Month: October 2005 (Page 2 of 12)

      World Series, Game 3: White Sox 7, Astros 5 (14 innings, White Sox lead 3-0)

      October 26, 2005 /

      Even if the White Sox end their curse in much the same way that the Red Sox ended theirs, in a four-game sweep and on the road, history should note that despite the lowest ratings in World Series history, these games have been fantastic. The largest margin of victory so far has been two runs. When was the last time that happened? Even when the Reds stunned the world by sweeping the A’s in 1990, at least one of those games was a bona fide blowout.

      Not these games. They’ve been hard fought defensive gems, with the meanest relief pitching you’re ever likely to see. Bobby Jenks is just ridiculous, with a near unhittable fastball and a curve ball that makes batters curl up in the fetal position. It’s just a pity that they end at 2:20 in the morning.

      People can talk all they want about why this Series is getting such low ratings, since New York and Boston aren’t involved. But Houston and Chicago are currently duking it out over which city is the third largest in the country, which means the other city is the fourth largest. That’s not big enough? No, that’s not the reason these games are rated so low; it’s because they’re all lasting until midnight, and in the case of last night, well beyond midnight. The kids are all in bed well before these games are halfway finished. How is the next generation supposed to get into baseball when it’s never on when they’re awake?

      The Series likely ends tonight. Freddy Garcia against Brandon Backe? Advantage: Sox. But hey, what do I know? I thought that Oswalt would shut them down last night. It’ll be a great night for Chicago, but a bad 20 years for Cubs fans, since they’ll have to endure the vicious taunts of the Sox faithful. Then again, maybe a Sox Series will finally motivate the Tribune Company to do something about their pathetic team. After all, they’re about to start losing money, when ticket jersey sales all tilt the Sox’s way. And nothing is a faster motivator than the loss of money.

      MLB

      Waiver Wire Watch: Week 8

      October 25, 2005 /

      Another week has come and gone, and two more Packers have found themselves on the infirmary list. If you are still trying to fill holes on your fantasy squad, here are a few guys to keep in mind:

      QUARTERBACKS

      Other than Jeff Garcia, Chris Simms, Jamie Martin and Kelly Holcomb, whom I mentioned in last week’s Watch, there is only one potentially attractive option on tap this week.

      Billy Volek, TEN – Steve McNair was a late scratch for the game against the Cardinals and Volek – usually a very capable backup – was knocked out of the game with a concussion. The status of both players is up in the air, but this is a situation to keep your eye on as the QB for the Titans is reasonably valuable.

      RUNNING BACKS

      Tony Fisher, GB – If you haven’t heard, Ahman Green’s season is over. Najeh Davenport would normally replace him, but he’s already out with a season-ending injury. That leaves Tony Fisher, who normally gets playing time on 3rd down. He’s a bit thin for a RB, but is a good receiver out of the backfield and can be productive at times. In the end, he’s now a starting RB and those are hard to find on the waiver wire at this point in the season.

      Frank Gore, SF – The 49ers starting RB, Kevan Barlow, left the game with a leg injury, but is listed as probable for next week’s game. Gore did well in his place, and if he sees more carries than usual in the next game, it may indicate a changing of the guard in San Francisco. I wouldn’t run out and grab Gore at this point, but this is another situation to watch.

      Travis Henry, TEN – Henry is probably not available on your league’s waiver wire, but an impatient owner may have cut him after news of his suspension broke. He is available to play next week and the starter, Chris Brown, was knocked out of the game against Arizona with a neck stinger. Brown is notoriously fragile, so Henry is one of the more valuable backups in the league.

      WIDE RECEIVERS

      I mentioned Jabar Gaffney and Doug Gabriel in last week’s Watch, and they are still good options this week.

      Antonio Chatman, GB – Robert Ferguson is out for 2-4 weeks with a sprained knee, so Chatman’s role figures to increase during that span. He was already productive as the third WR so I expect his numbers to increase a bit while the Packer offense suffers as a whole. Green Bay has a brutal schedule over the next three weeks, so they may be playing from behind for the next month or so.

      Mike Williams, DET – Kevin Johnson is out for the season so the Lions are very thin at WR until Roy Williams and Charles Rogers return. Jeff Garcia is in at QB and seemed to connect well with Mike Williams, who caught five passes for 95 yards on Sunday. I don’t expect that type of production going forward, but Williams might be a good 1-2 week option.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Need some sleepers?

