There are two very notable players this year in the American League, both of whom should very easily qualify for multiple awards. Last season, Cliff Lee was not only banished from the rotation, but demoted to Triple-A and left off the Indians post-season roster. Josh Hamilton was in the process of re-establishing his career, but injuries continued to be his Achilles’ Heel. Both are huge comeback stories, one from a horrible nightmare called 2007, the other from the demons of years of drug and alcohol abuse. There are no bigger comeback and success stories this year in the American League than those of Lee and Hamilton.

MVP

Josh Hamilton, Texas, OF: For a guy that has yet to play a full season in the majors and was out of the game for four years dealing with his well-documented drug and health problems, to post the numbers he is putting up is truly amazing. With 21 homers and a league-leading 95 RBI at the break, Hamilton has now seen his career come full circle. To be leading the league by 25 RBI at the break is a truly outstanding accomplishment. Now, if the Rangers with Nolan Ryan at the helm could only find a way to build a starting rotation…

Grady Sizemore, Cleveland, OF: And the leading home run hitter in the American League at the break would be…yes, Grady Sizemore. When your top-of-the-order bat is leading his team in home runs, RBI, stolen bases and OBP it is certainly worthy of MVP consideration. Is a 40-40 season in the works for the 25-year-old Sizemore in 2008?

Ian Kinsler, Texas, 2B: Kinsler has raised his stock dramatically this year for the Rangers and for his fantasy owners. With a .337 BA, 14 homers, 58 RBI, 23 thefts and a league-leading 84 runs-scored — 17 more than the nearest competition — Kinsler is a true five-category stud, and definite MVP candidate. Taken in the sixth round in most drafts this spring, Kinsler has ascended to the title of the best offensive second baseman in the league, bar none.

Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees, 3B: Even with missing 17 games with a strained right quad, A-Rod has rather quietly put together a great first half. Currently, he is tied for fifth with 19 homers, is sitting in third spot with a 972 OPS and has pitched in with a very solid 13 stolen bases. How valuable is Rodriguez to the Yankees? The paltry seven wins they totaled in the 18 games he’s missed this year pretty much says it all. He has the potential to carry both the Yankees and your fantasy squad in the second half.

Justin Morneau, Minnesota, 1B: Morneau is probably one of the true team MVP candidates of the first half. Currently, the Twins’ offensive leader has driven in 68 runs, a staggering 22 more than the number two guy on the squad. He is the principle reason that the Twins are within two games of the first-place White Sox at the break.

CY YOUNG

Roy Halladay, Toronto, SP: With seven, Halladay has more complete games at the break than any combined pitching staff in baseball, this side of the NPB ( Yu Darvish of Nippon Ham just got his 8th). Doc’s strikeouts are back to 2003 levels, the walk total is at a stingy 21, and with 11 wins at the break he could be very well on his way to a second Cy Young award. Posting these numbers while pitching for one of the worst offenses in the game makes this even a more incredible achievement.

Joe Saunders, Los Angeles Angels, SP: The 27-year-old southpaw has stepped up his game in ’08. Saunders is currently tied for the league lead in wins with 12 and is sporting a fine 3.07 ERA and 1.13 WHIP. He’s seen a distinct drop in his hit rates this year, leading to a very successful first half. Is it sell high time here?

Justin Duchscherer, Oakland, SP: You have to love those junk ball pitchers that toss them in at 68 mph. The converted reliever takes a 10-5 record into the break with a league-leading 1.82 ERA. Food for thought: Duchscherer has only allowed more than two earned runs in one start this season. Is this sustainable? Probably not, but for those that gambled early and grabbed him off the waiver wire, enjoy the ride!

Cliff Lee, Cleveland, SP: Lee has had a truly amazing first half. That run of eight starts to commence the season (allowing a total of only four earned runs) was one of the best we’ve seen in a long time. At the break, Lee was tied for the league lead in wins with 12 and second in ERA with a 2.31 mark. He wrapped up the first half by earning the successful start in this year’s All-Star game. Lee is another fine example of why we don’t draft starting pitching in the early rounds of fantasy drafts — because clearly, you can use later picks or even the wire to find difference makers.

Ervin Santana, Los Angeles Angels, SP: What a turnaround Santana has enjoyed after that disappointing 2007 campaign. Currently the “other†Santana is sitting with 11 wins, a solid 3.34 ERA and is tied for third in the league with 122 strikeouts. He’s even found a way to pitch on the road this year. The 25-year-old righthander looks to be proving that his solid sophomore campaign in 2006 was no fluke.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay, 3B: Longoria started the 2008 campaign at Triple-A Durham and was called up April 12 to replace the injured Willy Aybar. After six games and 20 or so at bats, he signed a six-year deal with the Rays for a reported $17.5 million. Three months later, he’s hit 16 homers, driven in 53 runs and made the All-Star team. Evan Almighty, without a doubt, is the leading candidate for top rookie in the AL.

