Latest Gear Live Videos
TORONTO BLUE JAYS
A.J. Burnett returns to the starting rotation this week pushing Ty Taubenheim to middle relief.
Ted Lilly continues to frustrate fantasy owners. The 12 K’s he had in a start against Detroit show the potential of how dominating he can be. What is holding him back is a BB/9 of 5.1 and 14 home runs allowed in 14 starts.
Alex Rios’ fine season continues with 15 home runs, 49 RBI and a .328 batting average. The improvement from his first two seasons is validated by growth in his batting eye, contact rate and G/F ratio.
Click to continue reading American League Fantasy Notes: A.L. East
Advertisement
OAKLAND ATHLETICS
Joe Blanton threw a five-hit shutout against the Seattle Mariners, which was his second such game in his last three starts. In between, he had a poor start against Cleveland, allowing six ER in 5 innings. Blanton has been inconsistent all season and expect that to continue unless he can get his K/9 from its current 4.59 to the 6.5 area.
Frank Thomas has been placed on the 15-day DL with a strained quad. The timing is perfect for him to rest because starting on Monday, the A’s will play nine straight games in NL parks.
Keep an eye on Bobby Crosby. If he can get over the multiple minor injuries that have plagued him all year, he could be in for a good second half. When healthy he is capable of putting up better power numbers then he has so far this season.
Click to continue reading American League Fantasy Notes: A.L. West
CHICAGO WHITE SOX
Bobby Jenks has converted 18 of 19 save opportunities and is now among the elite of closers in baseball. He has the perfect skill set of high strikeouts, low walks, an ability to induce groundballs and the guile to close games in extreme pressure situations, like last year’s World Series.
Javier Vazquez is putting together a quality season with a 7-3 record, 7.2 K/9 and a 2.1 BB/9. His bullpen has let him down a few times or his 4.19 ERA could be lower. Add in that he is capable of striking out more batters and he could be in for a nice rest of the season.
Freddy Garcia is going through a rough stretch. In his last four starts, he is sporting an ugly 8.10 ERA, while giving up 10 home runs. He should be able to tame the home runs. Garcia bounced back from a poor start to put up a string of good outings before hitting this rough patch. Given that and his track record, it might be a good idea to try and pry him loose from a disgruntled owner.
Click to continue reading American League Fantasy Notes: A.L. Central
TAMPA BAY DEVIL RAYS
Despite some talk of playing right field or first base, Rocco Baldelli has returned to center field.
The Rays sent down struggling starting pitcher Doug Waechter and replaced him with Jamie Shields. The early returns on Shields have been good, 3 starts, 2-0, 2.65 ERA, 16 K’s and just 6 walks in 17 IP. He was very impressive in Triple-A prior to his recall and could be worth a shot in AL-only leagues.
Aubrey Huff is really struggling with a .185 batting average. He is still making good contact and his batting eye is above average, which gives hope for a rebound.
Click to continue reading American League Fantasy Notes: A.L. East
American League Fantasy Notes: A.L. West
Posted by Tom Massimo Categories: Fantasy, Injuries, MLB, News,
LOS ANGELES ANGELS OF ANAHEIM
Mike Napoli is beginning to take over at catcher for the ineffective Jose Molina, starting 4 of the last 6 games. Based on his minor league record, the .323 average will come in, but the power that has generated 4 home runs in just 62 AB is real.
Jered Weaver is looking like the real deal. In his first three major league starts, he has a 3-0 record, a very impressive 17 K’s and just 3 walks. As a 23-year rookie, there will be some inconsistency, but he appears to be a solid play in all fantasy formats.
Bartolo Colon should be back to start Sunday’s game against Seattle. That will give the Angels six starters. For some bizarre reason, Manager Mike Scioscia said that he would rather have Jered Weaver start in the minors than relieve in the majors. It is unclear if he means that the young Weaver would be the one to lose a rotation spot. It seems like he is talking about the wrong Weaver, as older brother, Jeff Weaver should be the one going to the bullpen.
Click to continue reading American League Fantasy Notes: A.L. West
CHICAGO WHITE SOX
After a breakout season of 18-10 with a 3.50 ERA, Jon Garland has gone in the opposite direction thus far this season with a 6.04 ERA. With a low K/9 ratio, he relies on pinpoint control and an ability to induce ground balls for success. While the walks and K’s have remained steady, his G/F ratio is 1.03 compared to a 1.44 last year. He was pitching over his head last year, but he is not this bad. As his G/F regresses, look for his ERA to improve to the 4.50 to 4.89 range that he put up from 2002 to 2004.
Mark Buerhle is the flip side of the coin. His 3.31 ERA is more the product of good fortune than solid skills. His K/9 is an absurdly low 3.64. That is about 2.50 lower than his usual numbers. With his G/F right around his career marks, look for an ERA spike, unless the K’s improve.
Rob Mackowiak is already platooning with Brian Anderson in centerfield. Now the Sox are working out Pablo Ozuna there to see if he can handle it. If he can, it will be Anderson’s ticket back to Triple-A.
Click to continue reading American League Fantasy Notes: A.L. Central
Tap The Schedule And Twist The Cap: 6.5.06
Posted by Dennis Velasco Categories: Fantasy, Injuries, MLB, News, NHL, Playoffs,
MLB: Updating the Albert Pujols strained oblique injury, it is now said that he will be out indefinitely and will have an MRI today. It is said from the mild to severe spectrum, the tear of the right oblique is severe. For all of you fantasy baseball geeks (as I am), hopefully you have some depth at 1B, especially considering its one of the deeper positions in the game. Naturally, it’s little consolation for having Pujols’ lethal bat our of your lineup… oh, and the St. Louis Cardinals’.
