JOHN MAINE UNDERWENT SUCCESSFUL SURGERY
 
FLUSHING, N.Y., September 30, 2008 - Mets righthanded pitcher John Maine underwent successful right shoulder arthroscopic surgery today at New York's Hospital for Special Surgery. Mets Medical Director Dr. David Altchek and Mets Team Physician Struan Coleman removed a lesion from the back of his shoulder socket.

Maine will begin rehabilitation immediately and resume throwing activities as part of his off-season workouts, and is expected to make a full recovery in advance of spring training.
 
 
 

Much thanks to Tony in Jacksonville for this!

2009 Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft.doc

SUNDAY

Pitch:  Shields, Mussina, Litsch, Guthrie, Buehrle, Baker, Saundo, Johan, Hamels, Jurrjens, Wandy, CC, Kuroda, Lincecum, Unit

MONDAY (if necessary)

Pitch:  Floyd

          2007                             2008

C    Russell Martin          C    Russell Martin
1B  Prince Fielder          1B   Albert Pujols
2B  Brandon Phillips      2B   Chase Utley
SS  Jimmy Rollins           SS   Jose Reyes
3B  Alex Rodriguez        3B   David Wright
OF  Matt Holliday           OF  Grady Sizemore
OF  Magglio Ordonez     OF  Matt Holliday
OF  Grady Sizemore       OF  Carlos Beltran
SP  Jake Peavy              SP   Cliff Lee
CL  J.J. Putz                   CL   Mariano Rivera


                Your MVP is:  JOSE REYES
                And the Cy Young goes to:  CLIFF LEE

From R-O-Y to B-U-S-T                                                                                                                             
Neither Mike nor Cory nailed any of these exactly, and quite honestly, neither did well in general.  Both were right about Salty, but after that, the negatives far outweigh the positives.  Mike's Carmona and Kendrick picks were solid while his Hamilton selection is about as bad as it gets!  Also, Lowell, Shields, and Hart all went on to have productive years.  Cory's best pick?  Chad Cordero.  His worst?  How about Adrian, Manny, Halladay, and Oswalt.  The edge once again goes to Siano.

Zach Steinhorn


2008 ALL-DISAPPOINTMENT TEAM

C    Victor Martinez
1B  Paul Konerko
2B  Robinson Cano
SS  Troy Tulowitzki
3B  Ryan Zimmerman
OF  Nick Swisher
OF  Jeff Francoeur
OF  Chris Young
SP  Justin Verlander
RP  Huston Street


MIKE'S OVERRATED PICKS

C    Jarrod Saltalamacchia
1B  Carlos Pena
2B  Howie Kendrick
SS  Yunel Escobar
3B  Mike Lowell
OF  Magglio Ordonez
OF  Corey Hart
OF  Josh Hamilton
SP  Fausto Carmona
SP  James Shields
RP  Jose Valverde


CORY'S OVERRATED PICKS

C    Jarrod Saltalamacchia
1B  Adrian Gonzalez
2B  Placido Polanco
SS  Edgar Renteria
3B  Mike Lowell
OF  Manny Ramirez
OF  Hideki Matsui
OF  Vernon Wells
SP  Roy Halladay
SP  Roy Oswalt
RP  Chad Cordero

Well, Siano hit it out of the park on this one!

We're nearing the end of our year in review shows as the All-Surprise team was unveiled today.  So let's compare Mike and Cory's preseason sleeper picks with the All-Surprise list to see how the guys did.  Cory did a nice job with Greinke and Scott while striking out badly on Lugo, Gagne, McGowan (injury), and Kendrick.  As for Mike, Towles was a disaster and his choices of Weeks and Feliz have proven to be mediocre at best.  But the outfield trio of Bay, Kemp, and most notably Quentin easily makes up for all that.


