WCFB Report Week 16
Posted by CC's Desperados, Jul 26 2010, 07:09 PM
League 2-
21 Gordon, Alex (3B,CI,U) 3B, KC Player awarded. Released: Jamie Moyer
Moyer, Jamie (SP,FP) SP, PHI Jamie Moyer released to make room for Alex Gordon
$4 Ely, John (SP,FP) SP, LAD Player awarded. Released: Orlando Hudson
Moyer, Jamie (SP,FP) SP, PHI Could not release, not currently on roster.
Hudson, Orlando (2B,MI,U) 2B, MIN Orlando Hudson released to make room for John Ely
$3 Norris, Bud (SP,FP) SP, HOU Team at roster limit.
Moyer, Jamie (SP,FP) SP, PHI Could not release, not currently on roster.
Hudson, Orlando (2B,MI,U) 2B, MIN Could not release, not currently on roster.
$3 Raburn, Ryan (2B,MI,U,OF) LF, DET Out bid, winning bid $4.00
Moyer, Jamie (SP,FP) SP, PHI No longer on active roster.
Hudson, Orlando (2B,MI,U) 2B, MIN No longer on active roster.
$3 Sizemore, Scott (2B,MI,U) 2B, DET Out bid, winning bid $5.00
Moyer, Jamie (SP,FP) SP, PHI No longer on active roster.
Hudson, Orlando (2B,MI,U) 2B, MIN No longer on active roster.
League 6-
No Bids
League 9-
No Bids
WCFB Report Week 15
Posted by CC's Desperados, Jul 19 2010, 04:46 PM
League 2-
$6 Smoak, Justin (1B,CI,U) 1B, SEA Out bid, winning bid $54.00
Giambi, Jason (1B,CI,U) 1B, COL No longer on active roster.
$4 Brignac, Reid (2B,SS,MI,U) SS, TB Player awarded. Released: Jason Giambi
Giambi, Jason (1B,CI,U) 1B, COL Jason Giambi released to make room for Reid Brignac
$3 Sanabia, Alejandro (SP,FP) SP, FLA Out bid, winning bid $8.00
Giambi, Jason (1B,CI,U) 1B, COL No longer on active roster.
I didn't use Reid Brinac, but he had a great week. I could see using him if he continues to play everyday.
League 6-
$37 Porcello, Rick (SP,FP) SP, DET Player awarded. Released: Brian Matusz
Matusz, Brian (SP,FP) SP, BAL Brian Matusz released to make room for Rick Porcello
$21 Rzepczynski, Marc (SP,FP) SP, TOR Team at roster limit.
Matusz, Brian (SP,FP) SP, BAL Could not release, not currently on roster.
$7 Guthrie, Jeremy (SP,FP) SP, BAL Team at roster limit.
Matusz, Brian (SP,FP) SP, BAL Could not release, not currently on roster.
$4 Enright, Barry (SP,FP) SP, ARI Team at roster limit.
Matusz, Brian (SP,FP) SP, BAL Could not release, not currently on roster.
$4 Litsch, Jesse (SP,FP) SP, TOR Team at roster limit.
Matusz, Brian (SP,FP) SP, BAL Could not release, not currently on roster.
$3 Sanabia, Alejandro (SP,FP) SP, FLA Team at roster limit.
Matusz, Brian (SP,FP) SP, BAL Could not release, not currently on roster.
$2 Mitre, Sergio (RP,FP) RP, NYY Out bid, winning bid $12.00
Matusz, Brian (SP,FP) SP, BAL No longer on active roster
The waiver wire is getting thin for starters. I gamble on Porcello. He has pitched poorly this year, but he seemed to right the ship in AAA. He pitched below average in his only start for me.
League 9-
$1 Storen, Drew (RP,FP) RP, WSH Out bid, winning bid $3.00
Chamberlain, Joba (SP,RP,FP) RP, NYY No longer on active roster.
$1 League, Brandon (RP,FP) RP, SEA Player awarded. Released: Joba Chamberlain
Chamberlain, Joba (SP,RP,FP) RP, NYY Joba Chamberlain released to make room for Brandon League
$1 Kuo, Hong-Chih (RP,FP) RP, LAD Out bid, winning bid $2.00
Chamberlain, Joba (SP,RP,FP) RP, NYY No longer on active roster
I'm dead in saves in this league, but I keep throwing darts. League would have some value if Aardsma gets traded. League did win a game for me.
2010 Mid Season Baseball Rankings
Posted by CC's Desperados, Jul 12 2010, 06:50 PM
WCFB Mid Season Cheat Sheet 2010
I hope this helps you prepare and draft your mid season leagues. The players are in a reasonable order so you can see a group of names and make a quick assessment. It is nearly impossible to think the same as another player. I believe the news is updated for all players as of 7/7 AM. A lot can change in a short period of time so be sure to check the player news before your draft.
