The Magic Carpet

By Matthew

His Strikeout totals reach the Magic 3,000, his ERA is solid and the Postseason success and performances are Hall worthy to say the least. The weak areas of his resume have more to do with the health issues he dealt with that limited him to 8 full seasons from his 20 years in the game (1988-2007). Ordinarily, that would be enough to prevent his induction if he hadn't overcome the injuries to post dominant seasons when he WAS healthy and a look at the 8 complete seasons shows he was everything a HOF Pitcher should be, posting a 143-69 (.675) during those years. The fact that he had his most successful years later in his career and won championships as a lead performer in 3 of his final 7 seasons, in both leagues, with different clubs, cinches the HOF argument for me.

When physically sound, he was a durable #1 starter with pinpoint control, power fastball, devastating splitter, gutty and dependable on a Baseball mound. Everything you want in that spot.

Which concludes the discussion about his BASEBALL career.

Now I am going to talk about Curt Schilling, the Union member, the Media critic, the Political advocate, the citizen of the game, and the country...As I am an advocate for keeping the discussion of players focused on their ON-FIELD lives, I will explain that, for Guru - that is a right that extends to EVERY person - the right to be judged on your work, solely on that work.

However...

The criticisms of Schilling do not come from an intrusion into his private life, from the beginning of his career, he has made a point of speaking out on any and every topic and thus, moved his PRIVATE life and belief systems into the Public sphere. Schilling's OWN words make the point...

"...people with so little skill in their profession that they need to speculate, make up, fabricate, to write something interesting enough to be printed. What makes them bad people? I am sure I cannot nail the exact reason, but I know some. Jealousy, bitterness, the need to be 'different,' I am sure there are others, but those are the ones I know off hand. You just kind of have to realize that there are people that don't like you and, unfortunately, sometimes those people have a voice, disliking me probably matches my dislike for him (Gomez), but I have a problem with people who don't have integrity and principle, so that stuff happens. You just kind of just have to let it go."

It has been Schilling who has consistently inserted himself into the lives of OTHERS, be they teammates, opponents, fans of other teams, ownership, press, politicians...

The diatribe quoted above came from a dispute he had with Pedro Gomez and Jon Heyman, writers who 'dared' to point out the careful construct of image-making that Schilling engages upon and the diametrically opposed reality of who he IS. For such daring, Schilling responded with the above. It seems only fair to point out that Gomez and Heyman are, far from 'lacking skill' at the very APEX of Professionalism in Sportswriting - beyond reproach in terms of their personal and professional conduct and the writing they produce.

For Schilling, like the Bush administration he so admired, the job of the Press is to shovel his shit in the form he designs it and stand with him in his views - a careful look at the Press (and fans) who supported him PERSONALLY and have contributed to his 'legend' reveals that, just as the Fox acolytes who relentlessly and consistently stood with Bush despite the data - the ones who 'don't have integrity and principle' are the ones who ignore the reality of what Gomez noted made Schilling “the consummate table for one.”

Everywhere Schilling has played, the dynamic of Image-making versus reality has reared its ugly head, how YOU feel about the guy is likely to depend upon where you sit in the 'Culture War', and, if you are someone who finds themselves admiring him - chances are pretty good, you and Guru would quickly end up at each other's throats. He is a person who has invoked religious faith in his public life (like fellow bad guy, Kurt Warner) and actually had the unmitigated gall to opine the presence of God's 'will' in the Red Sox 2007 World Series victory - a series and year which marked the all-time low point for the Religious Right's destruction of America as two teams loaded with Right-Wing evangelicals squared off in a matchup largely ignored by those of us who live in Blue places outside of New England.

Thankfully, those days are O-V-E-R and like all people of conscience we can be grateful...the Worst day under Obama is infinitely better than the best one under Bush and treating a bigoted scumbag like Schilling as a good guy because of his charity work for ALS is akin to calling Bush a 'humanitarian' for the African AIDS funds he delivered - at the same time he was working with the Religious Right to stop family planning efforts globally that distribute life-saving condoms and sex-education to these same populations.

For pukes like Curt, Kurt and Dubya (Palin, Huckabee, Youkilis...), America is a Christian Nation founded by White Protestants that should echo the values of those puritans. Every time you see an Anti-Immigrant, English-First, Anti-Gay-Marriage, Anti-Intellectual, Anti-Secular mindset - you are seeing the 'values' this piece of shit holds and understand how damaging his public life has been for America.

He associated himself with the Anti-Immigration types in his native Arizona (he was born in Alaska, claims Pittsburgh and lives in Boston, but the bulk of his life and advocacy occurred in Arizona...) and, upon his arrival in Boston, the HEART of Blue State America and progressive political thought, ingratiated himself to the worst elements of New England society and split the Red Sox clubhouse apart - dividing the latinos and minorities from the Rednecks. Derisively referring to HOF Red Sox hero, Pedro Martinez by the anglicized 'Petey' and openly assessing his private clubhouse existence, Schilling made it clear he intended to be the Cock of the Red Sox Walk and created a climate that has made the Sox the darlings of the White-Boy universe just as that universe disappears forever - short term Q rating thus rising while long-term impact destined to lead to a severe decline.

For Boston, the days of finding a talented Latino player have ended - permanently. In the wake of the Pedro demonization/Curt deification and Manny fiasco - Theo can't get an ear in the DR and a look at this lily-white roster illustrates the conundrum. No mid-career Latino star will consider Boston again and no top-tier kid will sign there, they have created a white, evangelical ghetto that speaks to the worst of what America is and, while that makes sense in the cesspool that is the Rocky Mountain West with the Colorado Rockies - it is an unforgivable sin in the very places where freedom and secular thought found their greatest expression.

