NFBC Message Boards

Troy Tulowitzki (groin) began non-baseball activities Wednesday.
We're not sure what all that entails, but obviously Tulo isn't close to returning. He's not eligible until June 15, anyway, and he could be ready at that time.

Jethro Bodine wrote this, right?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Royals are expected to play Eric Hosmer in right field during their weekend interleague series in Pittsburgh.
The alignment will allow Billy Butler to stay in the lineup. Jeff Francoeur will make his first start in center field since 2006, while Jarrod Dyson will head to the bench. "(Hosmer) gives us options, and that’s a good thing to have," manager Ned Yost said. "Because we went into (interleague) last year and had Billy sitting on the bench. And the way Billy’s swinging the bat this year, we can’t afford to do that."

Translated:
"We suck!"
"And without Butler in the lineup, we'd REALLY suck!"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Freese finished the impressive night 2-for-5. His grand slam off of Wesley Wright in the seven run seventh inning put the Cardinals up 12-2. He then added a two-run blast in the ninth off of outfielder Brian Bogusevic who came in to pitch to give the bullpen a much needed rest.

Wait....Wesley Wright and Brian Bogusevic?
This was 'trash time' hitting at its absolute best.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jason Heyward smashed a pair of towering solo home runs on Thursday, leading the Braves to an 8-2 victory over the Marlins in Miami.
He finished the night 2-for-4. Heyward's first towering blast to center came off Steve Cishek in the seventh inning and provided the Braves a valuable insurance run at the time, increasing their lead to 3-1. His blast off of Edward Mujica in the ninth inning was equally as impressive to deep center field. After starting the season off with a bang, Heyward had been scuffling as of late and had only hit one home run in his past 23 games coming into play. He's now hitting .246 with eight homers, 28 RBI and nine steals, providing solid across the board production as a third or fourth outfielder in most leagues.

Nothing makes me smile as much as RotoWorld's love affair with Heyward and Belt.
Jorge Costanza was the perfect foil for Heyward last year!
Only RotoWorld can describe Heyward only hitting one homer over 23 games as 'scuffling'.
Gregor Blanco has hit two homers over the last two days as well.
Both of them scraping the wall as they went over.
'Towering' or not, Heyward and Blanco's still look the same on the stat sheet.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Matt Wieters struggles continued on Thursday, as he went 0-for-4 in a loss to Clay Buchholz and the Red Sox.
Since May 5th, over a span of 29 games, Wieters is hitting .190 (20-for-105) with two homers, seven RBI and 26 strikeouts. He still possesses plenty of talent, as evidenced by his monster first month of the season, but he continues to struggle to find consistency. He's still a fringe starter in single catcher leagues.

4th in home runs among catchers, 5th in runs, and has as many rbi as Mauer and Santana...
Does this writer play in a six-team Yahoo League?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine said Thursday that Josh Beckett's right hamstring "seems like it's non-problematic."
Beckett allowed two runs over eight innings before leaving Wednesday's start against the Orioles with a right hamstring cramp. He was only at 92 pitches at the time, so he likely would have come out for the ninth if it wasn't for the injury. However, Beckett worked on the treadmill Thursday and the hamstring isn't expected to have any impact on his availability for his next scheduled start.

Translated:
He'll be back on the golf course soon.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Daniel Bard is expected to throw one inning Friday in his first appearance with Triple-A Pawtucket.
Bard will continue to work as a starting pitcher, but the Red Sox want him to have short outings as he attempts to sharpen his control and command. "It's more just to be able to repeat it more often," said Bard, who believes he has spotted a mechanical flaw. "If I go out there tomorrow, throw five innings and I basically feel the same as I have my last couple starts, but get through five, we're kind of wasting bullets, I think is the way they see it. But if we go an inning or two and everything feels good, we do it a couple days later and still feel good, then we stretch it out from there." Bard will make his next appearance Monday, though it's not clear how many innings he'll throw.

Oh for crissakes, just tell the kid he's a reliever again, willya?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Brandon Belt drove in runs with a double and a single versus the Padres on Thursday.
Belt's start today was his third in seven games this month. He still hasn't put together a nice hot streak for the Giants at any point, but then, he hasn't had much of an opportunity to do so with the way he's been used.

