Tag: Carlos Pena (Page 2 of 2)

      MLB Daily Six Pack 4/9

      April 9, 2009 /

      1. The defending champs needed that one…
      Staring 0-3 in the face, the Phillies rallied from a 10-3 deficit in the seventh inning to beat the Braves 12-11 on Wednesday. Raul Ibanez homered and drove in three runs as Philly went on to score eight runs in the seventh inning. While 1-2 isn’t the start the defending champs would have liked, maybe now their offense has awaken from their slump and they can use this game as a confidence builder.

      2. And I was like, Emilio!
      I know, I know – it’s only one sweep of the Nationals (and at home no less). But the Marlins’ 3-0 start (they beat Washington 6-4 on Wednesday) should raise some eyebrows because this team is loaded with bright, young talent. Granted, Emilio Bonifacio isn’t going to hit .571 the rest of the way, but he gives the Fish a strong table setter at the top of the lineup and catcher John Baker has been a nice surprise so far in the two-hole. If the young starting pitching can hold up and five-tool 22-year old outfielder Cameron Maybin can grow up in a hurry, the Mets, Phillies and Braves will definitely have competition this year in NL East.

      3. The Tigers might not have a good year, but Miggie will.
      For all intents and purposes, it looks like the Tigers are due for another down year, although outside of Justin Verlander, the starting pitching has looked good the past two nights. But one thing that won’t hold Detroit back this year is Miguel Cabrera, who hit two dingers and drove in four runs in the Tigs’ 5-1 victory over the Blue Jays on Wednesday. It’s early, but Cabrera looks like he’ll be a favorite for the AL MVP all season.

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      MLB

      2009 Fantasy Baseball Preview: First Basemen

      March 3, 2009 /

      All 2009 Fantasy Articles | 2009 Position Rankings

      If you do a detailed search for rankings of first basemen for your 2009 fantasy league, the only consistent thing you’ll see is: 1. Albert Pujols, STL.

      After King Albert, first basemen ranked 2 through 7 is a toss up. Some fantasy pundits believe Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera is the next best 1B after Pujols, while others still feel that Philadelphia’s Ryan Howard deserves the No. 2 spot. One of the Yankees’ big offseasons signings, Mark Teixeira, is also getting some love behind Pujols, while Milwaukee’s Prince Fielder, Minnesota’s Justin Morneau and San Diego’s Adrian Gonzalez are floating anywhere from No. 4 to No. 7.

      What’s the deal? After Pujols, how do you value the first basemen that fall 2 through 7? By home run totals? By age? In the case of Fielder, by the size of their waistbands? First and foremost, you can’t go wrong with any of the first basemen in the top 7, if not the top 10. They’ll all give you good to great home run and RBI totals and if you’re lucky, a couple will even hit .300 and produce 100 runs.

      In an effort to sort out the mess, here’s the way we see the top 7 for first basemen in 2009:

      Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals
      There’s no debate – Pujols is still the Ferrari of first basemen. Sure, you’ll have to worry about him breaking down throughout the season, but word is he’s healthy and he has always been consistent. There’s no reason he won’t accomplish what he did last year (.357-37-116-100) and there’s no reason to believe he’s slowing down at 29. He’s a stud – there’s not much else to say.

      Miguel CabreraMiguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers
      Many owners expected Cabrera’s move from South Florida to Motown to be an instant hit from the start but much like the Tigers themselves, Miguel struggled early on. But unlike Detroit’s miserable season, Cabrera wound up finishing with solid numbers, hitting .292 with 37 home runs and producing 127 ribbies and 85 runs scored. Now that he’s got a full season in the AL under his belt, there’s no reason to believe he won’t top the .300 mark in average this year and come close to the home run, RBI and run totals he produced a season ago. A healthy Curtis Granderson and Gary Sheffield would go a long way in helping Cabrera put up big numbers in ’08, as well. Added bonus: he still qualifies as a third basemen, too, which gives him more value than Ryan Howard, Mark Teixeria, Justin Morneau and Prince Fielder.

      Mark Teixeira, New York Yankees
      Teixeira could make a case for being No. 2 behind Pujols, but not unlike other fantasy pundits, we believe that Cabrera could have an MVP-type season this year in Detroit. Teixeira won’t match Howard’s home run or RBI totals, but he could bat close to 50 points higher with much fewer strikeouts. Teixeira will also benefit from playing in a loaded Yankees’ lineup and at 28 years old, he’s in the prime of his career.

      Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Phillies
      After signing a three-year, $54 million contract in early February, Howard doesn’t have to worry about his future until 2012. Howard is what he is at this point; he’ll hit 45-plus home runs, produce 140-plus RBIs and score 100-plus runs. His average will also hover in the .260-range and he once again won’t be afraid of the K (he had 199 strikeouts in ’08). Some feel as though Howard is still the second best option at first base after Pujols, but we favor Cabrera’s potential and Teixeira’s balanced numbers more. Still, Howard’s a beast and if you’re able to grab him early in your draft, you could focus on players that can hit for average later on.

      Justin Morneau, Minnesota Twins
      Morneau is just clutch ain’t he? Not only does he hit for average (.300), but his high RBI totals also make him a fantastic catch and he has 25-plus home run potential. He’ll also chip in close to 100 runs, 50 doubles and has a solid 76-walk to 85-strikeout ratio. We’ll give him the nod over Fielder because while he can’t match Prince’s home run potential, Morneau trumps him in all other categories and is only two years older.

      Prince FielderPrince Fielder, Milwaukee Brewers
      What happened? After a fantastic 2007 campaign, Fielder ditched the meat for an all-veggie diet and his numbers dropped last year. He’s still going to hit 40 home runs and produce 100-plus RBIs, but his average will likely top out around .280 and he won’t hit many doubles (30) or triples (2). At 25, he still has loads of potential, but if you draft him you’re essentially banking on him hitting 40 home runs again, which is certainly doable in a hitter-friendly Miller Park. If he doesn’t come close to that dinger total, however, chances are you’re going to be left a little disappointed. The good news is that according to recent reports, Fielder has reported to spring training in good shape. Maybe the two-year, $18.5 million contract he signed in late January motivated Prince to slim down and keep his weight in check.

      Adrian Gonzalez, San Diego Padres
      Gonzalez is the San Diego Padres offense. If he didn’t play on such a bad team and in a pitcher’s park, he might make the leap over Fielder in the rankings. Still, his 36 home runs, 119 RBIs and 103 runs cannot be ignored and his .279 average is better than guys like Howard and Fielder. We’ll give Gonzo the nod over Lance Berkman, who is still a quality player (.312-29-106-114) but slumped down the stretch last year after a hot start and is seven years older.

      Here is our official ranking of first basemen. Remember, David Ortiz, Travis Hafner and Jim Thome qualify as DH’s only.

      1. Albert Pujols, STL
      2. Miguel Cabrera, DET
      3. Mark Teixeira, NYY
      4. Ryan Howard, PHI
      5. Prince Fielder, MIL
      6. Justin Morneau, MIN
      7. Adrian Gonzalez, SD
      8. Kevin Youkilis, BOS
      9. Lance Berkman, HOU
      10. Joey Votto, CIN
      11. Derrek Lee, CHC
      12. Chris Davis, TEX
      13. Carlos Delgado, NYM
      14. Carlos Pena, TB
      15. Aubrey Huff, BAL
      16. James Loney, LAD
      17. Pablo Sandoval, SF
      18. Conor Jackson, ARZ
      19. Paul Konerko, CHW
      20. Adam LaRoche, PIT
      21. Casey Kotchman, ATL
      22. Mike Jacobs, KC
      23. Ryan Garko, IND
      24. Lyle Overbay, MIL
      25. Todd Helton, COL

      Fantasy Baseball, MLB

      World Series Game 5 suspended – Bud Selig actually would have made correct call

      October 27, 2008 /

      Game 5 of the World Series was suspended 2-2 Monday night in the sixth inning and will be resumed either Tuesday or Wednesday depending on the weather.

      The Rays scratched across a run in the sixth inning but interesting enough, had they not scored and tied the game, the Phillies would have won by rule because it would have been considering an official game. But baseball commissioner Bud Selig said he wouldn’t have allowed Philly to win that way.

      Carlos Pena hit a tying, two-out single in the sixth for the Rays, and the umpires called it moments later. By then, every ball and every pitch had become an adventure because of the miserable conditions.