It is a shift that has turned the Red Sox from one-time darlings of the Dominican fans, during the heyday of Manny Ramirez, Pedro Martinez and David Ortiz into a hotbed of Redneck thought and white-boy roster...where one once saw Red Sox hats by the hundreds in a latin communities, those hats have disappeared and been replaced by Los Angeles Dodger (Manny) and Cinncinnatti Reds (Edinson Volquez, Johnny Cueto) hats.

And it has also resulted in an erosion of Red Sox sentiments amongst progressives, even life-long Sox fans like our own Red Sox Steve have seen their joy dimmed by the move from the honorable Nomar, Pedro, Manny types to the current, Curt-inspired roster of douchebags (when Papelbon pops off, remember who taught him that was somehow acceptable and it might very well be - in TEXAS! (But in New England????). Lance Berkman and Roy Oswalt can be pukes, because they live amongst human garbage - but the Garbage of Red Sox Nation are decided minorities and diminishing daily, their time has passed, but their damage will endure.

The Culture War is over, a surely as the Civil War ended with triumph for Enlightenment, and now, as then, those who remain on the losing side face lives of abuse and irrelevance...wherever there exists Right-Wing, Christian fundamentalists, bigots, homophobes, xenophobes...people like Curt Schilling...

...folks like Guru will be there to crush them with a 2 X 4 of TRUTH. Their days of destroying America and making us a source of derision throughout the World for parochial, ignorant, racist, supernatural thought are O-V-E-R. Americans of character cannot afford to let the worst of us continue to drag us down to their despicable levels.

For Red Sox fans, facing the end of their winning years in 2009, the inevitable demand for a trade from Big Papi and the beginning of an extended period of losing - you have Curt to thank. And, despite the fantasy of minor-league talent on the way, the Baseball season begins with Red Sox AA and AAA teams knowing they have no chance of competing with their Yankee rivals and, in fact, hoping to finish the season at the MLB, AAA and AA levels within 10 games of them.

At least you can be grateful you had Manny long enough to win the only two championships you will know in your lifetime.

Don't believe Guru? Stop back in October and let me know...

Posted by Matthew at 09:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

By enova

My idea is to write about why I believe that baseball is the best sport, or worded more appropriately, why baseball is MY favorite sport. Now, I understand that this post will in no way change anyone's opinion of their personal favorite sport, nor is it intended to. There are reasons for the love of many things, by many people, that I would no sooner try to change about a person than I would attempt to change a persons religious beliefs or their preference of foods. It is what it is and sometimes what it is, is just right. And baseball is what makes sports "sports" to me. Without it, I may never have gotten interested in another sport. Call it my gateway sport that lead me to harder sports like football, or call it my first girlfriend, after which all others are measured (rightly or not); but as stated before, it is what it is.

A friend of mine and I talked about this very topic during last seasons playoffs. He asked me why in the world am I a baseball fan more than a football fan, especially since I have always talked football with him, but not baseball. My answer was, you've never asked me about baseball, even when I played it. Sometimes you can tell that someone is just not interested in a certain topic and there's no reason to bring it up. But last year started to get him into baseball. Before, it was too boring to him, too slow, not enough action. If you're a baseball fan, you've heard all these things before. But last year he got excited during some close games and spent some time actually watching the Chess match that is a baseball game and suddenly realized that there was more to a game than non-stop action that could make it exciting. And that brings me to the first reason of this non-debate.

Strategy

In baseball strategy is King. Without getting into a heated debate over the use of the DH in the American League, strategy plays a major role in the game. Sure, all team sports use "strategy", but baseball is different if only because of the time factor. There is no timed end to a match. If your team is down big in football, and time is running out, your strategy is pretty simple. Pass the ball and pass it often. You can't employ a long drive filled with running plays and expect to tie or take the lead when time is not on your side. Same with basketball. One minute to go, you're down by 15 points, what do you do? You shoot three's, hope to get fouled when shooting a two or a three-pointer, and you foul the snot out of the other team when they have the ball. Hockey, well you just have to score in a flurry and not shooting would be very poor strategy indeed. You may pull the goalie, but that fails more than it succeeds.

Baseball is not handcuffed with time constraints. If your team is down by six runs in the ninth, you don't need to try for a homerun in order to get back into the game. You play until the final out and small ball works wonders in getting a team back into the game. Base hits, moving runners over with stolen bases, pinch hitting.... ah, there's a dandy regarding strategy right there. Hockey may use a goon here and there to exact revenge, but do they ever replace a player with another that has more scoring potential late in the game? Not in the same way by any stretch. Football doesn't have a better quarterback (healthy) on the bench. Or they shouldn't have anyway. Only in baseball will you find a player being removed (pitcher) for purely offensive reasons. You might bring all your big scorers onto the floor in basketball late in the game, but again, your defense is simply limited to fouling the other team at that point. Time is a huge factor in the differing strategies, but it's not the only one.

In baseball, you will often see a pitcher come into the game to face one hitter. Retire that batter and it's a job well done. Let him get on base and the strategy has to be reworked. Do you let him stay in? Or do you pull him for another pitcher that may have a better shot at the next batter. Is the next batter a ground ball hitter, or is your pitcher a guy that pops batters up? This means something because you would rather have a pitcher that induces ground balls facing a ground ball batter when there's a man on base. A pop up may get an out and at the same time, put the runner in scoring position. When a runner is in scoring position, do you walk a batter to have a chance at a double play with the next batter? Do you walk a batter because he's hitting great? Does any other sport give you the opportunity to score on a free pass like an intentional walk does? Let's not forget the other side. If I pull a pitcher to bring in a new pitcher that I think better matches up with the next batter, does the opposing skipper pull that batter and replace him with a batter that matches up better with the new pitcher? That's strategy and no other sport employs it from minute one to minute last like baseball.

