Week 17

Missed last week and time is short this time around because of a family vacation. The race for second remains extremely close. Here is how the overall standings look...

1 ~ Fantasy Tools 86.0
2 ~ Lynnwood Legacy 76.5
3 ~ Antelope Crusaders 75.0
4 ~ Wheats N Raisins 70.5
5 ~ Gang Green 68.0


I lost Matt Capps to the AL this week, while Legacy somehow managed to hold onto Adam Dunn. That's a pretty bad break and means I'll be hard pressed to beat him. I figure it's close to 50/50 right now. No lock that I get 3rd either.

Here is a breakdown of last week... with the stats from 2 weeks ago included... and a focus on the month of July.


Hitting (73 for 323, .229ba, 3hr, 28rbi, 33rs, 5sb)
Previous Week 95 for 330, .288, 11hr, 41rbi, 37r, 19sb
My hitting slowed way-WAY down, enough so that I'm at my lowest hitting point total for the year. It no longer looks like I can win Stolen Bases while my lock on (in second place) RBI and Runs has started to slip. Actually fell out of 2nd in HR for the first time in several months too. I need some power production, as there is no way I can afford a dip in any of those categories, most especially with the loss of Matt Capps.

Troy Glaus was awful for the entire month of July... 13 for 72 with 0hr and 5rbi. He has a lot to do with things getting tighter. Wilson Valdez (11 for 65, 4rbi, 4r) is proving to be a big mistake. Cut Randy Winn to keep him because he "is a starter for the Phillies." Well, he also "can't hit" and that's trumped his role as a starter. Randy Winn had a massive month btw (for a bench player)... out-producing Valdez in a single game.

Roger Bernadina (14 for 56, 1hr, 6rbi, 7r) has lost lots of playing time to Mike Morse... Hanley Ramirez was awful for the month (21 for 91 with ZERO HRs). So, there are some real issues.

Still do have a great hitting team though, and lots of players are doing well. Nyjer Morgan (24 for 81, 7rbi, 12r, 10sb) has really picked his game up. Looking like a big second half for him. Ryan Howard hit 8hr in the month, Justin Upton (29 for 87, 2hr, 13rbi, 10r, 2sb) has gotten red hot lately... Omar Infante (24 for 57, 1hr, 5rbi, 7r) continues to impress. Tried to shop him, and got no interest. At $1, he is a for sure keeper next year though.

Do need those power numbers to pick back up though!


Pitching (71.1ip, 3.00era, 1.05ratio, 58k, 3w, 2s)
102.0ip, 3.21era, 1.33ratio, 70k, 4w, 2s
Doesn't look like an Antelope pitching staff these last two weeks. As good as the numbers look to me though, they're really not that helpful. First of all, pitching overall has been a lot better this year. A 3.00era doesn't help like it did in the past. Also, my team was so far behind in ERA and Ratio that it helps even less. Finally, my team has a massive amount of innings. I carry as many 11 starting pitchers at times, so it takes a lot to move my ERA.

I am sort of / kind of in seeing distance of 9th place (in an 11 team league) in ERA. 0.16 behind another point there. That's still a long way off though. Ratio is even worse. So as nice as it is to see these good ERA/Ratio weeks, they're not doing anything for me... not unless I can string a few more of them together (which is unlikely).

I have actually LOST points in pitching because I have fallen out of first place in Wins. I'm doing what I can there by piling up the starts... but I just don't have very many decent pitchers, so it's hard.

Have had some good efforts though. Brett Myers (38ip, 1.67era, 0.74ratio, 31k, 3w) has turned into a star pitcher. He's staying in Houston too, meaning he's a solid keeper now. Vicente Padilla (32ip, 1.42era, 0.85ratio, 27k, 2w) has been just as good since her returned from the DL too. They've turned into an extremely solid 1-2 punch at the top of my rotation.

Zack Duke has also been impressive since returning from the DL. He's looked good in all 3 starts, winning 2 of them. I wonder how much injury hurt him and Padilla leading up to their time on the DL.

