Class A Change
Last week, I added someone in almost every keeper league I am in. I added Jhoulys Chacin, a pitcher in the Colorado Rockies system. Right now, he’s pitching for the Asheville Tourists in the Class A South Atlantic League and he’s dominating. Scouts are raving about him and cite a stellar change-up as a major reason he’s making minor hitters look foolish. Kids this young usually don’t have a change this good and, even if they do, usually aren’t mature enough to realize the value in using it consistently. These are two reasons I added him and why he’s high on my list of pitchers to see perform in person. 

Call To Arms
Jake Westbrook going down with an elbow injury means Aaron Laffey will be staying in the Indian’s rotation for the foreseeable future. And until Fausto Carmona returns Jeremy Sowers will take the mound for the Tribe. I am finding all these guys are gettable right now in deep leagues. Given Cleveland’s current struggles, the front office has actually been floating C.C. Sabathia’s name out there to teams. Reports are they are nowhere near talking trades for the impending free agent, however do the math. If July rolls around and the Indians are 10+ games out, they will see what they can for C.C. They have to. And if they do, that makes the aforementioned names valuable in deep leagues. 

Man Crush
Man, I love Hiroki Kuroda. Loved him before the season and love him even more now. Not to beat a dead horse, but just watch him pitch sometime. Soon. He’s seems to be getting better with each outing (barring a meltdown against the Mets two Sundays ago, which I witnessed in person) and he just pitched an absolute gem against the Cubs on Friday night. I don’t think people realize how good he is and how much he can help fantasy teams this year, especially when/if the Dodger bats wake up (and I do think they will). 

miSSing
WTF happened to Rafael Furcal? Did the SS enter witness protection or something? Word is he’ll return to the field for the Dodgers in ten days. Hopefully he’ll return healthy. And if he does, he can finally resume the MVP-like season he was having. If the Furcal owner in your league perhaps forgot how well he was doing, take advantage of it. Now. 

Red versus Ray
I not only think the brawl between the Boston and the Tampa Bay was great TV, I think it was a right of passage for the Rays. I think Shield’s comments about the days of team being pushed around in the division being over absolutely resonate. Not saying they are winning that division, but while many experts are forecasting an impending slide for the team. I believe the opposite. They will hang around all year and if they can get a healthy Pena and Percival back, look out. 

This Is A Joke, Right?
Speaking of the Rays, Karl Ravech asked Peter Gammons this question on Baseball Tonight last week. “Peter, besides great pitching and great hitting, what do you attribute to the Rays sudden success?” Hey, Peter, I got this one. Well Karl, I guess I attribute the other teams scoring at least one fewer run than the Rays during their games. 

Beaver Down
I’m scratching my head at one prospect’s struggles this year – the Padres’ Matt Antonelli. He’s batting .169/.303/.267 (33-for-195) for Triple-A Portland Beavers. I did not see this coming. After dominating in the California League and Texas League last season, I thought he was on a fast track to San Diego. He hit for average, raked 21 home runs and swiped 28 bases. This season, however, he just looks lost. Not giving up on the kid, but his slide is a bit baffling. 

Draft Today, Draft Tomorrow
I cannot tell you how stoked I was that ESPN finally decided to cover the MLB draft last year. Why? Well, I firmly believe that watching baseball is a major secret to being successful at fantasy baseball. Relying too much on stats removes the passion and excitement and gut feeling from a game that should be filled with all three. If you think about it, that’s why scouts are still sent to major and minor league games all over the country every day. Seeing is believing. Therefore, seeing the kids in action during the MLB draft as ESPN flashes to their highlight reels, to me, is invaluable. So much so, I TiVo the draft and then dump the entire show onto a VHS tape. Then, early next year, when all the prospect lists and books arrive prior to all the drafts in my keeper leagues, I pull that tape out and I watch. I put names to faces and, more importantly, put the passion and excitement and gut feeling into each and every one of my selections during each and every draft. 

What You Should Be Watching This Week:
Alexei Ramirez, Alexi Casilla, Clint Barmes
Boof Bonser, Adam Loewen, Kevim Escobar
Shawn Hill, Scott baker, Jeremy Sowers
Braves at Cubs, Rays at Angels, Dodgers at Diamondbacks 

Major League Words of Wisdom: “Whatever life holds in store for me, I will never forget these words: “With great power comes great responsibility.” This is my gift, my curse. Who am I? I’m Jay Bruce.” 