Catchers
1 Joe Mauer Solid three Cats/Will Power return 2nd half?
2 Brian McCann Behind the pace in 1st half/upside 2nd half
3 Victor Martinez-1B Factored thumb/has some risk/back after All Star Break
4 Kurt Suzuki Solid first half/bats in right part of the lineup
5 Carlos Santana He might be the best catcher going forward.
6 Mike Napoli The power is there/BA risk
7 Matt Wieters He doesn't look pretty/look for 2nd half improvement
8 Miguel Montero Miss a lot of a bats/ the homers should come
9 Jorge Posada Sprained ring finger/played 7/6/will get many at bats at DH
10 Miguel Olivo Doesn't play every day but his stats might be the best baseball
11 Geovany Soto Ok first half/RBI's were down
12 Buster Posey I'm not sure of the power, but full time at bats will help
13 John Buck He has the power, but will it fade after the break?
14 Ryan Doumit Getting at bats, but he needs better production
15 Benji Molina The trade to Texas will bump his value
16 Rod Barajas Low average power hitter/battling back problems
17 Ronny Paulino Nice first half except for power/should show a bounce in power
18 AJ Pierzynski A lot of empty at bats so far/should be better after the break
19 Russell Martin He's lost his luster. Some SB's, but the excitement isn't there
20 Ivan Rodriguez Nice average, but no power
21 Ramon Hernandez Similar to Paulino/expect more power 2nd half
22 Yadier Molina Down first half/should improve after the break
23 John Jaso He's starting to fade with more at bats
24 Jason Kendall Ms. Judy will play most days and give you next to nothing
25 Jeff Mathis With Napoli at 1B, he should see a bump in at bats unless a trade
26 Chris Snyder Less at bats, but he might get moved
27 Jason Varitek Played well 1st half/out six weeks
28 Francisco Cervelli Decent average with no pop
29 Nick Hundley More value with more at bats
30 Alex Avila some power, but too many K's
31 Jonathan Lucroy Has some upside/decent 2nd catcher gamble
32 Jason Castro Might need some time to develop
33 J. Saltalamacchia Someday he'll be back/I don't expect a huge turnaround
34 Kelly Shoppach A good late power gamble as Jaso fades/batting average risk
35 Carlos Ruiz concussion-check status
36 Chris Iannetta Playing better, but no enough at bats unless Olivo is moved
37 Adam Moore He should get a chance in the 2nd half
38 George Kottaras some power/may have lost his chance
39 Matt Treanor Pass
40 Dioner Navarro Playing poorly at AAA/needs trade
1st Baseman
1 Albert Pujols Good first half/I expect a better second half
2 Miguel Cabrera Great start to the year only speed keeps him behind Pujols
3 Mark Teixeira I expect a great second half
4 Prince Fielder He's starting to heat up/good lineup 1-3 in the order
5 Ryan Howard I think the Philly injuries will keep his numbers down 2nd half
6 Joey Votto Great all around bat
7 Justin Morneau expect an average correction after the break
8 Adrian Gonzalez Solid power bat/dealing with slight sore shoulder
9 Kevin Youkilis He has move value at 3B
10 Adam Dunn Power with negative batting average
11 Paul Konerko Don't expect him to repeat first half
12 Mark Reynolds Whiff king has more value at 3rd/expect a better BA 2nd half
13 Billy Butler Solid average hoping for a bump in power 2nd half
14 Troy Glaus Nice comeback year/he should hit 30 homers with .270 BA
15 Garrett Jones Playing better/has power and some speed
16 Lance Berkman A bounce back candidate/he has some risk injury risk
17 Adam LaRoche Normally a slow starter/pretty good 1st half except average
18 Carlos Pena Power with low average/maybe 15+ HR's with .250 BA 2nd half
19 Derrek Lee Has to better than 1st half
20 Nick Swisher Solid 1st half/may repeat except batting average
21 Jorge Cantu Good first half/expect the same or better rest of the way
22 James Loney Still lacking power/some speed/more suited for CO
23 Aubrey Huff solid bounce back year/should continue
24 Pablo Sandoval do you believe?/Need him to be discounted to take a shot
25 Victor Martinez Thumb injury/more value at C
26 Michael Cuddyer Down first half/expect better the rest of the way
27 Justin Smoak Decent start to his career/should have a higher BA after break
28 Gabby Sanchez Batting 2nd/ some upside-10/40 solid BA 2nd half
29 Ike Davis Hanging in there/more of the same after the break
30 Russell Branyon Probably would play every day/power with BA risk
31 Ty Wigginton He has the most value at 2B
32 Mike Napoli Same here at C
33 Matt LaPorta Should get full time at bats at 1B/ 10/40 second half
34 Daric Barton Good bat, but no power/bench player
35 Buster Posey Most value at C
36 Chris Davis He should get traded/late power source if he gets at bats
37 Lyle Overbay His days are numbered/Brett Wallace will be up soon
38 Todd Helton It's all over!!/Sorry Todd I don't believe
39 Ramon Hernandez Below Average C and weak 1B or C
40 Mark Kotsay Playing better and getting more at bats/injury fill in
41 Garrett Atkins Released by Baltimore
2nd Baseman
1 Robinson Cano Great 1st half/only weak cat. is SB's/expect some BA decline
2 Ian Kinsler He's starting to find his rhythm/should offer power plus speed
3 Brandon Phillips Good lineup/RBI should have an uptick/balance player
4 Ben Zobrist SB's ahead of pace and power behind/look for better 2nd half
5 Dan Uggla More of the same/power with BA risk
6 Rickie Weeks Good 1st half despite high K rate/needs to run more/BA risk
7 Casey McGehee He's really a 3rd baseman playing 2B/Don't love but respect
8 Howie Kendrick He's staying healthy/expect more average 2nd half
9 Martin Prado Solid average hitter with low power and below average speed
10 Jose Lopez Might get traded/Should play better after the break
11 Juan Uribe Swollen ring finger/slumping/most value at SS
12 Aaron Hill BB:K rate points to 2nd half upside in BA
13 Ty Wigginton Hot start/could be traded to a contender
14 Kelly Johnson Hot month inflated stats/some power and speed with BA risk
15 Chone Figgins He's the best base stealer at 2nd base/Looks like a Judy
16 Ian Stewart Has power upside but sits against left handed pitching
17 Clint Barmes Starting to play better/good bounce candidate
18 Gordon Beckham He can't really be this bad/wouldn't fight for him/late gamble
19 Dustin Pedroia Should be back early August/tough buying hurt players
20 Mark Ellis He's better than most people think/a decent MI
21 Carlos Guillen Gets a bump in value at 2B/injury risk
22 Orlando Hudson Bats in a good spot in the lineup/does nothing great
23 Alberto Callaspo He's been cold since April/could start losing at bats
24 Asdrubal Cabrera Should be back late July/Don't have high expectations
25 Chase Utley Had surgery out 8 weeks/too long to carry/Pass
26 Neil Walker Playing well before concussion/worth a shot as a late MI
27 Placido Polanco On the DL/don't feel good about him/avoid
28 Felipe Lopez Battling minor injuries/plays in decent lineup
29 Mike Aviles A lot of empty at bats so far/doesn't play everyday
30 Ryan Theriot If you are looking for SB, he could be your man
31 Sean Rodriguez K's too much for my liking/may lose at bats to Brignac
32 Cristian Guzman Good BA with empty at bats
33 Reid Brignac I like him a little better than Rodriguez long term/reserve
34 Blake Dewitt Starting to lose playing time
35 Macier Izturis Coming back from the DL/not sure of at bats when he returns
36 Freddie Sanchez Should hit 2nd with good average
37 Jonathan Herrera Has some value until Tulo returns/offer some speed
38 Adam Kennedy Played poorly defensively which has cost him at bats
39 Scott Sizemore Should return at some point this season/.315 at AAA
40 Skip Schumaker Another player with empty at bats/sits against lefties
41 Brian Roberts Put a fork in him/pass
3rd Baseman
1 Evan Longoria Does it all/expect a 2nd half power surge
2 Alex Rodriguez Should hit 20+ Hr's after the break/has hip and groin problem
3 David Wright Really high K rate for him/power and speed from 3B
4 Kevin Youkilis Solid 4 category player
5 Ryan Zimmerman Solid major league hitter/more of the same
6 Adrian Beltre Playing great in Boston/expect more HR's and SB's/slide in BA
7 Scott Rolen Always was a talented player/should finish 30/100 .300
8 Mark Reynolds Whiff king /expect a better BA 2nd half
9 Troy Glaus Another veteran with a bounce back year/30/100 .270
10 Michael Young Plays in a great lineup/short power but expect 20+ with good BA
11 Jorge Cantu Good first half/expect the same or better rest of the way
12 Jose Bautista I still don't believe/Bad BA/I don't see him hitting 40 HR's
13 Casey McGehee Has more value at 2B/Don't love but respect
14 Pablo Sandoval He will look more attractive after round 13/
15 Michael Cuddyer Down first half/expect better the rest of the way
16 Ty Wigginton More value at 2B, but 3B isn't very deep
17 Kevin Kouzmanoff Has played better after slow start/20/80 hitter with .275 BA
18 Chipper Jones With Atlanta in the hunt, he will make an impact 2nd half
19 Jose Lopez More value at 2B/Should play better after the break
20 Juan Uribe Swollen ring finger/slumping/most value at SS
21 Martin Prado Most value at 2B/most hits in the majors
22 Aramis Ramirez Rise in K's points to decline/Recent thumb injury
23 Chase Headley More speed than expected/yet to show plus power in majors
24 David Freese Ankle problem/lacks power so far
25 Miguel Tejeda He's been looking like a below average player from MI
26 Ian Stewart Has power upside but sits against left handed pitching
27 Chone Figgins Weak 3rd baseman/only playable at 2B
28 Jhonny Peralta Played poorly 1st half/more value as a MI
29 Alex Gordon Has some upside when called up/.327 11/36 in 208 AB's in AAA
30 Alberto Callaspo He's been cold since April/could start losing at bats
31 Casey Blake Watch you see is watch you get/looks to be on the decline
32 Brandon Inge If you are looking for low average power, he's your man..maybe
33 Pedro Alvarez Growing pains for sure/will have power with plenty of K's
34 Chris Johnson Played well at AAA/has a chance to be productive
35 Edwin Encarnacion He's back for now, but Brett Wallace isn't far behind
36 Brett Wallace Should be up soon/.301 14/42 in 306 AB's in AAA
37 Placido Polanco On the DL/don't feel good about him/avoid
38 Gordon Beckham Most value at MI
39 Neil Walker Playing well before concussion/worth a shot as a late MI
40 Mike Lowell Has value only if he is traded/on the DL with sore hip
Shortstop
1 Hanley Ramirez Huge edge at SS with Tulo out
2 Troy Tulowitzki The position is so weak I'd pay full value
3 Jose Reyes Was playing extremely well, but have to watch oblique injury
4 Jimmy Rollins Has risk plus probably won't steal many bases
5 Derek Jeter Should play better in the 2nd half/plus average
