Category: MLB (Page 256 of 448)

      New Yankee Stadium to be antimicrobial

      March 12, 2009 /

      Apparently most of new Yankee Stadium will be koodie-free:

      The New York Yankees announced Wednesday the new Yankee Stadium will become the first antimicrobial facility in Major League Baseball.

      The system is a comprehensive process that kills illness-causing microorganisms, and continually inhibits the growth of bacteria, mold and fungi on any surface for up to three years, officials said.

      Areas of the stadium to be treated include the home and visiting club houses, locker rooms, training rooms, dugouts, showers, managers and coaches offices, weight-training areas and family lounge. Additionally, the team’s washable fabrics will be treated with FabricAid, Behar said.

      The SportsAide 1000 system is used by more than 1,200 high schools and pro franchises nationwide for several reasons, but most importantly because the water-based antimicrobial fights a wide array of microbial growth, said Craig Andrews, chief executive officer of CSG.

      No word yet on if the fans will benefit from the same antimicrobial treatment in the public areas.

      Well that’s convenient now isn’t it? The million dollar athletes don’t have to worry about bacteria, mold and fungi, but the poor bastards in Section 128, Row F will be just as exposed to germs as ever. Awesome.

      MLB

      2009 Fantasy Baseball Preview: Outfielders

      March 10, 2009 /

      All 2009 Fantasy Articles | 2009 Position Rankings

      The great thing about addressing your outfielder positions on draft day is that there are so many to choose from that chances are if you don’t like one facet about a certain player (i.e. age, inexperience, he plays for the Red Sox and you’re a Yankees fan, etc.), you can move on to one of the many other choices available.

      Conversely, with so many players to choose from, you’re liable to stick your head in an oven in order to avoid having to decide between which outfielders will explode and which will wind up on your league’s wavier wire after making you suffer for the first couple months of the season.

      The nice thing about having so many choices for outfielders is that you can draft certain players to fill certain needs. As your roster starts to take shape on draft day, if you desire more power, then there are plenty of outfielders that can address that specific need. If your team is lacking speed, there are outfielders that you can target to rack up stolen bases. And if you were able to draft for both speed and power in previous rounds, then adding a couple outfielders that can hit for average will only help you in the long run.

      That said, if you’re smart, you’ll pinpoint the outfielders that can do it all. Sure, they might not excel in any one area, but over the course of the season if you can land a guy that can spread out his production in home runs, RBIs, runs and average, it will do wonders for your team in the end. After all, balance is key in fantasy baseball and after you land your studs early on, you’re going to need to complete your roster with players that can produce in all areas.

      With a huge pool of outfielders to choose from, there are plenty of players that will give you the balance you’ll need all season. We’ve picked out a few below (that you’ll find in both middle and late rounds), so take a look and keep an eye on them come draft day. And for the sake of not insulting your intelligence, we didn’t list any of the outfielders in our top 15 (see the rankings below). There’s no sense waxing poetically about Ryan Braun, Grady Sizemore and Matt Holliday when you already know what they can do.

      Alex Rios, Toronto Blue Jays
      Rios flashed power in 2007 and speed in 2008 and if he can put everything together this season, 2009 could be a very good year fantasy-wise for the Blue Jay right fielder. If Rios falls into your lap after the top 15 outfielders come of the board, you probably won’t be disappointed. He should close in on a .290 batting average, 20 home runs, 100 runs and 90 RBI, all while stealing 25 bases. When we talk about finding balance in outfielders, Rios is exactly what we’re talking about.

      Vladimir Guerrero, Los Angeles Angels
      Vlad might not be the player he was a couple of years ago, but don’t be the one that passes on him because you’re worried about his age. He’ll still hit over .300 and chip in 25-plus home runs, 100-plus RBIs and 85-plus runs. He won’t steal any bases, but he doesn’t strike out much and he’ll likely finish with a slugging percentage around .530.

      Magglio Ordonez, Detroit Tigers
      Ordonez is another player that you might pass up due to age, but don’t forget that he hits in the same lineup that features Miguel Cabrera, Curtis Granderson and Gary Sheffield so he still has a ton of value fantasy-wise. Similar to Guerrero’s production, Mags will hit over .300, drive in over 100 runs and finish with 20-25 home runs if he can stay healthy. And much like Vlad, Ordonez won’t give you anything in the stolen base department but he’ll finish with a slugging percentage in the .520-range and score 80-plus runs.

