Fantasy Baseball: Chin Music

By Chad Garner

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Everyone knows the fantasy season is like a roller coaster ride, featuring many ups and downs. One week a player is hot, the other he's as cold as an ex-wife. 

But when he's on, there's nothing better to watch. It's also pretty sweet to see how quickly you move up in the pitching standings, while others just keep on slipping.

In the last month, many pitchers have risen to the challenge and if you have them on your roster, enjoy these stats because we all know they won't last ... well, maybe a few of these guys will.

Nobody can hit Boston's Josh Beckett right now -- nobody. The Red Sox ace has 4 wins, 1.44 ERA and an 0.82 ERA in the last month and is ranked No. 1 overall in standard Yahoo 5x5 leagues. He's also nearly averaged a strikeout an inning (42 Ks in 43 2/3 innings).

While Beckett has been nasty, so has Mr. Injury Chris Carpenter (3 wins, 2.06 ERA, 0.69 ERA) and is ranked No. 4. While Carpenter hasn't been injury free in some time, he's sure paying off for whoever drafted him late -- we all know nobody took a shot really early with the injury concerns so don't try to fool me or anyone else.

KEEP ON WINNING

The wins just keep piling up for these arms in the last month with Matt Cain and Kevin Slowey locking down five wins in that span. Can you say impressive? While Cain and Slowey headline the five-win list, four isn't too shabby either, led by Marlins' Josh Johnson and Angels' Jered Weaver.

ERA KING

While he's been forgotten since he plays in Seattle, it's hard to ignore what Felix Hernandez has done in the last month with a mind-boggling 0.72 ERA. In his last four starts, the King has yielded only two earned runs in 29 2/3 innings, winning two games and getting two no-decisions. In is last start on June 16, Felix fired a complete-game two-hit shutout with four walks and six strikeouts in a win over the San Diego Padres.

For the season, Hernandez is 7-3 with 2.77 ERA and 1.22 WHIP. He's fanned 90 and walked 29. If he wasn't in Seattle, would just about everyone appreciate him?

FROM HERO TO ZERO

How can you not be mad at Detroit's Armando Galarraga? Well, I'm still fuming. And to think I had him as a top-25 guy. If you listened to me and actually got someone to trade for him for a REAL top-25 guy, great job. I'm glad I could help you. Once he hit his skid --and he hasn't recovered, mind you -- I dropped him like a sack of potatoes. If you took a flyer on him, thinking he'd recover, think again and thank him for killing your pitching statistics. Through the month, Galarraga hasn't got a win and is boasting --rather, hiding from his 5.63 ERA and 1.72 WHIP. And to think he's still in the Tigers' rotation with an overall line of 3-7 record, 5.62 ERA and 1.64 WHIP. 

So what have I learned? Answer: I'll never have Galarraga on any one of my four fantasy teams ...ever. I sure was a zero with that pick.

Ortiz still has a lot more to prove

By Chris Maza
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Another home run for David Ortiz.

That makes six on the year and five in June with eight games left in the month.

So as the weather gets hotter, will Ortiz's bat follow suit? His recent production would suggest yes, but this is one fan that remains skeptical.

The Red Sox need Ortiz to produce in the DH spot for one reason more than any - they don't have anyone to replace him with. No one on the bench or in Pawtucket could provide the kind of offense you desire at the designated hitter position, otherwise, you have to think they at least you have been given a look at this point.

So many fans have come to the conclusion that the Red Sox don't need Ortiz because the team has managed to be successful thus far without him. Jason Bay has been an RBI machine. Kevin Youkilis has thrived in the three spot. Most importantly, the Red Sox are in first place and still winning.

But what happens if things go wrong? Mike Lowell, who has played a major part in helping people forget Ortiz's struggles, now has sat out two games with discomfort in his surgically repaired hip. Losing a valuable guy has to make you start thinking, "What if?"

What if Bay hits a prolonged slump? What if Youkilis goes down or Lowell needs to miss significant time? Or there are other less dramatic questions. For instance, what if Nick Green remembers he's the guy who didn't have a job this time last year? What if the Red Sox will need offensive production from other means.

Ortiz has to be that guy. The DH cannot be a hole in the batting order.

His recent success has to give you hope, but at the same time, can we count on Ortiz to be David Ortiz when it really counts? He's connecting when he was missing and he's hit some mistakes out of the ballpark. But when it comes down to it, can Ortiz still hack it against the best of the best as he'd be called upon to do if/when the Red Sox make the postseason?

He's still late on a good fastball and still looks confused at times. You have to hope if you're a Sox fan that this will continue to improve as he gets more comfortable. But at the same time, you have to realize that all season this has not looked like the David Ortiz fans have come to know and love. Something is off and sometimes big, aging ballplayers just lose something, especially ones coming off of injury. He just might not make it back to become "our" David Ortiz ever again.

