By Jorge Bannister
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff
For me, this is the most wonderful time of the year. NCAA Regionals.
Nothing like it.
Larry Templeton and the NCAA Division 1 Baseball Committee officially announced the field of 64 at 12:30 p.m. for the NCAA Division 1 Baseball Tournament.
No. 1 Texas (41-13-1)
No. 2 Cal. State Fullerton (42-14)
No. 3 LSU (46-14)
No. 4 North Carolina (42-16)
No. 5 Arizona State (44-12)
No. 6 UC Irvine (43-13)
No. 7 Oklahoma (41-18)
No. 8 Florida (39-20)
Sites and matchups (top 8 seeds in parentheses and bolded)
Austin Regional (Texas)
(1) Texas vs. Army (34-19); Boston College (33-24) vs. Texas State (41-15)
Fort Worth Regional (TCU)
TCU (36-16) vs. Wright State (33-28); Oregon State (35-17) vs. Texas A&M (36-22)
Atlanta Regional (Georgia Tech)
Georgia Tech (35-17-1) vs. Georgia State (39-20); Southern Mississippi (35-23) vs. Elon (40-16)
Gainesville Regional (Florida)
(8) Florida vs. Bethune-Cookman (32-26); Jacksonville (36-20) vs. Miami (36-20)
Tempe Regional (Arizona State)
(5) Arizona State vs. Kent State (42-15); Cal Poly (37-19 vs. Oral Roberts (31-13)
Clemson Regional (Clemson)
Clemson (40-19) vs. Tennessee Tech (30-22-1); Oklahoma State (32-22) vs. Alabama (37-19)
Greenville Regional (East Carolina)
East Carolina (42-17) vs. Binghamton (29-20); George Mason (42-12) vs. South Carolina (38-21)
Chapel Hill Regional (North Carolina)
(4) North Carolina vs. Dartmouth (27-16); Kansas (37-22) vs. Coastal Carolina (46-14)
Fullerton Regional (Cal. State Fullerton)
(2) Cal. State Fullerton vs. Utah (26-29); Gonzaga (35-16) vs. Ga. Southern (42-15)
Louisville Regional (Louisville)
Louisville (44-15) vs. Indiana (32-25); Vanderbilt (34-25) vs. Middle Tennessee (43-16)
Tallahassee Regional (Florida State)
Florida State (42-16) vs. Marist (31-26); Ohio State (40-17) vs. Georgia (37-22)
Norman Regional (Oklahoma)
(7) Oklahoma vs. Wichita State (30-25); Washington State (31-23) vs. Arkansas (34-22)
Irvine Regional (UC Irvine)
(6) UC Irvine vs. Fresno State (32-28); San Diego State (40-21) vs. Virginia (43-12-1)
Oxford Regional (Ole Miss)
Ole Miss (40-17) vs. Monmouth (32-23); Western Kentucky (39-18) vs. Missouri (34-25)
Houston Regional (Rice)
Rice (39-15) vs. Sam Houston State (36-22); Xavier (38-19) vs. Kansas State (41-16-1)
Baton Rouge Regional (LSU)
(3) LSU vs. Southern (30-15); Baylor (29-24) vs. Minnesota (38-17)
OK, the way I listed them may look weird to you, but bare with me.
I put them in order of matchups come Super Regionals time. So, if you look at the beginning of the Regionals, the Austin and Fort Worth Regionals are listed first. Meaning, the winner of the Austin Regional will faceoff against the winner of the Fort Worth Regional and so on.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Red Sox Take Over First Place
By Erik Pesta
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff
Despite dropping two out of three games to the Mets over the weekend, Boston is the new leader of the American League East. Thanks are in order for the Atlanta Braves, who swept their three game series with the Blue Jays, putting Toronto a half-game back in the standings following their sixth consecutive loss. The New York Yankees are just one game back at 25-19, and Tampa finds themselves four games out to start the day. Baltimore brings up the rear, a distant eight games behind the division leading Red Sox, a place they will probably find themselves for the remainder of the year. Which ever team emerges as the division champ will certainly be battle tested and ready for post season play. The final four months of the season promise to be very tight, and every series has the potential to make or break any of the four teams in contention for the crown.
