Having dropped two of three from the Mets this week, the Phils have now seen their NL East lead completely evaporate and now find themselves a game behind New York and just a half-game above the Fish.

Since an excellent start that saw the Phillies at 39-26 in early June, the team has sputtered, going just 15-22. If 90 wins is the magic number to make the playoffs this season – and with St. Louis still two and a half games ahead for the NL Wild Card lead it would seem that many victories will be a necessity – Philly needs to play .600 ball (36-24) from here on out to achieve that goal.

The offense continues to shine, ranking second in the NL in runs and slugging (yet surprisingly just eighth in team BA), but the pitching has been middling at best, currently eighth in OPS against and in WHIP.

Although So Taguchi grounded out Thursday in his pinch-hitting assignment, he’s gotten off the schneid recently, and could emerge with some value should injury strike the deep Philly outfield. Relegated to a very bit role this season, Taguchi failed to record a successful pinch hit until Tuesday, when his two-run double tied the game and helped complete a tremendous comeback win for the Phils. Taguchi has been in manager Charlie Manuel’s doghouse, but with bench coach Jimy Williams handling the team after Manuel had been ejected, Taguchi got his chance and delivered. Remember that last year he led all of baseball with a .406 BA as a pinch hitter, but this season he’s been so bad that, at the age of 39, looked to be ready to pack it in. It’s been a long time since Taguchi was someone worth considering for fantasy purposes, and it’s going to take an injury to provide him with any real PT, but with hits in three of his last four at bats before Thursday, he’s at least working his way out of the doghouse.

He slowed a bit in June, but with six homers and a .318 BA in July, including hits in six of his last seven games, Pat Burrell’s career year has continued. Having already reached 25 homers for the sixth time in his career, things are going so well for Pat the Bat that he’s recently been shifted from fifth to third in the revamped Philly lineup, with Chase Utley moving up to the two-hole and Shane Victorino dropping to sixth. This should mean plenty more RBI chances, but note that over the last three years, Burrell has hit only .240 as the number three hitter. During that period, he’s enjoyed the most success as the No. 6 man in the Phils lineup, batting .316 and slugging .616. By the way, as impressed as we were last year with his improved patience, he’s been even better this season.

Dropping in the batting order hasn’t seemed to have affected Victorino so far, as he’s hit safely in six straight games. The way things are going for him now, it makes more sense to have him batting lower in the order. Victorino is suddenly bashing the ball, with five July homers compared to four total at the end of June, and he isn’t stealing bases (just two this month). But with a BA over .300 this month, I like the RBI possibilities he brings to the table suddenly. Of course, that’s not why you drafted the speedster, is it? But hey, if he isn’t swiping bags, I’m sure you won’t moan about getting some surprise pop from him. By the way, despite his injury and awful start this year, how consistent has Victorino been? Since becoming a more or less full-time player starting in 2006, check out his season OPS totals: 760, 770 and 765.

Joe Blanton, who we’ve been waiting to be moved since the preseason, certainly didn’t do much in his first start as a Phillie to make NL-only owners jump all over him, did he? Tuesday’s outing was pretty ugly, in fact, although with the Phils coming back for a dramatic win, the focus was taken off his beating. Blanton seems to be getting worse as the season has gone on, but I do believe that once he adjusts to the NL, and understands how to treat the bottom of the order, he’ll put up better results. He was definitely helped by pitching in Oakland, but Citizen’s Bank Ballpark has actually been fairly friendly to pitchers this year, and I really believe that Blanton will be able to reduce his home runs allowed by pitching there. I’m expecting him to rack up more wins in the second half, and record an ERA in the low 4s. If that interests you, keep an eye on his waiver wire status in your league.

I really like the idea of Utley going back to the two-hole. In recent years, he’s had more success there than in any other batting spot and with him slumping badly now, this may be just the ticket to get him back to his 2007 performance levels. How bad a year would Utley be having if he hadn’t had that unbelievable April? He’s batting just .262 since May 1. Okay, so he’s 0-for-12 in the three games since moving up in the order – not exactly inspiring confidence in my theory – but don’t worry, RotoRob says this is the right move to get him going. Make it so.

