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World Series, Game 1: White Sox 5, Astros 3 (Chicago leads 1-0)

October 23, 2005 / David Medsker

It’s funny, given the guys that started the game (Clemens, Contreras), you would have expected much more of a pitchers’ duel between these two. In fact, both pitchers were knocked around pretty early; after two innings, the score was 3-3, and find me an oddsmaker who thought that would happen. The difference, though, was that Clemens left after the 2nd with a hamstring injury, and Contreras stayed on until the 8th.

The truth is, as much catch-up ball as Houston played (Lance Berkman’s 2RBI double silenced the Comiskey faithful, at least for a little while), this was Chicago’s game to lose, and they knew it. As soon as Clemens left the game, the Sox were in control. Wandy Rodriguez walked way too many people, and the Houston bats sure as hell didn’t have an answer for the Sox bullpen. They had runners on first and third, with nobody out, and didn’t score. Strikeout, strikeout, strikeout. That’s pathetic. I don’t care if Jenks can throw 100 mph. So could Kyle Farnsworth, and people have never had any problem hitting him.

The funniest part about the game was the fact that Jeff Bagwell, starting his first postseason game this year, was the one who was plunked twice. Not Craig Biggio, the one who holds the MLB record for most plunks. No, it’s his fellow Killer B, the much larger Bagwell, who is hit twice. Well, if he’s not going to get a hit, I suppose getting hit somewhat balances it out.

MLB

Week 7 Preview

October 20, 2005 / John Paulsen

**THE MIAMI/KC GAME HAS BEEN MOVED TO FRIDAY SO BE SURE TO GET YOUR ROSTERS IN EARLY**

Every week, I submit six names to our faithful readers – three borderline fantasy players to start and three to bench. Here’s how I did last week:

START

Mark Brunell– 331 pass yards, 3 TDs – (HIT)
Brunell is back from the dead. He’s looking like he may be a fantasy starter.

Warrick Dunn – 22 carries, 100 yards, TD – (HIT)
Dunn looks great going forward with a hobbled Duckett out with injury.

Kevin Johnson – 4 catches, 23 yards – (MISS)
I went out on a limb with Detroit’s other KJ and he didn’t do a whole lot. However, he did lead the Lions in catches.

BENCH

Steve McNair – 259 yards, 2 INTs – (HIT)
Sure, he put up decent yardage, but he didn’t throw or run for a TD and had two picks in the loss.

Corey Dillon – DNP – (HIT)
I warned everyone about Dillon and then started him myself in one league when the Patriots activated him Sunday morning.

Chris Chambers – 3 catches, 50 yards – (HIT)
Frerotte threw for 267 yards and you’d think Chambers would get more than 50. Wes Welker (who?) led the team in yardage.

On to this week’s picks:

START

QB – Jake Plummer, DEN
Mark Brunell has another great matchup this week (San Francisco) but since I used him last week, I’ll go with Plummer this week against the Giants. He was great last week against the Patriots (262 yards and two scores) and New York is giving up 316 yards per game through the air, good for 2nd worst in the league.

RB – Chris Brown, TEN
As the Titans ease Travis Henry back into the fold, Brown should get lots of opportunities to run against a questionable Arizona defense.

WR – Az-Zahir Hakim, NO
I almost didn’t pick him because I didn’t want to look up how to spell his name, but Hakim should have a solid week against a very suspect Rams secondary, that has already allowed 12 passing touchdowns and is giving up 251 yards a game through the air.

BENCH

QB – Michael Vick, ATL
I’d bench McNair again but Vick, who is hobbled and is facing a tough Jets pass defense, should be benched if you have another decent option. The only wild card is that the game is Monday night and Vick strikes me as a player that would play better in front of a national television audience.

RB – Jamal Lewis, BAL
The struggling back is facing a very stout Bears defense that is giving up a paltry 86 rushing yards a game and hasn’t allowed a rushing TD so far this season.

WR – Mushin Muhammad, CHI
I don’t expect that Muhammad will find much space to work against a Ravens defense that has given up a meager 156 yards a game through the air. He may get a few receptions for 50-60 yards, but I think that will be it.

