitching with the Cardinals. The league has to be filled with Triple-A lineups.
Michael Young will be sidelined for a couple weeks to rest a hamstring injury. Young is hoping to be available the final two weeks of the season after resting the leg and getting himself ready to go. Tough time for fantasy owners to lose a player of his caliber, but look to Chris Coghlan, who has third base eligibility in many formats.
The Rangers also lost Josh Hamilton last night. Hamilton has been bothered by a sore lower back since last weekend. He was removed from the game, and his availability for Friday is uncertain.

The Rangers have today off, and that can only help. Plenty of outfielders are available that can help. Hamilton has struggled in terms of power, meaning that upgrades in that space are easier to find. Look at David DeJesus and how he has hit in the last month to fill in.
The Yankees did not have Mariano Rivera available last night, as he was resting a sore groin. The Rockies have shut down closer Huston Street with bicep tendinitis. New York will look to use Phil Hughes in the short-term to replace Rivera, while the Rockies are likely to look to Franklin Morales.
Aliens have obviously taken over the body of Josh Beckett. That is the only possible explanation for the recent run of rough outings. Beckett settled down after giving up five early runs, including two more home runs.

He did not walk a batter and struck out nine over six innings. Unfortunately, the damage had been done. Take the last four innings of his outing as a good sign.
Owners should not be concerned with the activation of Troy Glaus in St. Louis. Glaus is not likely to see much action with Mark DeRosa having played a solid third base in his absence. Glaus struggle during his rehab assignment and will need too many at-bats to get his timing together. He is a pinch hitter if anything.
Many questions have been asked about September call-ups. Check out Josh Thole of the Mets. Thole has a shot at taking over for the Mets as starting catcher in 2010, so they are giving him a chance here. Keith Law of ESPN reports that Thole is not necessarily the best "tools" player, but he tends to rise to the challenge of the level he is playing.

With the Mets not having much in terms of catchers, Thole's performance could win him a job.
Chris Carpenter won his 10th straight decision last night and improved to 8-1 at home this season. Overall, he is now 15-3 and has an ERA of just 2.20. He has worked at least six innings in all of his last 10 starts, continuing to prove himself as one of the best late-round steals in the 2009 draft.
It was not just Penny that had a nice debut with his new team. Scott Kazmir struck out eight batters in his first outing with the Angels. He gave up just one earned run in 6.1 innings of work, but was simply not quite as good as Felix Hernandez. Good sign, though, as he was very efficient with his pitches.

Thursday Notes

Not many looked at the month of April and expected Ricky Nolasco to be pitching for his 10th win of the season. Unfortunately, based on history, it may have to wait.

Chipper Jones is 10-for-20 against Nolasco with four home runs, and Yunel Escobar is 8-for-16. Matt Diaz is 6-for-11, and even Brian McCann has three home runs in 25 at-bats. Tough matchup for Nolasco.
David Price is nearly unhittable at home. Batters are only hitting .218 against him in Tampa, and he has compiled a 6-2 record in his nine starts. The Red Sox do not hit lefties well overall as a team, and this is a good spot for Price. Likely that Jason Varitek grabs a seat in this one.
Nate Robertson will again take the turn of Armando Galarraga in the Detroit rotation. Robertson has struggled against Jhonny Peralta and Grady Sizemore. Both have more than 30 at-bats against Robertson and are hitting over .400 in those instances. Look to avoid the 4-for-30 mark of Travis Hafner.
Manny Parra's numbers are ugly on the road. He is 5-7 in 13 starts with an ERA of 7.25. Batters are hitting .320 against him away from home. Nothing about the matchup would even whisper at you to start him.

Still, he has gone 1-1 in three starts against the Cardinals, and he has allowed just five earned runs in 19.2 innings of work. This is more a caution on expectations for your Cardinals offense than an endorsement of Parra.
Jon Garland's first start with the Dodgers will be against his former team in the Diamondbacks. Garland was not effective at home when he was with Arizona, but he should have some better run support with the Dodgers. Garland is not a spot start to pick up in this matchup, as he just is not consistent enough.
Pedro Martinez has seen some of the players in the Giants lineup going back to his days in Boston. Look to avoid Bengie Molina. In addition to his injury concerns, he is 2-for-19 against Martinez in his career.

Given the promotion of Buster Posey, Molina could become a moot point. Martinez has not had a full home start because of weather, so do not read anything in to the two short outings on his game log.
Owners have been enjoying the home runs hit by Marcus Thames, but he is 0-for-14 against Fausto Carmona. Looking for a power boost? Aubrey Huff is 4-for-13 with two home runs in his appearances against Carmona. Your normal Tigers are going to be good plays otherwise.
The Mets have had some success against Jason Marquis. Look to use David Wright and Luis Castillo. Both have gone 10-for-27 against the starter.

Thole could see some time today as well, especially where Brian Schneider is just 1-for-21 against Marquis. Marquis is still a decent spot start given the weaknesses in the lineup and his wide availability.
There will be one interleague contest tomorrow as a make-up game, as the White Sox will take on the Cubs. Ryan Dempster has struggled with some of his Chicago counterparts.

Look for your standard starters in this one, and add Scott Podsednik to that as well. Podsednik is 5-for-15 against Dempster and has hit a home run to boot.
Spot Starts: Clay Buchholz, Ricky Romero, Jason Marquis

Friday Notes

The Yankees have had a lot of at-bats against Roy Halladay. In over 80 appearances, Derek Jeter has hit just .230 against the Toronto starter. Other potential problems come in the form of Nick Swisher's 2-for-14 and Melky Cabrera's .214 average in 36 at-bats. Otherwise, play your Yankees as you normally would.
There is not much good in the Colorado lineup that would make owners want to play them against Dan Haren. While the Rockies have not used him much, their best option against Haren is Ryan Spilborghs.
The outfielder is 9-for-21 against Haren. Beyond him, Chris Ianetta leads the charge at 4-for-14. After that, it falls off the cliff. Todd Helton's .235 ranks third in players with more than 10 at-bats.
Adrian Gonzalez has not had good luck against Clayton Kershaw. Gonzalez is just 2-for-13 against the lefty. Kershaw has not received much run support at home, as evidenced by his 3-3 record in 14 starts. In those games, his ERA is at 2.00 and batters are hitting only .199 against him in 76.1 innings of work. In other words, keep sitting your Padres.
Adam Wainwright has been good all season, and the Pirates that are left have little to go on against him. Avoid Ryan Doumit, as he has gone just 2-for-15 against Wainwright. he is the only player left on the Pirates with any sort of numbers to use.
Jered Weaver is hittable on the road. Away from home, the starter has posted a 5.35 ERA despite having a 5-3 record. Jose Guillen has been back in the lineup for the Royals, and he has gone 8-for-18 against Weaver in the past. The Royals do not have much offense to speak of, so the concerns in using Weaver should be minimal.
Spot Starts: Jeff Niemann, Jason Hammel, Paul Byrd

Collin Hager writes The Elmhurst Pub fantasy blog. You can get your questions answered by sending an email to elmhurstpubroundtable@yahoo.com. He's also on Twitter @TheRoundtable.

Fantasy Baseball: Wednesday News and Notes

Collin Hager - The Roundtable — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 11:29:04 -0400

For many, the fantasy playoffs have started this week. For others, this is the last chance to make a push to get into them. Regardless, it is important for owners to look to make moves where it helps them out. Depth is not a luxury now. Players sitting on a bench do not provide you with any points.

While trades are certainly not possible the rest of the way, waiver moves can be just as profitable. Now is not the time to be showing loyalty to players that have struggled all season. Not when talent is available to help the cause.

Remember, the objective is to win a title. If a player is not starting for you, there is likely a reason. Injuries happen, and being protected from them makes sense. That said, maximizing your opportunities is also a key driver.

An owner that does not reach the maximum at-bats allowed by their league is not awarded anything other than opportunities left on the table. The same is true for those that leave spots empty in a given week.

Keep tinkering with your rosters; it will prove beneficial more times than not.

On to the notes.

Tuesday Rewind

Do not expect Jonathan Papelbon to pitch tonight for the Red Sox. Papelbon worked two innings last night to get the save, the first time he has done so in nearly two years. While it was only 28 pitches, Terry Francona will likely look to Daniel Bard in any sort of save situation tonight.
WEEI said this morning that Jon Lester was pulled after 97 pitches last night because of some tightness in his groin. The move was precautionary, and the team does not expect this to impact his next start. At that pitch count through six with the lead Boston had, saying anything after the start is surprising. Not many managers would have sent him out for the seventh inning with the bullpen Boston has developed.
Tim Hudson returned to the mound last night to get a win against Florida. Hudson had missed the bulk of the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He worked 5.1 innings and gave up only two runs. While he did load the bases in the sixth, the signs here were encouraging in terms of his ability to throw all of his pitches for strikes.
Since working nearly eight shutout innings against the Red Sox in Yankee Stadium, A.J. Burnett has given up at least three runs in each of his last five starts. In only one of those appearances did he work more than six innings. In that span, his ERA is 7.17. Yes, he still has ability, but Burnett struggles with Jorge Posada catching him. At some point, Joe Girardi will probably figure that out.
As hard as it is to admit, J.D. Drew is looking like he could carry a team down the stretch. Last season, Drew put together one of the more impressive months of June in all of baseball. This season, he tore up August and has started September well. Drew hit .329 in August with six home runs after putting up only a .217 mark for July. At only 35 percent owned, he could help.
Josh Hamilton doubled his home runs total since his return from the All-Star break by hitting two last night. Hamilton's average has been there, as shown by the .355 mark over the last 30 days. The power numbers simply have not been around. It could be that he is finally closing in on 100 percent. If that is the case, it is a good time for it to happen.
It was not pretty for Edwin Jackson last night, despite getting the win. Jackson only worked through five innings, and his control was spotty at best. Jackson gave up nine hits and walked two batters in giving up four earned runs. The only positive was that Carlos Carrasco was just a bit worse. Jackson has had two hard outings in a row, but his 3.09 ERA is still one of the best in baseball.
David Wright did rejoin the Mets yesterday. Wright suffered a concussion after being hit in the head, but showed no signs of any effects in his return. Look to activate Wright in your lineup as soon as possible to get the benefit of having the All-Star.
The starting nine here cannot be complete without mentioning the performance of Cole Hamels. The Philadelphia starter worked a complete game last night and gave up two hits in his shutout performance. In his last two starts, Hamels has worked 17 innings without giving up a run. Hamels has been a disappointment this season, but owners should be encouraged by these appearances.