The only starter I had for the entire month of July that wasn't at least decent was Kevin Correia (23ip, 5.08era, 1.49ratio), but even he wasn't that bad. The bullpen... what little if now left of it... was pretty solid too.

The bad came from call-up and fill in guys like Hawksworth, Narveson, Atilano and Sanabia. It's tough though because I am desperate for Wins and Ks. It's hard to not go with Starting Pitchers... though thus far, my pitching reaches haven't been helping. Like I mentioned though, ERA and Ratio are so far gone that I have little choice. I know the moment I start focusing on those two categories, Zack Duke and the gang will blow up and get hammered on a daily basis... leaving me with no fix.


Other News
Quite a bit of other news. Matt Capps got dealt to the Twins, which kills me in saves. I now hope that my D-back relievers can keep me out of last in the category, or heck... maybe even get me 3 big points. The hope of more... really the promise of it with Capps... is now gone though, and with it any slim chance at winning this league. It's now 100% about getting second place.

Joe Saunders will (basically) replace Matt Capps. I traded away Nick Masset so I could claim Saunders as a 25x player... meaning I can't trade him (no loss there) and that he has a contract that makes him a no-chance keeper. I do like him though, always have. Think he'll do quite well in the NL and I'm happy to have him. Don't know how many he can win the rest of the year on such a bad Arizona team, but he was far and away the best pitcher I could claim.

Have some other pending claims for Alex Sanabia (picked up in a trade, he was awful in 2 starts and has now been sent to the minors) and the Capps spot. Going with starting pitchers, and I'll know who I get later today.

Rod Barajas went on the DL. Totally fine with that. He has been less than worthless to me. Went with Erik Kratz because he was the Pirates starting Catcher. He's gone 2 for 15 though with 0hr, 0rbi, 0r, 0sb... and the Pirates have traded for another starting catcher, plus Doumit is supposed to be coming back real soon. So, a swing and mess there. Next time, I'm taking a catcher that doesn't play much... like Brad Ausmus. He at least would give zero production without hurting my batting average.

Don Mattingly and Rule 8.06

I watched the last few innings of the Giants/Dodgers game last night, and it was certainly a wild and entertaining game. As you probably know, Don Mattingly mistakenly made two trips to the mound... and it "cost the Dodgers a chance to win the game." Some of my thoughts...


~ Bruce Bochy deserves credit for knowing the rule. He clearly did know the rule too, because he's been involved with the rule before (when he was managing the Padres, he called Grady Little of the Dodgers on it). However, let's be reasonable here. I *expect* a major league manager to know the rules. Especially when that manager has managed over 2500 games and played 9 seasons as a catcher (and that's just in the majors)... so A LOT of trips to the mound... so yea, I really do expect him to know the rules that govern trips to the mound. In short, good job doing the job you're being paid to do.

~ By the same token... Don Mattingly deserves to be criticized for not knowing the rules. If the Dodgers are using him on the managerial depth chart (over Larry Bowa with 800+ games as manager) than he needs to know the rules. It's part of the job. Fact is though, Don REALLY didn't know the rules too... as I'll cover later.

~ Speaking of Don Mattingly, he said he cost the Dodgers a chance to win the game. Uh, no he didn't. If we're going to pin it on one person, how about Jonathan Broxton. He's now given up 6 runs in his last 3 games (2.1ip). If he does his job, Mattingly doesn't need to come to the mound. Hard to blame George Sherrill too much, but he could have got out of the jam... or the Dodgers could have scored in the bottom of the 9th... etc-etc. The Dodgers had a very good "chance" of winning that game despite Mattingly's error.

~ The umpires... AWEFUL, they should all be suspended they were that atrocious. Home Plate umpire Adrian Johnson YELLED at Don Mattingly, "No-no-no, you can't go back!" as Mattingly turned from the grass and stepped towards the mound. How dare him. That is NOT his job. If Don Mattingly of the Los Angeles Dodgers is stupid enough to make an error that might benefit the San Francisco Giants... it's not the job of the games neutral arbitrators to try and stop him.

