h2h Corner ~ Check You Out On the Flip Side: Don Mattingly
September 8, 2010
For the history of this series, check out this article: Check You Out On the Flip Side: Howard Johnson.
I’m sorry about all the New York corner infielders, but this one was too bizarre to pass up!
Do an internet search for ‘Don Mattingly birthday’ and you get April 20, 1961. Baseball Reference also has him as being born in 1961.
So how did he get away with this, while Miguel Tejada and others have been caught? I guess it doesn’t matter if it is only one year and the supposed official birth year makes him older, right?
Regardless, Mattingly put together a brilliant first three seasons of a career. Look at all those italics! Unfortunately, he would never lead the league in anything after this card was printed. My baseball consciousness wasn’t fully alive until the early 1990s and, at that point, Mattingly was an old fogey with achy knees. Of course, that old fogey posted a .397 OBP at age 33 in 1994. Or maybe he was really only 32 when he was taking all those pitches?
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h2h Corner ~ Check You On the Flip Side: Johnny Gray
September 4, 2010
For the history of this series, check out this article: Check You On the Flip Side: Howard Johnson.
Artistically, this card is beautiful. The color contrast with the shading is just perfect. That YouTube double rainbow guy would be flipping out if he saw this. You also can’t beat an elephant standing on a baseball while brandishing a bat!
What strikes me as most fascinating is the “You’re the Ump” question. For some reason, it indicates that, in the American League, if a ball hits the foul pole and bounces back into play or into foul territory the hit is scored a double, whereas if the ball bounces into fair territory in the stands it is a homer. Whaa? That is some awkward backyard Wiffle Ball rules if you ask me.
Clearly there is a massive logic fail here.
Another logic fail is the idea that Gray was a hard luck loser. He had a 1.92 WHIP in 1954. That year was the only time a team let him pitch more than 26 IPs. Big guy, beautiful card, just not a good pitcher.
What do you think of this article? Did you enjoy? Has anyone else done this? Let me know if I should continue.
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h2h Corner ~ Check You On the Flip Side: Howard Johnson
September 2, 2010
So, I bought a ton of Topps 1987 Cello unopened packs recently. At first glance, I was pretty happy with what I had gotten (Barry Bonds, Barry Larkin, Mark McGwire, Cal Ripken and many others). It wasn’t until I turned the cards over and looked through the information there that I understood just what a goldmine I had hit. Put simply, these things are hilarious.
The first card I looked at was Mike Boddicker. Did you know that “Mike has worked as a grain elevator operator?” Neither did I. The same guy who was traded for Brady Anderson AND Curt Schilling back in the day was once a grain elevator operator! This discovery got me intrigued and so I went ahead and looked through all the cards and found some very interesting tidbits.
The first Wacky Look Back will be Howard Johnson:
Apparently, in 1985, Howard Johnson entered and dominated (well co-dominated) a rib-eating contest among professional athletes.
Obviously, the biggest question is left unanswered: HOW MANY RIBS DID HE PUT DOWN!?!? And who all was involved? Was Cecil Fielder involved? I’d guess not because he wasn’t a rookie until 1987. If Fielder wasn’t involved, does his co-crown count? Were there football players involved? If so, any lineman? Joe Montana? And perhaps most importantly, are they still doing this now? Does ESPN broadcast it? Looking at HoJo’s picture, I can’t help but think that he probably would have won that crown outright if he’d had Keith Hernandez-esque facial hair. That sucker would have sopped up a ton of BBQ sauce.
Anyway, I think this is a fantastic tidbit to put on HoJo’s career. A former first-round draft pick of the Detroit Tigers in 1979 he made an auspicious debut in 1982 as a 21-year-old. He hit .316 in 54 games. He wouldn’t reach similar success again until 1987, in his third season with the Mets. His career profiles very similar to Eric Chavez – I imagine HoJo will be remembered more fondly. I already do because he ate ribs, not injured them.
What do you think of this article? Did you enjoy? Has anyone else done this? Let me know if I should continue. More importantly, what do you think of the title?
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h2h Corner ~ I’m a Believer: September Edition
August 30, 2010
h2h Corner ~ I’m a Believer: September Edition
Welcome to September’s “I’m a Believer” column. Yes, I got the name from a Monkees’ song. And yes, I like the song. Did you know that Neil Diamond wrote it, as well as many other songs by the Monkees? Isn’t Neil Diamond cool (Red Sox fans)?
Like the song teaches us, this column attempts to be a fun, quick read, mostly focused on what performances we can/can’t believe in.