Tim Wakefield was just good enough to win yesterday, allowing five earned runs in six innings pitched, while walking four and striking out three. Boston put crooked numbers on the board in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, to break what had been a very close game wide open. The Sox got a pair of three-run homers, one each from Mike Lowell and Kevin Youkilis in the second and seventh innings, respectively. Jacoby Ellsbury doubled in the second inning, to extend his hitting streak to 19 games. David Ortiz was the only starter not to have a hit in the contest. Papi was 0-for-5, struck out twice and stranded eight runners. Rumors are starting to swirl that Red Sox brass is looking into trading for a bat, to help pick up the considerable slack being left by Ortiz in the middle of an otherwise potent lineup.
Today, the Sox are in Minnesota to take on the Twins and former American League MVP Justin Morneau, whose grand slam led to a sweep of the Brewers over the weekend. Brad Penny (4-1, 6.07 ERA) takes on former phenom Francisco Liriano (2-5, 6.04 ERA). The hard throwing lefty is tied for the league lead in losses, but certainly has the talent to spin a gem any time he takes the mound. First pitch is at 2:10 from the Metrodome.
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff
Despite dropping two out of three games to the Mets over the weekend, Boston is the new leader of the American League East. Thanks are in order for the Atlanta Braves, who swept their three game series with the Blue Jays, putting Toronto a half-game back in the standings following their sixth consecutive loss. The New York Yankees are just one game back at 25-19, and Tampa finds themselves four games out to start the day. Baltimore brings up the rear, a distant eight games behind the division leading Red Sox, a place they will probably find themselves for the remainder of the year. Which ever team emerges as the division champ will certainly be battle tested and ready for post season play. The final four months of the season promise to be very tight, and every series has the potential to make or break any of the four teams in contention for the crown.
Tim Wakefield was just good enough to win yesterday, allowing five earned runs in six innings pitched, while walking four and striking out three. Boston put crooked numbers on the board in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, to break what had been a very close game wide open. The Sox got a pair of three-run homers, one each from Mike Lowell and Kevin Youkilis in the second and seventh innings, respectively. Jacoby Ellsbury doubled in the second inning, to extend his hitting streak to 19 games. David Ortiz was the only starter not to have a hit in the contest. Papi was 0-for-5, struck out twice and stranded eight runners. Rumors are starting to swirl that Red Sox brass is looking into trading for a bat, to help pick up the considerable slack being left by Ortiz in the middle of an otherwise potent lineup.
Today, the Sox are in Minnesota to take on the Twins and former American League MVP Justin Morneau, whose grand slam led to a sweep of the Brewers over the weekend. Brad Penny (4-1, 6.07 ERA) takes on former phenom Francisco Liriano (2-5, 6.04 ERA). The hard throwing lefty is tied for the league lead in losses, but certainly has the talent to spin a gem any time he takes the mound. First pitch is at 2:10 from the Metrodome.
Fantasy Baseball: Chin Music
By Chad Garner
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff
You can crunch the numbers all you want, but for starting pitchers a real simple way to tell if a pitcher has the goods is to look at the win total. I know, sometimes pitchers get robbed of wins by shaky bullpens or are just plain unlucky and can't get the proper run support, but for the most part wins should let a fantasy owner know if a pitcher is getting the job done or that pitcher's offense is stepping up and putting runs on the board even when that pitcher might have an off night.
It's no surprise that a list of guys that headline the wins category are carrying fantasy teams right now, and a couple of surprises that weren't targeted on draft day that are still producing with wins.
Mr. I-Know-You're-Good-But-Never-Get-The-Proper-Respect ... ya, that's Toronto's Roy Halladay, has baffled hitters and teams all year and is at the top of the list with 8 wins.
