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American League Fantasy Notes: A.L. Central
Posted by Tom Massimo Categories: Editorial, Fantasy, MLB,
CHICAGO WHITE SOX
Since the beginning of July, Brian Anderson is hitting .289. To give you an idea of how bad he was prior to July, six weeks of solid hitting has only raised his average to .211. During this run, Anderson has been making better contact and hitting the ball with more authority. It remains to be seen whether this is the beginning of something good or just a fluke. For now he is an option in AL-only leagues.
If Anderson stays hot, Rob Mackowiak will take his empty .299 average to the bench. A high G/F ratio of 1.56 limits his power and a low contact rate of 79%, coupled with a .51 batting eye point to a downward batting average correction. He is a weak option in AL-only leagues.
The White Sox are considering putting SS Juan Uribe on the DL because of a sore back. If it happens, Alex Cintron will start at shortstop. He is a contact, groundball hitter without power. With regular playing time, he will steal some bags so he has value in AL-only leagues. A weak batting eye of .35 hurts his value in mixed leagues as it prevents him from getting on base more to take advantage of his speed.
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BALTIMORE ORIOLES
Kris Benson was placed on the DL, retroactive to July 26th. He will miss at least one more start. Southpaw, Bruce Chen takes his place in the rotation. Chen has been awful this season, posting an ugly 6.97 ERA and allowing 24 home runs in just 82.2 innings. His G/F ratio of .74 is too high, especially pitching half his games in Camden Yards, which increases right-handed batting power by 10%. A K/9 of 8.16 and BB/9 of 1.88 in his last 14.1 innings offer some hope, but not enough to trust him on your fantasy team.
In his fourth Triple-A start, Daniel Cabrera stuck out 8 batters, while pitching six scoreless innings. He should be back in the rotation soon. Cabrera’s downfall with the Orioles was a BB/9 of 7.9. In 24.1 minor league innings his BB/9 was 3.32, which is too high considering the competition he was facing. Although he has talent, avoid him until he shows signs that he can harness his control.
There are some reports that Kevin Millar playing time is likely to decrease. Millar’s power is in a four-year declining trend and at 34 years old, it would seem to be age related. His contact rate and batting eye have remained stable, which leads to the conclusion that he is just not hitting the ball as hard as he did in his prime. This has also lead to a sharp decline in his batting average. He is no longer an option in mixed leagues.
Click to continue reading American League Fantasy Notes: A.L. East
Dropping Dimes: Do Not Draft Amare Stoudemire!
Posted by Dennis Velasco Categories: Editorial, Fantasy, Injuries, NBA,
Okay, some of you are probably still infatuated with what Stoudemire did during the 2004-2005 season and it’s nothing to sneeze at - 26.0 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 1.0 spg, 1.6 bpg, 55.9 FG%, and a big man that can actually shoot free throws, my word, at a 73.3% clip! And on top of all those very good numbers, Stoudemire was center eligible! That in itself elevates his value a great deal! But, did you read the subject line? I’m sure you did. What does it say? That’s right… despite all that good stuff during the aforementioned season, do not draft Amare Stoudemire.
For more, click here to go to this special article to EndScore from Dropping Dimes.
OAKLAND ATHLETICS
There are reports that Bobby Crosby, who hasn’t played since July 30th, could be headed to the DL with back problems. Crosby has battled a variety of injuries this year and his power and batting average have shown it. The speculation of the DL trip confirms that the back is not going to get better anytime this season. It is best to avoid him in all fantasy formats until 2007.
Marco Scuturo has been playing shortstop in Crosby’s place. As a fantasy player, Scuturo brings nothing to the table. He has no power or speed and is batting .228.
Dan Johnson is absolutely destroying Triple-A pitching with a .421 avg., 6 HR and 27 RBI in just 76 AB. It should not be long before he is back with the big team.