Translation:
Why oh Why won't the Giants listen to me?
He is the best of their seven first basemen!
Even if he does just have a two rbi day, I will continue to sing his praises!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chien-Ming Wang gave up two runs and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings Thursday in a loss to the Mets.
It could have been a lot worse: Wang also walked three and hit a batter. Still, aside from Lucas Duda's two-run homer in the fifth, he didn't give up any runs. We still think the Nationals downgraded when they opted to have him replace Ross Detwiler in the rotation

Translated:
We told everybody that Wang would be no more than a long reliever and/or trade bait.
Any chance we get, we're hating on Wang!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mike Minor returned to the Braves rotation on Thursday after being skipped last week, and promptly stifled the Marlins, allowing only one run on four hits over five innings.
Minor did struggle with his command in the game, leading to five walks while striking out four. He needed 103 pitches to battle through the short outing, but came away with his third win of the season. The lone blemish on his evening was Jose Reyes' solo homer in the fifth inning. Minor will look to further improve upon his inflated 6.57 ERA when he takes on the Yankees at home next week.

Oh come on! Would you throw Minor in your six team league vs. the Yankees?
The lone blemish was a Reyes homer?
He walked more than he struck out. That's not a blemish, it's a fully bloomed zit!
Sure, you like the kid and his 'inflated' E.R.A., but quit telling us it's raining when you're pissing on our leg.

Rotoworld scans the web and puts out one-line summaries with some "insightful" commentary added for the yahoo kid. They should hire Doughy for a third line below each post where he shreds the yahoo kid insight and gives some NFBC-level insight. Or just start a new site called doughworld where all is interpreted.

or RODOUGHWORLD

....oh wait.....that's what we have here

Keep up the good work Dan

Captain Hook wrote:or RODOUGHWORLD

....oh wait.....that's what we have here

Keep up the good work Dan

Perfect! Rename Dough's Daily ... RodoughWorld.

Yes, some of the blurbs are occasionally dumbed down and targeted to the general public, but it wouldn't surprise me if some of their writers played in high stakes contests.

In fact, a few of the blurbs Doughy referenced above were mine

Did you like this one, Dan?



"Madison Bumgarner struck out a season-high 12 batters and was charged with only two runs -- one earned -- over 7 2/3 innings Tuesday in a victory over the Astros.

Bumgarner didn't walk a batter and gave up six hits. He helped his own cause by smacking a solo homer off Houston starter Bud Norris in the third inning. Bumgarner, the precocious must-start fantasy starter, improves to 8-4 with a 3.08 ERA and 1.12 WHIP."

"Precocious? Really? Has somebody been playing with their thesaurus again?

That was a good one, Wayne.
I've noticed a couple of changes during the last week. Different words are being used, 'Precocious' stood out like a sore thumb. They're also using a little more advanced numerish which is a good thing and I'm thinking those are Dave's doing....
Here's a few more-

Jeremy Guthrie was crushed again on Tuesday, allowing seven runs on eight hits over five innings against the A's.
How much more of this can Colorado take? Guthrie surrendered three homers to the punchless A's and he's now given up 15 on the year. Guthrie insists that his early-season struggles are not injury related and Rockies manager Jim Tracy said he's given no thought to removing him from the rotation. The only reason for the latter's quote is that Colorado is low on alternatives to replace their big offseason pitching acquisition. Guthrie is 3-5 with a 6.91 ERA and 1.75 WHIP through 10 outings. He's not playable in any format.

Translated-
Guthrie: 'I'm healthy, I just suck'
Tracy: 'He's healthy, he sucks, he pitches, he's a Rocky'.
(Junk alert: My guess is that Tracy is the first Manager fired this year)

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Jonathan Sanchez (biceps) will be activated from the disabled list to start Wednesday's game.
Sanchez gave up six runs in his lone rehab start at Triple-A Omaha, but the Royals don't have many better options at the moment. He should be avoided in all fantasy leagues, even against a struggling Milwaukee team.

Omaha has one of the best records in the Minors. They don't want him there.
It was either AA or the Royals for Sanchez. The Royals made the wrong choice.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Chris Young turned in another solid performance on Tuesday evening, allowing just two runs on nine hits over 5 2/3 innings in a victory over the Rays.
Young struck out four and walked two. The victory was his first since April 5, 2011. While he obviously can't be counted on to remain healthy, Young has always proven to be an above-average major league starter when he does take the hill. He's definitely worth a flier for any NL-only fantasy owners hurting for pitching depth, especially for his upcoming start against the Reds at spacious Citi Field on Sunday

Solid?
It wasn't even a quality start and his WHIP was 2 with only four strike outs. Without the W, it would not be called 'solid'. The last sentence says to bet on the park, not the pitcher.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Chien-Ming Wang wasn't terribly sharp but won Tuesday anyway, allowing two runs on four hits and five walks over five innings in a 4-2 victory over the Blue Jays.
Wang was in trouble most of the night but managed to keep the Jays from putting a crooked number on the board. Still, he's posted a 4.67 ERA and 1.90 WHIP so far, making him a big risk outside of NL-only fantasy leagues. He'll try for better results next week against the Rays.