6 Elvis Andrus Plus base stealer/no power but expect a couple in the 2nd half
7 Juan Uribe Swollen ring finger/slumping/most value at SS
8 Alex Gonzalez SS is very weak for power and speed 1st half/HR's with BA risk
9 Rafael Furcal High BA needs more SB's/bats leadoff/expect some BA decline
10 Miguel Tejeda Trade candidate/should improve 2nd half
11 Alexei Ramirez Has yet to have hot streak/upside if he could hit 2nd
12 Stephen Drew Sore knee/sitting against some lefties/has a chance to improve
13 Clint Barmes Starting to play better/good bounce candidate
14 Jhonny Peralta Played poorly 1st half/more value as a MI/longer resume
15 Erik Aybar Risk with lingering left knee injury/leadoff hitter with speed
16 Ian Desmond Power/speed candidate/should play more 2nd half
17 Yunel Escobar BB:K rate suggest better 2nd half/lack of power is a concern
18 Alcides Escobar SB upside 2nd half/BA should rise
19 Mike Aviles A lot of empty at bats so far/doesn't play everyday
20 Ryan Theriot If you are looking for SB, he could be your man
21 Asdrubal Cabrera Should be back late July/Don't have high expectations
22 Marco Scutaro Numbers look similar to 2009/more value if he could some bags
23 Jason Bartlett Battling sore hamstring/to buy, you need to believe in 09 season
24 Felipe Lopez Battling minor injuries/plays in decent lineup
25 Cliff Pennington Hot start then struggled/starting come around/offers SB's
26 Orlando Cabrera Did ok 1st half/like more if he didn't have a sore ankle
27 Cristian Guzman Good BA with empty at bats
28 Macier Izturis Coming back from the DL/not sure of at bats when he returns
29 J.J. Hardy Coming back from wrist injury/tough for me to invest
30 Everth Cabrera Hamstring trouble 1st half/offers plus speed if healthy
31 Yunel Betancourt Has had a couple of nice games 1st half/better as injury fill in
32 Jerry Hairston Qualifies at SS, 3B, an d OF/lack everyday job
33 Reid Brignac Stats have been empty lately/upside as bench player
34 Brendan Ryan Offers some speed/bench player
35 Starlin Castro Done next to nothing after great 1st game/needs to run
36 Edgar Renteria Lost job to Uribe/needs a trade with Sanchez back
37 Jeff Keppinger A whole lot of empty at bats
38 Ronny Cedeno Looks like he has his chance and failed
39 Adam Rosales Doesn't have a job/free agent fill in
40 Jack Wilson Coming back from injury/empty at bats
Outfielders
1 Josh Hamilton Playing extremely well/some BA decline expected
2 Ryan Braun Good but not great 1st half/expect power in power
3 Vlad Guerrero He's back and loves hitting Texas/I expect him to repeat
4 Matt Holiday Slow start, but he's too good to keep down
5 Carl Crawford Best base stealer with some power
6 Alexis Rios Nice bounce back year/maybe 30/30 year with bump in power
7 Matt Kemp Striking out too much/too many caught stealing/concerned
8 Carlos Gonzalez Very good balanced player/bruised knee
9 Andre Either Hot start/struggled after broken pinky/expect good 2nd half
10 Justin Upton Striking out almost 1 out of 3 at bats/other numbers are in line
11 Chris Young 15/57/14 with .266/ could be 30/30 player
12 Jason Werth Behind pace at the break/15/50 with 10 SB's rest of the way
13 Corey Hart Nice 1st half/might show more speed after break
14 Vernon Wells Hot 1st half/slight decline in power after break/more SB's
15 Torii Hunter Solid major league hitter
16 Nelson Cruz Bad hamstring ruined a chance at a monster season
17 Andy McCutchen Takes too many good pitches/15/40 guy with good BA
18 Hunter Pence Improved on K's/should finish .280 with 20/20
19 Shane Victorino Great 1st half except BA/less homers might lead to bump in BA
20 Jay Bruce Like what he did 1st half/I expect better in the 2nd half
21 Carlos Quentin Other than his average, green lights ahead/sore knee 7/6
22 Nick Markakis A lot of empty at bats so far/He's too good to repeat
23 Jason Bay I have to expect 15/50 the rest of the way
24 Bobby Abreu Slow start in BA/expect improvement across the board
25 Adam Dunn Solid .265 with 20/50 the rest of the way
26 Ichiro Suzuki Nice BA and steals are up/always gets drafted too early
27 Magglio Ordonez Battling sore oblique/major league hitter
28 Colby Rasmus Good 1st half/sits vs. some lefties/looks like 25/20 with .275
29 Garrett Jones Playing better/has power and some speed
30 Jose Guillen Should get traded/some BA fade/ .260 10/40 rest of the way
31 Aubrey Huff Great BB:K rate has led to great first half/should repeat
32 Ben Zobrist SB's ahead of pace and power behind/most value at 2B
33 BJ Upton Sore right quad/speeds there/waiting for power surge…next year?
34 Adam Lind Another young player with a rise in K's/.280 10/40 2nd half
35 Adam Jones Playing better/needs better approach at the plate
36 Alfonso Soriano Power's ok, but he isn't running/at the right price
37 Carlos Lee Might not be great, but I expect good 2nd half
38 Jason Heyward Nice prospect but thumb injury has led major struggle/On DL
39 Manny Ramirez Solid numbers 8/39 in 183 at bats/On DL with hamstring injury
40 Jason Kubel Ok numbers except avg. and runs/look for better 2nd half
41 Nick Swisher Has played well/hasn't had the prolonged BA slump
42 Ryan Ludwick Bad calf has him on the DL/was finding his stroke/10/40 with .275
43 Jose Bautista I still don't believe/Bad BA/I don't see him hitting 40 HR's
44 Brett Gardner Plus base stealer with just above Judy pop/some BA fade
45 Michael Bourn Ms. Judy is on pace for 50 bags and 2 HR's/avg. bump 2nd half
46 Johnny Gomes 29/105 .275+ last 525 at bats/10+/40+ .260 rest of the way
47 Delmon Young Improved BB:K has led to sneaky good first half/upside
48 Brendon Boesch Unbelievable major league start 12/46 .340 in 215 at bats/fade
49 Drew Stubbs High K rate will keep avg. down/speed and power is there
50 Franklin Gutierrez 20/20 player with a respectable average
51 Tyler Colvin Doing good things lately/K rate a bit high
52 Cody Ross Underrated player/speeds up, but power is down/rise HR's 2nd half
53 Marlon Byrd A decent 5th OF
54 Michael Cuddyer A bump in value at 3B/veteran should be better 2nd half
55 Josh Willingham Having great 1st half/on pace for 30/90/15/some decline
56 Scott Podsednik Playing well/just above Judy status
57 Juan Pierre Tough Judy zero HR's and 13 RBI/average starting to climb
58 Carlos Beltran Looks like he'll be back after the All Star break/risk don't overpay
59 Chris Coghlan Good hitter, but doesn't offer much power or speed
60 Johnny Damon Slow start/veteran players should improve 2nd half
61 J.D. Drew Misses at bats, but does good thing on the field/10/40 with .280 BA
62 Raul Ibanez BB:K rate looks good/he has a chance to improve 2nd half
63 Matt LaPorta Should get full time at bats at 1B/10/40 second half
64 Jeff Francoeur He does some things on the field, but not enough/similar
65 Austin Jackson Nice major league start/has a chance to repeat/5/30/15 .280
66 Hideki Matsui Veteran hitter could heat up 2nd half
67 Chin-So Choo Maybe out 6 to 8 weeks with thumb injury/no surgery is a plus
68 Chase Headley More speed than expected/yet to show plus power in majors
69 Jacoby Ellsbury Slow progress/I'd thinking August not July
70 Rajai Davis Slight hamstring problem/might have to fight for at bats
71 Nyjer Morgan Pierre with less speed/has to be better 2nd half
72 Andres Torres Doing good things at age 32/slight power for Judy
73 Corey Paterson Holding onto lead off job/base stealer with some pop/avg. risk
74 Coco Crisp Played will first couple of games/tight hamstring/leadoff hitter
75 Dexter Fowler Playing well since call up/needs to play well to keep at bats
76 Angel Pagan Player extremely well in place of Beltran/questionable at bats
77 David Dejesus Average looks nice, but lower power no speed
78 Julio Borbon Not playing every day/playing better/expect a bump in speed
79 Juan Rivera Eye problem points to some risk, but he will discounted/played 7/6
80 Carlos Guillen Gets a bump in value at 2B/injury risk
81 Brad Hawpe Battling sore ribs/wasn't playing that well anyways
82 Ryan Sweeney No power and no speed/HR's may come2011
83 Roger Bernadini Tight back/looks like he might be 15/25 player/sits vs. lefties
84 Michael Brantley Get a chance to bat leadoff/plus speed, but yet to run I
85 Jose Tabata Batting leadoff/low power with 20+ base speed
86 Michael Saunders K's are too high, but he be ready for improvement in 2011
87 Jack Cust Whiffs like a champ, but I see a HR streak/get on then off
88 Michael Stanton 35 K's in 82 at bats/he might be two years away
89 Milton Bradley His K's have risen dramatically, but he can hit a HR or steal bag
90 Lastings Milledge Has talent, but come up empty too often
91 Austin Kearns A couple of hot streaks/full time at bats until Choo returns
92 Trevor Crowe With Choo out, he will get plenty of at bats/backend SB's
93 Matt Diaz Back from the DL/has to be better than McLouth and Cabrera
84 Melky Cabrera He did a whole lot of nothing in 250 at bats/can't be worse
95 Seth Smith For some reason fell out of favor in Colorado/solid reserve
96 Will Venable Very hot and cold player/K's 1 of 3 at bats/DL sore back
97 Luke Scott DL hamstring/won't play every day when he returns
98 Nate McLouth Played poorly before concussion/Rehab assignment on 7/9
99 Conner Jackson DL hamstring/good talent, but too many empty at bats
100 Sean Rodriguez K's too much for my liking/may lose at bats to Brignac
101 Scott Hairston Getting at bats lately/weak 5th outfielder/injury fill in
102 Eric Patterson 2 HR's batting 2nd/need to watch how Boston uses him
103 Xavier Paul 12/34/7 .343 at AAA/Has fill in value with Ramirez on the DL
104 Eric Hinske Quality at bats early/starting to slide
105 Bill Hall Has a slim window to get value at 2B/Patterson trade hurts
106 Pat Burrell DH fighting for at bats in San Fran's OF
107 Jeremy Hermida Decent fill in for Boston/on the DL rib injury/took BP 7/6
108 Carlos Gomez He can't beat out Edmonds/Needs youth movement in Milw
109 Fred Lewis After fast start, he's has been slumping/pass
110 Mark Kotsay Getting the most at bats at DH in Chicago/bye week fill in
111 Travis Snider Started Rehab in minors on the 4th 0-4 2 K's/back soon
112 Andrew Jones Did some good things early in the year/no value without at AB
113 Felix Pie Back from the DL/reserve player until role is defined
114 Matt Joyce Stealing at bats from BJ Upton/role player
115 Aaron Roward Not playing every day/waiver wire player
116 Kosuke Fukodome Losing at bats to Colvin/no value
117 David Murphy Played better in 09/need an injury for playing time
118 Ryan Spilborghs Has bench value with Hawpe on the DL
119 Cameron Maybin Sore shoulder at AAA/some value if Stanton fails and healthy
120 Desmond Jennings Could have some value late in the year