Ryan Howard took an 0-for-3 Thursday, fanning three times to run his total to 135 Ks in 389 at bats (on pace for a career worst 214 Ks), but don’t sweat it. He came in with a six-game hitting streak and has been really grooving in July with a .320 BA, nine homers and 20 RBI. Remember the second half he put up during his MVP season in 2006? I’m not saying he’ll duplicate that .355, 30 HR, 78 RBI showing, but you know what he’s capable of. I expect RyHo to be one of the NL’s top performers from here on out.

July 24th, 2008
Categories: BASEBALL, RotoRob, Team report . Author: RotoRob . Comments: No Comments

What Went Right

Brett Favre didn’t get to throw to Randy Moss but Greg Jennings and Donald Driver did the trick in 2007. The Mississippi gunslinger fired 28 touchdown passes, his highest total since 2004. Along the way, Favre set NFL career records for most touchdown passes and most yards (sorry, Dan Marino). In other years, Favre would have received strong MVP consideration. Driver and Jennings were the biggest beneficiaries of Favre’s blast-from-the-past season. Jennings accounted for 12 touchdowns, while Driver led the team in receptions (82) and receiving yards (1,048). The biggest surprise for the Pack was the emergence of running back Ryan Grant, who accumulated 956 yards rushing and eight touchdowns despite not seeing an abundance of playing time until Week Eight.

What Went Wrong

A funny thing happened on the way to Green Bay playing the Patriots in the Super Bowl - Corey Webster. The Giant cornerback’s overtime interception in the NFC title game began what has been a tragic comedy for Packer fans, management and especially Favre. The legendary Packer quarterback announced his retirement in March, and then changed his mind after management set the wheels in motion for Aaron Rodgers to be the starting quarterback. Instead of being focused on football this offseason, the Packer front office is involved in a game of chicken with a first ballot Hall of Fame quarterback — a game which they cannot possibly win in the eyes of the public.

Off-season Outlook

Despite the three ring circus of the last few months, the Packers are coming off a 13-3 season and narrowly missed playing in the Super Bowl. While the change at quarterback (we think) will be an adjustment, the Packers kept the team intact for the most part. Offensive tackle Joe Toledo and linebacker Brandon Chillar posed as the Pack’s only meaningful free agent acquisitions. Meanwhile, they’ll need to address defensive tackle at some point with Johnny Jolly’s legal situation. Jolly could face up to 20 years in prison for possessing at least 200 grams of codeine.

Draft Review

Okay, follow me for a moment. The Packers spent so much time in nurturing Rodgers and are so completely against the idea of Favre coming back that they drafted Brian Brohm in the second round. Matt Flynn was then selected as a seventh round choice. So, the Packers could open the season with three quarterbacks that have never started a game. In brighter news, the team used another second round pick on receiver Jordy Nelson to add depth to a talented group of pass catchers.

State of the Team

Quarterbacks

Assuming the Packers stick to their alleged party line of keeping Favre in retirement, Rodgers as a fantasy option is an intriguing issue. He has good weapons at receiver and a solid running game to back him. Rodgers looked good when he relieved an injured Favre against Dallas last season (completing 18-of-26 for 201 yards and one TD). However, being the starter is another ballgame. Rodgers watching for a few years may give him an upper hand early as teams don’t have a great reference point for preparing against him. However, consider him a second string fantasy quarterback until he can prove himself. Historically, quarterbacks that follow Hall of Fame quarterbacks often struggle. A 17- to 20-touchdown pass season is not unreasonable, but don’t expect a Joe Montana to Steve Young transition.

On a quick side note, the Packers are better off with Favre as their quarterback for this season, but here’s the truth of the matter for fantasy owners. As days go by and August drafts start soon, the prospect of selecting Favre in a draft under any circumstance is not a good idea until something concrete happens. Remember, the Packers have all the power in this situation, not Favre.