2008 ALL-SURPRISE TEAM                                                                                                                                    
C    Ryan Doumit
1B  Kevin Youkilis
2B  Dustin Pedroia
SS  Cristian Guzman
3B  Jorge Cantu
OF  Josh Hamilton
OF  Ryan Ludwick
OF  Carlos Quentin
SP  Cliff Lee
RP  Joakim Soria


MIKE'S UNDERRATED PICKS

C    J.R. Towles
1B  James Loney
2B  Rickie Weeks
SS  Michael Young
3B  Pedro Feliz
OF  Matt Kemp
OF  Jason Bay
OF  Carlos Quentin
SP  Matt Cain
SP  Oliver Perez
RP  B.J. Ryan


CORY'S UNDERRATED PICKS

C    Dioner Navarro
1B  Adam LaRoche
2B  Howie Kendrick
SS  Julio Lugo
3B  Edwin Encarnacion
OF  Franklin Gutierrez
OF  Jason Kubel
OF  Luke Scott
SP  Dustin McGowan
SP  Zack Greinke
RP  Eric Gagne   

Hi guys,

12 team 5x5 mixed, we keep 8.
 
Comfortably in first so the yoo-hoo shower will be mine.  I did trade away some solid players during the season to secure the victory, so here's my current definite keepers:
 
1) A-Rod
2) Reyes
3) Cabrera
4) Phillips
 
After that, my options grow weak.  Pick 4 of the following possible keepers. Pence, Liriano, Valverde, Harden, Joba, Ethier, Mora, Bradley, or Dukes.
 
Thanks,

Deano
Newfoundland, Canada


Hey Deano,

This is the type of situation where, assuming it is allowed, you might want to keep less than the max number and take the extra draft picks.  Of this group, the only guys who clearly deserve top eight round consideration are Pence, Liriano, Valverde, and Harden.
                                                                                                                                      
I understand that many will draft Joba before the end of Round 8 in a single-season league, but despite this being a keeper, I'd be reluctant to do so.  Joba's role for 2009 remains undefined, and I just cannot justify using a keeper slot on him in a league where there are no values attached.  It's entirely possible that he'll stay in the bullpen for the entire year, greatly limiting his fantasy appeal.            

Now when looking at the four names I mentioned, Pence and Valverde are safe choices.  Pence's 2008 season has been somewhat disappointing, but last year's immediate success probably placed expectations a bit too high.  His numbers this year (.271 AVG  24 HR  80 RBI  10 SB) are still very respectable, and there's plenty of upside here.  As for Valverde, he's not the most reliable stopper, but in this 8 keeper format, I think it's important that you hold onto one for the simple reason that many owners could decide to keep two closers.  Although it's true that the attentive owner can scoop up plenty of saves from the waiver wire throughout the season, coming out of the draft with less than two adequate options is not recommended.  I'm going to give Liriano the edge over Harden.  There's no doubt that both are health risks, but Liriano doesn't have the extensive injury history of Harden, and he's experienced no setbacks since returning to the mound. 

 If you can keep less than four, those are the three I'll pick.  If, and only if, four keepers are required, go with Joba based simply on potential and perhaps more importantly, trade value.

Zach Steinhorn


Hello,

Found out about the 411 this spring and have been listening ever since.  Love it!  (By the way, I think the 3-man booth has been a huge success this year as well.) 14-team keeper league, we protect 10.  No dollar values or other rules associated; no limit to how many years you can keep a guy.  Cats are BA, HR, RBI, SB; ERA, K, Sv, W.  I have 8 of my 10 figured out.  They are 1B Pujols, SS Rollins, C McCann, OF BJ Upton.  SP Lincecum, SP Beckett, SP Felix Hernandez, SP Kershaw. I need to pick 2 of these remaining players:

OF Josh Hamilton
OF Carlos Quentin
OF Jay Bruce
SP Cliff Lee
SP Edinson Volquez
SP Phil Hughes
SP Zack Greinke

One note: whoever I don't keep will be traded for draft pick(s), which also holds great value in our league.  In a way I'd love to sell high on Hamilton and Quentin and find a way to protect Bruce.  I'm also still intrigued by Hughes.  I know you guys prefer hitters, but pitching is a premium in our league.  Thanks for your help!

Brett Kruschke
Jordan, MN
.

Hey Brett,

This is almost a no-brainer for me: keep Hamilton and Bruce and trade Quentin. I'm not sure how your pitchers could be held at any more of a premium than hitters, especially considering your league doesn't track WHIP. That means starters can affect only three cats (ERA, Ks and Ws) and Ws are pretty tough to predict. So that means only two cats in which you can realistically estimate a pitcher's stats.

You have three hitters who will be valued highly heading into next season, and I think you need to add more power hitters to Pujols and McCann. Upton (8 HR) and Rollins (11 HR) have struggled to come close to matching their 2007 homer totals of 24 and 30, respectively.

