The Kids Can Play
I wanted to write about Clayton Kershaw’s debut, but what can I write that hasn’t already been said? Not much. He looked great. It will be very interesting to see what Joe Torre, a manager known for his love of veteran talent, does with a line-up that now includes Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, Blake Dewitt, James Loney, and Ching-lung Hu (at least temporarily at SS). Add in Kershaw and even “rookie” Kuroda, and Torre has his hands full with MLB youngsters. I actually think he will be great for the kids and the Dodgers v.2008. To me, this is team to watch for the remainder of the season and these are all players to monitor, acquire and play every day.  

Mad Max
I usually strive to see select minor league pitchers in action if and when they roll through town, however there’s one hitter I hope to see live sometime soon. That bat belongs to Max Ramirez. Everyone says he can rake, and it makes me want to see for myself. Of course the big question with him is will stick at catcher, however, if he continues producing like he has or if he gets even better as he matures, he will make one hell of a DH for the Texas Rangers, which still makes me want him in a keeper league. 

Rockie Opportunity
Funny how things like this work out.This past week, the Colorado Rockies were immersed in trade rumors with certain teams regarding some of their high-priced talent (Garrett Atkins, Matt Holliday, Brian Fuentes). Then, quite suddenly, Holliday and Brad Hawpe joined Troy Tulowitzki and Clint Barmes on the DL, in turn, giving Ryan Spilborghs and Seth Smith an opportunity at some playing time. Perfect timing. I’m thinking this occurrence will be nice for all. It’ll allow the Rockies time to see who can play everyday (my money is on Spilborghs, who I have mentioned in previous columns). It’ll also let other teams get a look-see at some of the minor league talent the Rockies might be including in a package deal. And finally, it’ll allow us fantasy owners to see who is worth owning once the trade dust settles in Colorado. 

It’s The Trendy Thing To Do
With the news of Joba Chamberlain being stretched out for the Yankee rotation, it seems other team are following suit. Just heard that the Seattle Mariners will be stretching out Brandon Morrow and inserting him in their rotation ASAP. Interesting. In leagues where teams are starved for pitching, it might be a nice gamble to take and one that will certainly cost you much less that that price of Joba.  

Two Thumbs Up Review
Let’s just bring on instant replay already. This is getting ridiculous. I saw at least three blatant missed calls in last week’s games and I have not encountered one person that thinks instant replay is a bad idea. I balk at the idea that it should be used for HRs only, however I obviously do not want to see the game experience delays every inning. The smart solution is to treat it like the NFL does. Give managers one opportunity at replay per game, while allowing umpires to use when they admit they cannot make the call from what they saw in real time. 

Francisco Treat
One player robbed of a home run last week because of a bad call by the umpires was Ben Francisco. Regardless of this stolen stat, wow, what a few weeks he has enjoyed in the majors. Pundits everywhere will tell you why Ben Francisco should not succeed in the bigs and why he will not be factor in fantasy. Well, guess what? He is succeeding and he is a factor. I’ve watched him a lot since his call up, wanting to find fault in his game, however I see little to criticize. I’ll add that word out of Cleveland is some changes are on the horizon, possibly through trade. Whether Francisco’s playing time will be affected by these rumored changes is yet to be seen.  

Harang Man
Just when I start to question Aaron Harang’s season, after he looked awful against the punchless Padres, he goes and pitches 4 stellar innings in relief, striking out 9 in that 18-inning game against the Reds on Sunday. Looked to me like he got his mojo back. If he doesn’t have a strong outing against the Pittsburgh Pirates this week, it’ll leave me scratching my head. 

How Things Have Changed
I saw something on Thursday that, to my surprise, I have seen occur about three times this year. While arguing a check swing with the third base umpire, Josh Hamilton was thrown out by the home umpire, much to Josh’s surprise. When Josh began arguing with the home plate umpire, the first one to get in between the two and pull Josh away was Milton Bradley. Yes, that Milton Bradley. Third time this year I have seen him do this. Say what you will about Bradley and his persistent injuries, but it’s actions like this that makes me content to have him and his production in any fantasy line-up. 