      October 24, 2005 /

      In the world of fantasy sports, anyone can make solid picks in the first few rounds. It’s the middle to late rounds where championship squads are born. Here are a few sleepers (all being selected, on average, in the 8th round or later) that I’m trying to pick as the draft wears on.

      GUARDS

      T.J. Ford, MIL
      After a terrific career at the University of Texas, Ford was drafted #8 overall by a Milwaukee Bucks team in need of a point guard. Known to be lightning quick and a great distributor, the two big knocks on him are his size and lack of shooting touch. He didn’t do anything in his rookie season to dispel either, shooting just .384 from the field before going down with a season-ending spinal cord injury. But the injury might have been a blessing in disguise for Ford, who rehabbed with former NBA coach/player John Lucas. Lucas wisely decided to reinvent Ford’s jumpshot so that Ford wouldn’t have to go to the hole to be a scoring threat. Fast forward to this preseason and, through four games, he’s averaging 13 points and six assists while shooting .474 from the field. I think those numbers are reasonable expectations for the season, putting him at the level of Jamal Tinsley and Luke Ridnour, who are both going a few rounds ahead of him.

      Jason Williams, MIA
      I’m not a big fan of all the extra flash in his game, and he seems like a mental lightweight (as evidence, I submit his official picture here. But one thing is for sure: he’s a talented ballhandler. That’s not to say he’s efficient – his career assist to turnover ratio (2.7) is worse than converted shooting guard Jason Terry’s ratio (2.9) last season – but he can handle the ball. After stints in Sacramento and Memphis, Williams has landed in Miami and is slated to start alongside Dwayne Wade and Shaquille O’Neal for the Heat. It is unclear if this lineup is going to work in the long term, but if Williams is able to play the role of the third or fourth option on offense, he should be able to rack up a ton of assists and improve on his career .390 field goal percentage. Thus far in the preseason, he hasn’t shown this potential, so he’s still considered a high risk pick. If he manages to fit in, I think 11 points and seven assists are within reach.

      Bonzi Wells, SAC
      After a couple of lackluster seasons in Memphis, Wells finds himself in a contract year and starting for the Sacramento Kings. He supposedly going to get 40 minutes a game and if he receives that kind of playing time, he should be able to improve on his career averages of 12.7 ppg, 4.4 rpg and 2.2 apg. Since he’s being drafted on average in the tenth round, that’s pretty good production. There is nothing quite like a contract year to get a malcontent like Wells motivated to perform.

      Raja Bell, PHO
      If you’ve already drafted, there’s a good chance that Bell is still in your free agent pool. This offseason, the Suns let Joe Johnson and Quentin Richardson sign elsewhere, and lost Amare Stoudemire for at least four months of the season. That’s an awful lot of points to replace. They signed Bell and have him as their starting shooting guard, and in six preseason games, he’s averaging 14 points, four boards and three assists. If Phoenix continues to have success with their up-tempo offense, he should be able to take these numbers well into the season. Not bad for a guy you can get in the final round of your draft.

      FORWARDS

      Josh Childress, ATL
      Picked sixth overall in the 2004 NBA draft, Childress had the opportunity to play and improve in his rookie season with the Hawks. Over the last eleven games of last season, he averaged 16 points, seven boards and three assists. The free agent signing of Joe Johnson will surely change the dynamics in Atlanta, but there will still be ample minutes for Childress. Through five preseason games, he’s averaging 15 points, five boards and three assists per, while shooting .617 from the field. The accuracy should regress, but the other numbers should tick up a bit as he gets regular season minutes.

      Stromile Swift, HOU
      The Rockets signed Swift in the offseason to act as a hard-nosed, rebounding compliment to Yao Ming. At the moment, it appears that he will be coming off the bench, but it is expected that he will receive a good amount of time playing behind Juwan Howard. In his last three seasons in Memphis, he didn’t receive more than 22.1 minutes over the course of the season, but he should get a minimum of 25 in Houston. In the twenty games last season where he played that many minutes, he averaged 15 points, seven boards and more than two blocks. His career FG % (.468) is less than spectacular but his FT % (.712) isn’t bad for a big man. He is also eligible at center in many fantasy leagues, which only adds to his value.