Jacoby Ellsbury, Boston, OF: It looks like the long-standing Boston stolen base record of 54 set in 1973 by Tommy Harper is going to be shattered. Ellsbury has 35 thefts at the break and has scored 60 runs batting leadoff. Apparently, the hype generated by his September run last year has been more than warranted.

Masahide Kobayashi, Cleveland, RP: It took a bit longer than I was expecting, but Kobayashi looks like he’s moved into the closer role for the Tribe heading into the break. Kobayashi has all the skills that a closer needs and he hopes to build on his success from those NPB days with Chiba Lotte. The Indians are already looking ahead to 2009 and the next couple of months will determine Kobayashi’s role in the Tribe bullpen for next year. I’m betting on success.

Greg Smith, Oakland, SP: Where does Oakland find its starting pitching? Smith is another in a long line of young A’s pitchers who have come up to the majors and been able to contribute. The 24-year-old southpaw has posted a very steady 3.43 ERA and 1.25 WHIP, to go along with 74 strikeouts in 110 1/3 IP. On the downside, Smith has allowed 47 free passes in the first half. If he is going to sustain those solid first-half numbers, he will have to find a way to limit the walks or those early results will be hard to duplicate in the second half.

David Murphy, Texas, OF: Murphy has hit 13 homers, driven in 60 runs and managed five stolen bases in the first half. Not bad for a guy that didn’t have a full-time job coming out of Spring Training. When you have Hamilton, Kinsler, Michael Young and Milton Bradley getting on base in front of you, the RBI opportunites are going to be there. Undrafted in most formats, Murphy has been another huge bonus for those gambling early on the waiver wire.

COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR

J.D. Drew, Boston, OF: At the end of May, Drew was either buried deep on your fantasy bench or sitting on the waiver wire. In 115 at bats from mid-April until the end of May he hit the grand sum of one long ball. It was looking like the 2008 season was going to be a carbon copy of that disappointing ’07. And then came June. Twelve homers and 27 RBI later, and he’s back to being the player that the Red Sox thought they were getting when they shelled out $70 million to sign the free agent in the 2006 offseason. It’s been quite the turnaround for this Phillies’ fans favourite, so no worries that Drew will be dodging batteries any time soon at Fenway.

Mike Mussina, New York Yankees, SP: Many thought that after last year’s disaster, the fine career of Mike Mussina might be over. Not only is he alive and well in New York, but he’s been an integral part of the Yankee rotation. At the break, Mussina is tied for third in the league with 11 wins and has posted a solid 3.61 ERA and 1.23 WHIP. He is currently on pace to have his lowest base-on-balls total in his career, with a stingy 16 so far. With the injuries to Chien-Ming Wang and Philip Hughes, and the failures of Ian Kennedy and Kei Igawa, Moose will need a solid second half if the Yankees are to make the postseason again in 2008.

Troy Percival, Tampa Bay, RP: Percival commenced his comeback last fall by pitching very effectively for the Cardinals down the stretch. Signed by the Rays in the offseason, he has been a stabilizing force in the Tampa Bay pen. Still the fierce competitor, Percy has 19 saves and has allowed only 16 hits in 28 innings pitched this year. Coming back and pitching at the level he has after being out of the game for virtually three full seasons is an amazing accomplishment and one that will have to be sustained if the surprising Rays are going to reach the postseason this year.

Jermaine Dye, Chicago White Sox, OF: Dye is enjoying a fine resurgence this year for the division-leading White Sox. He is currently hitting to the tune of a .306 BA, with 21 homers and 56 RBI. This year, Dye is putting together a season reminiscent of that fine 2000, his last as a Royal, and he’s a big reason for the early-season success of the White Sox in 2008.

Aubrey Huff, Baltimore, DH: We haven’t seen numbers like this from Huff since the Rays had a bit of the Devil in them. With 18 homers already, he has surpassed his season total from 2007. Huff is another one of those early waiver wire acquisitions that has paid huge dividends for fantasy owners this season.

BUST OF THE YEAR

Victor Martinez, Cleveland, C: Over the past four seasons, Martinez has been the premier offensive catcher in the game. I remember thinking, ‘now here’s a safe pick for the third round in my bloggers’ league. Let’s grab a power bat at a relatively scarce position and run with it.’ Uh, yeah. At the break, in 198 at bats, he amassed the grand total of zero, that would be no home runs, and yes, I am bitter. Let’s hope the time off recovering from the elbow surgery helps him rediscover some semblance of a power stroke over the last six weeks of the season.

