Riding the Pine

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“Not only are we going, but I’ll be sitting with you and we’ll be holding up signs reading ‘Go Devil Rays!’ ”
Billy Koch, released from the Blue Jays after 4 appearance in the preseason, on whether he’s still going to a Rays-Jays game in Tampa Bay after buying 240 tickets for his kids’ classmates.

Okay, I know it’s been a bit since I was on a regular schedule, but I am back. No, for real this time. The season is starting, which brings with it the start of the Fantasy Season. That is all that my friends, co-workers and I have been able to talk about.

DISCLAIMER: This was written before the opening day games. I will talk about them next week.

MLB Tidbits:
Alex Sanchez – He is the first victim of the drug policy. He is too small to be on steroids, so we can assume it was some other controlled substance. Steroids could explain how his home run total doubled last year (from 1 to 2). Truthfully, he isn’t worth starting in fantasy leagues. He doesn’t hit well, and while he will get stolen bases, he gets caught as much as he steals. The drug thing just adds to his worthlessness. Plus, if someone gets cut from the Tigers, you know he isn’t that good.

Along with Sanchez, 38 Minor League players from the Arizona training camps were suspended for steroids. Most notable was Javi Herrera, who was ranked as the 3rd best prospect in the A’s system according to Baseball America. A few of the players were released from there teams before the scandal broke. For a complete list, click Here.

Mark Prior – He will begin his second straight season on the DL. He is not happy, but that’s life. He won’t be able to start until the 3rd week of the season, but I would keep him sitting for an extra week to make sure he is fine. This shouldn’t affect the Cubs much; most teams, Cubs included, will be able to go with a 4 man rotation to keep the starters on regular rest.

Kevin Brown – The names starting the season on the DL really aren’t a surprise. My only guess is that players want to get their yearly DL stint out of the way. Brown is having back problems and is listed out until mid-April. If he is having back problems this early into the season, things don’t look good. This is good for owners of Jaret Wright; he was scheduled to make his first start around the time Brown is now scheduled to come back.

Charles Johnson – Johnson is now with the D-rays. He was traded from Colorado to Boston with Chris Narveson for Byung-Hyun Kim. The move was a salary dump on both ends, with Boston getting a decent pitching prospect in return. Boston then released Johnson, eating his remaining contract. The D-rays had been talking with Colorado all off-season trying to get Johnson. This route will be cheaper, since he signed for the league minimum. Johnson should only be taken as a back up, and even then, it may not be that smart.

Joe Mauer – The Twin’s young catcher will only be catching 2 days a week, according to manager Ron Gardenhire. This will help ease him back into everyday catching duties. He will DH the other 3-4 days a week. Mauer is worth starting in all leagues. This will also help Matt LeCroy; he lost his eligibility last year as catcher, but he is expected to see some time behind the plate. Also, Mike Redmond and Corky Miller should see some extra time, but neither is worth owning.

Spring Surprises:
-Who would have thought that Gabe Gross would lead Spring Training in home runs at one time? Gross is a solid prospect, but everyone thought he was still a year away. I met him 2 weeks ago, and he said he was just as surprised as everyone else. He was a real good guy, so I am pulling for him to have a good season. He is worth watching, but he is expecting to platoon with Alex Rios. Both will lose at bats this year in this situation.
-Rockies rookie Jeff Baker will get a brief look after his impressive spring. He is one of the top prospects in their system. He was sent down to the minors, but Garrett Atkins injury has opened the door.
-The Cardinals will have Generation K phenom Bill Pulsipher another chance to pitch in the big leagues. He hasn’t seen Major League action since 2001, and was invited by Jason Isringhausen to try out. He pitched well enough for the Redbirds to send Mike Myers to the BoSox.
-Many teams made surprising roster moves…Endy Chavez is not a very good outfielder, but the Expos/Nationals have always been high on him, they did the right thing sending him down…Pokey Reese surprisingly will be the starting shortstop for the Mariners, beating out prospect Jose Lopez, who now has a broken hand …Brandon Lyon has been named closer for the D’backs, beating out Greg Aquino. Look for Jose Valverde to come back from injury and challenge for the spot later in the season…Picking Juan Gonzalez over Grady Sizemore in the Indians outfield will be a huge mistake. Gonzalez is already down. This is a sign of things to come…Laynce Nix was sent to AAA. He should be a solid player, but has had injury problems that have stalled his career.

Spring Training Observations:
-I saw Cardinals #1 prospect Anthony Reyes pitch against the Braves. He was quite impressive. He went 5 innings, gave up 6 hits, struck out 6 and did not give up a run. He made Chipper Jones look like Ricky Jones. He also hit a 2 run homer before he left. He won the game 2-0.
-Always have a woman with you when you try to get autographs. The players would respond better to my wife asking (I’m talking to you Brad Wilkerson) than her brother or me. I guess I can’t really blame them though.
-Younger players are the way to go for autographs. They are more willing to sign (if you ask at the right times) and will be very outgoing. Russ Adams, Gabe Gross, and .Aaron Hill were the best to talk to. Gustavo Chacin, Yadier Molina, and Chris Burke were pretty good to the fans.
David Eckstein is one of the best players towards the fans. He was signing autographs for anyone who wanted one. He was very friendly (not too talkative though) and made sure all the kids around were given an autograph. He also signed one specifically for a fantasy baseball prize in one of my leagues (“Congratulations on the Win”).
-I learned that Andruw Jones could make a much better third baseman than Julian Tavarez. Both were goofing around in the infield before a game. Jones was talking with teammate Rafael Furcal and alternating on grounders. Jones made some good plays. Tavarez was showboating for fans (which he is good at doing). Bo Hart left his infield glove on the ground and Tavarez quickly grabbed it. He miss anything that was hit his way.

Links
Rotochamps is one of the best sites for fantasy info, projections, and chats.

MLBPlayers.netis a quick reference for schedules and rosters.

Patrick

Oli

Nick

Steve

The Forums normally have good topics, from the Hairband Battle Royal in music to the Dating Advice in the Moodspins.

Post your predictions here.

That’s it for this week. E-Mail or post fantasy questions, baseball questions in general, and comments. Until next week.

Eugene Tierney