121 Gerardo Parra His days may be number/bench player in the majors
122 Darnell McDonald Starting to fade/ waiver wire
123 Nate Schierholtz Has talent, but he can't beat out a DH or 1B for playing time
124 Tony Gwynn Base stealing bench player/waiver wire
125 Xavier Nady Had TJ surgery/hurting his ability to throw/getting better
126 Ryan Raburn Would need an injury in Detroit to have minor value
127 Mike Cameron If he can't play every day with Boston's injuries, not 100 %
128 Nolan Reimold hitting .204 at AAA
129 Kyle Blanks Slow recovery from elbow injury/might need surgery
130 Mitch Maier Getting zero at bats lately/undraftable
Starting Pitching
1 Roy Halladay Great Command/number one based on length of resume
2 Adam Wainwright Just keeps getting better/.212 BA against has led to .997 whip
3 Josh Johnson Elite starter leads majors in ERA for starters (1.82/.965)
4 Cliff Lee 6 walks in 103 innings leads to elite whip/will be traded
5 Jered Weaver Lead major in K's as of today (7/6)/Weak bullpen hurts wins
6 Jon Lester Struggled in April/command is back/1.84 ERA May-2.62 June
7 Ubaldo Jimenez 17 runs in his last 15+ innings/lacks elite command/44 BB in 119
8 Tim Lincecum Lost strike zone in May/underlying injury/fastball 94 in last start
9 Felix Hernandez Struggled early/? wins in Seattle/-21 base runners last 56 inning
10 Chris Carpenter Slight rise BB in June/bombed last start/should rebound
11 Clayton Kershaw Command keeps him from pitching late in games/very talented
12 CC Sabathia Around 4.00 ERA April and May/2.19 in June/plenty of wins
13 Justin Verlander Solid 1st half, but not as good as 09/should pitch better
14 Zack Greinke Over 4.00 ERA in May and June/better days ahead
15 Steve Strasburg Elite starter but only about 55 innings left/53 K's in 36+ innings
16 Roy Oswalt On a pace for 200 K's/more wins if traded to contender
17 Mat Latos A top pitcher in baseball last 2+ months/innings watch
18 Francisco Liriano K's are there/5.15 ERA in May and 3.82 in June
19 Johan Santana Struggling with velocity/14:12 BB:K rate in June/big drop in K's
20 Yovani Gallardo Struggles with walks at times/strained oblique/pass as ace
21 Matt Cain Been good every month/Good for 200+ innings
22 Dan Haren Batters are hitting .280 against him/history of fading 2nd half
23 Phillip Hughes After great May, struggled last 4 starts (7 HR's)/innings watch
24 David Price Higher BB rate and lower K rate keeps him from being an ace
25 Clay Buchholz Low K rate for front starter/On DL hamstring injury/back soon
26 Tim Hudson Low K rate, but a quality start almost every game
27 Colby Lewis Surprise pitcher/improved command in June
28 Ervin Santana Good season, but far from elite/need to cut down on HR's
29 Cole Hamels 18 Hr's in 96 innings is a bad sign/don't over pay for name
30 Chad Billingsley Back from groin injury/needs to improve on walks
31 Trevor Cahill He's won 7 straight/improved K rate/budding star
32 Max Scherzer Elite starter since his return from AAA under 3.50 ERA
33 Ryan Dempster Good pitcher who tends to get beat by the long ball
34 Josh Beckett Tough to rank/been on the DL two months/couple weeks away
35 John Danks Hasn't been great in May and June (4.79 and 4.18)/repeat
36 Jeff Niemann Has been Tampa's 2nd best starter/spike in HR's in June
37 Gavin Floyd Brutal in April and May/ under 2.50 ERA last 7 starts
38 Ricky Romero Better pitcher than I expected/might fade 2nd half
39 Tommy Hanson Train wreck since April/5.09 in May and 6.31 in June
40 Matt Garza After great April, he has faded
41 James Shields Has struggled with homeruns and hit allowed/slight rebound
42 Scott Baker Struggled with HR's allowed in June (8 in 29+ innings)/improve
43 Shaun Marcum On DL with sore elbow/trade candidate if healthy
44 Kris Medlen Pitched well every month/probably 70-80 innings left
45 Ricky Nolasco 10 HR's in 34 innings in June/pitched well 2nd half 09
46 Jair Jurrjens Back from the DL (hamstring)/fresh arm/pitched well 1st start
47 Andy Pettitte Best year since 2005/should pitch under a 4.00 ERA
48 Jon Lackey Lack of command has led to poor 1st half/still winning games
49 Javier Vazquez HR's allowed have returned/Better in June after 2 bad months
50 Ted Lilly Drilled last start/good 1st half/struggling for wins
51 Jonathan Sanchez Tough to hit, but inconsistent due to walks
52 Johnny Cueto 2 runs last 21+ innings after three bad starts/should repeat
53 Brandon Morrow Pitched poorly in early/better command led to 1.91 in June
54 AJ Burnett Plain sucked in June 11.35/rebound last start/can't be worse
55 Joel Pineiro Has won 6 straight/improved K rate/undervalued
56 Carlos Silva Added change up has led to .169 against left handed batters
57 Hiroki Kuroda Pretty solid before his last two starts/should rebound
58 Jonathan Niese Won 5 of 6 since returning from DL/improving
59 Kevin Slowey Elite command but HR rate is too high/should improve
60 Joe Blanton Pitched better last 4 before bad last inning in Pitt/rebound
61 Carl Pavano Very good 1st half/I'm not sure if it repeatable
62 Jorge De La Rosa Getting close to return from finger injury/7 runs last AAA start
63 Vincent Padilla Pitched well since return from the DL/ERA rebound
64 Daisuke Matsuzaka Way too many walks/respectable number in June 2.81/1.29
65 Edwin Jackson 6.00 ERA in April and May/2.11 with 20 walks in June
66 Brett Myers He should get traded/limited upside
67 Clayton Richard High BB rate, but pitches in great ball park/some fade
68 Mike Leake Great rookie campaign/probably only 50 innings left
69 Jamie Garcia Struggles with walks at times/may have limited innings
70 Gio Gonzalez High BB rate/may fade/has limited innings left
71 Tom Gorzelanny Back in the rotation/K's are there, but too many walks
72 Anibal Sanchez Keeps the ball in the park which help correct high BB rate
73 Brett Anderson It's hard to believe that are bring him back this season
74 Barry Zito After 1.53 ERA in April, he has pitched to 4.30 plus for 2 months
75 Jason Hammel Under 2.00 ERA last 7 starts/can't keep up this pace
76 Brett Cecil Bad 3 game stretch ruin solid start to the year/slight improve
77 Jhoulys Chacin Pitch well with high BB rate/minors when De La Rosa returns
78 Ben Sheets Every month his era has been over 4.84/he should be traded
79 Mike Pelfrey Bombed his last two starts/added splitter this year
80 Wandy Rodriguez He'll look at better as a 20th round pick/better last 3/10 K's 7/6
81 Fausto Carmona Much improved but BB are still too high
82 Jason Vargas Pitched well every month/struggled last start/dominates lefties
83 Jamie Moyer Defies time/a bombing here or there/decent 7th starter
84 Mark Buehrle Major league pitcher with resume/should wins games
85 Joe Saunders High BB low K's/pitched well last two/Won 33 G in 08 and 09
86 Dallas Braden Pitched poorly 4 of 5 last starts/On DL with sore elbow
87 Brian Matusz Not bad for his 2nd year/bad team hurts his value/innings ?
88 Derek Lowe Improving, but higher K rate might point decline
89 Ian Kennedy Pitched poorly last 4 starts/may only have 50 or 60 innings left
90 Randy Wells Brutal for two months/2 runs last two starts
91 Aaron Harang Scratched from his last starts with lower back pain/on DL
92 Tommy Hunter Won 5 games in 7 quality starts/low K's
93 Jon Garland More BB and K's/expect fade but pitches in Petco
84 Jeremy Hellickson 11-2 with 2.21 ERA and 1.14 whip in AAA/only 50-60 innings left
95 Jeremy Bonderman 9 HR's last 45 innings plus drop in K rate
96 Jake Peavy Over 6.00 ERA in April and June/1.75 in June/hurt 7/6
97 CJ Wilson High BB rate/innings jump from being a reliever points to fade
98 Felipe Paulino DL with sore shoulder/had 6 or 7 quality starts before DL stint
99 Justin Masterson Very inconsistent/bad team
100 Rich Harden Velocity was down before being put on DL/huge discount
101 John Ely League's starting to catch up to him judging by his BB:K rate
102 Wade LeBlanc Gets San Diego mark up/high BB rate
103 Bronson Arroyo Winning games/rise in BB rate/ok if you can avoid the bad starts
104 R.A. Dickey Knuckle baller who has over achieved/2.62 ERA and 1.27 whip
105 Freddie Garcia Not a bat 10th starter in the WCOFB format/wins games
106 Scott Kazmir Struggled most of the year/win games/command problems
107 Scott Olsen DL with sore shoulder/could return July 20th
108 Luke Hochevar Shown some flashes but inconsistent/on DL with sore elbow
109 Andrew Oliver Big fastball, but need more at the major league level/interesting
110 Mad. Bumgarner Was an elite prospect before struggling with his fastball velocity
111 Livan Hernandez Under 3.00 ERA and 1.26 whip/big fade
112 Hisanori Takahaski Only playable with right match ups
113 Ross Ohlendorf 14 straight shutout innings/only one win/needs trade
114 Jeremy Guthrie Back end starter that has struggled lately/trade candidate
115 Jeff Francis Pitched pretty well before last start/50/50 he keeps his job
116 Aaron Cook 3 runs or less 8 out of last 10, but low wins and weak K's
117 Jake Westbrook Low K's/weak backend starter/waiver wire double starter
118 Rick Porcello Pitched 2 of 3 poor starts at AAA/may have value later
119 Mitch Talbot Another high BB low K pitcher/surprise rookie/fade
120 Doug Fister Hasn't been the same pitcher since returning from the DL
121 J.A. Happ Pitching poorly in the minors/I'll let you take him for a drive
122 Carlos Zambrano Over 5.00 ERA every month/needs a trade for a spark
123 Wade Davis He feels Hellickson looking over his shoulder/needs trip to AAA
124 Manny Parra 39 K's last 33 2/3 innings, but too base runners allowed
125 Chris Naverson Trade low quality inning for K's and he's your man
126 Kevin Correia Tough to believe he will repeat 09 number the rest of the way
127 Edison Volquez Returning from TJ surgery after the All Star break/? Command
128 Dave Bush Respectable last 6 starts/low K's
129 Randy Wolf Huge spike in walks/maybe underlying injury
130 Paul Maholm Bad pitcher on a bad team/waiver wire gamble starter
131 Bud Norris More than 1 K per inning/higher than 5.60 ERA every month
132 Nate Robertson High BB rate/has should no sign of consistency or improvement
133 Rodrigo Lopez Pitch ok for a while/might be time to look at some young talent
134 Scott Feldman Problems with his sinker/avoid
135 Chris Volstad Improved command last three/improved HR rate/sent to AAA
136 Andy Sonnanstine He might get the first chance if Davis fail/pitched well in relief
137 Derek Holland Talented pitcher with sore shoulder and knee/rehab soon
138 Brad Penny On DL with sore back/had set back in his rehab
139 Chris Tillman Bombed in the majors/one hitter last start at AAA/next call
140 Travis Wood Pitched well in his major league debut/Volquez takes his slot