Pet Peeve
Heard an announcer say this the other day. “Pitching two-run ball for seven innings against the Yankees is good any day of the week.”  Can we please just let this archaic thinking go? Can we all just admit that the Yankees are pretty ordinary and that doing anything against them is not a benchmark any more, especially this year?  Sure, this notion is a product of the Networks and their East Coat biased, but I have also heard it so many times in fantasy, from owners that also believe a player is worth more if he’s wearing the pin stripes. Ugh. Sounds so dumb to voice this opinion of mine, but it’s even dumber to hear what fosters this peeve of mine from my peers. 

 What You Should Be Watching This Week:
Chase Headley, Shin-Soo Choo, Matt Antonelli
Seth Smith, Ryan Spilborghs, Scott Podsednik
Adam Loewen, Curt Schilling, Kevim Escobar
Dodgers at Cubs, White Sox at Rays, Marlins at Phillies

   Major League Words of Wisdom: “Rays…what we do in life…echoes in eternity.” 

Phil Brody resides in Los Angeles, California. He works as a freelance writer and director. In his spare time, he devours everything baseball. He can be reached at:  philbrody@earthlink.net  

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Traveling The Same Path

Max Sherzer’s first career start (4 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 5 K) reminded a lot of Tim Lincecum’s last year (4.1 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, 5 BB, 5 K). Oddly enough, both came against the Phillies. Sure, the lines look similar, but that’s not what I found reminiscent. Watching Max on May 5, 2008, I saw a guy a bit overwhelmed, a guy carry some unnecessary pressure and a guy simply pressing too much, trying to impress us all a little too much. That was Tim on May 6, 2007. Lincecum, in his second start settled down and pitched 7 innings and gave up 2 ER, while walking 1 and striking out 6 for his first career win. In his second go-around, Max pitched 6 innings, gave up 1 ER, while walking 1 and striking out 6. Unfortunately, he was denied the win by a faulty bullpen. I point out all these comparisons only to say Max will be fine. He was well worth all those waiver wire grabs and will be a factor this fantasy season, albeit possibly from the bullpen (at least for the time being) as it has been reported that Doug Davis is one more rehab start from regaining his spot in the Diamondback’s rotation. 

Deep Keep
I’ve been hearing whispers about a sixteen-year old pitching prospect by the name of Michael Inoa (aka: Micheal and Michel). He a Dominican right-hander and supposedly has MLB teams intrigued and lining up to sign him. Why? Word has it he’s 6-foot-7, 200-pounds and is already throwing a 94 mph fastball, again, at the age of sixteen. Add in a breaking ball and a splitter and it’ll be fun to see the news on him around July 2nd. That’s when the international signing period begins and when we’re sure to hear more about this kid.

Missed It By That Much
How good was James Shields’ outing (9 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB 8 K) against the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night? You might have heard he only faced 28 hitters, however, there’s more. Tori Hunter, in three at bats, saw a total of 13 pitches from Shields, yet he managed to make contact with only one, which resulted in a groundout to the shortstop. That’s, well, almost perfect.

That Was Fast
A few weeks ago, when I said Blake Dewitt’s bat would eventually catch up with his stellar defense, I’ll be honest, I did not expect it so soon. However, it’s happening now, in Dewitt’s second stint with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Check out the numbers yourself, but he is seeing the ball, hitting the ball and having a ball in the process. The kid plays with poise and vigor, something that is a lot of fun to watch.

Call Webster’s Dictionary
kei-igawa — verb:
1. to play with no ability and no enthusiasm — “Hey, Dorn, what was with you keiigawaing it today in the ninth?”
2. to throw a pitch and have it hit to perfection, as if the batter knew what was coming — “Charlie, here comes the keiigawa. And when you speak of me, speak well.”
3. spending an exorbitant amount of money in a flashy manner, yet yielding no results — “That professional dancer in Las Vegas had me keiigawaed all night.”