It really would be no different from an ump telling a batter... "hey, you're batting out of order here" as the wrong hitter steps up to the plate. Or, telling a runner sliding into home... "No, no, NO, you missed the plate!" Totally not cool.

Adrian Johnson's antics also could have helped the Giants. If a manager... or anyone on the bench... heard the ump yelling "NO, you can't do that"... it tips them off that *something* is up even if they don't know the rule. Either way, Johnson was totally out of line.

Then to make matters even worse, he clearly was willing to ignore the rule. Bruce Bochy was forced to come out of the dugout and threaten to protest the game to get the umps to take the correct action. Absurd. I'm sure Don Mattingly is a great guy and no one wants him looking like a fool... but... it is not the umps job to prevent that, most especially when it influences the game

Worst of all though... the umps... all of them... completely blew the call. Mattingly should have been thrown out of the game then and there, while Broxton should have been allowed to finish the AB before then also being thrown out of the game. Basic rule, one that comes up on rare occasion... and it was blown.

How basic? I umped High School baseball for one season and knew the rule.

Of course, Don Mattingly ALSO didn't know that rule... nor did anyone else on the Dodgers. I think they should protest the game, but it's doubtful that would matter. Had they called the rule then and there... Broxton gets to finish the AB and with a few tosses to First Base, another pitcher can warm-up. It really did impact the game.

Was an interesting game... one that showed the value of knowing the rules of the game.

Week 15

The all-star break made this a short week. Too bad, because it was probably my best week of the season. I actually won the week... the second time I've done that this year. Didn't do much in the short term to help me in the standings though. I actually lost 1.5 points overall, and barely clung on to second place. Here is a look at the top of the current overall standings...


1 ~ Fantasy Tools 86.0
2 ~ Antelope Crusaders 75.0
3 ~ Lynnwood Legacy 74.5
4 ~ Wheats N Raisins 70.0
5 ~ Balls Deep 67.0


The Legacy is just half a point out, and they actually were ahead of me for the majority of the week. I passed him in the final game on Sunday. So, that couldn't be closer. I'm just as worried about the Raisins though. Legacy has a good team, but he has more issues... especially with his pitching... than the Raisins do. I could see the race going into the last day or two with it being a coin flip between second, third and forth.

The start of the second half is a fresh start for players and I'm counting on some strong finishes. I need some hitters to bounce back... R Braun, M Kemp, N Morgan, R Howard, J Upton. They obviously can't all get better in the second half, but I need a couple of them to truly get hot. Holding what I have in the hitting categories is critical.

Then pitching wise, the focus is on piling up the starts. Starting Rotations are more unstable as the season wears on with injuries and minor leaguers getting called up. So, it's more challenging to keep every starter starting. I need the Wins and Strikeouts though... as I again just can't afford to lose what I have in those categories. It's going to be a battle.

Here is a look at the week...


Hitting (55 for 194, .284ba, 6hr, 26rbi, 25rs, 4sb)
Ryan Howard (6 for 15, 4hr, 8rbi, 4r) has slugged nearly 100 points higher in the second half in his career, and he's certainly holding to that pattern if the first week after the all-star break is any indication. J Upton and R Braun also got off to fast starts.

Rod Barajas (0 for 7) doesn't look like he'll ever hit and I have no idea why the Mets keep running him out there. Overall though, a solid start to the second half.


Pitching (36.1ip, 2.73era, 1.16ratio, 26k, 4w, 0s)
Had 5 starts in the abbreviated week and 4 of them were quality. The exception was Zack Duke, and he looked great in his start... just didn't go the needed 6 innings the stat requires (5ip, 2er, 5on, 5k). My Padres pitcher... J Garland and K Correia... got back on track too (combined 12ip, 4er, 18on, 14k, 2w). Need them in the second half.