Wang gave up two less base runners than Young did. His feelings are hurt.

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Alex Rodriguez tied Lou Gehrig's MLB record by socking his 23rd career grand slam Tuesday against the Braves.
The Yankees trailed Atlanta 4-0 in the eighth inning when A-Rod strolled to the plate with the bases loaded to face Jonny Venters. He worked the count full then tied the game by depositing a Venters pitch over the left field wall. It was A-Rod's only hit of the game, but marked another achievement in his prestigious career. He's now batting .276/.368/.436 with 10 home runs and 29 RBI.

Strolled?
Ever notice when batters stroll to the plate, they always do something good?
When simply walking up to the plate, anything can happen.
Hitters need to work on their strolling.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Chase Utley (knee) went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts in his first rehab game with High-A Clearwater Tuesday.
Utley even drew some boos from the Clearwater fans by the end of the night. While it's hardly an ideal first showing, the important thing is that he's healthy. And, as far as we know, didn't suffer a setback. Utley was in the DH slot and it's not yet clear when he'll begin playing second base.

I laughed when I saw this.
Here's a guy trying to comeback from two knees that are 90 years old in dog years, only to have 90 year old Florida retirees booing him.
Those precocious retirees!

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Scott Rolen (shoulder) will not require a rehab assignment prior to being activated.
"We've been discussing that -- probably not," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "He's been getting a lot of hitting. I think he's been on a rehab before and a couple of times he didn't go on a rehab.

Translation:
'I'm not sending Rolen down to get 'Clearwatered! '

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Derek Holland (shoulder) has already regained four pounds since being placed on the disabled list and is hoping to be ready for activation the first day he's eligible on June 21.
Holland went on the DL with shoulder fatigue, but he's dealing more with general body soreness brought about by a stomach virus that caused him to lose 10-15 pounds. "The shoulder's getting better," Holland said. "Everything seems fine. I couldn't believe it was weak. I guess if you lose so much weight so fast the body's not used to it and I guess it's going to take a toll on it at some point."

'Four pounds? Big deal! When I was on rehab, I gained four pounds in a day! And I didn't get no nice write-up about it! Baseball is not fair'

Signed,
Pablo Sandoval

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said Friday that Brett Gardner (elbow) could return from the disabled list as soon as next weekend.
We like the sound of that. Gardner has already had a couple setbacks with his elbow, but he could head out on a minor league rehab assignment if he makes it through batting practice this weekend without any issues. The speedy outfielder has been on the shelf since mid April.

Brett Gardner (elbow) said Tuesday that he hopes to play again this season.
Gardner saw Dr. James Andrews on Monday after suffering a setback with his ailing right elbow over the weekend. We won't know much more on his status until he visits Dr. Timothy Kremchek on Thursday for a third opinion, but it's safe to say he won't be back anytime soon. Yankees manager Joe Girardi already expects him to be sidelined through the All-Star break.

These two releases are about a week apart.
Sobering to think we may get a player back within a week, only then hear that he may not be back at all.
Nothing funny here....

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Cubs fired hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo.
Jaramillo is the fall guy for an offense which ranks 27th in the majors in on-base percentage, 26th in OPS and 27th in runs scored. Still, given how highly respected he is around the game, he shouldn't be out of work for long. James Rowson, the organization's minor league hitting coordinator, has replaced Jaramillo on an interim basis.

This is on the same scale as Charlie Sheen firing his 'Humbleness Coach'.
Both Jaramillo and the Humbleness Coach never had a chance.

It is amazing how all the "experts" write and say what thier opinions are. A lot of the commentary is almost laughable these days. More often than not they are just guessing. It's also amazing how XM Fantasy being probably the largest spoken voice out there, followed by the top "Roto" Web sites, how they all refer to themselves as "experts". Almost every guest on XM is referred to as an "expert". Most hosts refer to themselves or think of themselves as experts. What consitutes an expert? IMHO there are many more accurate and knowledgable "experts" playing NFBC. Quite frankly, my XM listening and "Roto" web site reading is way down these days, excepting a few hosts and web sites. The opinions are all over tha map it seems. Who wants to listen to experts talk about thier teams and leagues that are comprised of other experts. Every one of those leagues has experts that finish 6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14 and last.