Mr. Surprise, but one of my sleeper picks, Zack Greinke is right behind with 7. Imagine if your team had both these guys, I'd bet you'd be pretty good in the pitching department.
On the six-win list is Chad Billingsley, Johan Santana, Derek Lowe, Joe Saunders, Kevin Slowey, Jason Marquis, Bronson Arroyo and Mark Buehrle. I'd say the final three guys on the list are early-season surprises, although Arroyo's ERA is 5.79 and it's a slight problem.
This list will change, no doubt, over the course of the year, but bank on Halladay, Greinke, Santana and Billingsley staying in the top 10 all season long. They are winners.
HE'S KILLING YOU
Fausto Carmona (CLE): So much for Carmona being a sleeper pick because he's still sleeping on the mound (2 wins, 5.74 ERA).
Ricky Nolasco (FLA): You know it's bad when the Marlins ship you to the minors and you're suppose to be the ace of the staff, or No. 2 guy. Nolasco has a 9.07 ERA, yikes, and only 2 wins. How'd he get 2 wins? It's a miracle.
THANK YOU, SIR
Zach Duke (PIT): He may not be able to shatter glass with his fastball, but he knows how to get guys out, especially this year (5 wins, 2.77 ERA).
Rick Porcello (DET): This rookie just doesn't have an idea of how to pitch, he knows how to execute (5 wins, 3.55 ERA). Imagine what he'll be like in 2-3 years? Scary. Detroit fans should be worshiping his right arm right now.
Matt Cain (SF): Another one of my preseason sleeper picks, Cain has found a way to put his talents to use, finally. He's got five wins, 2.40 ERA and 1.32 WHIP.
What we learned: Cleveland is not Murderer's Row
By Brendan Hall
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff
Go ahead, call me a caveman, an introvert, a hermit. But I haven’t watched SportsCenter in two days (my brain cells need to grow back), so I’ve missed the inevitable media freakout after LeBron’s game-winner in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
But if it was anything like tonight’s “for the 27th time, this is what happened two nights ago” in-game vignettes, I’m glad it passed me over.
There are a handful of organizations in sports that I like to call “Publicity Machines." They have such a top-notch PR staff, and delusional fan base, that when the team is playing well, they tend to get puffed up and their flaws get masked. In no particular order, these are the regulars: Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Jets, NY Giants, NY Rangers, Dodgers, Lakers, Pacers, Packers, Colts, Knicks, Maple Leafs, Cowboys, Notre Dame football, Indiana basketball, Kentucky basketball, Ohio State football, Duke basketball, USC baseball. For as long as LeBron is in Cleveland, let’s include the Cavs.
Now, don’t get it twisted. LeBron is the most dominant yet amoebic force to hit the NBA since Michael Jordan – notice I used the term “amoebic." He is charismatic, a quality teammate who makes the teammates around him play better, and is ultimately a great selling point for the game.
With that said, because he is such a polarizing force, the LeBron bandwagon tends to overheat. Two problems I see with the Cavs that get overlooked are their lack of perimeter defense and lack of interior toughness. Often times, head coach Mike Brown will pound the scorer’s table, or a player whose name ends with “Varejao” will get called for being out of position, throw his hands in the air and do his best Miguel Cairo impression (“you mean I’m out?”).
The Cavs are no doubt one of the most explosive offenses in the league. But they also know how to work the media, the refs, and the fans (by the way, who the heck still uses Quicken software these days? I thought online banking would make that company obsolete). They’ve earned their stripes, but they want their brownie points, too.
Which is why I’m glad things turned out in Game 3 the way they did, a 99-89 Magic win that was dominated by Dwight Howard. Winning 66 games in the regular season does not make you a juggernaut; winning physical battles in the playoffs does. Time to let a little air out of the ball.
Score one for the Magic in the intimidation factor, and let the blood bath continue. This one’s far from over.
-- My friends who cover the UMass basketball team at the Daily Collegian just got the press invitation kit for the “100 Years of UMass Basketball”, and one of the interesting points they make is that the Minutemen experienced “one of the most extreme turnarounds in history.”