141 Brad Lincoln Had a spark last start/waiver wire double starters
142 Kenshin Kawakami Has lost job to Kris Medlen
143 Armando Galarraga Starting to fade/will lose job if Tiger make trade
144 Vin Mazzero Pitched ok, but bombings will come/pass
145 Homer Bailey DL sore shoulder/has yet to take the mound/maybe August
146 Blake Hawksworth Spot starter until Penny comes back or trade/can't be worse
147 Tim Wakefield No upside, but playable in a double start week
148 Brian Bannister Poor numbers but has some value as occasional double starter
149 Doug Davis Returning from the DL after chest injury/waiver wire
150 Nick Blackburn No K's points to no reason to own unless chasing waiver wins
151 Kyle Kendrick As this level relievers will get more K's/WW double starter
152 Bruce Chen Journey man pitcher/pitcher well last 4/bad beats await
153 Jeff Karstens HR rate too high/walks are respectable/waiver wire
154 Kyle Davies Stiff/17 BB and 10 K's in June
155 Jesse Litsch Doesn't look ready to help/maybe waiver wire double starter
156 Jake Arietta 16 walk in 26 inning points to AAA/pass
157 Brandon Webb He's dreaming about making 6 to 8 starts/still hasn't pitched
158 Zach Duke On DL with sore elbow/won 2 games week one 1 since/pass
159 Barry Enright Improving AA pitcher, but not ready to help in the majors
160 Daniel McCutchen He a low level job in Pittsburg/avoid
161 Omar Beltre Huge command problems so far/send back to AAA
162 Erik Bedard Set back in rehab assignment/pass
163 Gil Meche On DL with sore shoulder/changing arm angle/rehab next week
164 R. Rowland-Smith More walks than K's/pitched well in 09/maybe next year
165 Charlie Morton Sucked in the majors and only slightly sucked at AAA/avoid
Relief Pitching
1 Jonathan Broxton Good command/plus K's expect more saves/miss used by Torre
2 Carlos Marmol 72 K's in 39 innings/BA against .148/expect more saves 2nd half
3 Neftali Feliz Pitched better last year/high upside/I expect better 2nd half
4 Billy Wagner Lights out at age 38/more saves but some ERA decline
5 Mariano Rivera Lower K's than elite closers, but expect more saves 2nd half
6 Rafael Soriano Low K total, but has the plus arm to improve
7 Heath Bell Need to cut down on walks/plus K's with 4 W's and 23 SV's
8 Joakim Soria Plus closer pitching for bad team
9 Brian Wilson High walk rate, but K's and saves are in line
10 Franky Rodriguez More work in New York/on pace for 100 K's and 80 innings
11 Andrew Bailey Miss some time in April/rarely struggles
12 Jose Valverde Toughest to hit in the league .120 makes up for high walk rate
13 Fran. Cordero Saves are there, but walking more than 4.5 batter 9 innings
14 Jon Papelbon Was elite from 2006-2008/more BB and high HR rate
15 Leo Nunez Improved command and keeping the ball in the park
16 Brad Lidge Small sample size/K's suggest he's back/still has risk
17 Huston Street Command looks good but still has some risk
18 Brian Fuentes His numbers are coming around/Angel's closer gets plus saves
19 Ryan Franklin Continues to get the job done/low K rate/bombed 7/6 for 6 runs
20 Bobby Jenks Thornton and Putz are pitching better/still gets it done
21 Matt Capps Plenty of saves without great pitching/unsure of role if traded
22 Octavio Dotel Bombed in two non saves situation earlier in the year/trade bait
23 Jon Rauch Done a good job, but could be replace if Twins make a trade
24 David Aardsma Hasn't been great/could get traded to be set up man
25 Matt Lindstrom Was starting to lose grip in closing job before righting ship/trade
26 Kevin Gregg High BB/doesn't have a lot of job security
27 Kerry Wood He's pitching better/could have value as closer on better team
28 John Axford Too many walks but he's getting the job done
29 Alfredo Simon Had a decent run in saves/bumpy road ahead
30 Aaron Heilman Can't believe he is the closer when he pitched in the 8th
31 Chris Perez Wood has the best chance of getting traded/will get saves
32 Matt Thornton Elite numbers and last two saves chances in Chicago
33 J.J. Putz Not quite 2006-2007 numbers, but close/Jenks watch is on
34 Brandon Lyon If Lindstrom goes, he will get the saves in Houston
35 Joel Hanrahan Pitching in the 8th points to first in line/plus K's
36 Sam Demel Saves in the minors/speck play in Arizona
37 Drew Storen If Capp goes, he should get the job
38 Brandon League Looks like next in line in Seattle
39 Jason Mott Franklin is far from elite/best arm in Cardinals bullpen
40 Luke Gregerson Unbelievable season but too far away from saves
41 Mike Adams Next in line if Bell has a problem/Gregerson has pitched better
42 Daniel Bard He makes Papelbon expendable 2011/plus numbers
43 Evan Meek Has pitched well, but he needs to jump Hanrahan/may lack guile
44 Joaquin Benoit Next best reliever in Tampa/playable in flex spot
45 Tyler Clippard He pitched a ton of innings early in the year/wearing down
46 Hong-Chin Kuo Might be next in line in LA
47 Jose Contreras Was pitching better early in the year/Madson may take over 8th
48 Ryan Madson Pitching in a rehab assignment
49 Fernando Rodney Too many BB and drop in K's
50 Trevor Hoffman Tough ride in the sunset/He's stuck on 596
51 Ra. Betancourt Pitching better/by default he could be next in Colorado
52 Joba Chamberlain I thought he was good for 10 win in the bullpen/trade bait
53 Alexi Ogando Live arm/could be next in line
54 Ronald Belisario Next righty in LA
55 Matt Guerrier He's next in line for now in Minnesota
56 Sergio Santos Maybe next year he will be the last man standing
57 Mike Gonzalez He's on a rehab assignment/back after All Star break
58 Jason Frasor Someone has to be next in line in Toronto
59 Manuel Corpas The manager deep fried him two weeks ago
60 Chad Qualls Pitched better as setup guy/could reclaim job
WCFB Report Week 14
Posted by CC's Desperados, Jul 12 2010, 10:41 AM
League 2-
$67 Brantley, Michael (U,OF) CF, CLE Player awarded. Released: Jose Contreras
Contreras, Jose (SP,RP,FP) RP, PHI Jose Contreras released to make room for Michael Brantley
$55 Davis, Chris (1B,CI,U) 1B, TEX Out bid, winning bid $244.00
Contreras, Jose (SP,RP,FP) RP, PHI No longer on active roster.
$21 McLouth, Nate (U,OF) CF, ATL Player awarded. Released: Omar Beltre
Contreras, Jose (SP,RP,FP) RP, PHI Could not release, not currently on roster.
Beltre, Omar (SP,FP) SP, TEX Omar Beltre released to make room for Nate McLouth
$17 Hudson, Daniel (RP,FP) RP, CWS Out bid, winning bid $17.00 Tie-Breaker: Standings Position
Beltre, Omar (SP,FP) SP, TEX No longer on active roster.
$14 Milledge, Lastings (U,OF) LF, PIT Out bid, winning bid $22.00
Contreras, Jose (SP,RP,FP) RP, PHI No longer on active roster.
Beltre, Omar (SP,FP) SP, TEX No longer on active roster.
$5 Zimmermann, Jordan (SP,FP) SP, WSH Out bid, winning bid $13.00
Beltre, Omar (SP,FP) SP, TEX No longer on active roster.
Contreras, Jose (SP,RP,FP) RP, PHI No longer on active roster.
$3 Paulino, Felipe (SP,FP) SP, HOU Out bid, winning bid $4.00
Beltre, Omar (SP,FP) SP, TEX No longer on active roster.
Contreras, Jose (SP,RP,FP) RP, PHI No longer on active roster.
$3 Norris, Bud (SP,FP) SP, HOU Team at roster limit.
Beltre, Omar (SP,FP) SP, TEX Could not release, not currently on roster.
Contreras, Jose (SP,RP,FP) RP, PHI Could not release, not currently on roster.
$3 Giambi, Jason (1B,CI,U) 1B, COL Player awarded. Released: Austin Kearns
Kearns, Austin (U,OF) RF, CLE Austin Kearns released to make room for Jason Giambi
Michael Brantley was a block move in this league. I need some speed, but the 1st place team needs speed more. I picked up Nate McLouth, but he didn't play in the majors this week. He'll be up tomorrow (7/21). I thought Jason Giambi would get regualr at bats at 1st, but Colorado has used Brad Hawpe there the last few days.
League 6-
$33 Brantley, Michael (U,OF) CF, CLE Player awarded. Released: Jeff Francoeur
Francoeur, Jeff (U,OF) RF, NYM Jeff Francoeur released to make room for Michael Brantley
Kazmir, Scott (SP,FP) SP, LAA No longer on active roster.
$24 Gutierrez, Juan (RP,FP) RP, ARI Out bid, winning bid $29.00
Oliver, Andrew (SP,FP) SP, DET No longer on active roster.
Kazmir, Scott (SP,FP) SP, LAA No longer on active roster.
$23 McLouth, Nate (U,OF) CF, ATL Player awarded. Released: Scott Kazmir
Francoeur, Jeff (U,OF) RF, NYM Could not release, not currently on roster.
Kazmir, Scott (SP,FP) SP, LAA Scott Kazmir released to make room for Nate McLouth
$17 Milledge, Lastings (U,OF) LF, PIT Team at roster limit.
Francoeur, Jeff (U,OF) RF, NYM Could not release, not currently on roster.
Kazmir, Scott (SP,FP) SP, LAA Could not release, not currently on roster.
$16 Hudson, Daniel (RP,FP) RP, CWS Out bid, winning bid $61.00
Kazmir, Scott (SP,FP) SP, LAA No longer on active roster.
Oliver, Andrew (SP,FP) SP, DET No longer on active roster.
$16 Zimmermann, Jordan (SP,FP) SP, WSH Player awarded. Released: Andrew Oliver
Kazmir, Scott (SP,FP) SP, LAA Could not release, not currently on roster.
Oliver, Andrew (SP,FP) SP, DET Andrew Oliver released to make room for Jordan Zimmermann
$13 Ohlendorf, Ross (SP,FP) SP, PIT Out bid, winning bid $29.00
Kazmir, Scott (SP,FP) SP, LAA No longer on active roster.
Oliver, Andrew (SP,FP) SP, DET No longer on active roster.
$4 Paulino, Felipe (SP,FP) SP, HOU Team at roster limit.
Kazmir, Scott (SP,FP) SP, LAA Could not release, not currently on roster.
Oliver, Andrew (SP,FP) SP, DET Could not release, not currently on roster.
$4 Herrera, Jonathan (2B,MI,U) 2B, COL Out bid, winning bid $4.00 Tie-Breaker: Standings Position
Francoeur, Jeff (U,OF) RF, NYM No longer on active roster.
Kazmir, Scott (SP,FP) SP, LAA No longer on active roster.
$3 Tillman, Chris (SP,FP) SP, BAL Out bid, winning bid $11.00
Kazmir, Scott (SP,FP) SP, LAA No longer on active roster.
$3 Rzepczynski, Marc (SP,FP) SP, TOR Team at roster limit.
Kazmir, Scott (SP,FP) SP, LAA Could not release, not currently on roster.
$3 Cabrera, Melky (U,OF) RF, ATL Team at roster limit.
Francoeur, Jeff (U,OF) RF, NYM Could not release, not currently on roster.
Kazmir, Scott (SP,FP) SP, LAA Could not release, not currently on roster.
This team needs speed desperately and Michael Brantley fits the bill. He might even help in batting average. I gambled on Nate McLouth. He is a player who might offer power and speed. Jordan Zimmerman is on a rehab assignment. I was looking another arm for the last two months of the year.
League 9-
$5 Brantley, Michael (U,OF) CF, CLE Player awarded. Released: Omar Beltre
Beltre, Omar (SP,FP) SP, TEX Omar Beltre released to make room for Michael Brantley
$4 Gutierrez, Juan (RP,FP) RP, ARI Out bid, winning bid $25.00
Beltre, Omar (SP,FP) SP, TEX No longer on active roster.