It has struck me just how much the "experts" rely tremendously on NFBC and NFFC ADP data as they apine thier opinions leading up to new seasons and drafts. They run to that first before anything, including mock draft central data.

Would love to hear Doughboys take on how he views "experts"

Two years ago, I vowed not to buy any publication with the word 'expert' on the front or back cover.
I ended up buying one magazine.
The writers themselves do not think of themselves as experts. Their publishers, sites, and bosses are doing that for them. Nobody in this industry speaks better Numerish than Todd Zola and I've never heard him refer to himself as an expert. A chemist, yes. An expert, no.
I agree that some in the NFBC are just as knowledgeable as the writers and on air personalities. If not more so.
At the same time, I'm of the opinion that we are in an industry with zero experts.
Ron Shandler is good for our industry. He's done a lot to further our thoughts and given us things to think about in a Stats Ball way, but I don't consider him an expert. He has, and would get his ass handed to him when entering a Main Event. He has a field of expertise that is limited in a way, even for a guy with a seemingly unlimited imagination.

Shawn Childs is one of the most respected persons in our neck of the woods. He is writing for a site. A site that takes a lot of his time and involves football. That means that Shawn HAS to lose some of his focus on baseball. Sure, he has always done football teams before, but writing about both sports is painstaking and is sure to take away focus from his own teams.
We might even say that by becoming an 'expert', Shawn has become less of an expert.

I've been called an 'expert' by some. I don't like it. Just because I write and post a lot does not make me an expert. I enjoy writing and sharing some things I've learned. The 'expert' tag is like somebody calling me 'Mister' and I don't turn my head, 'Mister' is somebody else. Experts are somebody else too.
The dictionary defines an expert as somebody with a high degree of skill or knowledge of a certain subject.
By that definition, I am wrong, there aren't zero experts, we are ALL experts.

We all like verification of our thoughts. If during the off season, we think that Brett Lawrie is all that and a bag of Doritos, we feel better when an expert feels the same way. For some, that expert is Shandler, for others it could be another writer or on air guy. For me, it's the Advisory Board.

I like poking fun at the RotoWorld blurbs, but I don't think they consider themselves 'experts'. They're merely calling it as they see it, and as Dave says, they have to 'dumb it down' sometimes to make it readable for the Yahoo Kid. The fodder makes for great Roto Snips.
I agree with KJ that Roto News for NFBC types would be optimum.

Newsbreak- I'm watching the Jays play and Drabek just did something to his arm and is being taken out of the game....It didn't look good...
Guess I beat RotoWorld with that one

Most of these updates are designed for the Yahoo Kid, while we in the NFBC are left to cipher any information that pertains to us.

Dough- I agree with all those names you mentioned. I got a subsciption to Shandlers site because the content he puts out is really helpful. I could list another 20-30 people (a lot of them here) who I respect thier opinions and observations. I could also list hundreds more who write and talk, who just make me laugh and wonder how can they say/write such stupid stuff. Its only a hobby/game, but when $$$ is involved, like here, it becomes a little more than that and the BS radar has to have all Antenni up. If the experts were so good, none of us mere mortals would have a chance...lol

Like you, the word expert should be banned...... there are none.

Kevin Youkilis will have his left rib cage examined by MARLINS TEAM PHYSICIANS on Wednesday.
Youkilis was plunked by a pitch Tuesday night and woke up feeling sore. He's not in Boston's starting lineup for Wednesday's series-finale and could be out a handful of days.

It's clear that Red Sox physicians have given up...

DOUGHBOYS wrote:Kevin Youkilis

It's clear that Red Sox physicians have given up...

... joining his manager (before the season even began) and all non-deulsional fantasy players. I hope his mother is still on board.

RW on Andrelton Simmons:
May 29 - We're not convinced he's ready to hit in the majors, but he could stabilize things defensively.

May 30 - Simmons has put up a .292/.372/.421 batting line with three homers and 10 steals this season, though we'd be surprised if he helped out fantasy owners much other than the occasional steal. His value will come on defense.

June 1 - He was batting .292/.372/.421 batting line with three homers and 10 steals, but we don't expect him to do a whole lot with the bat.

June 3 - The Braves' new everyday shortstop, Simmons will likely struggle early, but his career .299/.352/.397 minor-league line suggests he'll do enough hitting to keep his head above water. He's worth a flier in NL-only leagues.

June 15 - He's off to a terrific start to his major league career, hitting .333 (14-for-42) with a pair of homers and six RBI. He's the everyday starter and should start to receive consideration as a shortstop or middle infielder in deeper mixed leagues.

Thank you RW ... for telling me which way the wind is blowing. Dave, don't tell me you're involved in this one!