Field Of Play

Besides Doubles in tennis, there is no other team sport that has variety in its playing fields quite like baseball. Although the surfaces may be different in tennis, the dimensions are always the same. Let's take the away the indoor and outdoor and playing turf differences as well. Football is played in different climates and different lighting, as well as on different surfaces. Baseball has that and more. From city to city, the playing fields are as different as back yards. Lefties love the short porch in Yankee Stadium, Petco is a long flyout for many a slugger, and watch out for the light pole in Houston!

Could you imagine what it would be like if other sports had playing fields with dimensions that differed from one another? You need a bigger swing to hit it out in San Diego, so let's raise the rim a foot or two and see if the dunking doesn't slow down in The Garden. How about lining the wall at- with a row of bushes? Works for Wrigley. Throw a wild pitch in some parks and your catcher will have to run a mile to get it. Let's extend the size of the end zone in Denver and see if Elam can kick it from the 35 yard line now.

Couldn't you just picture Marvin Harrison running uphill (Houston) to catch a pass before running into a wall of ivy (Chicago)? How about totally killing the Lambeau Leap with a Green Monster (Boston). Let's laugh a little as the puck rattles around or gets caught in the weird corners of the rink wall at-. Just wouldn't happen in other sports and baseball wouldn't be the same with one homogenized pattern for a playing field. Nor would it have the history of great stories provided by those quirks. Which brings me to my next reason.

History

All sports have it, but baseball IS it. Other sports have had dramatic changes in regards to the way the game is played from period to period. Before the passing game, there was still football, but would the NFL be as popular as it is today if it were still just a game of running? I would say, no. We can't imagine basketball without the dunking, but there was a time in the game that it just wasn't played like that and it wasn't that long ago. Hockey has been pretty consistent. Like all sports, protective gear has evolved, but it's still a stick, a puck, and a net. Baseball is a bat and a ball and for over a hundred years men have been trying to hit a round ball with a round bat as it is delivered to them by a pitcher that has every intention on him not hitting it.

Baseball has had it's regrettable past with bigotry, other sports have as well; but he game itself is played, now, like it has been for over 100 years. Little changes yes. The mound has changed slightly, games are played at night, and athletes are bigger and stronger (for a variety of reasons). But the game has been fluid and its history benefits from that fact.

Because of that long history, baseball fans recall the story of Babe Ruth pointing his bat to the stands just as well as they recall watching The Red Sox sweeping the Cardinals in The '04 World Series. Fans, that weren't alive when the events happen, recall them as if they were there. Everybody has seen the footage of Willie Mays and his over the shoulder catch, Carlton Fisk (sorry no video) willing a homerun around the foul pole, George Brett raging out of the dugout during the pine tar game, Reggie trotting around the bases after hitting his third homerun in the same World Series game.

We've all heard the staticky, yet dramatic audio of Lou Gehrig's Luckiest Man speech. We know who we are seeing when we look at a picture of Ty Cobb and a picture of Honus Wagner. We know that (my personal choice as best player ever) Ted Williams lost years of his prime do to military service. We also know that he came back and played just as well as he did before he left. We know the name of the first black player allowed to play in the Major Leagues (Jackie Robinson). We also know the legendary name of Josh Gibson and how he may have been the best hitter ever.

It's the history and the game remaining the same that makes baseball unique. We know that Dizzy Dean could thrive in today's game. We know that Satchel Paige could have as well. We know the names of players that lived before our grandfathers because of the history. Other sports may have a few names, but nowhere close to the number as baseball. With those names comes statistics and no other sports is as stat important as baseball.

Stats

Of course the game wasn't as homerun heavy in the beginning, but the homerun has been a major part of the game since Babe Ruth captured the attention of an entire country of fans (and non) with his amazing power. Babe Ruth played his first game 93 years ago and when he finally hung up his cleats for the last time, in 1935 (72 years ago); he had amassed a whopping 714 homeruns. For almost 90 years, the baseball world has been enamored with the homerun and stats in general.

Of course, all sports have their treasured records and stats. Football has 2,000 yards and 40 touchdown passes, but how many football fans can list more than that? Sack record, receiving yards, receiving touchdowns, who's footballs Iron Man? Many may know the answers, but I have a Redbird World Series flag that says, not as many know the answer to other stats in other sports as they do for baseball.

Because the game of baseball has been the same for so long, the treasured records have more meaning. Passing records in football don't have the same history as a Homerun record. Season or career. 2,000 yds rushing is fantastic, but its been done more than once. Try 4,000 hits. 40 touchdown passes doesn't hit me the same as 30 wins does. Neither does a season touchdown record getting broken every few years. Baseball has had only four season homerun kings since Babe Ruth and two of them are tainted! The highest career passer rating doesn't get me juiced up either. I'll take the 4,000 plus strikeouts or seven no-hitters, thank you very much. For that matter, I'll take the collection of 300 game winners, 3,000 hitters, 500 HR hitters, the stolen base records, and the glorious .400 batting average over any other collection of stats that any other sport can offer (no offense to Wayne Gretzky). Records are made to be broken, but given baseball's long history, it doesn't often happen.

Rivalries

The history feeds the stats and it also serves the flavor of the game to the fan in a slow cooked fashion. The history, the stats, it all would be pointless if they didn't play the game. Look into baseball's bag of history and you will find rivalries unmatched in sport. Just as the game has remained the same, so has the fierce competition between heated rivals.