The only negative was my D-back relievers... A Heilman and J Gutierrez. I am desperate for saves, but will have to look to dump both of them. It's still not clear who their closer is... they so rarely need one that it's hard to even guess. I know it's not Juan Gutierrez though. After a decent little run, he returned to crapsville the moment he got back on my team. Aaron Heilman might get a crack at a save, but he's been pretty bad too... so I doubt it. As bad as I need saves, I think Arizona is enough of a mess to motivate me to pull the plug on speculating... and instead look to fill those spots with starting pitchers. Need to pray Matt Capps doesn't get traded.


Other News
Placido Polanco came off the DL, which is certainly good news. I'd called up Wilson Valdez to replace him... and Valdez has become the Phillies starting 2B, a job he figures to hold until Chase Utley returns in a month or so. While he's not exactly a talented player, that starting job does give him enough value to make him worth keeping. As strong as my hitting is, I still can't throw him back.

So, I had to dump someone and the options were limited to Randy Winn or Laynce Nix. My thought process was... despite several injuries in the Cardinals outfield, Winn isn't playing much. Have to wonder if he'll even have a job when players start returning. Plus, when he does play... he doesn't do much. He could maybe steal a few bases and score some runs, but that's not worth a lot to me. Laynce Nix at least has a stable job (it seems) and he does have the ability to hit some homeruns.

I thus decided to cut Randy Winn... and, of course... he immediately began starting games and got hot, while Nix has gone 0 for 4. Next time I should just flip a freaking coin... that way I can have the coin to blame.

John Ely was sent down to the minors by the Dodgers. He was decent for me (67ip, 4.70era, 1.37ratio, 48k, 4w), but most of the positive came early on. He'd been pretty bad lately. Still have to count him as a good claim though. To replace him, I called up Zack Duke from my reserve squad. He's been really bad and I'm not thrilled to have him back. But... he is a starting pitcher that should be able to hold his spot in the rotation... and he does have the skills to bounce back in the second half. So far (one start), so good. Honestly though, if I was a 'normal' team that had more concern for ERA and Ratio... I wouldn't have taken him.

Luis Atilano was also sent down. The Nationals plan to recall him though, so keeping him was an option. He never showed the upside Ely did though... and he barely was above bad for me (75ip, 5.11era, 1.49ratio, 38k, 5w). I also worry that he'll get bumped from the rotation. The Nationals have as many as 3 starters coming back. So, I let him go and claimed Blake Hawksworth. He's been decent in the rotation after a bad start. Frankly not thrilled with him, but... I'd pretty much take any Cardinals starting pitcher and he has more upside than Atilano. He won his first start for me too.

Then I made a trade in which I gave up Tyler Clippard and Chris Narveson. I really hated to let Clippard go. He was awesome for me (52ip, 3.31era, 1,29ratio, 58k, 8w, 1s). You can't possibly ask more from a $1 middle reliever. Thing is though, he hasn't done anything in about a month... except get hammered (8ip, 10er, 23on, 6k, 0w, 0s). I think a lot of that has to do with his heavy workload early in the season. Another issue is... I don't think Washington makes him the closer, even if Matt Capps is traded (or gets hurt). So while I like his upside... he throws in the mid 90s with good off speed stuff... right now he's a slumping middle reliever that's not going to help me. His $1 contract gave him trade value, so I cashed him in.

Now losing Chris Narveson was far less painful. He's been a disaster for me (48ip, 6.70era, 1.55ratio, 37k, 3w). Besides the ERA issues, which are massive... he's not getting Ks at any sort of strong pace. Plus, the Brewers have to bump someone from the rotation this week. Of course, he went out and beat the Braves... looking good in the process... after I dumped him and will likely keep his spot in the rotation (since Manny Parra got torched). What can you do though... this is why I HATE pitchers.

I picked up Jeff Karstens to replace Narveson. He's certainly nothing special, but I'm hopeful that the Pirates keep him in the rotation. He also qualifies at RP, which should be a help. Basically he's "in the starting rotation" though... and that's why I got him.