      Shane Victorino, Philadelphia Phillies
      If this guy can stay healthy, he’s going to be a hell of a fantasy player and could be in store for a solid season. Victorino lacks elite power, but he’ll still hit 10-plus dingers, score 95-plus runs and hit in the .280-range. He won’t knock in many runs, but he’ll make up for it by stealing 35-plus bases and add 7-plus triples.

      Jermaine DyeJermaine Dye, Chicago White Sox
      If Dye comes close to what he did last year (.292-34-96-96), then you’ll be more than happy to add him as your second outfielder. Dye loves hitting at U.S. Cellular and while he won’t hit for average like Vlad or Mags will, he’ll produce seven to 10 more dingers. The only disadvantage of drafting him is that he obviously doesn’t have much upside. He is what he is at this point in his career, so don’t expect better than what he produced last year, which certainly isn’t bad by any means but there’s not much to get excited about either.

      Vernon Wells, Toronto Blue Jays
      By this point, everyone knows the book on Wells; if he can stay healthy, he has the capability of being a top 20 pick, but you can draft him as a top 30 pick. If avoids the injury bug, he’ll close in on .285, hit 20-plus home runs and score 75-plus runs. He doesn’t offer much in the RBI category, but he’s always knocking on the door of a huge season and worth a look if other owners in your league avoid him like the plague on draft day.

      J.D. Drew, Boston Red Sox
      This guy terrifies us, as well as he should terrify you. But there’s no doubt he can hit and in that lineup, Drew will have the opportunity to knock in close to 80 RBIs, score 80-plus runs and hit close to 20 dingers. He’ll also sniff .285 and chip in 30-plus doubles. The only problem, of course, is that he’s always a stubbed toe away from landing on the DL and he’s already complaining about his back. Be afraid…be very afraid. Still, there’s no doubt Drew offers a ton of value late in your draft.

      Hideki MatsuiHideki Matsui, New York Yankees
      There will probably be a point during your draft when you see Matsui’s name staring you in the face and you might be tempted to pass. Depending on what round it is and how your draft has shaken out to that point, Matsui could be a great low risk, high reward player. He’s coming off knee surgery, but he also will see plenty of time at DH this season with the Yankees, which hopefully will keep him healthier. If he does stay healthy throughout, there’s no reason he can’t hit .300 with 15-plus home runs and chip in 80 RBI and 80 runs.

      Xavier Nady, New York Yankees
      We’ll give you the bad news first; Nady plays in an awfully crowded outfield in New York and you have to be concerned about guys like Melky Cabrera stealing his at bats. But the good news is that he’s in a contract year and could flourish hitting in a stacked lineup. (Although A-Rod is set to miss up to 10 weeks so that certainly doesn’t help.) Nady will likely close in on .280, hit 20-25 home runs and score 70-plus runs. You could do a lot worse late in the draft.

      Fred Lewis, San Francisco Giants
      Lewis is a sleeper and could be a great value late in your draft following a breakout year of sorts in 2008. He’ll move into the third spot in the lineup sandwiched between Edgar Renteria and Benglie Molina, thus having the opportunity to score close to 90 runs while sniffing a .280 batting average. Unfortunately he probably won’t rack up a ton of RBIs, but he’ll more than make up for it with 20-25 stolen bases and he’ll even chip in 10-15 home runs and 10 triples. Not bad for a late round pick.

