Sox Inch Closer To Division Lead

By Erik Pesta
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

After a three-game sweep of the division leading Blue Jays, the Red Sox sit just a half-game back in the A.L. East as they head into the first round of interleague play this weekend. Jason Bay was once again the offensive hero, hitting his 13th homerun of the season into the bullpen, to give the Sox a 3-0 first inning lead. David Ortiz finished the night 1-for-4 with an RBI, but he was robbed of a second hit due to the ridiculous (although effective) overshift that was put on by the Jays. Jacoby Ellsbury extended his hitting streak to 16 games with a first inning double, and also stole his 17th base of the season.

It was a bit of a wacky game. Toronto out-hit the Sox by four, yet scored just one run. Jon Lester allowed a baserunner in each of the first five innings, but went on to win the game and improve his record to 3-4, lowering his ERA to 5.91. It's nice to see Lester work himself out of trouble, but it would be even nicer to see him not get into trouble at all.

Toronto is starting to feel the effects of finally playing against their American League East brethren. The Blue Jays fattened up on the rest of the league while the Sox, Yanks and Rays all beat the hell out of each other for six weeks. The Boston series was only the third intra-division test Toronto has faced all year. Compare that to the seven Boston has endured, and it's easy to see how the Jays have started out so hot. Make no mistake, readers: the A.L. East is hands down the toughest division in baseball. I'm not saying the Jays are a fraud, and that's obvious from my previous posts praising them, but this series was an eye-opener of sorts. I don't see how the pitching can hold up, and there is no way their offense can maintain the pace it was on prior to the Boston series.

The Mets are in town for the weekend, and tonight's pitching match up is must-see: Daisuke Matsuzaka makes his return from the disabled list to face one of baseball's best pitchers, Johan Santana. The two time Cy Young Award winner brings his 5-2 record and minuscule 1.36 ERA into Fenway, for what promises to be a really exciting game. First pitch is at 7:10 from Boston.

On a side note, as we begin to celebrate Memorial Day Weekend, I'd like to thank all the men and women out there who serve our country in the armed forces. I have the utmost respect for all that you do. I think it's important that we remember it's not a day to just sit on the deck, eat hot dogs and drink beer. It's a day to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice. I'm not preaching and certainly not getting into politics - just reminding everyone of the spirit of the holiday. Enjoy, folks!

Fantasy Baseball: Frozen Ropes

By Jim Ingram

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Welcome to you Friday fantasy fix! This is where we'll delve into the hottest and coldest fantasy hitters over the past seven days. As always, let's get right into it.

The Good

One of the hottest hitters all season has been Raul Ibanez. He took it to the next level this past week hitting .500, 5 HR, 14 RBI, 9 R & a 1.374 OPS. Wow! That's pretty much all I have to say. Before the season, I thought he'd have better numbers being in the band box that is Citizens Bank Park instead of Safeco, but never thought he'd put up the numbers he has. On the season he's hitting .349 with 15 homers & 40 RBI. Over the course of a season Mark Reynolds will never hit for average, but certainly drive the ball out of the park. He already has 12 home runs this season, but he's put it all together this past week hitting .348, 4 HR, 8 RBI, 8 R, 1.377 OPS and a whopping 5 SB's. The stolen bases are very surprising. He already has 10 on the season, and his career high is 11. He would really increase his fantasy value if he's able to steal 20 or more bases this season. Now that Alex Rodriguez is back in the lineup, it looks like all is right again for Mark Teixeira. They now form a great middle of the lineup, and it's shown this past week. Big Tex put up .462, 4 HR, 13 RBI, 7 R & a 1.626 OPS. His average is on the rise and so are his power numbers. The new Yankee stadium is a band box, and will only get worse as the weather gets better. He should easily hit 40 homers this season.  I still can't believe the numbers Jason Bartlett has put up a quarter of the way into the season. He's already set a career high in homers with 6 and could pass his career high 43 RBI before the All Star break. He hit .440 this week with another home run, 9 RBI, 8 Runs and 3 SB's.  Joe Mauer is well known as the best hitting catcher in the game, but now it looks like his power has finally arrived as well.  He hit 4 homers this week with a .357 average, 10 RBI, 7 runs and a 1.281 OPS. He now has 8 home runs on the year in only 72 at bats. 

The Bad

Hanley Ramirez has had a very bad week for him. He's only hit .179 with 1 homer, 2 RBI, and 4 runs. That is about as bad as it gets for the best fantasy player in the land. He should bounce back in a few days. What is up with Grady Sizemore? He's only hitting .213 on the season, and .105 this past week. He'll never hit .300, but he has a career .275 average. Personally I think this is a good time to try and trade for him on the cheap for when he turns it around. He's just too talented to continue hitting so poorly. After a hot start, Mike Lowell has been struggling, especially this past week. He only has 1 RBI in his last 10 games, with 0 homers and only 2 extra base hits. Put a .227 average in the mix and that doesn't paint a good picture. Watch out for Lowell. He could be feeling his injury at this point, and may need additional time off as the season goes on. I am a big fan of Troy Tulowitzki, but he's been struggling all season. Tulo's hit only .208 this week with 0 HR, 1 RBI, and 2 R. Ouch. His average is only .234 on the season. After being a hot pickup the past few weeks, fast Willy Tavares has been anything but hot. A paltry .120 average, with 0 homers, 1 RBI and 3 runs is pretty awful.  I've never been a fan, so I still wouldn't suggest a pick up unless you absolutely need steals. 