Belisle, Matt (RP,FP) RP, COL No longer on active roster.
$3 Ohlendorf, Ross (SP,FP) SP, PIT Player awarded. Released: Matt Belisle
Beltre, Omar (SP,FP) SP, TEX Could not release, not currently on roster.
Belisle, Matt (RP,FP) RP, COL Matt Belisle released to make room for Ross Ohlendorf
$2 Hudson, Daniel (RP,FP) RP, CWS Out bid, winning bid $12.00
Beltre, Omar (SP,FP) SP, TEX No longer on active roster.
Belisle, Matt (RP,FP) RP, COL No longer on active roster.
$2 Hanrahan, Joel (RP,FP) RP, PIT Player awarded. Released: Jose Contreras
Beltre, Omar (SP,FP) SP, TEX Could not release, not currently on roster.
Belisle, Matt (RP,FP) RP, COL Could not release, not currently on roster.
Contreras, Jose (SP,RP,FP) RP, PHI Jose Contreras released to make room for Joel Hanrahan
$2 Bonderman, Jeremy (SP,FP) SP, DET Out bid, winning bid $4.00
Beltre, Omar (SP,FP) SP, TEX No longer on active roster.
Belisle, Matt (RP,FP) RP, COL No longer on active roster.
$1 Demel, Sam (RP,FP) RP, ARI Team at roster limit.
Beltre, Omar (SP,FP) SP, TEX Could not release, not currently on roster.
Belisle, Matt (RP,FP) RP, COL Could not release, not currently on roster.
Contreras, Jose (SP,RP,FP) RP, PHI Could not release, not currently on roster.
$1 Benoit, Joaquin (RP,FP) RP, TB Team at roster limit.
Beltre, Omar (SP,FP) SP, TEX Could not release, not currently on roster.
Belisle, Matt (RP,FP) RP, COL Could not release, not currently on roster.
Contreras, Jose (SP,RP,FP) RP, PHI Could not release, not currently on roster.
$1 Kuo, Hong-Chih (RP,FP) RP, Team at roster limit.
Beltre, Omar (SP,FP) SP, TEX Could not release, not currently on roster.
Belisle, Matt (RP,FP) RP, COL Could not release, not currently on roster.
Contreras, Jose (SP,RP,FP) RP, PHI Could not release, not currently on roster.
$1 Pineda, Michael (SP,FP) SP, SEA Out bid, winning bid $1.00 Tie-Breaker: Standings Position
Beltre, Omar (SP,FP) SP, TEX No longer on active roster.
Belisle, Matt (RP,FP) RP, COL No longer on active roster.
Contreras, Jose (SP,RP,FP) RP, PHI No longer on active roster.
I threw a dart for $5 at Brantley and I was surpised I won him. I'm still looking for some saves so I grabbed Joel Hanrahan. I need Dotel to get traded. Ross Ohlendorf had been pitching better, but he struggled this week.
WCFB Report Week 13
Posted by CC's Desperados, Jul 5 2010, 07:40 AM
Legaue 2-
$72 Fowler, Dexter (U,OF) CF, COL Out bid, winning bid $81.00
Norris, Bud (SP,FP) SP, HOU No longer on active roster.
$21 Kearns, Austin (U,OF) RF, CLE Player awarded. Released: Bud Norris
Norris, Bud (SP,FP) SP, HOU Bud Norris released to make room for Austin Kearns
$17 Beltre, Omar (SP,FP) SP, TEX Player awarded. Released: Joba Chamberlain
Chamberlain, Joba (SP,RP,FP) RP, NYY Joba Chamberlain released to make room for Omar Beltre
$17 Thome, Jim (U) DH, MIN Team at roster limit.
Norris, Bud (SP,FP) SP, HOU Could not release, not currently on roster.
$15 Rzepczynski, Marc (SP,FP) SP, TOR Team at roster limit.
Chamberlain, Joba (SP,RP,FP) RP, NYY Could not release, not currently on roster.
$14 Barton, Daric (1B,CI,U) 1B, OAK Team at roster limit.
Norris, Bud (SP,FP) SP, HOU Could not release, not currently on roster.
$13 Wood, Travis (SP,FP) SP, CIN Out bid, winning bid $30.00
Chamberlain, Joba (SP,RP,FP) RP, NYY No longer on active roster.
$13 Saunders, Micheal (U,OF) LF, SEA Team at roster limit.
Norris, Bud (SP,FP) SP, HOU Could not release, not currently on roster.
$7 Hanrahan, Joel (RP,FP) RP, PIT Team at roster limit.
Chamberlain, Joba (SP,RP,FP) RP, NYY Could not release, not currently on roster.
$7 Bell, Josh (3B,CI,U) 3B, BAL Out bid, winning bid $21.00
Norris, Bud (SP,FP) SP, HOU No longer on active roster.
$3 Kotsay, Mark (1B,CI,U) 1B, CWS Team at roster limit.
Norris, Bud (SP,FP) SP, HOU Could not release, not currently on roster.
Austin Kearns was my Choo replacemnt in my lineup. I thought he would get regular at bats until Choo came back from his injury. Kearns is a streaky player and he had a quite week.
League 6-
$117 Jackson, Austin (U,OF) CF, DET Out bid, winning bid $215.00
Cabrera, Melky (U,OF) RF, ATL No longer on active roster.
$116 Fowler, Dexter (U,OF) CF, COL Player awarded. Released: Melky Cabrera
Cabrera, Melky (U,OF) RF, ATL Melky Cabrera released to make room for Dexter Fowler
$37 Storen, Drew (RP,FP) RP, WSH Player awarded. Released: Aaron Heilman
Heilman, Aaron (RP,FP) RP, ARI Aaron Heilman released to make room for Drew Storen
$24 Matusz, Brian (SP,FP) SP, BAL Player awarded. Released: Brandon Lyon
Heilman, Aaron (RP,FP) RP, ARI Could not release, not currently on roster.
Lyon, Brandon (RP,FP) RP, HOU Brandon Lyon released to make room for Brian Matusz
$23 Herrera, Jonathan (2B,MI,U) 2B, COL Team at roster limit.
Cabrera, Melky (U,OF) RF, ATL Could not release, not currently on roster.
$17 Cabrera, Asdrubal (2B,SS,MI,U) 2B, CLE Team at roster limit.
Cabrera, Melky (U,OF) RF, ATL Could not release, not currently on roster.
$14 Thome, Jim (U) DH, MIN Out bid, winning bid $15.00
Cabrera, Melky (U,OF) RF, ATL No longer on active roster.
$11 McLouth, Nate (U,OF) CF, ATL Team at roster limit.
Cabrera, Melky (U,OF) RF, ATL Could not release, not currently on roster.
$11 Hanrahan, Joel (RP,FP) RP, PIT Team at roster limit.
Heilman, Aaron (RP,FP) RP, ARI Could not release, not currently on roster.
Lyon, Brandon (RP,FP) RP, HOU Could not release, not currently on roster.
$10 Beltre, Omar (SP,FP) SP, TEX Team at roster limit.
Heilman, Aaron (RP,FP) RP, ARI Could not release, not currently on roster.
Lyon, Brandon (RP,FP) RP, HOU Could not release, not currently on roster.
$9 Rzepczynski, Marc (SP,FP) SP, TOR Team at roster limit.
Heilman, Aaron (RP,FP) RP, ARI Could not release, not currently on roster.
Lyon, Brandon (RP,FP) RP, HOU Could not release, not currently on roster.
$6 Penny, Brad (SP,FP) SP, STL Out bid, winning bid $17.00
Heilman, Aaron (RP,FP) RP, ARI No longer on active roster.
Lyon, Brandon (RP,FP) RP, HOU No longer on active roster.
$3 Gomez, Carlos (U,OF) CF, MIL Team at roster limit.
Cabrera, Melky (U,OF) RF, ATL Could not release, not currently on roster.
$3 Saunders, Micheal (U,OF) LF, SEA Team at roster limit.
Cabrera, Melky (U,OF) RF, ATL Could not release, not currently on roster
My big basestealer pickup didn't steal a base all week. He should help if he can keep the leadoff job and play everyday. He did hit a 3 run homer that didn't hurt. I grabbed Storen figuring he might get save chances later in the year. The Matusz pickup was like a trade with Liquid Hippos. I dropped Gorzelanny and he picked him up and dropped Matusz. Since Gorzelanny is back in the starting rotation. I think he made out better in the deal. Matusz struggled in Texas this week.
League 9-
$1 Desmond, Ian (SS,MI,U) SS, WSH Out bid, winning bid $1.00 Tie-Breaker: Standings Position
Cabrera, Everth (SS,MI,U) SS, SD Did not need to be released.
$1 Beltre, Omar (SP,FP) SP, TEX Player awarded. Released: Jeremy Bonderman
Bonderman, Jeremy (SP,FP) SP, DET Jeremy Bonderman released to make room for Omar Beltre
$1 Hanrahan, Joel (RP,FP) RP, PIT Team at roster limit.
Bonderman, Jeremy (SP,FP) SP, DET Could not release, not currently on roster.
$1 Rzepczynski, Marc (SP,FP) SP, TOR Team at roster limit.
Bonderman, Jeremy (SP,FP) SP, DET Could not release, not currently on roster.
It was a bad move dropping Bonderman. Beltre pitched poorly and he was send back to the minors. Bonderman might not be great, but he's a veteran ptichers.
WCFB Report Week 12
Posted by CC's Desperados, Jun 28 2010, 11:34 AM
League 2-
$21 Padilla, Vicente (SP,FP) SP, LAD Out bid, winning bid $27.00
Brignac, Reid (2B,SS,MI,U) SS, TB No longer on active roster.
$13 Norris, Bud (SP,FP) SP, HOU Player awarded. Released: Reid Brignac
Brignac, Reid (2B,SS,MI,U) SS, TB Reid Brignac released to make room for Bud Norris
$11 Oliver, Andrew (SP,FP) SP, DET Out bid, winning bid $33.00
Brignac, Reid (2B,SS,MI,U) SS, TB No longer on active roster.
