YMM Fantasy Baseball Preview: Relief Pitchers

Now that 2010 is here, the fantasy baseball season is right around the corner.  Your Mother’s Mustache will be previewing each position in preparation for your draft day.  All rankings are based on a points system which values overall player productivity, including WHIP (walks + hits/innings pitched) and strikeout to walk ratio.  Because if you’re still playing in a roto league, you probably also have a “Members Only” jacket hanging in your closet.

1. Jonathan Broxton (LAD)- Broxton cemented himself as the top closer last year by striking out 114 batters and posting a 0.96 WHIP in 76 innings of work.  Playing for a contender will afford him plenty of save opportunities, and at the age of 25, he is just entering his prime.  Broxton is the only closer in this year’s draft that should be considered in the early rounds.

2. Mariano Rivera (NYY)- The only thing more impressive than his 526 career saves is the fact that he has spent the past 15 years getting batters out with just one pitch.  Mo might be old enough to be my great grandpa-pa, but he’s still one of the best options in fantasy.  The Yankees should win 90-100 games this season, making him a lock for at least 40 saves.

3. Joe Nathan (MIN)- The only other closer on this list who might be just as reliable as Rivera, Nathan saved 47 games last season for the Twins.  He has posted a sub 1.00 WHIP in almost every season since becoming Minnesota’s closer.  He’ll turn 36 this year, so he’s on the downside of his career, but closers tend to have a longer shelf life than other relievers.  Nathan is worth a mid round pick in your draft.

4. Jonathan Papelbon (BOS)- Papelbon’s peripherals have been trending in the wrong direction for the past two seasons, which is worrisome for a power pitcher.  He walked a career high 24 batters in 68 innings last year, and his WHIP broke the 1.00 mark for the first time since he became the Sox closer.  He’ll still get his fair share of opportunities, but he’s no longer worth an early round pick.

5. Andrew Bailey (OAK)- If Bailey played for a contender, he’d be much higher on this list.  Last season’s AL Rookie of the Year took over as Oakland’s closer when the team finally realized a month into the season that Brad Ziegler sucks balls.  All he did was strike out 91 batters on his way to saving 26 games, all while posting a league best 0.88 WHIP.  Bailey could easily finish the year as the second or third best closer, making him a great value pick in the middle rounds of your draft.

6. Brian Wilson (SF)- Wilson was named San Francisco’s closer by default in ‘08, so his 4.64 ERA that season didn’t really catch anyone by surprise.  The fact that he still managed to save 41 games did.  Last year his numbers were vastly improved, giving fantasy owners hope that he may be capable of posting elite stats.  The Giants pitiful lineup and strong rotation should produce plenty of save opportunities for Wilson again this season, making him an excellent candidate to save 40 games.

7. Huston Street (COL)- Street’s move to the National League last season revived his floundering career.  He saved more than 30 games for the first time since 2006, and improved his ERA and WHIP from the previous season.  His injury history makes him one of the riskier picks on draft day, but if he can stay healthy he should save at least 30 games again for the Rockies.

8. Heath Bell (SD)- The fat bastard’s first year as the Padres closer was a successful campaign, saving 42 games and earning 6 relief victories.  San Diego will be lucky to win 42 games this season, so Bell’s chances of repeating ’09’s performance are slim to none.  Don’t be the sucker to overpay for a closer on one of the worst teams in baseball on draft day.

9. Joakim Soria (KC)- Soria is a much better closer than his position on this list indicates, but pitching for the Royals will provide him few save chances.  He also missed time last season with a sore shoulder, which is never a good sign for any pitcher.  Soria can out produce some of the closers ranked before him, but only if he gets opportunities and stays healthy.

10. Trevor Hoffman (MIL)- Hoffman converted 37 of 41 save chances in his first season with the Brewers, and proved he’s still got something left in the tank.  The success of Milwaukee’s pitching staff will ultimately dictate how many opportunities Hoffman gets this year, but you can count on him for a little less than a K per inning and a WHIP around 1.00 when he does pitch.

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Dubbs, February 26th 2010 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Baseball, Random Stache'

Joba wouldn’t mind setup role

Joba the starter is open to becoming Joba the reliever, especially if the Yankees want to groom him as Mariano Rivera’s heir apparent.

Speaking to reporters last night before the annual Thurman Munson awards dinner in Manhattan, Joba Chamberlain reiterated comments he made to The Post on Saturday, when he said he considers himself a starter — but said he also realizes the Yankees have final say in the matter.

“Being down [in the bullpen] for two stints, you get to see how good [Rivera] is, and you know there is going to have to be somebody who comes behind him that replaces the legacy that is Mariano,” Chamberlain said. “If that opportunity comes, great. If we sit down and they say that, then we’ll get after it.”

It’s good to see that Joba is saying the right things here although this essentially means jack shit.  I still wake up in the middle of the night sometimes in a cold sweat because I have nightmares of the Yankees further botching this situation and not returning Joba to the set-up role where he not only belongs, but clearly performs his best.  Pitchers and Catchers report in 14 days so we’ll see really soon if the Yanks do the right thing here…..

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KRM, February 3rd 2010 | Tags: , ,
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Theeeeeeeeee Yankees Win!!!!!

yankeewin

Well just as we thought, the Yanks wrapped it up last night and brought the World Series title back to the Bronx.  So many guys came up huge throughout the playoffs that I don’t even know where to begin.  I’m tired as shit and a little delirious still from last night, but I still wanted to give some props.