Byrd In The Hand
Aaron Laffey needs to stay in the Cleveland Indians rotation. A Byrd-less rotation of CC Sabathia, Fausto Carmona, Cliff Lee, Jake Westbrook and Aaron Laffey is just plain better, smarter and more formidable. And that’s a knee-jerk reaction on my part after his 7 innings of 2 hit ball against Toronto on Saturday. If you’ve been reading this column the last few weeks, you know I’ve been watching the kid and he could/should very well be 3-0, in turn, making Cleveland a better team. It’ll be interesting to see what the Indians do when Westbrook returns.

Thanks For Stopping By
A day after going 3-4, with a HR, the Red Sox sent Jed Lowrie back to Triple-A Pawtucket in order to make room for Alex Cora. Ugh.

Keep Walking, Nothing to See Here
Watched Nick Adenhart’s second start with the Los Angeles Angels and, well, it was nothing special. I had concerns about his walk rate when he was in the minor and he’s now walked 10 in 6.1 major league innings.

Bold-Stupid-Absurd Prediction
While watching Fausto Carmona pitch in an attempt to decipher what’s been wrong with him this season, I was reminded of something. When I was a kid, my dad woke me up one night to watch the last 3 innings of Lenny Barker’s perfect game as a Cleveland Indian. It was May 15, 1981. The game was against the Toronto Blue Jays and Lenny’s pitches were falling off a table that night. It was a moment in time I’ll never forget, a moment I recalled while watching Fausto. I saw nothing wrong with him, which got me believing he’s going to figure it out really quick, which, in turn, got me reminiscing about Lenny. Call it a gut feeling, call it a premonition, but I think when Fausto does figure it out, that night just might be perfect for him and the Indians. Crazy, I know. So absurd, you should consider never bother to read me again. However, you also heard it here first.

What You Should Be Watching This Week:
Fausto Carmona, Kevin Slowey, Clayton Kershaw
Kenji Johjima, Jarrod Saltamacchia, Jeff Clement
Jody Gerut, Chase Headley, Matt LaPorta
Yankees at Rays, Tigers at Diamondbacks, Mets at Yankees

Major League Words of Wisdom: You Padres. You lollygag the ball around the infield. You lollygag your way down to first. You lollygag in and out of the dugout. You know what that makes you? Lollygaggers.

Phil Brody resides in Los Angeles, California. He works as a freelance writer and director. In his spare time, he devours everything baseball. He can be reached at: philbrody@earthlink.net

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No Laffey Matter
Aaron Laffey’s debut on Monday against the Yankees was impressive. You might look at his line of 5.2 IP, 3 H,4 ER, 1 BB, 1 K and think otherwise, but he was the victim of some bad luck and lethargic defense. It should be noted he had a no-hitter for five innings (on a mere 63 pitchers), as he attacked the strike zone, threw inside and seemed fearless while facing the Yankee hitters. Against the Royals on Sunday, it was more of the same (7 IP, 4H, 0 ER, 2BB, 5 K). He lost to Gil Meche on an unearned run, a product of more bad defense. However, Laffey didn’tallow a hit until Miguel Olivo singled with two outs in the fifth and he threw 70 of his 103 pitches for strikes. He looked fantastic in both outings and, if by chance his bad-luck record makes him available in your league as a free agent or via trade, I’d pull the trigger. He’s filling in for Westbrook, who is out for a few more weeks, but also recall that Francisco Carmona was yanked back and forth for a while last year before the Indians realized his value in their rotation. 

Deep Keep
It’s hard for most to get excited about a sixteen-year old pitching prospect, but a Dominican right-handed pitcher by the name of Michael Inoa (aka: Micheal and Michel) might be the exception. Dubbed the next Francisco Liriano, Inoa reportedly has more than twelve MLB teams vying to sign him. When you get past the bravado you’ll discover he’s 6-foot-7, 200-pounds and is already throwing a 94 mph fastball, again, at the age of sixteen.  Scouts say he “creates easy velocity through relatively sound mechanics. He possesses a 91-94 mph fastball, a breaking ball and a splitter.” I also uncovered this intriguing scouting report: “For as big as he is, you’d expect him not to be able to repeat as well as he does. But he stays within himself and once he grows more into that frame, you’ll see that velocity start to climb…and that’s a scary thing.”

