Fantasy Baseball: Friday News and Notes

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 [e-mail]. He's also on Twitter @TheRoundtable.