      If Pena had not tied it, Selig said he would not have let the Phillies win with a game that was called after six innings.

      “It’s not a way to end a World Series,” he said. “I would not have allowed a World Series to end this way.”

      Had the Rays not scored to tie it and the game was called, then Selig allowed the Phillies to win that way, the baseball world would have been turned upside down. There’s no way that Selig could have allowed Philly to win that way had Tampa not scored because it would have been one of the biggest farces in sports history.

      Let’s just all take a moment and thank the baseball gods that the Rays scored and Selig didn’t have to make such a monumental decision, although he deserves credit for saying all the right things at the end of the game.

      MLB

      Rays winning despite not having large payroll

      October 15, 2008 /

      With their 13-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox in Game 4 of the ALCS, the Tampa Bay Rays are sitting just one win away from heading to the World Series for the first time in franchise history. And as John Romano of The St. Petersburg Times writes, the Rays are beating a team with a much larger payroll, and more resources at their disposal.

      Tampa Bay RaysFor, in Tampa Bay, this season is beginning to look like sweet payback after all the years of ridicule. This series is quickly turning into validation after putting up with a lifetime of smug and an earful of snide comments.

      The Rays are not just a hot team. And they are not a fluke. What they appear to be is deeper and more well-rounded than Boston. That’s remarkable considering the disparity in resources.

      When the Red Sox decided to invest in a Japanese player in 2007, they spent $103-million on Daisuke Matsuzaka. The Rays spent about $12-million on Aki Iwamura.

      When the Red Sox went looking for a bat in the free agent market in ’07, they signed J.D. Drew to a $70-million contract. That same winter, the Rays spent $800,000 on Red Sox castoff Carlos Pena.
      When they needed help this summer, the Red Sox brought in Jason Bay, Mark Kotsay and Paul Byrd in various deals. The Rays acquired Chad Bradford.

      So if Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein is a genius with a $137-million payroll, what does that make Friedman and his $43-million allowance?

      In other words, if the Red Sox lose, they will have no excuses.

      Just the knowledge that they were beaten by a team that appears intent on making history.

      The Rays follow the 2007 Rockies as examples of how payroll means noting in the postseason. And apparently experience is starting to mean less and less too, because this is one of the youngest rosters in the league. It’s amazing to watch this series and note that the Red Sox appear to be no match for the Rays. Think about that for a second. The mighty Red Sox, can’t handle a Rays team that many predicted to finish last in the AL East for the whatever-straight year. Amazing.

      MLB

      Experience pays off for Sox in Game 1 win over Rays

      October 10, 2008 /

      Boston Red SoxAs play-by-play announcer Chip Caray said during the final inning of Boston’s 2-0 win over Tampa in Game 1 of the ALCS Friday night, “Experience trumped exuberance tonight.” (I can’t believe I’m quoting Chip Caray, but the comment was spot on.)

      For six innings, Boston ace Daisuke Matsuzaka was un-hittable. Literally.

      The Rays didn’t record their first hit until Carl Crawford singled to lead off the top of the seventh. But once Crawford reached, Cliff Floyd followed with a single of his own, moving Crawford to third and all of a sudden Tampa was in business despite trailing 1-0 since the top of the fifth.

      This is the situation where good teams – World Series contender or other – score that runner from third with less than two outs. But the Rays failed to do so as Dice-K got Dioner Navarro to fly out to left, then struck out Gabe Gross before finishing off Jason Bartlett with a fielder’s choice to the shortstop.

      Inning over.

      Again the Rays struck in the bottom of the eighth after the first two batters reached safely to start the inning. Yet once again they came away with nothing as the Boston bullpen got Carlos Pena to fly out to right and Evan Longoria to ground into a double play.

      In nine innings Friday night, the Sox showed what it takes to be a champion. They’ve still got a long way to go in their chase to defend their title, especially with how good Tampa is. But great teams separate themselves in these types of games and the performances by Matsuzaka, Dustin Pedroia and the BoSox bullpen were outstanding.

      That said, Rays’ starter James Shields was phenomenal and on a normal night when the Rays’ bats are on, he walks away from such a masterful performance with a victory. And Tampa will learn a lot from a game like this and it’ll be interesting to see how they respond in Game 2 on Saturday night.

      MLB

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