When you think about it, they actually have a point. When you think about what a dormant program UMass was in the 80s before Calipari took over – 10th worst record in Division 1 for the 80s, period – and what they were able to do in the early to mid-90s, it really gets lost on this generation about how truly special that era was. It’s been taken for granted.
Anyways, it got me thinking about what teams rank as the five most improbable powerhouses. In no particular order, with coach in parentheses: Gonzaga (Dan Monson-Mark Few), UMass (John Calipari), Loyola Marymount (Paul Westhead), Long Beach State (Jerry Tarkanian).
Rick Pitino’s Providence teams miss they cut because it’s been argued many a time that his 1987 squad was the worst team to ever make a Final Four. Dana Kirk’s Memphis State teams don’t count either, because the dude thugged his way to a Final Four and subsequently got cold-cocked by the NCAA banhammer. Tark, for the record, sued the NCAA and won.
In turn, here are my five most underachieving programs of the last 25 years: DePaul, Houston, Rutgers, Maryland, Georgia.
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff
Go ahead, call me a caveman, an introvert, a hermit. But I haven’t watched SportsCenter in two days (my brain cells need to grow back), so I’ve missed the inevitable media freakout after LeBron’s game-winner in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
But if it was anything like tonight’s “for the 27th time, this is what happened two nights ago” in-game vignettes, I’m glad it passed me over.
There are a handful of organizations in sports that I like to call “Publicity Machines." They have such a top-notch PR staff, and delusional fan base, that when the team is playing well, they tend to get puffed up and their flaws get masked. In no particular order, these are the regulars: Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Jets, NY Giants, NY Rangers, Dodgers, Lakers, Pacers, Packers, Colts, Knicks, Maple Leafs, Cowboys, Notre Dame football, Indiana basketball, Kentucky basketball, Ohio State football, Duke basketball, USC baseball. For as long as LeBron is in Cleveland, let’s include the Cavs.
Now, don’t get it twisted. LeBron is the most dominant yet amoebic force to hit the NBA since Michael Jordan – notice I used the term “amoebic." He is charismatic, a quality teammate who makes the teammates around him play better, and is ultimately a great selling point for the game.
With that said, because he is such a polarizing force, the LeBron bandwagon tends to overheat. Two problems I see with the Cavs that get overlooked are their lack of perimeter defense and lack of interior toughness. Often times, head coach Mike Brown will pound the scorer’s table, or a player whose name ends with “Varejao” will get called for being out of position, throw his hands in the air and do his best Miguel Cairo impression (“you mean I’m out?”).
The Cavs are no doubt one of the most explosive offenses in the league. But they also know how to work the media, the refs, and the fans (by the way, who the heck still uses Quicken software these days? I thought online banking would make that company obsolete). They’ve earned their stripes, but they want their brownie points, too.
Which is why I’m glad things turned out in Game 3 the way they did, a 99-89 Magic win that was dominated by Dwight Howard. Winning 66 games in the regular season does not make you a juggernaut; winning physical battles in the playoffs does. Time to let a little air out of the ball.
Score one for the Magic in the intimidation factor, and let the blood bath continue. This one’s far from over.
-- My friends who cover the UMass basketball team at the Daily Collegian just got the press invitation kit for the “100 Years of UMass Basketball”, and one of the interesting points they make is that the Minutemen experienced “one of the most extreme turnarounds in history.”
When you think about it, they actually have a point. When you think about what a dormant program UMass was in the 80s before Calipari took over – 10th worst record in Division 1 for the 80s, period – and what they were able to do in the early to mid-90s, it really gets lost on this generation about how truly special that era was. It’s been taken for granted.
Anyways, it got me thinking about what teams rank as the five most improbable powerhouses. In no particular order, with coach in parentheses: Gonzaga (Dan Monson-Mark Few), UMass (John Calipari), Loyola Marymount (Paul Westhead), Long Beach State (Jerry Tarkanian).
