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      Lee should have listened to Molina on Renteria’s home run

      November 2, 2010 /
      San Francisco Giants Edgar Renteria (2nd R) hits a three-run home run off Texas Rangers pitcher Cliff Lee (R) as Rangers catcher Bengie Molina (L) and home plate umpire Jeff Kellogg (2nd L) look on in the seventh inning during Game 5 of Major League Baseball's World Series in Arlington, Texas, November 1, 2010. REUTERS/Tim Sharp (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT BASEBALL)

      Hindsight always rears its perfect head when a deciding moment in a sporting event takes place. A player always should have done something differently when his team loses.

      In the case of Cliff Lee, he should have listened to his catcher Bengie Molina in the seventh inning on Monday night with Edgar Renteria at the plate.

      Molina played nearly as many games with the Giants this season as he did with the Rangers. He knows the Giants’ hitters and their tendencies. He knows Renteria is a smart hitter and he knew his former teammate was hot. He also knew that Aaron Rowand had been picking splinters out of his ass for most of the season and was starting in only his third game since early September.

      That’s why Molina wanted to pitch around Renteria in the top of the seventh with runners on second and third and go after Rowand. But it’s not in Lee’s nature to walk anybody and he certainly wasn’t going to walk Renteria when all he needed was one more out to end the inning.

      So Lee fell behind Renteria 2-0 while missing with his cutter and changeup. Molina, knowing that pitching around Renteria was the only solution at that point, called for a cutter outside. Lee threw the cutter, but he drifted into the zone and Renteria crushed the mistake to put the Giants up 3-0.

      With the way Tim Lincecum was pitching, three runs may have well been 30. Everyone in the ballpark got the sense that the game was over and even after Nelson Cruz cut the Giants’ lead to 3-1 in the Rangers’ half of the seventh, the game was still San Francisco’s to win.

      Part of what makes Lee so good is that he throws strikes. He attacks hitters – all hitters. He knows that with his control, he’s going to get the best of most batters. But in that situation, he was better off listening to Molina.

      Granted, who’s to say that Rowand wouldn’t have hit a grand slam in his at bat? Depending on the situation, a single to the outfield could have scored two runs so maybe Lee and the Rangers were just destined for failure.

      But Lee never put himself in position to get Rowand out in that key situation. He stayed true to himself and it would up costing him and the Rangers in the end.

      External Sports, MLB

      Fantasy Football Q&A: Week 9

      November 2, 2010 /

      Wondering who to add/drop or whether or not a trade is fair?

      I’m here to help.

      After checking out our Waiver Wire Watch, you can post your questions here, and unless you say differently, I’m assuming your league has a standard (non-PPR) scoring system.

      If you are wondering who to start in a standard scoring league, please wait until later this week (usually Wednesday or Thursday) when I’ll release my official Week 9 rankings.

      And if you’re a regular visitor, please take a moment to rate my advice at Fantasy Pros (under Member Rating). I’d appreciate it.

      External Sports, Fantasy Football, NFL

      Cliff Lee should stay a Ranger in 2011

      November 2, 2010 /
      Texas Rangers starting pitcher Cliff Lee delivers to the San Francisco Giants in the first inning during Game 5 of Major League Baseball's World Series in Arlington, Texas, November 1, 2010. REUTERS/Mike Segar (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT BASEBALL)

      Following another heartbreaking loss to the Giants in Game 5 of the World Series, Cliff Lee said that he would love to return to the Rangers in 2011.

      “I don’t know if I’m going to be a part of it,” Lee admitted. “I’d love to be a part of it, but so many things can happen.”

      Lee used a lot of “we” when talking about the Rangers after the game. It appears that Texas has stolen a piece of his heart and he truly enjoys being a part of the Rangers organization.

      That said, money talks. This guy has been traded three times and has been a part of four different teams in the past two years and I’m sure he’d love to finally settle down with his family in one spot. The Rangers may be the frontrunners for his services, but they’re going to have come up with a decent offer. They’re not going to outbid the Yankees – nobody does. But they need to at least be in the same ballpark so Lee can feel appreciated. The Giants tuned him up twice, but he’s one of the best pitchers in the game and should be paid as such.