Under the Radar

In case you didn't know Michael Cuddyer is having a pretty good year right now. He's been on fire of late, and his .275, with 6 home runs and 25 RBI. He's always been a pretty good hitter when healthy and that's the caveat with him. He's only owned in 11% so get him if you can. Andy Laroche was a big time prospect when he was with the Dodgers. Now he's with the Pirates and is healthy and getting playing time. The younger Laroche hasn't developed his power yet, but is hitting .279 with 2 homers and 20 RBI. He's hitting .429 this week and may be a decent pick up in deep leagues and NL Only leagues. Nick Johnson is another guy who's having a pretty good season, but most people don't realize it. He's hitting .338 on the season and has 4 homers and 25 RBI and 27 Runs. Like Cuddyer, he's a very good hitter when healthy and getting playing time. Adam Kennedy has been on fire since he joined the Oakland A's. He's hitting.386 on the season. He only has 1 homer and 7 RBI, but is eligible at 2B and OF. Now, don't just go out and get him for your bench unless you really are in a deep league. At this point, you might want to keep an eye on him for later this season. Ben Zobrist has turned into a super utility guy for the Tampa Bay Rays. He's also doing a great job at the plate hitting .286 with 8 HR & 22 RBI in 89 at bats. He's eligible at SS and OF, and should add a few positions as the year goes on. He'll continue to get playing time if he hits.  

(Stay tuned for Chin Music by Chad Garner on Monday)

Tough Titan: Durand participating in OTA's

By Chad Garner

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

(FFS will bring you an up close and personal look into the football life of Tennessee Titans 7th-round draft pick Ryan Durand on a weekly basis in his quest to make the team as a rookie guard.)

Tennessee appears to be Ryan Durand's home for the near future as the 6-foot-5, 305-pound guard from Syracuse officially checked in with the Titans on Sunday for the start of Organized Team Activities (OTA's).

Durand and his Titan teammates have participated in OTA's on Tuesday, Thursday and again today.

"They are two hour practices in just helmets," explained Durand. "There's a lot of team, lot of individual, just basic practice."

But don't be fooled with the players just wearing helmets, these practices can get heated.

"We're going at each other," Durand said. "We pretty much should just have pads on, it's physical. The defense is just going all out and we're going all out. It's full speed and full tempo."

In a telephone interview last night in his hotel room in Nashville, Tenn., where Durand is rooming with Titans rookie guard Ryan Schmidt from South Florida, Durand is quick to point out that he's in perfect health.

"Definitely 100 percent," he said.

Durand, who played right guard at Syracuse, has moved over to left guard with the Titans.

"There's not much difference," said Durand, who is listed as second-string, behind Eugene Amano, at left guard on Tennessee's Web site. "It's a little different technique-wise."

Durand has also been pumped about learning the art of offensive line play from Hall of Famer Mike Munchak, Tennessee's offensive line coach.

"You get to sit down with coach and watch film and he coaches us up," Durand said. "He's spending a lot of time with us, it's really fantastic. He motives us, but he's really laid back. He's a real coach, he coaches you up."

The laid back approach goes all the way up to the head coach with Jeff Fisher, according to Durand. 

"He's a laid back guy, too, but when it's time to get down and dirty, it's time to get down and dirty," Durand said.

Sixteen-year veteran center Kevin Mawae has also impressed Durand.

"Kevin Mawae was helping the young guys out and was going over plays," Durand said. "They've all been really helpful."

Over the years, under Fisher, the Titans have been known for toughness on both sides of the ball. You either play that way, or there's no spot for you on the Titans.

"On the field you get your hard hats out and go to work," Durand said. "I feel like that's the way I am. I respect that."

How confident is Durand at the early stages of his professional career?

"I feel there's a learning gap, there's definitely a speed gap," he said. "But I feel very confident. I feel that I've improved a lot from the first practice to the second."

Durand is still trying to get used to calling himself a pro athlete.

"Sometimes I think I'm just with a different football team, but other times I'm like, 'Wow, this is my job,'" Durand said.

Football is the only thing on Durand's mind at the moment, however.

"It's 100 percent on football now," he said. "It's kind of funny, it's my job. That's where I am in my life. Now I'm in the NFL and it's just football."

It's football, but in completely unfamiliar surroundings. Let's face it, Tennessee is a lot different from Massachusetts.

"I think it's a great city from what I've seen," Durand said. "There's a lot of country roots, it seems like a pretty laid back city. It's like a country city in atmosphere and lifestyle."

It's also a place Durand could see himself living as a member of the Tennessee Titans.