Magazine Season is here...Preseason All-America picks

By Brendan Hall
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

They say there are three seasons in college football: the fall season, the spring season, and magazine season. All the annual college football previews hit newsstands this month, and if you're like me you are eating it up. I'm one of those guys who could look at Street and Smith's for hours on end; heck, I even get the conference-specific ones.

I don't know why, but I love that feeling you get coming away from reading it, feeling like any team has the potential to run the table for reasons that escape us -- that is, until the cruel, harsh reality of the BCS sets in around Week 3.

Let's face it, there's not a whole lot of mystery with this year's Heisman race. In no particular order, the top three are going to be Tim Tebow, Sam Bradford and Colt McCoy. The two darkhorses are Jahvid Best from Cal and Jevan Snead from Ole Miss. Period.

With that in mind, I've devised my picks for first and second team All-Americans. I've got some wild cards in this deck:

First Team Offense

QB - Tim Tebow, Sr., Florida
RB - Jonathan Dwyer, Jr., Georgia Tech
RB - Jahvid Best, Jr., Cal
WR - Julio Jones, So., Alabama
WR - Arrelious Benn, Jr., Illinois
TE - Jermaine Gresham, Sr., Oklahoma
OL - Anthony Davis, Sr., Rutgers
OL - Adam Ulatowski, Sr., Texas
OL - Kris O'Dowd, Jr., USC
OL - Ciron Black, Sr., LSU
OL - Russell Okung, Sr., Oklahoma State
ATH - Javier Arenas, Sr., Alabama
PK - Kai Forbath, Jr., UCLA

First Team Defense

DL - Jerry Hughes, Sr., TCU
DL - George Selvie, Sr., South Florida
DL - Terrence Cody, Sr., Alabama
DL - Arthur Jones, Sr., Syracuse
LB - Brandon Spikes, Sr., Florida
LB - Mark Herzlich, Sr., Boston College
LB - Sean Weatherspoon, Sr., Missouri
DB - Taylor Mays, Sr., USC
DB - Eric Berry, Jr., Tennessee
DB - Kyle Wilson, Sr., Boise State
DB - Trevard Lindley, Sr., Kentucky
Ret - Brandon James, Sr., Florida
P - Derek Epperson, Jr., Baylor

Second Team Offense

QB - Colt McCoy, Sr., Texas
RB - Noel Devine, Jr., West Virginia
RB - Jacquizz Rodgers, So., Oregon State
WR - DeAndre Brown, So., Southern Miss
WR - Dez Bryant, Jr., Oklahoma State
TE - Dennis Pitta, Sr., BYU
OL - Trent Williams, Sr., Oklahoma
OL - Zane Beadles, Sr., Utah
OL - Rodney Hudson, Jr., Florida State
OL - Stefen Wisniewski, Jr., Penn State
OL - Mike Johnson, Sr., Alabama
ATH - C.J. Spiller, Sr., Clemson
K - Matt Bosher, Jr., Miami

Second Team Defense

DL - Sergio Kindle, Sr., Texas
DL - Ndamukong Suh, Sr., Nebraska
DL - Gerald McCoy, Jr., Oklahoma
DL - Brandon Graham, Sr., Michigan
LB - Stevenson Sylvester, Sr., Utah
LB - Rennie Curran, Jr., Georgia
LB - Greg Jones, Jr., Michigan State
DB - Syd'Quan Thompson, Sr., Cal
DB - Darrell Stuckey, Sr., Kansas
DB - Morgan Burnett, Jr., Georgia Tech
DB - Barry Church, Sr., Toledo
Ret - Mardy Gilyard, Sr., Cincinnati
P - Travis Baltz, Jr., Maryland

And for kicks, here's my All-Breakthrough team. As in, guys who are going to explode onto the scene and become household names this year:

ATH - Ray Ray Armstrong, Fr., Miami
RB - Jordan Todman, So., Connecticut
RB - Toby Gerhart, Sr., Stanford
RB - Christine Michael, Fr., Texas A&M
QB - Bo Levi Mitchell, So., SMU
QB - Joe Webb, Sr., UAB
WR - Jock Sanders, Jr., West Virginia
OL - Brandon Carter, Jr., Texas Tech (seriously, he'll be a household name)

Dice-K, Rotation not a fit for Bo Sox

By Jim Ingram
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Daisuke Matsuzaka has been incredibly consistent so far this season. Consistently bad really, and last night was no different versus the Atlanta Braves. You'd think facing off against a fellow Japanese player would get his blood pumping, right. No. He threw 4 + IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 4 BB, 2K and 106 pitches. Not good at all. In fact, it's down right awful. Daisuke is now 1-5 with an 8.23 ERA. He's allowed 53 hits in 35 innings pitched. He's allowed a .378 batting average against.