- Alex Rodriguez was sensational throughout the entire post season.   He came through in the clutch time after time, series after series, and  finally earned his Yankee pinstripes in the eyes of the fans.  I’m not sure the Yankees would’ve made it to the World Series without the offense he provided.  A-Rod was a new man this season, with a seemingly newfound love for the game, as well as a newfound approach in dealing with the media.  He finally got a taste of what’s it like to be a World Series champion and I couldn’t be happier for the guy. 

 - Andy Pettitte pitched the series clinching game in every round of the playoffs this year, all while becoming the all time wins leader in post season history.  Andy was simply awesome this postseason.  He came up big in every single spot we needed him to, and showed why he was arguably the most crucial part to our pitching staff.  I really hope Andy comes back and plays one more year.

 -Mariano Rivera was clutch.  Nothing new there.  Mo pitch 5 2/3 innings in the World Series, not surrendering a run and picking up two saves in the process.  Mo was also the only closer this postseason not to blow a save for his team.  You all heard Mo say last night he wants to pitch another 5 years, and as crazy as that sounds I really hope it’s true.

 -Hideki Matsui is the 2009 World Series MVP, and deservedly so.  Sadly, this was most likely Matsui’s last game as a member of the New York Yankees.  But Matsui went out as a Yankee just as he came in, and that’s coming through in a huge way.  Matsui really did deserve the MVP, hitting .615 this World Series with 3 HR’s and 8 RBI’s.  If this really was Matsui’s last game in the Bronx, he will be sorely missed.

 -The Captain is all you have to say.  As always, Derek Jeter was consistent throughout these playoffs and the World Series.  I just hope this World Series showed some of the haters out there that Derek Jeter really does deserve all of the praise and accolades that he has received throughout his career.  This guy is a leader and a champion in every sense of the word.  If anyone out there still hates, they can go fuck themselves.

 -Johnny Damon is yet another guy who may not be returning for the 2010 season, although at this point it looks like he’ll be back for one more year.  I really hope we do bring Johnny back, because after a season plagued with injuries in 2008, Johnny finally got healthy and proved he is still one of the better hitters in the game.  I don’t care how shitty an arm he has, I want him back in left next year.

 -Joba Chamberlain went from being one of the most feared relievers in baseball to being a very average and hittable starter.  This post season we saw Joba go back to the pen (where he belongs) and as a result he started to show signs of his old self.  Joba pitched great in relief last night, and even though he gave up a HR out of the pen in game 4, I still think that’s the best I’ve seen him throw all year.  I don’t know what would’ve happened if Joba didn’t step up since Phil Hughes suddenly became very hittable this post season.  Let’s hope the Yanks do the right thing and keep Joba in the bullpen next year.

 -Well it’s safe to say that the two biggest pitching acquisitions of the off-season in CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett paid off in a huge way.  CC pitched great throughout the playoffs despite not getting a win in either of his 2 World Series starts.  If it was not for Sabathia and his freakish durability, things probably would not have gone so smoothly.  A.J. Burnett did have a terrible start on short rest in game 5, but we can easily let that slide after the gem he pitched in game 2 of the World Series. His performance prevented the Yankees from digging themselves into an insurmountable 0-2 hole.  And even at their worst, both of these guys are better than our options from the past few years.  They were worth every single penny.

 -Damaso Marte retired the last 11 batters he faced this postseason, and was a key lefty specialist out of the pen.  He has been a player often overlooked since we acquired him from the Pirates via trade last year, but an important player none the less.  Marte has always been a highly touted lefted handed reliever,  but was yet to live up to the hype until this post season.  We may not have been able to win this title without some of his key outs in tight spots.

 -And finally, Joe Girardi.  World Series champion manager Joe Girardi.  Everybody, including myself, doubted him from day one.  And after the Yankees missed the playoffs for the first time in 12 years in his first season as manager, he was on thin ice going into this season.  Even after the year we had, people still questioned Girardi.  They scrutinized every in-game move, especially how he handle the pitching staff and choosing to elect only 3 days rest for CC in the playoffs.  But now Joe is a vindicated World Series champion, and we are all glad he stuck with his gut and managed with his heart.  Girardi was able to bring this team the camaraderie that they have been desperately seeking for the past 9 years, and because of this the Yankees are World Series champions for the 27th time.  Congratulations.

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KRM, November 5th 2009 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Chan Ho Park sucks at cheating

Remember a few weeks ago when there was all that commotion about people thinking that Mariano spits on his cutter?  Well, if he does he’s at least a lot better at cheating than Chan Ho Park.  Come on Chan Ho, that shit is weak.

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KRM, November 2nd 2009 | Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Scandalous, Sports, TV

Yankees vs. Phillies World Series Preview

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The New York Yankees begin their quest for a 27th world title tonight against the defending champion Philadelphia Phillies.  Your Mother’s Mustache breaks down all of the match ups for you.