If you have any roster questions, please post them on this week’s Fantasy Q&A and we’ll give you answers. Though we can’t guarantee they’ll be the right ones.

Fantasy Football, NFL

Fantasy Hoops Top 10 (+1)

October 20, 2005 / John Paulsen

It’s fantasy hoops time, and while it is usually overshadowed by fantasy football, it is still a fun pastime. Lineups can either be submitted daily or weekly, and most leagues use several stat categories in rotisserie or head-to-head formats.

Here are my top ten fantasy hoops players, assuming that the following stat categories are important:

FG%, FT%, Points, Rebounds, Assists, Steals, Blocks, 3-Pointers, Turnovers

Off we go…

1. Lebron James – CLE
2004-05 stats: 27.2 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 7.2 apg, 2.2 spg, 0.7 bpg, .472 FG%, .351 3P%, .750 FT%

There is a lot of debate in the fantasy basketball community about who should be picked first overall. For me, it’s virtually a tie between King James and KG. I’m listing James first because of his youth and his potential. Last year, he took a big step forward from his rookie season increasing his numbers in almost every important category. In fact, the only statistic where he didn’t make an improvement was his FT%, which declined from .754 to .750 – big whoop. If you have the first pick you can’t go wrong with either guy you should probably choose whomever gives you more roster flexibility in your particular league (i.e. can James be played as a guard and/or a forward?) There are a lot of new faces around Lebron, but the Cavs are still his team, so I don’t see his numbers declining substantially.

1a. Kevin Garnett – MIN
22.2 ppg, 13.5 rpg, 5.7 apg, 1.5 spg, 1.4 bpg, .502 FG%, .240 3P%, .811 FT%

Last year marked KG’s seventh straight season where he averaged 20+ ppg, 10+ rpg, while never shooting less than .460. He won’t make many 3’s for you, but he’s a stud in every other category. Although it seems like he’s been around forever, he’s still just 29 and age shouldn’t begin to diminish his skills for another couple of years. There was a lot of changeover for the Timberwolves this offseason, with disruptive guards Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell jettisoned for younger talent. As a result, Garnett will probably be pressed to score more, so I forsee a slight rise in his points while his FG% will probably drop a few points. Regardless, another MVP-caliber season is in store for KG.

3. Shawn Marion – PHX
19.4 ppg, 11.3 rpg, 1.9 apg, 2.0 spg, 1.5 bpg, .479 FG%, .334 3P%, .833 FT%

Marion is another model of consistency. Last year marked his fourth straight season where he averaged 19+ ppg and 9+ rpg. Like Garnett and James, Marion will help you in just about every category – his weak spot is assists, but he’ll still give you two a game. It’s unclear how Marion’s numbers will be affected by the absence of Amare Stoudemire for a majority of the season, but he averaged 19 and 9 while Stoudemire was still in high school, so I’m expecting those numbers again. If anything, I see his scoring rising a bit to compensate for Amare’s absence.

4. Dirk Nowitzki – DAL
26.1 ppg, 9.7 rpg, 3.1 apg, 1.2 spg, 1.5 bpg, .459 FG%, .399 3P%, .869 FT%

Nowitzki is another sure thing. Over the past five seasons, he’s never averaged fewer than 21.8 ppg or 8.7 rpg. He kills from the strip – nailing a career .856 of his free throws. There’s just one thing that worries me about him: in the playoffs, he had a lot of trouble scoring when covered by rangy, athletic small forward (Tracy McGrady). Teams will be sure to copy Houston’s blueprint, but I expect that Nowitzki has spent part of this summer working on his post moves in case that happens. If he has center eligibility in your league it makes him a no-brainer at #4.

5. Tracy McGrady – HOU
25.7 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 5.7 apg, 1.7 spg, 0.7 bpg, .431 FG%, .326 3P%, .774 FT%

In his first season with Houston, McGrady proved that he could still produce playing with a big man. McGrady is another sure thing – he’s never averaged less than 25.7 ppg, 6.0 rpg, or 4.6 apg over the last five seasons. He’s also been quite durable over that span, missing no more than seven games in four of those seasons (he missed 15 games in 2003-04, but a few of those were a part of the trade that took him from Orlando to Houston). In most leagues he can be played at both SG and SF, which only adds to his value. Entering his second year of Jeff Van Gundy’s system, I see his game getting more efficient, with his scoring staying about the same but with a better shooting percentage.