Without further ado, I’m a believer that:
While Ryan Braun ranks in the top 30 players this year, he has had a disappointing season. Who has been the biggest disappointment on your roster? Post below! Read more
h2h Corner ~ Video Killed the Radio Star
August 5, 2010
Ok, I am, by no means, a star on the radio. Last night, I sure stumbled over my words in some parts, but I think we had some great discussions on fantasy and, more broadly, baseball related topics.
I was thankful to Joel Henard (of Baseball Daily Digest Radio, The Fantasy Insiders and Talking Baseball Live fame) for asking me to guest on his show. It was awesome to work with Kevin Orris as well. For those of you who don’t know, he is the founder and president of Baseball Insiders. Follow them on twitter, they are chalk full of great info and insights. Read more
h2h Corner ~ I’m a Believer: July Edition
July 2, 2010
Welcome to July’s “I’m a Believer” column. Yes, I got the name from a Monkees’ song. And yes, I like the song. Did you know that Neil Diamond wrote it, as well as many other songs by the Monkees? Isn’t Neil Diamond cool (Red Sox fans)?
Like the song teaches us, this column attempts to be a fun, quick read, mostly focused on what performances we can/can’t believe in.
Without further ado, I’m a believer that:
It is only going to get hotter in Texas – barring injuries, Vlad Guerrero and Josh Hamilton will remain fantasy stalwarts. Read more
The Joys of the Junior Circuit
May 10, 2010
AL-only insights and inanities
Those who believe that to pitch in the AL against 9 batters per game is to truly make it as a MLB pitcher and still find themselves struggling to name a single player for the Arizona Diamondbacks may appreciate the inauguration of this series of posts solely devoted to the AL-only league way of fantasy life. We don’t mind not using National Leaguers in our leagues — we’ve seen what the AL did to Matt Holliday and Jake Peavy – and what the NL can do for the likes of Ted Lilly and anybody that ever joined the Colorado Rockies – so we’re happy enough to be AL-centric.
If you’re reading this you probably don’t need to be sold on the AL-only format, but there are some distinct advantages for those who appreciate them. Specialization in one league, for example, allows you to really get to know the ins and outs of each team, and not just the stars. It also forces you to choose from amongst slimmer pickings – not as fun if you want to see an All-Star at each position across your roster, but arguably closer to what a real General Manager experiences when putting his roster together (and let’s be honest – we all fancy ourselves GMs, otherwise they wouldn’t call it Fantasy Baseball). I like having to decide between Luke Scott and Matt LaPorta, say, when neither would be a likely pick if my 8-man league was mixed. It’s a challenge, rather than a smörgasboard.
There are a few other particularities and strategies to the AL-only game that I appreciate and that are worth mentioning here:
Depth Awareness. Not unlike NL-only leagues, knowing the relative scarcity of position types is an important strategy that can set you apart from your competitors and a fun way to approach the AL-only game. If you know, for instance, that there are only 3 catchers on draft day worth top picks (Joe Mauer, Victor Martinez, and arguably Matt Wieters), you can basically ride out the draft not picking any until the very end. Personally, I didn’t even draft a catcher and have been rotating between John Buck and Jason Kendall – and have been perfectly content with the production from this spot. I’d rather have one of the top three, of course, but I calculate that it’s better to cut my losses rather than draft AJ Pierzynski or Kurt Suzuki in an early-mid round (when other people who missed the boat will likely draft them in a panic after seeing the vacant slot on their roster). Similar arguments can be made for the shallow SS and 3B positions in 2010, though there are at least a couple of mid-range options (I’m bullish on the aging Miguel Tejada, for example, with SS/3B eligibility and what I predict will be top-5 production at 3B and top-3 at SS).
Ability to specialize: If you are as obsessive as most managers, you demand to stay on to stay on top of stats, news, and buzz. With just under 1500 available players in the Yahoo! mixed league, keeping track of all of them can be both timely and exhausting – and people have probably been fired from their day jobs for trying. The benefit of tracking one league only allows you to keep your day job and still feel like you can stay on top of the players enough to monitor injuries, foresee call-ups, and track surges / slumps.
The DH-factor. Everyone knows that the DH is unique to the AL and provides no less than 14 extra fantasy-caliber offensive options. Depending or your league format, these players can make the difference in power categories, though are often underrated / aging sluggers like Jim Thome and Hideki Matsui who can still put up decent power numbers and have even more value in AL-only formats where their fantasy contributions are at a premium in comparison to a mixed league.