Hamilton (.303 AVG, 31 HR, 124 RBI, 9 SB) and Quentin (.288 AVG, 36 HR, 100 RBI, 7 SB) have similar stats and their home ballparks are fantastic hitter's environments, but I value Hamilton slightly more. I'd feel safer with Hamilton knowing that he gave an indication of what was to come in 2008 with a pretty good 2007, when he hit .292 with 19 homers and 47 RBIs. Quentin hadn't produced anything close at the Major League level at the rate he did in 2008.

Now, one would think you could scratch Bruce and just keep Hamilton and Quentin. But as you noted, you could benefit from gaining a great amount of value for, say, Quentin and keeping the 21-year-old Bruce. Don't worry about Bruce's .260 batting average. He had a career .308 average in the Minors, including a .364 mark at Triple-A Louisville in 49 games this season. He can and will hit at a high level in the Majors. His .287 batting average at Cincy's Great American Ball Park is a great sign that he has adjusted nicely to his home surroundings, and more experience should raise his road average.

Bruce and Hamilton will round out a strong offensive core for you and Quentin could deliver one or two high draft picks which could be used to regain Lee, Volquez, Hughes or Greinke.

Kyle Stack   

    2008                           2009


Johan Santana            Johan Santana
Jake Peavy                  CC Sabathia
Brandon Webb            Tim Lincecum
Erik Bedard                  Roy Halladay
CC Sabathia                Cole Hamels
John Smoltz                 Brandon Webb
Josh Beckett                Dan Haren
Dan Haren                   Jake Peavy
Aaron Harang              John Lackey
Cole Hamels                Ervin Santana
Justin Verlander          Roy Oswalt
John Lackey                Cliff Lee
Carlos Zambrano        Chad Billingsley
Roy Oswalt                 Edinson Volquez
Chris Young                Daisuke Matsuzaka
Scott Kazmir               A.J. Burnett
Kelvim Escobar           Rich Harden
Daisuke Matsuzaka    Scott Kazmir
Roy Halladay              Francisco Liriano
Chien-Ming Wang      Josh Beckett

This is from Pfelon. Great great stuff.

By the way The 411 does not condone underage drinking or drinking and driving.

Fantasy 411

Drinking Game

(standard drinking game setup: you will need a glass of beer or a cocktail, a shot glass, a bottle

of hard liquor)

Drink once whenever one of the guys drinks (obviously)

Drink once whenever alcohol or beer is mentioned

Drink once whenever someone says "it's interesting..." or "you

know what's interesting is..."

Drink once whenever Sterno forces a segue (segway), and once

more if Schwartz or Siano laugh or comment about

Drink twice and do a little dance whenever Club DTM is

mentioned

Drink twice and take one shot whenever "21" inspiration

Jeffrey Ma is mentioned or calls in

Drink four times whenever the guys make an Entourage

reference (you know, because there's four of them), including saying "Is that

something you'd be interested in?"

Chug/finish your drink ("kill" it) whenever the bells toll

for someone's now-dead season

Take a shot whenever Schwartz uses the phrase "by the same

token"

Take a "single" shot whenever it is referenced that Sterno

is single, or he mentions that he likes the ladies, or that he will accept

friend requests from unknown ladies on facebook

Take a shot whenever Pitch or Ditch has a "TBA" listed

Take two shots whenever you hear "flags fly forever"

Take two shots whenever you hear "stay hot"

   2008                         2009                            

 
Matt Holliday              Grady Sizemore                     
Grady Sizemore         Matt Holliday                   
Carl Crawford            Carlos Beltran                     
Carlos Beltran            Alfonso Soriano                    
Bobby Abreu              Ryan Braun                       
Curtis Granderson     Matt Kemp                     
Ichiro Suzuki              Alex Rios                         
Magglio Ordonez       Carl Crawford                    
Vladimir Guerrero       B.J. Upton                    
Eric Byrnes                Nick Markakis                      
Carlos Lee                Carlos Lee                         
Alfonso Soriano         Ichiro Suzuki                      
B.J. Upton                  Josh Hamilton                      
Alex Rios                    Jason Bay                          
Lance Berkman         Carlos Quentin                     
Adam Dunn               Manny Ramirez                      
Chris Young              Nate McLouth                       
Torii Hunter               Bobby Abreu                        
Gary Sheffield           Curtis Granderson                  
Nick Markakis            Corey Hart                      

