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American League Fantasy Notes: A.L. Central
Posted by Tom Massimo Categories: Fantasy, MLB, News,
DETROIT TIGERS
Zach Miner continues his hold on the number five starting spot, with a 3-1 record and a 2.08 ERA. However, with just 13 K’s in 26 innings and a G/F ratio hovering around 1.0, there could be some bumps in the road.
Carlos Guillen looks like he has recovered from the knee injury that plagued his 2005 season. The numbers he is putting up is consistent with his breakout 2004 season. He provides nice power for a middle infielder. The eight stolen bases look good until you see that he has been caught 5 times. If that continues, the green light will not be given often.
The difference in Kenny Rogers home ERA of 1.76 versus his road ERA of 4.17 can be explained by just 1 home run allowed at home against 11 on the road. While he is obviously a must start at home, this does not mean you need to bench him on the road. Those with the roster flexibility may want to consider sitting him in road starts in extremely hitter friendly stadiums such as Texas.
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The Miami Heat completed an impressive NBA Finals run on Tuesday, winning the series 4 games to 2. The series was appropriately packed with storylines and great games; a fitting end to a fantastic two months of NBA playoffs.
In my opinion, the best storyline of this whole series was not Dwyane Wade carrying the Heat, or Shaq winning his 4th ring, or Pat Riley coaching his 5th champion, or Mark Cuban running out onto the floor and making the series all about him. This series, ending on the last day of spring, was a tribute to the Alonzo Mourning.
The once super star center out from Georgetown was diagnosed with kidney disease in 2000, and his minutes have been limited ever since.
Tonight, he played a critical role pouring in 8 points, 6 boards, and 5 blocks. The energy that he brought to the team during his 14 minutes with Shaq on the bench and in foul trouble was inspiring. He has been an inspiration to many throughout his illness, transplant, and recovery.
Congratulations Heat, and Alonzo Mourning.
Miami Heat - NBA Champions!
Posted by Dennis Velasco Categories: Championship, Kudos, NBA, Playoffs, Scoreboard,
In what seemed impossible, the Miami Heat beat the Dallas Mavericks in Game Six of the NBA Finals, 95-92, to claim the franchise’s first championship. It’s not that the Heat were huge underdogs to win tonight’s game, but in the fact that they won four straight games after going down two games to none at the beginning of the series.
But, before I go any further, I have to give props to the Dallas Mavericks who easily could have been the world champions instead. The only problem was that they had to defend the Heat’s Dwyane Wade, who was simply off-the-charts the last four games. In any case, the Mavs will probably sign Jason Terry, who shined during the postseason, and keep this team together to contend the next few seasons. Kudos to them.
At the opening of tonight’s game, it looked like the Mavs were going to run away with the game early, but thanks to Wade scoring seven points in under two minutes for the Heat, the end of the first quarter wasn’t as bad as it could have been. In the second quarter, the Heat just continued to pour it on, outscoring the Mavs for the quarter, 26-18 and taking a one point lead into the half.
But, the second half of the game couldn’t have been played any more tightly.
Click to continue reading Miami Heat - NBA Champions!
Carolina Hurricanes Win The Stanley Cup
Posted by Dennis Velasco Categories: Athletes, Championship, Kudos, NHL, Playoffs,
The Carolina Hurricanes beat the Edmonton Oilers 3-1 in Game Seven of the Stanley Cup Finals and almost like the 1996 World Series Champion New York Yankees, the Hurricanes have to thank a rookie. I say almost because Derek Jeter’s impact wasn’t as much as goalie, Cam Ward’s. Ward who filled in at goal for the struggling Martin Gerber at the beginning of the playoffs and was simply amazing. So amazing, in fact, he won the Conn Smythe Trophy that goes to the MVP of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
After leading the series 3-1, it looked like the Oilers would fold, but they came back in Game Five with a well-fought overtime win and a 4-0 blowout in Game Six. However, they never looked like they were in control in Game Seven as Ward simply wouldn’t let them, blocking 22 shots of the Oilers’ 23 for the night.
This is the first Stanley Cup for the Carolina Hurricanes. Congratulations!
The following interleague games will be played on National League grass/turf. First up the only true N.L. game.
Cincinnati Reds @ New York Mets
E. Ramirez (2-5, 3.44) vs. S. Trachsel (4-4, 4.81)
- The Mets try to get back on track after losing to the Reds yesterday, getting shut down by Bronson Arroyo. However, there’s a reason the Metropolitans have four players (Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran, Paul LoDuca, and David Wright).