6. Kobe Bryant – LAL
27.6 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 6.0 apg, 1.3 spg, 0.8 bpg, .433 FG%, .339 3P%, .816 FT%

The only things separating Bryant and McGrady are McGrady’s fantasy versatility and Bryant’s tendency to miss games – 33 over the past two seasons. Bryant will once again be asked (or ask himself) to carry the load for the Lakers and his FG% should stay in the low 40’s. The Lakers are planning to use newcomers Aaron McKie at the point and Kwame Brown at power forward, so it is unclear what affect – if any – this will have on Bryant’s numbers. He should still be in for a fine statistical season.

7. Tim Duncan – SAS
20.3 ppg, 11.1 rpg, 2.7 apg, 0.7 spg, 2.6 bpg, .496 FG%, .333 3P%, .670 FT%

If Duncan is eligible at center in your league, I’d probably take him ahead of McGrady and Bryant given the relative dearth of talent in the middle. Like Kobe, he has been a bit injury prone recently, missing a total of 29 games over the last two seasons. But the Big Fundamental has been consistent, averaging 20+ ppg and 11+ rpg in each of his eight seasons. Like Garnett, he’s 29, but his game doesn’t rely on the physical talents that tend to diminish with age, so I don’t see his game declining anytime soon. His Achilles heel is his free throw shooting, which is woefully inconsistent, settling in at .670 last season.

8. Dwayne Wade – MIA
24.1 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 6.8 apg, 1.6 spg, 1.1 bpg, .478 FG%, .289 3P%, .762 FT%

All else being equal, I’d take Wade along with McGrady and Bryant, but with all the additions to the Heat this offseason (Jason Williams, Antoine Walker, James Posey, etc), there is a lot of chaos surrounding Wade at the moment. With Williams on board running the point, it would seem reasonable to expect Wade’s assists to go down. With Walker chucking up shots from all over the floor, Wade’s scoring numbers could go down. I still expect a great season, but right now there is just a bit too much uncertainty about his role to take him ahead of McGrady, Bryant or Duncan.

9. Gilbert Arenas – WAS
25.5 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 5.1 apg, 1.7 spg, 0.3 bpg, .431 FG%, .365 3P%, .814 FT%

Last season, Arenas blossomed into one of the best all around guards in the NBA. He lost backcourt mate Larry Hughes to Cleveland, but the Wizards added Antonio Daniels and Caron Butler to pick up the slack, so I don’t see any reason why Arenas can’t match last year’s stats. Sure, I’d like a higher shooting percentage (that goes for you too, Kobe and Tracy) but getting 25, 5, and 5 on a nightly basis makes it a bit easier to swallow.

10. Allen Iverson – PHI
30.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 8.0 apg, 2.4 spg, 0.1 bpg, .424 FG%, .308 3P%

The Sixers moved AI to the point last year and he responded with one of the best statistical seasons of his career. Who else is going to give you 30 points, 8 dimes, 4 boards and two thefts a game? The two knocks on Iverson are his low shooting percentage and his tendency to miss games. He’s a career .418 shooter, but last season he raised that up to a somewhat respectable .424. If he would only reduce the number of three point attempts, that number would rise. And he’s not durable – he averages 15 missed games per season, but only missed seven last year. He’s definitely a little risky, but if he doesn’t miss too many games, having him in your lineup will pay big dividends.

Honorable Mention:

11. Elton Brand – LAC
20.0 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 2.6 apg, 0.8 spg, 2.1 bpg, .503 FG%, .752 FT%

You can write him in for a double-double just about every night and he’ll give you a nice shooting percentage and a couple of blocks and assists to boot. It’s hard to find that kind of consistency these days, but Brand’s work ethic and all around good play make him one of my favorite fantasy and real-world players.