Game Within The Game
As fantasy owners, we all love when the hot prospect gets called up to the bigs. However, as a baseball fan, how great is it to see the crafty veteran school a rookie? Last week, in his second game after his callup, Wladimir Balentien faced Paul Byrd. The old man struck out the kid all three times he faced him, getting him swinging twice and making him look silly in each at bat.

Game Within The Game II
On the other side of the coin, Jeff Clement, also in his second game, fouled out and grounded out in his first two at bats. However, in his third appearance at the plate, he battled Byrd for eight pitches, ultimately getting the walk. Why is that significant? It was Byrd’s first walk issued in 109 batters faced. 

Everyday J.J.
J.J. Putz was one of the best stories during the 2006 season, in reality and fantasy. Prior to that season, he was always effective reliever, relying on a stellar fastball to get hitters out.  What made him The Man though, that season and beyond, was his splitter. Prior to 2006, it was a serviceable pitch, until Everyday Eddie Guardado suggested J.J. alter his grip. Putz listened and according to him, “The first throw I made with the new grip fell off the table and just knew we had something.” I love that story. Wish I had heard it about a week prior to Putz’s breakout instead of two-and-a-half years later, but a great story none-the-less. 

Vision Statement
It’s been reported Phil Hughes will be wearing glasses when he returns to the mound to help dull the glare of the lights during nightgames. Hughes said he had trouble seeing the catcher’s signs and is “slightly nearsighted.” He commented, “When I looked through the prescription, it made a pretty big difference.” Wonder if that eye chart read:  T I N S T A A P P 

Some Things Never Change
Watched Chris Shelton in his second game after getting called up by the Texas Rangers. Shelton homered in the game, but that’s also his only hit after 13 at bats. It’s a tiny sample size, but in 48 AB at AAA Oklahoma, Shelton was hitting .354 with 3 HRs, 18 RBI, a .429 OBP and .625 SLG, so I guess I expected more. Truth be told, I still do and will continue watching. 

Three Days, Two Innings
Also watched Nick Adenhart’s debut on Thursday, which lasted only two innings, and was of course not impressed. Granted he was pitching on three days rest, which definitely makes this week’s start against the Royals worth watching. 

Say It Ain’t So
I reside in Los Angeles, but I do not root for any of the local teams.  However, I always go out of my way to watch the Dodgers because of Vin Scully, announcer extraordinaire. Last week Vin hinted about retiring and whenever that occurs it will be one very sad day. If you’ve enjoyed the Vin Scully experience, you know what I’m rambling on about. If not, do yourself a favor and experience it ASAP. If you have a friend in the LA area, ask them to tape a Dodger game this season, maybe when they are playing your favorite team. Hell, tell them to just tape any game. Trust me, it will be something you cherish long after Vin has hung it up. 

In Every League There’s That One Guy
I am certain if Monday’s Arizona Diamondback’s game was on National TV, 99% of Fantasy Nation would be watching. The other 1%, when asked why they were not watching, would probably respond, “Who is this Max Scherzer?” 

What You Should Be Watching This Week:
Aaron Laffey, Nick Adenhart, Kei Igawa
Nick Johnson, Chris Shelton, Dallas McPherson
Franklin Gutierrez, Ben Francisco, Fernando Perez
Phillies at Diamondbacks, Yankees at Tigers, Diamondbacks at Cubs

 Major League Words of Wisdom: What the Braves got here is a failure to communicate.

  Phil Brody resides in Los Angeles, California. He works as a freelance writer and director. In his spare time, he devours everything baseball. He can be reached at:  philbrody@earthlink.net  

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