“Too bad the only good player from Cairo was [Robinson] and not Willie Harris. I told Willie, `What happened to you?’ Jackie didn’t leave anything for Willie.”
— White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, on how Sox infielder Willie Harris and Jackie Robinson both hailed from Cairo, Georgia (Chicago Tribune)
“I don’t think they’re going to be more than Dominicans and Latin Americans; they’re cheaper down there. Every time you sign a Japanese player, it’s a lot of money. In the Dominican and Venezuela, you can sign them with rice and beans.”
— Ozzie Guillen on the difference between Japanese players and Central/South American (Chicago Sun-Times)
I think the White Sox shouldn’t let Ozzie talk to the media any more.
This is the perfect time of year for smart fantasy owners. Many owners are seeing some of there premier players off to slow starts. The will begin to worry and may jump at any deal that is made for them. This is the time to make offers for Mark Mulder, Adrian Beltre, or Mark Teixeira. You can also unload some of your over achievers, like Garrett Anderson or a Marlins starter (the D-train or Beckett). Feel out the other owners and see what you can do. Don’t feel bad if you take advantage of another team. Don’t be afraid to trade a good player to get another good player. This season, I have traded Pedro Martinez, Aramis Ramirez, Hideki Matsui, and Dontrelle Willis in a few of my leagues, but I got back Jake Peavy, Joe Nathan, Gary Sheffield, and Hank Blalock (I may start putting my trades up here to show what you can do). Trades are like gambling, you have to take a risk.
The Rumors
The Orioles are trying to pry Todd Helton out of Colorado; reports say he isn’t available yet, but he could be soon if he will waive his no trade clause…Mike Piazza’s defense looks to be the reason the Mets will run him out of New York; he is currently on the trading block…The Indians are saying they are not going to release Juan Gonzalez; they feel he will contribute down the stretch, but there hasn’t been progress on his hamstring…If the Devil Rays won’t commit more money to the team, manager Lou Pinella may walk after the season; he has one year left on his contract…The Devil Rays and the Mets are interested in Wily Mo Pena; the Reds are reluctant to trade him since their top outfield prospect tore his Achilles tendon…Vicente Padilla may be traded; he is eligible for arbitration at the end of the season and Gavin Floyd is waiting to take his place…Stephen Drew is signing a contract with the Camden Riversharks of the independent Atlantic League; he has given up on negotiations with the Diamondbacks…When you get to the bottom, you’ll see about the Garciaparra injury; the Cubs are wasting no time, and have begun to speak with the Phillies about Placido Polanco or Chase Utley.
Manager Hot Seats: Lloyd McClendon is each year mentioned as being in the hot seat…Alan Trammell is rumored to be headed to the hot seat; the Tigers front office, after a good turn around last year, are un-happy with the teams start.
The week that was:
The Good
– Adam Dunn – After crushing a record number of homers last season, Dunn is doing it again. Monday, Dunn hit 2 solo shots off of Cubs starter Kerry Wood. He is hitting for a decent average, but he is still striking out quite a bit (15 ks so far).
– Mark Mulder – Mulder has bounced back from 2 bad starts. He pitched 8 innings of solid pitching, in which he gave up 1 unearned run. He only had 2 strike outs, but the total should increase. Also, Mulder normally will have a good amount of complete games; those points will also help in head to head match ups. Don’t bench him, he will still get you positive numbers even in bad games.
– Rich Harden – The Athletics did a tough thing, asking a young pitcher to almost pitch like an ace; Harden has responded to the challenge. Harden (2-0) is pitching like a madman; he has only given up 1 earned run in 20 1/3 innings this season. He should be started in all leagues until he cools off.
– Manny Ramirez – Manny looks like he is busting out of his slump. Monday he knocked in 2 homers. While he does at the plate would equal out what he does in the field; he lost 2 fly balls. He looks like a little league player in the outfield, but many leagues don’t lose points for errors. He is worth starting in any league.
– Jim Edmonds – Edmonds is on fire this year; he is tied for the NL lead in homers. He is averaging a homer once in every 8.2 at bats. Edmonds, as always, is a solid option.
– Paul Konerko – Here is another player that puts the ball out of play. Konerko is leading the league in homers. Many thought last year was a fluke, but he has always shown power. He is a solid option in any league, but is playing pretty slowly (other than the homers).
– Brian Roberts – Roberts has come out of nowhere, again. Last year, he stole 8 bases in a week. This year, he has shown power. Roberts is one of the leading point getters this year. He should be active, since second base is weak to begin with.
– Matt Morris looked good on his return from the DL (1 earned run, 7 Ks in 6 innings); he had shoulder surgery to erase pain he has had for the last 2 years…Why Pedro Feliz doesn’t have a permanent position is beyond me…Jason Phillips has an 8 game hitting streak; he is worth using while hot, but not as a long term catcher.