New York Yankees @ Philadelphia Phillies
C. Wang (7-2, 4.15) vs. M. O’Connor (3-4, 3.70)
- Speaking of the Mets, I’m sure them and their fans are hoping the Yankees can beat the Phillies in order to get more of a cushion in the N.L. East. And they Yankees want to win because that’s what they’re all about. Imagine t
Toronto Blue Jays @ Atlanta Braves
J. Towers (1-8, 9.00) vs. J. Sosa (1-9, 5.35)
- The Braves are in last place. Wait, what? Seriously? It’s hard to imagine the Braves being in last place after dominating the division season after season. Meanwhile the Blue Jays are sticking with the Red Sox and Yankes and with their improvements on offense and pitching, they could hang for a while. Tonight, both pitchers will try to get their second win.
Minnesota Twins @ Houston Astros
B. Radke (5-7, 5.83) vs. R. Oswalt (6-3, 3.21)
- He’s baaaaack! Okay, not exactly yet, but Roger Clemens will be making his season debut eventually sometime in this series, Thusday being the scheduled date. In the meantime, Oswalt was pitching like an ace and deserves more props.
Detroit Tigers @ Milwaukee Brewers
Z. Miner (2-1, 2.65) vs. R. Heiling (0-0, 0.00)
- After spraining his right elbow at the beginning of the season, Heiling is back to pitch for the Pirates. Miner, a rookie, gets a chance to prove he belongs in the big show. The Brew Crew got shut down by Jeremy Bonderman last night, only scoring one run. Let’s see if they can score against Miner who has a losw ERA in a small sample size.
Oakland Athletics @ Colorado Rockies
E. Loaiza (2-3, 6.03) vs. J. Jennings (5-6, 4.32)
- The Athletics ten-game win streak was stopped last night by the Rockies, who won by the score of 7-0. Tonight, Loaiza will try to get the A’s back to their winning ways in the thin air of Colorado.
Seattle Mariners @ Los Angeles Dodgers
J. Pineiro (5-7, 5.42) vs. B. Penny (7-1, 2.49)
- Penny is having a great season thus far and should continue to do so against an inconsistent and almost lost Mariners batting order. The young kids like Matt Kemp have stepped up for the Dodgers.
Los Angeles Angels @ San Francisco Giants
J. Lackey (4-4, 3.46) vs. M. Morris (4-7, 4.81)
- Wow, these teams stink! That is, if you put much weight in the fact that they’re both in last place in their division. Yeah, that pretty much says it all. All kidding aside, watch tonight’s game because Lackey will only get better and Morris can’t really be as bad as he’s been.
Enjoy the games!
The following interleague games will be played in an American League ballpark.
Florida Marlins @ Baltimore Orioles
D. Willis (3-6, 4.39) vs. D. Cabrera (4-3, 4.17)
- Two young guns who have the potential for greatness every time they step on the mound. Yes, I know, their record says differently, but believe me.
Washington Nationals @ Boston Red Sox
L. Hernandez (5-7, 5.18) vs. T. Wakefield (4-8, 3.97)
- Boston took the first game and should take this one too. After pitching all those innings over the years, I believe that Hernandez’s rubber arm has turned into a dead arm. I think he’ll still show flashes, but the horse is heading towards pasture, in my opinion.
Chicago Cubs @ Cleveland Indians
G. Maddux (7-6, 4.82) vs. C. Lee (5-5, 5.04)
- Both pitchers started the season off hot, but have cooled a lot since the first month. Last night’s game was a slobber knocker, but I think both pitchers will bring it and keep the score down.
Arizona Diamondbacks @ Tampa Bay Devil Rays
M. Batista (6-4, 4.68) vs. M. Hendrickson (3-7, 3.62)
- The Diamondbacks are slip, slip, sliding down the standings in the N.L. West while the D-Rays seem firmly entrenched dwelling in the cell of the A.L. East.
St. Louis Cardinals @ Chicago White Sox
M. Mulder (6-4, 5.32) vs. J. Vazquez (7-4, 4.54)
- Based on talent alone, this should be a well-pitched game with the crafty lefty in Mulder versus the flame-throwing Vazquez. Mulder is more consistent of the two, but doesn’t have the potential to make batters say, “daaaaaaamn” the way Vazquez can.
San Diego Padres @ Texas Rangers
M. Thompson (2-2, 4.24) vs. V. Padilla (6-4, 4.65)
- The Rangers are tied for first with the Oakland Athletics in the A.L. West and a lot of that has to do with their improved pitching, of which Padilla has been contributing. The Padres are also tied for first in their division, the N.L. West. I guess we’ll find out with this series how the west will be won.