KJ Duke wrote:RW on Andrelton Simmons:
May 29 - We're not convinced he's ready to hit in the majors, but he could stabilize things defensively.

May 30 - Simmons has put up a .292/.372/.421 batting line with three homers and 10 steals this season, though we'd be surprised if he helped out fantasy owners much other than the occasional steal. His value will come on defense.

June 1 - He was batting .292/.372/.421 batting line with three homers and 10 steals, but we don't expect him to do a whole lot with the bat.

June 3 - The Braves' new everyday shortstop, Simmons will likely struggle early, but his career .299/.352/.397 minor-league line suggests he'll do enough hitting to keep his head above water. He's worth a flier in NL-only leagues.

June 15 - He's off to a terrific start to his major league career, hitting .333 (14-for-42) with a pair of homers and six RBI. He's the everyday starter and should start to receive consideration as a shortstop or middle infielder in deeper mixed leagues.

Thank you RW ... for telling me which way the wind is blowing. Dave, don't tell me you're involved in this one!

I am not a RotoWorld expert nor have I played one on TV, but I too thought when Simmons got to the show, he would be a good glove/weak bat type that we have come to expect from young AA middle infielders when they are first brought up. He may still be since we are only talking snapshot right now. However, there is one very distinct difference between him and Tyler Pastornicky and others of their ilk.

When Pastornicky came up to the plate, to me he never seemed comfortable or at ease. It was like he was trying to remember if he had given Jobu his rum. No confidence. Simmons on the other hand settles into the box and checks the mound as if to say "bring it Meat!" The boy does not lack stones and to me just "looks" like he belongs. He still may not hit over the long haul this season, but I think he is here to stay.

KJ Duke wrote:RW on Andrelton Simmons:
May 29 - We're not convinced he's ready to hit in the majors, but he could stabilize things defensively.

May 30 - Simmons has put up a .292/.372/.421 batting line with three homers and 10 steals this season, though we'd be surprised if he helped out fantasy owners much other than the occasional steal. His value will come on defense.

June 1 - He was batting .292/.372/.421 batting line with three homers and 10 steals, but we don't expect him to do a whole lot with the bat.

June 3 - The Braves' new everyday shortstop, Simmons will likely struggle early, but his career .299/.352/.397 minor-league line suggests he'll do enough hitting to keep his head above water. He's worth a flier in NL-only leagues.

June 15 - He's off to a terrific start to his major league career, hitting .333 (14-for-42) with a pair of homers and six RBI. He's the everyday starter and should start to receive consideration as a shortstop or middle infielder in deeper mixed leagues.

Thank you RW ... for telling me which way the wind is blowing. Dave, don't tell me you're involved in this one!

I'll man up and admit that the last entry was of my doing. It may have something to do with my background in the 15-team format as opposed to a few of the other writers who play in smaller leagues. They may not see Simmons being worth a second look, while I see consistent everyday at-bats and possible production from the MI spot.

Likewhat17 wrote:

KJ Duke wrote:RW on Andrelton Simmons:
May 29 - We're not convinced he's ready to hit in the majors, but he could stabilize things defensively.

May 30 - Simmons has put up a .292/.372/.421 batting line with three homers and 10 steals this season, though we'd be surprised if he helped out fantasy owners much other than the occasional steal. His value will come on defense.

June 1 - He was batting .292/.372/.421 batting line with three homers and 10 steals, but we don't expect him to do a whole lot with the bat.

June 3 - The Braves' new everyday shortstop, Simmons will likely struggle early, but his career .299/.352/.397 minor-league line suggests he'll do enough hitting to keep his head above water. He's worth a flier in NL-only leagues.

June 15 - He's off to a terrific start to his major league career, hitting .333 (14-for-42) with a pair of homers and six RBI. He's the everyday starter and should start to receive consideration as a shortstop or middle infielder in deeper mixed leagues.

Thank you RW ... for telling me which way the wind is blowing. Dave, don't tell me you're involved in this one!

I'll man up and admit that the last entry was of my doing. It may have something to do with my background in the 15-team format as opposed to a few of the other writers who play in smaller leagues. They may not see Simmons being worth a second look, while I see consistent everyday at-bats and possible production from the MI spot.

The last post was the only one worthwhile, of course he should be long gone in 15-teamers by now. Of course, it's the series together as if it comes from one source which is amusing and worthy of chastising.

Red Sox placed RHP Daisuke Matsuzaka on the 15-day disabled list with a neck injury.
Dice-K lasted less than two innings on Monday night against the A's because of neck stiffness. He's had problems with his trapezius muscle for most of the year and could lose all of July to rest and rehab.