I also... ugh... got Juan Gutierrez back. He'd been pitching well lately and had just picked up a save. Last night though... more of the same reason I dumped him in the first place. I wont wait nearly as long the second time around though. I'm already looking for a Starting Pitcher to replace him with. Did I mention I hate pitchers?

Week 14

The first half comes to a close and I'm still in second place. Early in the week though it looked like I might make the half way pole in 4th. A decent finish saved me from that, but it's clearly going to be a battle for second... and probably a 3 team one. I did lose ground to everyone this week as my team finished in 9th (for the week). While the overall standings look similar, things continue to tighten up. Here is a look at the top of the current standings.


1 ~ Fantasy Tools 85.0
2 ~ Antelope Crusaders 76.5
3 ~ Lynnwood Legacy 74.5
4 ~ Wheats N Raisins 69.0
5 ~ Balls Deep 65.0


Batting average, Strike-outs and Wins are the closest categories for me. The problem is I am trying to hang onto what I have there and not gain. That makes it hard because there are several teams on my heals. If I lose ground there... which is easy to do... the only place I can gain points back is in saves. About the only thing that's clear is First Place. The rest is going to be a battle.

Here is a more detailed look at the past week.


Hitting (86 for 320, .269ba, 8hr, 35rbi, 38rs, 11sb)
I guess Omar Infante (13 for 28, 1hr, 2rbi, 3r) didn't like folks... including me... mocking his all-star selection. He had himself quite a week! He doesn't offer much speed and power, but his .332 average has been a big help. He should continue to get AB too, probably even more so than he did in the first half. He is definitely earning his $1.

Some of my expensive players showed some signs of earning their pay this week too. Ryan Braun broke out of an 0-19 and the worst slump of his career on Friday night with a game winning hit... and then closed the week out by going 6 for 11 with 2hr, 3rbi, 5r, 1sb. Really hope he is back to his normal self in the second half.

Matt Kemp stole 5 bases this week, putting me back into the mix for winning that category. But he also went 5 for 28, which is frustrating. Hanley Ramirez (9 for 27) continues to run, stealing 3 bases. His new manager says he "needs more from Hanley"... and don't we all. He's on pace to hit 25hr, 100rbi with 40sb and a .300 average though... and honestly, that aint bad.

Bad is Wilson Valdez (3 for 20). It looks like Placido Polanco will be back right after the all-star break, which will force me to make a move to keep Valdez. He figures to be the Phillies starting 2B for the next 6 or so weeks (while Utley is injured)... so that offers some value. Don't want the dude to kill my batting average though, so I'll have a decision to make.

David Eckstein got all of 1 AB this week because of injury. No idea why the Padres didn't DL him. Roger Bernardino was hurt too... maybe. He only got 13 AB, so that's what I'm hoping. A factor too though is... for whatever reason... the Nationals just aren't willing to write his name into the lineup every day.

Travis Ishikawa (9 for 20, 6rbi, 3r) has been forcing his way into the everyday lineup though... well, at least against RH pitching. The Giants are talking like that isn't going to change too. They have also been talking about a trade though (for an OF, which would make A Huff their 1B). I claimed Ishikawa as a free agent hoping he'd get 10ish ABs a week and be a small-small help to my batting average... so now I'm hoping for a pretty massive bonus. Getting a .300 hitting starting 1B off the free agent wire, that would be sweet.

Overall things have gone really well with my hitting. Guys losing ABs, players having off years... even bad years... I'm still a strong bet to finish at least second in all the hitting categories, with a decent chance of winning two of them.


Pitching (69.1ip, 6.88era, 1.69ratio, 58k, 6w, 1s)
A ridiculously bad pitching week, which is pretty amazing given I had the best pitcher in baseball for week 14. Vicente Padilla (14.2ip, 0er, 9on, 15k, 2w) was lights out. He has been getting outs on a near eephus pitch... a low 50s curve ball... so I'm not sure how long his success will last. He is throwing strikes though and he's shown good velocity on non-eephus pitches, so maybe he'll be decent enough to stick in the Dodgers rotation.