Catcher: Jorge Posada vs. Carlos Ruiz-Jorge Posada has made the most of his postseason at bats considering Jose Molina has become AJ Burnett’s personal catcher.  In 31 plate appearances, Posada has 2 home runs and is slugging .484.  Carlos Ruiz has even better numbers this postseason, batting .346 with a home run and 7 RBIs.    While Posada has the clear edge in playoff experience, Ruiz is the better defender and the hotter bat right now.  Oh yeah, and he can actually count to 3.  Edge: Phillies

First Base: Mark Teixeira vs. Ryan Howard-Mark Teixeira has had a rough postseason at the plate thus far, batting a measly .205 with only 5 RBIs out of the three hole.  But his offensive numbers don’t tell the whole story.  His defense at first base changes games, and where his bat has failed his glove has excelled.  On the other side, Ryan Howard is on a tear right now, and has been the Phillies MVP through the first 2 rounds.  He is batting .355 with 2 home runs and 14 RBI for the defending World Series Champs.  His defense is vastly improved this year, and he is the second most dangerous bat in this series.  Edge: Phillies

Second Base: Robinson Cano vs. Chase Utley- These two players have very similar skill sets.  Both can hit for average and power, and both provide outstanding defense at the second base position.  Utley has hit .3o3 so far this postseason, but Cano has driven in 3 more runs.  This is the closest call in these match ups, but I’ll take Utley because he always seems to come through in the big spots.  Edge: Phillies

Third Base: Alex Rodriguez vs. Pedro Feliz-  My, how a year can change everything.  The former postseason punching bag must think it’s May, because Arod has carried the Yankees offense through the first two rounds.  He’s been the definition of clutch, coming through with 3 game tying hits in the late innings, all while batting .438 with 5 home runs and 12 RBIs.  He has been the Yankees Most Valuable Player this postseason, and if they win it all this year, no one will remember the man who was demoted to 8th in the lineup against the Tigers just 3 years ago.  Pedro Feliz is… well, Pedro Feliz.  Enough said.  Edge: Yankees

Shortstop: Derek Jeter vs. Jimmy Rollins-  There’s a reason why the Yankees have been to the playoffs 13 times since Derek Jeter became the everyday shortstop.  He makes clutch plays when the game is on the line.  The captain is hitting .297 with 3 home runs, 5 RBIs and 9 runs out of the lead off spot.  His range isn’t what it used to be, but any team would be more than happy to have him manning their shortstop position.  Jimmy Rollins is a strong defender, but offensively is a mere shell of his former MVP self.  Let’s be honest, he would need to be batting .600 with 25 home runs this postseason to even have a chance to win this match up anyway.  Edge: Yankees

Left Field: Johnny Damon vs. Raul Ibanez-Both players have been disappointments in the playoffs after coming off very strong regular season campaigns.  Raul Ibanez does have 9 RBIs for the Fightin’ Phils, but his .226 batting average leads me to believe that his run production has more to do with hitting behind Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth than anything else.  Johnny Damon is only batting .238 with a .273 on base percentage out of the two hole.  He’s going to have to get on base in front of the big bats with more regularity if the Yanks want to keep pace with Philadelphia’s high powered offense.  Ibanez’s defense give him the edge in this match up.  Edge: Phillies

Center Field: Melky Cabrera vs. Shane Victorino- The Flyin’ Hawaiian is hitting .361 with 3 home runs, 7 RBIs, 8 runs and 2 stolen bases.  To top it all off, he is a gold glove center fielder.  Melky Cabrera is not.  Edge: Phillies

Right Field: Nick Swisher vs. Jayson Werth- Nick Swisher has had an abysmal postseason.  He is batting .125, and his defense is questionable at best.  But Swisher’s real value this season has been his ability to keep the clubhouse atmosphere loose, taking pressure off of the team’s superstars.  Jayson Werth is just another potent cog in the Phillies lineup.  He is slugging .813 this postseason.  Yes, .813.  I don’t care if Swisher is giving Arod blow jobs before each game, there’s just no way to compete with that.  Edge: Phillies

Designated Hitter: Hideki Matsui vs. Matt Stairs-Hideki Matsui may not be able to play the field anymore, but he sure as shit can still swing a bat.  Godzilla is coming off of a regular season in which he hit 28 home runs with 90 RBIs, all while batting a respectable .274.  Matt Stairs has 2 postseason hits in his 17 year career.  Even with Matsui struggling through the first 2 rounds, he is the clear cut favorite in this match up.  Edge: Yankees

Starting Pitching: CC Sabathia/AJ Burnett/Andy Pettitte vs. Cliff Lee/Pedro Martinez/Cole Hamels- CC is 3-0 this postseason and has 20 strikeouts and a 1.19 ERA through 23 innings.  He has been the Yankees best pitcher, regularly pitching on short rest.  Burnett started this postseason strong with a 2.19 ERA through his first 2 starts, but got bombed in his last appearance in game 5 against the Angels.  He can’t afford to have an off day against the Phillies lineup.  Andy Pettitte is old reliable, and gives his team a chance to win every time he takes the mound in the playoffs.  His 2.37 ERA is impressive, and the Yankees will need him to come up big and neutralize the Phillies left handers.  Cliff Lee is the only pitcher who might be having a better playoff run than Sabathia.  Through 24 innings, he has a 0.74 ERA and 2 wins.  Just remember that this has come against NL hitting, and his career numbers against AL hitters are not nearly as impressive.  In a strange twist of fate, old Yankee nemesis Pedro Martinez gets the nod in game 2.  In his last and only postseason appearance this year, he pitched 7 shutout innings.  Cole Hamels has continued his disappointing season, putting up a 6.75  ERA in 15 innings through the first 2 rounds.  The Yankees starters are stronger from top to bottom, and when you have CC pitching a shutout every 3rd start it’s tough to lose.  Edge: Yankees

Bullpen: Mariano Rivera vs. Brad Lidge-Mariano Rivera is the best relief pitcher in the history of the game.  At the age of 40, he continues to dominate the competition with just one pitch.  Armando Benitez could be his set up man and New York would still have the edge in this match up.  Edge: Yankees

Manager: Joe Girardi vs. Charlie Manuel-  Joe Girardi has a tendency to over manage game situations, but his team is so talented that they can overcome any mistakes he makes.  Charlie Manuel gets the most out of his players, and already has a World Series title on his resume.  Edge: Phillies

Prediction: 

 

Yankees in 6.