Running Backs

Grant is back, but will have the added pressure of trying to produce with Rodgers under centre. Luckily though, teams still have to worry about Driver and Jennings, so selling out against the run isn’t a real option for defenses unless Rodgers shows Akili Smith-like talent. Former Giant castoff Grant possesses good breakaway speed and the ability to shed tacklers. Handling a season’s load worth of carries is a concern, but he should be ready for the challenge. He is an early- to mid-second round option in fantasy drafts. Brandon Jackson, Vernand Morency and DeShawn Wynn add depth and versatility.

Wide Receivers

Jennings posed as the long distance threat last season (averaged a team-high 17.6 yards per catch) and ranked amongst the league’s best in catches of 40 yards or more. Only Moss and Joey Galloway caught more passes of at least 40 yards than Jennings’ seven big play receptions. The veteran Driver could act as a security blanket for Rodgers out of the gate. However, since Jennings is younger and a long distance threat, he has better value than the 32-year-old Driver. Nelson and James Jones round out a talented group. If Rogers fails it’ll likely be on his own merit, not because he lacked options.

Tight Ends

The team severed ties with Bubba Franks and gave Donald Lee a four-year, $12 million contract extension last November. The new deal solidifies Lee as the starter and, after catching six touchdown passes in ’07, he should be a red zone factor again. He’s not in Gates-Witten-Gonzalez territory, but he’s an up and coming talent. Lee’s backup is slated to be rookie Jermichael Finley out of Texas.

Defense/Special Teams

The Jolly situation could affect Green Bay’s run stopping capabilities going forward and the secondary got exposed a bit in the NFC title game. Despite those issues, the Packers play in a division which lacks consistent offenses. Despite the fact that its return games lack explosiveness, it should rank close to a top 10 fantasy unit.

July 23rd, 2008
Categories: Derek Jones, FOOTBALL . Author: Derek Jones . Comments: 1 Comment

After reviewing the additions made by Eastern Conference teams, we now turn our attention to how the Western Conference clubs have fared during the free agency period.

The Chicago Blackhawks made a big splash while admittedly overspending in terms of length and dollar amount (hey, at least they’re honest, right?). Brian Campbell leaves the Pacific coast to go to the Windy City, while Cristobal Huet gives the Hawks the most expensive goaltending tandem in hockey history (about $13 million in the crease). For Campbell, that means more of the same — power play time with a very talented core group of players. On the point position, the Hawks have seen a number of different configurations, including the use of their many young blueliners and forward/defenseman/all-around nice guy Dustin Byfuglien. There’s no telling yet who will have the best chemistry with Campbell, and it might even be a forward moving back like Robert Lang (though Jason Williams left via free agency), so the only thing that’s certain is that one of Chicago’s key power play point men will lose ice time to Campbell.

In the crease, no one’s quite sure what will happen with Nikolai Khabibulin, though rational thinking tells us that he will be shipped off so Huet can be the starter come opening night. Still, Hawk management is saying all the right things, such as the team is ready to go with 1A and 1B if need be (and an alternating system similar to what former San Jose coach Ron Wilson did with Evgeni Nabokov and Vesa Toskala two seasons ago might be a good way to drive up Khabibulin’s trade value). The bottom line, though, is that Huet will be there for the long haul and Khabibulin will be gone eventually.

Since Campbell left San Jose, what did the Sharks do in return? They got not one but two offensive-minded blueliners. First, the Sharks signed veteran Rob Blake, then they made a blockbuster deal for all-star defenseman Dan Boyle. Boyle immediately becomes San Jose’s go-to point man, but it still remains to be seen how new coach Todd McLellan will handle the rest of the unit. Patrick Marleau and Joe Pavelski have spent time at the point, and Christian Ehrhoff has shown plenty of offensive potential (and who better to learn from than Blake?). So until McLellan settles on something that works, you can bet that San Jose’s two power-play units will be a mix-and-match test of about ten different guys.