The Steelers and the Browns can't hold a candle to the Yankees and Red Sox. Not in this fans book anyway. You like the Lakers/Celtics? I offer you the Cubs/Cardinals. Sometimes teams move and remain rivals with a team that hasn't, but find me a rivalry that had both teams switch coasts like the Giants and Dodgers did and I'll give a second look. And baseball likes its rivalries lopsided. Until recently, the Red Sox stood in the Yankees World Series Shadow for what seemed like forever. Cubs fans have watched the Cardinals win a host of World Championships over the last 80+ years and have done so with an empty plate. The Dodgers finally winning one in Brooklyn is the stuff of legend and the move to the west coast has turned the tide for both teams. But all of baseballs lovable losers have one thing in common.... rabid fans that show up to watch. Sometimes with little hope. Sometimes with none, but show up they do. The Raiders were in the Super Bowl a few years ago and, now that hard times have hit the team, can't seem to sell out a game. Seems hard to believe with the fan base they are rumored to have, but ask a Cubs Fan if he won't go to a game because the team isn't winning.

True, there are some football cities like that. Cleveland comes to mind. Green Bay and D.C., but only the Browns can truly take ownership of the "lovable loser" role. I would say the Eagles could have that title too, but (no offense) the fans really aren't that "lovable" sometimes. Hockey and basketball have its rivalries and some are very intense, but basketball doesn't have the history and, for much of the United States, hockey is still a foreign game.

Just ask your average, hardcore hockey fan that has never put on a pair of skates. Rivalries and the game itself lacks a little luster when you haven't grown up pretending to be your favorite player beating your most hated rival. Hard to do that when you haven't actually played the game the way that it's meant to be played (on ice). But that goes straight to the heart of what hockey means to the average U.S. fan in comparison with their Canadian brethren. I expect most Canadians to love hockey more than baseball. It is their Past Time after all. Which brings me to my final point...

How's the weather out there?

When the Boys of summer get back together, it means that spring is just around the corner. It means warm afternoons watching my Redbirds playing the best sport there is. When the fall classic rolls around, a little part of me goes into hibernation.

For me, football season doesn't kick into full gear until baseball season is over. In my mind, Baseball season starts tomorrow, when pitchers and catchers report to camp, and won't end until the final pitch of the World Series. Every moment from tomorrow on will be on my watch list.

So another summer is creeping upon us. Another year of basehits, strikeouts, and round-trippers. Another season of lemonade and ice cold frosties. Another eight months of pure heaven played on a diamond that may or may not have a big green wall somewhere close by. The grill will soon serve its purpose again, the coolers will become extra seats, and the roar of the crowed will soon echo through the warm summer air. New friendships will be made and old ones will be rekindled. The rivals will set their sights on each other, while their fans will set their hopes high once again. It's springtime, it's summer, it's late fall and then another warm stove to keep the spirits comfortable. But right now it's just beginning. It's baseball, my friends, and there's nothing quite like it.

By the Way...

Go Cards!

Posted by TMC Staff at 08:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

By Matthew

On Friday, we looked at some Position Players who have potential to outperform their standing in the 2009 Fantasy Baseball Season. Today we look at the 'Battery' - Pitchers and Catchers.

First, the Backstops.

Guru is an American League analyst, first and foremost. In the AL, there are three Catchers who usually stand out Offensively. Cleveland Indians, C/1B/DH - Victor Martinez is the only one who is healthy as of this writing (and how, Slugging .739 in Spring), as fellow Switch-Hitter, New York Yankees, Jorge Posada, seeks to return from Surgery for a Torn Labrum (he caught 4 innings yesterday) and Two-Time AL Batting Champ, Minnesota Twins, Joe Mauer, had internal surgery offseason and now is coping with serious back issues that have him off the field.

Of them, Martinez should be long gone early and Posada should be fine Offensively, even if his arm doesn't allow him to catch as much as he'd like - from a Fantasy perspective, that makes him a 'Catcher' and his Bat is a weapon, making him a decent reach in your draft. As for Mauer, he's the guy I'd want if he was healthy...his problems seem severe, but he can be thrown into the back of your roster as a contingency if your #1 is mediocre. IF he makes it back on the field, he's as good a Hitter as anyone in the game.

Oriole Rookie, Matt Weiters, has been touted as a 'Phenom' and his Spring numbers reflect that assessment. Still, the place to find rookies is in the 'Overlooked' bin, NOT at the top of Drafts and Weiters offers no 'value' as the hot new thang.

Outside of them, in the AL, I suppose I'd look at Two Catchers for 'Sleepers'...

Taylor Teagarden, Texas Rangers
Jarod Saltalamacchia, Texas Rangers

Not sure what the Rangers were thinking in not moving one of their three young backstops when the Red Sox came calling this Winter, but perhaps they need to see if Jarrod Saltalamacchia, who has had some recurring health issues, is truly healthy. He is positively raking in Spring and has the sort of skills to blossom big time. His ability is blocking the full-time Role that Taylor Teagarden, appears to deserve (3rd String, Max Ramirez is a horse, but for the future...). Teagarden is a power hitter in a power hitter's Paradise down in the hot Texas air. Either of these guys is capable of being your lead catcher, but you'll need to have a backup handy for the days off their platoon will create. If Teagarden rakes anywhere as much as he did last year in his cameo (.809 SLG, .318 AVG) and this Spring (3 HR's), you are looking at a kid catcher who can hang with Weiters, at a far more reasonable draft slot.

Kelly Shoppach, Cleveland Indians

This guy has been an effective Backup with steadily improving Power numbers each of the past three seasons, since coming to the Tribe in the Coco Crisp deal with Boston. Last year, he finally forced himself into regular playing time and smoked 21 HR in fewer than 400 AB's Slugging (.517) and has picked right up in Spring (.625 SLG/ 3 HR). The Indians want both Victor AND Kelly in their everyday lineup and that makes Shoppach an excellent pickup for your Fantasy squad.