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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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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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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Trevor Cahill doing what he does best.

I See Your Scherzer and Raise You A Meloan

Last week, I wrote about the possibility of Max Scherzer getting an opportunity this season with the Arizona Diamondbacks and he was indeed called up yesterday. While I am excited to see him pitch in the majors (albeit as a reliever at first it seems), I have already turned my attention to the next big impending call up, Jon Meloan of the Los Angels Dodgers. Meloan’s career K-Rate is as exciting as Scherzer’s (91 Ks in 66.2 IP) and the two seem to be sharing the same career path with their respective clubs. Meloan also projects as a reliever, but the Dodgers decided to stretch him out as a starter during the Spring in order to work on his command. All was going well (25 Ks in 25.2 IP) until he walked five in his last start, which lasted only four innings. I am anxious to see how he rebounds. If he does well in his next few starts, I believe the Dodgers are a team that could use an influx of youth and energy on the mound. 

Minor Accomplishments

Trevor Cahill was flat-out dominant against the Ranch-Cucamonga Quakes on Sunday. This came after a less-than-stellar outing against San Jose Giants earlier in the week where he gave up 5 runs in 5 innings, while striking out 6. On Sunday, however, he struck out 12 in 7 innings, giving up 5 hits and an unearned run, while walking none in a no-decision. The run came on a throwing error in the first inning by Quake’s catcher Juan Nunez, when he attempted to throw out 2B Wilberto Ortiz at second. The error did not seem to faze Cahill, who struck out 7 of the next 9. Lots of details, I know, but what I am trying to say I can boil down to five words: Get. Him. While. You. Can.   

Cardinal Sin

Said it before and will say it again, given the opportunity Brian Barton would help many fantasy baseball teams this season. To me, it’s almost a sin that he’s relegated to part-time duty in what has become a crowded outfield in St. Louis. Barton has been performing well off the bench, which is invaluable to a team, so it looks like it’ll take an injury or a trade to prove my point.

Rockie Mountain High

I feel the same way about Ryan Spilborghs. I’m high on him. He always seems to get the clutch hit off the bench and I’d love to see what he could do with everyday at bats. 

New Sox

Gut feeling here, but the White Sox seem at wits end with Juan Uribe, which might be a golden opportunity for Alexei Ramirez. While Ramirez has not done much with the opportunities he’s been given so far, the fact that the Sox have not sent him down tells me they believe in him. If the Sox act on their disdain for Uribe, Ramirez could be a nice band-aid for fantasy teams with MI needs.

This Season, Not Next

Watched John Lannan on Sunday and to me he looks a lot like this year’s version of Kyle Kendrick, which is not a bad thing if you need a SP this season. 

Did You Know?

What do Chris Young, Edinson Volquez, John Danks and Armando Galarraga have in common? All are former Texas Rangers, the same Texas Rangers with a current rotation of Kevin Millwood, Vicente Padilla, Jason Jennings and Sidney Ponson.

One Door Closes, Another One Opens

Francisco Liriano’s demotion gives Kevin Slowey a clear path into the rotation when he completes his rehab assignment. He has looked good so far, tossing five hitless innings on Saturday, while striking out five and only walking one. I am trying to add him or acquire him in any league I can.

Always Fun To Root For The David

If anyone needs proof that the Tampa Bays Rays can and will contend in the very near future, look no further than the way they played the Red Sox this past weekend. I know it’s just one series, but when Beckett and Buchholz pitch like they did and the Rays do not even flinch, it shows me something. Now it looks like Tampa Bay gets Scott Kazmir back this week. Wow. The 2008 Rays remind me a lot of the 1994 Cleveland Indians, albeit Tampa Bay has much better pitching than Cleveland ever did during their run in the 90’s. Another wow. If it sounds like I am a Rays fan, let it be know I am not. I just enjoy watching a young team that plays with high-energy and no franchise (besides maybe the Diamondbacks) has seen more highly touted prospects reach the majors in the last few years. Plus, it’s always fun watching a David slay a Goliath.