Fantasy Basketball, NBA

2005 World Series Preview: Houston Astros vs. Chicago White Sox

October 20, 2005 / David Medsker

Awesome, awesome, AWESOME. Finally, a Series between two teams that have absolutely everything to lose. Chicago hasn’t been there since 1917 (WWI was called The Great War back then, by the by). Houston never advanced to the NLCS until last year. This isn’t like the Yankees or Braves or Cardinals, or even the Marlins, going to the Show. This is history, kids. I can’t wait.

The breakdown, piece by piece:

Starting pitching: Houston, by a nose. What’s that, you say? The Sox have been unhittable of late, plus are extremely well rested to boot? Fine, say what you want, but in this game of Texas Hold ‘em, three of a kind (Clemens, Pettite, Oswalt) beats two pair (Buehrle & Garcia, Contreras & Garland) any day of the week and twice on Sunday. Besides, Oswalt won’t likely pitch again until Game 3, which is next Tuesday, in Houston. Houston may not be as well rested, but they’ll be better rested, if you know what I mean.

Relief pitching: Houston. Sure, he gave up a 900-foot dinger to Pujols in the bottom of the ninth in Game 5, but he’s still Brad Lidge. Most guys don’t have that luxury, and you can bet that Lidge doesn’t throw that pitch again for another 15 years. Chicago’s bullpen has been tough lately, but they flamed out at inconvenient times all year. This would be a most inconvenient time to flame out, which means they’ll do it at least once. Maybe twice.

Hitting: Chicago. The great myth about this team is that they can’t hit for power. Nonsense, through and through. Konerko is the biggest bat, sure, but Iguchi, Rowand, Crede, Uribe and Dye can all go yard if need be. I’m sure they’d love to have a pinch hit bat like Frank Thomas at their disposal, the way that Houston has in Jeff Bagwell (how much do you suppose it killed him to not play in Games 5 or 6 of the NLCS?). But they’ll do just fine with what they’ve got.

Manager: Chicago. Sure, he’s never been to the Show as a manager before, but he’s a fucking lunatic. It’s like when Crash Davis told Nuke LaLoosh to hit the mascot with a pitch. After he did, Crash looked at the hitter, shrugged his shoulders, and said, “I don’t know what he’s going to do next.” The hitter was so freaked out of his skull that he struck out on a pitch a foot and a half off the plate. That’s Ozzie Guillen ball. That’s the Chicago way.

Defense/Intangibles: Chicago. Houston stacks up a lot like the Sox in terms of teams that play great defense and do the little things. But Chicago is better at the little things. They steal more bases, they get runners over, and they generally seem to cause more trouble for teams. Houston doesn’t have that many speedsters, which means that Biggio may be sticking that elbow out like Roger Dorn in “Major League.”

My Pick: Chicago in 6. Sure, it may not be the Cubs, but so what. It’s Chicago, and they’re due, dammit.

Fantasy Baseball, MLB

NLCS Game 6: Houston 5, St. Louis 1 (Houston wins 4-2)

October 20, 2005 / David Medsker

It would stand to reason that I would be upset about yet another prediction of mine not coming even close to true (though my ALCS prediction of Chicago in five was dead on the money). But the truth is, I’m a Cubs fan, which means I enjoy seeing the Cardinals lose at nearly every opportunity. I secretly hoped the ‘Stros would find a way to overcome, but when Pujols hit that 700-foot home run in Game 5, I saw flashbacks of Games 6 and 7 of the NLCS between the Cubs and Marlins. This is the beginning of the end, I thought. After all, the Cubs had Prior and Woody pitching Games 6 and 7. So the Astros had Oswalt. Big deal. I’ve seen good hitting beat good pitching.

Not this time. Oswalt was a STUD, going seven innings with 6 K’s and a walk. Word to your Mulder, meanwhile, didn’t make it out of the fifth inning, only walking one but also only striking out two and giving up twice as many hits as Oswalt. Perhaps the saddest part of the evening was the fact that Larry Walker struck out looking in what many think will be his last at bat. That’s not the way to go, son. Hack at it, even if it’s a foot out of the strike zone. As the poet laureates Iron Maiden once said, if you’re gonna die, die with your boots on.

This is going to be the coolest World Series in eons. Both teams have EVERYTHING to play for. One hasn’t won it in 88 years. The other team has never won it in their entire existence. Man, how do you beat that?