Opening Day Odds & Ends
April 5, 2009
A few observations about final team rosters, player battles, and opening day.
1. Brett Myers is getting lit up like a fire cracker.
Three homers in two innings pitched so far. Many view Myers as a sleeper this season, but a repeat of April-June 2008 (5.84 ERA) won’t exactly get him voted onto the all-star team. Indeed, Myers’ first and second half could not have been more different last season. In the first half, he had a 5.84 ERA with a 1.56 WHIP. In the second half, Myers had a 3.06 ERA with a 1.17 WHIP. One rough start isn’t enough to get your panties in a bunch, but it will be interesting to see which version of Myers we get in 2009.
UPDATE: Myers settled down nicely after the first two innings. He finished his first start of the season with four scoreless innings. His box score read: 6 IP, 4 ER, 8 H, 1 BB, 6 K’s. He got hit hard at times, but showed good resiliency. Derek Lowe, on the other hand, pitched like an ace and quieted managers who feared he could not perform as well outside pitcher-friendly Dodger Stadium.
2. Austin Kearns beats out Elijah Dukes for the starting rightfield job.
This was a very surprising announcement. Kearns had a great spring, but Dukes had a sizzling end to his 2008 season and didn’t do anything to jeopardize his spot this spring. Although he’s temporarily the 4th outfielder, we’re still bullish on Dukes. Kearns is an injury risk and has little history of success. Likewise, Nick Johnson has trouble staying healthy. If Johnson goes down, Dunn could move to first base, thereby creating a spot in the outfield for Dukes. We recommend stashing Dukes on your bench until he starts.
3. Joey Devine is on the 60 day DL
Translation: Brad Ziegler is the A’s closer for at least the first couple months of the season. Teams don’t put players on the 60 day DL unless they are seriously injured, and often times, the player doesn’t come back for 90 days or longer. Joey Devine is officially in fantasy no-man’s land.
4. Jordan Schafer won the Braves’ starting centerfield job
One of the top prospects in the game, Schafer is the Braves opening day starter. In fact, he homered in his first major league at-bat. Schafer has never played above Double A, and could struggle in his rookie season. But he has gap power, good speed, and an impressive eye. Expect him to get better as the season goes on, and he could hit 10 homers with 15 steals.
5. Josh Anderson will be the Tigers starting left fielder.
Anderson, recently acquired by the Braves, has major speed and could be a deep sleeper. He stole 52 bases last season between Triple A and the majors, and could steal 30+ if he maintains his job with the Tigers for a full season.
h2h Corner ~ Opening Day(Night) is Awesome
April 5, 2009
Opening Day, er, Night is upon us. I, for one, am super psyched about Cole Hamels’ injury because that means my boy Brett Myers gets the nod in the first game of the season. I already love baseball, but having Myers throwing for my teams will make Sunday night even better.
Opening Day has always been the pinnacle of March. And March is clearly the best month of the year. Think about it: the NCAA tournament, the first day of Spring, St. Patrick’s Day, my birthday, fantasy baseball drafts, NFL Draft preparation, and many other reasons that are less important.
March also happens to be, perhaps, the longest month – no federal holidays + 31 days – however it seems to fly by. Now that I’ve checked my calendar, it seems we’re in April. Thank you World Baseball Classic for killing my analogy, but hopefully not my pitchers’ arms.
So why do I see Opening Day as the Deadeye Dick weathervane cap to the brilliant March sporting season. Here’s why:
Cal Ripken – please let his pure reputation remain intact. Ripken represents all that is good and holy about baseball and my childhood.
Brady Anderson – what can I say, he was my first Starting Lineup Figurine. He was cool and I believed in him when he struggled. Then, with a little help, he became good.
The fact that managers don’t appear to be all that important.
The comfort of how a hard hit ground ball to the opposite field rolls off the infield and bounds on the bright green grass.
Horrible GMs, because they do matter.
Hearing old stories of the Robinson’s (Brooks & Frank (the most underrated player ever?)). Also, was the Glenn Davis trade (Schilling, Harnish, Finely) karma for the Frank Robinson trade (#7 on the list)? If so, it was worth it just to hear recounts of the Orioles’ golden days.
Jim Palmer’s horrible commercials – there must be hundreds of local “heroes” hocking/hawking awesome products. Palmer’s is my favorite.
Jeffrey Maier/Armando Benitez (cough: Tony Fernandez)/Tony Tarasco/Jose Mesa (cough: Edgar Renteria).
Fantasy Baseball – see Brett Myers (first paragraph), also: Fantasy Baseball 101.
The ridiculous outrage over PEDs and records – people cheated, yes. People have cheated throughout baseball, and football, and apparently the financial industry. Get over it. Did the Black Sox (who did something far more heinous) ruin baseball? I don’t think so, neither will this “scandal.”
Underrated “scrappy” guys like Craig Biggio.
Overrated scrappy guys like David Eckstein.
Opening Day….when every team sort of has a chance (if you don’t play in AL East and are the Orioles).
Prospects hype…and the chance they live up to it.
The best reason is the poetry, allure and magnetism surrounding this game: “Ray, people will come Ray. They’ll come to Iowa for reasons they can’t even fathom. They’ll turn up your driveway not knowing for sure why they’re doing it. They’ll arrive at your door as innocent as children, longing for the past. Of course, we won’t mind if you look around, you’ll say. It’s only $20 per person. They’ll pass over the money without even thinking about it: for it is money they have and peace they lack. And they’ll walk out to the bleachers; sit in shirtsleeves on a perfect afternoon. They’ll find they have reserved seats somewhere along one of the baselines, where they sat when they were children and cheered their heroes. And they’ll watch the game and it’ll be as if they dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick they’ll have to brush them away from their faces. People will come Ray. The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it’s a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again. Oh… people will come Ray. People will most definitely come.” From here.
Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/h2h_Corner.
Some other Opening Day Shout-outs, via Twitter:
mlbhomerun@h2h_Corner I love opening day because it means I won’t have to scrap the ice of my windshield for at least 6 months.
DJBproductions@h2h_Corner My favorite thing about opening day is that the Orioles and Nats are both in first place
baseballtips @h2h_Corner I’m a stats guy, so that is definitely a big reason.
Did You Know…?
Jacoby Ellsbury had more SBs than Brian Roberts and Elvis Andrus combined?
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