$8 LaPorta, Matt (1B,CI,U,OF) LF, CLE Out bid, winning bid $103.00
Brignac, Reid (2B,SS,MI,U) SS, TB No longer on active roster.
Bud Norris worked out ok. He gave me a few K's and no wins, but he didn't do any damage to my whip and era.
League 6-
$33 Gorzelanny, Tom (SP,FP) RP, CHC Out bid, winning bid $57.00
Paulino, Felipe (SP,FP) SP, HOU No longer on active roster.
$17 Oliver, Andrew (SP,FP) SP, DET Player awarded. Released: Felipe Paulino
Paulino, Felipe (SP,FP) SP, HOU Felipe Paulino released to make room for Andrew Oliver
$3 Belisle, Matt (RP,FP) RP, COL Out bid, winning bid $5.00
Paulino, Felipe (SP,FP) SP, HOU No longer on active roster.
Andrew Oliver pitched ok with 6 K's. It will take a couple of week to see if he will be an asset.
League 9-
$4 Gorzelanny, Tom (SP,FP) RP, CHC Out bid, winning bid $68.00
Paulino, Felipe (SP,FP) SP, HOU No longer on active roster.
$3 League, Brandon (RP,FP) RP, SEA Out bid, winning bid $14.00
Paulino, Felipe (SP,FP) SP, HOU No longer on active roster.
$2 Correia, Kevin (SP,FP) SP, SD Out bid, winning bid $22.00
Paulino, Felipe (SP,FP) SP, HOU No longer on active roster.
$1 Oliver, Andrew (SP,FP) SP, DET Out bid, winning bid $12.00
Paulino, Felipe (SP,FP) SP, HOU No longer on active roster.
$1 Belisle, Matt (RP,FP) RP, COL Player awarded. Released: Felipe Paulino
Paulino, Felipe (SP,FP) SP, HOU Felipe Paulino released to make room for Matt Belisle
$1 Cabrera, Melky (U,OF) RF, ATL Out bid, winning bid $7.00
Paulino, Felipe (SP,FP) SP, HOU No longer on active roster.
$1 LaPorta, Matt (1B,CI,U,OF) LF, CLE Out bid, winning bid $41.00
Paulino, Felipe (SP,FP) SP, HOU No longer on active roster.
Huston Street returned so it looks like Belisle has no value.
WCFB Report Week 11
Posted by CC's Desperados, Jun 21 2010, 12:53 PM
League 2-
$24 Moyer, Jamie (SP,FP) SP, PHI Player awarded. Released: Chris Tillman
Tillman, Chris (SP,FP) SP, BAL Chris Tillman released to make room for Jamie Moyer
$14 Putz, J.J. (RP,FP) RP, CWS Team at roster limit.
Tillman, Chris (SP,FP) SP, BAL Could not release, not currently on roster.
$7 Kendrick, Kyle (SP,FP) SP, PHI Out bid, winning bid $18.00
Tillman, Chris (SP,FP) SP, BAL No longer on active roster.
$5 Bannister, Brian (SP,FP) SP, KC Out bid, winning bid $20.00
Tillman, Chris (SP,FP) SP, BAL No longer on active roster.
$3 Wolf, Randy (SP,FP) SP, MIL Out bid, winning bid $16.00
Tillman, Chris (SP,FP) SP, BAL No longer on active roster.
$3 Lopez, Rodrigo (SP,FP) SP, ARI Out bid, winning bid $10.00
Tillman, Chris (SP,FP) SP, BAL No longer on active roster.
Jamie Moyer was a nice upgrade over Chris Tillman. He pitched well and won two games. This team is getting in better position in K's, but it still has some work to do.
League 6-
$87 Alvarez, Pedro (3B,CI,U) 3B, PIT Player awarded. Released: Everth Cabrera
Cabrera, Everth (SS,MI,U) SS, SD Everth Cabrera released to make room for Pedro Alvarez
$32 Jones, Chipper (3B,CI,U) 3B, ATL Out bid, winning bid $155.00
Cabrera, Everth (SS,MI,U) SS, SD No longer on active roster.
$24 Blanton, Joe (SP,FP) SP, PHI Player awarded. Released: Tom Gorzelanny
Gorzelanny, Tom (SP,FP) RP, CHC Tom Gorzelanny released to make room for Joe Blanton
$11 Moyer, Jamie (SP,FP) SP, PHI Out bid, winning bid $11.00 Tie-Breaker: Standings Position
Gorzelanny, Tom (SP,FP) RP, CHC No longer on active roster.
I gambled on Alavarez. I played him for three games. He scored two runs and had three RBI. I'm glad I don't have a huge investment in him. I might have to cut him if he doesn't play better. Joe Blanton was a nice upgrade over Gorzelanny for the week, but I'm not so sure long term. Carlos Zambrano blew up and Gorzelanny is back in the rotation. Blanton pitched his best game of the year for me.
League 9-
$6 Putz, J.J. (RP,FP) RP, CWS Player awarded. Released: Tom Gorzelanny
Gorzelanny, Tom (SP,FP) RP, CHC Tom Gorzelanny released to make room for J.J. Putz
This league I'm dead in saves. I thought I needed another option in the bullpen. I played Putz for the week and he won two games. Gorzelanny will be the best pitcher available this week in the free agent pool.
WCFB Report Week 10
Posted by CC's Desperados, Jun 14 2010, 08:50 AM
League 2-
$23 Tillman, Chris (SP,FP) SP, BAL Player awarded. Released: Lastings Milledge
(U,OF) LF, PIT Lastings Milledge released to make room for Chris Tillman
$14 Cabrera, Everth (SS,MI,U) SS, SD Out bid, winning bid $23.00
Milledge, Lastings (U,OF) LF, PIT No longer on active roster.
Chris Tillman was a huge mistake. He was bombed in his one start and didn't get his second start.
League 6-
$156 Stanton, Mike (U,OF) RF, FLA Out bid, winning bid $261.00
Milledge, Lastings (U,OF) LF, PIT No longer on active roster.
$47 Tabata, Jose (U,OF) CF, PIT Out bid, winning bid $105.00
Milledge, Lastings (U,OF) LF, PIT No longer on active roster.
$34 Lyon, Brandon (RP,FP) RP, HOU Player awarded. Released: Lou Marson
Marson, Lou (C,U) C, CLE Lou Marson released to make room for Brandon Lyon
$27 Cabrera, Melky (U,OF) RF, ATL Player awarded. Released: Lastings Milledge
Milledge, Lastings (U,OF) LF, PIT Lastings Milledge released to make room for Melky Cabrera
$13 Theriot, Ryan (2B,SS,MI,U) 2B, CHC Out bid, winning bid $67.00
Milledge, Lastings (U,OF) LF, PIT No longer on active roster.
$11 Hernandez, David (SP,FP) SP, BAL Out bid, winning bid $34.00
Marson, Lou (C,U) C, CLE No longer on active roster.
$9 Bernadina, Roger (U,OF) CF, WSH Team at roster limit.
Milledge, Lastings (U,OF) LF, PIT Could not release, not currently on roster.
$7 Narveson, Christopher (SP,FP) SP, MIL Team at roster limit.
Marson, Lou (C,U) C, CLE Could not release, not currently on roster.
$4 Arrieta, Jacob (SP,FP) SP, BAL Out bid, winning bid $5.00
Marson, Lou (C,U) C, CLE No longer on active roster
The jury is still out on Lyon, but Lindtrom blew another save. This week should tell if Lyon will get a few save chances. Lastings Milledge or Melky Cabrera is a tough call. I think Milledge has more talent and a better skill set for the team I have, but he hasn't hit a homerun in what seems like a year. He wasn't paying everyday. I thought Melky could hit a homerun and steal a base. With McCluth out, he could get a chance to lead off if he started to play better. It's a tough call, but it was time to make a move.
League 9-
$174 Floyd, Gavin (SP,FP) SP, CWS Player awarded. Released: Sergio Romo
Romo, Sergio (RP,FP) RP, SF Sergio Romo released to make room for Gavin Floyd
$34 Lyon, Brandon (RP,FP) RP, HOU Player awarded. Released: George Kottaras
Romo, Sergio (RP,FP) RP, SF Could not release, not currently on roster.
Kottaras, George (C,U) C, MIL George Kottaras released to make room for Brandon Lyon
$31 Stanton, Mike (U,OF) RF, FLA Out bid, winning bid $375.00
Romo, Sergio (RP,FP) RP, SF No longer on active roster.
Kottaras, George (C,U) C, MIL No longer on active roster.
$27 Correia, Kevin (SP,FP) SP, SD Out bid, winning bid $47.00
Romo, Sergio (RP,FP) RP, SF No longer on active roster.
Kottaras, George (C,U) C, MIL No longer on active roster.
$21 Tabata, Jose (U,OF) CF, PIT Out bid, winning bid $143.00
Romo, Sergio (RP,FP) RP, SF No longer on active roster.
Kottaras, George (C,U) C, MIL No longer on active roster.
$4 Arrieta, Jacob (SP,FP) SP, BAL Out bid, winning bid $38.00
Romo, Sergio (RP,FP) RP, SF No longer on active roster.
Kottaras, George (C,U) C, MIL No longer on active roster.
My team had a lot of pitching depth. I really didn't need to add Gavin Floyd. It was more of a block. My team was in contention for the league. I didn't want to let the number one team get him for cheap. If he wanted him, he needed to pay. I'm dead in saves in this league, but I'm still trying to find an option. I think I overpaid for Lyon, but I knew this team would be short money the rest of the year.
WCFB Report Week 9
Posted by CC's Desperados, Jun 7 2010, 06:26 AM
League 2-
$67 Cust, Jack (U,OF) DH, OAK Player awarded. Released: Hank Blalock
Blalock, Hank (1B,CI,U) 3B, TB Hank Blalock released to make room for Jack Cust
$37 Brignac, Reid (2B,SS,MI,U) SS, TB Player awarded. Released: Mike Lowell
Lowell, Mike (3B,CI,U) 3B, BOS Mike Lowell released to make room for Reid Brignac
$21 Monasterios, Carlos (RP,FP) RP, LAD Out bid, winning bid $22.00
Bannister, Brian (SP,FP) SP, KC No longer on active roster.