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Dubbs, October 28th 2009 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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2009 ALCS Preview: Yankees vs. Angels

ALDS Yankees Twins Baseball

This year’s ALCS features the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.  The series is set to begin Friday night at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.  For the Yankees, it’s their first appearance in the ALCS since the 2004 heartbreaker of a series vs. the Red Sox.  The Angels return to the ALCS for the first time since 2005, when they lost in 5 games to the Chicago White Sox.  The Angels hold a 6-3 advantage against the Yankees in 9 previous playoff matchups, which includes the 2002 ALDS when the Angels won the series in 4 games and the 2005 ALDS when they defeated the Yankees in 5 games.  Your Mother’s Mustache has a full breakdown of what’s sure to be a classic tilt among these two American League powerhouses.

2009 Season Series:  Tied 5-5

CATCHER:  Jorge Posada/Jose Molina vs. Mike Napoli/Jeff Mathis

Posada hit .364 (4 for 11) in the ALDS vs. the Twins.  He hit a clutch go-ahead home run off Carl Pavano in the 7th inning of game 3 that proved to be the game winner.  Posada will once again sit in favor of Jose Molina when AJ Burnett pitches, but best believe the Yankees will get his bat in the lineup as much as they can in this series.  The Angels will look to run on Posada with speedster Chone Figgins (42 steals), as well as Bobby Abreu (30 steals), but will find it much tougher to run when Molina is behind the dish.  Mike Napoli can hit for power, as evidenced by his 20 home runs in 100 starts this season, so the Yankees pitchers will need to keep the ball down in the zone against him.  Napoli went 1 for 4 (.250) in the series vs. the Red Sox and split time with the Angels other backstop, Jeff Mathis.  Mathis hit .333 in the ALDS vs. Boston, but has a career average of only .143 against the Yankees.

EDGE:  YANKEES

FIRST BASEMEN:  Mark Teixeira vs. Kendry Morales

The comparison between two of the game’s premier switch-hitting first basemen is closer than many of you may think.  Other than two clutch hits in game 2, Teixeira didn’t have a particularly good series with the bat in the ALDS.  He hit just .166 (2 for 12) in the series, but he did hit the game-winning, walk-off home run in the 11th inning of game 2.  Teixeira had an MVP caliber season in his first with the Yankees, but struggled against the Angels, hitting just .225 in 10 contests.  On the other side, Cuban-born Kendry Morales was one of the biggest breakout players of this past season.  He set career highs across the board, hitting .306 with 34 HR and 108 RBI.  Like Teixeira, Morales struggled in the opening round of the playoffs, hitting just .200 (2 for 10) with 1 HR and 3 RBI.  But he was one of the Angels better hitters vs. the Yankees in the regular season, hitting .375 in 10 games.  Morales is a solid defensive first basemen, committing only 8 errors in ’09, but he doesn’t compare to Teixeira who is probably the best defensive first basemen in the game today.

EDGE:  YANKEES

SECOND BASEMEN:  Robinson Cano vs. Howie Kendrick

Cano bounced back from a disappointing 2008 campaign to regain his status as one of the most productive players at his position in all of baseball.  He hit .320 this season with 25 HR and 85 RBI, but also struggled in the ALDS, hitting just .167 (2 for 12) with 1 RBI.  Cano was one of the Yankees more successful hitters against the Angels in the regular season.  He had 14 hits in 10 games, hitting at a .341 clip.  Howie Kendrick had a very interesting season for the Halos.  He was optioned to the minors in the middle of the season amidst some offensive struggles, which limited him to just 105 games on the season.  But Kendrick bounced back in the 2nd half of the season and despite his early season struggles, still finished with career highs in HRs (10) and RBI (61) while batting .291.  Kendrick will split time with Macier Izturis as he did in the ALDS vs. Boston.

EDGE:  YANKEES

SHORTSTOP:  Derek Jeter vs. Erick Aybar

The Yankee captain excelled in his new role as a lead off hitter this season, hitting for his highest batting average since 2006 (.334), while also stealing 30 bases.  Jeter began the 2009 post season with a bang, hitting a 2-run HR off Nick Blackburn in the 3rd inning of game 1 of the ALDS to get the Yankees on the board.  He finished 4 for 10 in the series, with 1 HR, 2 RBI and 4 runs, and once again showed why he is considered by many to be one of the best post season hitters ever to play the game.  Jeter hit .333 against the Angels during the regular season.  Erick Aybar came into the 2009 ALDS against Boston with minimal post season success.  He went a combined 2 for 19 in the 2007 and 2008 division series match ups with the Red Sox, but proved to be much better in this season’s series.  Aybar hit a 2 run triple in the 7th inning of game 2 and sparked the Angels comeback rally late in game 3 that helped lead to their 3-game sweep of Boston.  In 10 regular season clashes, Aybar hit .286 against the Yankees.