1000'S of people get these same pains after seeing him pitch.
The curiosity of where a hard hit ball lands is the culprit.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Red Sox released RHP Bobby Jenks.
Jenks appeared in only 19 games for the Red Sox after signing a two-year, $12 million free agent contract before the start of the 2011 campaign. He underwent dual back surgeries last season and was arrested in spring training this year for inflicting property damage while driving under the influence.

If Chris Berman still did nicknames, his would be 'Hi'
It always ensued in any game he entered.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////


Reds prospect Billy Hamilton stole two bases with High-A Bakersfield on Monday night to give him 100 for the season.
Hamilton needed just 78 games to get there. The all-time single-season professional record for stolen bases is 145, set by Vince Coleman in 1983 for the Class A Macon Redbirds. If he keeps up his current rate, there's a realistic chance he could break it.

Cool story.
I hope he breaks it.
If he can hit at the Major League level, he could be a high draft flying judy.
Sorry, wrote that one like I was writing for Roto World.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Zack Cozart was diagnosed with a mild concussion after being hit in the helmet by a Chad Billingsley fastball during Monday's game against the Dodgers.
"I feel fine," said Cozart, who experienced ringing in his ears, but never lost consciousness. "I saw the docs and I'm going to get monitored throughout the night and just let PAUL know. Obviously, I had a little headache getting hit like that. It's a little pressure up in the head. I took the test and everything went well. [Tuesday] I think everything should be OK." The early word is promising, but the Reds could place him on the 7-day disabled list for concussions just to play it safe

Just put him on the list now.
Nobody knows who 'Paul' is.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Howie Kendrick belted a solo homer and scored a pair of runs in Monday's win over the Indians.
The home run was his fifth, and he also stole his fifth base of the season. Kendrick has no doubt been a disappointment for fantasy owners to this point, but he's pushed his average up from .266 to .280 during an eight-game hitting streak and is on pace for double digits in homers and steals.

This one still has me laughing....
Yep, five home runs and five steals....Voila!.... This guy is on pace for double digits in homers and stolen bases.
His owners are heaving their chests with pride, I'm still shaking my head about the 'on pace' at this time of year, and a writer at Roto World is just showing off his awesome math skills.
Dave, I know you didn't write that one.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine hasn't ruled out the possibility that Will Middlebrooks (hamstring) will need a stint on the disabled list.
"He feels better today than he did (Sunday) and better than he expected," said Valentine. "That's the only news we have. It's not discolored and that's good. But it's going to be some days (before he plays). We won't let the calendar dictate; we'll just see how he feels. Maybe (a trip to the) DL, maybe a few days. It's just one of those injuries."

Bobby Valentine has this thought where the more words he says, the smarter other folks think he is.
NFBC people know better.
For our sakes Bobby, next time just say those three words that never seem to cross your lips.
Say it with me.........I.....Don't .....Know.
It's not that hard.


///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Brian Roberts is not in the Orioles' lineup Monday due to groin soreness.
Roberts first started feeling the groin ailment Sunday. It's not clear at this point how serious the ailment is, but it's hard not to be pessimistic given his history. Robert Andino is taking Roberts' spot at second base and in the leadoff spot.

I remember Nomar Garciaparra had this same injury after marrying Mia Hamm.
America understood.

if nomar hurt his groin after marrying hamm- andy roddick is lucky to be alive.

''According to Josh Norris of the Trentonian, the White Sox are targeting Yankees' prospect right-hander Dellin Betances.
It's not clear whether the Yankees actually shopping Betances, but the White Sox have scouted each of his last three starts. The 24-year-old was demoted to Double-A Trenton last month after going 3-5 with a 6.39 ERA and a 71/69 K/BB ratio in 74 2/3 innings for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. However, he has turned things around a bit at Double-A, posting a 2.41 ERA and a 20/7 K/BB ratio in 18 2/3 innings. While Betances' stock has tumbled a bit this year, it's hard to see a match in a potential trade.''"

Blah, Blah, and Blah.
These writers continue to make guesses based on a conversation or two with the brass of a club. If there is one thing we learned over the off season, it is that most of these guesses will be wrong.
And since they will be wrong, it is somehow fitting that Roto World print these guesses.


"Alex Speier of WEEI.com was told by a source that the Red Sox are not actively pursuing a trade for Cubs' right-hander Ryan Dempster.
This shoots down a report by ESPN's Buster Olney, who was told that the Red Sox are "aggressive" in their pursuit of the veteran right-hander. Red Sox starters are 26th in the majors with a 4.71 ERA this season, but Speier hears that the club is taking a wait-and-see approach. Still, the Cubs won't have a tough time finding a taker for Dempster, even if the Red Sox don't get involved."