Brett Myers (8ip, 1er, 5on, 5k, 1w) closed out a solid first half with an excellent outing. Matt Capps picked up a win and a save and Blake Hawksworth was decent in his first start for me (5.1ip, 2er, 10on, 2k, 1w)... with most of that damage occurring in the first inning.

It took a lot of bad pitching to overcome those good performances, and I certainly got it. To start with, both my Padres pitchers... J Garland and K Correia... were hit hard. Correia has to be close to losing his job too. Tyler Clippard pitched twice and was hammered both times (0.2ip, 4er, 6on). John Ely (5ip, 11er, 18on) got two starts during the week and did well enough to get himself shipped to the minors. Chris Narveson (3.1ip, 9er, 11on) did even worse.

I'm buried in ERA and Ratio... too far back to gain any points there... so largely take these beatings in stride. Thing is, when it gets THIS bad... guys start losing their jobs. Atilano and Ely both got sent to the minors, and Narveson has to be right behind them. Correia is surely running out of chances too. I DO need Ks and Wins, so getting bumped from the rotation has an impact. Aaron Heilman's poor pitching has likely cost him his closer role too... although that Arizona bullpen is a massive question mark at this point.

The good side is... it can't get worse than this... right? Well, not unless major league hitters all of a sudden figure out how to hit a 50mph curve ball... lol... and what are the odds of that??

Other News
There is lots of other news, mainly because I was forced to replace pitchers that had... or soon will... lose their jobs. I'll get to that later in the week though.

Right now, I am getting ready to watch the Home Run derby. I'll be pulling for Hanley Ramirez... while hoping this stupid contest doesn't cause any problems for him. The biggie will be the NL finally winning the actual all-star game. It's time! Plus, as a Braves fan... this game well might matter. The Braves would have won the 1991 World Series (vs the Twins) had they had home field that year.

Omar Infante... All-Star

6 of my players made the NL all-star team... Albert Pujols, Hanley Ramirez and Ryan Braun as starters... Ryan Howard and Omar Infante as reserves... and Matt Capps as a relief pitcher. Justin Upton missed out as Chris Young was selected as the one Dback to make the team. Can't argue with that (though Upton is the better talent). Matt Kemp certainly has the ability to be an all-star too, but his stats just aren't at that level right now.

Placido Polanco is the biggest disappointment. He makes the team if he doesn't get hurt, probably as the starting 3B. Not the he deserved it, but still... would have been cool to have a 4th starter.

Speaking of not deserving... Omar Infante did indeed make the team. Lots has been made of his selection. Here are my though... broken down into... the good, the bad and the ugly.


The Good
There are always players that don't get to play in the all-star game, in part because managers have to hold someone back in case of an injury or extra innings. Omar Infante is going to be that guy. He wont play in the 2010 all-star game unless there is an injury (or something crazy happens). By him being on the team... "good" hitters will be more likely to get an at-bat. There will be no reason to hold players back, because Infante has that covered.

According to Bobby Cox... who has managed his fair share of all-star games... that's a big deal. Omar Infante will be a helpful addition to the roster.

His selection to the team is also a tip of the cap to utility and role players. They ~are~ an important part of baseball. It's sort of like in the NFL where a 'special teams player' is selected to the squad. Plus, Evan Meek and Arthur Rhodes made the team... pitchers that are set-up men, about as glamorous as a utility role... and no one seems to have a huge problem with that.

Finally, less than deserving all-stars have been selected in the past. Superstar players that were at the end of their career... players making the team because of ballot stuffing by fans... mediocre players forced in because they're the best on a bad team... it's not even close to unheard of for there to be undeserving players on the team. It's never *really* been about the best players. Charlie Manuel gets to pick the players he wants, and he wanted Infante on the team... and that's good enough.


The Bad
Omar Infante isn't the best utility player in the NL. Juan Uribe... with 12hr and regular ABs... has severed as a utility player for the Giants. He's better. There are some other possibilities too. If you're going to take a utility player, why not make it the best one?