Wednesday Notes

It seems to have been mentioned several times this season, but it is worth bringing up again. Matt Garza has owned the Red Sox lineup. Only Jacoby Ellsburyhas put up an average over .300 against Garza in players with at least 10 at-bats. Look to avoid as much of this lineup as you can.
Ted Lilly has allowed only four runs in 19.1 innings since returning from the DL, and he continues to be nearly unhittableat home. In 10 starts in Chicago, he is 6-1 with a 1.92 ERA. Expect Jeff Keppinger to get a shot here. He is 7-for-22 against Lilly. Avoid as many other Astros as you can. The team is hitting just .195 against Lilly.
Teams get to Zach Duke on the road. While he has put up 10 wins this season, only three have come away from home. Batters are hitting over .300 against him on the road, and his ERA has climbed to 4.15. Brandon Phillips is just 2-for-18 against Duke, but he is the only red flag in this matchup.
From the random stats, do not expect big things from Julio Lugo against Dave Bush. Lugo is just 1-for-14 against him. Rick Ankiel has gone 4-for-10 with a home run, and he could help those that have him stashed on the bench today. Bush has not faced the Cardinals, but has a 6.58 ERA on the road. Not a good sign.
If a team is going to hit Felix Hernandez, it is going to be the Angels. Chone Figgins and Juan Rivera have struggled against Hernandez, with Rivera having only one hit to show in 15 at-bats. Howie Kendrick is just 2-for-18 as well. Still, even with these numbers, the Angels are hitting .289 as a team against the Mariners' ace. Hernandez has given up 17 hits in 12.1 innings of work this season against the Angels.
Carlos Pena has been red-hot through August, but he is only 3-for-23 against Josh Beckett. In those at-bats, he has struck out 13 times. Carl Crawford and Akinori Iwamura are your best bets against the Red Sox ace. Both are hitting over .310 against Beckett.
Stephen Drew has the big numbers against Chad Billingsley. Drew is a .400 hitter in 30 at-bats against Billingsley. No major drawbacks to playing your remaining Diamondbacks in this one, but nothing outstanding either. The Dodgers starter threw six innings of shutout ball against them in his only other appearance this season.
The Orioles have not put together much in terms of offense against C.C. Sabathia. Melvin Mora is only 3-for-25, and Ty Wiggington and Nick Markakisare at .235 and .167 respectively. Only Adam Jones and his 4-for-9 mark is worth a go in this matchup.
Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer have had some major problems against Mark Buehrle. The two are hitting .204 and .230, respectively, in their at-bats against the lefty. Otherwise, nearly every Twins regular is going to be above .300 in this one. Buehrle has been hit hard by the Twins this season, posting a 5.87 ERA and a 2-2 record in four starts this season. Beware when putting him in your lineup.
Spot Starts: Kevin Correia, Ubaldo Jimenez, Tommy Hunter

Thursday Notes

Not many looked at the month of April and expected Ricky Nolasco to be pitching for his 10th win of the season. Unfortunately, based on history, it may have to wait. Chipper Jones is 10-for-20 against Nolasco with four home runs, and Yunel Escobar is 8-for-16. Matt Diaz is 6-for-11, and even Brian McCann has three home runs in 25 at-bats. Tough matchup for Nolasco.
Nate Robertson will again take the turn of Armando Galarraga in the Detroit rotation. Robertson has struggled against Jhonny Peralta and Grady Sizemore. Both have more than 30 at-bats against Robertson and are hitting over .400 in those instances. Look to avoid the 4-for-30 mark of Travis Hafner.
Jon Garland's first start with the Dodgers will be against his former team in the Diamondbacks. Garland was not effective at home when he was with Arizona, but he should have some better run support with the Dodgers. Garland is not a spot start to pick up in this matchup, as he just is not consistent enough.
Owners have been enjoying the home runs hit by Marcus Thames, but he is 0-for-14 against Fausto Carmona. Looking for a power boost? Aubrey Huff is 4-for-13 with two home runs in his appearances against Carmona. Your normal Tigers are going to be good plays otherwise.
There will be one interleague contest tomorrow as a make-up game, as the White Sox will take on the Cubs. Ryan Dempster has struggled with some of his Chicago counterparts. Look for your standard starters in this one, and add Scott Podsednik to that as well. Podsednik is 5-for-15 against Dempster and has hit a home run to boot.
Spot Starts: Clay Buchholz, Ricky Romero, Jason Marquis

Collin Hager writes The Elmhurst Pub fantasy blog. You can get your questions answered by sending an email to elmhurstpubroundtable@yahoo.com. He's also on Twitter @TheRoundtable.

Fantasy Baseball: Tuesday News and Notes

Collin Hager - The Roundtable — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 08:40:29 -0400

So one area that the space has stayed away from is promoting Web sites within the content itself. This is a deviation from that and is in response to some fantastic customer service received from some great people.

One fantasy football league that this author participates in is a long-term keeper league. The group has been together going on 10 years, and the festivities are getting better each year. This past season, the league took the step of getting a championship trophy done up. In doing so, the designs had to be submitted, history had to be ensured accurate, and donations needed to be obtained.

The site selected was FantasySportsAwards.com. They offered a decent selection and seemed to be one of the more reasonably priced sites available. Unfortunately, the trophy was delivered to the wrong address. The company went above and beyond to track down the box, receive it, and promptly get it back on track.

While the idea of the trophy for this league may seem ridiculous, leagues that go this route should know that FantasySportsAwards.com provided solid work on a decent product and their customer service was fantastic. Despite the problems, the trophy arrived in time for the draft to be displayed in all its appropriate splendor.

Thanks again to all at the company for their help.

On to the notes.

Monday Rewind

Brad Penny is expected to join the San Francisco Giants and will immediately head into their rotation. Penny was cut loose by the Red Sox, but should take the place of Joe Martinez for the Giants. There is no doubt he can throw the ball, and a National League team in a division he is familiar with could help his value in NL-only formats. By help, that means generate any sort of value.
It is unlikely that owners can expect much, but it is worth noting that Carlos Beltran is set to begin a rehab assignment. The outfielder is working in the hopes that he will be able to return in the next week to two weeks. Is his impact material? In all likelihood, no. Beltran will need to get a lot of work in with regard to his timing before he is ready to go.
AL-only leagues are likely the only ones impacted by the Jim Thome move to the Dodgers. Thome is basically a reserve bat off the bench for Los Angeles, as the lineup still has James Loney at first base. Thome has done very little in the infield since leaving the Phillies, and it is likely that he is only going to spell Loney in specific instances. Loney owners should not expect this to take away too much of his value. He should still be in the lineup four out of five games, at least.
The Dodgers also moved to acquire Jon Garland. This is more informative than it is anything else. Garland is an average pitcher that has performed relatively poorly for the Diamondbacks. While he pitched well in his last outing against the Astros, it came on the heels of allowing nine runs on 21 hits in his previous 11.1 innings of work. Even with a more productive offense, his up-and-down performances keep him nothing more than a spot start in mixed leagues.
Adam Lind finished off a great week last night. Lind drove in eight runs in the win over the Rangers last night. The performance included his first career grand slam. Lind has been one of the more pleasant surprises in the Toronto lineup, especially given how the team has seemingly mailed it in. For the season, he is hitting .303 with 27 home runs and 89 RBI.
Andy Pettitte chased perfection last night, not allowing a base runner over his first 6.2 innings of work. Pettitte then lost everything in consecutive hitters. Still, his road numbers this season have been very solid. While just 5-4 with a 4.65 ERA at home, he is 7-2 with a 3.33 ERA on the road.
The Mariners are expected to get both Ichiro and Adrian Beltre back tonight against the Angels. Ichiro has missed eight games in a row with a calf injury, but has been working out prior to games. Look to get him back in your lineups immediately, as he is seemingly ready to play. As for Beltre, read on below.
Not many other ways to describe the mastery Joe Saunders continues to display against the Mariners. Saunders improved to 3-0 against the team this season. In 21 innings against Seattle, he has allowed just 10 hits and one run, good for a 0.43 ERA and .145 BAA. Is he streaky? Yes, but he likes facing his own division.
After having gone one for his last 10, Carlos Guillen broke out in a big way yesterday. The infielder stroked two home runs and grabbed four hits in five at-bats in the loss against the Rays. Guillen has had problems with his shoulder, and is struggling against left-handed pitching this season. Owners that can afford to platoon him only against righties will get to avoid a disaster of a .167 average against southpaws.

Tuesday Notes

There are cases of two extremes in the Rays' lineup against Jon Lester. Jason Bartlett is 8-for-16 against the Boston lefty while B.J. Upton is sitting at just 5-for-23 in his career against Lester. Otherwise, look to use your Rays as you normally would. Tampa has roughed up Lester in his three outings against him. He is 0-2 with an 8.22 ERA in 15.1 innings of work.
The trade of Scott Kazmir means that Andy Sonnanstine will get the ball for the Rays in the opener of the series against the Red Sox. Expect Mike Lowell to be in the lineup for this one, as he is 7-for-17 against Sonnanstine. It could be that Kevin Youkilis gets the night off with his 3-for-15 mark.
NL-only leagues should take note of the steals Jason Kendall has grabbed of late. He is hitting .316 in his last six games and has stolen four bases. He is also the best option against Cardinals starter Joel Pineiro. Kendall is 10-for-37, good for a .270 mark against Pineiro. Otherwise, there is not much to like about any Brewers in this one. Pineiro has been tough at home, posting a 2.39 ERA in 11 starts this season.
At-bats might not be many, but Luke Scott is 5-for-10 against A.J. Burnett in his career. Otherwise, there are not many bright spots in the Orioles lineup for this one. Play your stars as you normally would, but do not reach deep in the lineup here.
Keep your normal Twins active against John Danks. The regulars in the lineup have hit Danks well, with the likes of Justin Morneau, Joe Mauer, and Jason Kubel well above .300. Michael Cuddyer is over .400 in his trips to the plate. Avoid the likes of Denard Span and company in this one, as the lineup goes sour very quickly outside of these four hitters.
Despite some rough outings in his last three, Edwin Jackson is still 6-1 at home this season. Jackson has given up nine earned runs in his last 18.1 innings of work, but two of those starts have come on the road. Do not lose faith in Jackson, but continue to understand that he is either feast or famine.
His opponent for this matchup will be Carlos Carrasco. Carrasco was acquired in the trade for Cliff Lee and has gone 5-1 in the minors sense the deal. The call up likely means he is in the rotation the rest of the way. While his stuff has not been dominant, keeper leagues and AL-only formats could get some use from him.
Jorge De La Rosa will get the start for the Rockies, as the team will use the off day Monday to pitch him on normal rest. After the last Josh Fogg episode, who could blame them? De La Rosa has had two rough outings in his last five, but the Mets' lineup should pose less of a problem than the hot bats he faced in Philadelphia and San Francisco. Continue to use him in these favorable matchups.
The Mariners have not had much to show in their at-bats against Ervin Santana. Santana has held Franklin Gutierrez to a 1-for-13 mark, and Jose Lopez is only a .222 hitter in 36 at-bats. It is likely that Adrian Beltre will be ready to come off the DL, but he is just a .216 hitter against Santana.
Spot Starts: Clayton Richard, Randy Wells, Tim Hudson.