EDGE:  YANKEES

THIRD BASEMEN:  Alex Rodriguez vs. Chone Figgins

Coming into the playoffs this season, I told as many people as I could how sure I was that A-Rod would have a monster post season.  Well through the opening round, I think it’s safe to say that Rodriguez is well on his way.  Against the Twins, A-Rod hit an astounding .455 (5 for 11), including two clutch home runs and 6 runs batted in.  What’s even more so, is that A-Rod went a combined 0-6 in his first 2 AB’s of each game, meaning he went 5 for 5 in his final AB’s.  If that’s not clutch, then I don’t know what is.  A-Rod has seemingly silenced his critics for the time being and by the end of the ALCS, I expect him to silence them for good.  Chone Figgins is as dangerous a player as there is on the base paths in all of the majors and the perfect lead off man for manager Mike Scioscia’s National League style of baseball.  Scioscia will have Figgins testing Posada’s arm every chance he gets in this series.  In addition to his 42 stolen bases, Figgins hit .298 in ’09 with 114 runs (3rd overall in MLB) and 30 doubles.  He hit .333 on the season against the Yankees, but he’s coming off an awful series vs. the Red Sox, in which he went 0 for 12 with just 1 run scored.

EDGE:  YANKEES

LEFT FIELD:  Johnny Damon vs. Juan Rivera

After a great first half of the season that put him on pace for career highs in several offensive categories, Johnny Damon tailed off and puttered down the home stretch of the season.  Those struggles seem to have carried over into the postseason, as Damon hit just .083 (1 for 12) in the ALDS and looked lost at times at the plate.  To make matters worse, the veteran is a huge liability on defense, making only the most routine catches in left field.  Look for the Angels base runners to challenge Damon’s arm with every opportunity.  Hopefully his bat starts to get going in the first 2 games of this series, otherwise we could see more of Melky Cabrera in left and Brett Gardner in center.  Damon hit just .121 against the Angels in the regular season.  Juan Rivera finally got over the injury bug that has plagued him for much of his career and had a very productive season for the Angels.  He hit .287 with 25 HR and 88 RBI during the regular season and .273 (3 for 11) with O HRs and 2 RBI in the ALDS vs. Boston.  Rivera has a good arm in left and definitely gets the edge defensively in this match up.  In the 8 games he played vs. the Yankees in ‘09, Rivera hit .222 win no homers and 2 RBI.

SLIGHT EDGE:  ANGELS

CENTER FIELD:  Melky Cabrera/Brett Gardner vs. Torii Hunter

Melky Cabrera proved throughout the season that he can hit in the clutch as he collected several walk-off hits on the year.  He was one of the Yankees best players against the Angels during the regular season, hitting .393 with an on-base percentage of .485.  In the opening series sweep of the Twins, Melky was just 2 for 12 (.167) with 1 run and no extra-base hits.  We should also see Brett Gardner in CF, as Girardi will certainly use him late in games as both a pinch runner and defensive replacement.  Torii Hunter is still one of the best defensive outfielders in the game despite slowing down a few steps over the past few years.  He hit .299 on the season, with 22 HR and 90 RBI in just 119 games played.  In the ALDS vs. Boston, Hunter hit .200 (2 for 10) with 1 HR and 3 RBI, but struggled in the regular season vs. the Yankees, hitting just .233 in 7 games.  He is an important part of the Angels team and has a clear advantage over the Yankees counterparts in center field.

EDGE:  ANGELS

RIGHT FIELD:  Nick Swisher vs. Bobby Abreu

Nick Swisher is a very streaky hitter.  But all things considered, the Yankees got more than they expected from their right fielder in 2009.  He hit just .249 on the year, but also had 29 homers to go along with 82 RBI.  Swisher struggled mightily vs. the Twins however, collecting just 1 hit in 12 at-bats (.083).  He also struggled against the Angels in the regular season to the tune of .211 with 1 HR, 3 RBI and 4 K’s in 22 plate appearances.  When the Angels failed to sign Mark Teixeira as an unrestricted free agent last off season, they were forced to turn elsewhere to land the offensive firepower they needed.  They wound up landing what proved to be the biggest bargain signing of last year’s free agency market in Bobby Abreu.  Abreu had an absolutely superb season for the Angels, hitting .293 with 15 HR, 103 RBI and 30 stolen bases.  He became only the 2nd player in Angels team history to record over 100 RBI and 30 SB’s in the same season.  Abreu was excellent in the series vs. Boston, going 5 for 9 (.556) with 1 RBI and 4 runs scored.  He hit .314 in 35 at-bats against the Yankees in the regular season.

EDGE:  ANGELS

DESIGNATED HITTER:  Hideki Matsui vs. Vladimir Guerrero

For those of you out there that didn’t follow the Yankees closely this year, you may not have realized the type of season Matsui put together.  As the full-time DH for the first time in his career, Matsui hit .274 with 28 HR and 90 RBI for the Yankees.  In game 1 of the ALDS, he connected for a 2 run shot in the 5th inning vs. Twins starter Nick Blackburn to help lead the Yankees to victory.  Matsui has now played in 9 playoff series since coming over to the Yankees from Japan, and has 7 home runs in 165 at-bats with an average just above .300.  In 10 games this season vs. the Angels, Matsui had 3 HR and 6 RBI while hitting .250. Vladimir Guerrero battled injuries throughout the 2009 season, but started to come along in the last month of the season.  He’s certainly not the player he once was, but “Bad Vlad” is still a very dangerous hitter amongst many in the Angels lineup.  Guerrero was the hero in game 3 of the ALDS, coming through with a two-out, two-run single off Jonathan Papelbon to rally the Angels past the Red Sox and into the ALCS.  In the entire series, Vlad was 4 for 10 (.400) with those 2 crucial runs batted in, and in just 3 games vs. the Yankees in ’09, Vlad hit .462 with 1 HR and 3 RBI.