The Bad
– Brett Tomko – After seeing Tomko first hand, I would have to group him in the bad category. Traditionally, he has been solid in the second half of the season. He has started the season 0-3, most recently giving up 6 runs in 6 2/3 innings. Do not attempt to start Tomko at least until after the All Star break; even then, I still wouldn’t do it.
– Colorado Pitchers – Colorado’s bullpen has blown a few games this year. What do you expect from a team that has never developed a pitcher? In the last 2 weeks, the bullpen has blown 2 decent starts from Shawn Chacon (I never thought I would type that) and 6 blown in the first 12 games. I feel bad for Jeff Francis. He could be a great pitcher, but this team drafted him. I bet he cried they day they drafted him (which is better than Eli Manning, who threw a hissy fit when the Chargers talked about drafting him). I would still keep an eye on him; he could be a good person for road starts.
– Carl Pavano and Jaret Wright – The two new Yankees pitchers are not so much bad, but overrated. Pavano had a career year and was rewarded for it, but he has a losing record for his career. He had a decent stop in Florida but was mediocre in Montreal. Wright would only be serviceable if he stayed with Leo Mazzone. As they have shown this year, they are overrated; Pavano got his first win this week, while Wright is still searching for his.
The Ugly
– Curt Schilling – I don’t know if the ankle is bother him, but Schilling has not looked sharp. Monday, he threw 118 pitches to barely get to the 5th innings (to qualify for the win) with a 9-3 lead. There was 2 times he pitched out of bases loaded jams. He may need another couple of starts before he will dominate again.
– Dmitry Young – Young started hot the first day, but went on a drought for 2 weeks. He hit his 4th homer Monday. He is a very streaky player, so what him closely if you are going to start him.
– Jake Westbrook – Westbrook has been one of the un-luckiest pitchers this year. The average run support in the games he started is .75 runs per game. He has given up a total of 6 runs in 3 of his 4 starts (11 in the other one). He has been a solid start, even with the winless record. Keep an eye on his match-ups.
– Vicente Padilla’s first start since returning from the DL was not pretty; 8 earned runs on 8 hits (5 homers) in 3 innings…Aaron Boone is off to a slow start; don’t drop him yet, but time should be running out…Phil Nevin has gotten off to a slow start; look for his numbers to pick up soon…Jim Thome ended his homerless drought on Thursday…Shingo Takatsu is about to lose the closers job; Dustin Hermanson is next in line to take over.
Rookie Watch:
Dallas McPherson got the call from the Angels; he was in AAA after missing most of the spring with a back injury…Jeremy Reed is still moving slowly; he has good speed, but has yet to steal a base…BJ Upton, who is in the minors, may have trouble getting his call up; through 11 games, he has 11 hits in 45 at bats, plus 10 errors…Gavin Floyd, who was recently moved to the bullpen, gave up 8 earned on 6 hits in his first 3 innings of relief…Joe Blanton dropped to 0-1 in a tough loss to the Rangers; he is definitely worth picking up if he qualifies as a reliever and a starter in your league…Humberto Cota was recently called up by the Pirates to replace Benito Santiago; Cota is considered the #1 catcher over David Ross, so keep an eye on him…Brandon League, Toronto’s closer of the future, was sent down to Triple-A after being hit hard; he should be back up in the next few months…Adrian Gonzalez, former #1 draft pick, was sent to the minors by the Rangers; Gonzalez is currently blocked at first base and DH…Ryan Church has lost the job as starting CF for the Nationals.
Injury Watch:
Barry Bonds rehab is moving slowly and there is no time table for his return yet…Nomar Garciaparra tore his groin Wednesday night against the Cardinals; he will be put on DL, missing anywhere from 2-3 months, possibly the whole season…Khalil Greene was officially put on the DL (fractured finger); Dave Roberts, who was activated from the DL, took his roster spot…Eric Gagne is eligible to come off the DL, but he’s just started to play catch; his return is still unknown…Magglio Ordonez is out due to Hernia surgery; the Tigers said he would be back in 6 weeks, but the same thing kept Dmitry Young out almost a full season (note that his contract can be voided if he ends the season on the DL)… Todd Walker (strained ACL) and Cubs were quoted as saying that he would be back in a couple of weeks; while it may be true, they will gradually ease him back in…The Dodgers should be activating Brad Penny this weekend; Penny may start this weekend in Colorado depending on the weather…Mike Cameron is still at least a week away from normal baseball activities…Lance Berkman’s was said to be headed to the minors to start rehabbing soon, but the Astros said they may activate him this weekend; don’t start him until he is back at full strength…Frank Thomas is taking batting practice; he said he is feeling well, but not completely healed…Ben Sheets may be scratched from his next start; he pitched this week with flu like symptoms, and was taken to the hospital yesterday for nausea and dizziness.