Over in Motown, the Red Wings reloaded by signing Marian Hossa for a one-year deal. It remains to be seen where Hossa will play, but most likely he won’t be lining up with Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg. Instead, look for Hossa to anchor his own line except in special teams and last-minute situations. Because Detroit’s core group of forwards is so deep and diverse, there’s no telling just what coach Mike Babcock will do just yet.

Strange things are afoot in Vancouver (about 20 million strange things sent to one Mats Sundin), but in the meantime the Canucks have jettisoned long-time captain Markus Naslund and brought in Pavol Demitra to be his erstwhile replacement. Demitra, coming off a somewhat disappointing season in Minnesota, was upset with the way the Wild’s defensive system constricted his play. Um, Pavol, you do know that Alain Vignault plays a suffocating defensive style too, right? The Canucks also acquired inconsistent young power forward Steve Bernier, who could wind up anywhere from being the Sedin twins’ crease-crasher to Mike Gillis’ in-game pizza guy depending on how his work ethic goes this season.

The Phoenix Coyotes were a team on the rise last season, and they’ve got an even bigger reason to be optimistic heading into this year. Not only do young players like Peter Mueller and Kyle Turris become a year older, wiser, and stronger, the Coyotes have their first true No. 1 centre since the heyday of Jeremy Roenick in the desert. Acquiring Olli Jokinen cost blueliner Keith Ballard, but it presents so many more options up front for Wayne Gretzky. This looks to be the year the Coyotes turn the page.

The Dallas Stars now have the league’s two most irritating players. Will coach Dave Tippet choose to play newly-signed Sean Avery with superpest Steve Ott, or will he keep them separate to have the irritation spread out? One things for sure: the Stars have the right players to draw penalties — and anger — out of the opposition.

The Ducks kept Corey Perry in the fold with an extension that essentially replicated teammate Ryan Getzlaf’s deal. In need of scoring depth, Anaheim is hoping that Brenden Morrison can revive his career. If Teemu Selanne comes back, it’s almost certain that Morrison will play with the Finnish Flash, most likely with Chris Kunitz, as coach Randy Carlyle hopes to recapture the chemistry that left when Andy McDonald was traded to St. Louis. That’s probably Morrison’s best hope in terms of returning to elite status.

Columbus has been looking for a centre for Rick Nash for a while, and this time, it’s gambling on a young player rather than a veteran like Sergei Fedorov. By acquiring R.J. Umberger, the Blue Jackets are penciling him in to play with Nash and hopefully spread out the offense. They’ll need to succeed since the Blue Jackets’ only other offensive weapon (Nikolai Zherdev) was shipped off to the Rangers for blueline support. Umberger will have every opportunity to reach his potential by playing with Nash, and if the duo manages to find some chemistry, the Blue Jackets will have an offensive anchor to carry them through the near future.

Finally, Calgary signed Todd Bertuzzi. The rest of the world shrugged and laughed.

July 22nd, 2008
Categories: HOCKEY, Ice Chips, Mike Chen, Transactional analysis . Author: Mike Chen . Comments: 3 Comments

Fat chance that Baltimore defensive stalwart Ray Lewis will soon join offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden on the sidelines as a retired Raven.

While Ogden finally decided last month that a painful bout of turf toe would help spell the end of his NFL career, Lewis said this week that “football is just getting started for me.â€

It’s great news for the Ravens, seeking to rebound after a nightmare 2007 season saw them bottom out at 5-11.

While discussions regarding Lewis’ future with the team – he’ll be a free agent after 2008 – are still ongoing, he reminded us that he’s never held out from camp or had a contract dispute, so regardless of the off-the-field stuff, you can expect the two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year to be on the field, ready to reap havoc like only he can.

While Lewis has only managed to play in 34 of the team’s last 48 games and his tackle numbers have been dwindling in recent years, he really upped his commitment to conditioning this offseason, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see him show some vintage form.

Rookies and quarterbacks arrived at training camp for the Ravens Monday, and Wednesday, the vets will follow, and yes, that includes Lewis, about to launch into his 13th season – nine of which have seen him named a Pro Bowler.

So while the 33-year-old Lewis, owner of over 2,000 career tackles, says he’s ready to play for another three or four years at least, the real story of the Raven camp will be the quarterback controversy.