Better teams: Call me biased, call me old-fashioned, but the great AL teams – the Yankees, Red Sox, Indians, A’s and White Sox, among a few others – are just the REAL teams in MLB. They’ve been around for ever, have won ~60% of the World Series titles, and have lost the MLB All-Star game to the NL only 3 times since 1988. The big market Al teams are also just more fun to follow for some reason, and the larger-than life players, like Alex Rodriguez and David Ortiz, are that much more fun to own in Fantasy Baseball, if not for their production than for the ability to make fun of them on the chat boards.
I could probably go on, but the conversation would get idiosyncratic quickly (as if it weren’t already) and include a discussion of my favorite AL stalwarts who would be otherwise lost in a mixed league — gamers like Michael Cuddyer and Brandon Inge, and SP-streamers like Gil Meche and Joe Saunders (just don’t fall in love, or you will get burned).
Instead, I’ll just save it for next time with more insights and inanities on the AL-only scene.
h2h Corner ~ I’m a Believer: May Edition
May 7, 2010
Welcome to May’s “I’m a Believer” column. Yes, I got the name from a Monkees’ song. And yes, I like the song. Did you know that Neil Diamond wrote it, as well as many other songs by the Monkees? Isn’t Neil Diamond cool (Red Sox fans)?
Like the song teaches us, this column attempts to be a fun, quick read, mostly focused on what April performances we can believe in.
Still, believing in something is always difficult. These days, any hero seems vulnerable to money, the opposite sex, drugs, etc. Even numbers can lie as much as Tiger did with wannabe porn stars (too easy?).
But I’m here to tell you to “Don’t’ stop believin’!” We can look at fantasy baseball numbers and form an impression of what kind of player that person will be in the future.
“Then I saw her face, now I’m a believer/Not a trace of doubt in my mind.”
Ryan Braun can challenge to be the #1 fantasy hitter for the season.
Andre Ethier will remain a top 10 hitter for the balance of the year.
As much as I hate to admit it, Robinson Cano will end up the number one second baseman.
Kelly Johnson is not this year’s Aaron Hill.
Brett Gardner is playing over his head (hello .380 BAbip)…but will remain more valuable than Juan Pierre, Rajai Davis and Michael Bourn throughout 2010.
Orlando Hudson is quietly putting together a productive campaign from the second base position (he’s 10th in runs scored!).
Ty Wigginton is everything I’d thought he’d be when he came over to the Orioles, i.e. a .280+ hitter with upside to 25 HRs.
You better not sell low on Aramis and Alexei Ramirez – both start the year horrifically.
You can sell low on Grady Sizemore. Grady’s ladies have become hairy and ugly.
Troy Tulowitzki is going to pick it up to better heights soon – he performs poorly in March/April, picks it up in May and mashes throughout the rest of the season.
Mark Reynolds is way more valuable in h2h leagues than roto leagues.
Brian McCann is the reason you don’t reach for catchers (outside of Mauer) in the top 10 rounds. For additional evidence: only five catchers rank in the top 200 hitters (none over 148). Those five catchers (in order): Ivan Rodriguez (largely undrafted), Geovany Soto (mid- to late-round pick), Joe Mauer (returned to “power” norms?), Jorge Posada (injury risk) and Miguel Olivo (a one-time time-share backstop). The position is just fickle.
The shortstop position makes second base look as deep as the Grand Canyon. If you can buy Troy Tulowitzki low, please do so. Of the top 10 SS, one is Cliff Pennington, another is Rafael Furcal (DL) and another is Alex Gonzalez. Basically, 30 percent of the top producing shortstops wont be that way for long. This is why I had Jeter rated so high in the preseason and why you can’t give up on Alexei Ramirez.
You can’t sell fast enough on Kosuke Fukudome – he can’t hit once we get to summer.
Austin Kearns is now more useful than kernel corn.
You need to get on the Carlos Lee train. While it’s as late as Amtrak, it’ll eventually get to the station.
In 12-team leagues, you can drop Mark DeRosa, Carlos Beltran, Todd Helton, Alcides Escobar, Russell Martin, and JJ Hardy.
If Cameron Maybin can ever learn to get on base, he’ll be a star. With a .236 AVG and .302 OBP, he is tied for the 10th most runs and has stolen three bases.
Julio Borbon will steal 40 bases.
Starlin Castro has the best name since Castor Troy.
Pitchers remain a fickle bunch, and you should always draft a comparable National League pitcher over a comparable American League pitcher
I’d rather have a whole host of pitchers (including no-strike out Brad Penny) over Jake Peavy.
Roy Halladay would rather pitch to an “All-star” line-up comprised of every other National League East team than the Phillies line-up.
Zack Greinke would rather not be making the point that his season is making (that wins are meaningless in determining a pitcher’s worth).
