Line of the Day: Jim Thome: 600th Home Run Edition

Jim Thome became the eighth member of the exclusive 600-Home Run Club in explosive fashion, homering twice and driving in five runs to lead the Minnesota Twins to a 9-6 victory over the Detroit Tigers. It was the 48th multi-homer game of his career. (video recap)

Line: 4 AB | 2 R | 3 H | 5 RBI; 2 HR

(box score)

My fantasy perspective: Thome hasn't been fantasy relevant in 2011 and really only has value while he's on a hot streak as a short term fix. But none of the matters when it comes to a career milestone such as hitting 600 career home runs. Congratulations to one of the truly good guys in the game of baseball.

Question: Will Thome be a "first ballot" Hall of Famer?

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Warming Up In The 'Pen: AL Edition: July 26th, 2011

Greetings and salutations!

This is likely to be a shorter article than usual this week; Outside-of-COSFBA considerations are taking precedence. However, I'm going to try and get as much goodness out with a few less words than normal. So with that out of the way, here's a quick review of last week's performers:

• Neftali Feliz saw only one game of work in the last week (yesterday). He gave up a hit and a walk in one inning in an absolute pummeling of Minnesota. Manager Ron Washington stated that the long layoff for Feliz wasn't by design, with an off-day and only one save opportunity cropping up (in the 6th on July 20th against the Angels). Feliz was working on the side during the stretch. It's interesting to note that Feliz had a six-day 'vacation' which included the All-Star Break last year, and was lights-out in his remaining performances. Could we be due for a repeat?
• Speaking of the Twins, closer Joe Nathan saw two games this past seven days. He allowed a run on two hits in two innings, striking out one. He was 2-for-2 in the save chances to give him a total of seven on the year. If the Twins have any chance of competing once more in the suddenly-clogged AL Central, Nathan will need to continue to be steady and solid in the back of the 'pen like he has been lately. He has the opportunity to show that the early season was just "knocking off the rust".
• Vinnie Pestano also worked two games and was roughed up for two runs on four hits, including a longball in last night's dramatic Indians comeback win against the Angels. He had only one strikeout in his two innings of work this past week. He blew the save last night on a 1-0 four-seamer Bobby Abreu promptly deposited in the right field seats. The recent streak of work for the "Bullpen Mafia" has been troubling, and I'm starting to wonder (like last week) if the number of innings is starting to wear on the young arms. Pestano and the rest need to right the ship if the Tribe is going to stay in competition.
• Kevin Gregg served his three-game suspension but did work two games against LA over the past week. He notched a save in two innings pitched, giving up two hits and two walks, but two strikeouts as well. It'll be interesting to see if the "cooling of his heels" helps his game any going forward.

 Now let's move forward with this week's guns:

• "Doing Work": Jonathan Papelbon (BOS) - Paps once more makes an appearance in the 'Pen, and this time it's on the "good" side of the ledger. Since giving up the solo run against the Rays, Paps has been dominant. Five innings of work has seen him allow a grand total of one hit. He's also notched three saves and five strikeouts. He's always had solid months of July and August in his career, notching career ERAs under 2.25 each month (2.24 in July, 1.92 in August), WHIPs under 1.100 (0.980 / 1.067), OPSs under .585 (.566 / .584) and BABIPs under .300 (.262 / .293). Careerwise, his FIP has actually been worst in the month of June (3.26), steadily dropping in July (2.91) and even more dramatically in August (2.27). In my opinion, Paps has turned the corner with the turn of the calendar month. The fact that he has full ownership in ESPN leagues shows that the rest of the fantasy owners are keeping the faith in Paps and the Red Sox fight in the AL East race.
• "Unsung Hero": Grant Balfour (OAK) - The Athletics set-up man has been having a stellar campaign, and the last seven days have been no exception. In three outings (3.1 innings total), Balfour is 3-for-3 in holds (18 on the season), giving up three hits, walking one and fanning one. The 2.03 ERA he's accumulated on the year is the second best in his career (his 1.54 ERA with the '08 Rays the only one better). His FIP overall this year (3.11) is better than his career average (3.42), and there are other numbers that are better this year versus his career averages (.237 BAbip vs. .281, 2.56 K/BB ratio vs. 2.38, 1.05 WHIP vs. 1.26, .541 OPS vs. .647). He's coming off of a strained right oblique, and has shown no lingering or ill effects. The fact that he's not seemingly well-known (1.6% ESPN league ownership, only up 0.3% from last week) means he might be more of a depth league pick. However, he's well worth the grab even in your more standard leagues if he's available.
• "Heart Attack Award": Andrew Bailey (OAK) - Bailey's last seven days haven't been horrible. He's given up one run on two hits in three innings, walking three and striking out five. While grabbing saves in each of those appearances, allowing base runners is never a good sign. His FIP throughout his career has exceeded his ERA (2.44 FIP vs. 2.25 ERA this season alone, a more dramatic 2.96 vs. 1.47 last season). Interestingly, he's been throwing more fastballs than ever in his career (78.2% vs. a 65.0% career average), but with a one-MPH drop in average speed. It might not be much of a change, but combine that with a similar drop across the board with all his pitches, and you start to wonder if there might be an issue with Bailey's mechanics. Be it an actual flaw or hitch in his delivery, or perhaps wear and tear, there could be cause for future concern. This isn't enough for me to say to stay away from Andrew; I'm no expert in the medical sciences or the 'sciences' of pitching. However, it's safe to say there's something more here than what's on the surface. Be wary, and only grab Bailey for depth. I have a feeling that Oakland, being out of the race as far as they are, may begin relying on the above-mentioned Balfour for saves sooner rather than later.
• "ZOMBIE!": Jordan Walden (LAA) - The Angel's All-Star closer has been having a good season, but his recent outings have been a mixed bag. Last night, he blew a save (and got the loss) by giving up two runs on two hits (one of which was a game-tying double by Travis Hafner! Sorry, boss.), along with a walk and a strikeout. In the last week, those are the only runs he's given up. However, since June 22, he's gone 2-2, 6/10 saves, five runs, nine hits, three walks, and six strikeouts. This 'wilting under the pressure' during the Angels' attempt to keep up with the Rangers. During the last three months of the season in his (albeit short) career, his WHIPs (1.33 and 1.30), BABIPs (.429 and .333), and BB/9 ratio (3.00 and 4.38) are elevated. While this may be nothing, the fact that it's happening to a closer (whose entire purpose is to 'seal the deal' under pressure) on a team competing for a playoff spot against the AL Champions really brings into question the mental character of Walden in my mind. I can't cry 'fire sale' on him in your leagues, but I firmly believe that his recent performances are a prelude to a full-blown meltdown as the Angels continue to try to hang in the pennant race.