EDGE:  EVEN

STARTING ROTATION:  CC Sabathia/ AJ Burnett/ Andy Pettitte vs. John Lackey/ Joe Saunders/ Jered Weaver/ Scott Kazmir

In the ALDS, the Yankees outscored the Twins 15-6 behind superb outings from starters CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett and Andy Pettitte.  The three combined for 19 innings pitched, allowing 4 runs (3 earned) and 14 hits, while striking out 21 batters and walking only 6.  There has been a lot of talk stemming from Yankees camp that manager Joe Girardi is leaning towards going with a 3-man rotation against the Angels in an effort to get 3 starts from his ace, CC Sabathia.  I personally love this plan.  While with the Brewers last season, Sabathia repeatedly showed that he is capable of pitching effectively even on short days rest.  Couple that with the 5 days rest he’ll have coming into this series and I think Girardi’s approach is the way to go.  The one legitimate issue with this strategy is the forecast for inclement weather in the New York area on Friday night, which could cause game 1 to be postponed.  If this were to happen, the Yankees will be forced to go to a 4-man rotation seeing as the game would get pushed back a day and Sunday’s off day would be lost.  If the Yankees go to a 4-man rotation, Chad Gaudin would get the nod in game 4.

The Angels sport a very talented and deep starting rotation, beginning with game 1 starter John Lackey.  Lackey threw 7.1 shutout innings in game 1 of the ALDS vs. Boston and has proven to be a big game pitcher in playoffs’ past, particularly in game 7 of the 2002 World Series vs. San Francisco.  Lackey was 1-0 against the Yankees this season with a 2.57 ERA.  Joe Saunders will take the mound in game 2.  Saunders had a solid season for the Halos, going 16-7 with a 4.60 ERA and 101 strikeouts.  In his last start against the Yankees on September 21st, Saunders pitched very well, going 8.1 innings and allowing just 2 runs in a win.  The game 3 starter for the Angels will be Jered Weaver.  Weaver bounced back from a down year in 2008 to win 16 games with an ERA of 3.75 and 174 strikeouts.  Despite his success, Weaver didn’t fare well against the Yankees, going 1-1 with a 5.59 ERA.  And in game 4, the Halos will look to Scott Kazmir, who was acquired in a deal with the Tampa Bay Rays on August 28th of this year.  Kazmir went 2-2 with a 1.73 ERA in 6 regular season starts with the Angels, but didn’t pitch well in the Angels clinching win in game 3 vs. Boston.  He allowed 5 runs in 6 innings, while striking out 1 and walking 3.  In his career vs. the Yankees, Kazmir is 6-5 with a 2.67 ERA.

SLIGHT EDGE:  YANKEES

BULLPEN:  Closers: Mariano Rivera vs. Brian Fuentes

The Yankees bullpen had a 1-0 record with 1.80 ERA and 13 strikeouts in the ALDS vs. the Twins.  During the regular season, they had a 3.91 ERA, 483 strikeouts and a .231 batting average against in 515 innings, ranking them atop the American League and 5th in all of baseball.  The best reliever in the history of the game, Mariano Rivera, continues to be the anchor for the Yankees.  In 4 regular season appearances against the Angels, Rivera had 4 saves with an ERA of 0.00.  In the ALDS, Rivera pitched 3.2 innings while striking out 7 and recording the save in the Yankees series clinching win.  Phil Hughes has been nothing short of spectacular since being assigned to the set-up role for the Yanks, but he struggled in the opening round series vs. the Twins with a 9.00 ERA in 2 innings pitched.  Hopefully, he’ll be able to get back on track vs. the Angels.  Joba Chamberlain has re-assumed a role in the bullpen and appears to be the 7th inning bridge that leads to Hughes and Rivera.  The main cogs of the rest of the Yankees’ pen include youngster David Robertson, Alfredo Aceves and left hander, Phil Coke.

The Angels bullpen went 6.1 innings in their opening series vs. Boston, recording a 1.08 ERA with 4 strikeouts and a miniscule .174 batting average against.  In the regular season, they ranked 11th amongst bullpens in the American League.  Closer Brian Fuentes led the majors 48 saves in ’09, but had an unusually high ERA for a closer (3.93).  In four appearances against the Yankees this season, Fuentes recorded 3 saves with an ERA of 9.00.  Fuentes was solid vs. the Red Sox, recording 2 saves in 1.2 innings pitched.  The rest of the Angels bullpen is rounded out by Jose Arrendondo, Jason Bulger, Darren Oliver, Scot Shields, Kevin Jepsen and Matt Palmer.

EDGE:  YANKEES

MANAGERS: Joe Girardi vs. Mike Scioscia

Girardi has made some head scratching moves this season, but also some very good ones (i.e. moving Jeter to the lead off spot).  It’s hard to argue against a manager who led his team to 103 wins and the best record in baseball.  Hands down, Girardi should win the 2009 award for A.L. Manager of the Year, an award Mike Scioscia already won back in 2002.  It was during the 2002 season that Scioscia led the Angels to a World Series title, so he has obviously proven that he can win in the playoffs.  As good as both of these managers are, it’s the players who will undoubtedly decide this series.