SUNDAY

Pitch:  Lewis, Dice-K, Liriano, Danks, Lackey, Morrow, Gallagher, Sabathia, Arroyo, Pelfrey, Oswalt, Od. Perez, Dempster, Haren, Volstad, Cain, Lowe


MONDAY

Pitch:  Beckett, Meche, Miner (gamble), Garza, Weaver, Nolasco, Harang (he's baack!), Webb

Closers, closers, closers.  Aside from the elite guys, there's a significant amount of turnover here.  This is why I'll always target a Papelbon/Rivera/Nathan/K-Rod and after that, not worry about the position too much.  Make sure you draft at least two of them with solid job security, but your second one doesn't have to be a big name.  Soria's a perfect example.  Sure the Royals don't win a lot of games, but his peripherals last season were outstanding.  Save opportunities tend to vary quite a bit from year to year, so I'm not at all surprised that he's emerged as a top tier option.  Don't panic if you can't draft a third closer.  Plenty emerge during the season.  As long as you constantly monitor all these developments, being competitive in the saves category shouldn't be all that difficult.  


    2008                                        2009               

Francisco Rodriguez                 Jonathan Papelbon                                                          Joe Nathan                              Mariano Rivera        
Takashi Saito                           Joe Nathan    
J.J. Putz                                   Francisco Rodriguez   
Billy Wagner                            Joakim Soria          
Mariano Rivera                        Brad Lidge
Jonathan Papelbon                 Jose Valverde
Bobby Jenks                            Kerry Wood
Francisco Cordero                   Brian Fuentes
Jose Valverde                          Francisco Cordero     
         

I 'm in full agreement with what was said on today's show.  Third base is loaded.  If you can't get A-Rod, Wright, or Ramirez, definitely wait as long as possible to take a third baseman.  As much as I like Longoria, who I own in a long-term keeper league, he'll almost certainly be selected very early, maybe even within the top three rounds.  Now can Longoria perform at a third round level in 2009?  Absolutely.  But it's also possible he disappoints relative to where he's drafted.  In a single season league, I'd much rather snag Adrian Beltre in the 10th round and use my third round pick on someone at another position with a proven track record of elite production.  You could even take this a step further and pick an Eddie Encarnacion or Ryan Zimmerman, young players with upside who could easily crack the top 10 next year. 

Feel free to chime in on this subject or any other.

Zach


     2008                                    2009

Alex Rodriguez                      Alex Rodriguez
David Wright                         David Wright
Ryan Braun                           Aramis Ramirez
Miguel Cabrera                     Chipper Jones
Garrett Atkins                       Evan Longoria
Aramis Ramirez                    Garrett Atkins
Adrian Beltre                        Mark Reynolds
Ryan Zimmerman                  Adrian Beltre
Chone Figgins                       Chone Figgins
Chipper Jones                       Troy Glaus

On to the shortstops.  Despite his place on these lists (7^th on both), Furcal's the obvious pick here as a guy who could hang around longer than he should in drafts.  Unfortunately, not everyone watches the 411!  Hitting atop that emerging Dodgers lineup, especially if Manny stays, Furcal will score a ton of runs while swiping 35+ bags.  I always like to get speed out of the shortstop and second base positions so I can focus on power outfielders.  Furcal's been a longtime favorite of mine, as outside of the elite names you see below  (H-Ram, Reyes, Rollins), he's the only one who fits that profile.

 
Hanley Ramirez                               Hanley Ramirez                               
Jose Reyes                                      Jose Reyes
Jimmy Rollins                                   Jimmy Rollins
Derek Jeter                                      Derek Jeter
Carlos Guillen                                  Jhonny Peralta
Troy Tulowitzki                                 Michael Young
Rafael Furcal                                    Rafael Furcal
Edgar Renteria                                 Troy Tulowitzki
Miguel Tejada                                   J.J. Hardy
Michael Young                                  Stephen Drew

 

                   
                                       

Two weeks to go...Can anyone catch Siano?  And could Stats Sr. actually finish in last place?  Stay tuned!