In the NL, Russell Martin of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Brian McCann of the Atlanta Braves are the main early round attractions, but there is another guy who is getting some 'chattah' and he's the one I'd target....

Ryan Doumit, Pittsburgh Pirates

Doumit just signed one of those 'lock 'em up' deals with the Pirates, under terms that seem awfully modest for someone his age and ability (same thing for Red Sox Pitcher, Jon Lester). He's had some health issues and perhaps those fears played into this thinking. If he IS healthy, he is a LOAD of Offensive talent for your Fantasy C spot, capable of hitting well above .300 (.318 in a full '08) with improving Power (15 HRs) on a team that needs his bat every day in the heart of their lineup.

I should note that Jason Varitek was simply too-bad-to-believe in 2008 and is a prideful sort forced to take a humiliating contract, his previous Offensive production, friendly ballpark and burning desire to prove himself should lead to some decent production early in the season if you've missed out on one of your more desirable Catchers. You can squeeze Varitek dry early while he fuels on emotion and then slot one of these platooning kids into your lineup when there are inevitable injuries/trades.

Onward we go to the Mound...

(Once again, my AL bias should be taken into account when you read through these picks...)

As a general rule, Guru likes to build a staff that has some elements of a REAL Staff, which is to say that style variety can be important. Strikeouts ARE important in Fantasy, but the pursuit of K's often can be satisfied away from the very top of the Rotation (and Draft) as Pitching is deeper today than at any time in Guru's 38 years of MLB fandom. One rule I believe in - ALL Relief Pitchers must be of the High K, low ERA/WHIP variety...2-3 flamethrowers in your Bullpen getting you Saves with strong numbers in those power-pitching stats can allow you to take overlooked 'Win-Machine' Starters who reliably take the ball and WIN for decent teams and maintain the type of solid ERA/WHIP numbers to offset the low K numbers of their style (pitching to contact), additionally, these sorts are usually not injury-prone...NOTHING kills your fantasy team, your REAL team or your Softball team like injury.

Nothing.

I like these guys as 'Sleepers'.

Joba Chamberlain, New York Yankees

'Wait a minute, Guru! Joba? He gets more hype than almost anyone, how can he be a 'Sleeper'?'

'I'm glad you asked!'

Joba is a dominant #1 type who will pitch for the Yankees against other teams, #5 starters. His K, ERA and WHIP numbers are going to be in Ace territory and he should be good for 15 wins from the back-end of NY's rotation...But there are enough questions in the casual fan's mind about his status (coming back from injury, he's FINE...and whether he will Start/Relieve, he's in the rotation) that he won't be treated the way a guy who can bring 101 MPH, throws Strikes and can be unhittable with his breaking stuff SHOULD be.

Chien-Ming Wang, New York Yankees

One of those 'Win-Machines' I spoke of. Will show up every five days and win more than 2/3 of his starts with low ERA and modest WHIP figures. He'll never give you BIG K numbers, but he also won't disappear in the category and he is healthy and fit for a full season after his freakish foot injury in '08. Like Joba, he is likely to be overlooked for the Ace he is and be underestimated, but at the end of the season, you'll be sitting there with 15-20 wins and you'll S-M-I-L-E.

Fausto Carmona, Cleveland Indians

Like Wang, a 19 Game winner in his last healthy season ('07) and healthy again (dominating in Spring), Carmona really gives you top-of-the-rotation reliability in terms of Wins and should be similar to Wang in WHIP/ERA, while lagging somewhat in terms of K's. AND, like Wang, he will be overlooked in Drafts because of the K's and get you those coveted Wins for your staff.

Edwin Jackson, Detroit Tigers

This guy is NASTY. He has big time stuff and has improved each year, winning 14 last year for the upstart Rays and being traded (in a mystifier?) to the Detroit Tigers over the Winter. He's a power arm guy who has figured out how to pitch, a guy who will give you Wins, K's and decent ERA, his WHIP will depend upon control - which has been an issue at times, but his ERA and W totals should move up with the move to Cavernous Detroit where those fly-ball HR's in the Tampa Mausoleum will now drop harmlessly into Curtis Granderson's glove.

Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers

This guy looked like the best pitcher in Baseball for much of '06 and '07 and was HORRIBLE in '08. He keeps trotting to the hill, so he must be healthy...yet to recapture the dominant form in Spring as of this writing, but he is a legitimate Ace with a huge arm who can turn around and be a league leader in W and K and will slot far below Ace level due to last year's disappointment.

Oliver Perez, New York Mets

The NASTY just keeps on coming! Perez may have slipped further from notice due to his abysmal performance last night against the rampaging Koreans (10-2 in WBC play over two tournaments). But this is guy who has compiled more K's and fewer Walks at the same age as Randy Johnson, and this is the age (29) when it all came together for the Big Unit, as big, tall, rangy LH starters with Strikeout stuff take time to get their mechanics in a place where they can find enough control.

Perez will get you Wins with a good Met team, will benefit from LH heavy lineups in the NL East (he is dominant against LH hitters) and be amongst the K leaders in the NL. His WHIP suffers from too many walks, but he gives up far fewer than a hit-per-inning (846 hits in 999.1 MLB Innings) so that flaw is somewhat ameliorated.

Like some of the others, you get Ace stuff and upside without having to use a high pick - a 'Sleeper'.

Grant Balfour, Tampa Bay Rays

Balfour is a dominant K guy who will have low ERA and WHIP due to his arsenal and sits in prime position to take over permanently as Rays closer. He will give you big time numbers as a set-up guy and vulture a couple of wins for you while you await the inevitable anointing as Closer. Then you've got a huge arm guy closing for a defending Pennant winner. Definition of a Sleeper.