On the flip side, Kenshin Kawakami was clearly ready for this game. He pitched 6 innings and allowed only 2 hits, 2 runs and struck out 5. Kawakami is not nearly as heralded in his home country as Matsuzaka. This is a game that was still anticipated in Japan, but not nearly as much as the first time Ichiro faced Daisuke three years ago. The Braves dominated last night in the 8-2 trouncing of the Red Sox. Garret Anderson, a long time Sox killer, went 3 for 3 and drove in 4 of the 8 runs.

Now back to Daisuke. In my opinion, there are three things you can do with him. Either come up with a phantom injury so he can spend some time on the DL, send him down to Pawtucket and let him pitch every 5 days and work through his problems down there, or send him back to Florida for extended Spring Training. I think this is the best option. Let him get away from game action for a little while and try to work with a pitching instructor to break down what he's doing wrong. He has a full no trade clause, so there's virtually no way you can deal him. After winning 18 games last season, I doubt the Sox will want to get rid of him. Especially since his problems really stem from the World Baseball Classic he pitched so well in prior to the season. He'll be back to his usual self next season after he's allowed his dead arm to rest. I've heard people mention putting him in the bullpen. That will certainly not work because he walks to many people. That would be a disaster.

It shouldn't be too long before we find out the Sox's plans for Dice-K. John Smoltz is scheduled to pitch on June 25th. Brad Penny has pitched well enough to stay in the rotation and Tim Wakefield should be going to the All Star game for the first time. The only real option is removing Dice-K from the rotation. I guess we'll just have to see what Boston decides.

Stay tuned....

Fantasy Baseball: Frozen Ropes

By Jim Ingram

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Welcome once again to the FFS Friday fantasy article known as Frozen Ropes. Try saying that 3 times fast. In the effort to make this article a bit better every week, I am going to try and change the format a little bit for easier reading.

The Good:
1. Alex Rios - Toronto Blue Jays. .440, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 6 R, 4 SB

It's seems like Rios is starting to bust out of his season long slump. He's an immensely talented player who, like Vernon Wells, is way too inconsistent. The power and stolen bases this week are both good signs. The Blue Jays don't run that often, but Rios should. He has his average up to .277 for the year.

2. Jacoby Ellsbury - Boston Red Sox. .364, 2, 5, 5, 6

Dare I say he's living up to the potential he showed during the 2007 World Series. Yes, I will say that. He's a very exciting player to watch. If only he could become more patient, and bunt a little more his OBP would might inch closer to .400 than .300.

3. Cory Hart - Milwaukee Brewers. .440, 3, 9, 7, 0

Like Rios, the two-time all star is finally turning his season around. He make look funky at the plate, but he can certainly hit. This may be a good time to trade him. His value hasn't been higher this season, and depending on what you need, you may get good return.

4. Mark Reynolds - Arizona Diamondbacks. .360, 3, 10, 6, 1

I still can't quite believe the year he's having. He's hitting .275 with 18 home runs, 47 RBI and 44 runs. The craziest thing of all is the 13 stolen bases. He's a top 5 fantasy player right now. If I had to guess, which I'll do right now, there's no way he keeps this pace up. I never trust someone who strikes out as much as he does, so I would put feelers out and see what you can get for him.

5. Robinson Cano - New York Yankees. .500, 3, 7, 6, 0

Cano can flat out rake. He hits for average, power and drives in runs. He's also a 2nd baseman which makes him so much more valuable. This is the first season he actually started off strong, so there's no doubt this great second half player will continue his great year.

The Bad:
1. Jorge Posada - New York Yankees. .154, 0, 0, 1, 0

Damn that's a bad week. The Yankees backstop, otherwise having a decent year, has been struggling of late. As the years go by, don't be surprised to see him tail off at the end of the year. It's only natural unless he's allowed to DH from time to time.

2. Mike Cameron - Milwaukee Brewers. .115, 0, 1, 2, 0

After starting off great this season, he's been struggling for the better part of a month. His average is now down to .250 on the season. If only you traded him at the start of the year you might have gotten something for him.

3. Jermaine Dye - Chicago White Sox. .167, 0, 0, 1, 0

I've always been a fan of Jermaine Dye since he broke into the majors. He's always around 30 homers and 100 RBI. He's on pace for the same type of season as always, so don't worry about a bad week or two. Just ride it out until he turns it around.

4. Aaron Rowand - San Francisco Giants. .063, 0, 0, 2, 0

He's been pretty darn good this season, especially after being moved to the top of the order. Unfortunately he's been about as cold as Hoth this week going 1 for 16. His average is still around .290.