Plenty has changed since we wrote our Raven team capsule on March 15. Now that Steve McNair is retired, will veteran Kyle Boller emerge as the No. 1 man in B-More? Is rookie Joe Flacco, finally signed and definitely the QB of the future for the Ravens, ready for a baptism by fire? Or will sophomore Troy Smith be given a longer look this year?

We’re probably realistically looking at a battle between Boller and the rookie Flacco. As Andy so aptly put, “Boller is Boller; he’s not going to turn into Joe Montana.†So the key question is whether Flacco is ready or not. All eyes must watch him very carefully during training camp and the exhibition schedule.

From a fantasy perspective, because of the solid receiving options, either could prove to be decent backups for your team. Boller definitely is still young enough to improve, but how much? I’m not bullish on those prospects. So that leaves the untested Flacco, and all bets are off in that scenario.

July 21st, 2008
Categories: FOOTBALL, RotoRob, Rumours . Author: RotoRob . Comments: No Comments

Gio Gonzalez, Oakland, SP: The recent trade of Joe Blanton to the Phillies has opened up a spot in the Oakland rotation and it looks like Gio Gonzalez is the current frontrunner for the vacancy. Gonzalez is coming off a great run for the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats. In his last four starts, he has allowed only three earned runs while striking out 34 in just 28 1/3 IP. Included in this run were back-to-back one-hitters. The 22-year-old southpaw looks like he’s ready for the Show, so if Gonzalez is a free agent in your league, grab him quick before he’s gone.

Maicer Izturis, Los Angeles Angels, 2B/SS: Izturis is owned by a scant 15 per cent of all teams in CBS leagues. Since July 7, he has batted .429, bringing his season average up to .275 with nine stolen bases. The middle infield position is rather thin, making Izturis worthy of a waiver-wire grab in AL-only formats.

Fernando Tatis, New York Mets, OF: The Met outfield has been truly decimated by injuries this year. Currently, Moises Alou, Ryan Church, Angel Pagan, and the recently acquired Trot Nixon are all on the DL. Tatis has been playing in a full-time capacity since July 6, and has amassed an impressive .366 BA, with four homers and 11 RBI. He’s currently the hot hand in New York, so the Mets will keep trotting him out there until either he cools off, or they can find a better solution. I certainly wouldn’t hesitate to roll the dice on Tatis in both NL-only and H2H formats for the coming week.

Juan Rivera, Los Angeles Angels, OF: It has been a long road to recovery for Rivera from that broken leg he suffered playing winter ball way back in 2006. The knee injury to Gary Matthews Jr. has provided Rivera with a recent increase in playing time and he’s responded with a .379 BA, three homers and eight RBI since the beginning of July. Rivera is a solid acquisition in AL-only leagues and should be on the radar in deeper mixed formats.

Jamie Moyer, Philadelphia, SP: Moyer, at 45 years of age, just keeps on chugging along. The ageless wonder is currently tied with Cole Hamels for the team lead in wins, with nine. His ERA (3.90 ERA) hasn’t been this low since his days as a Mariner, way back in 2003. Moyer, in his last eight starts going back to June 6, has not allowed more than three earned runs and is on pace for yet another season of 200 plus innings pitched. He’s a solid option in all formats heading into the second half of ‘08.

Nomar Garciaparra, Los Angeles Dodgers, 1B/SS/3B: Since coming off the DL(again) on July 4, Garciaparra is batting a solid .316, with three homers and ten RBI. In the absence of the injured Rafael Furcal, Garciaparra has recently been back playing his original postion of shortstop. That has to leave Dodger groundball pitchers like Derek Lowe feeling absolutely ecstatic. Garciaparra is a decent option in NL-only leagues and deeper formats that use middle infielders, assuming he’s still healthy by the time RotoRob drags his sorry ass out of bed and edits this.