FANTASYFEUDBREAKDOWN wk 24 (2).rtf

With all due respect to our outstanding trio of S's, I don't really understand why Rickie Weeks is so high on this year's list.  The guy's having a worse season than last year and wasn't even among the 2008 top 10.  I guess it's based on potential more than anything else, along with Upton's loss of second base eligibility and Kent's pedestrian year.  I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that no Weeks owner is leading their league in average.  I'm one of them, and sit dead last in that category.

Zach Steinhorn


   2008                                2009

Chase Utley                      Chase Utley
Brandon Phillips                 Ian Kinsler
B.J. Upton                         Brian Roberts
Brian Roberts                    Brandon Phillips
Dan Uggla                         Dustin Pedroia
Robinson Cano                  Dan Uggla
Ian Kinsler                         Rickie Weeks
Jeff Kent                            Howie Kendrick
Howie Kendrick                  Robinson Cano
Freddy Sanchez                 Alexei Ramirez


***Also a reminder that the final 411 chat of the season will take place on FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 26th at 11:30 AM ET (after the show) and will run for about 90 minutes.

Here's the first base rankings comparison.  Fairly similar lists with M-Cab and Youkilis replacing Pena and Konerko.  Pena hasn't been the total bust many (including myself) predicted, but we all knew he was overvalued, and that .244 AVG is ugly.  Konerko, assuming he plays every day, could be a sleeper heading into '09, someone who will slip quite a bit in drafts.  Despite his impressive numbers, I won't be targeting Youkilis.  Look for all those Red Sox fans to take him too early, and focus on someone else!

Let us know what you think, and keep those questions coming.

Zach


   2008                       2009                         
                           
Albert Pujols            Albert Pujols
Prince Fielder           Lance Berkman
Ryan Howard           Ryan Howard
Lance Berkman        Miguel Cabrera
Justin Morneau         Mark Teixeira
Mark Teixeira            Prince Fielder
Carlos Pena             Justin Morneau
Adrian Gonzalez       Kevin Youkilis
Paul Konerko           Adrian Gonzalez
Derrek Lee               Derrek Lee

SUNDAY

Pitch: Halladay, Lester, Felix, Big Erv, Eveland (gamble), Ollie, Harang (back to form?), Unit (if he starts)

MONDAY

Pitch: Buehrle, Slowey, Lewis (gamble), Dice-K, Kazmir, Pelfrey

On today's show, we kicked off our series of 2009 positional rankings, starting with the catchers.  From now through September 23rd, I'll be posting the 2009 rankings along with our rankings from last year so we can see just how much things have changed.  Feel free to post your own rankings, comments, and of course, general questions.

Zach


    2008                                           2009

Russell Martin                             Russell Martin   
Victor Martinez                            Brian McCann
Brian McCann                             Geovany Soto
Jorge Posada                              Joe Mauer
Joe Mauer                                   Victor Martinez
Bengie Molina                              Chris Iannetta
Kenji Johjima                               Ryan Doumit
Jason Varitek                               Kelly Shoppach
A.J. Pierzynski                             Jorge Posada
Jarrod Saltalamacchia                  Matt Wieters

We all know that Pat Burrell is one of the most streaky players in the majors.  I went into this season targeting Burrell as someone who could provide great value considering his projected draft position and the contract year factor.  Right now, I'm paying for my optimism.  2008 looks to be the same old story as 2007, but reversed.

     
2007

Pre All-Star:   .215 AVG  11 HR  37 RBI  .408 SLG  .786 OPS
Post All-Star: .295 AVG  19 HR  60 RBI  .590 SLG 1.010 OPS

2008

Pre All-Star:    .275 AVG  23 HR  57 RBI  .575 SLG  .979 OPS
Post All-Star:  .212 AVG    7 HR  20 RBI  .394 SLG  .696 OPS


On today's show, Cory recommended benching Burrell.  Maybe it's because I've always loved the guy, but I just can't do it!  A daily lineup league is a different story, but this is a weekly money league, with the top three receiving the cash.  I've been bouncing between second and third and a mere 1.5 points separate second from fourth.  I'm positive that the moment I decide to bench Pat the Bat, he'll go on to have one of those 5 HR 12 RBI weeks.  So I'm riding it out.  These are the kinds of decisions that torment us all as the season winds down.

Hopefully, we can help you make the right ones!