A couple of weeks ago Nick Swisher said that he might have mono. Based on his continuing struggles there may be something to that. He has just one extra-base hit in his last 52 AB and his batting average is down to .247. Mixed-leaguers should reserve him until he shows some signs that his strength is back.
Click to continue reading American League Fantasy Notes: A.L. West
American League Fantasy Notes: A.L. Central
Posted by Tom Massimo Categories: Editorial, Fantasy, MLB,
CHICAGO WHITE SOX
Joe Crede hit his 23nd home run on Tuesday Night surpassing a career high set last year. His 22 doubles is one more than all of 2005’s output. Crede’s 90% contact rate, a good 5% to 7% above his usual numbers, has now held up for over a half-season. Sustaining it over that long of a time frame means it could legitimately represent a skill growth. At 28 years old, he is at the right age for his power to be peaking. The numbers show that Crede is making better contact and hitting the ball harder. Stay with him, a 30 home run, 100 RBI season is easily within reach.
A.J. Pierzynski’s .320 batting average is over his head. His strong 88% contact rate is within his career levels, but a poor batting eye of .37 and a lack of speed or power should bring his average down 20 to 30 points.
Jim Thome has sat out three straight games with a sore right wrist and back spasms. The back spasms are more worrisome as he has had problems in that area before. He is considered day to day.
Click to continue reading American League Fantasy Notes: A.L. Central
Magazine Review: Grogan’s Fantasy Football Analyst
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Fantasy, NFL,
Alright football fanatics, we know you all have your office fantasy games ready to go, and you are checking stats like made hoping to walk away with the all-so-coveted parking spot that the winner walks away with. There are a bunch of magazine out there that aim to help you decide what you should do with your fantasy teams. Rather than have you go out and buy them all, hoping to walk away with victory, End Score reader Ben VanWinkle decided he would buy them, read them, and tell us what he liked - and didn’t like - about the publication. First up - Athlon Sports Grogan’s Fantasy Football Analyst.
It’s Fantasy Football draft time again and players everywhere are scrambling for the advice that will give them the edge in their league. Consumers have dozens of magazines to choose from – but which is the best? And more importantly which publication is right for your particular needs?
This series of article reviews several magazines on store shelves right now to help you decide. I’ll dissect each and describe its contents and unique features and advise on the kind of reader who might benefit most from it. I’ll let you know my impression of it – do I think it’s worth buying? Next January I’ll take another look at each and let you know how accurate they were in their forecasting.
Just in case it’s a factor in your decision to buy I’ve counted up the number of ads featuring scantily clad women and included that information in the header section of each review. Maybe that’s something you want to avoid—or maybe it’s a feature for you – either way the information is here.
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Fantasy Value: Carlos Lee to Texas Rangers
Posted by Tom Massimo Categories: Editorial, Fantasy, MLB,
Pending the results of physicals, the Texas Rangers pulled off a big trade with the Milwaukee Brewers, acquiring slugger Carlos Lee, minor-leaguer Nelson Cruz and a player to be named later for Kevin Mench, Francisco Cordero, and Lance Nix.
Click to continue reading Fantasy Value: Carlos Lee to Texas Rangers
LOS ANGELES ANGELS
One of the reasons why Robb Quinlan will probably sit against most right-handers is that the Angels have to find ways to get rookie Howie Kendrick’s bat in the line-up. Last week, Manager Mike Scioscia said that Kendrick would platoon with Adam Kennedy at second base. Being on the bad end of the platoon, Kendrick has also seen action at first and third base. The 23 year old’s future is as a starter so there is no reason to platoon him, especially since his righty/lefty batting split is .370/.174 in his first 50 major league AB. Kendrick should see enough AB to justify being used in mixed leagues.
It remains to be seen how the playing time shakes out now that Kendry Morales has been sent to the minors. Righty swinging Quinlan, who was platooning at first base figures to see some extra AB. Quinlan mashes left-handed pitching. His 2004/2005/2006 averages against southpaws is .390/.289/.347. The jury is still out on how he will fare against right-handers. His 2004/2005/2006 averages against righties is .317/.137/.259. There is one solid year, a disaster year and one right in the middle. Look for Quinlan to play full-time against lefties and occasionally against righties. This will increase his value in AL-only leagues.