Or how about take the utility player that will best help the NL win the game. A good candidate for that job would be Emilio Bonifacio. He can play 2B, 3B, SS and OF... and all pretty well, maybe even better than Infante could. Since the idea is for this player to not get an AB (or at least should be) his lesser skills as hitter really shouldn't matter. However, Bonifacio is one of the fastest players in the NL. Besides serving the same role Infante would... he could also be a pinch-runner. In a close game, that could make a difference.

So, Omar Infante comes up short as both the best utility player... and the utility player most likely to help the NL win the game. That's bad.


The Ugly
He's Omar Infante! He's not the best SS on the Braves... or 2B... 3B... LF... CF... or RF. He is a good utility player, and he's batting over .300 which is a very nice acomplishment. But, his OPS is barely above .700, which is weak. He doesn't have any real speed. He is a utility player for a reason. He just shouldn't be on the all-star team.

Ugliest of all is the fact that he will keep a deserving player off the team. Joey Votto has now made the team thanks to the fan vote (and he should start at DH). Imagine how sick it would have been if he'd have missed out though... while Infante made the team. Still, a deserving player will indeed miss out on his chance. Ryan Zimmerman, Carlos Gonzalez, Dan Uggla, Colby Rasmus... there are really good options still out there.

While I appreciate Charlie Manuel's point of view here, and I certainly like the idea of a player on my rotis team (and a Brave too) making the team... as a baseball fan, I don't believe Omar Infante should be on the team.

Week 13

A more typical effort this past week for my team. For the 7 day scoring period I had the best overall hitting and well below average pitching... which combined for a 5th place finish (for the week), but only 3 points out of 2nd. Overall my team lost two points, but still held on to second place. Here is a look at the top of the current standings.


1 ~ Fantasy Tools 84.5
2 ~ Antelope Crusaders 78.0
3 ~ Wheats N Raisins 73.0
4 ~ Lynnwood Legacy 70.0
5 ~ Balls Deep 65.5


While I did increase my lead over 3rd place, the race is wide open. There are lots of points in play, especially in pitching. I could pretty easily drop into third in single day. As for first place, the only way I could have a realistic chance there would be to pick up... 7hr, 32rbi, 47r and 11sb. I'm in 2nd in those 4 categories, that much behind the Tools (the first place team). While picking that amount up is seemingly possible... it is just one good everyday player... I really don't have much to offer in the way of trade. I'd have to give up current production, which would complicate things. Plus, the Tools could easily counter with trades of his own, because he does have tradable assets.

So, the focus is on holding Second Place still. Here is the recap for the week...


Hitting (83 for 309, .269ba, 13hr, 51rbi, 42rs, 8sb)
An excellent week, especially in HR and RBI. It was a strange week though, with several players going ice cold, while several were red hot.

The hottest was Albert Pujols (8-27, 4hr, 9rbi, 7r, 2sb). Great week, and love that he's stealing some bases. Matt Kemp (9-22, 3hr, 7rbi, 4r) bounced back strongly after a 3 game benching (for not backing up a throw to 2B and the arguing with a coach about it). He's a talented player and I keep waiting for something to light a fire under him. Maybe this was it.

Hanley Ramirez and Ryan Howard were solid too. So, most of my star players are hitting right now. Ryan Braun remains in a mediocre haze though. He's saying he can't see the ball in day games at home. Something is up with him for sure.

Nyjer Morgan (8 for 29, 2rbi, 3r, 2sb) had a decent week. He's back to sliding head first on steal attempts. which is fine with me. He injured himself last year on a head first slide into second on a steal attempt, so I was all for the Nationals pushing him to give up the tactic. But, he'd been getting caught so often that a change was needed. He also says he's a "second half player." Hey, whatever it takes.

On the negative side, Troy Glaus (1 for 15, 1r) isn't hitting and hasn't been in a couple of weeks now. His knee is bothering him enough that he missed two games this week too. Hoping the break helps. My catchers went 5 for 29... though George Kottaras did hit a HR (lucky me!). Randy Winn (1 for 13) is starting to look pretty worthless. The Cardinals are playing other reserve OF in front of him too. Not a good situation.