Zach

CARDINALS ADDRESS PUJOLS MEDIA REPORTS;

BOTH TEAM & PUJOLS AGREE HIS SEASON IS NOT IN JEAPORDY

           

            ST. LOUIS, September 9, 2008 - The St. Louis Cardinals addressed media reports from yesterday citing uncertainty over the condition of Albert Pujols' right elbow by stating today that Cardinals management, Pujols and his representatives are in agreement that the condition does not appear to be season-threatening nor do they have a clear indication that it will or will not require future surgery.

"We are sensitive to Albert's stated concerns," said Cardinals' Vice President/General Manager John Mozeliak.  "At no time would we ever ask Albert to consider anything other then what is best for his career and future health."

The team plans to conduct a follow-up medical exam with Pujols at season's end, just as it does every year, and will make a determination at that time to as to any future course of action. 

###

 

If you are in the area stop by Foley's Wednesday night for their baseball trivia contest. You can win vouchers for the bar and there is a final in November to crown the overall champ.

 

Foley's Searches for New York's Baseball Trivia King
(Wednesday, Sept. 10)

The second heat of Foley's search for NYC's will take place on Weds, Sept. 10. A third heat will be held on Weds, Oct. 1 and with the three finalists vying for the title of "New York's Baseball Trivia King" on Weds, Nov. 5. Prizes include food/drink vouchers and other great baseball items, as well as a trophy. Congratulations to Sean O'Shea, who had 15 of 27 correct answers during the first preliminary round.

This is exactly why I hate head to head leagues and only play in one each year.  Amidst his Cy Young worthy season, Brandon Webb decides to have his worst week (13.00 ERA  2.67 WHIP) during Round 1 of the playoffs.  As expected, my season is now over and I'm getting set for a much anticipated fifth place game!

Whether you have any questions or simply need to vent, here's where you do it.

Zach

CARLOS QUENTIN TO UNDERGO SURGERY MONDAY;

WILL BE RE-EVALUATED IN 2-3 WEEKS

 

 

            CHICAGO - Chicago White Sox outfielder Carlos Quentin will undergo surgery Monday morning, September 8, to have a screw inserted into his fractured right wrist.

 

            The surgery, which will take place at Rush University Medical Center, will be performed by team hand and wrist specialists, Dr. Mark Cohen and Dr. John Fernandez, and White Sox lead orthopedic surgeon Dr. Charles Bush-Joseph of Midwest Orthopedics at Rush University.

 

            Quentin, who leads the American League with 36 home runs and is hitting .288 (138-480) with 100 RBI, will have his wrist re-evaluated in two to three weeks to determine how the healing process has progressed.

 

            Quentin suffered the injury to his right wrist during Monday's game in Cleveland.  He returned to Chicago on Wednesday for evaluation and treatment by Dr. Bush-Joseph and Dr. Cohen, and a decision to insert the screw was made last night.

 

Our patience is wearing thin with Mr. Danks (5.22 ERA  1.56 WHIP since All-Star break), but he's not bench material just yet.                                                                                                                           
SUNDAY

Pitch:  Garza, Saundo, Lee, Greinke, Perkins, Mussina, Lannan, Young, Parra,            Josh Johnson, J. Sanchez, Unit, Kershaw, Hamels, Johan

MONDAY

Pitch:  Carmona, Miner, Lester, Burnett, Danks, Volquez, Maddux, Petit, Lincecum

Thanks to Casey for reminding me on today's show that I own Ian Kinsler in all four of my leagues.  Oh well, at least I can free up a roster spot for some late season pitching and ditching.  Welcome, Paul Maholm! 

You know the deal.  Ask and we'll answer.

Zach

Keeper question:

I am in a standard 4x4 keeper auction league. I have the following potential keepers for next season.  I can keep 8.  I do not believe that there will be much opportunity to package keepers to move up.  So I would like your thoughts as to which of these guys I should keep.  I have provided what their value will be for next year.  I have broken down the list between hitters and pitchers, although I can take any combination of 8 hitters and pitchers.  The only ones I am definitely keeping are Hamilton and Quentin.