One-Hitter, Two-Hitter, Three-Hitter

Speaking of Buchholz, his outing on Saturday was heartbreaking. He was cruising for 7 2/3 shutout innings, striking out 9 and walking 2. Then he gave up that two-run shot to Akinori Iwamura. At the time of the homer, Buchholz’s pitch count was at 110. I have to think that Buchholz’s no-hitter last year affected Terry Francona’s decision to let him pitch the eighth. With Hideki Okajima, Manny Delcarmen and Jonathan Papelbon in your pen (none of which pitched the prior day), why else would you send Buchholz to the mound with six outs remaining? More importantly, though, why leave Buchholz in the game after giving up a single to Dioner Navarro with his 102^nd pitch?  

But I Saw Him First!

Nothing is more frustrating in fantasy sports than targeting a player for a trade, approaching the owner with an offer and batting it back and forth until you actually get him to consider parting with said player, only to have him advertise that newfound liberty in an On The Block email to the league, resulting, of course, in someone else “offering more” for the player. I sound like a nine year old when I say this, but that’s just so not fair.   

What You Should Be Watching This Week:

Max Scherzer, Jon Meloan, Kevin Mulvy

Aquilino Lopez, Masahide Kobayashi, Chris Perez

Ronnie Cedeno, Blake Dewitt, Alexi Ramirez

Brewers at Cubs, Mets at Diamondbacks, Rays at Red Sox

Major League Words of Wisdom: The greatest trick the jinx ever pulled was convincing the world it did not exist. 

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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The Word On The Street…

by Phil Brody

Short Stop For The Shortstop

Jed Lowrie has looked fantastic, and I’m not talking about what you see in his numbers within the boxscores. I’m talking about what you see when you watch him play. He has energy and poise, which is an effective combination when married with the skills he possesses. It’s the reason I believe he just might stick with the club. I’m not buying the demise of Julio Lugo as a Red Sox just yet, but a mid-season trade is a definite possibility. Question is, who might get dealt? I imagine the return on Lowrie just might bring the piece the Red Sox could be looking for prior to the deadline, while dealing Lugo would only rid them of an unwanted contract.  

Foundation of Youth

John Bowker just keeps on hitting. It’s obvious the San Francisco Giants are rushing many of their prospects, but Bowker seems to have seized his opportunity and it’ll be interesting to see how the team handles him. When you’re tied for the team lead in home runs after 22 at bats and you’re leading the team in RBIs, why wouldn’t he be given every opportunity going forward? Why? This is the Giants we are talking about.

Diamond In The Minors

Max Scherzer’s numbers so far are impossible to ignore. He has K’d 29 in 17 scoreless innings in Triple-A this year, while improving his groundball rate. Add in the fact that the Diamondback’s rotation includes an old and fragile Randy Johnson, a recovering Doug Davis and the shaky Edgar Gonzalez and it’s easy to see how Scherzer could be promoted quickly, much like Tim Lincecum and Yovanni Gallardo were last year.

League Of His Own

I usually don’t like to write about what I do not view firsthand, but I am about to make an exception as the numbers I’m seeing from Trevor Cahill make me want to watch him pitch in person more than any other prospect. 11 IP, 1 ER, 17/1 K/BB. Add in the fact he’s doing all this for the for the Stockton Ports in the California League, a hitter’s haven, where he has not surrendered a HR, and, well, it’s something I need and want to see firsthand. Good news is the Stockton Ports play at the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes in a four-game series next weekend. I’m planning driving the hour plus to check him out. Can’t wait.  

Second Thoughts

Asdrubal Cabrera has looked less-than-stellar this year at the plate and the Cleveland Indians might eventually be kicking themselves for not taking some of the rumored offers for him in the off-season. Whispers in Cleveland have Jhonny Peralta moving to third with Cabrera sliding over to his natural position of SS. This would allow the team to bring Josh Barfield back up to play 2B, although I’m not sure who the odd man out would be on the roster? Andy Marte? Jason Michaels? David Dellucci? It might shake things up in Cleveland, but I’m not sure it’s the answer and I’m also not sure why they didn’t just do this during Spring Training. 

Longoria Marriage Announcement

The contract signed by Evan Longoria was a brilliant move by the player and the team. It is the perfect marriage of talent and team. The pundits that balk at the deal are, in my opinion, stupid and biased. The deal obviously gives Longoria long-term security and shows that the Rays are very serious about building team that can and will contend in the very near future. Longoria is going to be a star and it’ll be nice to see him remain with Tampa Bay, rather than the usual suspects being the only teams that can afford him as a free agent. Aren’t we all a little tired of seeing that happen? I know I am.    