Wednesday Notes

It seems to have been mentioned several times this season, but it is worth bringing up again. Matt Garza has owned the Red Sox lineup. Only Jacoby Ellsbury has put up an average over .300 against Garza in players with at least 10 at-bats. Look to avoid as much of this lineup as you can.
Teams get to Zach Duke on the road. While he has put up 10 wins this season, only three have come away from home. Batters are hitting over .300 against him on the road, and his ERA has climbed to 4.15. Brandon Phillips is just 2-for-18 against Duke, but he is the only red flag in this matchup.
If a team is going to hit Felix Hernandez, it is going to be the Angels. Chone Figgins and Juan Rivera have struggled against Hernandez, with Rivera having only one hit to show in 15 at-bats. Howie Kendrick is just 2-for-18 as well. Still, even with these numbers, the Angels are hitting .289 as a team against the Mariners' ace. Hernandez has given up 17 hits in 12.1 innings of work this season against the Angels.
Stephen Drew has the big numbers against Chad Billingsley. Drew is a .400 hitter in 30 at-bats against Billingsley. No major drawbacks to playing your remaining Diamondbacks in this one, but nothing outstanding either. The Dodgers starter threw six innings of shutout ball against them in his only other appearance this season.
Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer have had some major problems against Mark Buehrle. The two are hitting .204 and .230, respectively, in their at-bats against the lefty. Otherwise, nearly every Twins regular is going to be above .300 in this one. Buehrle has been hit hard by the Twins this season, posting a 5.87 ERA and a 2-2 record in four starts this season. Beware when putting him in your lineup.
Spot Starts: Kevin Correia, Ubaldo Jimenez, Tommy Hunter.

Collin Hager writes The Elmhurst Pub fantasy blog. You can get your questions answered by sending an email to elmhurstpubroundtable@yahoo.com. He's also on Twitter @TheRoundtable.

Fantasy Baseball: Monday News and Notes

Collin Hager - The Roundtable — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 10:26:03 -0400

The first day back from a vacation is always the most difficult. You never really want to respond to the alarm going off in the first place, let alone get back to the daily grind that is the five-day week. Still, there is always something comforting about knowing that your badge works to allow you into the building that first day.

Even if you feel secure, it is a nice feeling.

San Francisco is a fantastic city. There are plenty of sites that are worth visiting and seeing in a week's worth of a trip. From Alcatraz to Napa, there seemingly is something for everyone. AT&T Park is one of if not the best parks to watch a game. Anyone still clamoring to save Fenway Park needs to visit.

Ticket holders can walk around the entire park without being stopped to have a ticket checked. Ushers willingly take photos. The food is fantastic. Every seat faces home plate. The list goes on and on. History and nostalgia are nice, but the modern amenities of a park such as AT&T cannot be understated.

Wine lovers should check out Bin 55 in the Marriott Hotel on Market Street. Look for Kevin to be your bartender. He provides fantastic recommendations and knows his stuff. He certainly will make your time at the bar worth the experience.

On to the notes.

Weekend Rewind

Paul Byrd provides limited value beyond AL-only formats, but his performance yesterday against Toronto to go with his final rehab outing in Pawtucket gives him 13 innings of one-run baseball. Byrd is not going to dazzle hitters with speed, but he will be around the plate and not walk many hitters. Deep AL-only leagues should look to him.
Zack Greinke threw a one-hit shutout yesterday and has now put together two impressive starts in a row. Greinke is going to struggle with wins because of his team, and he will need to throw a lot of innings for the same reason. Still, the consecutive outings are a good sign for owners that have hung on to him.
Jake Peavy had to be removed from his rehab start over the weekend. The White Sox starter experienced some discomfort in his elbow and will now be examined by the team before anything further is done. The White Sox had been hoping to get him back before the end of August, but even a mid-September return could be in jeopardy.
Quietly, Edgar Renteria is hitting .320 in his last seven games, stretching 25 at-bats. Renteria is not known for his bat as much as his glove, but owners struggling in the middle infield could do worse than grabbing Renteria for some extra depth or to fill-in as needed through the end of the season.
Tim Wakefield is going to be examined by trainers and will likely have a cortisone shot in his ailing back. Wakefield hopes only to miss the one start before being back in the rotation. This has been a problem for the starter for the last two months, but when healthy he is a good start at home if nothing else.
Joe Blanton continues to be a model of consistency. Last night, he went seven innings while giving up just one earned run. Blanton has not given up more than three earned runs in any of his last 10 starts. While just 2-2 in August, his ERA for the month settled in at 2.81. He pitches to contact, but has had solid control and walks very few hitters. At 26 percent owned, he is a bargain to grab.
After being given a routine day off on Saturday, Nelson Cruz returned to hit a home run on Sunday. Cruz's ankle does not seem to be an issue at this point, as he is hitting at a clip very close to where he was prior to the injury. His .266 average should hold at that point over the season's final month, and owners need not be concerned about him missing extended time.
If you are still looking for some power down the stretch, Garrett Jones remains only 30 percent owned in most formats. Jones hit another home run yesterday, pushing his season total up to 16. While most of these have been of the solo variety, a home run is a home run. In very little time, he could put up more than 20 home runs this season. While he is not likely to hit .290 next season, the power should not disappear.
Martin Prado has put together a five-game hitting streak that has him with eight hits in his last 21 at-bats. Prado is hitting over .300 on the season, and can provide help in the middle infield for deeper leagues. Prado has very little in terms of power, but he gets on base and can generate runs.

Monday Notes

For owners that have picked up Ty Wiggington, he is just 2-for-18 against Andy Pettitte in his career. Other Orioles should be good to start. Both Nick Markakis and Adam Jones have good numbers against the lefty. Keep in mind that Pettitte is 3-0 in August and is 6-2 on the road this season.
While Gavin Floyd left his last start against Boston with some pain in his hip, he is expected to make his start today against the Twins. Justin Morneau and Michael Cuddyer have had their issues against the White Sox starter, as both are below. 240 against him. Otherwise, no concerns in your regular Twins.
In 39 at-bats, Alfonso Soriano does have three home runs against Roy Oswalt, but he is also hitting only .231. Kosuke Fukudome is just 2-for-13, but the Cubs in general are solid against Oswalt. Oswalt left his last start against the Cubs after just 1.2 innings, but is 0-1 against them in his other two starts this season.
Joe Saunders has come back to earth this season, but he is 2-0 against the Mariners with a 0.64 ERA in those starts. Saunders has owned the AL West outside of Texas this season, and makes a solid spot start coming off his five-inning outing last time out. Deep league owners should look to him here.
Randy Wolf has gone 2-0 against Arizona this season, and the team is hitting just .194 against him. Most of the Arizona lineup has collected only one or two hits against him. That includes Mark Reynolds. Reynolds is just 2-for-16 against the Dodgers starter. In a small sample, Stephen Drew is only 1-for-10.
Paul Maholm is a completely different pitcher on the road than he is at home. Maholm is just 3-5 on the road this season and has an ERA of 6.01 in those starts. Brandon Phillips has owned Maholm, hitting him to the tune of .355 in 31 at-bats with three home runs.
Josh Johnson did not have his best outing of the season his last time out, but his numbers have been positive against the Braves. Brian McCann is hitting just .204 in 24 at-bats against the Marlins starter and Ryan Church is only 2-for-11. Look to regulars like Chipper Jones, but this is not a spot to reach.
You should look to start most of your White Sox against Nick Blackburn. Carlos Quentin, A.J. Pierzynski, Jim Thome, and Alexei Ramirez all have put up good numbers against Blackburn. Look to avoid Paul Konerko, as he is only 3-for-23 against the Twins pitcher.
Curtis Granderson is just 1-for-12 against James Shields in his career, and Aubrey Huff is just 8-for-34 against him. Huff has hit three home runs in his appearances. Otherwise, your Tigers will be set to go in this one.
Spot Starts: Saunders, Wolf, Floyd

Tuesday Notes

The trade of Scott Kazmir means that Andy Sonnanstine will get the ball for the Rays in the opener of the series against the Red Sox. Expect Mike Lowell to be in the lineup for this one, as he is 7-for-17 against Sonnanstine. It could be that Kevin Youkilis gets the night off with his 3-for-15 mark.
At-bats might not be many, but Luke Scott is 5-for-10 against A.J. Burnett in his career. Otherwise, there are not many bright spots in the Orioles lineup for this one. Play your stars as you normally would, but do not reach deep in the lineup here.
Despite some rough outings in his last three, Edwin Jackson is still 6-1 at home this season. Jackson has given up nine earned runs in his last 18.1 innings of work, but two of those starts have come on the road. Do not lose faith in Jackson, but continue to understand that he is either feast or famine.
The Mariners have not had much to show in their at-bats against Ervin Santana. Santana has held Franklin Gutierrez to a 1-for-13 mark, and Jose Lopez is only a .222 hitter in 36 at-bats. It is likely that Adrian Beltre will be ready to come off the DL, but he is just a .216 hitter against Santana.
Want to get a jump on other owners in deeper and NL-only leagues? Tim Hudson will get the ball for the Braves against the Marlins on Tuesday. Hudson has had a solid come back from surgery. Not a bad team for him to come back against. While Dan Uggla and Hanley Ramirez have hit .310 against him, the other Marlins should be kept on the bench.
Spot Starts: Clayton Richard, Randy Wells, Tim Hudson

Collin Hager writes The Elmhurst Pub fantasy blog. You can get your questions answered by sending an email to elmhurstpubroundtable@yahoo.com. He's also on Twitter @TheRoundtable.

Fantasy Baseball: Friday News and Notes

Collin Hager - The Roundtable — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 10:21:47 -0400

The day before a break is always the toughest. Heading out on vacation this weekend and I will be in the San Francisco area next week. Already got tickets for the Giants-Diamondbacks game on Wednesday, and I am decidedly irritated that the Dan Haren-Matt Cain matchup is on Tuesday. Doug Davis-Jonathan Sanchez does not have quite the same ring.

Honestly, the fact that there will be leg room is going to be the best part. While others are fighting to save Fenway Park, those that are in the disagreeing minority need to take them to places such as Baltimore, Philadelphia, Detroit (Comerica is phenomenal), or Seattle. Like it or not, these newer stadiums provide amazing sight lines without poles in full view.

Even better, seats do not face left or right field. They all face home plate. A novel concept for those that have sat in the grandstands in Boston. Of course, the cupholders are usually a nice touch as well. As are the aisles on each side of the sections.

Anyway, no notes next week. There will be Twitter updates, though, so be sure to play along there.

On to the notes.

