Charlie Morton, or Roy Halladay? Pittsburgh Pirates digging up buried treasure
Halla-- errr, Morton may be onto something
I was doing a little mining on Charlie Morton this past weekend, after seeing the results of his first three starts (particularly that 1.64 ERA) and catching wind of some fantasy baseball naysaying. You can't not be skeptical of a pitcher who entered 2011 with a 5.98 ERA in 251 1/3 big league innings split between the Atlanta Braves and Pittsburgh Pirates.
Being a devout Bucs fan, I haven't watched one live plate appearance of a 2011 Pirates contest. But I was incredibly curious after I read that he'd lowered his arm angle to keep his shoulder closed. That sounded familiar, I thought. I then pulled up the bogarted highlight videos of his starts on MLB.com. I was absolutely astonished at what I saw.
Today, Ken Rosenthal confirmed some ambitiously amateur assessments of Morton. Relax your throat, because I'd hate to see you choke on your chimichanga.
From Doc Halladay to Morton the Mortician? Tap your mouse here for more »
Adrian Gonzalez's indeterminate inner impulse, and fantasy baseball's experience vs. theory debate
The health of Adrian Gonzalez, particularly as it relates to his shoulder, is worth monitoring. Aaron Gleeman explained the legitimate concerns well. It prompts one to ask, For whom is Gonzalez is playing more in 2011?
Not your father's Fathers: Maybin
It's not like his production this year reflected inexcusable power failure, but Gonzalez's fly-ball generation died off a bit at the tail end. The San Diego Padres' biggest asset played with shoulder pain for most of the season, and his HR/FB percentage dipped to 16.4, after two seasons in the 20s. It could just be coincidence.
A-Gon A-Gone, Dodgers' Dues Tap your mouse here for more »
A fool, I says, for Raul Ibanez, and … the Nick Markakis of a champion?
You're running out of time to trade for Raul Ibanez.
Do you even bother with Ibanez?
The geezer? On the Philadelphia Phillies? Who's hitting .245 and slugging .389? Whom Philly fans want to see in a platoon, at the very least?
Yep. That dude.
Rauuuuul, Markakis, Pirate booty Tap your mouse here for more »
A taste for seared Akinori Iwamura, paired with a fine micro-Brewer
The Pittsburgh Pirates have called up the entire cavalry (welcome, Pedro Alvarez), so they designated Akinori Iwamura for assignment. They'll attempt to trade him in the next week and a half.
Aki isn't part of the Bucs' movement, but he's not useless. He might not contribute at all this year, but he might give some contender solid depth.
Fried Iwamura, Fox, Lucroy Tap your mouse here for more »
The Seattle Mariners put Don Wakamatsu on a tee – and (don't) trade Stephen Strasburg!
Some knee-jerk fantasy baseball advice:
Wakamatsu: Can I have THIS guy?
Don't trade Stephen Strasburg. Trade Mike Stanton.
Wait, I mean ... Trade Strasburg. Don't trade Stanton.
I think.
Forget it. Wanna start a pool for the date on which the Seattle Mariners will fire Don Wakamatsu?
Seattle skipper's predicament, plus, the Giambino? 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 players: My malleable mind
The Hawk makes the Hall of Fame, Big Mac recites the words of shame, and all your favorite cellar dwellers remain lame.
If it's all the same - no dis to Andre Dawson, Mark McGwire and residents of repulsive rosters all around - I'll turn my attention to the fabrication of fake fantasy baseball franchises. Tap your mouse here for more »
Frustrated with Matt Capps? You should be
I evaluated Matt Capps' 2009 struggles in the July 30 edition of KFFL.com's Fantasy Baseball Closer Hot Seat, but I wasn't finished. The righty is out of character, and I believe it traces back to some changes he incorporated this past spring.
In a Wednesday night battle that was scoreless through nine stages, Capps entered the bottom of the 10th against the San Francisco Giants and allowed a leadoff single to left fielder Eugenio Velez. The speedster advanced on a sac bunt and later scored on a base hit to right. Loser, Capps. He fell to 2-6, with 20 saves in 22 chances; he has a 6.15 ERA and a 1.78 WHIP in 33 2/3 innings. Tap your mouse here for more »
Memorial Day weekend spot shots – fantasy baseball
I'm not saying this motley crew of arms will jump you up three or four spots in the standings, but these dudes are hardly owned anywhere. Besides, it's no fun choosing the obvious ones. They might hook you up while you're outside grilling two dozen franks and 6 pounds of all-beef patties.
Speaking of, thanks for the invite, but I'm more in the mood for some filet mignon. Mmmm...
Jason Vargas, Mariners - Friday
Try just about anyone against the Giants. They have the fourth-least productive offense in the bigs and the worst road OPS in the league. Tap your mouse here for more »
Fantasy baseball news and notes
Before I get started, I wanted to let you know that managing editor Tim Heaney and I plan to introduce an as yet unnamed fantasy baseball holiday this season. We're taking suggestions, so please submit your entry in the comments area!
It has no set date on the calendar, but you can anticipate it every time the name "Tim Wakefield" appears on the probables for the Boston Red Sox. That's because it looks like Josh Bard, aka The Turnstile, will be Wake's personal catcher.
All fantasy baseball owners should consider inserting (and picking up any available) notable basestealers from the BoSox's adversary that day. Between Wake's 47 mph junk and Bard's peashooter of a right arm, I think each dude in the KFFL office (yep, even GM Ryan R. Bonini) could take third on this battery. I shudder to think how many bags Joey Gathright could thieve on the same attempt against this combo.
The fantasy baseball gatekeeper Tap your mouse here for more »
Blog Calendar
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