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      Does La Russa have it bad for Holliday?

      July 24, 2009 /

      Jon Heyman of SI.com writes on his Twitter page that Cardinals manager Tony La Russa “badly” wants A’s outfielder Matt Holliday. And that’s not all, apparently St. Louis would also be willing to part with minor leaguer Brett Wallace, who was Baseball America’s 40th-best prospect entering the season.

      Holliday-to-St. Louis is starting to pick up steam and it appears that the Cardinals have jumped in front of other teams to acquire his services. With Holliday set to become a free agent at the end of the season and still owed $6 million on his contract this year, Oakland GM Billy Beane would like to move him before the July 31 trade deadline. So if he can acquire a top prospect like Wallace, then it’s hard to believe he wouldn’t pull the trigger.

      What helps Beane in this case is that Holliday is starting to swing a hot bat. Through Thursday night’s action, he’s hitting .286 with 11 home runs and 54 RBI. That’s a stark improvement from earlier this season, when he was struggling to even top .260.

      Holliday would be a solid addition to the Cardinals’ lineup, one in which needs a bat to help protect Albert Pujols in the lineup. And Holliday would not only make Pujols better, but also other contributors like Mark DeRosa and Ryan Ludwick as well.

      MLB

      Report: Vick to be suspended four games for 2009 season

      July 23, 2009 /

      According to a report by ESPN.com, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has decided to suspend Michael Vick for four games of the 2009 season, but said the free agent quarterback is free to sign with any team and can attend training camp. ESPN states that Goodell is expected to wait until early next week before officially announcing the decision.

      So much for some folks thinking that Vick was going to be suspended for eight or even 16 full games this season. Everyone has the right to have their own opinion on whether or not Goodell let Vick off easy, but don’t forget that the former Falcon has already spent 23 months in jail, which is something Pacman Jones, Chris Henry, Tank Johnson never did before serving their suspensions from the commissioner.

      Now the waiting game for Vick begins. Which team will ultimately decide to sign Vick and all of his baggage? Will he even be signed? To some, it’s already a foregone conclusion that some team will take a flier on him, but don’t forget that with signing Vick, a team also opens the door to immense criticism from their fan base, not too mention the media attention that inevitable circus that will follow him once he’s signed.

      Personally, I still like the Raiders, Seahawks or 49ers as his possible landing spots. The Raiders because Al Davis is clinically insane (he has to be right?) and could care less about what people think. The Seahawks because new head coach Jim Mora personally held Vick’s jock strap for him on the sidelines when he was in Atlanta. And the 49ers because if there’s one person that could truly help Vick turn his life around, I think it’s Mike Singletary. (Oh, and because Shaun Hill is expected to start at quarterback for San Fran…not that he’s not good…eeeh.)

      NFL

      Rays pursuing Tribe ace Cliff Lee?

      July 23, 2009 /

      According to a report by Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.com, the Indians are apparently considering trading ace Cliff Lee to the Rays for a couple of minor league prospects. Who those prospects are, however, seem to be the sticking point in Tampa pulling the trigger.

      The article reports that Cleveland GM Mark Shapiro is asking for multiple high-end prospects in return for Lee, and that Shapiro specifically has his eyes set on Class AAA Durham pitcher Wade Davis. But the Rays value Davis, who is 8-6 with a 3.22 ERA in the minors this season and has a fastball that reaches 95 mph.

      Along with Davis, we’re also hearing rumblings that the Tribe want 22-year-old outfield prospect Desmond Jennings as part of the package for Lee. Much like some of the other outfielders (i.e. Carl Crawford and B.J. Upton) that have come up through Tampa’s farm system, Jennings is big, strong and incredibly fast, but he’s raw and he would need some more polishing in the minors before eventually making his major league debut.

      It’ll be interesting to see if the Rays and Indians can come together on a trade for Lee and what the eventual compensation would be. Considering Scott Kazmir’s performance/injury troubles this season, Lee would be a tremendous addition to their rotation and could help close the gap between them and the Yankees and Red Sox.

      MLB

      White Sox’s Buehrle throws perfect game

      July 23, 2009 /

      With a ton of help from centerfielder Dewayne Wise, White Sox’s starter Mark Buehrle threw a perfect game Thursday against the Rays. He already had a no-hitter on his resume and the perfect game came after throwing 116 pitches and striking out six.

      Wise (who was a defensive replacement that inning…nice work, Ozzie Guillen) made the play of the year in the ninth inning, racing back on a Gabe Kapler shot to left-center that looked like it was going to be a home run. Wise leaped up against the wall, robbed Kapler of the dinger and then hung onto the ball (while falling to the ground) barehanded after it popped out of his glove. If you haven’t seen this play yet, do yourself a favor and turn on ESPN News and check it out, because that catch is going to be talked about all season.

      It’s amazing how much Buehrle’s perfect game parallels Giants’ starter Jonathan Sanchez’s no-hitter from a couple weeks ago. Sanchez had a no-hitter going into the ninth (he missed the perfect game after Juan Uribe booted a grounder at third) and after retiring the first batter in the inning, allowed a near-home run that centerfielder Aaron Rowand had to snag while crashing into the wall a la Wise.

      Another similarity from the two outings is that catcher Eli Whiteside had never caught Sanchez before his no-hitter. Ironically, Ramon Castro had not caught Buhrle this season before his perfect game. One more: both guys did it in their home parks. Pretty cool.

      What a phenomenal accomplishment from one of the more steady starters of his time. Jayson Stark of ESPN said it best (and I’m paraphrasing here): ‘Buehrle is what pitching is all about. He mixes his pitches so well and he doesn’t try and strike guys out – he pitches to contact.’

      Well said. I’ll add that this guy doesn’t throw 95 mph (he doesn’t even throw 90 mph on most occasions), but he just knows how to pitch. He works the count, he works at a fast tempo and he’s incredibly smart. He’s been solid his entire career and young pitchers could certainly learn from this guy.

      MLB

      Surprises and Busts: Trying to predict the unpredictable in fantasy football

      July 23, 2009 /

      Most fantasy owners draft a running back in the first round and oftentimes their season depends on how that player fares. If he misses a few games with an injury and is bothered by it for a few more, his production will suffer and it will put his fantasy team in a tough spot. This can be offset if his owner is savvy enough to draft one of the “surprise” backs that inevitably crash the top 10 every season.

      But how does one pluck one of these backs out of the middle rounds? Better yet, how can we avoid drafting an early round bust in the first place?

      As a forewarning, this is not a tight article. I ponder, deliberate and meander as I go along. Trying to predict the future is nebulous at best and futile at worst, so please bear with me as I muddle my way through this topic.

      Here’s a list of the top RBs from 2008…

      Continue reading »

      Fantasy Football, NFL

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