While there's been no major trade fires burning as of yet, we continue to keep an eye on things. We'll report what we find, and I'll have the NL side of the house on Thursday.

Comments below, or hit me up on Twitter at @JCPronkFan48.

Waiver Saviors: Digging Deep Edition

As the season grinds along, managing your rosters in competitive leagues becomes increasingly more difficult as everyone is targeting ways to make a run at the league title or finish in the money spots.

Let's look at a group of players with extremely low ownership rates who can help you in very deep mixed leagues or league-only ones. Shallow mixed leagues aren't worth playing in nor worth talking about. Stick to fantasy football. I hear there could be a season or something. Whatever.

• OF Hideki Matsui, OAK (10.8% ESPN; 8% Yahoo!) is hitting .469 (15/32) since the All-Star break with two home runs and 11 RBI. He's the kind of player to own while he's on a hot streak and dump the moment he goes cold.
• OF Dexter Fowler, COL (21.3% ESPN; 18% Yahoo!) is making the most of his recent call-up from AAA. In 10 games, he's hitting .324 with a .439 OBP, three doubles, three triples, three stolen bases and 10 runs scored. With Carlos Gonzalez on the DL, Fowler should get every opportunity to start in center field and prove he's the player the Rockies and fantasy GM's wish he'd become.
• OF Marlon Byrd, CHC (14.0% ESPN; 17% Yahoo!) is back as the Cubs everyday center fielder and proving he can still hit after suffering multiple facial fractures. In 19 games since his return, he's hitting .329 (23/70) with four doubles, a triple, two home runs and 10 runs scored.
• 1B/OF Mike Carp, SEA (0.5% ESPN; 1% Yahoo!) has a five-game hitting streak since being recalled from AAA, going 8-for-22 (.364) with two home runs. Expect the Mariners to continue running out their youngsters to see what they're capable of and whether or not they fit in to the team's long-term plans.
• 2B Mark Ellis, COL (6.7% ESPN; 8% Yahoo!) has produced a .325/16/2/11/2 line in 20 games since being traded to the Rockies and should be considered a viable option at second base or middle infielder position.
• RP Edward Mujica, FLA (3.3% ESPN; 7% Yahoo!) has been named closer-in-waiting should the Marlins deal current closer Leo Nunez. If you are desperate for saves, now might be the time to pick up Mujica. You can drop him in all non-holds leagues come early next week if Nunez is still with the team.
• RP Glen Perkins, MIN (2.9% ESPN; 7% Yahoo!) is now the primary setup man for the Twins after Matt Capps recent implosion and Joe Nathan's return to closer. He is a must-own in holds leagues with his 10.01 K/9 ratio.
• 2B/3B/SS/OF Michael Martinez, PHI (18.1% ESPN; 10% Yahoo!) has filled in quite nicely as the Phillies have dealt with injuries to Shane Victorino and Placido Polanco. In July, he's hitting .296 with two home runs, 15 RBI and three stolen bases. Polanco is due back from the DL this weekend, so keep an eye on his playing time.
• 3B/SS/OF Willie Bloomquist, ARI (7.3% ESPN; 11% Yahoo!) should be the primary beneficiary as the result of Stephen Drew's horrific injury. Bloomquist is hitting .327 with two stolen bases in July. As long as he is hitting and stealing bases, he should keep Cody Ransom on the bench.
• 2B Brett Lawrie, TOR (1.7% ESPN; 5% Yahoo!) has returned to the lineup in AAA and hitting .367 with a home run and seven RBI in seven July games. Expect him to be called up soon and inserted into third base as the Blue Jays fade from the playoff picture in the AL East. Lawrie should now be owned in all keeper leagues and dynasty formats.

If your league is still very active heading into August, then the action on the waiver wire should remain fiercely competitive. Dig a little deeper into the statistics (last 7 days, last 15 days, etc.) and keep an eye on injuries, playing time, trades and rookie call-ups to find the players who'll benefit the most from these moves and don't be afraid to anticipate the transactions with a bold move of your own.

Warming In The 'Pen: AL Edition: July 19th, 2011

Welcome back, faithful readers...

When we last left our intrepid AL setup men and closers, Joakim Soria and Daniel Bard were the studs of the week, and Jonathan Papelbon and Frank Francisco were the duds. Before we launch into this week's category winners (and in lieu of not having a K-Rod'esque deal to speak about), let's take a a look at how these gents performed over the last week:

• Soria appeared in one game this past week, notching a save in a KC 2-1 victory over the Twins. He faced five batters, giving up two hits. While not the kind of performance worthy of a dominant closer, Soria continues to be a bright spot for a Royals team that generally doesn't have much to cheer about.
• Bard has run his scoreless streak to 21.2 IP with two appearances totaling 2.1 IP post-All-Star Break. He grabbed another hold (his league-leading 22nd), fanning two, walking one, and allowing two hits. Bard continues to be solid deep-league material, and should (in my opinion) be considered high market value.
• Papelbon gave up one run on two hits in two innings pitched over his latest two appearances. He fanned two and claimed his 21st save of the year. Paps continues to give the BoSox fans their MLB daily allowance of cursing and sweating this season. But Paps being Paps, he should be relatively solid (while continuing to "excite") the rest of the campaign.
• Francisco was indeed moved back into the Jays' set-up role coming out of the All-Star Break, and has appeared in two games. In 2.1 IP, he allowed a hit, and struck out one. It's hard to say if he'll turn the corner once more, but racking up scoreless appearances for, say, the rest of this month? That couldn't hurt his chances to come back to the closer's role (currently held by Jon Rauch)

Now, for this week's performers:

• This week's pitcher that's "Doing Work" is Neftali Feliz of the Texas Rangers. The Rangers have been stupid good lately. Since taking one on the chin July 3rd against the Marlins (a game in which Mark Lowe blew the save opp and took the loss when a pickoff attempt failed, and Feliz allowed the last of Florida's 4 9th-inning runs), the Rangers have rattled off 11 straight wins. Feliz has been a large part of that. Since the Florida game, Feliz has given up a run on one hit in 5.1 IP, with a walk and four Ks and notching four saves. That includes three perfect outings this past week (2.1 IP) with three Ks and two saves. On the year, his surface numbers are good: 20-for-24 in saves, 2.97 ERA, 26 Ks in 36.1 IP, batters hitting .200 off him. With most things, however, there's a catch. His season numbers in most of the major categories are trending worse than his career averages, which leads me to believe that the advance scouts and batters are starting to figure him out in his second full season: ERA (2.97 in '11 vs 2.57 career), WHIP (1.183 vs 0.915), K/BB ratio (1.44 vs 3.09), GO/AO ratio (0.47 vs 0.58), and FIP (4.45 vs 3.25). While I'm not saying that he's someone to be wary of (he had a very off month of June, which could account for a lot of inflation), owners should be aware also that Feliz's name has been brought up in the trade rumor mills. My advice is to ride Neftali for what he's worth this year, keep a backup option (always wise advice all the same), and if you need to part with him, try to get good value based on overall numbers (plus the fact that he was the '10 Rookie of the Year) and not on a rocky month of June.
• The "Unsung Hero" of the week is the Twins' Joe Nathan. This year's been rough on both Nathan and the Twins in general. Minnesota's found themselves down near the bottom of the pack since the early season, being feasted upon by the injury bug; Nathan being one of the big names to go down for the Twinkies back in May with a right flexor strain. He wound up being out of the lineup for about a month; there was no reason to rush Nathan back, being a little more than a year removed from Tommy John surgery. His first month and a half this season was forgettable, as the rust was obvious. But then the Twins started to pick up their pace and win games, the pack in the AL Central started to close, and Nathan came back in late June. In the 10 games since his return, he's been nothing short of stellar: 2-for-3 in saves, six holds, 9.1 IP, one run on four hits, zero walks, seven Ks. A lot of folks may have sold the farm on Nathan when he went on the DL (or earlier, fearing he wouldn't ever be the same post-surgery), but Matt Capps' implosion as the Twins' closer opens the door for a resurging Nathan. Obviously picking up Nathan at this point won't get you his hold numbers, but it will get you a pitcher that's thrown up a .344 OPS, a .125 BAbip, and a 0.429 WHIP since coming off the DL. And while those numbers are a lot to sustain for the rest of the campaign, the Twins being back in the race will have them leaning on Nathan much more now, giving him plenty of chances to excel and show his stuff from years past.
• My pick for the "Heart Attack Award", as much as it pains me to say it, is my Indians' own Vinnie Pestano (thought I was gonna say Chris "Pure Rage" Perez, didn't you?). The "Bullpen Mafia" has been the key to Cleveland's upstart success this season so far, and "Capo" Pestano has been one of the huge lifts that have allowed the 'pen to be so successful. His recent outings, however, have been offers that fantasy owners could refuse. Over his last 10 games, he's amassed a hefty 7.56 ERA (8.1 IP, 7 ER) on nine hits, three walks and 14 Ks. He was 2-for-3 in saves in the period with three holds. It's entirely possible that this is a bump in the road in a very young career (this being Pestano's first full year in the Majors). It will be interesting to keep watch, however. Considering the ineffectiveness of starters Fausto Carmona and Mitch Talbot (whom is on the DL at this time), the recent struggles of Carlos Carrasco, and the continued absence of promising rookie hurler Alex White, the Tribe bullpen will likely see a lot of work in the coming games as the rotation is jury-rigged together. Will the young guns hold it together? Or will lack of innings prior to all this work this year come back to bite 'em in the rear? Stay tuned on that. As for Pestano, I would advise getting him for depth in your advanced leagues. He's always good to pull holds out of the air (13 on the year), can back up Chris Perez in case of needing saves (he's come in in 18 save situations), and his deeper numbers (0.963 WHIP, .550 OPS, .260 BAbip, and 2.33 FIP) trend towards his recent issues being just blips on the radar screen.
• This week's "ZOMBIE!" was a little hard to pick out. And while I hate to kick a guy while he's down, I felt that Kevin Gregg of the Baltimore Orioles was probably the worst guy in the last little while. His last 10 games fleshed out like so: 9.2 IP, 7 ER, 11 H, 5 BB, 3 K, 3 Sv. His overall stats for the season? Not much better: 36 IP, 16 ER, 33 H, 24 BB, 31 K, 15/19 Sv. Digging deeper, I find some disturbing trends: As of right now, his WHIP (1.583), SO/BB ratio (1.29), and OPS (.769) are lining up to be the worst in his career. His FIP (4.69) is his second worst, with only his '09 Cubs campaign surpassing that (4.93). Maybe this suspension will help get Gregg's head on straight and salvage his '11 campaign. Or, maybe Koji Uehara will step up and make the Orioles' decision once Gregg comes off suspension a little harder. And maybe, just maybe, Gregg will learn how to throw a punch.

Be sure to tune in each Thursday for the NL side of things.

As always, you can hit up in the comment link below or find me on Twitter at @JCPronkFan48.

Waiver Saviors: July 14th, 2011

Three days without baseball games that matter and one of those days without an internet connection at home has me feeling like I've been through some sort of fantasy baseball detox program against my will. Who organized this intervention? (Probably my wife and kids).

If you're in a league that doesn't suck, now is the time to start evaluating each player on your roster to determine if they are part of the problem or part of the solution.

Let's take a look at some players possibly available on your league's waiver wire who could help your team bring home some fantasy baseball glory.

• OF Nate Schierholtz, SF (30% ESPN; 11% Yahoo!) is hitting .425 (17/40) with a .700 SLG in the month of July with three home runs and eight RBI. His first half 5x5 line of .293/30/7/31/5 could easily be duplicated in the second half depending, though, if the Giants are buyers or sellers as the Trade Deadline approaches. Aaron Rowand and Pat Burrell must go.
• OF Ben Revere, MIN (9.3% ESPN; 4% Yahoo!) was June's co-winner of the AL Rookie of the Month award with a .294 batting average and seven stolen bases. With Jason Kubel and Denard Span still on the DL, Revere should continue to get a chance to showcase his stuff. Target him for his ability to score runs and steal bases without killing your team's batting average while sacrificing home runs and power.
• RP Bobby Parnell, NYM (33.7% ESPN; 25% Yahoo!) and Jason Isringhausen, NYM (10.6% ESPN; 14% Yahoo!) could both be in the mix for saves and holds as a result of the Francisco Rodriguez-to-Milwaulkee trade. Ownership rates suggests fantasy owners are gambling on Parnell becoming the closer. If you're desperate for saves, grab whoever is available until it all shakes out. Both are must-owns in leagues using holds as a scoring category.
• RP Javy Guerra, LAD (18.5% ESPN; 11% Yahoo!) seems to be the Dodgers' closer du jour. He's recorded their last two saves while striking out three over two innings pitched. A save is a save is a save. Pounce now and dump later, if necessary.
• OF Travis Snider, TOR (33.2% ESPN; 26% Yahoo!) has been on fire since his recall from AAA. In seven games, he's hitting .367 (11/30) with six doubles, one home run, eight RBI and six runs scored. A very productive second half could easily be a reality for him.
• 1B Casey Kotchman, TB (6.9% ESPN; 7% Yahoo!) is hitting .336 with a .394 OBP in 75 games this season. He won't bring much else on offense (3 HR, 25 RBI, 21 R) but could be a very nice fit as a CI, DH or UTIL player for a team needing a batting average boost in a deep league.
• C/1B Mike Napoli, TEX (65% ESPN; 72% Yahoo!) is worth checking your waiver wire for just in case he was dropped during his stint on the DL and is still lingering out there. In six games since his return from the DL, he has two home runs, eight RBI and a .316 batting average. He may only get four to five starts a week but for a player with catcher eligibility, he's a must own.

