Mendoza Never Looked So Good

[DOUGHBOYS]

Maybin, Phillips, Alb Gonzalez

Betancourt, Hart, Lucroy

Aviles, Treanor, AL Escobar

Posada, Martin, Gardner

Peguero, Ryan, Saunders

Wieters, Reynolds, Hardy

Loney, Barajas, Sands

Doumit, Wood, Cedeno

SRodriguez, DJohnson, Jaso

Brantley, LaPorta, Hannahan

Lowrie, Crawford, Salty

Arencibia, McDonald, RDavis

Nix, Espinoza, Hairston Jr.

Freeman, McLouth, DHernandez

Francisco, Orr, Sardinha

Ellis, LaRoche, Pennington

Murphy, Napoli, Gentry

Gomes, Cairo, Hanigan

Hall, CJohnson, Quintero

Molina, Punto, Descalso

Pena, Castro, Soto

Boesch, Inge, Avila

Tosoni, Hughes, Butera

Bay, Paulino, Pridie

SSmith, Ianetta, Stewart

Rios, Beckham, Morel

Trumbo, Mathis, Bourjos

Montero, Miranda, Parra

Ross, Rowand, DeRosa



Now, I know it is just a snapshot in time, but the list of names above are the hitters that hit in the last three spots in their lineups last night.

Look at 'em. It's like looking at your mother-in-law, you see a little good, but the bad just takes over.

By my own personal count, of the 90 players, there are 27 who we could have counted on to have a good year. There are 25 that we drafted knowing they'd probably end up in this part of the lineup, and there is a whopping 38 who we believed would have no fantasy relevance before the season started.

Offensively, if a player has no fantasy relevance, then he is just a guppie for the pitching sharks who are trolling the waters looking for strike outs.

It is no wonder this is another pitchers year.



23 catchers are on this list. McCann, Suzuki, Pierzynski, Posey, Ramos, Olivo, and Santana were the only ones to avoid the bottom of the lineup. Even so, Pierzynski wasn't listed because of underperformance by Rios and Beckham. Ramos because of injury. And Olivo because the Seattle lineup is so bad that he is there cleanup hitter.



Stanton, Buck, and Infante shows that the Marlins have a very underrated offense, and that is with Logan Morrison on the d.l.

The Cubs last three of Pena, Castro, and Soto look good, but the Cubs have a lineup of number six hitters. They have no leadoff hitter, no best hitter, no cleanup hitter, just, number six hitters.



Being puzzled at the lack of runs scored by some very good hitters in the middle of lineups, I looked for answers.

Question answered.

There are starting staffs that are good 1-5 like the Braves, Phillies, and Giants.

Lineups, however, are getting worse from 1-8 and 1-9. Even with Crawford, Rios, Lowrie, and Posada being in the bottom of these lineups, Mike Stanton may be the only hitter that some pitchers may fear.



It looks like we have the year of Mendoza.

As of now, there are a whopping 39 players with at least 50 at bats who are hitting at or below the Mendoza line.

Jorge Posada is hitting .147, but that is more than twice what Ian Stewart is hitting at .064

.064!

Stewart is getting a hit every 19 times at bat. There are 40 players who are hitting a home run every 19 times at bat.



What does this say about our fantasy game?

Are we getting closer to the dark side that is fantasy football?

With a surplus of good pitching and lack of hitters, If we lose a proven hitter, are we closer to taking such a big punch in our lineup that it equates to the fantasy football injury?

I don't think so....at least, yet. But, with the problems hitters are having and the lack of decent hitters on the bench and brought up from the minors,we are getting closer.



So, who has the worst of it at the bottom of the order?

I agree that the Maybin/Phillips/Alberto Gonzalez trio is appetizing to a pitcher, but I'd want to face the Peguero/Ryan/ Saunders threesome before them.

But, neither takes the brass ring.

I thought that a threesome of Roseann Barr, Rosie O'Donnell, and Larry King would be ugly, but in a baseball sense, the threesome of Tosoni, Hughes, and Butera makes them tolerable.



If this were Little League, parents would be besieging baseball powers to lower the Mendoza line so that feelings aren't hurt.



For those that need to go the concession stand or the bathroom during a ballgame, go when the bottom part of the lineup is up, you won't miss a thing.



[ May 11, 2011, 11:53 AM: Message edited by: DOUGHBOYS ]

[Paul Gromek]

good stuff.



Also, I've never seen a rash of injuries to position players like I have this season.



Every team (and probably every fantasy team too) has at least one guy with an oblique strain.