Great Seats Still Available

If I was in my twenties, I swear I’d relocate to Tampa Bay and buy season tickets to the Rays so I could have a front row seat to what I think will be one fun run by the franchise in the very near future. How often do you get to witness young talent like this maturing before your eyes at nearly every position? Not often. Plus, how often can you witness all this from just about the best seats in the house. Again, not often.

Breathing Through His Eyelids

Watched Scott Olsen on Sunday and he looks a lot like the pitcher I saw in 2006. He pitching with his head, which many will say is a scary scenario, but I’m saying that’s a very good thing. His emotions seem to be in check and the more I see him, the more I believe he’s back.

Brewed To Perfection

Watched Yovanni Gallardo pitch on Sunday and he’s already back. I saw no ill effects from his surgery and am thinking it was very smart of the Brewers to give him that extra start in the minors.

Uphill Battle

The numbers on Shawn Hill’s first start are deceiving. Hill gave up four runs in five innings against the Seattle Mariners, but he was throwing one run ball with six strikeouts and no walks before the sixth inning. Then he hit a wall and gave up three hits in the sixth, which is when he was yanked. Two men he left on base eventually scored off of Jesus Colome. Once Hill gets his stamina, watch out. Guy just needs to say healthy, of course, but, in my opinion, he is a really nice pitcher to have this year.

What You Should Be Watching This Week:Scott Olsen, Luke Hochevar, John LannanJason Kubel, John Bowker, Wladimir BalentienJed Lowrie, Clint Barmes, Josh BarfieldCardinals at Brewers, Mets at Cubs, Angels at Tigers

Major League Words of Wisdom: Brian Sabean is polishing the brass on the Titanic. It’s all going down, man.

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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The Word On The Street

4/14/08by Phil Brody

Deja vu All Over Again

With the fantasy world up in arms regarding the Dodgers’ outfield situation, I have to laugh. It has always been known that Joe Torre favors veteran players (Juan Pierre) and enjoys fostering the careers of unselfish players (Andre Ethier). More so, the situation with Matt Kemp is eerily similar to the one he had with Alfonso Soriano in years past. Torre knew Soriano had all the ability in the world, but his attitude affected his playing time in the early days. Plus, how did that relationship ultimately turn out? So the next time you get all vocal about how in the world Torre can sit a fantasy-superstar-in-the-making like Kemp, realize this game involves targeting players that can play and will play. Owners often overlook the latter and, in a competitive league, that is what makes a fantasy team a pretender instead of a contender.

Nuke or Meat?

Edwin Jackson was the talk of the town this week. Are we looking at a breakout? Well, while his walks are down slightly (10.9%) and his K-Rate is okay (18.2%), many will point out that his low BABIP (.192) is clearly an indicator of a lot of good luck. How long can that last? I like him, but also realize he’s not this good.

The Second Coming of Liriano

I think bringing up Liriano is the best thing for him. Look, he is almost 18 months removed from surgery, so as far as post-Tommy-John prognosis, he’s good to go. If it’s just him trusting his arm again and letting go, as many speculate, then I think his competitive fire will be the best medicine. Put A-Rod or Ortiz or Magglio in the box with him on the mound and I think we’ll see that kid we fell in love with in 2006 once again. Personally, I cannot wait.

Unreasonable Coverage

I live in Los Angeles and subscribe to DirectTV’s MLB Ticket. Have for years. I relish it six days a week, dreading every Saturday morning when the Ticket is blacked out and only one game is televised, FOX’s Regional Coverage of Saturday Baseball. This is when the network offers up at least three match-ups and distributes those feeds according to region. This week, I was surprised to see my FOX Regional Coverage Game was the Yankees versus the Red Sox. Imagine that. I did not know those cities were so near, especially with Matt Cain mowing down St. Louis hitters in Northern California and the Diamondbacks slugging away against Colorado in AZ. Um, what exactly is FOX’s definition of “regional.” I would really, really like to know.

Able Cain

Speaking of Cain, I am starting to feel sorry for him. This kind of losing has to have an effect. You’d have to agree that being on a World Series Champion team so early in his career helped Josh Beckett become Josh Beckett. If anything, it has given him loads of confidence every time he takes the mound. Therefore, can’t you theorize quite the opposite for Cain and Lincecum too? I sure do hope not.