*One of the best sports rivalries in history starts up again when the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox begin a four-game series tonight in the bowels of the Bronx. Tonight’s pitching duel pits the Red Sox’s Josh Beckett (7-2; 4.46 ERA; 1.18 WHIP) against the Yankees’ Mike Mussina (7-1; 2.42 ERA; 0.96 WHIP). Both pitchers have started strong this season, but when it’s Sox/Yanks everything is thrown out the window since there’s always some type of drama of the melodramatic and/or on-the-edge-of-your-seat type.
*Making his first start since coming off the DL, Baltimore Orioles pitcher, Daniel Cabrera takes the hill for the Birds against the other birds of the A.L. East, the Toronto Blue Jays. There were high expectations for Cabrera coming into the season when pitching coach, Leo Mazzone, came over to the O’s from the Atlanta Braves because many thought Mazzone could reign in Cabrera’s control issues. Well, at this point… not so much. Cabrera will try to get back on track to being one of the better pitchers in the game tonight against a loaded Jays offense.
*Once again, Brandon Webb of the Arizona Diamondbacks will once again go for the title of “First MLB Pitcher to Win Number Nine.” In his first attempt, the other guy pitching was Pedro Martinez and the D’backs couldn’t hit him worth a lick, so Webb’s 7.0 IP, four hit, one walk, zero runs performance was for naught. Tonight Webb will deal to the Philadelphia Phillies who come into town splitting a four-game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
NHL: Game One of the Stanley Cup Finals begins tonight with the Edmonton Oilers visiting the Carolina Hurricanes. The Oilers are coming off a long layoff since they beat the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in five games of the Western Conference Finals, opposed to the Hurricanes who went all the way to Game Seven with the Buffalo Sabres to win the Eastern Conference crown.
Enjoy the games!
American League Fantasy Notes: A.L. East
Posted by Tom Massimo Categories: Fantasy, Injuries, MLB, News,
BALTIMORE ORIOLES:
Don’t be fooled by the 3 win run by Rodrigo Lopez. He is a fly ball pitcher who is not striking out enough hitters. Such pitchers are always living on the edge.
Daniel Cabrera is expected to be activated from the DL in time for Monday’s start against the Blue Jays. It is advisable to keep him reserved to see if the rest had an effect on his control problems.
With Cabrera back, Adam Loewen will probably return to the minors. He is not ready to contribute on the Major League level due to a lack of control.
Jay Gibbons goes on the 15-day DL with soreness in his shoulder, hip, and knee. The move is retroactive to May 27th and he should return when eligible. Brandon Fahey, Eddie Rogers, and Luis Matos should all see some extra ABs in Gibbons’ absence. Fahey and Rogers are not recommended. Matos is a better hitter than his current .184 average shows and can provide a temporary speed source for AL-only leagues.
Click to continue reading American League Fantasy Notes: A.L. East
Chicago Cubs Pitcher Mark Prior Working His Way Back
Posted by Dennis Velasco Categories: Athletes, Fantasy, Injuries, MLB,
Have faith, Cubs fans! With things always seemingly up in the air with the Chicago Cubs regarding injury, a plan has been laid out for Mark Prior to rejoin the Cubs and actually pitch a Major League Baseball game.
Prior, a pitching phenom out of USC and drafted second overall in the 2001 Amateur Draft, has dominant stuff as his 2003 numbers show - 18-6, 245 K’s in 211.1 IP, a 2.43 ERA and 1.10 WHIP (walks+hits per inning pitched). However, various injuries have stifled Prior’s growth in 2004 and 2005… and, of course, this season.
To start off 2006, Prior, and fellow fireballer Kerry Wood, were put on the shelf with indefinite stays on the DL (disabled list). Both are integral parts of the Cubs pitching rotation and could have been a devastating staff when you add fiery competitor, Carlos Zambrano. However, a three-headed beast of a frontline rotation remains but a dream if Prior and Wood can’t stay healthy.
And considering their stuff and makeup, in my opinion, Prior is the best of the three. But when it comes to health, not so much. In any case, rejoice Cubs fans that there’s at least a plan in place.
For all of my fantasy baseball geeks out there, if you have Prior on your team, cross your fingers. For those that don’t, if you think you can buy low, I’d take the chance. Otherwise, the definite nature of the indefinite regarding Prior’s health may not be worth it. However, if you’re feeling like Kenny Rogers (the singer, not the player), go ahead and take that gamble now before Prior’s first rehab start. It’ll probably be the best, odds-wise, especially if Prior has an incredible first rehab start. Read More 
|
Baseball Mogul PC Game Has Me Hooked
Posted by Jeff Chan Categories: Editorial, Fantasy, MLB, Video Games,
So, are you a Kansas City Royals fan, or Tampa Bay Devil Rays fan with no hope to win your division? Baseball Mogul is the game for you. You don’t play as the players swinging at pitches or throwing pitches to the mound - instead, you take on the role of the manager and general manager. You control the line-ups, trades, finances (including TV revenue, building new stadiums, concessions and ticket revenue) and your minor league franchises. You keep track of the progress of your minor league prospects and you decide when to call him up to the big leagues. This game even has historical rookies who you can draft. All in all a fun game, especially for fans to re-create history - your team winning the pennant and build a dynasty.
Read More | Baseball Mogul 2007
Advertisement
© Gear Live Media, LLC. 2007 – User-posted content, unless source is quoted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Public Domain License. Gear Live graphics, logos, designs, page headers, button icons, videos, articles, blogs, forums, scripts and other service names are the trademarks of Gear Live Inc.