This may not be the "sexiest" group of names you'd hope to find when reading a "waivers" article but these are players who can help you make up ground or stay on top of the standings right now. Keeper and dynasty leagues have a very different set of challenges than the more common one-and-done leagues. Players like Mike Trout and Pedro Beato would certainly be worthy of a mention but I don't think either player is going to help you win your league this year. And I am a big believer of playing to win now while worrying about keepers once I'm out of the running or in the off season.

*All statistics quoted are from games played through July 13th, 2011.

The Knurve To Say: July 5th, 2011

This week, I have The Knurve To Say...
...not only is Brian McCann the best catcher in baseball now, but he has been the best for the past five years.

When my love of fantasy baseball was developing, I had one player who I wanted to get on my team every year; Placido Polanco. He was a great defender for the Tigers, he hit for average, he scored runs, it was awesome. But after a while, I realized how purely marginal a phenomenal batting average is when a player doesn’t contribute anywhere else. It’s the same reason you could argue Tony Gwynn was such an overrated fantasy player outside of his prime because he hit for a good average and did nothing else.

But just as Gwynn received so much hype during his career, I think Joe Mauer is the same, if not worse. The top three catchers in the past five or six years have been Mauer, Victor Martinez, and McCann. In looking back at the numbers, Martinez and McCann are a cut above, fantasy-wise.

Many fantasy baseball owners are like I was when I was younger (not to belittle fantasy baseball owners by comparing them with my childhood stupidity). We are fascinated with batting average. We can see a .320+ AVG and totally neglect the other holes in a player’s game, and this is the year where we notice the entirety of Mauer’s flaws, especially since McCann is having such a phenomenal year.

The McCann-Mauer comparison isn’t even close in my eyes, and that’s even taking into account 2009, when Mauer had his MVP year. When we evaluate players year-to-year in fantasy, we want to see consistency and consistent contributions. Mauer’s 2009 has set the table for a profoundly disappointing 2010 and, so far, 2011. The reason I think this is worthy of noting and worthy of writing this is because of the position they play. Unless you over-invest, fantasy owners don’t expect phenomenal production from their catchers. But the reason McCann has been better, is better now, and will be better than Mauer is because he contributes more consistently in more categories from a position you don’t expect much out of.

My opinion: From now on, stay the heck away from Mauer and players like him. There will always be someone in your league who thinks his batting average potential is worth way more than it actually is.

Thoughts from the past week that was:

• Hanley Ramirez is back! He had a few great games last week and he’s still a complete defensive liability, but a trip to the launch-pad known as Rangers Ballpark may have cured his woes. The Marlins may not have their lives together, but I am a believer that Hanley will right the ship and this team will play better baseball from here on out.
• Somebody get Aramis Ramirez a juice box. He hit six homers last week! SIX! That’s unbelievable. If you read my NL All-Star predictions, you’ll know that I thought third base in the NL was a vast wasteland. As much as people love to rip on Aramis, he is on pace for around 20/80 with around a .300 average to end the season. It’s amazing, but that may be the best stat line a third baseman in the NL posts this year, and it’s not even close. I’m buying this hot streak.
• If somebody’s going to get A-Ram a juice box, somebody get Dee Gordon a Triple Thick Milkshake. I admire the fight in this kid, but I just don’t know if he is big enough to be successful in the big leagues. I want him to succeed, I really do, but I question if he is capable of generating the bat speed necessary to get past first base even though his speed is uber-vuluptuous.
• After homering off both Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee, I’m fully ready to say Jose Bautista is back. I said a few weeks ago to sell on him. A large part of me would still sell unless you’re playing him at third base. This is not to say he can’t hit 20 homers in the second half, but I feel like he’s becoming one of those guys whose name recognition is growing among fantasy owners. I think there’s a correlation to the fact that he received the most all-star votes of all-time. People may just overpay a bunch for him. If you can fill holes in your team by getting rid of Bautista, I would do it.
• I’m going to say this now and I know it’s going to sound crazy. If there’s any feedback on this comment, I will write a separate article on it next week or a special article later this week. If the Pittsburgh Pirates make the playoffs (HUGE IF), then I think there is a case to be made for Joel Hanrahan to be the NL MVP. The Pirates run differential this season is +2. If they don’t have Hanrahan, the best closer in the game this season, then there is absolutely ZERO reason for optimism on this team going forward. I never thought I’d be one to advocate for a closer to be an MVP, but a 1.37 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 25-for-25 in save chances is hard to refute on a team with a AAA offense.

Last week, the Mike Stanton Man-Crush Meter sat at a 5. This week, I’m sad to say, it’s dropped to a 3. I mean, what the hell Mike. I shamelessly and embarrassingly dedicate a whole section of my new articles to you and you do this to me? No home runs since June 11?!?! Really?!?!? What the hell, bro?! You’re not doing anything well right now and it’s so frustrating. I don’t even know how to react. Trying to throw in a few steals at the end of the month isn’t going to make me feel better. If you don’t hit a dinker in the next week, we’re going to have some problems. But if you do make Prince Fielder’s NL Home Run Derby team, you’ll have great potential to captivate me again.