That's a decent smattering for you 'Sweathogs', Mariano Rivera appears to be healthy so you may not be able to get Saves from Yankee relievers Phil Coke and Brian Bruney, but they can both dominate in terms of K, WHIP and ERA and should be considered if their is ANY issue with Mo going forward.

Posted by Matthew at 04:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

By Matthew

Twas chatting with Nick, an old High School friend and a genuine good guy, and the subject moved from Hockey to Fantasy Drafts and 'Sleepers' - those tasty multi-tool morsels who have a chance to outperform their current assessments. You know, Pitchers with low WHIP and ERA and high W and K or Hitters who can get you serious RBI, with AVG and, as Tevye's Daughter says 'if he SB's, I wouldn't holler!' (the whole family were serious fantasy players, back before the pogrom...).

Since my current interest in Hockey is limited to my New York Islanders holding onto their tenuous grasp on LAST place, so they can grab the new 'savior' Jon Tavares, in the next draft I won't screw up a good spring by lingering on Ice. Naturally, the Islanders season long dominance in the NHL's WORST category has come undone with an unexpected late-season surge as their kids seem to finally be coming around - note to Islander kids, SAVE THAT FOR 2009/10 and lose your way to a talented teammate!

Sorry, Guru is a multi-topic sort...

Back to the matter at hand...I've composed a small list of players who I think qualify as 'Sleepers', the list includes those who are overlooked for their level, which means you have young lesser knowns and well known veterans who may be overlooked for circumstances that are unlikely to prevail in this season. Position Players today, Pitchers on Monday.

1B

Chris Davis, Texas Rangers

This kid turns 23 on Monday (3/17) and is an ideal sort for your 1B needs. He is a young power hitter in a HR hitting Ballpark who has 1 season under his MLB belt. His slugging (.549) in some 300 at-bats of debut hints at serious things to come statistically and that is reinforced by seeing him hit live, the ball absolutely EXPLODES off of his bat. A good one, probably for a long time...and never again this available.

2B

Aaron Hill, Toronto Blue Jays

Here's a young player who put together two solid seasons in the Middle Infield, before getting hurt last year in a washout. The cobwebs have cleared (Concussion) and Hill is a late-round steal who will get you middle-infield numbers comparable to top-tier sorts.

Joe Inglett, Toronto Blue Jays

Not often you'll see two teammates competing for the same position make a list like this, but in this case, Inglett is another Blue Jay Middle Infielder with serious upside and limited profile. I suspect that Hill may be moved to another position, or take over SS (being nursemaided by Utility type, Marco Scutaro) - I expect both of them to get 500 At-Bats (Cito Gaston understands Offensive talent as well as anyone in the game).

You can also make a case for other BlueJays as Sleepers.

OF, Alex Rios, is a HUGE talent who dipped badly last year, should rebound under the radar.
OF, Adam Lind, is a natural .300 hitter who only lacks experience, if he gets hot early - grab him!
OF, Travis Snyder, has similar upside potential to Chris Davis, could blow up with power numbers OR blow up at the buffet table (5'10", 245!).

SS

Alexei Ramirez ,Chicago White Sox

Another gut who could be facing his last moments as a 'Sleeper', he had comparable power numbers to AL MVP Dustin Pedroia, playing the same 2B and now shifts to SS with the departure of SS Orlando Cabrera. Very few Middle Infielders break 20 HR as Rookies and he has the speed to match that with 20 SB's in 2009. Doesn't strike out much and runs well, which bodes well for AVG and his Manager was the master of crafty in HIS days as a Chisox SS, meaning he should improve dramatically with experience.

3B

Kevin Kouzmanoff, San Diego Padres

Not nearly as strong an endorsement for KK of the SDP's, but he is only entering his 3rd MLB year and has already demonstrated 25/100 sort of power. Needs to cut down the Strikeouts to help with the AVG and walk more to help with the power, but the tools are there and the hype isn't. He belongs.

OF

Adam Jones, Baltimore Orioles

Here is another 23 year old, who might have more raw ability than anyone else on this list and as much as almost anyone in the game. He's THAT good. You won't be able to benefit from his spectacular Defense in Fantasy Ball, but if you get caught watching an Oriole game and listening to the oohs and ahhs over C Matt Weiters, check out this guy. On offense, he has freakish power and speed and is just learning to hit...he will be overmatched by top notch pitchers who can get to the holes in his evolving swing, but will hit enough mistakes and mediocrities to make your investment (minimal), well worth it.

Carlos Gomez, Minnesota Twins

Ummm...as good as Jones is, Gomez is bigger, stronger, faster and has more holes in his swing! He is a 6'4" man-child with a penchant for childishness, but is coming off a 33 SB campaign when his AAA skills were exploited by AL pitchers. They better enjoy that memory. He is filling in that big body and looking like a Young A-Rod physically, could hit 20HR and steal 50SB if he can stay focused and cut down on Strikeouts. Outstanding bargain.

Eijah Dukes. Washington Nationals

Yet another drool-worthy kid with sick skills. He can flat-out PLAY, and unlike the first two guys - he knows the game, understands the strike-zone and has no holes. ON the field. Off the field, he has had a hard time remaining a free man and there is the possibility you could have him on your team, see him put up All-Star numbers for awhile and then ...poof...10-15 years in the pen. If he can shed the nonsense and stay on the field, he is on his way to perennial All-Star.

Posted by Matthew at 02:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

By Matthew

Guru lives in Manhattan, 68 blocks North of where he grew up on the East Side.

As I walk around the city, walking dogs, feeding cats, visiting friends, girl-watching...I walk by fields, playgrounds and ballparks where I grew up playing.