      1. Grady Sizemore, CLE
      2. Ryan Braun, MIL
      3. Carlos Beltran, NYM
      4. Carlos Quentin, CHW
      5. Alfonso Soriano, CHC
      6. Carlos Lee, HOU
      7. Josh Hamilton, TEX
      8. B.J. Upton, TB
      9. Carl Crawford, TB
      10. Matt Holliday, OAK
      11. Ichiro Suzuki, SEA
      12. Nick Markakis, OAK
      13. Matt Kemp, LAD
      14. Manny Ramirez, LAD
      15. Jason Bay, BOS
      16. Alex Rios, TOR
      17. Shane Victorino, PHI
      18. Nate McLouth, PIT
      19. Vladimir Guerrero, LAA
      20. Jacoby Ellsbury, BOS
      21. Curtis Granderson, DET
      22. Magglio Ordonez, DET
      23. Adam Dunn, WAS
      24. Jermaine Dye, CHW
      25. Corey Hart, MIL
      26. Bobby Abreu, LAA
      27. Ryan Ludwick,
      28. Jay Bruce, CIN
      29. Vernon Wells, TOR
      30. Raul Ibanez, PHI
      31. Johnny Damon, NYY
      32. Hunter Pence, HOU
      33. Brad Hawpe, COL
      34. Torii Hunter, LAA
      35. Chris Young, ARI
      36. Milton Bradley, CHC
      37. Lastings Milledge, WAS
      38. Andre Ethier, LAD
      39. Pat Burrell, TB
      40. Jayson Werth, PHI
      41. Conor Jackson, ARI
      42. Xavier Nady, NYY
      43. Nelson Cruz, TEX
      44. Justin Upton, ARI
      45. Fred Lewis, SF
      46. Mark DeRosa, CLE
      47. J.D. Drew, BOS
      48. Coco Crisp, KC
      49. Rick Ankiel, STL
      50. Adam Jones, BAL
      51. Shin-Soo Choo, CLE
      52. Carlos Gomez, MIN
      53. Cameron Maybin, FLA
      54. Hideki Matsui, NYY
      55. Willy Taveras, CIN
      56. Denard Span, MIN
      57. Elijah Dukes, WAS
      58. Adam Lind, TOR
      59. Mike Cameron, MIL
      60. Juan Pierre, LAD
      61. Jason Kubel, MIN
      62. Jack Cust, OAK
      63. Randy Winn, SF
      64. Jeremy Hermida, FLA
      65. Felipe Lopez, ARI
      66. Travis Snider, TOR
      67. Mat LaPorta, CLE
      68. Chase Headley, SD
      69. Jose Guillen, KC
      70. Michael Bourn, HOU
      71. David DeJesus, KC
      72. Gary Sheffield, DET
      73. Ryan Spillborghs, COL
      74. Ryan Church, NYM
      75. Ty Wigginton, BAL
      76. Aaron Rowand, SF
      77. Brian Giles, SD
      78. Eric Byrnes, ARI
      79. Michael Cuddyer, MIN
      80. Ken Griffey, SEA

      Fantasy Baseball, MLB

      Clemens evidence tests positive for banned substances

      March 10, 2009 /

      Turns out, Roger Clemens might have been lying all along about not taking performance enhancing drugs. Who would have thought?

      Federal authorities investigating Roger Clemens on perjury charges have found performance-enhancing substances on the drug paraphernalia that his former trainer said he used to inject Clemens, according to people briefed on the case.

      The discovery of the substances could bolster the claims of the trainer, Brian McNamee, that he used the various items — including syringes, vials and gauze pads — to inject Clemens with steroids and human growth hormone.

      If the federal prosecutors move to indict Clemens and seek to use the substances found on the drug paraphernalia as evidence, Clemens’s lawyers are expected to question their authenticity and the chain of custody. Clemens’s lead lawyer, Rusty Hardin, said Monday night that he was not surprised to learn that performance-enhancing substances had been found.

      “Duh,” he said with exaggeration. “Do you really think McNamee was going to fabricate this stuff and not make sure there were substances on there? The fact is Roger never used steroids or H.G.H.”

      Clemens has been an arrogant S.O.B. the moment his name was linked to banned substances so even though it’s painful to back a weasel like McNamee, I’m rooting for the evidence to prove the Rocket has been lying this entire time. They’re both liars, but Clemens has just been so smug this entire time that it would be nice to see him put in his place. By the looks of the comment above, Clemens’ lawyer is arrogant and smug, too.

      MLB

      Alex Rodiguez has torpedoed my fantasy draft strategy

      March 9, 2009 /

      All 2009 Fantasy Articles | 2009 Position Rankings

      The collective groan you heard when Alex Rodriguez announced that he would have “hybrid” surgery to repair his injured hip was not solely the work of the Yankee faithful. The ramifications in fantasy circles are staggering, especially if you, like me, happen to have the fifth pick in your draft.

      Just a few days ago, I thought I had my draft strategy all figured out. The first round would simply be a matter of which of the Big Five (Hanley, Reyes, Pujols, A-Rod, Wright) fell to me. The mock drafts I conducted a few weeks ago indicated that Wright would be my guy, which was fine with me. The post-surgery view from the five-hole, however, is bleak. The Big Five is now the Big Four – Rodriguez is currently sitting at #49 in my draft room – and whichever player I take with my first pick now feels like a reach. However, after doing some stat sorting, I found my guy. He’s a former MVP with pop and speed. So why don’t I want to take him?

      Because it’s the same guy I drafted with my first pick last year: Jimmy Rollins.

      Before you Philly fanatics start throwing batteries at me, let me state for the record that I think Rollins is a damn fine ball player (obviously, or I wouldn’t have drafted him last year). My reluctance to take him is something that sabremetricians never factor into their projections: keeper fatigue. Truth be told, I’m kind of bored with Rollins. I was really looking forward to owning Wright, or Rodriguez, or someone else, anyone else, besides Rollins. It’s nothing personal; his stats are phenomenal, especially at one of the thinnest positions in the game. I just wanted some variety.

