Fantasy Sports: Thursday News and Notes

Late on a Friday night, a friend of mine stood with me in a store on Main Street in Cooperstown. I could not tell you what we were after, but it was literally only the two of us and the remaining staff in the building. That was about it. The town shuts down early, and many people had left the village for the night. 

As we wandered the racks, we see the clerks shut the door as a man and his wife walked in. We both thought it was curious, but kept about our business because we knew there was at least a half hour until the store closed. 

At one point, I look up and over the rack and notice who the man is. My friend realizes at nearly exactly the same time: Lou Brock.

Maybe you have to know my friend to understand how he approached the next few minutes, but the story works regardless. 

We paid for our purchases, but before we walk out the door, my friend calls out, "Hey, Lou...Ernie Broglio and Bobby Shantz?" (In reference to one of the worst trades in the history of baseball that sent Brock to the Cardinals) 

Brock smiles, chuckles, and simply says, "Yea, man, Ernie Broglio. I just couldn't throw a curveball." 

On to the notes. 

Wednesday Rewind

• Adam LaRoche is on his way to Boston. The .247 hitting LaRoche was sent packing by the Pirates, who seem enamored with Garrett Jones. LaRoche never worked out in Pittsburgh, but his fantasy value does not take a huge leap just by going to Boston. He is valuable in AL-only leagues, but there is not enough of a change to make him materially significant to most mixed-league owners. Check out my full analysis of the deal here.
• The Red Sox were not done there, as they were actually able to get something for Julio Lugo. Chris Duncan will be headed to Boston. Duncan was optioned to Memphis earlier this week and will start out in Pawtucket when he joins the Red Sox. Duncan is a viable Major League outfielder who could help Boston, but, again, his value is mainly limited to AL-only leagues at this point.
• Garrett Jones continues to swing a hot bat, as he as gone 13 for his last 40 with seven home runs and eight RBI. Jones' home runs have all been solo shots, but they keep coming. With the trade of LaRoche, Jones is likely safe in the short-term as the team looks to bring around Steve Pearce and Lastings Milledge. FYI, Pearce has been playing some first base in AAA.
• Ryan Ludwick added two more hits yesterday and finished the series against the Astros going 5-for-12. The Cardinals outfielder is now hitting .271 this season and .388 for July. Over the last two weeks, he has led all of baseball with 17 RBI. Ludwick gets to hit against the Nationals this weekend, and he has hit .292 on the road this season.
• Continuing to experiment with your catchers? Check out Miguel Montero down in Arizona. The backstop for the Diamondbacks is 14 for his last 36 with five home runs. While Chris Snyder is getting ready to start a rehab assignment, Montero continues to give Arizona reason to keep playing him. He should continue to get frequent at-bats, even if not as the full-time starter.
• Franklin Gutierrez did not play last night and is expected to miss the next couple of days to rest the bruises he suffered in messing with Newton's Laws. Nelson Cruz returned to the lineup for Texas last night, smacking two hits and stealing two bases. He should not be a concern going forward.
• Even with a recent 0-for-14 stretch, Josh Willingham is still hitting .322 for the month of July. Willingham had four hits last night, including a home run in the win against the Mets. He is rumored to be on the trading block, and is certainly helping his value. He largely maintains the most fantasy relevance, though, in staying with Washington.
• Unbelievable what a team can do for a pitcher. Ricky Nolasco worked into the seventh inning yesterday against the Padres without giving up an earned run. Nolasco surrendered just two hits and struck out 10 hitters. He had a hiccup during his last outing, but seems to be right on track again.
• Some quick help at corner infield? Edwin Encarnacion has 13 hits in his last 37 at-bats, despite some recent struggles. Encarnacion is hitting .308 for July, and needs to be looked at in deeper leagues where a corner infield spot is an option. With the recent struggles of players like Russell Branyan, it is always good to find another decent bat.