Thursday Rewind

As the series against Toronto has proven, Victor Martinez continues to be the best offensive catcher on the Red Sox. Owners should expect that, down the stretch, he is catching at least three out of five games a week while playing first in another. With the struggles of Jason Varitek at the plate, Martinez's bat has been a boost to the lineup. Terry Francona cannot afford to keep it on the bench.
Nelson Cruz returned to the Rangers last night, and hit a home run. Cruz went 1-for-5 in his return, but the swing he put on the ball to hit it out was a good sign. After the ankle injury sidelined him, any power shown is a good thing as far as health and drive in the swing is concerned. It is safe to get him back into your lineup.
It is not likely you will get tremendous power from him, but it was certainly nice to see the home run by Drew Stubbs yesterday to give the Reds a win. Stubbs is going to be most useful for his speed, and any power would simply be gravy. Deep leagues that are looking for the impact of someone similar to Andrew McCutchen should look to add the speedy outfielder.
The Mets released Livan Hernandez yesterday to make room to activate Billy Wagner off the DL. Wagner pitched one inning last night, and hit as high as 96mph with his fastball. In place of Hernandez, the Mets will look to start Tim Redding over the weekend.
Justin Morneau returned to Minnesota yesterday and missed his third game in a row. Morneau is experiencing complications from an inner ear infection and will see a specialist on Friday. No certainties as to if he will be available at all this weekend. Owners that need some help should give Casey Blake and Billy Butler a look over the weekend. Butler has hit five home runs in the last 30 days to go with a .312 average.
Wandy Rodriguez continued his dominance at home. Rodriguez went eight innings last night, picking up the win without giving up an earned run to the Marlins. The home-road splits on Rodriguez are tough to fathom, but much of his road struggles can be traced back to one or two horrible outings. Lefties continue to struggle against him, down to just .195 on the season.
After getting a few days off to rest his legs, J.D. Drew has actually acted like he knows how to hit. Drew has pushed his average up 14 points since Aug. 7, and is now eight for his last 20. His four RBI last night were the most since 2008, and his spot in the lower portion of the lineup may be helping to take some pressure off of him.
Marlon Byrd is now eight for his last 19, including three multiple hit games in his last five. Byrd hit two home runs yesterday to help power the Rangers, giving him 14 on the season to go with a .287 average. Byrd is getting virtually every day playing time and owners would be wise to look at him to build some outfield depth.
Kenshin Kawakami was able to beat the Mets last night, improving his August numbers to 1-1 with a 2.39 ERA in 26.1 innings of work. In his four starts this month, the Braves are 3-1. With Tim Hudson set to come back, the question becomes as to if he has done enough to keep his spot in the rotation.

Friday Notes

Seems to be a recurring theme, but look to avoid Randy Winn against Aaron Cook. Winn is just 5-for-29 against the Rockies starter. The rest of the lineup, though, remains solid. Cook has struggled with a toe injury, and was roughed up by the Marlins last time out.
There have been three games this season where a team has stolen eight or more bases. In two of those games, Brad Penny has been on the mound. Penny simply has no clue how to hold runners on. It is to the point that he almost ignores them in order to force himself to throw strikes. The Yankees do not run much, but expect Derek Jeter and others to take advantage of the situation.
Andy Pettitte was exceedingly sharp during his last outing against the Red Sox. Pettitte worked seven innings without allowing a run and scattering five hits. While the team has hit him very well, Pettitte is 5-2 on the road this season with a 3.17 ERA. Do not actively avoid your Red Sox, as the numbers are good. Sit Dustin Pedroia if you have better options.
Ivan Rodriguez, Ian Kinsler, and Michael Young are all just 2-for-16 against Scott Kazmir. For what it is worth, Kazmir has lowered his ERA but over a run and a half in his last 10 starts. When your ERA is still over 6.00, that may not be the biggest deal, though. Still, he pitched well in his only other outing against the Rangers this season, allowing just one earned run in five innings of work.
David DeJesus is a good play against Nick Blackburn. DeJesus is 6-for-12 against the starter, and catcher Miguel Olivo is 6-for-11. The samples are small, but it is evident these two see the ball well against him. Blackburn is 3-6 on the road this season with a 4.44 ERA. He has been destroyed in August, going 0-3 with a 10.45 ERA.
Careful using your Cubs today against Randy Wolf. Wolf has held Aramis Ramirez to 5-for-22 and Ryan Theriot to 3-for-14. Alfonso Soriano is hitting .250, but does have two home runs against Wolf. For his part, Wolf has only allowed more than three earned runs one in his last 10 starts and is 1-0 against the Cubs this season.
Anibal Sanchez will return to the Marlins rotation on Friday, and not Saturday as has been initially reported. Sanchez has been injured the better part of the season, but has proven to be effective in the past. Avoid him this time out, but NL-only owners should take note of his start, as he can be a help down the stretch.
At home, Gavin Floyd is a solid play. The starter is 5-2 in Chicago over his 11 starts while holding opponents to a .210 average. Floyd's home ERA is 2.38 in 2009 and in his last four outings his ERA is 1.91. The Orioles have not been hitting well overall this season, and this is a good matchup for him. At 55 percent owned in ESPN leagues, he is a good grab tonight.
Always nice when the players that hit you hard are all on the DL. Such is the case for Cole Hamels. The Mets that have done well are all on the sidelines for this matchup. No doubt he has been either fantastic or fantastically awful this season, but the matchup against the depleted Mets should work in his favor.
The Phillies have had decent numbers against Mike Pelfrey. Look for them to find a way to get Greg Dobbs into the lineup. Dobbs is 6-for-11 with a home run against Pelfrey. Shane Victorino and Jimmy Rollins have struggled. Victorino is 4-for-17 and Rollins is just 3-for-15 against the Mets starter.
Spot Starts: Randy Wells, Randy Wolf, Luke French, Gavin Floyd

Weekend Notes

A.J. Burnett has been awful at Fenway Park this season. In two starts, he has worked a combined 7.2 innings while giving up 13 hits, 11 earned runs, and three home runs. The Red Sox as a team do not have good numbers against Burnett, and he did handle them at Yankee Stadium last time out. Just be warned.
Whether or not it makes any sense, owners cannot ignore the home record of John Lannan. The Nationals starter will enter Saturday's game with a 5-1 record at home to go with a 1.98 ERA. His last four home starts cover 31 innings show an ERA of 1.74 in that span. Deep leagues could use these stats against the Brewers.
It is that time of week again. Time to harp on Jorge De La Rosa's lack of ownership. The Rockies starter has won eight of his last nine starts and is 2-1 in August with a 3.93 ERA. That number includes a disaster of an outing against Philadelphia. Outside of allowing seven runs there, De La Rosa has allowed two or fewer earned runs in seven of eight outings.
Owners should look away from Brandon Phillips against Zach Duke. Phillips is 1-for-14 against the Pittsburgh starter, but is the only one with enough of a track record to cause concern. Duke has pitched well at home, posting a 3.31 ERA. The only question will be run support. That is evident by the 6-5 record he has at home so far in 2009.
Both Troy Tulowitzki and Todd Helton are red-hot against Tim Lincecum. Tulowitzki is 5-for-14 with a home run against the starter while Helton is 7-for-11 with a home run and three walks. Look to keep both of them active despite the status of Lincecum as a pitcher.
Some matchups are just odd. Pedro Feliz is 1-for-19 against Oliver Perez and Ryan Howard is only 3-for-24. Jimmy Rollins is 8-for-26 with two home runs. Perez may not be a start, especially in dealing with a knee injury, but you may want to avoid the two matchups here if you have the options.
Owners should shy away from Joe Crede and Jason Kubel against Brian Bannister. Both are hitting only .200 against the Royals starter. Outside of these two, all your Twins should be in the lineup for this matchup. Bannister is 0-2 against the Twins this season with a 5.40 ERA.
While Josh Beckett has been solid throughout most of the season, look to use Melky Cabrera, Jorge Posada, and even Nick Swisher against him. Cabrera and Posada are both well above .300, and Swisher checks in at .294. He is still 8-0 at home this season with a 2.58 ERA.
Spot Starts: John Lannan, Jorge De La Rosa, Tommy Hunter, Pedro Martinez, Scott Feldman

Collin Hager writes The Elmhurst Pub fantasy blog. You can get your questions answered by sending an email to elmhurstpubroundtable@yahoo.com. He's also on Twitter @TheRoundtable.

Fantasy Baseball: Thursday News and Notes

Collin Hager - The Roundtable — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 11:01:32 -0400

There is a reason that you cannot bet on certain things. Some stuff is just bound to happen. Vegas will not take a bet on whether or not the sun will come up, or if the Lions will lose at least eight games this year. Certain things are just givens.

That brings us to Mike Hampton. Hampton has a partially torn rotator cuff, but will not require surgery. Ever wondered why pitchers should not receive heaping contracts? Take a good, long look at Hampton, Denny Neagle, Jason Schmidt, Carl Pavano, and a host of others.

Pitching is nice, but when you look at how the health of a pitcher can quickly change, the idea of handing out hundreds of millions of dollars to them should cause you to pause. The strain placed on a pitcher's shoulder is hard to imagine. Many do not experience any issues over the course of their career, but the ones that do should serve as cautionary tales.

Side note, I will be on vacation next week, so you are on your own for the daily notes.

On to the notes.

Wednesday Rewind

John Smoltz signed with the Cardinals yesterday, and the team announced that he will take his first turn in the rotation on Sunday. Smoltz was largely ineffective in working for the Red Sox, but a return to the National League should help him. The bottom of the lineup is very different than it is in the American League, where there are no real batters off. NL-only leagues should watch what he does on Sunday.
Joey Votto left last night's game with blurred vision. Votto has struggled this season with a variety of ailments, and this is just the latest in a series of issues. Owners should keep an eye on this situation, but it is likely he will not be playing in this afternoon's game against the Giants.
The Dodgers signed Vicente Padilla to a contract in order to help their depleted starting rotation. Padilla has not pitched since Aug. 5, and will make a start down in AAA before stepping in to the rotation on the 30th of the month. Padilla will replace Hiroki Kuroda in the rotation for the time being.
Cliff Lee continued an impressive start to his time with the Phillies. The lefty worked all nine innings while allowing only two hits and no earned runs. Lee has allowed just three total runs in his first four starts in the National League. Lee has won his last seven starts going back to his time with Cleveland.
GM Kevin Towers said it is likely that Mat Latos makes just two more starts for the Padres before he is shut down for the season. Latos will make his final start on the 30th of the month, as the team looks to ensure he does not go over too many innings this season. Owners should be aware.
David Ortiz hit a home run for the third straight game, taking Roy Halladay deep in the second inning last night. The last time the slugger had home runs in three consecutive games? You have to look back to the summer of 2006. Ortiz has gone deep in three of his last four games, and is hitting .350 in his last six games.
The surprise pitching duel of the night came between Barry Zito and Bronson Arroyo. Zito worked six innings and gave up just two hits without a run. Arroyo scattered nine hits and a walk over eight innings of work in taking the tough-luck 1-0 loss. Arroyo looked good at home for the first time in four starts.
Billy Wagner is likely to make his return to the Mets this weekend. It is very likely that it will be nothing more than a couple quick appearances before they look to unload him. The rumors are swirling that the team has already started the waiver paperwork. There is certainly money tied to claiming Wagner, and the Mets will have to help any team that does.
Ben Zobrist hit his first home run since Aug. 2 last night, and he is now four for his last 10 after an 0-for-11 slide. Zobrist started the season very strong, getting more playing time as a result of injuries. His lack of power has been alarming more at how quickly it has gone away.