Even funnier when one writer is more righter than the other writer.
Huh?
You know what I mean.


"Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow hinted Monday that Brett Wallace will soon be called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Wallace is plenty deserving of a look at first base, as he batted .333 (12-for-36) with two homers in 11 games with the Astros last month and is hitting .289/.361/.484 with 13 home runs, 46 RBI and an .844 OPS in 75 games with Triple-A Oklahoma City this season. "Obviously, I think he's capable of helping us win some ballgames, but I feel good about the guys we have on the roster right now," explained Luhnow. "There's a lot of scenarios [in which] he comes up in the not-too-distant future and spends the rest of the season with us." He'll be worth using in NL-only leagues upon his arrival."

And not one mention of the word 'AAAA' from anybody.


"J.A. Happ blanked the Padres for 6 1/3 innings to win in San Diego on Monday night.
Fernando Rodriguez, Wilton Lopez and Brett Myers finished the 2-0 shutout. Happ had been 0-4 with a 6.82 ERA on the road this season before winning tonight. Overall, he's 7-9 with a 4.83 ERA."

If a sentence has Padres in it, it is usually accompanied by the word 'Blanked'.


"Dan Haren (back) allowed two runs over five innings Monday in a rehab start with High-A Inland Empire.
Haren threw a total of 65 pitches, allowing seven hits while striking out two and walking none. Assuming he came out of the outing feeling good, he should rejoin the Angels' starting rotation this weekend against the Rangers."

Well yeah, he's ready.
Holding Rancho Cucamonga to seven hits in five innings.
He's ready.
Watch out Rangers


"Chris Tillman couldn’t make it out of the opening frame Monday, getting blasted for seven runs – one earned – on five hits and two walks over 2/3 of an inning in a loss to the Twins.
An error by Mark Reynolds saved his ERA, but there’s no sugarcoating this one. Tillman showed improved velocity and held the Mariners scoreless over 8 1/3 innings the last time out, but it’s clear he’s not ready to be on mixed league rosters. If he gets another start, it will come against the Rays."


Speaking of sugarcoating, how's Brandon Belt done playing every day in San Francisco?



"Rick Porcello was tagged for five runs in 5 2/3 innings Monday in a no-decision against the Angels.
Porcello gave up eight hits while striking out five, walking three and hitting a batter. He allowed one run over the first four innings before being touched up for four runs in the fifth. It was his first time allowing more than four earned runs in a start since April 26 against the Mariners. He'll carry a 4.66 ERA into a start against the White Sox this weekend and doesn't come as a recommended option in mixed leagues."



If a sentence has Rick Porcello in it, it is usually accompanied by the word, 'Tagged'.


One 'Matchup' to throw in.
Tonight the Dodgers will be debuting a new pitcher to the Majors.
Stephen Fife.
You already know where I'm going, don't you.....
Tonight he'll face the Phils, but I am waiting for the Cubbies, so I can see the Barney-Fife matchup.

Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine said it's "more than likely" that Josh Beckett (back) will not make his scheduled start Sunday.
"I’d say it’s questionable for him to throw [Friday], which would then make it questionable that he would make his next start, which means he won’t make it, more than likely," said Valentine. The manager added that Beckett felt "much improved" Thursday, but he's "still a little limited in his motion." It's not clear at this point whether he'll require a stint on the DL. Franklin Morales will start Sunday if Beckett can't.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

When Beckett was informed of this he tweeted-
'I'm on the 15th hole. Terrific drive. Putter working well today. Sorry, I can't start.'

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,


Jon Lester was solid in Thursday’s loss to the Twins, allowing three runs on seven hits over his seven frames while racking up seven strikeouts.
Lester displayed brilliant command on the evening and didn’t walk a batter. The Twins broke through with two outs in the third inning, as Denard Span laced an RBI double to right and came around to score on a single from Ben Revere. Ryan Doumit added an RBI double in the sixth to complete the damage. After a brutal month of July where he went 0-3 with a 9.36 ERA over five starts, he’s off to a much better start in August. He’ll look to carry over the momentum from this outing when he takes on the Rangers at home on Tuesday.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Yeah, I'll bet this performance....at home....vs the Twins....and losing...has his owners chomping at the bit to put Lester in their lineups after the Rangers ravaged Angel pitching.
Good one.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,