Goat of the week though was Justin Upton (2 for 20, 1r). Guess he's a streaky player, because after being a nearly impossible out last week... he looked like a poor hitting pitcher this week.


Pitching (74.1ip, 4.96era, 1.44ratio, 55k, 4w, 1s)
There are points in play for me in every pitching category, so everything matters. That's especially true in Ks and Wins.

On the good side, my Dodgers pitchers did really well... V Padilla and J Ely combined for 14ip, 2er, 12on, 10k and 2 wins. Very nice! Matt Capps was my pitcher of the week with 3 shutout innings and 2 wins. Nick Masset threw 4.1 shutout innings with 5k. He's back on track.

Aaron Heilman got a save, but gave up 2 runs in 3.1 innings. The Dbacks have a new manager now, so who knows if he's still the closer... or if he is, how long it will last given his poor pitching of late. If he clearly loses the closer job, I'll look to dump him right away. The only thing he has going for him is how bad the rest of that bullpen is. I'm guessing he isn't the closer at the All-Star break though.

And, let's see... Kevin Correia closed out the week with a good game. First one from a Padres pitcher in a while. He and Jon Garland have really struggled.

The rest is bad news. Santiago Castillo... whom I claimed because he was hot... went cold in a hurry (3ip. 3er, 7on, 5k). The guys throws 100mph, but his control is so bad that he has to aim to right down the middle of the plate. Tyler Clippard closed the week strong, but that was after giving up 3 runs in a game earlier in the week.

Then there were several poor starting efforts. Brett Myers had his worst outing of the year, then followed it up with a solid outing at the end of the way... that was ruined by his idiot SS (tossing the ball to 2B for a bang-bang safe call... instead of first for an easy out).

Chris Narveson (5ip, 4er, 7on, 4k) was decent and didn't walk anyone. But, he's battling for his spot in the rotation and that might not have been enough. I need his Ks too... so... that could really hurt.

Goat of the week was Luis Atilano. He tossed 3 shutout innings, and then a missed strike 3 call spun him out of control and out of the game in the 4th inning.


Other News
The big news this week was Bengie Molina being dealt to the Texas Rangers. For the year he went 52 for 202 (.257), 3hr, 17rbi, 17r, 0sb. That's maybe a $1 player. Maybe. And in the last month he'd picked up 1hr, 6rbi and 2r... and his playing time for July was looking even more limited. Given that I spent $17 on the guy, he was a total bust. Easily my biggest draft day mistake. I got lazy and decided he was good for 15hr and 65rbi. Had I given it some real thought though, I would have realized that was BEST CASE... and more likely was exactly what happened.

I did get a bonus 3rd round reserve pick for him... which is more than he was worth. So, that's a win. Then I picked up Travis Ishikawa to replace him. Figured he was in line for more playing time in San Francisco with Molina now gone (and Posey doing more catching)... and he was a decent enough hitter.

Had Ishikawa for two days last week and he went 3 for 8, 1hr, 5rbi, 1r. That's pretty dang close to a month's worth of production from B Molina. See that Ishikawa is starting again to day too... his third straight start. Molina getting traded was a blessing. Plus, I clear his $17 in salary.

Not such a blessing was Placido Polanco getting put on the DL. The Phillies aren't saying how long either. Could be 2 weeks... could be 2 months. He was playing with the injury, so I am hopeful it's short term. He's been a solid player for me.

To replace him I picked up Wilson Valdez (6 for 17, 1hr, 2rbi, 3r, 1sb) and... wow... so far, so good! He's playing in place of Chase Utley who is gone for 2 months. I don't think he'll hit at that pace, but he's been decent for 150ab now... so he certainly could post decent stats. Certainly playing everyday in Philadelphia is a great opportunity for some value. Ideally he'd do decent as a starter for Utley... Polanco comes back in two weeks... and I can dump Randy Winn and keep Wilson Valdez.

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.