Thursday Notes

Look to avoid Aaron Hill against Jon Lester. Hill is 0-for-14 against the lefty starter with six strikeouts. Adam Lind is not much better, having gone 2-for-14 with eight strikeouts. If you are looking to use anyone in the Toronto lineup, your best and really only bet is Marco Scutaro, as he is a .316 hitter against Lester.
You might say that Wandy Rodriguez enjoys pitching at home. Batters are hitting just .213 against him at home, and his ERA is 1.92. The 6-2 record does not hurt either. Rodriguez has given up only one earned run in his last 23 innings of work inside his own ballpark.
While Luke Scott is going to get a fair amount of regular action for the Orioles going forward, he is hitting only .239 in August. He draws James Shields on Thursday, and is just 3-for-16 against the Rays starter. Your other Orioles should be in the lineup if you would normally start them.
While you might look at the overall numbers of Doug Davis and question him as a start, take note that outside of a start against the Rockies, he has been good on the road. In his last three starts, he has put up a 2.25 road ERA. The Phillies are feast or famine against left-handed pitching, and only hit .251 as a team. In deep leagues, Davis is a decent spot play.
Whether or not it makes sense, the numbers do not lie. Matt Diaz is 11-for-20 against Johan Santana with a home run. Diaz is getting regular at-bats thanks to the injury to Nate McLouth, and this is a solid opportunity for owners to get him in the lineup. At home, Santana is tough, and he has not given up an earned run to the Braves in 2009.
Second straight start that will pit Joel Pineiro against the Padres. Pineiro recorded the win against them his last time out, and has pitched well enough on the road to be looked at today. With San Diego's suspect lineup, he is a good deep league option. Pineiro has won five straight decisions over his last seven starts.
While owners should start Jhonny Peralta and his .400 average against John Lackey, they are best to avoid both Travis Hafner and Grady Sizemore if there are better options available. Hafner is 4-for-26 while Sizemore is 3-for-18 against Lackey. Shin-Soo Choo is 4-for-9, but those are limited at-bats to judge.
Ryan Rowland-Smith has pitched well in his last two starts, despite having some efficiency problems since his recall. Rowland-Smith has walked eight in 31.2 innings of work, but has held batters to a respectable average against him. Lefties are hitting just .194 against him in his limited innings.
Freddy Sanchez is only 9-for-45 against Aaron Harang based on his time with the Pirates. Harang has done a good job against the Giants he has faced, but owners may want to look at Eugenio Velez and his 4-for-9 numbers against the starter if they need some good at-bats.
Spot Starts: Doug Davis, Justin Masterson, Joel Pineiro

Friday Notes

Seems to be a recurring theme, but look to avoid Randy Winn against Aaron Cook. Winn is just 5-for-29 against the Rockies starter. The rest of the lineup, though, remains solid. Cook has struggled with a toe injury, and was roughed up by the Marlins last time out.
Always nice when the players that hit you hard are all on the DL. Such is the case for Cole Hamels. The Mets that have done well are all on the sidelines for this matchup. No doubt he has been either fantastic or fantastically awful this season, but the matchup against the depleted Mets should work in his favor.
Andy Pettitte was exceedingly sharp during his last outing against the Red Sox. Pettitte worked seven innings without allowing a run and scattering five hits. While the team has hit him very well, Pettitte is 5-2 on the road this season with a 3.17 ERA. Do not actively avoid your Red Sox, as the numbers are good. Sit Dustin Pedroia and Victor Martinez if you have better options.
David DeJesus is a good play against Nick Blackburn. DeJesus is 6-for-12 against the starter, and catcher Miguel Olivo is 6-for-11. The samples are small, but it is evident these two see the ball well against him. Blackburn is 3-6 on the road this season with a 4.44 ERA. He has been destroyed in August, going 0-3 with a 10.45 ERA.
Anibal Sanchez will return to the Marlins rotation on Friday, and not Saturday as has been initially reported. Sanchez has been injured the better part of the season, but has proven to be effective in the past. Avoid him this time out, but NL-only owners should take note of his start, as he can be a help down the stretch.
Spot Starts: Randy Wells, Randy Wolf, Luke French

Collin Hager writes The Elmhurst Pub fantasy blog. You can get your questions answered by sending an email to elmhurstpubroundtable@yahoo.com. He's also on Twitter @TheRoundtable.

Fantasy Baseball: Wednesday News and Notes

Collin Hager - The Roundtable — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 11:01:59 -0400

It took up 14 minutes.

The first entire segment of SportsCenter was on King Brett. They went through press conferences, interviews with coaches, players, teammates, and enemies. They showed headlines from newspapers and spoke with everyone from Marcellus Wiley to Jon Gruden.

And you know what the worst part is? No one has realized at that network that the public just does not care. Plain and simple. The timeline regarding the play or retire decision by Favre and his family has held hostage three franchises over recent years, and the football watching public seems to be done.

So, he is back. Let us all move on. Nothing more to see here.

On to the notes.

Tuesday Rewind

What a disaster of a night for Josh Beckett. Some teams simply have the number of a pitcher, and that is the case with Beckett and the Blue Jays. At the Rogers Centre, Beckett is now 1-3 since 2006 with a 7.76 ERA. Overall, he simply just does not pitch well against them. Something to keep in mind as the divisional contests become more frequent over the final month and a half of the season.
The Cubs have announced that Carlos Marmol will take over the bulk of the closing duties going forward. The team demoted Kevin Gregg after a series of unspectacular outings. Marmol is already on most rosters, but if you can find him you should be able to steal a few saves.
The acquisition of Ivan Rodriguez by Texas should likely tell you all you need to know about the health of Jarrod Saltalamacchia. Rodriguez would not have been traded for if the Rangers felt their young catcher would be able to come back strong. Watching him throw against Boston was painful, even just back to the pitcher.
Jake Peavy struggled in his rehab outing last night, giving up three earned runs in four innings of work. Peavy struggled with control, hitting a batter and giving up a home run. The plan is still for the starter to go one more rehab outing at a minimum before making a return to the White Sox.
Eight innings, seven hits, two earned runs, seven hits, one walk, and five strikeouts. That was the line for Ubaldo Jimenez last night. The pitcher is now 5-0 in his last seven starts and has worked into the seventh inning in six of those outings. He is just under 70 percent owned this morning. This needs to push him up to 80. Grab him if he is available in your league.
Stephen Strasburg is not likely to pitch for the Nationals this season. The team announced that they would look to use him in the Arizona Fall League, but not with the big club at this point. Strasburg is still a solid long-term keeper option that owners need to make sure is on their roster. Of course, the GM that made the statement is not likely going to be there by the end of the day.
How about Ricky Nolasco? The Marlins pitcher struck out 10 in a complete game effort yesterday against the Astros. Nolasco allowed just three hits and two earned runs in the game. This same Astros team absolutely wrecked him for 10 runs last week, so this was a nice bit of vengeance for Nolasco.
Clay Buchholz owners should get a few more starts out of the young pitcher. Tim Wakefield had a setback yesterday during his bullpen session and is not yet ready to return to the Red Sox rotation. Wakefield is experiencing issues in his calf as a result of the lower back problem. It would not be surprising to see Boston wait until rosters expand to activate him.
Congratulations to Manny Parra! The Brewers pitcher got through six innings without giving up at least eight hits. That marks the first time in his last six starts that he has accomplished that. Ross Ohlendorf came through on the call yesterday, picking up the win and continuing to improve on his home record.

Wednesday Notes

Roy Halladay has been impressive against the Red Sox, and there are a few regulars that owners should consider keeping down if they have other options. Dustin Pedroia is just 7-for-35, and Jason Varitek is a .213 hitter in 75 at-bats against Halladay. It is likely Boston still uses him and avoid Mike Lowell on the turf as much as possible.
After back-to-back outings where he gave up five earned runs, Justin Verlander settled down and dominated the Red Sox during his last time out. He is 7-1 at home this season, and draws a struggling Mariners offense. Batters have hit just .205 against him at home this season. Owners should keep regular Mariners in the lineup, as Ichiro and Jose Lopez are both over .300 against Verlander. The other potential bright spot is the 6-for-20 (.300) of Franklin Gutierrez.
Paul Maholm has owned Prince Fielder. Fielder is just 3-for-30 against the Pirates starter. Jason Kendall is only 2-for-19 in his at-bats as well. No concerns regarding your Brewers otherwise in this matchup. Maholm has not recorded a win against Milwaukee in three starts this season, allowing 14 runs in 17.1 innings of work.
You will likely want to avoid Randy Winn and Aaron Rowand against Bronson Arroyo. Winn is 4-for-22 while Rowand is 3-for-13. All your other Giants are decent plays in this one. Edgar Renteria might be a nice reach for some. The infielder is 6-for-17 against Arroyo.
Zack Greinke has certainly seen a fair amount of the White Sox so far this season. In four starts, he is 2-1 and has given up only five earned runs in 28 innings while keeping the White Sox to 26 hits and four walks. Still, do not shy away from Scott Podsednik, as he is 16-for-30, and A.J. Pierzynski is 16-for-37. Carlos Quentin could get the night off based on his 3-for-14 numbers against Greinke.
So the issue for the Royals comes in the fact that those that are going to be in the lineup have no luck against Jose Contreras. Without Coco Crisp and Jose Guillen, the .268 of David DeJesus is the best of the bunch. Do not look to grab Mark Teahen, Billy Butler, or Yuniesky Betancourt. The numbers are just ugly for those three.
After two rough outings against the Dodgers, Jair Jurrjens rebounded against the Phillies to the form owners are accustomed. Jurrjens may have just nine wins this season, but he still has posted a 2.99 ERA this year. He has a win against the Mets already this season, and has a 3.20 ERA on the road in 12 starts this season.
The Rangers could get Nelson Cruz back from the DL today, as the outfielder is eligible to return to the team. Texas has not had many at-bats against Scott Baker, but the ones they have do not paint a pretty picture. Michael Young has gone just 3-for-13, and Hank Blalock is 1-for-8. Not much of a record, but some.
The Twins have hit Kevin Millwood very well. As a team, they have 244 at-bats against him and a .336 average in that time. There should be no concern when it comes to starting any of your regulars in this one. The only potential hold up is the 4-for-20 of Joe Crede.
Spot Starts: Randy Wells, Jeff Niemann, Jason Marquis

Thursday Notes

Look to avoid Aaron Hill against Jon Lester. Hill is 0-for-14 against the lefty starter with six strikeouts. Adam Lind is not much better, having gone 2-for-14 with eight strikeouts. If you are looking to use anyone in the Toronto lineup, your best and really only bet is Marco Scutaro, as he is a .316 hitter against Lester.
While Luke Scott is going to get a fair amount of regular action for the Orioles going forward, he is hitting only .239 in August. He draws James Shields on Thursday, and is just 3-for-16 against the Rays starter. Your other Orioles should be in the lineup if you would normally start them.
Whether or not it makes sense, the numbers do not lie. Matt Diaz is 11-for-20 against Johan Santana with a home run. Diaz is getting regular at-bats thanks to the injury to Nate McLouth, and this is a solid opportunity for owners to get him in the lineup. At home, Santana is tough, and he has not given up an earned run to the Braves in 2009.
While owners should start Jhonny Peralta and his .400 average against John Lackey, they are best to avoid both Travis Hafner and Grady Sizemore if there are better options available. Hafner is 4-for-26 while Sizemore is 3-for-18 against Lackey. Shin-Soo Choo is 4-for-9, but those are limited at-bats to judge.
Freddy Sanchez is only 9-for-45 against Aaron Harang based on his time with the Pirates. Harang has done a good job against the Giants he has faced, but owners may want to look at Eugenio Velez and his 4-for-9 numbers against the starter if they need some good at-bats.
Spot Starts: Doug Davis, Justin Masterson, Joel Pineiro

Collin Hager writes The Elmhurst Pub fantasy blog. You can get your questions answered by sending an email to elmhurstpubroundtable@yahoo.com. He's also on Twitter @TheRoundtable.