Joke of the week: What did the snail say when he was riding the turtle? WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!! (Thanks Matt Lauer)

David Kaplan
@TheKnurve
DHKaplan17@yahoo.com

The Knurve To Say: June 27th, 2011

This week, I have The Knurve To Say...
...Jhoulys Chacin will be a top 3 starting pitcher by the end of 2012.
     I know this is relatively bold, but I’m a huge believer in this guy. He’s seemingly come from nowhere to become one of the most dominant pitchers in the NL, but I still get the feeling he’s underappreciated and it’s got me wondering.
     His K/9 is slightly down from last year but so is his BB/9. I have chronicled on my blog how much of a premium elite starting pitching he has become. The increasing depth of starting pitching is going to force us to look for that extra something at a good value. I think even next year, Chacin will be available for a good price because of his relative obscurity.
     But why do I believe he’s going to turn into an elite starting pitcher? For starters, the dude’s only 23 and he’s already doing solid work. His minor league numbers indicate he has the ability for fabulous control. That being said, I think this is his adjustment year. The slight dip in K/9 doesn’t worry me at all because it has been accompanied by a lower BB/9 and an above average HR/FB rate. The higher Home Run rate is to be expected in Coors, but there’s typically a correlation between walk rates and HR/FB rates. Chacin’s track record implies those rates will regress to a mean, and I expect his K rates to spike.
     Chacin is well aware that he is most successful when he keeps the ball down. His high ground ball rates and career BABIP of .255 implies that he has the ability to show phenomenal control. If you are scared of Chacin’s high strand rate, don’t be. His ability to keep the ball down means fewer RBI’s and Home Runs alongside more double-plays.
     My recommendation: If you’re in a keeper league, try to go get him. If you’re at the bottom of your league, offer up an older starter or sell high on somebody. If you can get Chacin for Anibal Sanchez, Ian Kennedy, Alexi Ogando, Erik Bedard, Hiroki Kuroda and Wandy Rodriguez are just a few of the guys having good years that I’d trade for Chacin in a heartbeat.

Thoughts from the week that was:

• I was a loser and stayed home to watch the White Sox-Nats game on Friday night. The ejection of temporary manager John McLaren was awesome, but I want to talk about Henry Rodriguez for a second. Chances are you've never heard of Rodriguez, but I’m going to say with utter confidence that he has the nastiest stuff in the Majors. I was absolutely shocked at what this guy was doing. He’s hitting 100 with his fastball and has a slider/sinker that is the most absurd thing I have ever seen in my entire life. There are no great videos showing his whole arsenal. But check out the location and speed of these fastballs when he was on the Athletics: http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=11390201 And check out the pure filth of this wild pitch earlier this year: http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=14609955. It’s no wonder he has an absurdly low ERA and high WHIP.
• Speaking of McLaren's ejection, I was pissed after they overruled that call, for one reason, and one reason only. Armando Galarraga. Where was the home plate umpire when Jim Joyce clearly blew the call that cost him a perfect game? There’s no excuse for overruling that call Friday night. Sure, it was a bang-bang play, but to the wimpy rookie umpire, don’t poop your pants whenever someone questions you. Joe Torre needs to talk to his umpires about what can get overruled and what can’t. That was absolutely terrible.
• I’m convinced the Diamondbacks are going to win the NL West going away. This team was one year away after their atrocious season last year, and now that they improved the bullpen and their young offense is a year older. Their starting pitching has been a performing a little over their heads (See: Joshua Collmenter and Ian Kennedy) but they have the highest offensive potential in that division and it’s not even close. Speaking of them, in case you haven’t seen Wily Mo Pena’s shtoinker Friday night… you’re welcome: http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=16233223
• I used to think the Kardashian’s were the dumbest, most annoying people ever. Then Jim Riggleman decided to stop managing the Nationals.
• The report that came out where Logan Morrison told new manager Jack McKeon that he was going to go home and play with his Twitter and McKeon asked what kind of dog it was, made me laugh for about 20 minutes.
• Given the power of the AL East, I am ready to declare Josh Beckett and James Shields two of the best pitchers in baseball. But if I own them I’m selling high. The fact of the matter is these guys are not, nor have they ever been, THIS good. If you own one of these guys, I’m milking them for all their worth. Mark my words on this one, starting pitching is so deep, shore up a hole in your roster by getting rid of these guys. I think these guys will be good for the rest of the season, but I think both of their value has peaked right now. Three straight complete games!?! Are you kidding me?
• I’m going to say this now, and I will probably elaborate on this in my article next week, but Joe Mauer’s contract may go down as one of the biggest busts in baseball history.

The Mike Stanton Mancrush-Meter was a 6 last week. I’m sad to say it’s down to a 5 this week. He sat the first few games of last week with an eye infection and then came back and had two straight 3 hit games on Wednesday and Thursday before he had a golden sombrero Friday night, striking out all four times he came to the plate. With no mammoth, testosterone-inducing bombs to the crowded Sun Life Stadium outfield bleachers this week, I sure hope he hits one this week.

Joke of the week: Adrian Gonzalez’s batting average in June is 10 points higher than Shaq’s free throw percentage in the entire 2006-2007 season with the Heat. I can’t tell which is funnier; how good Gonzalez is or how bad Shaq was.

Have a great week, fellow Americans.
@TheKnurve

KNURVE'S NOTE: I swear on my future children's ugliness that I didn't read Matthew Berry's column from last week before I touted Chacin and selling high on Beckett and Shields.

Waiver Saviors: The Speedy Gonzalez Edition

If you find yourself lagging behind in the standings in the stolen base category, don't worry. It happens to the best of us. This edition of Waiver Saviors trolls the wire looking for players who should be able to help you in the stolen base category sooner rather than later.

• OF Jason Bourgeois, HOU (19.4% ESPN; 12% Yahoo!) has returned from a DL stint (ankle) and working his way back into the lineup as often as possible. He had 12 SB in 28 games prior to the injury and five in 13 games since. He'll give you the steals you need and won't kill you team batting average, either (.289 since his return). Daily leaguers will need to monitor his playing time for now.
• OF Jordan Schafer, ATL (11.6% ESPN; 6% Yahoo!) is tied for the major league leads in steals over the last 15 days with 7 SB, but those come at the price of a .246 batting average over that span. If you are truly desperate for steals and can afford to take a hit in the batting average category, go for it.
• 2B/SS Alexi Casilla, MIN (49.5% ESPN; 25% Yahoo!) has 7 SB in his last 23 games with a .330 batting average, 2 HR, 11 RBI and 16 Runs. He's producing enough in all five standard categories to give your team a much needed June boost. His middle infielder eligibility gives you some additional roster flexibility to work his speed into the lineup as often as possible.
• 2B Jemile Weeks, OAK (11% ESPN; 12% Yahoo!) has 4 SB in his last six games and is hitting a cool .409 (9/22) over that span. The second base job seems to be his and he's literally running with it. He won't bring any power and probably not a ton of runs either considering Oakland's underwhelming offense, but deserves to be owned by the stolen base hungry owner.
• SS Alcides Escobar, KC (67.9% ESPN; 28% Yahoo!) is starting to show Royals' fans some of what they got in return in the Zack Greinke trade. He has 7 SB over his last 15 games and hitting .434 with 7 XBH, 1 HR, 7 RBI and 12 Runs. If you're still looking for a temporary fill-in for Derek Jeter, Escobar could be your answer for now (and beyond, if he keeps this up).