      If the Rangers can keep Lee, they immediately become the favorites to win the American League next year. The Yankees showed their age in the postseason and while the Rays are young and powerful, they’re about to lose one of their most productive players in Carl Crawford (who is sure to leave via free agency this winter). Texas has a great offensive core in Josh Hamilton, Nelson Cruz, Ian Kinsler, Elvis Andrus, Michael Young and even though he looked horrendous in the World Series, Vladimir Guerrero.

      Their pitching staff thanks to C.J. Wilson, Colby Lewis, Tommy Hunter and relievers Neftali Feliz and Alexi Ogando is solid as well, but it’ll look rather ordinary without Cliff Lee. Nolan Ryan needs to do everything he can to bring Lee back so the Rangers can take another run at things next year.

      Break out your checkbook, Rangers.

      External Sports, MLB

      Team of destiny or just the better team? Giants finish off Rangers, win 2010 World Series

      November 2, 2010 /

      Following their 3-1 win in Game 5 of the World Series on Monday night, somewhere in this country someone started writing about how the 2010 San Francisco Giants were a team of destiny this postseason.

      But their status as 2010 World Series Champions has nothing to do with destiny. They were just the better team.

      In the NLCS, people expected the Giants to lose to the Phillies, who had the better offense, the better pitching, more experience, etc. But when the Giants knocked off the defending NL champs to reach the World Series, people expected them to succumb to the mighty Rangers, who had the better offense, a pitcher in Cliff Lee who never loses in the postseason, etc.

      But it was the Giants who came up with the clutch hits. It was the Giants’ Bruce Bochy who outmanaged the Rangers’ Ron Washington. It was the Giants’ pitching staff that turned in one of the most dazzling performances that we’ll ever seen in a Fall Classic.

      A team of destiny? The Giants were just flat out better. The Rangers, with all their power and with all their Cliff Lee, were absolutely dominated in four of five games. And that’s a good Rangers team, mind you. They didn’t get to the World Series by accident and something tells me that this won’t be this group’s last crack at a championship. They’re also a classy bunch from their manager (who heaped tons of praise on the Giants in his post-game presser), down to the grounds crew that let San Francisco fans celebrate on the field hours after the game.

      But back to the Giants. It was rather humorous to listen to people use the term “lucky” when it came to this club in the postseason. Do you know what they had to do in order to get to this point? First off, they had to beat Mat Latos and the Padres on the final day of the regular season to clinch a playoff berth. There’s nothing lucky about winning 92 games, I don’t care if San Diego choked over the final two months or not.

      There’s also nothing lucky about beating Derek Lowe (twice), Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, Cole Hamels, C.J. Wilson and Cliff Lee not once, but twice, including once with the series on the line.

      Think about that for a second. The Giants, with their cast of misfits, went through some of the best pitchers from this decade in order to win a World Series. Luck had nothing to do with that. Luck also had nothing to do with this team being able to clinch every series on the road (Game 4 at Atlanta, Game 6 at Philadelphia, Game 5 at Texas).

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      External Sports, MLB

      Waiver Wire Watch, Week 9: Where Jacob Tamme looks like a bona fide TE1

      November 2, 2010 /

      INDIANAPOLIS - SEPTEMBER 13: Jacob Tamme #84 of the Indianapolis Colts runs with the ball during the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Lucas Oil Stadium on September 13, 2009 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

      Every week, I highlight a few players that you should target in waivers. I use the ESPN league data when filtering players, so the only guys eligible for discussion here are those that are available on the waiver wire in at least 40% of ESPN’s leagues. I’ll list each player’s percentage-owned after their name so you have an idea of how available they are in leagues around the country. I’ll always try to mention a few players that are available in 90% of leagues for those of you in 12-team leagues or leagues with big rosters. I’ll rank them in the order I’d pick them up in a league with a high-performance scoring system.