Fantasy Baseball: Tuesday News and Notes

Collin Hager - The Roundtable — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 09:37:54 -0400

No doubt that Stephen Strasburg should have been the top pick in the draft. Quite simply, owners cannot afford to pass on someone that dominated an entire level of top-tier baseball talent. Strasburg was consistent and demonstrated he had the tools to be a success.

He has a top-flight fastball, good breaking pitches, and can throw three pitches consistently for strikes.

The Nationals were then forced to overpay the "one in a million" prospect, making him one of the highest paid players (if not the highest) on the team without ever throwing a pitch. Tough precedent to set. Undoubtedly, there will be some intense pressure on both the team and the player to succeed.

Paul Sporer pointed out this morning that there are plenty of cases where players, specifically pitchers, simply fail. The list is pretty extensive when it comes to these types of players. Some fail as a result of their own stupidity (Brien Taylor). Others it is because of injury (Mark Prior). Still, the majority fail on an inability to make the adjustments.

Back in the day, the hot rookie card to have was that of one Todd Van Poppel. Van Poppel was an Oakland draft choice that had a million dollar arm and would be the next great success story in that rotation. Needless to say, it was not to be.

Van Poppel ended up pitching with six teams after garnering a $1.25 million bonus to pass on a scholarship to Stanford. This was as the No. 14 pick, after telling Atlanta he had no intention of signing with them if drafted. He had a limited minor league career because of the contact, throwing just 32 starts.

He was most effective as a middle-reliever for the Cubs before retiring.

Is Strasburg the next Van Poppel? Probably not. His story is just one of many littered across the landscape of the draft. The Nationals are certainly banking on his success, and the $15 million arm they just put into their system.

On to the notes.

Monday Rewind

Obviously, the biggest news of the day was the signing of Strasburg. Owners should not expect much more than a quick cameo appearance this season, and even those results may not be pretty. Those in long-term keeper leagues need to grab him quickly. Honestly, even if you are afraid he might fail, the idea of losing out on a success to hold on to a waiver priority does not do you much good. Especially if you are already out of the playoff hunt this season.
Nate McLouth is going to spend some time on the DL. McLouth injured his hamstring over the weekend, forcing the hand of the Braves. The outfielder has missed days here and there over the entire season because of back and leg issues. This move was likely made because of a lack of roster flexibility more than anything else. Matt Diaz should see some regular time in his absence.
As expected, Hiroki Kuroda will miss his next start after suffering a concussion. Kuroda has shown good signs in recovery, but this move is a safety mechanism for everyone involved. The Dodgers are getting Chad Billingsley back, and got a solid performance from Charlie Haeger last night, so they have a couple options. Jeff Weaver is always available for a start as well.
Freddy Garcia will make his return to the mound tonight for the White Sox. Garcia has missed most of the last two seasons with a shoulder injury. Honestly, there is not a much better team to start against in a return than the Royals. Garcia has ability, and that was seen prior to 2006. The question becomes if he can translate his rehab work.
Mark Reynolds hit another home run yesterday, giving him 38 on the season to go with his .285 average and 21 stolen bases. The concern that should be shared is how this translates next season. This is an impressive performance, especially for a guy that is a career .265 hitter and strikes out a lot. Owners may be forced to over-pay for him in next year's draft, as he likely is a second or early third round choice at this rate. There had better be strong belief that he can do this again if that is the case.
Aubrey Huff is on his way to Detroit, likely hurting any regular playing time status he had. His best bet is spelling the struggling Brandon Inge and potentially Carlos Guillen. Inge is down to .247 this season and is at .200 in August. Ty Wiggington should be grabbed in AL-only leagues, as he should see more regular playing time as a result.
Aaron Rowand did not make a liar out of me yesterday. Rowand had been 7-for-15 against Livan Hernandez, and added four hits in five at-bats yesterday. While all were not against Hernandez, starting him led to some quick offensive production to begin the week for many owners.
Chris Carpenter pitched eight impressive innings last night, garnering the win against the Dodgers. The Cardinals pitcher improved to 8-1 in his last 10 starts, dropping his season ERA to 2.27. Carpenter has been a pleasant surprise that many owners were able to steal at the end of their drafts. Always be careful, though, when it comes to pitchers with injury histories.
Kevin Gregg is being removed from the closer's role for the Cubs. After blowing the save on the road against the Padres last night, the Cubs basically told Gregg via the press not to expect more end-of-game situations. The Chicago Sun-Times speculates that it may not exclusively be Carlos Marmol either. Owners can pilfer some saves through picking up John Grabow and potentially Angel Guzman in ultra-deep leagues.

Tuesday Notes

If Jon Garland is going to find success, it will be on the road. While the Arizona pitcher has a 3-5 record on the road, he has also posted a 2.85 ERA away from home. Garland has struggled with Raul Ibanez, but the rest of the Phillies do not have much of a track record against him. NL-only leagues could use the spot start here.
Do not shy away from your Blue Jays simply because Josh Beckett is on the mound. The Jays have actually hit the Red Sox starter reasonably well. Vernon Wells, Lyle Overbay, and Aaron Hill all have at least 20 at-bats against Beckett and all are above .300 in those appearances.
Curtis Granderson has gone 9-for-22 against Felix Hernandez, and Placido Polanco checks in at 6-for-15. Newly acquired Aubrey Huff is only 4-for-19 so do not expect him to start out in a lineup, certainly not in fantasy anyway. Magglio Ordonez has also struggled hitting Hernandez.
With Gary Sheffield back in the lineup again for the Mets, make sure to start him against Derek Lowe. Sheffield is 9-for-19 with two home runs against Lowe. Otherwise, there is not much offense to be found against the Atlanta starter. Avoid as many as you can, especially given the new injury to Wright.
Alright, time for the riff on Ubaldo Jimenez again. Jimenez has improved to 3-0 in August, posting a 1.19 ERA in his starts and holding opponents to a .158 average against him. The Rockies starter has won his last four decisions, and is still available in about a third of all leagues. Together, we can push him to the 80 percent mark he deserves to have.
At home, David Price is a completely different pitcher than he is on the road. Inside Tampa, he is 5-1 with a 2.72 ERA and .219 BAA. Given those numbers, and the fact that the Orioles have not seen much of him, this is another good chance for Price to pitch well. Good spot option here.
Desperate for a hit in AL-only leagues? Bobby Crosby is a .308 hitter in 26 at-bats against CC Sabathia, and he is about it when it comes to offense in the Oakland lineup at this point. Crosby is worth a look in these deep leagues if you are looking for a potential 2-for-3 night.
It is not often anyone recommends reaching for Pirates to start, but look to get Andrew McCutchen, Ryan Doumit, Garrett Jones, and Lastings Milledge into your lineup against Manny Parra. The stats are just bad. Couple that with a strong 7-2 mark and 3.18 home ERA for Ross Ohlendorf, and you have yourself a good spot start matchup.
Chad Billingsley will take the ball for the Dodgers tonight. Billingsley has not thrown since tweaking his hamstring last week, but should be at full strength in this matchup for Los Angeles. Leg injuries are always a concern with pitchers, but this does not seem to be anything that should force owners to look at benching him a start.
Bonus note, Kevin Youkilis has served his suspension and will return tonight against the Blue Jays.
Spot Starts: Ohlendorf, Pedro Martinez, Scott Feldman

Wednesday Notes

Roy Halladay has been impressive against the Red Sox, and there are a few regulars that owners should consider keeping down if they have other options. Dustin Pedroia is just 7-for-35, and Jason Varitek is a .213 hitter in 75 at-bats against Halladay. It is likely Boston still uses him and avoid Mike Lowell on the turf as much as possible.
Paul Maholm has owned Prince Fielder. Fielder is just 3-for-30 against the Pirates starter. Jason Kendall is only 2-for-19 in his at-bats as well. No concerns regarding your Brewers otherwise in this matchup. Maholm has not recorded a win against Milwaukee in three starts this season, allowing 14 runs in 17.1 innings of work.
Zack Greinke has certainly seen a fair amount of the White Sox so far this season. In four starts, he is 2-1 and has given up only five earned runs in 28 innings while keeping the White Sox to 26 hits and four walks. Still, do not shy away from Scott Podsednik, as he is 16-for-30, and A.J. Pierzynski is 16-for-37. Carlos Quentin could get the night off based on his 3-for-14 numbers against Greinke.
After two rough outings against the Dodgers, Jair Jurrjens rebounded against the Phillies to the form owners are accustomed. Jurrjens may have just nine wins this season, but he still has posted a 2.99 ERA this year. He has a win against the Mets already this season, and has a 3.20 ERA on the road in 12 starts this season.
The Twins have hit Kevin Millwood very well. As a team, they have 244 at-bats against him and a .336 average in that time. There should be no concern when it comes to starting any of your regulars in this one. The only potential hold up is the 4-for-20 of Joe Crede.
Spot Starts: Randy Wells, Jeff Niemann, Jason Marquis

Collin Hager writes The Elmhurst Pub fantasy blog. You can get your questions answered by sending an email to elmhurstpubroundtable@yahoo.com. He's also on Twitter @TheRoundtable.

Fantasy Baseball: Monday News and Notes

Collin Hager - The Roundtable — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 10:12:07 -0400

The last two weeks in the Boston area have sought to make up for the fact that there was no summer in June and July. The humidity levels are out of control, making it very hard to live anywhere without air conditioning. The mornings are not bad, but by the afternoon the heat has picked up with incredible intensity.

The air has simply been dead, giving no wind at all. Which means it becomes all the more unbearable to even open up a window to attempt to get a breeze. All that does is let the heat come right in to wherever you are.

Nowhere will this be more evident than in the car being driven by this writer today. Why you might ask? Nothing says fun like getting the heat and the humidity like having the air conditioning in your car give out. So today, following the writing of these notes, dealerships in the surrounding area will be getting phone calls.

On to the notes.

Weekend Rewind

The weekend gave us more than one scary incident. David Wright and Hiroki Kuroda took fastballs to the head over the weekend. Wright has been placed on the 15-day DL, but it has been said that his missing the remainder of the season could be a possibility. Much will depend on how the next set of tests comes out for the third baseman. Owners should be looking to Mike Lowell, Gordon Beckham, Jhonny Peralta for some short-term help. All three are around 50 percent available.
Kuroda's injury has much less fantasy impact because of the depth in pitching, but the pitcher's health should be the major concern. Kuroda was released from the hospital and was allowed to fly home with the team. He still has some symptoms from the hit, and is not likely headed for the mound in the near-term.
Hideki Matsui sat out yesterday after having his swollen knee drained. He is likely to miss at least one more game with the injury. Matsui has been severely limited this season in terms of availability, being used exclusively as the DH. This injury is not going to make that any better.
Torii Hunter returned over the weekend after an extended stay on the DL with a groin injury. Hunter keyed the winning rally yesterday by driving in the go-ahead run in the 13th inning yesterday. He will need some time to get his legs underneath him, but this was a good sign for Hunter owners, who should get him back in the lineup going forward.
Nelson Cruz was placed on the DL before the weekend started, but is eligible to come off on Wednesday. Cruz suffered a setback with the ankle injury while running the bases, but does not think there will be a problem coming back mid-week. Cruz will play in two rehab games on Monday and Tuesday before joining the Rangers on Wednesday.
The Randy Wolf bandwagon is going to get full quickly at this point, but still some good seats available. Wolf went 7.2 innings yesterday, striking out 10 hitters while giving up only three earned runs. Wolf has worked at least six full innings in each of his last 10 starts, and has given up more than three earned ones just once. At 45 percent owned, he can still be found in many formats.
Aaron Laffey is not going to be the sexiest name on waivers, but owners should note that he has won four of his last five starts, holding opponents to seven earned runs over 32 innings of work. Laffey gave up three earned yesterday to the Twins, dodging control problems through double-play help. Still, in AL-only and 12-team deep mixed leagues, Laffey can help.
Ian Kinsler returned strong this weekend. After not playing in a game after July 28th, Kinsler came back to go 4-for-6 against the Red Sox with two home runs on Saturday and Sunday. It is certainly safe to say that those looking to use Kinsler this week should have no concerns in getting him back into their lineup.
Weird to hear Carlos Zambrano say anything about his abs at all, but the pitcher feels he needs to strengthen (or find) them. He is scheduled to throw a rehab outing against Peoria on Thursday and will do a side session tomorrow to get ready for that. Zambrano has been on the DL after having issues with his back.