Offensive Versus No Offense

Mr. Wang (”no offense” — as Rodney Dangerfield would say) is off to a hot start with the Yankees. Funny, I do not own him in any leagues and have never really been a big fan. Yeah, I’m a K-Whore. K-Whore. That needs to be someone’s nickname in the majors, no? Personally, I’ll take Lincecum every time, even without much of an offense to back him up. I own him in almost every keeper league I compete in and you could not pry him from me for anything, even for a shot at a pre-pregos Jessica Alba. Yeah, that’s how much I value Timay.

Crooked Cap’s Slanted Start

I am so tired hearing about C.C.’s innings pitched in 2007 affecting his 2008. Look, even if that is true, it is not why he’s had a rough start to the season. If we see any ill effects from that workload, it’s sure to come post-All-Star Break, not in April, after a whole lot of time off. If anything, I’d agree with those who chalk up his poor start to his big, overworked head. I have to believe his impending FA Status and now Fausto Carmona’s out-of-the-blue contract extension has had some effect on his concentration. C.C. will be fine. As the cliche goes, as it warms up, he’ll warm up.

Ditto

Same can be said for Fausto. In fact, even more so with this kid regarding his 215 innings pitched in 2007. Why? Well, (I do have to credit Lenny Melnick with these stats — look up his article “Do Innings Really Matter” for more), if we are going to put so much weight on IP, should we not also be looking at Pitches Per Inning (PPI)? If so, Fausto threw the fourth fewest PPI in the majors last year at 14.59, behind only Tim Hudson (14.11 PPI), Wang (14.35 PPI), and Brandon Webb (14.56 PPI). My opinion, F.C. will also be fine.

Rule Five Gem

Brian Barton should be playing every day and the Cleveland Indians can add his name to list of Brandon Phillips and Jeremy Guthrie as ‘ones that got away.’

Mine Eyes Have Seen The Coming…

I got to see Clayton Kershaw pitch in Dodgers stadium in a Spring Exhibition against the Red Sox the Sunday before Opening Day. Kershaw pitched four innings of relief, gave up a mere hit, struck out six and walked none. We all know he is going to be something very, very special. I just got to see it with my own eyes.

2B Or Not 2B?

Blake DeWitt is going to be a very nice ballplayer. His glove is a magnet and I do believe his bat will only improve. The fact that the 22-year old has never played above Double A before this season is astonishing as, if you’ve watched him play, his poise is that of a veteran. I like the kid’s potential a lot. I just wonder if 3B is where he will play. At 2B I know he’d be a fantasy gem. What the Dodgers do with him in the future, especially if/when Jeff Kent retires, is a mystery, but also a scenario to keep an eye on.

Half Full or Half Full?

Here’s what I find scary about the Diamondbacks. They remind of the Indians teams of the mid-late 90’s that had Kenny Lofton, Jim Thome, Carlos Baerga, Manny, and Albert Belle, except the Diamondbacks have much better pitching. They also remind me of the A’s teams of the early 00’s that had Hudson, Mark Mulder, and Barry Zito, except they have better hitting.

Fact: For Halloween, Chuck Norris Dressed As Cole Hamels

Every time I watch Cole Hamels pitch I think, “One day I’ll be telling my kids I watched Cole Hamels pitch.”

Bogg-ball Tonight

So, ESPN’s Baseball Tonight announces that on Sundays they are going to have in-studio guests/analyst. Yipee! This week they kicked it off with Wade Boggs and then proceeded to pepper the telecast with recaps of Bogg’s Career Stats, him reminiscing about days gone by and, of course, video highlights from his career. Are you kidding me? What is this, force-fed ESPN Classic? Are you telling me that enough did not happen during a full slate of Sunday games to avoid an in-studio guest meandering about his glory days and instructing us how he and Ichiro are similar hitters? He honestly took up two-thirds of the telecast. Ugh. I actually miss the days of Harold Reynolds. I’m serious.

Who I’m Watching This Week:

Erik Bedard, B.J. Ryan, Max Scherzer

Joe Crede, Edwin Encarnacion, Evan Longoria

Justin Upton, Jason Kubel, Franklin Gutierrez

John Bowker, Fred Lewis, Jason Werth

Red Sox at Yankees, Reds at Cubs, Mariners at Angels

Major League Words of Wisdom:

Listen, here’s the thing. If you look up and down a line-up and don’t see the hole in it, you ARE the hole.

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