Most aces you are worried about (Santana, Verlander, and Felix Hernandez) will be just fine. Still, the rope has gotten a little tighter on Wandy Rodriguez and Javier Vazquez – no one could fault you for selling on $0.50 on the dollar.
I knew I should have ranked Ubaldo Jimenez higher. (I swear).
Barry Zito is suddenly not Barry Zito circa 2002. Call me when he hooks another Hollywood hottie.
I’d be trading Francisco Liriano. The first time he’ll stay healthy over a full year will be the first time he’s done it. If he stays healthy, oh well, you got more value than what you paid for him (or where you drafted him). If you trade him, the risk is elsewhere. That’s better for you.
Phil Hughes is on his way to a bright career, any potential injuries notwithstanding, but I still prefer Phil Dunphy to Hughes.
Colby Lewis will end up top 10 in strike-outs this year.
You should be buying Cole Hamels. At some point his bad luck will turn into no or good luck. I call this the cooler principle.
Ricky Romero was drafted over Troy Tulowitzki for some reason.
Ryan Dempster continues to be an undervalued commodity – good Ks, not bad ratios, solid performer.
Relative unknown bullpen arms, Tim Stauffer and Kris Medlen, will provide some decent Ks as starters at some point this year.
Evan Meek, Matt Thornton, Fernando Rodney, and Alfredo Simon will end up with double digit saves.
Carlos Marmol will end up the top ranked closer at the end of the year.
FB101’s 411: Stick to your guns. Don’t stop believing, if you think Julio Borbon will steal 40, don’t give up.
All stats as of May 6.
Keeper Corner: MLB…Catch It
May 7, 2010
If you are a baseball fan, and you must be if you are reading this, then you must be very happy with Major League Baseball these days. I realize you still might be against the DH, or unhappy about the All-Star game determining home field in the World Series, the drug testing issue, or where your favorite team currently is in the standings. However, what you are happy with is you can finally watch MLB baseball pretty much whenever and where ever you want.
As a Red Sox fan living out-of-market for years, I used to follow my team by reading box scores the next day or by watching ESPN sports center. Then a few years back out came the MLB Extra Innings package but my cable company of choice was not a provider. Last year, I finally purchased the MLB.TV service which allows me to watch all out of market games over my computer. I can finally sit with my laptop anywhere with an internet connection and watch my team play. For us fantasy players this also lets us watch all the other out of market games too.
Recently MLB.TV expanded this so I don’t have to just watch on my computer. You can now use your PlayStation 3, Roku and Boxee players as well as iPhone and iPad apps. Just last night I watched 3 innings of a game while sitting near an open field at my daughter’s soccer practice using the AtBat app on my iPhone, and then switched it to audio as I drove home so I could keep following the game and hear the home team announcers. Even 800 miles away, MLB.TV has let me become a home town fan once again.
The MLB Network (check you local cable listings) is the other godsend to baseball fans everywhere, especially fantasy baseball owners. The Fantasy 411 show that is on Monday thru Friday gives great fantasy advice. The MLB tonight show gives great coverage of every team during the season with live look-ins every night, all night long. Their Quick pitch show which is replayed and updated all late night and day long has easily replaced the search I used to have to do for a similar replay show on anther network that never was on at a specified time. And if that wasn’t enough the MLB Network is also showing a featured game almost every day of the week. This last month has been 30 games with all 30 teams in 30 days, so every team gets the chance to be seen. This type of coverage coupled with what we had previously with our local team coverage and a few other national games shown on Fox, ESPN and TBS during the season makes a baseball fan really excited.
For us fantasy players the ability to keep up with out-of-market teams is a necessity. You can read all you want about that hot young player coming up or the hitter that is suddenly turning it around but seeing and hearing about live baseball as it happens is believing. Statistics mean everything to a fantasy baseball owner but we don’t make our decisions on the numbers alone. If that was the case then they wouldn’t play the games. We still make our decisions based on what we see, hear and feel as we watch the games. Now MLB has allowed us fantasy owners and every other fan too to see the games as they happen and for that we are happy.
FB101’s 411: The best way to keep up with your fantasy team is to watch and listen to live baseball
h2h Corner ~ Cardboard Gods, an interview with Josh Wilker Pt. II
April 26, 2010
Did you miss part I of my discussion with Josh Wilker, author of “Cardboard Gods,” the book? If so, check it out, you don’t want to miss his thoughts on fantasy baseball, baseball cards, facial hair and stat geeks.
You know numbers, you know history, you know greatness. What do you think about how the current record book sits? Read more
Did You Know…?
Jacoby Ellsbury had more SBs than Brian Roberts and Elvis Andrus combined?
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