Eligibility Changes
Shea Hillenbrand has started a few games at third; he may qualify there already, but if not should soon…Jay Gibbons now qualifies at first base; he should be available in most leagues, so keep an eye on his productions…Chris Burke is slowly gaining eligibility in the outfield; he’s not worth starting at this point since he won’t play everyday…Casey Blake has qualified for the outfield; he is a super-sub worth a bench spot.
Upcoming 2 start pitchers: (DISCLAIMER: All of these should be checked on Sunday to make sure they are 2 start pitchers. Go to 2 start pitchers link on RotoChamps to check. Also, Tampa Bay’s starter situation is currently unknown. If Scott Kazmir doesn’t have 2 starts, don’t use their starter.)
Must Start
Roy Oswalt (@ Pit, ChC), Oliver Perez (Hou, SF), Carlos Zambrano (Cin, @ Hou), Ben Sheets (@ StL, Cin)**, Barry Zito (ChW, Sea), Derek Lowe (Ari, Col), Johan Santana (@KC, LaA), Josh Beckett (@ Col, @ Phi)
Don’t Start
Cory Lidle (@ Was, Fla), David Wells (Bal, @ Tex), Paul Wilson (@ ChC, @ Mil), Wil Ledezma (@ Cle, @ ChW), Ryan Drese (Sea, Bos), Jose Lima (Min, @ Cle), Jamey Wright (Fla, @ LaD)
Sleepers
Bruce Chen (@ Bos, TB), Horacio Ramirez (@NyM, StL), Javier Vazquez (@LA, @SD), Woody Williams (@ SF, Ari), Ted Lilly (TB, @ NyY), Jake Westbrook (Det, KC)
Other Possible 2 Starts:
Zach Day (Phi, NyM), Aaron Heilman (Atl, @ Was), Jeff Suppan (Mil, @ Atl), Jon Garland (@ Oak, Det), Noah Lowry (SD, @ Pit), Bartolo Colon (@ NyY, @ Min), Carl Pavano (LaA, Tor), Joel Pinero (@ Tex, @ Oak)
** Wait until Sunday to decide on Sheets. **
League Leaders
Rank, Player, Team, AVG
1, Clint Barmes, Rockies, .448
2, Edgardo Alfonso, Giants, .418
3, Derek Lee, Cubs, .417
4, Shea Hillenbrand, Blue Jays, .406
5, Jacques Jones, Twins, .391
Rank, Player, Team, Home Runs
1, Paul Konerko, White Sox, 7
2, Brian Roberts, Orioles, 6
3, 8 others, 5
Rank, Player, Team, RBIs
1, Pat Burrell, Phillies, 20
2, Miguel Tejada, Orioles, 19
3, Brian Roberts, Orioles, 17
3, Derek Lee, Cubs, 17
3, Manny Ramirez, Red Sox, 17
3, Juan Encarnacion, Marlins, 17
Rank, Player, Team, Runs
1, Jeff Kent, Dodgers, 18
2, Brian Roberts, Orioles, 16
2, Shea Hillenbrand, Blue Jays, 16
3, 10 others, 14
Rank, Player, Team, SBs
1, Torii Hunter, Twins, 9
2, ICHIRO, Mariners, 7
3, Julio Lugo, Devil Rays, 6
3, Brian Roberts, Orioles, 6
3, Scott Podsednik, White Sox, 6
3, Bobby Abreu, Phillies, 6
Rank, Player, Team, Wins
1, Jon Lieber, Phillies, 4
2, 13 others, 3
Rank, Player, Team, ERA
1, Roger Clemens, Astros, 0.43
2, Rich Harden, Athletics, 0.44
2, Brett Myers, Phillies, 0.44
4, Mike Hampton, Braves, 0.82
4, Tim Hudson, Braves, 0.82
Rank, Player, Team, Saves
1, Fransisco Cordero, Rangers, 7
2, Brandon Lyon, Diamondbacks, 6
2, Danny Graves, Reds, 6
4, 7 others, 5
Rank, Player, Team, Ks
1, Pedro Martinez, Mets, 38
2, Johan Santana, Twins, 37
3, Josh Beckett, Marlins, 30
4, John Smoltz, Braves, 29
5, Randy Johnson, Yankees, 27
Rank, Player, Team, WHIP
1, Pedro Martinez, Mets, 0.52
2, Dontrelle Willis, Marlins, 0.67
2, Roger Clemens, Astros, 0.67
4, John Patterson, Nationals, 0.76
5, Ryan Franklin, Mariners, 0.77
5, Mark Buehrle, White Sox, 0.77
Links
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That’s it for this week. E-mail or post questions, trade scenarios, and comments. Thanks.