Travis Hafner is expected to be activated from the paternity leave list Saturday.
Hafner was placed on the paternity leave list Wednesday.
He was present for the birth of his second son. Vinny Rottino is currently holding down his spot on the roster.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,



I read this fast and thought Hafner had named his son, Vinny Rottino.
A cool name.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,



Jeff Francoeur will return to the lineup Friday after receiving four straight days off.
Francouer has just two hits in his last 26 at-bats and has been arguably the worst regular in baseball this season with a .238/.275/.366 batting line. Jarrod Dyson has been filling in for him, and Royals manager Ned Yost said it's possible the two could be used as a platoon. "The thing about this game is, in order to be successful, you have to be productive," Yost said. "If the production is not there, then yeah, it could become a platoon situation. I don’t think we’re there yet."

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Orrrrr, you could call up Will Myers.
Oh, but wait, that may put Omaha's 17 game lead over second place Nashville in jeopardy.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

According to Troy Renck of the Denver Post, the Rockies will announce on Wednesday that they are restructuring their front office responsibilities.Dan O'Dowd will keep the title of general manager, but he'll focus more on the minor leagues and player development side. Meanwhile, assistant GM Bill Geivett will take the title of senior VP of major league operations and will have expanded day-to-day duties with the big league club. O'Dowd, who has been the Rockies GM since September of 1999, will still oversee baseball operations and remain involved in player acquisitions. It's all a bit confusing, but the Rockies clearly need to make some changes.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Just being serious for a moment....
I don't know how this arrangement will work out.
But after reading this, I thought of the Royals.
Dayton Moore has shown that he knows how to run a minor league system.
He has signed all the right players.
And the Royals are stocked with future players.
At the same time, Moore has no clue how to run the parent club. He has shown the same tendencies year after year. He just doesn't get it and it's evident, he never will.
An arrangement like the Rockies are doing could be very beneficial to the Royals.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Dayton Moore staff has got things on the right track in many ways. There is one huge problem. Evaluating pitching and developing pitching. Too many wild bastards that don't know how to pitch. They need to try and replicate what the Oakland staff is able to do. Virtually every guy there knows how to pitch. And they aren't afraid to get rid of guys that are more throwers than pitchers even if they had some success. And they almost always flip that guy for someone that is better in the long run. They certainly deemed Gio expendable even. KC needs to get guys like Oakland does. And they obviously need some bitter pitching evaluators on board to get that accomplished. I really wish there was a feasible way to try and be one of the people to help them do that.

Dan,

Has a rookie who spent the first month in the minor leagues won an MVP award?

Not that I know of, Kevin.
There are only two players who have won MVP and ROY in the same season. That was Freddie Lynn who had a cup of coffee with Boston in '74 before starting '75 with the Sox, and Ichiro who was hardly a 'rookie' and of course never had minor league experience.
It would be one helluva accomplishment.
Two things that could possibly work against him.
1. He died at the end of last year and he'll be playing a lot more this year. It'll be interesting to see if he fades down the stretch.
2. The way Pujols is going, he could be splitting votes with a teammate.

Voting wise, a thing in his favor is that the eastern media behemoths in baseball, the Yankees and Red Sox really have no one candidate that are on the tips of voters tongues, and that Trout hails from New Jersey.

All that said, it's still only the first week of August.

DOUGHBOYS wrote:Not that I know of, Kevin.
There are only two players who have won MVP and ROY in the same season. That was Freddie Lynn who had a cup of coffee with Boston in '74 before starting '75 with the Sox, and Ichiro who was hardly a 'rookie' and of course never had minor league experience.
It would be one helluva accomplishment.
Two things that could possibly work against him.
1. He died at the end of last year and he'll be playing a lot more this year. It'll be interesting to see if he fades down the stretch.
2. The way Pujols is going, he could be splitting votes with a teammate.

Voting wise, a thing in his favor is that the eastern media behemoths in baseball, the Yankees and Red Sox really have no one candidate that are on the tips of voters tongues, and that Trout hails from New Jersey.

All that said, it's still only the first week of August.

There aren’t any players, let alone rookies, which have won the MVP having started the year in the minors. I can’t find any pitchers that would meet that sort of criteria for the Cy Young Award either.

The closest that I would compare Trout to if he won a league award would be Rick Sutcliffe in 1984. Sutcliffe didn’t make his first start in the NL until June 19th after being traded to the Cubs from the Indians. In 20 starts, Sutcliffe went 16-1 and received the NL Cy Young Award. It also helped that it was a weak field of candidates for Sutcliffe to go up against in the balloting, with Rookie Dwight Gooden finishing a distant second.