Week 12

That's more like it! A big week for Antelope. I moved back into second place, and significantly closed the gap on the first place team. For the week, my team finished in first place. Couldn't ask for a better 7 days.

Here is a look at the top of the overall current standings.


1 ~ Fantasy Tools 83.0
2 ~ Antelope Crusaders 80.0
3 ~ Wheats N Raisins 78.5
4 ~ Lynnwood Legacy 71.0
5 ~ Balls Deep 62.5


Neat to be so close to first, but it remains extremely difficult for my team to actually win. I currently have 51 of 55 possible hitting points. It would take a miracle to earn another hitting point. There is a little bit of room in pitching (especially saves), but it's really hard to find enough points without some crazy things happening. The battle remains hanging onto second place.

Here is a recap of the week.


Hitting (87 for 290, .300ba, 7hr, 30rbi, 44rs, 6sb)
Not a spectacular hitting week, but rather an extremely solid effort across the board. Especially happy about the batting average. That's an area where points are in play. I keep thinking I'll pull away and win the category with ease, but it hasn't been happening. I'm finally in first though, and maybe I can create a little breathing room

Hanley Ramirez (9 for 22, 4rbi, 3r, 2sb) is an important cog in my Batting Average effort. He's a former batting champ and he looks to be getting locked in. The Marlins fired Fredi Gonzalez this week and while I don't agree with the decision in a baseball sense, I have to believe it will benefit Ramirez. The two very clearly did not get along. I'm liking the chances of Hanley going on an extended hot streak.

Ryan Howard (7 for 21, 1hr, 4rbi, 7r) continues to look great at the plate. He only K'd once this week, which is a great sign of how well he's seeing the ball. My other Phillie, Placido Polanco (7 for 18, 2rbi, 5r) continues to produce. He is banged up again though. Has been missing games with a sore elbow. Hoping that doesn't create an issue. Half wonder if Philadelphia shouldn't have just DL'd him.

Lots of solid efforts this week. One player has gotten crazy hot though... Justin Upton (12 for 21, 3hr, 5rbi, 6r, 1sb). He is totally locked in and did much of that damage against good pitching. He just recently was getting bumped way down in the order and being given days off. Guess it worked! Hey Justin... more, please!!

As for goats, not many of those. My catchers continue to stink. B Molina, R Barajas and G Kottaras combined to go 6 for 25 with 0hr, 1rbi, 1r, 0sb. A total black hole of production. Could have and should have drafted a couple of $1 catchers that never play. David Eckstein (4 for 19, 3r) has been slumping and since he has no speed or power, he becomes totally worthless when he isn't getting singles. Troy Glaus (3 for 19, 1rbi, 2r) finally had an off week. The dude still is hitting the ball hard though!

Have to give the goat to the catchers though... again. What an ugly collection of scrubs.

btw, speaking of scrubs... Tony Gwynn and Ryan Spilborghs went a combined 7 for 42 this week and well might be coming back to the levels they were playing at when I traded them. Not that I'm rooting against them... but it was getting frustrating watching them hit over .400!


Pitching (85.1ip, 2.63era, 1.16ratio, 55k, 6w, 3s)
This was my best pitching week in... well... since I don't recall when. Has to date back at least 3 years though and likely even further, back to a different era when I actually spent money on pitching (over 10 years ago). What a week!

Given that I have maybe 2 or 3 halfway decent pitchers, it obviously takes some out of the blue performances to post a week like this. The best example of that was my pitcher of the week... Chris Narveson (13ip, 2.08era, 0.92ratio, 10k, 2w). The crazy thing about his week was how it started. Against the Twins he opened up the game by going... HBP, Walk, Walk, Hit, Hit, Hit. 6 men up, 6 men on... 3 runs in and bases loaded with no outs. I'm watching this game SCREAMING at the TV, "take him out!" I'm also hoping he gets sent to AAA. I want the dude gone!

The Brewers couldn't pull him though... hadn't been enough time to get someone fully warmed-up. But, he was clearly facing his last chance batter. From there though, he went on to toss 13 straight scoreless innings while putting only 7 on... winning his start against the Twins and his start later in the week against Seattle. Amazing stuff. Would have to call that "out of the blue"!!!

Narveson claims to have figured something out... adjusting how he warms up... so maybe he'll turn things around and have some value. I have serious doubts, but can't deny the week he just had.

Luis Atilano (12.1ip, 3er, 11on, 8k, 1w) had a great week too. The decision to keep him (and dump the now DL'd Zack Duke) has paid off thus far. Atilano is showing much better control lately (0 walks this week) and that's good to see. He does better when he goes after hitters.

Jon Ely (7ip, 1er, 5on, 6k) was solid against the Angels and hopefully is past his slump. Brett Myers (7ip, 1er, 8on, 4k, 1w) continues to be a consistent and underrated producer... as does Anibal Sanchez (12.1ip, 4er, 15on, 4k, 1w). Overall, I didn't have a single bad start this week.

The bullpen was good too. Matt Capps got 2 saves... though again gave up a couple of runs. Aaron Heilman gave up a run too, but picked up a save. He's hands down the worst closer in baseball, but he's 2 for 2 in save chances this year... so I cling onto the dream that he'll save me 15 games. Nick Masset (3.2 perfect innings) looks to have reestablished his set-up role in Cincinnati. He's done that before, then gone out and got rocked. But... maybe this time is different? (more dreams, lol)

Only had one pitcher post a bad week... goat of the week Tyler Clippard (4.1ip, 4er, 12on, 1k... 2 losses). A missed strike 3 call seemed to rattle him and added a lot of damage to his line. But, he got hammered hard. Two bad games is all though, can't make too much of that. He's been a stud for the most part. Actually more worried about Matt Capps he hasn't been fooling anyone in over a month now.


Other News
Chad Durbin injured his hamstring. The first reports indicated it was a major injury, but it now looks like it'll be more minor. Still enough to land him on the DL. I replaced him with free agent Santiago Casilla of the Giants. Castilla has been lights out. 12.2ip, 0,73era, 1.38ratio, 20k, 1w, 2s. That's a lot of Ks and he's managed to pick up a couple of saves too. The downside is... he has walked 9 already and he had an ERA close to 5 in 150+ major league innings coming into the year.

He's smoking hot though, and Durbin should be back in a couple of weeks. So, I'll hope his hot hand continues.