Justin Verlander, most veritable player
More games, most game?
Can a pitcher be a league's most valuable player?
In 2011, Boston Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury played in 158 games and manned center field for 1,358 1/3 stanzas. He won Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards.
In 2011, Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Justin Verlander made 34 starts and pitched only 251 innings. He won a Cy Young Award.
What excludes a pitcher?
Just juxta-position Tap your mouse here for more »
If you don't pay your respects to the Boss, at least pay him some respect
George Steinbrenner was abrasive. For the longest time, despite repeated pledges to do so, he wouldn't stay out of day-to-day operations and trust the people he hired to make baseball decisions to make them. He loathed long locks and facial hair, sans the masculine Don Mattingly mustache.
I did it my way. And it worked.
George Steinbrenner was determined. For the longest time, despite in-house opposition, he couldn't exclude himself from the baseball decision-making process because he felt that he knew best what it took to win. He believed that a successful franchise should present itself in professional manner.
Steinbrenner's style, Capps raps Tap your mouse here for more »
Major League Baseball's ugliest 4-letter word
Baseball is a quirky game. It has some goofy rules. One league has a DH; the other doesn't. Not so big on that. Ballparks have different dimensions. Cool with me.
You look a little sneaky to me, pal
It's a thinking man's game. (Although the ability to think - cogito ergo sum - is apparently not required to play it, in some cases.) It's simple, yet complex. Subtle evolution. Its uniqueness makes it ... attractive.
But it's not perfect. So, if you had your druthers, commish for a day and all that... You can change one thing. What would you do?
I'd abolish the balk.
Balking at the notion Tap your mouse here for more »
All the X's are now Teix's, so who has the O's? And Pat Burrell just needs a home
In May, we shouldn't have been worrying about Mark Teixeira, because he always struggles in April. How do we feel now? He has struggled through April and most of May. June ain't lookin' too good, either.
Poll: What would you take for Teix?
Teix is an excellent hitter. The New York Yankees have an outstanding lineup and a knowledgeable hitting instructor. But has the price come down?
Vote! Plus more on Galarraga, Lincoln, Ollie… Tap your mouse here for more »
Fantasy Baseball Player Prospecting 2010: Jay Jackson, Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs' misery (circa 2010) doesn't revolve around their rotation. The offense sputters, and the bullpen is a clunker. Maybe Jay Jackson can have a Micah Owings-like impact on the former - he was a solid hitter in college - but he can definitely help with the latter.
In 40 1/3 innings at Triple-A Iowa, Jackson sports a 2.23 ERA and has allowed a mere 29 hits, with 25 K's and eight walks. Last year, his first full one as a pro, he posted a 2.98 ERA in 127 innings combined at three levels, including his one start at Triple-A. He struck out 127 and walked 46.
Tap your mouse here for more »
Fantasy Baseball Player Prospecting 2010: Jason Donald, Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians were going to take a look at Jason Donald this season, but they didn't expect it to be under these circumstances. Asdrubal Cabrera broke his forearm Monday and will miss at least six weeks and probably the rest of the year.
The Tribe called upon Donald, who was hitting .277 with two home runs, 17 RBIs and 10 steals for Triple-A Columbus. He had walked 21 walks, an improvement, and had struck out 33 times, about par for the course, in 137 at-bats. Today, in his debut, he batted ninth and went 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored.
Tap your mouse here for more »
Fantasy Baseball Player Prospecting 2010: Jake Arrieta, Baltimore Orioles
Arrieta on the cusp
The Baltimore Orioles aren't handing anything to Jake Arrieta, one of their top pitching prospects. During Spring Training, the right-hander was on the outside looking in for the No. 5 rotation spot.
Chris Tillman, a bit more highly regarded, entered camp as the favorite for the job. David Hernandez won it with a great exhibition campaign. Arrieta, meanwhile, quietly impressed at times, but he still had a few things to work on.
Tap your mouse here for more »
Absolutely FAABulous: Smoak him if you got him
Texas Rangers first baseman Justin Smoak was the most hotly contested FAAB acquisition of the week in Tout Wars (mixed standings).
Well, maybe not hotly contested so much as highly coveted; the sizes of competing bids varied, with a few (including my own) comprising more than one-third of yearly budgets.
Tap your mouse here for more »
Blog Calendar
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| « Jan | ||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
| 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |||