Rick Pitino’s Providence teams miss they cut because it’s been argued many a time that his 1987 squad was the worst team to ever make a Final Four. Dana Kirk’s Memphis State teams don’t count either, because the dude thugged his way to a Final Four and subsequently got cold-cocked by the NCAA banhammer. Tark, for the record, sued the NCAA and won.
In turn, here are my five most underachieving programs of the last 25 years: DePaul, Houston, Rutgers, Maryland, Georgia.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Have we already seen the best the NHL has to offer?
By Chris Maza
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff
Even with a great overtime win by the Blackhawks, thanks in part to a terrific effort by backup goalie Cristobal Huet, it seems the greatest story lines in this NHL playoff have played out.
The President's Cup winner is gone.
The East's No. 1 seed Boston Bruins, who exceeded all expectations in snagging the top spot, then exacted revenge on those dirty Habs are gone.
The Blackhawks-Canucks series, which was supposed to be a bare-knuckle, knock down affair, was a flop.
To this point, the two greatest series of these NHL Playoffs has come in conference semifinals and the absolute best was not the one pitting the league's two best stars against each other.
While the fans in New England were developing a collective crush on Marc Savard and his strong playoff push and ESPN spent all their time pimping the Ovechkin/Crosby matchup, the best series of the quest for Cup was played between Pittsburgh and Anaheim.
The upstart Ducks (who to this day I believe have the second-worst name for a hockey team, next to the Blue Jackets) gave the Red Wings everything they could handle. Five of the seven games were decided by one goal, one of which in the third overtime.
Mike Babcock called it the best, hardest series he'd ever been a part of. And the quality of the hockey backed up his claim.
The Washington-Pittsburgh series was also a fine series, but its anti-climactic finish made it lose some of its luster.
Still, those two series' brand of hockey was second to none. After watching those two series and watching the two current series, you have to wonder if you're watching the same sport. That's not to say there haven't been great moments in this round (Malkin's hat-trick, Huet's heroics to keep Chicago in the series), but for those who flat out appreciate hockey at its finest, I'm afraid to say we may have already seen the best of it.
The most the NHL can hope for at this point is to keep fans watching with a Penguins-Red Wings Stanley Cup rematch.
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff
Even with a great overtime win by the Blackhawks, thanks in part to a terrific effort by backup goalie Cristobal Huet, it seems the greatest story lines in this NHL playoff have played out.
The President's Cup winner is gone.
The East's No. 1 seed Boston Bruins, who exceeded all expectations in snagging the top spot, then exacted revenge on those dirty Habs are gone.
The Blackhawks-Canucks series, which was supposed to be a bare-knuckle, knock down affair, was a flop.
To this point, the two greatest series of these NHL Playoffs has come in conference semifinals and the absolute best was not the one pitting the league's two best stars against each other.
While the fans in New England were developing a collective crush on Marc Savard and his strong playoff push and ESPN spent all their time pimping the Ovechkin/Crosby matchup, the best series of the quest for Cup was played between Pittsburgh and Anaheim.
The upstart Ducks (who to this day I believe have the second-worst name for a hockey team, next to the Blue Jackets) gave the Red Wings everything they could handle. Five of the seven games were decided by one goal, one of which in the third overtime.
Mike Babcock called it the best, hardest series he'd ever been a part of. And the quality of the hockey backed up his claim.
The Washington-Pittsburgh series was also a fine series, but its anti-climactic finish made it lose some of its luster.
Still, those two series' brand of hockey was second to none. After watching those two series and watching the two current series, you have to wonder if you're watching the same sport. That's not to say there haven't been great moments in this round (Malkin's hat-trick, Huet's heroics to keep Chicago in the series), but for those who flat out appreciate hockey at its finest, I'm afraid to say we may have already seen the best of it.
The most the NHL can hope for at this point is to keep fans watching with a Penguins-Red Wings Stanley Cup rematch.
Friday, May 22, 2009
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!
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)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