Pittsburgh Pirates @ Kansas City Royals
K. Wells (0-0, 0.00) vs. M. Redman (3-4, 5.68)
- Wells makes his first appearance of the season after suffering from a blood cot. Facing the Royals offense could be a good way for Redman to break in the season as they are an offense that ranks last or near the bottom in every major offensive category.
Enjoy the games!
Draft the Stache!
Posted by Sean O'Connor Categories: Athletes, Drafts, Front Office, NBA, College Basketball,
The 2006 NBA draft is quickly approaching (June 28th), and it sounds like that the Portland Trailblazer fans are making it very clear who they would like the team to select with the 4th pick of the draft.
The Draft the Stache Campaign is gaining traction in the Rose City, and urging the Blazers to draft Gonzaga star Adam Morrison. An open letter to the team declares that Morrison is the player that can help re-establish the fans trust in the organization harkening back to the days of Clyde Drexler and Terry Porter.
I wonder if the fans campaigned to draft Sam Bowie back in the 1984 NBA Draft?
Read More 
| Draft The Stache
First, the non-interleague games:
Arizona Diamondbacks @ Pittsburgh Pirates
C. Vargas (6-4, 5.21) vs. Z. Duke (5-6, 4.52)
- The Diamondbacks were just swept by the Texas Rangers and are owners of a five-game losing streak. In fact, they’re 1-9 in their last 10 games. I guess you can thank the Jason Grimsley fiasco for this. Okay, not really because you have to play the games, but I’m sure it’s played some role in the downfall of the D-Backs. The Pirates were also recently swept by an A.L. team, the Minnesota Twins. However, they had a chance to win yesterday, but the Pirates’ Oliver Perez committed a critical error in the eighth inning with two outs and Nick Punto hitting a soft grounder that could have ended the inning. Perez matched up well with Johan Santana as his final numbers show – 7.2 innings pitched, one earned run, five K’s, five hits, and only one walk – but he still lost. In any case, Duke will try to end the Bucs’ four game skid and get on track to meeting expectations after last year’s very good rookie showing.
Cincinnati Reds @ New York Mets
B. Arroyo (8-3, 2.51) vs. O. Hernandez (4-5, 5.50)
- Wow, so many sweeps… the Reds had it done to them by the defending champion Chicago White Sox over the weekend and have gone 2-8 in their last 10. The surprising Arroyo has shown that he’s pretty much the real deal and not a flash in the pan like Paul Wilson was a couple of seasons’ ago when he started off 7-0 and ended up being 11-6. Beating the Mets will go a long way in solidifying his street cred even more. Since joining the Mets, “El Duque” Hernandez is 2-1 in four starts with a 4.30 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and a .238 BAA. He had a bad start in his only start at Shea as a Met and will be facing a high-powered batting order, but the way the Mets have been playing lately, 8-2 in their last 10, even if Hernandez gets lit up, he could still get the win.
Click to continue reading Dealing To The Dish: National League 6.19.06
It’s Monday, folks, usually a slow day in baseball-dom, just like Thursdays can be. In any case, we’re still in a bath of interleague games and most games continue to be played in National League ballparks. So, today’s offerings in the A.L. are a bit short. The following interleague games will be played in an American League ballpark.
Washington Nationals @ Boston Red Sox
T. Armas (6-3, 4.18) vs. K. Snyder (0-0, 22.50)
- The Nationals took two of three games in their last series against the A.L. East’s New York Yankees and look to continue that success against the Boston Red Sox. Tony Armas is actually pitching and not injured somehow. Is it me or does he always seem like he’s on the DL? Oh well, can’t really say anything as he’s been pretty productive thus far this season. The Red Sox are coming off a series sweep against the Atlanta Braves over the weekend and are still atop the division, although by a slim margin over the Yankees.
Chicago Cubs @ Cleveland Indians
S. Marshall (3-5, 4.82) vs. J. Johnson (3-7, 6.00)
- The Cubbies have lost six in a row, getting swept by divisional foe, the Houston Astros, and over the weekend during interleague play by the Detroit Tigers. Marshall was bumped from his start yesterday because of Mark Prior’s return from the DL. Considering Prior only last 3.2 innings, giving up seven earned runs, including four homers, Marshall should have gotten the start. In any case, he gets it today against an Indians club that aren’t doing so well themselves. They were swept by the Brewers over the weekend and are 2-8 in their last 10 games. Yikes! This could be an ugly game.
Enjoy the games!
American League Fantasy Notes: A.L. East
Posted by Tom Massimo Categories: Fantasy, MLB, News,
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
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