For the time being Adam Kennedy should play regularly against right-handers. Kennedy’s power has been in decline since 2004. He still hits some doubles but can only be counted on for a handful of home runs. There is some speed left in his legs as evidenced by the 4 triples that he has hit this year. However the 6 caught stealing in 15 tries is not exactly awe-inspiring. He can still be used in AL-only leagues, but you can do better in mixed leagues.
Click to continue reading American League Fantasy Notes: A.L. West
American League Fantasy Notes: A.L. Central
Posted by Tom Massimo Categories: Editorial, Fantasy, MLB,
KANSAS CITY ROYALS
Just as quickly as he was demoted from the closer role, Ambiorix Burgos is back in it after the Royals traded Mike MacDougal. While Burgos’ 9.0 K/9 is impressive, a BB/9 rate of 4.9 and 10 home runs allowed in 48 innings has led to 9 blown saves and a 5.25 ERA. He is just 22 years old and there is talent here, it just won’t happen this year.
Mike Sweeney is heading for a rehab assignment and could be activated from the DL next week. He will almost certainly be used exclusively as the full-time DH upon his return. His injury history will always make him a risky play, but he does own some very nice offensive skills.
The Royals acquisition of second baseman Jeff Keppinger from the Mets could be a sign that they will move Mark Grudzielanek by the August 1st trade deadline. Keppinger makes good contact and has a strong batting eye, but lacks the power or speed to be a fantasy asset.
Reggie Sanders went on the 15 day with a right thigh strain, almost eliminating the possibility of a trade by August 1st. Because he is owed $5 Million for next season, he should be able to pass through waivers, so a trade in August is still possible. The Royals recalled Shane Costa to take his spot on the roster. Costa was hitting .377 in Triple-A, but in 134 AB with the Royals this year he has a .20 batting eye and a 1.47 G/F ratio. Stay away from him, as he will hurt your batting average.
The Royals acquired left-hander Odalis Perez and a pair of minor leaguers for Elmer Dessens. Perez has not pitched as bad as his 6.83 ERA would indicate. 9 home runs allowed in 59.1 innings and some poor bullpen support has hurt him. That being said, his K/9 is down to 5.1 from the 6.20 to 6.90 area where it was when he had his greatest success. Moving to the American League and baseball’s worst team won’t help either.
The Royals also traded infielder Tony Graffanino to the Brewers for left-hander Jorge De La Rosa. De La Rosa is out of options so he will stick around in middle relief. Poor command will keep him there and off of the fantasy radar. Graffanino’s departure will give Esteban German some more AB. He could be a cheap source of steals in AL-only leagues.
Click to continue reading American League Fantasy Notes: A.L. Central
A Hack Job: The “Big Things” in Sports
Posted by Dennis Velasco Categories: Athletes, Championship, Editorial, Fantasy, Front Office, Golf, Kudos, MLB, NBA, NFL, Playoffs, Tennis,
As sports fans, we love and want to witness feats of athletic, methodical, and powerful achievement. The grace of Barry Sanders stopping on a dime, running back five yards, then going forward 80 yards while evading all 11 defensive players for a score was soemthing you felt lucky to see, mouth agape, drool making a half necklace around your neck. The devastating display of homerun power in 1998 as Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa chase of Roger Maris and his single season home run record and the way they chased each other had even your grandmother paying attention to the home run race. And, how about Tiger Wood’s assassin-like taking of the PGA at the turn of the century, and most recently this past weekend at the British Open.
Face it, folks, we want to know and be blessed with witnessing, to steal from LeBron James and Nike, the “big things” in sports. And, I’m here to help you all figure out what those things are.
Click to continue reading A Hack Job: The “Big Things” in Sports
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