$19 Parra, Manny (SP,RP,FP) RP, MIL Player awarded. Released: Brian Bannister
Bannister, Brian (SP,FP) SP, KC Brian Bannister released to make room for Manny Parra
$11 Gorzelanny, Tom (SP,FP) RP, CHC Out bid, winning bid $18.00
Bannister, Brian (SP,FP) SP, KC No longer on active roster.
$9 Hunter, Tommy (SP,FP) SP, TEX Out bid, winning bid $24.00
Bannister, Brian (SP,FP) SP, KC No longer on active roster.
$1 Mazzaro, Vin (SP,FP) SP, OAK Out bid, winning bid $4.00
Bannister, Brian (SP,FP) SP, KC No longer on active roster.
This league I'm having the most problems. I picked the wrong week to pick up Jack Cust as the Oakland has started playing the NL. Cust played ok, but he hasn't given me the power I'm looking for. I'm still in last, but I'm only one homerun behind 13th place! I used Brignac for half of the week as I moved Uribe to 3B. Chipper Jones is going to be my down fall in a couple of leagues. I know he's always banged up, but he's down nothing when he plays. The Brignac pickup was due to lack of inventory at SS on the waiver wire. I'm glad I dumped Bannister as he got racked. Manny Parra pitched ok, but he did give me 8 K's in one start.
League 6-
$7 Marson, Lou (C,U) C, CLE Player awarded. Released: Hank Blalock
Blalock, Hank (1B,CI,U) 3B, TB Hank Blalock released to make room for Lou Marson
It worked. I picked up Marson and they called up Santana. Marson even threw in a steal before he was sent to the minors.
League 9-
$37 Morrow, Brandon (SP,FP) SP, TOR Out bid, winning bid $162.00
Santos, Sergio (RP,FP) RP, CWS No longer on active roster.
$23 Axford, John (RP,FP) RP, MIL Out bid, winning bid $121.00
Santos, Sergio (RP,FP) RP, CWS No longer on active roster.
$17 Clippard, Tyler (RP,FP) RP, WSH Out bid, winning bid $53.00
Santos, Sergio (RP,FP) RP, CWS No longer on active roster.
$5 Romo, Sergio (RP,FP) RP, SF Player awarded. Released: Sergio Santos
Santos, Sergio (RP,FP) RP, CWS Sergio Santos released to make room for Sergio Romo
$5 Hernandez, David (SP,FP) SP, BAL Out bid, winning bid $24.00
Santos, Sergio (RP,FP) RP, CWS No longer on active roster.
Ok Romo's a stiff, but he gave me one win for his week of service. I thought he might get a chance for a cheap save. I was way off as he pitched in the 5th inning in one game.
Barry Bonds
Posted by CC's Desperados, Jun 5 2010, 01:44 PM
I wrote this in June of 2007 before Barry Bonds broke the homerun record. It hasn't been read by too many people. I brought a copy of it Vegas last year and I was hoping to give it to Barry Bonds. He decided Michael Jordans Hall of Fame induction was more important.
The Barry Bonds show will be in full tilt in the next of weeks. As he approaches the homerun title, there will be many bashers saying he doesn't deserve it. There will be hometown fans that will be on top of the world. There will be casual fans who only know the names: Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron. Does Barry deserve the record? In my mind without a doubt, I'm a fan through and through.
What a lot of people need to remember is - if we hate them, it doesn't mean they are bad. Since the beginning of sports, fans love their home team and they hate their competition. Red Sox fans hate the Yankees. Dodgers fans hate the Giants. It goes on and on. People forget that the players entertainers. Why do you watch Deion Sanders field a punt? Unless you were a Cowboys fan, you hated this guy because of his cocky attitude. You watched because you knew something exciting could happen, but most of all you knew he could beat you in one play. Do you think Chicago Bears fans loved Barry Sanders? I don't think so. He could beat them in a blink of an eye. When a great baseball player steps to the plate, it's like time stops. Whatever you are doing in that moment, you stop to watch. You will watch Barry Bonds because it will be history. You might feel it is tainted, but it won't matter.
Many fans feel he cheated. What is cheating? You look over your friends shoulder on a test to get the answers. You take a short cut to the finish line to wins a race. Did he take steroids? Maybe, did it make him an instant homerun hitter? Did he drink something and bang instant baseball hero? I think he was a great player and he put in hours and hours in the gym to get stronger. He worked and worked at his trade. Does strength make him a better baseball hitter? Maybe if you make contact, you can hit the ball further. Contact takes skill. You have to have great hand/eye coordination.
As Barry got older, he became the best player at making solid contact of all time. You just couldn't get him out in a big spot. I hear many people call him selfish. I find that hard to believe. If he was selfish, he would be swinging away trying to hit homeruns in every at bat. Yet, he stands there and watch ball after ball just waiting for something to hit. Some games he is lucky to see one pitch to hit. He has become the most fear hitter in baseball history.
Babe Ruth is an all-time great. He changed the game of baseball. In my mind, he was a man among boys. He had the size and the strength. I think he was ahead of his time. After he played the game, other players would follow in his foots steps. They would emulate what he had done.
Would he be the best player if he played today? Not even close. Do me a favor if you disagree, go back and look at the Olympic records from the 1920's. Is there anything a person did better back then? Did they run faster or jump higher? Were they stronger? Most player that play today are the same size or bigger than Babe Ruth. When he played, he had a huge size and strength advantage. Most players were lucky to weigh 170 pounds.
If you go back to the Little League World Series a few years back, Danny Almonte was a star. He was a young man among boys. He had an edge. He was 14 competing against 12 year olds. I'm not saying Danny Almonte belongs in the same sentence with Babe Ruth, but a player with an edge in skills and talent will dominate until the competition catches up with him. In this case, Babe Ruth had a huge edge in size and strength. As Base Ruth reached the end of his career, there were more players that could do similar things as him.
What Hank Aaron endured is truly amazing. How he was treated is embarrassing to me. I can't even imagine what it was like to live during his era. For him to accomplish what he did, he has to be a special man. He played during a time when he was never respected as the best player in the game. When you look at him, you wonder why he doesn't embrace the game he loved so much. The answer is easy. He was disrespected as a man. The fans didn't love him for what he did. He gave his heart and soul to the game. The fans stole whatever passion he had left. Does he owe the game a guest appearance at the Barry Bond's crowning? When he had his moment of glory, he received hate mail and death threats. It's time to pass the torch. Is he to pass the great experience he had? Now he gets his respect because the fans believe Barry's chase is tainted. It's kind of like they are spitting on him again. The fans only want to give him respect now because they don't like Barry. Hank Aaron is a Hall of Fame baseball player. But most of all, he is a man who helped change baseball and open doors for future black men. For that, he is an American hero.
Barry Bond's father played under similar conditions as Hank Aaron. He played at the tail end of Hank Aaron's career. The is no doubt what Bobby Bonds experienced was passed on to his son. His Father taught him not to trust anyone. When you are not embraced, you don't embrace. It may be a Barry flaw, but it might not be his fault.
The average fan will only connect Barry Bonds to steroids. They will know about the homers, but they won't know he stole 50 bases before in a season. They won't know he was intentionally walked 120 times in a season. Barry has been under a constant microscope. He has responded under unbelievable circumstances. During his career, he has never been surrounded by an All-Star team. He has had a couple of star players, but the pressure was on his shoulders to lead the team to victory.
The media will be the painter. The picture could look like a rough sketch from a crime scene to a Picasso. How the average fan views Barry will be a direct result of the media. For the true baseball fans, you will either love him or hate him. If you hate him, it is easy to use steroids as his down fall. Is that the real reason or is it because they don't like what he represents already?
The fans and the sports media are the jury. They will put Barry on trial for what he has done. Is he a jerk? I'm sure he has had his moments. I think we all have a moment or two when we act like an asshole. It could be on the drive to work when you are late. Why is this jerk driving so slowly? You're tailgating him just waiting for the right moment to pass. As you pass him, there is the nice exchange of the finger. On the way home, you are glad the day is over. You look in the your rear view mirror. Why is this asshole tailgating me? It is a different view, but you only see what you want to see.
What if the roles were reversed for the media? How would the media respond? Would they step up to the plate? Would their true colors shine through? Have they been faithful? We seldom read about the sports writer who gets pulled over for a OUI. I'm sure they have never squeezed a buck out of their boss on an expense report. They have never screwed Uncle Sam a few dollars during tax season. I think half of America is on some kind of pill. The jury isn't perfect by any means. Everyone has walked the line one time or another.
Barry Bonds the baseball players is an All-Time great. He will pass Hank Aaron on the All-Time homerun list in a couple of weeks. He has done unbelievable things during his baseball career. Does he deserve the record? Who knows. Was he the only player to cross the line? What percentage of his competition was doing the same thing - pitcher included? From Babe Ruth's era until present day, the talent pool has grown at every level. In today's game, there are so many more pitchers who throw hard. The game is more specialized. From the walks, lefty specialist, and the closers, was it harder for Barry Bonds than a Hank Aaron who faced a pitcher running out of gas late in games? I'm not sure, but it seems like it would be.
As I said before, Barry Bonds didn't just drink something and become Superman. If that was the case, you would think there would be more players doing what he has done. He was a special player with special talents. He worked hard at his craft. He may never get the true respect for his career feats, but he will have set the bar for others to chase
Barry has entertained us for years. He has filled stadiums, gave us endless highlights on ESPN, and left us with question about steroids. We may never know the real answers, but to me it won't matter. I respect what he has accomplished. I understand the pitfalls. I will always remember that short quick stroke with his short maple bat.
Someday Barry might find peace with the media, but for now he is at their mercy. He might not be perfect, but I think we all have our faults. We have cut corners, offended someone here or there, and even broken a law or two.
Until we walk in someone else's shoes, we can only hope to understand how they arrived at home plate. Barry walked through a changing world. A world filled with questions about respect and disrespect. His Father had to ride in the back of the bus, but Barry can own the whole bus company. That my friend is a changing world. The quest for the almighty dollar could be the bus driver in the steroid game. Until they can prove he is the one and only, he is just another player who played the game. A game within a game....spit balls, corked bats, sand paper, stealing signs....it goes on and on.
on Arizona Diamondbacks 2010