Monday Notes

Mark Buehrle pitched much better against the Mariners than in his previous three starts following his perfect game. Now, the White Sox starter gets a Royals team that he largely owns. Buehrle is 6-0 in his last 10 starts against the Royals at home. This season in total, he is 1-0 against them with a 2.46 ERA.
For Kansas City, it all depends on which Brian Bannister shows up. If you get the one that has shut down Tampa and Boston on the road, that is a good thing. The guy that got lit up by Houston and Minnesota, though, not so much. Bannister was roughed up on the road against the White Sox last time he went to Chicago, and outside of the 4-for-22 mark put up by Paul Konerko, the White Sox have looked good against him.
While it may look like that you can get to A.J. Burnett on the road, do not be so certain. Over his last five road outings, Burnett has allowed 10 runs over 31.1 innings of work, good for a 2.89 ERA. That alone is much better than the 4.02 mark seen for the season. Factor in that seven of those runs came in 4.2 innings against the White Sox, and the ERA drops to 1.03. By the way, he is facing Oakland.
Carlos Villanueva has had two decent outings in August, but all three of his starts have been short and against poor offenses. Pittsburgh qualifies as a sub-par offense, but the potential for a bad outing here is amplified by the small number of starts Villanueva has under his belt this season. Look to get some Pirates in your lineup.
Livan Hernandez has seen a fair amount of the Giants and has not enjoyed it. While owners could do better than the .250 of Randy Winn, Aaron Rowand is 7-for-15, Pablo Sandoval is 4-for-11, and Edgar Renteria is 13-for-36. All would make decent plays for such a light Monday of games.
Ted Lillywill make his return to the rotation today for the Cubs. While the lefty has struggled dramatically on the road when compared to his home numbers, Lilly draws a road matchup with the Pirates. If you need the start, this does not work out to be a bad matchup. Still, because of the splits and the injury, if you have the luxury to avoid him it would be best.
Francisco Liriano draws a solid-hitting Texas team on the road. Yes, he looked good against the Royals, but Kansas City does not score runs against anyone. Texas has been playing good baseball, and Liriano is 3-6 on the road with a 6.01 ERA for the season. Look elsewhere.
The numbers put up by Baltimore far outweigh the last decent start by Ervin Santana. The Orioles you will see in the lineup largely are over .300 against the Angels starter. Look to Aubrey Huff in this one if you could use a quick boost. Huff is 7-for-17 against Santana in his career. Even Ty Wiggington is 4-for-9 against Santana.
Spot Starts: Tommy Hunter, Kevin Correia

Tuesday Notes

Do not shy away from your Blue Jays simply because Josh Beckett is on the mound. The Jays have actually hit the Red Sox starter reasonably well. Vernon Wells, Lyle Overbay, and Aaron Hill all have at least 20 at-bats against Beckett and all are above .300 in those appearances.
With Gary Sheffield back in the lineup again for the Mets, make sure to start him against Derek Lowe. Sheffield is 9-for-19 with two home runs against Lowe. Otherwise, there is not much offense to be found against the Atlanta starter. Avoid as many as you can, especially given the new injury to Wright.
At home, David Price is a completely different pitcher than he is on the road. Inside Tampa, he is 5-1 with a 2.72 ERA and .219 BAA. Given those numbers, and the fact that the Orioles have not seen much of him, this is another good chance for Price to pitch well. Good spot option here.
Gil Meche was not outstanding in his return to the mound, but he pitched well enough against the Twins to get the win. The White Sox have not been overpowering against him, so deep leagues may want to give this a look. Certainly start Alex Rios. He is 11-for-19 agianst Meche. Jermaine Dye is just at .238, but play all others as your normally would.
It is not often anyone recommends reaching for Pirates to start, but look to get Andrew McCutchen, Ryan Doumit, Garrett Jones, and Lastings Milledge into your lineup against Manny Parra. The stats are just bad. Couple that with a strong 7-2 mark and 3.18 home ERA for Ross Ohlendorf, and you have yourself a good spot start matchup.
Spot Starts: Ohlendorf, Pedro Martinez, Scott Feldman

Collin Hager writes The Elmhurst Pub fantasy blog. You can get your questions answered by sending an email to elmhurstpubroundtable@yahoo.com. He's also on Twitter @TheRoundtable.

Fantasy Baseball: Friday News and Notes

Collin Hager - The Roundtable — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 10:23:14 -0400

The righteous indignation of fans regarding their team signing a player that fought dogs both impresses and shocks me at the same time. This is a society that thrives on giving people another chance, believing that our correctional system can change people to give them a shot at rebuilding their life.

Plenty of people that everyone works with or passes on the street every day have a black mark on their record. It may be for something big, it may be for something small, it could even be for something stupid. The point is, that it is there. Many just would not know it unless it was called to their attention.

In the case of Michael Vick, there is not one person that believes what he did was right. His crime, though, seems to being blown beyond out of proportion in many respects. Listening to the radio this morning, it was evident that there was a strict divide among fans that wanted him in Philadelphia and those that did not. Not a bad thing.

Where the issue lies is in how the average NFL fan has no qualms about those that have been implicated in drug deals through cell phones (Jamal Lewis) or testified in a weird circumstance of a murder trial (Ray Lewis) or have been addicted to pain killers and alcohol (many). This, though, crossed a line.

Maybe this is something that makes sense in the minds of many, but certainly there are others out there that feel crimes against people are far worse than those committed by Vick.

As Peter King put it this morning, if someone gets fired from their job for doing that, they may not be able to go back to their former employer, but someone certainly has the right to give them a job.

On to the notes.

Thursday Rewind

Who had Johnny Gomes in the office pool to hit three home runs last night? These three home runs were his first since Aug. 1, but brought his season total to 14. Gomes now has hits in each of his last four starts. His playing time is far too inconsistent for anything other than deep NL-only leagues, but this was a nice offensive explosion to pace the Reds.
Justin Verlander was filthy yesterday in helping the Tigers avoid a sweep at the hands of the Red Sox. Verlander touched 100mph on his fastball several times, proving that even when you look for something that quick you cannot hit it. He did throw 123 pitches over eight innings while striking out eight hitters.
It again was not pretty for Manny Parra, but he found another inventive way to come up with a win. If that was all an owner cared about yesterday, they got it. Still, he gave up 13 hits, continuing a streak of starts where has has given up eight or more hits. Add to that, though he struck out six, he also gave up six runs and walked two.
Jake Peavy made what should be deemed a successful rehab outing in Charlotte last night. Peavy worked three innings and struck out five hitters. He allowed just a walk and a hit in his time on the mound. A good sign for the White Sox, who continue to look to Peavy to pitch for them at the end of the month.
Analysis like this from WEEI in Boston is what makes them fantastic. They noted that Clay Buchholz has been successful in his last few outings because he is throwing his first pitch for strikes and keeping his fastball down in the zone to produce ground balls. See, you just do not get information like that elsewhere...While true, that is the key for 99 percent of pitchers. Buchholz looked good even in the loss yesterday, allowing just two runs to the Tigers.
Aramis Ramirez is slated to return to the lineup for the Cubs tonight after missing starts since Sunday. Ramirez feels he has responded well to the cortisone injection, but knows he will be in pain for the remainder of the season. Given that the Cubs are right in the middle of things, expect him to be on the field more often than not the rest of the way.
So there was a reason that the Pirates had Ian Snell out of sight before sending him off to Seattle. Snell was lit up in most starts leading to his June demotion. Unfortunately, the stats were worse as he had to take one for the team, with the Mariners having depleted their bullpen over the course of the last series. Owners should be starting offense against Snell as long as Seattle is willing to put him out there.
Cody Ross left last night's game with stiffness in his back. He is being listed as day-to-day. Jeremy Hermida replaced Ross in the lineup, but will do nothing for fantasy owners. Ross has hit .286 in August with five home runs, going back to numbers that were seen in June. Keep an eye on him.
Pitchers like Jason Marquis cannot slip up and keep their ownership. He had a bad start against the Cubs, and now gets to hover around the 50 percent mark in most formats. Still, Marquis' ERA is lower now (3.55) than it was on June 19 (3.71). He has 13 wins this season and draws the Nationals next week in Washington. On the road, his ERA is 3.27 and batters have hit just .239 against him.

Friday Notes

Odd that Terry Francona gives Dustin Pedroia yesterday off when he is just 1-for-12 against Kevin Millwood. Jacoby Ellsbury is not much better at 3-for-13. Look to use all other Red Sox, as even with those numbers the team has hit .337 against Millwood in over 200 at-bats. Remember, Kevin Youkilis will not play this weekend.
It would not be entirely surprising to see Gerald Laird in the lineup against Zack Greinke. Laird is 6-for-14 against the Royals starter. Placido Polanco remains a solid option as well, checking in at .371 in 35 at-bats. Otherwise, look to avoid most of your Tigers in this one. Greinke has held most of their lineup under .225.
Ken Griffey likely gets a start tonight against Andy Pettitte. Griffey has hit .357 in 56 at-bats with three home runs against the New York starter. Jack Wilson is just 5-for-23, but no concerns otherwise. Pettitte is a much more effective pitcher on the road than at home, having gone 5-2 with a 3.19 ERA away from New York.
Kevin Millar and Aaron Hill will be the best options available for Toronto against James Shields. These are the only two regulars above .300 against the Tampa starter. Vernon Wells checks in at just .227 and Marco Scutaro is only 6-for-30 against Shields.
Yovani Gallardo has had some major problems with walks in his recent starts. In his last seven starts, he was walked four or more batters five times. Batters hit just .192 against him at home, and he has largely been effective against the Astros, but this is certainly something for owners to be aware of going forward. Gallardo lost to Houston last time out, but gave up only two runs over seven innings.
Guarantee that Wandy Rodriguez is thrilled to have Corey Hart on the DL when he comes to town. Hart represented the only real threat against Rodriguez, as he was hitting .407 against him. Do not be concerned over the hamstring issue, as Rodriguez worked that out well during his last start.
The Dodgers are a team that has hit Dan Haren well. Casey Blake is at .345, Manny Ramirez is at .500, and Andre Ethier is hitting .450. All three have more than 20 at-bats against the starter. While Russell Martin has struggled, all others should be in your lineup.
Roy Halladay is 0-2 against the Rays this season, but not because of his performances. In 22 innings, Halladay has allowed 18 hits and five walks. That works out to a WHIP of 1.05 to go with a .225 BAA and 2.45 ERA. Sometimes, this all comes down to luck and offense. Start your normal Rays in this one, but note that only Evan Longoria, Jason Bartlett, and Carl Crawford have hit above .275 against Halladay. No reaching here.
All your regular Indians should be in the lineup against Scott Baker. Grady Sizemore and Travis Hafner have the best numbers against the starter, as both are well over .400 against him. Shin-Soo Choo and Jhonny Peralta would be the only two where owners might look for other options.
Spot Starts: Justin Masterson, Randy Wells, Mat Latos