Hitters:
Josh Hamilton $10
Chris Young (hitter) $10
Jason Giambi $9
Carlos Quentin $7
Ryan Doumit $7
Alexei Ramirez $7
JD Drew $6
Luke Scott $4

Pitchers:
Chris Carpenter $7
Justin Duchscherer $7
Johnny Cueto $5
Andrew Miller $4

I also have Cole Hamels at $21 and AJ Burnett at $18 but I don't think I will keep either because I don't think they will go much higher at the auction.

Thanks as always for your seer wisdom and guidance,
Todd D. Brody


Hey Todd,

You're correct in securing Hamilton and Quentin. Those are absolute bargain-basement prices for two players who should repeat with 30 homer-100 RBI campaigns next season. I think you can get Chris Young for under $10, especially in a batting average league. He's had better luck this year, with a .296 BABIP vs. last year's .257 number, but he's still hitting only .244. Plus, he has only 10 steals in 15 attempts.

Personally, I wouldn't take Giambi, but $9 isn't a bad rate if you're targeting homers. Doumit is a good target at $7. He's been productive when healthy, hitting .319 with an .864 OPS, 13 homers and 53 RBI, albeit in only 96 games. He plays a premium position, so don't underestimate the satisfaction of having a shallow position secured. Speaking of premium positions, Alexei Ramirez is fantastic at $7. Sixteen home runs and 21 doubles is a pleasant surprise for the skinny second baseman who doesn't seem to weigh as much as his listed weight, at 185 pounds. You'd like to see a better steals rate (he has 10 base swipes in 18 attempts), but, again, he's a good hitter at a premium position and there is talk he could be moved to shortstop.

Duchscherer is probably seen as a bargain at $7 based on his 2.54 ERA and 0.99 WHIP this season. However, he's thrown over 127 more innings this year than last. Sorry, but I buy into the "no more than 30 innings increase" theory. I would like Cueto at $5 if your league counted strikeouts - I'm assuming the four pitching categories are W, SV, ERA, WHIP. If strikeouts aren't one of the cats, then I can't recommend a pitcher who has a 4.59 ERA at his home ballpark. I really only like Hamilton, Quentin, Doumit and Ramirez at your prices. CY, Giambi and Cueto (if your league counts strikeouts) are possibilities, but you can probably get them next season for about the same price, possibly lower.

Kyle Stack


I picked up Justin Duchscherer since he's about to come off the DL and dropped Joba Chamberlain.  This is a weekly CBS Sportsline league, no keepers.  Does that seem like a good move or do you think Slowey would have been better?
                                                             
Thanks.
Chris in Tennessee


Hey Chris,

You definitely could've gone either way here, but I would've opted for Slowey.  Statistically, Duchscherer's been the better pitcher, but we don't know how he'll respond from missing over two weeks due to a strained hip.  Slowey is quietly having a very solid season, boasting a 3.70 ERA and 1.08 WHIP.  Over his last five starts, he's pitched exceptionally well, going 4-0 while allowing a mere seven runs over 31 innings.  I'm not saying Duchscherer won't help your team, but we're entering the home stretch of 2008, so I'll always give the edge to the guy who's routinely taking the mound every fifth day.  There's just too little time left to wait and hope for production, especially in a weekly league, where committing to a set group of players is vital.

Zach Steinhorn 



 

Sorry I couldn't make the show today but it's getting hairy in Multimedia and I just couldn't pull it off today. Not sure what September brings for me but you are in tremendous hands with Sterno and Schwartz. Let's get some questions going.........Siano

Cory Schwartz    


1. Yankee Stadium

2. Wrigley Field

3. Fenway Park

4. Oriole Park at Camden Yards

5. PNC Park









Mike Siano    


1. Yankee Stadium

2. Fenway Park

3. Wrigley Field

4. Safeco Field

5. Citizens Bank










Casey Stern     
           

1. Fenway Park

2. Wrigley Field

3. PNC Park

4. Shea Stadium

5. Coors Field

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This came up twice this weekend so I want to throw it out there to everyone. Is a vulture win when a releiver comes in and blows it and gets the win or is it when he comes in for a tie game or a close deficit and the team scores and he gets the decision? I say without hesititation it's the latter since what JJ Putz did to Washburn on Saturday in Cleveland was more akin to stealing then vulturing but when you look at Sean Green who pitched 3 scoreless yesterday in relief of Silva and got the W well that's more like it.

Let us know your thoughts and then hit us with your e-mails.........Siano