      Please note that these rankings are for total value through the end of the year. Players with particularly good matchups this week are in bold.

      Matthew Stafford (30.5)
      I have been saying for weeks that fantasy owners in need of QB help should pick Stafford up and he delivered in his first game back throwing four TDs in a great matchup against the Redskins. His schedule is favorable down the stretch (though I don’t love him this week against the Jets, now that Darrelle Revis is healthy), so he should be a very capable starter over the second half of the season.

      Ryan Fitzpatrick (33.2)
      Fitzy’s line this week (223 yards, TD, INT) was rather pedestrian, but he also ran for 43 yards, which made for a decent fantasy day. He has a bad matchup this week (CHI), but he closes the season with three nice matchups (CLE, MIA and NE).

      Chad Henne (61.2)
      Henne’s surprisingly quiet output against the Bengals (217 yards, INT) broke a string of four straight productive starts where he threw for an average of 289 yards and 1.8 TD per game. The schedule over the next three weeks is rough (BAL, TEN, CHI), but after that things get a lot easier (OAK, CLE, BUF and DET over the last five games).

      Josh Freeman (26.8)
      Week 8 marked the fourth straight game where Freeman threw for 212+ yards and a TD. Plus, he gives you a few rushing yards as well (25 per game). The matchup this week (ATL) is pretty tantalizing and other than the Panthers in Week 10 and the Ravens in Week 12, Freeman looks like a nice start the rest of the way.

      Jon Kitna (15.8)
      I thought Kitna was going to play a lot better against the Jags. While he did throw for 379 yards and a TD, he also threw four picks. Going forward, the Cowboys’ defense looks brutal so Kitna should find himself throwing from behind with regularity. That could make for some nice fantasy days.

      Sam Bradford (28.3)
      No Mark Clayton? No Danario Alexander? No problem. The rookie just keeps playing solid ball and has now thrown five TDs and no picks in the last three games. He has a bye in Week 9, but his schedule thereafter (SF, ATL, DEN) is quite favorable.

      David Garrard (25.3)
      Would the real David Garrard please stand up? In the last three games he has finished, Garrard has averaged 200 passing yards and 3.0 TD per game. He has had a few terrible outings this season, but with Houston and Cleveland coming up after the bye (not to mention the Redskins in Week 16), he’s an interesting QB to be used as part of a committee.

      Matt Cassel (44.7)
      Cassel has had a good run the last three weeks, but both his TDs and his yards have decreased every game, which isn’t a particularly good sign. The Chiefs are a run-oriented team, so while Cassel is all right in certain matchups, he shouldn’t be counted on on a weekly basis.

      Jason Campbell (5.5)
      Campbell has thrown for 514 yards and four TDs in his last two starts, but if Tom Cable is to be believed, Bruce Gradkowski will retake his starting job upon his return. However, that could change if Campbell starts against the Chiefs and leads the Raiders to their third-straight win. The Chiefs are not a good matchup.

      Matt Hasselbeck (20.4)
      He was concussed in Week 8. Between that and his matchup with the Giants’ excellent pass defense, Hasselbeck should be avoided for the time being.

      Matt Moore (2.2)
      After a 308-yard, two-TD outing against the 49ers in Week 7, Moore threw for 194 yards, a TD and three interceptions against a pretty good Rams defense in Week 8. Next up are the Saints, which pretty much shut down Ben Roethlisberger this week. Steer clear if you can.

      Bruce Gradkowski (1.4)
      See Campbell, Jason.

      Colt McCoy (1.4)
      Unlike Bradford, who has been remarkably consistent for a rookie, McCoy has had his fantasy ups (281 yards, TD, 2 INT against the Steelers) and downs (74 yards against the Saints). Coming off his bye he has two nice matchups in his next three games (NE in Week 9 and JAX in Week 11), but he’s only fodder for the desperate.

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      Fantasy Football, NFL

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