      Al Jefferson, BOS
      Jefferson entered the 2004 draft straight out of high school and was promptly selected #15 overall by the Boston Celtics. With only Raef LaFrentz and Mark Blount ahead of him on the depth chart, he figures to see a lot more minutes this season. He is the team’s best low post threat and should make a nice compliment to Paul Pierce and Ricky Davis on the wings. He has appeared in two preseason games and posted a total of 18 points and seven boards in 36 minutes. If he gets 30 minutes a game, he should score in the 15-17 range while grabbing 7-8 rebounds.

      Michael Sweetney, CHI
      Obtained from the Knicks in the offseason, Sweetney is slated to start at power forward for the Bulls. It appears that Chicago got a nice player in Sweetney, and he should be the team’s main low post threat as center Tyson Chandler isn’t much of an option on offense. Last season’s All-Star break, Sweetney averaged nine points and six rebounds on .530 shooting. Through six preseason games, he’s averaging 11 points and six boards. He’s also a good free throw shooter for a big man – he’s nailed .861 of his attempts in the preseason.

      Josh Howard, DAL
      Howard inexplicably fell to #29 in the 2003 draft, where the Mavericks jumped on him. Apparently, being the ACC Player of the Year doesn’t hold as much water as it used to. Regardless, Howard has turned into a good pro, averaging 13 points and six boards last season while logging heavy minutes for the Mavs. With the departure of Michael Finley, I suspect Howard’s scoring to increase some while he remains the team’s perimeter stopper.

      CENTERS

      Zaza Pachulia, ATL
      The Hawks signed Pachulia in the offseason to be their starting center and through five preseason games, he’s averaging 13 points and six boards. A hard-worker/overachiever type, Pachulia gives maximum effort when he plays. He’s not very athletic, so he won’t give you very many blocks, but he’s a great free throw shooter (.746) at the center position. Since opportunity is a big part of the fantasy success equation, Zaza should be a good fantasy backup as the season wears on.

      Kwame Brown, LAL
      Ah, good ol’ Kwame Brown. Every year, countless experts list him as a sleeper and each year he doesn’t fail to disappoint. He had a rough go of it in Washington and I think the change of scenery will do him good. He’s slated to start at power forward for the Lakers, but is also eligible at center in most fantasy leagues. The Lakers will need him to produce and I think Phil Jackson will be able to coax out most of his potential. Over the first six preseason games, he’s averaging 11 points and six boards and I expect those numbers to grow to 13 and seven before the season is through.

      Joel Przybilla, POR
      As a Bucks fan I loath writing this paragraph, but if the guy is a sleeper a guy is a sleeper, and you deserve to know about him. After being drafted #9 in the 2000 NBA draft, it was safe to write of Przybilla as a bust. He did next to nothing in Milwaukee, but after being traded to Portland, he had a renaissance of sorts, averaging nine points, 10 boards and three blocks for the Trail Blazers after the All Star break. His career free throw shooting (.473) will kill you, but his field goal percentage (.533) is terrific. So what’s the key to his success? He admitted he was lazy and got a trainer. After dropping 45 pounds he became a beast on the boards. His increased spryness also enabled him to block more shots. This guy is a great pick in the 8th round if you need a center.

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA

      The Los Angeles Saints?

      October 24, 2005 /

      ESPN’s Chris Mortensen has reported that the Saints have probably played their last game in New Orleans. The city is seen as a struggling small market and there were talks of the Saints moving even before Hurricane Katrina. The Saints will probably play next season in San Antonio with a possible move to Los Angeles on the horizon.

      Since the Rams and Raiders left, the NFL has been dying to put a franchise in the country’s second biggest market, but the city wasn’t able to get its act together in recent years and lost out to Houston for the league’s 32nd (and possibly final) team. Now the city is the first to be mentioned whenever a franchise is thought to be moving. As a SoCal resident (living in Orange County), I’d like to see a team relocate either to Anaheim or to a site somewhere along the LA County and Orange County border. It’s a sad situation, but given all the other entertainment possibilities in the area, I think residents of both counties need to have access to the team in order for the NFL to thrive in Southern California. And they need to do what the Browns did when they moved to Baltimore – change their nickname. Somehow, the LA Saints doesn’t sound quite right, unless you’re trying to be ironic.

      NFL

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