On the FDR drive, on concrete in the Financial District, on Grass on the Lower East Side and uptown in Spanish Harlem at Jefferson Park...in Tompkins Square Park, 11st Park, Stuyvesant Town, 15th Street and Avenue C, 19th Street and 2nd for Punchball and 20th Street and 2nd Avenue for Fastpitch Softball on my 'Home Field', 35th Street and 1st, 59th Street - under the Bridge...West 25th, John Jay at 54th & 11th Avenue, 135th off the Madison Avenue Bridge to the Bronx...

From the 1920's until the 1980's, those ballparks, grass or cement, could count on being swarmed by every manner of Baseball, Softball, Stickball, Punchball...a game played with bases, a ball and bat, a pitcher and batter...sometimes with a catcher, others with a 'Strike Zone' spray-painted onto a wall.

You would always see certain kids in the different neighborhoods who had paint stains on the knees of their jeans and the pits of their t-shirts and you knew...

That kid was the Strike-Zone Model!

Just by comparing yourself to him, you'd know if the local 'Zone' would reward a high or low strike when YOU were in the batter's box. A not inconsiderable consideration for Guru who destroys anything high and outside and sits down on the low and inside stuff. If the 'Strike-Zone Model' was a short guy - I was going to be needing to walk another neighborhood if I wanted to go deep, usually over a chain-link fence, into or over a lane of traffic and two lanes of parked cars, two sides of pedestrians and onto the building across the street. How high a floor depending upon whether you 'Got it' or not...and then those same cars and people got to dodge the carom. The whole time, anywhere from 10-100 people would be yelling...'Head's UP!!!!!!'.

When there weren't enough guys for a game, we played Home Run Derby, or Pepper, or took turns at Pitcher/Catcher, practiced sliding and running bases, took infield and outfield practice...

If it rained, we spent hours with the Old-timers (guys about Guru's current age upward...45+), talking about the game...MLB, the local league, different angles and types of players...then the evening's Yankee and Met games would be starting and the group would disburse, next to meet at lunchtime from school - where we had a daily game, kept stats and league records and whose results were known by most of the kids in school, even though it had nothing to do with school programs.

These Baseball games, in all their variety, were not organized by any 'authority'.

Sure, we had Little League for kids in the shadow of the Con Ed plant on East 15th and you can still find 'Beer Leagues' and Corporate Leagues in Central Park and on Randall's Island. Guru still plays ball with the cronies of 'Morty's Game' on Sunday Mornings at Heckscher Field, and we all play the same game we always did. But Guru is on the young side of the crowd, at 45, and the number of really savvy and talented younger players is spare.

The game has all but died at the Grass Roots level in Urban Areas. You hear a lot about the decline of Baseball amongst African-American kids, but its the same with White kids...both prefer hoops, or video games...or Facebook. Skateboarding, which Guru loved as well, has actually got more 'players' going on then the American 'Pastime'.

Is it?

Is it 'Past-it's-Time' for the grand old game here at home?

Sure, there are still well manicured ballfields in suburban areas and community sponsored leagues, coaching clinics, high-school and college programs and a considerable amount of talent will continue to flow on to the MLB game...

But the passion FOR that game has changed.

One of the things you notice if you've been around to see the game through multiple generations is how fewer and fewer fans actually WATCH the games, let alone PLAY them. The four hours per night, pitch by pitch of observation and hours of statistical work and strategic conversation have, to some degree, been augmented and replaced by the wealth of technical and informational tools available. This is one of the reasons why the SPORT - MLB itself, is actually in good health. People are still interested in the SPORT...its the 'Game' that they've lost passion for. Ask someone their opinion of a team or a division, and, if they are a 'fan' - they will offer you many. Ask them about the particulars of a player's game or the nuance of a matchup, they might gloss over.

Guru probably spends 1,000 hours per season on Baseball. I watch every Yankee game possible, always at least 150 of them - pitch by pitch, I might watch the replay once, might be twice. I spend as much time on the statistics as I ever did, only now that I don't have to work them out on a pad in long division, as we used to, I can get so much more information. I read the league-generated content in print online and catch scores, replays, highlights at MLB.com or, now, on MLB.TV, but I almost NEVER tune into ESPN, ignore the opinions being bandied about on radio, TV or online...I watch the GAME, so I know what the deal is.

You can bet the bulk of conversation is about gossip and prediction, not about what goes on between the lines. My local papers print more copy by five-fold relating to payroll issues, drug tests, personal lives of the players, feuds between players and/or fans etc., etc., ETC...

Ad Nauseum.

The writers who fill these endless lifestyle columns, filled with amateur economics, dimestore medicine and frat-boy culture flounder THEMSELVES when they have to write about the G-A-M-E. No wonder the raised eyebrow and pithy phrase have replaced 'Kiner's Korner' - Old Ralph never asked someone who he was dating, how much money he made, what he used to get 'up' for a game.

Nobody cared about those things.

For REAL.

In fact, the current fan may spend as much TIME as we once did (and some still do), they just spend it talking about things other than the Pitching, Hitting, Fielding and Base Running.

Still, nothing can replace WATCHING the game itself. From playing - thousands and thousands of innings, you learn nuance and flow that cannot be grasped in highlight reels or by listening to talking heads chattering.

Its the same complaint you hear about a lot of things in the 'Information Age', we all know a little about a lot of stuff and sometimes a LOT about one or two things, but stuff that is S-L-O-W and requires great deals of time and interest to maintain, seems to be moving further and further away.

The World Baseball Classic is a fascinating development, and really is an eye-opener.

It reminds me of watching Americans develop interest and proficiency in Olympic Sports that were not part of our traditions. I watch every Olympiad and am always surprised when I see Americans competing at the highest level in a Sport I can remember being more of a novelty for Americans the first time I saw it contested. We learned the game, taught it to our kids and got better at it.