Weekend Notes

You only need look at how well the Cubs have hit Zach Duke to know that he should be on your bench Saturday. The 10-for-40 of Derrek Lee is the only stand-out issue in this one, as the team has hit .341 against him in 220 at-bats. Batters have hit .282 against Duke on the road this season.
Neither Kelly Johnson nor Yunel Escobar have had any sort of success against Cole Hamels. The two have combined to go 4-for-30 in their appearances against him. Keep your studs in the lineup, but Hamels has largely done well against the Braves despite getting roughed up in his last outing against them before the All-Star break.
The Blue Jays have hit Scott Kazmir well in their time against him. While you will want to avoid the .235 of Kevin Millar, the rest of your regulars are going to be fine plays in this one. Kazmir struggles in Tampa are largely skewed by early season issues. He has given up four runs in his last 13 innings at home, but was hammered by Toronto for seven runs in 4.1 innings in his last start against them.
Tough to find any Dodger you will not want to play against Doug Davis. Up and down the lineup, the Dodgers have found ways to hit the Arizona starter hard. Unless you planned on putting Juan Castro into your lineup, playing every starter in the Los Angeles lineup is definitely the right call.
While it is Oakland, Gavin Floyd has allowed five earned runs in each of his last three road outings. Floyd is 4-5 on the road, posting a 5.76 ERA away from home this year. While he has been solid in four of his last five starts overall, the numbers away from home make this a normally risky play. Be aware, but then also note that this is still Oakland.
Roy Oswalt's start against the Marlins was not pretty, and the Brewers may pose an equal challenge. While he has held Prince Fielder to 4-for-31, the rest of the lineup has hit the Astros starter well. Look to keep as many regulars in the lineup as you can in this one.
Matt Garza has done his job against the Blue Jays. Adam Lind's 5-for-18 mark is the best that you will see in the lineup, and most are well below .250. Do not look outside any Blue Jays that you absolutely must start in this one. If options are available, take them. Garza is 2-0 against Toronto this season with a 1.69 ERA and .211 BAA.
Nick Blackburn remains 5-1 at home, but has seen his ERA rise by nearly a full run since June 18th. Blackburn has held down Jhonny Peralta to 1-for-12, but the rest of your Indians should be in the lineup for this one if you would normally play them. Blackburn has allowed at least four earned runs in five of his last six starts.
While you will want Raul Ibanez in your lineup on Sunday, the Phillies have not exactly hit the Braves starter Javier Vazquez well. Jimmy Rollins is at .189 in 53 at-bats, Jayson Werth is just 2-for-16, and Shane Victorino is 2-for-12. Chase Utley remains a good option, but owners may want to avoid the Phillies in this matchup.
Spot Starts: Aaron Cook, Brian Tallet, Gio Gonzalez, J.A. Happ, Randy Wolf, Jorge De La Rosa

Collin Hager writes The Elmhurst Pub fantasy blog. You can get your questions answered by sending an email to elmhurstpubroundtable@yahoo.com. He's also on Twitter @TheRoundtable.

Fantasy Baseball: Thursday News and Notes

Collin Hager - The Roundtable — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 10:57:56 -0400

With day-job duties calling throughout the course of the day and the morning especially, there is no time for stories today. Sure, there are plenty of things to talk about, and this space is pretty good when it comes to simply rambling on about inane subjects. Some days, though, everyone needs to make sure that they are doing enough to get the paycheck sent in white and not in pink.

So today, we go right to the notes.

Wednesday Rewind

Milwaukee made sure that the headlines started with them early on. The Brewers demoted struggling shortstop J.J. Hardy and recalled shortstop Alcides Escobar. Hardy's numbers this season have simply been awful, leading some to believe that his back is still bothering him. Escobar was hitting .298 in AAA and certainly has the speed to be an immediate impact player in NL-only and deep mixed leagues.
It was not vintage Pedro Martinez, but this was far from a poor performance last night in his first start of the season. Martinez worked five innings and gave up three earned runs in the process. He struck out five and allowed seven hits and a walk. Not bad overall. His velocity reached the low-90's, and he has some favorable matchups moving forward.
Kevin Youkilis received a five-game suspension and decided against appealing the ban. While it sends him to the showers starting with last night's game, he will be eligible to play when the Yankees next come to town after missing the final two games against Detroit and the series against Texas. Mike Lowell will see more regular playing time through the weekend.
Joba Chamberlain's next start will be on seven days of rest. Chamberlain is having his innings controlled by the Yankees so he does not burn out in the last month of the season and heading into the playoffs. He will next pitch against Oakland next Wednesday. Sergio Mitre is likely to get the start over the weekend in his place.
Jordan Zimmermann is officially headed for Tommy John surgery. Although it had been reported through various sources over the course of the week, the Nationals announced yesterday that he will have the procedure next week. It is likely they look to be careful with the pitcher, and as a result he could miss most, if not all, of the 2010 season.
So pitchers have decided that throwing Jason Bay fastballs is still a good way to get him out. Bay has now hit a home run in three consecutive games, and in four of his last five overall. As long as pitchers throw him fastballs, he is going to do just fine. He seems to be breaking out of a two-month slump, so enjoy it.
All these non-Ubaldo Jimenez owners need to hop on the bandwagon before it gets full. Jimenez has held opponents to a BAA under .200 since July 1. He worked eight impressive innings last night, giving up just three hits and no runs in the process while striking out six. He recorded his 10th win of the season overall. Pitching in Colorado has not bothered him this season, as batters are hitting only .221 against him at home.
Yahoo! Sports is reporting that the Brewers have claimed Doug Davis off waivers from Arizona. Milwaukee is in desperate need of pitching, and Davis has thrown the ball surprisingly well this season. He may have only seven wins, but his 3.62 ERA is solid, and his performances have been better than the numbers indicate.
Hunter Pence now has multiple hit games in each of his last three starts, and is hitting .400 over his last 15 at-bats. Pence notched two home runs last night to go with six RBI, and is now sitting at .291 this season for Houston. He has struggled some in August, hitting just .256 to start the month, but seems to be getting ready for a mini-tear based on these last three starts.

Thursday Notes

Carl Pavano has been roughed up by the Royals this season, having gone 1-2 with an 8.64 ERA in three starts. In 16.2 innings against them, Pavano has allowed 25 hits. While most of those came in one disaster of a start, he still gives up better than a hit an inning when the nine-run fiasco of June 10 is backed out.
Gil Meche will return to the mound for the Twins on Thursday. Meche has been suffering from back problems that have largely limited him this season. He is expected to be held between 90 and 100 pitches, so no major limitation in that regard. Start your normal Twins, but note that Joe Crede, Jason Kubel, and Denard Span have really struggled. Michael Cuddyer on the other hand is 7-for-13.
In a completely random, only-if-you-are-desperate type play, Esteban German has gone 8-for-9 against Jeremy Sowers for his career. Now, German hardly plays at all, but did get starts twice this month. Nelson Cruz believes he will be back in the lineup at DH today as well.
Jack Wilson and Adrian Beltre have had no luck against C.C. Sabathia. Beltre has gone 0-for-10 while Wilson is only moderately better at 2-for-15. In a pinch, look for Kenji Johjima, as he is 5-for-8 against Sabathia. Sabathia pitched well in last start against Boston, but has been roughed up in his last two road outings.
In his last five starts, Ryan Dempster has given up 37 hits in 28.2 innings of work. He has pitched well at home in picking up four wins against one loss, but his ERA is well over 4.00 in Chicago this season. Jimmy Rollins has the only track record, and he has hit .300 in 30 at-bats against Dempster.
Paul Maholm on the road is a very different pitcher than the one who takes the mound at home. Maholm is 3-4 with a 5.79 ERA and .303 BAA in his road outings this year. Colorado is not likely to be kind to him. He gave up five runs on eight hits in five innings during his last time out in Denver this season.
It may not be a pretty way to do it, but owners could garner a win through Manny Parra. The Brewers starter is 4-0 since returning on July 9, but has given up at least eight hits in each of his last four starts. The walks are better, and the home runs are fewer, but he still pitches to a lot of contact. High risk proposition, but owners in NL-only formats should take note.
Victor Martinez has seen a fair amount of Justin Verlander. In 39 at-bats, the catcher has hit .278 with four home runs and nine RBI. The Tigers starter has not been very effective on the road, posting a 4.68 ERA in 13 starts away from home this season. J.D. Drew will be off today, according to the Boston Herald. In his place, Josh Reddick will get the start in right field.
Continue to avoid Bronson Arroyo at home, even against the Nationals. Arroyo's numbers have simply been awful in Cincinnati. He is 5-6 with a 4.71 ERA this season inside his own ballpark. He has given up at least three runs in each of his last four total outings, posting an ERA of 5.00 in that time.
Spot Starts: Clay Buchholz, Jason Marquis

Friday Notes

It would not be entirely surprising to see Gerald Laird in the lineup against Zack Greinke. Laird is 6-for-14 against the Royals starter. Placido Polanco remains a solid option as well, checking in at .371 in 35 at-bats. Otherwise, look to avoid most of your Tigers in this one. Greinke has held most of their lineup under .225.
Kevin Millar and Aaron Hill will be the best options available for Toronto against James Shields. These are the only two regulars above .300 against the Tampa starter. Vernon Wells checks in at just .227 and Marco Scutaro is only 6-for-30 against Shields.
Guarantee that Wandy Rodriguez is thrilled to have Corey Hart on the DL when he comes to town. Hart represented the only real threat against Rodriguez, as he was hitting .407 against him. Do not be concerned over the hamstring issue, as Rodriguez worked that out well during his last start.
All your regular Indians should be in the lineup against Scott Baker. Grady Sizemore, Travis Hafner have the best numbers against the starter, as both are well over .400 against him. Shin-Soo Choo and Jhonny Peralta would be the only two where owners might look for other options.
The Dodgers are a team that has hit Dan Haren well. Casey Blake is at .345, Manny Ramirez is at .500, and Andre Ethier is hitting .450. All three have more than 20 at-bats against the starter. While Russell Martin and Orlando Hudson have struggled, all others should be in your lineup.
Spot Starts: Justin Masterson, Randy Wells, Mat Latos

Collin Hager writes The Elmhurst Pub fantasy blog. You can get your questions answered by sending an email to elmhurstpubroundtable@yahoo.com. He's also on Twitter @TheRoundtable.