We are definitely at the point in the season where category jockeying is necessary in rotisserie scoring. You should be shooting for fourth place or higher in all categories (5x5) if you plan on making a run at the league title or finishing in the money spots.

Line of the Day: June 18th, 2011

Scott Baker of the Minnesota Twins pitched eight scoreless innings while striking out 10 in 1-0 victory over the San Diego Padres. It was the third time in his career he'd struck out 10 or more batters in a game.

Line: 8 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 10 K; W, QS

My fantasy perspective: Baker has won his last three starts in dominant style. Over those 24 innings, he has a 22:1 strikeouts to walks ratio. He's thrown 70% strikes and holding hitters to a .205 batting average.

His 5-4 record may not seem all that impressive, but what he's done lately has vaulted him to become the highest ranked fantasy starting pitcher on the Twins. Not many would have predicted those results of a staff with Francisco Liriano and Carl Pavano on it.

Agree? Disagree? Check out ESPN's formula for determining the best daily performances and nominate your own Line of the Day player using the comments section or hitting me up on Twitter.

Be sure to check out the past winners of COSFBA's Line of the Day awards and subscribe to its feed, too.

Fantasy Baseball News and Notes from June 12th, 2011

Here are some fantasy baseball-relevant tidbits and notes I picked up from box scores and recaps from games played on Sunday, June 12th, 2011:

• Miguel Olivo homered twice, giving him 10 on the season. It was the fourth multihomer game of his career. Over the last 30 days, he's put up a 5x5 line of .289/16/8/21/2, making him the #1-ranked fantasy catcher over that span. He's only owned in 40.5% of ESPN and 39% of Yahoo! leagues.
• Ichiro Suzuki had his second consecutive two-hit game. I think someone translated all of those "Is Ichiro done?" articles. I think the answer is no. Sure he's only hitting .258 but still on pace for 172 hits and 34 stolen bases. I'll take the over on batting average and hits at this point and under on stolen bases.
• Derek Jeter had two hits and is now at 2,993 for his career. You could do a lot worse at shortstop in fantasy baseball than the Yankee Captain. I'll be watching and cheering when 3,000 comes.
• Curtis Granderson went 4-for-4 and now has a season's 5x5 line of .279/54/20/47/10 making him the 5th-best fantasy baseball player this season. Not bad for a guy with an ADP of 91.6 in ESPN leagues.
• Jon Lester became the AL's first nine-game winner.
• Jose Bautista ended a 13-game homerless streak with his 21st of the season. He's still on pace for 52 home runs. Fluke? Nope.
• Dustin Pedroia (5), Adrian Gonzalez (13), Kevin Youkilis (9) and David Ortiz (17) all homered. The Red Sox offense has scored 30 runs in their last two games. I think it's safe to say they're firing on all cylinders.
• Kyle Drabek gave up eight earned runs in four innings and saw his ERA jump from 4.98 to 5.70 with a 1.79 WHIP. If he wasn't already unownable prior to this start, he definitely is now.
• Daniel Hudson won for the seventh time in eight decisions since starting the season 0-4. Congrats to all the owners who stuck with him or those who were able to grab him off waivers.
• Ryan Roberts hit his 10th home run of the season and second in two days. He also has nine stolen bases on the season and now on pace for a 25/22 season. He qualifies at 2B, 3B and even OF in some formats. This all screams MUST OWN to me.
• Ryan Madson pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his 15th save in 16 chances. Brad Lidge who?
• Johnny Damon hit his 27th career leadoff home run and has reached base in a career-best 37 consecutive games. He's only owned in 54% of all Yahoo! leagues. Look past the name. His numbers (.279/30/8/33/7) are very ownable.
• Evan Longoria hit his first career inside-the-park home run. Discuss.
• J.P. Howell picked up his first save of the season. Kyle Farnsworth was not available because of the flu. Keep an eye on who gets the next handful of saves for the Rays.
• Jose Reyes had three hits, including a home run, and increased his batting average to a major league-leading .346. He's the sixth-ranked player in fantasy baseball and doing all he can to get a one-way ticket out of New York.
• Andrew McCutchen has an 11-game hitting streak in which he's hitting .488 (20/41) with 10 RBI.
• Tommy Hanson struck out a career-high 14 against the Astros to earn COSFBA's "Line of the Day" award (shameless plug). He improved to 3-0 with a 0.97 ERA in five career starts against the Houston.
• Dan Uggla broke out of a 7-for-76 slump by going 5-for-11 with a home run in last three games against Houston.
• Wandy Rodriguez was activated from the DL and scheduled to start today. Adjust your rosters accordingly.
• Prince Fielder hit 19th home run of the season, a 440 foot blast, and continues to lead the NL in RBI with 58. Enjoy it while you can, Brewers fans.
• John Axford converted his 15th straight save opportunity and 18th out of 20 overall.
• Philip Humber is 5-1 with a 2.53 ERA over his last nine starts and is now owned in 59.6% of ESPN and 45% of Yahoo! leagues. Grab him off waivers if you're struggling in your pitching categories.
• Adam Dunn hit his second home run in four games. He's 3/12 (.250) with six RBI and three walks over that span. Sad to celebrate those numbers as a "good thing" but it is. And more of the bad: he's hitting .031 (1-for-47) against left-handed pitching this season.
• Francisco Liriano was six outs from his second no-hitter of the season. In his last 38 innings, he has a 1.89 ERA and allowed 17 hits and 17 walks. That's what fantasy owners wanted to see.
• Matt Kemp hit his NL-leading 20th home run and is the #1-ranked fantasy baseball player this season with his .331/45/20/56/14 line and on pace for a 48/34 season. There's the future MVP we've all been waiting to see.
• Pablo Sandoval was activated from the DL. Adjust your rosters accordingly.
• Brian Wilson converted his 18th save in 20 opportunities. His beard approves.

PHEW! That was a mouthful of information. I'll be sure to get started on those recaps earlier in the day to have them posted at a more favorable time. Regardless, please enjoy and feel free to comment or let me know how helpful this information would be if delivered earlier in the day after.