That is what has happened in Latin America and Asia for Decades and that is now spreading to Europe, Africa and Canada. American kids are playing less, for sure, but others are playing MORE, and better, than they ever have before.

In Caracas, Venezuela, San Juan, Puerto Rico, San Pedro de Marcoris, Dominican Republic...kids gather all year long, from morning till night, to play Baseball..they eat and sleep the game, talk long into the night with the older men about the game, devote their time and their passion to the game...which is a relief. The game may have changed its vibe, its hue, its rythym...but it survives, and that is a comfort.

Now if they would just turn DOWN THE MUSIC when you go to the ballpark.

Don't get me wrong, we loved loud tunes back in the day - shit, we STILL DO. But the GAME requires concentration and a modicum of quiet. They open a new Yankee Stadium in about a month (April 16, 2009) and a new season starts on April 6.

Lets hope they start a new, old tradition and turn down the speakers and turn up the ballgame.

Quiet or not, we'll be here. We'll have each and every Yankee game, broken down for you in DETAIL here on The Magic Carpet @ VagabondGuru.com and dozens of columns about every facet of the Greatest Game.

We'll take you back to the way the game was dissected when Guru was a boy, using all the modern tools to make the point and to teach the game.

We hope to see you here. Often.

Posted by Matthew at 08:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

We've already discussed the injury...Alex is hurt and he MUST have the surgery, he is the Franchise player and has eight more years after 2009 - that Hip won't heal itself, there is nothing to discuss.

Go have the operation. Rehab. Rest. Get ready. Return, but only when READY to be Alex.

(he has announced a modified procedure that is slated to have him on the field around Memorial Day and will involve a follow-up surgery in the off-season.)

The Yankees will survive.

But how?

Cody Ransom is a solid player, he will make all the plays and contribute. He is a lot like Brandon Inge of the Detroit Tigers, a superior athlete who pays rigorous attention to his craft. He will hold the place at 3B and hit 9th. It seems that Alex will likely miss Four Months - April, May, June, July - 100-110 Games worth, which means there will be 400 or so At-Bats for Ransom and any others covering for Alex.

A BEST-case scenario for Ransom would be something on the order of .275/10/50, which puts the Yankees, even in the rosiest view, in the position of replacing 50 runs, or a half-a-run per game.

That is tough, as they learned when Jorge Posada was, essentially, lost in the opening week last season. Jose Molina led MLB in throwing out runners trying to steal and is a beloved figure to the Pitching staff for his Defensive wizardry, but his anemic production created a vacuum in the bottom third of the order, where Melky was in a season-long slump and Robinson was lost for the first-half, when the Yankees lost the essential ground they could not recover.

Ransom will hit more than Molina, but not enough to make up for Alex. Nobody can do that.

The lineup that makes the most sense is this one:

DH Johnny Damon LH
SS Derek Jeter RH
2B Robinson Cano LH
1B Mark Teixeira SH
C Jorge Posada SH
LF Nick Swisher SH
RF Xavier Nady RH
CF Melky Cabrera SH
3B Cody Ransom RH

Cano is, despite last season's first-half struggles, the Yankees best 'pure' hitter. He has terrific power and line to line plate coverage, Damon and Jeter live on-base and Cano will see good pitches in front of Tex. It will be asking him to take responsibility for his vast talent, but this is his 5th year and his ability dictates such a step. I saw one analysis that dismissed him with 'coming off a bad season, he is unlikely to recover' - huh? T-A-L-E-N-T doesn't disappear, Cano is the only one who has the all-around Offensive game to step into the #3 hole and Tex is the only logical #4.

With Alex out, the RH power is reduced, but with F-O-U-R Switch-Hitters in the lineup mix, the Yankees will still see RH production from Tex, Swisher and Posada. Both Melky and Brett Gardner have tools that help the team and, had Alex been healthy, there might have been opportunities to play both of them and create opportunities Defensively and on the base-paths. Without Alex, it is likely that the Yankees need Swisher in the lineup for his Power and the kids will have to platoon.

Matsui and Damon are both LH hitters, Damon should sit when Gardner plays, since Brett is an ideal leadoff type with that speed. They can almost pair off Damon/Melky/Swisher and then shift to Swisher/Gardner/Matsui, and Posada will need lots of rest time from Catching, so he will get DH At-Bats also.

The real problem is that bottom 3rd of the order. If Posada is sitting and Molina is playing, and Melky struggles, they are right back to last season's struggles with Melky/Molina/Ransom scaring NOBODY in that 7-8-9 zone.

The antidote, however, is good pitching and the Yankees are LOADED, not only with the marquee Free Agent signings (CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett) but with a healthy Chien-MIng Wang and Joba Chamberlain and the sterling work of Hughes, Alceves, Coke behind Andy Pettitte if anyone is injured, they've gone from being three starters DOWN to being three starters backing up. The Bullpen is loaded to the gills from both sides and the MInor League System that had the best overall record of any MLB team, won Championships at AAA and AA and saw AA Trenton Thunder win their second successive MiLB Franchise of the year is bursting with Pitchers and Catchers.

Ironically, the one place they are NOT deep (due to the nature of the big-league team with a quartet of long-term fixtures in the Infield) is where Alex plays - on the Left Side. That is why Ransom, like Molina - an great type to have as a backup, is forced into full-time play that will expose his limitations as a hitter. As long as he plays the sort of Defense we have seen from him, the overall Defense should be strong, with Nady replacing Abreu and Swisher in LF, Teixeira at 1B and the two wizards in CF. Jeter is healthy and feeling good and Cano has led the AL in chances by a WIDE margin in each of the past two seasons at 2B.

They will pitch it and they will catch it.

They will need to make sure they score enough runs to make it matter.

We shall see.

Posted by Matthew at 02:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)