SLIGHT EDGE:  ANGELS

PREDICTION:

This series has the potential to be a truly classic ALCS between what are clearly the American League’s two best teams.  The Angels will gain a slight edge in starting pitching if the Yankees are forced to go a 4-man rotation and Chad Gaudin winds up facing off with Scott Kazmir in game 4.  It’s important for the Yankees, who had the best home record in baseball this season, to take care of home field advantage in the Bronx.  It’s going to be a fantastic series, I just can’t help but feel like it’s the Yankees year.  My prediction:

YANKEES IN 6

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Jsunfella, October 16th 2009 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Jonathon papelbon sucks at Baseball

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I cannot tell you how happy I was to see Papelbum completely blow the Red Sox season in epic fashion yesterday.  Seeing as this loser will probably never pitch in Boston again I guess I have to prepare myself for hearing the always delusional Red Sox fans talk about how closer in waiting Daniel Bard is going to be better than Mariano Rivera.  It’s so cute how theses Boston fans get a decent player and they get all excited…We’ve seen this with Nomar, Foulke, Wagner, Papelbon, and now it will be Bard.  At least until he has an epic collapse and has to finish his career in Kansas City.

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KRM, October 12th 2009 | Tags: , , , , ,
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FANTASY BASEBALL YEAR IN REVIEW: THE BEST OF THE BEST

 

Fantasy Baseball's Top Performers for 2009

Fantasy Baseball's Top Performers for 2009

BEST CATCHER:  JOE MAUER (MIN)-  Despite missing the first 3 weeks of the season, Mauer was clearly the best fantasy player at the catcher position in 2009.  He won his 3rd American League batting title in 4 years, hitting .365 overall with career highs in HRs (28) and RBI (96).

BEST VALUE:  Miguel Montero (ARI), Kurt Suzuki (OAK)

BIGGEST BUSTS:  Geovany Soto (CHC), Russell Martin (LAD)

BIT BY THE INJURY BUG:  Ryan Doumit (PIT)

 BEST FIRST BASEMEN:  ALBERT PUJOLS (STL)-  Pujols had the best offensive year of any player in baseball.  He is the “cream of the crop” in any type of fantasy format and the consensus #1 overall pick in all fantasy leagues for 2010.  Pujols finished 2009 with a batting average of .328 with 47 HR, 135 RBI, 122 R, 16 SB and a near 2/1 BB/K ratio.

BEST VALUE:  Kendry Morales (LAA)

BIGGEST BUST:  Chris Davis (TEX)

BIT BY THE INJURY BUG:  Carlos Delgado  (NYM)

 BEST SECOND BASEMEN:  CHASE UTLEY (PHI)-  This spot arguably could’ve gone to Aaron Hill who had a monster year for the Toronto Blue Jays, but Utley gets the nod.  He put up his usual type of numbers, with a .282 average to go along with 31 HR, 93 RBI and 23 SB.

BEST VALUE:  Aaron Hill (TOR)

BIGGEST BUST:  Kelly Johnson (ATL)

BIT BY THE INJURY BUG:  Rickie Weeks (MIL)

 BEST THIRD BASEMEN:  EVAN LONGORIA (TB)-  This was by far the hardest position to choose a clear top performer from.  Other worthy candidates include Pablo Sandoval (SF), Chone Figgins (LAA) and Mark Reynolds (ARI).  In fact, in Rotisserie formats I would probably take Figgins and Reynolds above Longoria.  But you can’t argue with the production Longoria provided, improving in nearly every offensive category in his sophomore campaign.  He more than lived up to his draft day billing, hitting at a .280 clip with 33 HR, 133 RBI and 100 runs.

BEST VALUE:  Pablo Sandoval (SF)

BIGGEST BUST:  Garret Atkins (COL)

BIT BY THE INJURY BUG:  Aramis Ramirez (CHC), Alex Rodriguez (NYY)

 BEST SHORTSTOP:  HANLEY RAMIREZ (FLA)-  Ramirez won the NL batting title with an average of .342.  He somewhat dwindled towards the end of the season, leaving him short of a second straight 30/30 season (24 HR and 27 SB).  However, Ramirez was the only SS in baseball to record over 100 RBI (106).

BEST VALUE:  Marco Scutaro (TOR), Jason Bartlett (TB)

BIGGEST BUST:  J.J. Hardy (MIL)

BIT BY THE INJURY BUG:  Jose Reyes (NYM)

BEST OUTFIELDERS:  RYAN BRAUN (MIL)-  Braun continued his surge as one of the game’s premier young stars.  He was a beast of a fantasy outfielder in 2009, hitting .320 with 32 HR, 114 RBI, 113 R and 20 SB.  CARL CRAWFORD (TB)-  If not for a stretch of August in which he was limited by injury, Crawford could’ve earned the top spot.  He hit .305 with 15 HR, 68 RBI, 96 R and 60 SB on the season.  MATT KEMP (LAD)- Kemp is a newcomer to the group of elite fantasy outfielders, but the sky is the limit for him as he is only going to get better as he develops more power and gains experience.  Kemp hit .297 on the year, with 26 HR, 101 RBI, 97 R and 34 SB.  MATT HOLLIDAY (STL)- After a mid-season trade that sent him to the Cardinals, Holliday prospered and re-emerged as one of the top fantasy outfielders in all of baseball.  He batted .356 in his time with St. Louis, and .313 overall with 24 HR, 109 RBI, 94 R and 14 SB.  JACOBY ELLSBURY (BOS)- Ellsbury led the majors with 70 SB’s this season.  Overall, he hit .301 with 8 HR, 60 RBI and 97 R. 