Line of the Day: June 11th, 2011

SP Scott Baker of the Minnesota Twins allowed five hits and one run in a complete game victory over the Texas Rangers. It was his fourth career complete game. He also struck out seven and walked none and threw 80 of his 112 pitches for strikes.

Line: 9 IP, 5 H, 1ER, 0 BB, 7 K; W, QS, CG

My fantasy perspective: Positively, Baker's ERA (3.55), WHIP (1.22) and K/9 (8.4) are all better than his career averages. Negatively, his BB/9 (2.5) and HR/9 (1.3) are slight above his career norms. Nothing says he can't be the 12-15 win pitcher he's shown to be in the past. The question is whether the Twins as a team can get back to their winning ways.

Agree? Disagree? Check out ESPN's formula for determining the best daily performances and nominate your own Line of the Day player using the comments section or hitting me up on Twitter.

Be sure to check out the past winners of COSFBA's Line of the Day awards and subscribe to its feed, too.

Your League Probably Sucks...

...IF any of these examples are true about the fantasy baseball leagues you're in this season:

• Eric Hosmer is owned in only 59% of Yahoo! leagues. He has a 5x5 line of .309/18/5/21/2 in 32 games and has been an impact player since being called up on May 6th. He hit home runs in back-to-back games at New York on May 11th and 12th. He should have been 100% owned on May 13th, if not sooner. Check your waiver wire now to validate how much your league probably sucks.
• There is no reason whatsoever for Manny Ramirez to still be owned in 7.7% of ESPN and 5% of Yahoo! leagues. NONE! WHAT! SO! EVER! Quit sending trade proposals to these owners for any of their players. They gave up caring about your league long ago.
• Joe Mauer owners are dying to get his bat back into their lineups and there's hope it could happen in as soon as a weeks time. But can you explain to me why he's currently starting in 14% of Yahoo! leagues? Oh, I know why. Because those 14% of owners were so bromantically committed to having Mauer on their team that they no longer had anything to live for when he got injured. If your league hates the DL or has such limited bench spots, I have a formula for you. Lazy owners + crappy league settings - common sense = sucky league.
• Speaking of catchers: Does your league use a "two catcher" format? If so, it sucks. ESPN's Player Rater ranks just 17 catcher-eligible players with a rating above zero. Now I'm no mathematician but a negative rating on any scale has got to be a bad thing. Oh and one of those 17 players is Mr. Out For The Season Buster Posey, so let's knock that down to 16 players. Jorge Posada is ranked 27th and is owned in 18.4% of ESPN leagues. Nuff said. Quit requiring people to draft crappy hitters, you sadomasochists.
• Hey...you know that guy in your league who named his team after his favorite real team (most likely the Cubs) and his infield is made up of Carlos Pena, Darwin Barney, Starlin Castro and Aramis Ramirez? And his pitching staff is anchored by Ryan Dempster and Carlos Zambrano with Carlos Marmol as his closer? Yeah? Well that guy sucks as an owner and any league that continues to invite that guy sucks too.
• Anthony Rizzo and Mike Moustakas were both called up to the majors this week and should see their ownership numbers skyrocket. Wait. What's that? You only get to make changes to your lineup weekly? Oh my. Weekly leagues suck. Plain and simple. This isn't fantasy football. Get involved in daily leagues or don't get involved at all. If fantasy baseball takes too much time and/or effort to manage a team over the course of six months then don't join.
• Keeper leagues are a lot of fun but why is everyone in your league talking about them in June? I'd rather play to win my league this year owning Johnny Damon than lose while owning Bryce Harper. Quit sucking and play to win now!

I'll continue writing these posts periodically to point out the number one frustration most fantasy baseball players experience in their leagues most years: INACTIVITY! Inactive owners affect the overall value of a league. How many times have you sent a trade proposal to another owner to simply have it ignored or expire?   Does winning a league filled with inactivity really give you any level off satisfaction if no money was involved? Probably not. Does kicking a cat before it can steal your soul feel good? The answer to that will always be yes. ALWAYS!

What experiences have you had which left you pondering whether or not your league(s) sucks?

Line of the Day: May 31st, 2011

1B Justin Morneau of the Minnesota Twins homered twice and drove in three runs in an 8-7 loss to the Detroit Tigers. It was Morneau's first multi-homer game of the season and the 14th of his career.

Line: 4 AB, 3 R, 2 H, 3 RBI; 2 HR, BB

My fantasy perspective: Morneau has been a fantasy disappointment for owners up to this point but some things are more important than a game, like the fact that he's back on the field and able to perform at all after suffering a season-ending concussion in 2010. That injury derailed what was turning out to be an incredibly special statistical season in the making (81 games; .345/53/18/56/0).

Morneau owners should be excited to see his bat come alive, even if just for one game. Even more encouraging is his production over his last 19 games. He's hitting .308 (24/78) with five doubles, three home runs and 11 RBI.

This was probably the season to avoid him in fantasy baseball unless you were able to grab him late in the draft and pick and choose when to start him. If that's the case, now seems like a good as any time to have him in your lineup. Good luck to one of the good guys in the game worth rooting for as a person, not just a ballplayer.

Agree? Disagree? Check out ESPN's formula for determining the best daily performances and nominate your own Line of the Day player using the comments section or hitting me up on Twitter.

Be sure to check out the past winners of COSFBA's Line of the Day awards and subscribe to its feed, too.

Fantasy Baseball News and Notes from May 24th, 2011

Here are some fantasy baseball tidbits I picked up from games played on May 24th, 2011:

• SP Jorge de la Rosa, COL has a complete tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow and will require Tommy John surgery. He'll be out for at least a full calendar year. This is a devastating blow to the Rockies and will be hard for fantasy owners to find a decent enough replacement for the numbers de la Rosa was able to put up.
• SP Josh Collmenter, ARI had extended his scoreless streak to 24 innings before allowing home runs to Carlos Gonzalez and Seth Smith in the fourth inning of the Diamondbacks game against the Rockies. He's now 3-1 with a 1.19 ERA and 0.66 WHIP and available in 85% of ESPN and 84% of Yahoo! leagues .
• CL J.J. Putz, ARI is now 13-for-13 in save opportunities with a 1.80 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and a 19/5 K/BB ratio in 20 innings pitched. His 13 Saves are tied for fourth best in the majors.
• OF Carlos Gonzalez, COL homered twice (8) and drove in four runs (31) in the opening game of the Rockies' double-header. It was the third multi-homer game of his career.
• 2B/3B/OF Ryan Roberts, ARI stole his seventh base. He now has seven home runs and seven stolen bases on the season and is on pace for a 24/24 season. Who saw THAT coming?
• RP Rafael Soriano, NYY was shut down indefinitely with right elbow inflammation and can safely be dropped in all leagues where he was being rostered for Holds. Joba Chamberlain and David Robertson will continue to pick up the bulk of Holds in the Yankees' pen. 
• 3B/OF Jose Bautista, TOR went 0-for-4 against CC Sabathia and is now 0-for-15 in his career versus the lefty. Watch for that matchup the next time these two are scheduled to meet up.
• RP Al Alburquerque, DET earned his first major league victory. There's nothing fantasy-relevant about him (yet) except in leagues that may use K/9 as a scoring category, where he's sporting a robust 15.3 K/9 ratio. Plus that's just a great baseball name to type.
• OF Matt Joyce, TB hit his eighth home run of the season and leads the majors with a .367 batting average. He's now the 10th-ranked player on ESPN's Player Rater and the 14th-ranked player in Yahoo! leagues. Players like him are why we play fantasy baseball.
• C Alex Avila, DET homered twice and now has a 5x5 line of .292/17/8/27/2 for the season, good enough for the 2nd-best fantasy baseball catcher in 2011.
• SP Josh Beckett, BOS allowed one run and five hits in 6 2-3 innings and lowered his ERA to an AL-low 1.69. He's now 4-1 and looking like the ace of the Red Sox staff again.
• 1B Adrian Gonzalez, BOS leads the majors with 42 RBI and is unbelievable 13-for-25 (.525) with two outs and a runner in scoring position. "Pay that man his money."
• DH David Ortiz, BOS is batting .341 with seven homers and nine RBI in his last 20 games. Keep an eye on the Red Sox schedule for upcoming interleague games in NL parks.
• C Carlos Santana, CLE is in an 0-for-19 slump and hitting just .203 this season. He's made up for the low average with six home runs, 21 RBI and 21 runs scored.
• 2B Brian Roberts, BAL is seeing a specialist to deal with concussion symptoms and is expected to be out for at least three more weeks.
• OF Raul Ibanez, PHI is hitting .375 with 11 extra-base hits and 11 RBIs in 20 games since May 3rd. He's only owned in 47.6% of ESPN and 32% of Yahoo! leagues.
• OF Carlos Quentin, CHW became the fifth player over the last 13 days to homer three times in a game. It was the first three-homer game of his career and gave him 12 home runs and 31 RBI for the season.
• 1B/DH Adam Dunn, CHW ended a 3-for-33 slump with his fifth home run of the year. He's still batting just .192. If only he could hit his reported weight (285).
• SP Nick Blackburn, MIN pitched a complete game and ended the month of May with a 3-0 record with a 1.72 ERA in five starts.
• OF David DeJesus, OAK hit two home runs in a game for the second time in his career. Both have come this month. Oddly, those are his only four home runs for the year.
• RP Eduardo Sanchez, STL worked a perfect inning for his 5th save in seven chances. The Cardinals' bullpen continues to be a mystery. Five separate relievers have recorded a save for them this season (Fernando Salas , Sanchez, Mitchell Boggs, Trever Miller, Ryan Franklin).
• OF Mike Stanton, FLA hit his 11th home run for the season. He now has 33 home runs in 143 career games and is on pace for 39 this year. By the way, he's just 21 years old.
• CL Leo Nunez, FLA recorded his major league-leading 18th save (in 18 chances) and has a 24/9 K/BB ratio and a 8.9 K/9 ratio over 24.1 innings pitched.
• C Buster Posey, SF extended his current hitting streak to 12 games and has raised his average from .241 to .287. We knew there'd be some growing pains in his sophomore season, so hopefully this is a sign of good things to continue to come.

How useful are these post-game notes and tidbits to fantasy owners? Would you like to see them appear more often on COSFBA as a daily game roundup feature? Please let me know. Feedback is always appreciated.

Line of the Day: May 3rd, 2011

SP Francisco Liriano of the Minnesota Twins pitched the majors first no-hitter of the season, a 1-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox. He walked six, struck out two and needed 123 pitches (66 strikes) to pitch the first complete game of his career and the fifth no-hitter in the history of the Minnesota Twins franchise.

Line: 9 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 6 BB, 2 K; W, QS, CG, SHO, No-Hitter

My fantasy perspective: Liriano had been less than stellar in his five previous starts (18:18 K:BB ratio), allowing 27 hits and 24 earned runs in 23.2 innings pitched with a 1-4 record, 9.13 ERA and a 1.90 WHIP. Ouch! His ownership numbers were down to 68.4% (-27.2%) in ESPN leagues. How do you think those owners feel about dumping him prior to a no-hitter?

This is the kind of outing Liriano needed to get some confidence back and keep his spot in the Twins' rotation (Kevin Slowey is lurking) but is 123 pitches too many for a young, struggling pitcher several years removed from Tommy John surgery? I'm glad he got his piece of history but also hope it wasn't at his own expense.

Agree? Disagree? Check out ESPN's formula for determining the best daily performances and nominate your own Line of the Day player using the comments section or hitting me up on Twitter.

2011 Draft Results: Catchers Targeted

This season, I participated in five fantasy baseball leagues of varying types of formats but, for the most part, the players I targeted were pretty much the same. Now, that doesn't mean that I got all the same players in all five leagues but there were some commonalities.

I also want to go on record as saying I think two-catcher leagues of any type are ridiculous. Why as a commissioner would you want to force managers to carry what in my opinion are statistically the worst offensive bunch of players in the game? That being said, the first draft I participated in this season was an "experts" league with an online auction draft and wouldn't you know it...a two-catcher league. The difficulty level was escalated by the fact there are 13 teams and 30-man rosters per team (equals at least 26 catchers being drafted).

My strategy for this league was to get involved in the bidding for the two catchers I valued as being the best (as do most), Joe Mauer and Buster Posey, and hope to walk away with one and spend a little money later in the draft on a guy like Miguel Montero or Carlos Ruiz. Both Mauer and Posey were thrown out early and I was pretty aggressive in the bidding as planned, assuming each would go in the $20-$30+ range in this format. Well, when the dust settled, here's what my two-catcher strategy yielded:

•  Mauer ($24) and Posey ($20)

Now, I'm not shedding any tears over having this duo on my roster, unlike the owner who's rostering Josh Thole and Devin Mesoraco (um, who?). I regret being so aggressive and using $44 of my $330 budget (13%) on a position I was hoping to get bargains but I'm very excited to see what these two can do, offensively, this year.