Grant Balfour, Tampa Bay, RP: Troy Percival went on the DL July 2 with a left hamstring strain. The Rays promptly announced that they were going with the dreaded closer-by-committee approach, with Dan Wheeler being the frontrunner for saves during Percy’s absence. Moving forward a couple of weeks, Balfour has three saves. So much for the-closer-by-committee approach. The former Twin, coming off Tommy John surgery and a rebuild on both his labrum and rotator cuff, has been very solid. In 23 2/3 innings pitched, he has allowed only ten hits and has struck out 36. Percival is tentatively scheduled to return this week, which will push Balfour back into a set-up role, but he remains a solid acquisition in all leagues counting holds and as the go-to-guy if Percival has any future health issues (which is a strong possibility).

Jonathan Broxton, Los Angeles Dodgers, RP: The injury to Takashi Saito (a sprained ligament in his right elbow) will leave the Dodger closer sidelined until at least September. The 24-year-old Broxton has been the closer-in-waiting seemingly forever and now he finally has that opportunity to close. He recorded his first save Friday and with 48 strikeouts in 40 2/3 innings pitched, has all the tools to be successful. In CBS leagues, he has gone from 38 to 76 per cent ownership. The 24 per cent that don’t believe, should; roster Broxton immediately.

Asdrubal Cabrera, Cleveland, 2B: The Cleveland Indians recalled the 22-year-old Cabrera from the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons this past week. It is currently time for the Indians to start evaluating players for 2009, and Jamey Carroll is obviously not the long-term solution at second base. Cabrera had a solid .326 BA in the minors and has the potential to garner some thefts over the balance of the season. He did manage 23 thefts for Double-A Akron in 2007. Cabrera is a solid addition in AL-only leagues.

Fausto Carmona, Cleveland, SP: I happened to be scanning the current player ownership trends, as I do on a regular basis, and the name of Fausto Carmona leapt out at me. In CBS leagues, he is currently owned to the tune of only 48 per cent in all formats. There has to be a lot of H2H leagues or leagues with a very short bench using CBS as a stat provider this year. The 24-year-old, currently sidelined with a hip strain, is scheduled to be coming off the DL in the next several weeks. If, by chance, he is available in your league, grab him now before the memories of that 19-win season in 2007 are splashed all over the ‘Net.

Bryan LaHair, Seattle, 1B: The release of Richie Sexson has opened the door for LaHair, who was recalled July 18 from Triple-A Tacoma. LaHair has mashed 12 dingers and driven in 53 runs for Tacoma and is currently expected to handle the strong side of the platoon at 1B, batting against righthanders. The Mariners are a mess and it is definitely time to start looking at some of the kids on the farm. Jose Vidro is not the solution and could quite possibly be the next to go in the Mariner purge. LaHair is a solid grab in AL-only formats and, depending on the direction the Mariners head in over the next several weeks, the 25-year-old could have value in deeper mixed formats.

Denard Span, Minnesota, OF: Span was recalled from Triple-A Rochester June 29 to fill the vacancy created by the Michael Cuddyer injury. The 24-year-old is currently batting .316 with five stolen bases, so he’s a solid play while Cuddyer is on the mend. It’s possible upon the return of Cuddyer that Span ends up stealing at bats from the slumping Carlos Gomez, making him a very solid grab in AL-only leagues and someone who should be on the radar in deeper mixed-formats, if you need a late-season push in the stolen base category.

Anibal Sanchez, Florida, SP: Do you remember this guy? If you don’t, think back to 2006 and that no-hitter that he threw in only his 13th big league start; or maybe you recall his fine rookie campaign of ten wins and solid 2.83 ERA. The torn labrum that cost him the 2007 season looks to be healing just fine. In Sanchez’s last rehab start for Double-A Carolina on Friday, he went six innings, allowing only two earned runs while striking out five. If all goes well in his final rehab start this coming week, he could be back in the Marlin rotation and a possible two-start pitcher in the last week of July. Sanchez is a solid add in NL-only, H2H, and all keeper formats.

July 20th, 2008
Categories: BASEBALL, The Wire Troll, Tim McLeod . Author: Tim McLeod . Comments: 3 Comments