BEST VALUE:  Justin Upton (ARI), Adam Lind (TOR), Jason Kubel (MIN)

BIGGEST BUSTS:  BJ Upton (TB), Magglio Ordonez (DET), Corey Hart (MIL), Jay Bruce (CIN)

BIT BY THE INJURY BUG:  Josh Hamilton (TEX), Calos Beltran (NYM), Carlos Quentin (CWS), Vladimir Guerrero (LAA)

 BEST STARTING PITCHERS:  ZACK GREINKE (KC)- Despite pitching for a lowly Royals team, Greinke still shined and is the clear front runner for the 2009 AL Cy Young award.  He was 16-8 in 229.3 innings pitched, recording 242 K’s to only 51 BB’s while sporting a 2.16 E.R.A. and 1.07 WHIP.  TIM LINCECUM (SF)- Lincecum followed up his 2008 Cy Young season with similar brilliance in 2009.  He finished first in the NL with 261 strikeouts and 2nd in the NL in E.R.A. (2.48).  Lincecum was 15-7 on the year.  JUSTIN VERLANDER (DET)- Verlander finished first in the majors with 269 strikeouts.  He put a disappointing 2008 season behind him, finishing 1 win short of 20 wins (19-9) to go along with an E.R.A. of 3.45 and a WHIP of 1.18.  FELIX HERNANDEZ (SEA)-  King Felix finally put together the type of season scouts have said he was capable of since he was first discovered out of Venezuela just a little over 5 years ago.  Felix was 19-5 with 217 K’s, 71 BB’s, 2.49 E.R.A. and a 1.14 WHIP.  ROY HALLADAY (TOR)-  Despite hitting a rough patch coming out of the All-Star break, Halladay still had a typical “Halladay” type of season.  He stuck out 208 batters, walked only 35 and finished with a record of 17-10.  His E.R.A. of 2.79 ranked 3rd in the AL.

BEST VALUE:  Ubaldo Jimenez, Wandy Rodriguez, JA Happ, Scott Feldman

BIGGEST BUSTS:  Scott Kazmir, Cole Hamels, Francisco Liriano, Roy Oswalt

BIT BY THE INJURY BUG:  Brandon Webb, Edison Volquez, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Brett Myers

 BEST RELIEF PITCHERS:  JONATHAN BROXTON (LAD)- Broxton led all relief pitchers in strikeouts (114 K’s in 76.0 innings) and wins (7).  His E.R.A. was relatively high for a closer (2.61), but his 36 saves were a key reason why the Dodgers were able to win the NL West.  MARIANO RIVERA (NYY)-  The best closer in the history of the game continued his Hall of Fame career in 2009, striking out an average of over 1 batter per inning (72 K’s in 66.3 innings).  Mariano had a miniscule 1.76 E.R.A. and 0.90 WHIP to go along with 44 saves for the team with the best record in baseball.  JOE NATHAN (MIN)- Nathan recorded a career high 47 saves in 2009 and now has 6 straight seasons of at least 36 saves.  He recorded 89 strikeouts in 68.7 innings to go along with an E.R.A. of 2.10 and a 0.93 WHIP.

BEST VALUE:  Heath Bell (SD), David Aardsma (SEA)

BIGGEST BUSTS:  Brad Lidge (PHI), Kerry Wood (CLE)

 **OVERALL AWARDS**

FANTASY MVP:  ALBERT PUJOLS

FANTASY CY YOUNG:  ZACK GREINKE

BEST VALUE PLAYER:  KENDRY MORALES

BIGGEST BUSTS:  BJ UPTON, CHRIS DAVIS

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Jsunfella, October 7th 2009 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Yankees Clinch AL East

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New York Post -  Eleven. In order for the Yankees’ season to be painted as a success that’s how many postseason games they must win.

Today the Yankees took the second step toward winning the World Series — the only title that matters in The Bronx — by clinching the AL East with a 4-2 victory over the Red Sox in front of 47,576 at Yankee Stadium.

It’s the Yankees’ first East title since 2006 and gives them home field advantage throughout the playoffs. The victory guarantees them finishing with the best record in baseball.

Yet, all of the Mumm Napa champagne wasn’t yet opened when the Yankees talked about what’s expected.

“A world title is what you strive for,’’ Johnny Damon said. “We need to win, anything else is unsatisfactory.’’

Mark Teixeira, whose eighth-inning leadoff homer provided a two-run bulge for Mariano Rivera to work the ninth for his 44th save in 46 chances, is a relative newcomer. Still, he understands where he plays.

“Only one team is satisfied at the end of the season and that’s the World Champions,’’ Teixeira said. “Here in New York that’s what counts.’’

As players popped corks, shook bottles and poured the bubbly over each other for the first time in the $1.5 billion Stadium’s clubhouse, last year’s finish out of the money was put to sleep.

“We are a long ways from 12 months ago when we were going home,’’ said Alex Rodriguez, whose 10-pitch at-bat in the sixth led to a second straight two-out single in front of Hideki Matsui’s two-run single that put the Yankees ahead, 3-2. “It’s good to be back.’’

It is good to be back, and all signs point to this year being different than our last 3 playoff appearances where the Yanks were sent packing after the Division Series.  I may be a bit overconfident right now but I just cannot see this team losing to anybody.  I mean the National League is a complete joke, and I don’t even think the Red Sox stand a chance.  I think most people would agree that this Yankee team is completely different than the team who was 0-8 against Boston to start the season.  Since that horrid start Mark Texiera has played MVP caliber Baseball, Alex Rodriguez has returned to have an incredible year on and off the field and Phil Hughes has turned into the most dominant reliever not named Mariano Rivera in the Major Leagues.  Let’s not forget that since starting the year 0-8 against Boston the Yankees finished off the year by going 9-1 over the Sox in their final 10 games.  Basically what I’m trying to say is that we are the shit and the rest of you little punks should be scared.  Anyone who says or thinks otherwise just know that you are a hater and no one gives a fuck what you think.

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KRM, September 28th 2009 | Tags: , , , , , , ,
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