      So why not draft someone else, then? Grady Sizemore is sitting at #6, screaming my name. He’s 27 – unlike rock stars, 27 is a great year to be a baseball player – and has 40-40 written all over him (plus, my wife thinks he’s cute). So why not take him? Two words: position scarcity. Actually, here are two more words: points league. I play in a league that keeps track of 34 different stats (17 for hitters, 17 for pitchers), and the combination of various hits plus stolen bases minus strikeouts, errors and getting caught stealing (once, when I was five) produces some strange results. Case in point: Johnny Damon scored more points last year than Aramis Ramirez, Miguel Cabrera and even Ryan Howard. Rollins, like Damon, isn’t as sexy a pick as he once was, but the simple fact is that it’s a lot harder to find a shortstop that can score over 500 points (there are three) than it is to find an outfielder (18) or first baseman (seven) that can do the same. In fact, the gulf between Rollins and the next shortstop is nearly 150 points. He was even injured last year, and still outscored the next shortstop by 90 points. The gap between Sizemore and the next outfielder, by comparison, is 30 points, so I can definitely get Sizemore-type production in the second or third round. It’s a no-brainer, really.

      And I still don’t want to do it. Ugh.

      That’s only half of my dilemma, though; what on earth do I do with Rodriguez? He had the surgery today and is scheduled to return in early May. There is just one problem: we have no idea when he’ll really return, and what kind of frame of mind he’ll be in when he does. Will the steroids talk have died down for good – insert your own “injury” conspiracy theory here – or will another wave of bad press hit between now and then? Personally, I’m not counting on him playing a game until Memorial Day, but will the other managers downgrade him as much as I am? It’s like playing Texas Hold ‘Em with baseball players. Hmmm, maybe that’s why there has been so much pious talk about how disappointed everyone is with Rodriguez because he tarnished the game, or whatever. People just want to devalue him so they can steal him in the seventh round.

      But is even that a safe pick? There are dozens of other, healthier, and most importantly younger players out there. Would a full season of a lesser player be better than four and a half months of Rodriguez? Or are injuries overrated when it comes to the studs? After all, I passed up Pujols in the second round last year because I thought he was one bean ball away from Tommy John Surgery on that elbow of his. Man, did he show me.

      So let me hear it, fellow fantasy dorks. What are you planning on doing with A-Rod? Avoiding him altogether, or waiting until the price is right? And what is the right price?

      Fantasy Baseball, MLB, News

      Are the Yankees better off without A-Rod?

      March 9, 2009 /

      Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.com writes that there is no way the Bronx Bombers are better off without A-Rod in the lineup.

      The Yankees need him — badly. They can find a stopgap at third base and patch together a lineup while he misses the first part of the season. But if Rodriguez does not return from hip surgery as the A-Rod of old — or something close to it — then the team will be in trouble.

      Rodriguez, Jason Giambi, Bobby Abreu — all posted on-base percentages of .370 or better last season while combining for 87 homers and 299 RBIs. Giambi and Abreu left as free agents. Rodriguez is now questionable. Mark Teixeira cannot replace all three.

      The offense already had offensive issues; the Yankees finished only seventh in the American League in runs last season. Jorge Posada and Hideki Matsui are coming off surgeries. Either Brett Gardner or Melky Cabrera will likely be a below-average producer in center field. And Teixeira, for all his gifts, is a .259 career hitter in April.

      The Yankees should be far better at run prevention now that they’ve added CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett to their starting rotation, and the return of a healthy Rodriguez in May would make them reasonably whole.

      But no one should assume that Rodriguez will simply return to his normal level of production, not when he will require further surgery at the end of the season.

      Anyone who thinks the Yanks will be better without A-Rod is dreaming. Their pitching staff has dramatically improved over last year’s staff, but it’s hard to replace a bat like A-Rod’s (he hit .302 last year with 35 dingers and 103 RBI) with Cody Ransom, even with guys like Teixeira, Posada and Jeter in the lineup.

      Maybe the clubhouse will be free of distraction without Rodriguez present, but the current Yankee players will still have to field questions about A-Rod’s absence and his steroid issues no matter what. Granted, those questions should fade after a while, but Rodriguez will return at some point and then the circus will start up again.

      The bottom line is that the Yanks need A-Rod’s bat if they want to compete with the Red Sox, Rays and Angels this year in the AL.

      MLB

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