5. Russell Martin - Los Angeles Dodgers. 095, 0, 0, 1, 0

Russell "The Love Muscle" as Chad calls him, has been god awful all year, so this week's numbers are not surprising. I couldn't have been more wrong about him this year. After he spent the off season getting in shape, and changing his eating and partying habits, I thought he was primed for a great year. It's been the exact opposite so far. I have him in two of my leagues, and wish I could get something for him. Unfortunately, I can't.

Players under the radar:

1. Michael Bourn - Houston Astros. .295, 1, 15, 38, 23 (season)

If you need steals, Bourn has been great so far. He'll never hit for power or drive in runs, but he does score runs and steal bases. He's also hit .295 so far this season. Did you know that he's the 88th ranked player on Yahoo? I didn't until I did some research. He's a good 3rd OF to have on your team.

2. Juan Rivera - Anaheim Angels. .358, 7, 23, 11, 6 (last month)

Have you seen what Rivera's done over the last month. During that time he's the 38th ranked Yahoo player and has been amazing. He's also owned in 27% of leagues. If you need some power in the OF or Utility spot, go grab him and ride him for now. We all know he can't stay healthy all year

3. Adrian Beltre - Seattle Mariners. .327, 3, 15, 14, 4 (last month)

After a terrible start, the Belt man is kicking it into high gear. He's in his walk year, so has a ton of motivation to finish the year strong. He's also available in about 50% of leagues.

4. Casey McGehee - Milwaukee Brewers. .500, 1, 5 , 5, 0 (last week)

Welcome to the bigs Casey. Great last night by the way! He's been tearing it up for the Brewers in place of Rickie Weeks. He's owned in only 3% of leagues so it might be time to take the youngster.

5. Chris Coghlan - Florida Marlins. .458, 0, 3, 4, 1 (last week)

Now that the Marlins have removed him from 3B, which was a complete disaster, he looks pretty comfortable in LF. The move also seems to settle him down at the plate as well. He's eligible at both 2b & OF and has some decent pop. He's only owned in 5% of leagues, but is a good pick up for deep mixed leagues as well as NL only.

Tough Titan: It's like Groundhog Day

By Chad Garner

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

The same old, same old might get boring to some, but not Ryan Durand.

Durand, a rookie 7th-round draft pick by the Tennessee Titans, is once again going through the same routine during Organized Team Activities (OTAs).

"It's been the same setup ... it's pretty standard," Durand said. "You get used to a routine which is nice. It's very exciting."

Durand and the Titans have participated in OTAs on Tuesday and Wednesday and will do it again today. They'll do it all over again next week, before getting a nice break in preparation for Training Camp on July 31.

When OTAs finish next week, Durand will head back home. He won't be sitting around and doing nothing, however.

The offensive guard will train four days a week for roughly 2 1/3 to 3 hours per day at Mike Boyle's Strength & Conditioning in Boston, and also do extra running on the side. 

"I started working out with him in December," Durand said.

Since Durand was drafted, he's been impressed with how quick everyone is on the football field.

"The speed of the game is much higher than in college, and I'm getting used to it," Durand said. "That's the biggest difference I've seen -- everyone is quick."

Plus the competition level has risen in the NFL.

"It's been good," Durand said. "The competition is good; I really enjoy it."

It may be the same routine, but Durand is just fine with it. 

His main concern is simply making the team.

Red Sox bullpen willing to be called on

By Jorge Bannister
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Sure, starting pitching isn’t what it used to be.

Then again, if you have the bullpen that the Boston Red Sox do, well, who cares?

Five of the seven current members of the Red Sox bullpen boast ERAs below 3.00; Jonathan Papelbon (0-1, 16 saves, 1.86 ERA), Ramon Ramirez (4-2, 1.97), Manny Delcarmen (1-1, 2.25), Takashi Saito (2-0, 2.31) and Hideki Okajima (3-0, 2-40). The only two members with an ERA over 3.00 are rookie Daniel Bard (0-0, 3.29) and Justin Masterson (2-2, 3.81).

Masterson’s numbers are a bit skewed, though, because of his stint as a starter when Daisuke Matsuzaka went on the disabled list with arm fatigue. Masterson made six starts in that time. As a starter, the Jamaican’s numbers are pedestrian, at best (2-2, 4.59 ERA). In 12 games as a reliever, though, Masterson is 0-0 with an ERA of 2.37.

The big question is, can the bullpen continue on its torrid pace?

There’s only so many times that Terry Francona can make the call to the bullpen before something gives, right?

Maybe not.

The combination of young arm/veteran presence of Delcarmen, Papelbon and Masterson, the young arm of Daniel Bard and the even keel presence of Saito and Okajima, this bullpen has been the best in baseball and could very well be the reason the Red Sox are still playing come late October.