Apparently today is National Pink Day. One cannot help but feel as though it should be this coming Wednesday rather than today.
On today’s agenda:
1. Swapping outfielders in Seattle
2. Jordy Mercer is the new thing in Pittsburgh
3. Drew Smyly: more than a LOOGY
Read the rest of this entry »
–Jose Veras needed just six pitches to close out the Cubbies in the bottom of the ninth frame to lock down his 15th save of the twenty-thirteen campaign. The lanky right-hander is now 15-of-18 in save opportunities with a 27.8% K% and a 3.82 ERA (3.83 FIP). Veras’ current strikeout rate and ERA are right inline with his career numbers, but it is worth noting that he’s surrendering fewer free passes (9.8% BB%) through 33 ‘13 appearances than he has over his career (12.3% BB%). One reason for the improvement in walk rate could be that Veras is getting ahead of hitters with the first-strike (60.2% F-Strike%) more than he’s ever done before (52.4% career F-Strike%). Veras is also luring opponents to chase pitches outside of the zone more often (26.3 O-Swing%), but the righty isn’t allowing them to make contact (59.2% O-Contact%) as well as they’ve done in the past against him (63% O-Contact%).
I’ve gotta do things a bit different today. I’m gone for the weekend so I’m writing this on Friday morning, which means two things: I am dealing with way less certainty surrounding weather and line-ups, and I’m getting prices off of a file I believe to be correct from DraftStreet but really don’t know.
I realize that most daily leaguers don’t have the option to set a daily roster in advance (for the record, I don’t either, and am just making recommendations and not playing this weekend), but the following tips will hold for those times you can manage to set a line-up late the night before or early the day of, without the benefit of waiting for less volatile weather or line-up guess work.
And that word is key in times like this – volatility.
Few movies can evoke the same amount of uproarious laughter that Hot Shots! or the sequel, Hot Shots! Part Deux brings out. After watching the former yesterday evening, this particular scene stuck out as especially inane and hilarious.
On today’s agenda:
1. Quick thoughts on Matt Garza
2. A trio of hot middle infielders
Read the rest of this entry »
Here are this week’s recommendations, with ownership figures help from @GabeEikum:
Eric Stults – 24.6% ESPN/33% Yahoo! – v. PHI (.305 team wOBA), @MIA (.271)
Hopefully this will be a better go-round for Stults than last time he was recommended, which was back in week two when he went 1-1 with a 5.54 ERA. But he most certainly has been better of late, allowing more than three earned runs only once in his last 10 starts, and allowing two or less in five straight and eight of his last 10. Read the rest of this entry »
“Winners never quit and quitters never win,” is probably one of those old adages you had shouted at you numerous times growing up. It doesn’t matter if you played a competitive sport, were in the math league or on the chess team (think I’ve covered our base demographic here, no?), you’ve heard it countless times. And if you haven’t, that’s probably because you weren’t paying enough attention and why you’re now living in your mom’s basement, working some dead end job, using a fake name and email to troll on the internet. But I digress. We’re here to talk about quitters — quitters in fantasy baseball leagues, obviously, not in life. Read the rest of this entry »
I’m just as guilty as anyone of feeling fed up with players, despite their pedigree. Today, I’ve got a little quick-hitter to try and provide some perspective on two well known players who are really scuffling right now. Both players could be nice little buy-low candidates, although players with name recognition always cost a little more it seems. But sometimes you have to roll the dice when you need lightning in a bottle in order to get back into contention, and that’s what these two have the potential to provide.
Chris Davis and Miguel Cabrera have grabbed most of the headlines, but arguably the best fantasy option this year has been neither of those two players. Cast your gaze to the Rocky Mountains. The biggest fantasy stalwart has been Carlos Gonzalez of the Colorado Rockies.
Gonzalez owns the fourth-best wOBA (.429) in all of baseball and has the second-most home runs with 21 in only 316 plate appearances. The one thing that separates him from the rest of the pack, however, is the fact that he also has 13 stolen bases. In fact, of the 30 players with the most home runs in the league this year, only Carlos Gonzalez and Mike Trout have double-digit stolen bases.
He’s been incredible across the board. Here is how the 27-year-old outfielder stacks up in all standard rotisserie categories:
I love to gamble because almost nothing is more fun to me than watching a sporting event and caring about the outcome. I like it when something is at stake. That’s why I play fantasy baseball, and it’s why I’ve thoroughly enjoyed playing daily fantasy this season. But I do not like to lose money. This is of course an obvious thing to say. Who does? But I think it bothers me more than most.
I grew up with a very cheap father. Admittedly, we weren’t exactly rolling in dough as he was a high school choir director and my mom worked part-time at a church. But we were much better off than you would presume us to be if you ever saw us out at dinner, which was a very rare occasion. But if we did go out to eat, my dad would blurt out “four waters” before the server had the chance to finish saying, “What can I get you guys to dri…” This was always very embarrassing. I understood that a Dr. Pepper wasn’t an option unless it was my birthday and somewhat respected the reason for that edict. But he could have at least let me order my own water to save a modicum of my dignity. Read the rest of this entry »
Spurred on by the chance to win a title, most fantasy owners are feeling the competition really heat up. Oh, apparently the San Antonio and Miami played Game 7 of the NBA championship last night.
On today’s agenda:
1. Alexei Ramirez is heating up
2. Jonathon Niese’s potential injury
3. Welcome back, Mitch Moreland
4. Michael Pineda’s progress
Read the rest of this entry »