Thursday Notes

• Look to keep Magglio Ordonez and Placido Polanco out of your lineups against Jarrod Washburn. Ordonez is only 6-for-36 and Polanco checks in at only 1-for-11. Washburn has allowed only two runs in his last 22.2 innings pitched, covering three starts. In that same time, he has given up only 13 hits and three walks.
• Kenshin Kawakami has only given up more than three earned runs once in his last ten starts. In six of those starts, he reached the sixth inning or beyond, and in one other he was removed early with an injury. Kawakami represents a decent play in deeper formats where owners could use a quality start. Batters have hit just .220 against him at home this season.
• Scott Kazmir is expected to make his start against the White Sox after having to leave his last outing with cramping in his pitching arm. The Rays do not seem to feel there was anything beyond a minor issue, so owners that would start him should not be concerned over the injury. Get Paul Konerko in your lineup, though, as he is 7-for-15 against Kazmir with two home runs.
• Cole Hamels has had some problems getting out Adrian Gonzalez, but that is the only issue in the Padres lineup to worry about. Hamels has pitched well enough in most of his outings to not be concerned, and he continues to pitch well at home. The Padres lack of hitting should certainly keep him on track.
• Marc Rzepczynski has had three decent outings against the AL East. The Red Sox showed impatience against him, as did the Rays. The Indians are a young team, and are likely going to be prone to swinging at some rough pitches. He does not throw his off-speed pitches for strikes, but they look really good coming out of his hand. As a spot start in deeper leagues, this is a good one.
• Yes, Mark Buehrle has been good at home this season, but the Rays have hit the White Sox starter very well. You would start the likes of Carl Crawford and B.J. Upton anyway, but it is always nice to see that the stats merit the play. All your Rays regulars hover around .300 against Buehrle.
• It's possible we see Bobby Crosby get the start against C.C. Sabathia. Crosby has hit .304 against the Yankees starter, and is the only credible threat against him in the lineup. With how poor the A's have hit, no owner should be reaching beyond the obvious names unless there is a really good reason. Jason Giambi, one of those obvious names, is hitting just .133 against Sabathia.
• Scott Baker struggled in his last two starts before the All-Star break, but put together a very nice outing against Texas. Baker has been up and down all season, but batters have hit just .245 against him on the road. His problem has been home runs. Keep Chone Figgins in your lineup, as he has gone 6-for-16 against Baker.
• Do not read into Jered Weaver's last start. The Angels pitcher fell ill after the first inning and battled just to get through four innings. He takes the ball at home, where he is 7-1 this season with a 2.25 ERA and .196 BAA. He should be an automatic play at this point, and the matchup with the Twins should be favorable.
• Spot Starts: Washburn, Rzepczynski

Friday Notes

• The Red Sox struggled with Brad Bergesen the last time out, but now they have seen the young pitcher. Boston tends to struggle once and then can make adjustments with rookie pitching. Expect them to do so here. Despite the inept offense of late, Bergesen could be in for a rude welcome to Fenway Park.
• It seems that every time matchups are examined of late that Alfonso Soriano seems to be on the short-end of the stick. The outfielder has not hit well against Aaron Harang, only having gone 6-for-25. His recent run, though, should have owners less than concerned. Your other Cubs are all good plays against Harang pitching on the road.
• Paul Konerko is only 4-for-30 against Justin Verlander for his career, and Scott Podsednik checks in at 5-for-22. The remaining White Sox in the lineup should be decent options against Verlander if you would normally play them. Remember, Verlander has been virtually unhittable at home, so avoid where you can.
• Keep your normal Rays active, for the most part, against Roy Halladay. The major issues will come from a 2-for-11 mark posted by Ben Zobrist and Dioner Navarro's 5-for-21 numbers. Halladay has gone 7-2 at home this season, but is 0-2 against the Rays with a 3.46 ERA.
• J.A. Happ is now 7-0 this season with a 2.48 ERA. The Cardinals offense is much better, though, than the two he has faced in recent starts. Happ is worth continuing to ride, but beware that this is a spot where the wheels could indeed come off. The Cardinals bats struggled against Houston, and they are bound to wake up at some point this weekend.
• Spot Starts: Happ, Randy Wells, Zach Duke

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