Alex Rios, Toronto, OF: For those that took the opportunity to read our pre-season picks to miss column back in late-March, we listed Rios as a player who would potentially disappoint — and disappoint he has. Four home runs from a player at a power position who was a third round pick in most formats is beyond disappointing. On the positive side at least he’s running, with a career high 23 thefts so far. With Vernon Wells missing a substantial amount of time due to injury, it would have been nice to see Rios step up to the plate, rather than away from it.

Kenji Johjima, Seattle, C: With Johjima coming off two very successful years in Seattle, who saw this one coming? Obviously not the previous Mariner regime, which rewarded Johjima with a three-year contract extension at $24 million. Yes, catchers have a history of rapid descent as they approach their mid-30s, but with three homers and a .213 BA, this would appear to be more of a crash than a descent. Now that Richie Sexson has been released, is moving Johjima the next part of the dismantling process? Johjima would be a very nice fit on a financially secure east-coast team for that stretch run, wouldn’t he?

Gary Sheffield, Detroit, OF/DH: This had to happen eventually. Sheffield has enjoyed a great career, but the combination of age, shoulder woes, and a strained oblique has finally taken its toll. Five homers and 18 RBI with a .217 BA is not what we were counting on when we made Sheffield a mid-level draft pick this spring. There’s definitely the potential for a bounce back in the second half in a strong Tiger lineup, but I’m not betting on it.

Travis Hafner, Cleveland, DH: Here’s another one of those picks that has done some serious damage to fantasy rosters throughout the land. Hafner amassed the staggering total of four homers, 22 RBI, and a .217 BA in 157 at bats this season before hitting the DL with a strained shoulder. With the Indians playing for 2009, and Hafner currently without a timetable for his return, don’t count on any reasonable levels of production this year from “Pronk.â€

July 19th, 2008
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: Tim McLeod . Comments: 4 Comments

The first time I saw this, it was love at first sight. Not only can this chick play ball, but she can seriously pick it and is obviously tremendously flexible. Bow chicka bow.

July 13th, 2008
Categories: BASEBALL, Uncategorized . Author: RotoRob . Comments: No Comments

The Boston Red Sox, having dropped the first two games of this crucial series in Tampa, find themselves in danger of being swept with a loss Wednesday. Could it be time to ratchet up the intensity? After all, the latest chapter between these two teams has been surprisingly tame considering AL East supremacy in on the line.

Heading into this series, Boston and Tampa had developed a well-established history of violence over the years, with no less than ten episodes of ugliness over the years having cemented these foes as the fiercest of rivals.

Well, maybe it’s Boston that needs that spark right now. After all, with all the crap that’s gone on between these two clubs, the Sox led the all-time series 117-61 before suffering huge losses the past two nights. On Monday, Justin Masterson plunked Willy Aybar with a pitch, but that wasn’t serious enough to spark another melee.

Some history:

The fun dates back to August 29, 2000, when Pedro Martinez, who (coincidentally or not) had lost to the Rays twice in his previous three starts against them, nailed Gerald Williams with a pitch, causing Williams to charge the mound. Rays hurler Dave Eiland throws at Brian Daubach, and the benches wound up emptying twice on the night. Eight players get the heave ho.

A month to the day later, Tampa beats the Sox, eliminating Boston from playoff contention. After finishing things off for the final out, Rays closer Roberto Hernandez gives the Boston bench a “bye bye†wave. Clearly, the Sox are unimpressed, so the next night, when Hernandez failed to protect a 2-1 lead, surrendering a two-run homer to Morgan Burkhardt as part of a three-run rally, the Sox respond with their own waves to Hernandez, mostly of the one finger variety.

Things are quiet for a year and a half, but then on May 5, 2002, Rays starter Ryan Rupe hits both Nomar Garciaparra and Shea Hillenbrand in the first inning. Then Trot Nixon loses control (uh, ya) of his bat after swinging and missing and the bat goes flying towards Rupe. Later, Randy Winn gets hit by a pitch.

A couple of months later, both Manny Ramirez and Brent Abernathy get plunked twice, causing ejections for Esteban Yan and Rays manager Hal McRae.

Less than two months later, on September 9, Derek Lowe nailed Felix Escalona twice, despite a warning from the Commissioner’s office.

The next night, Doug Mirabelli, Garciaparra and Lou Merloni are all drilled by the Rays. Both Lowe and Lee Gardner get suspensions for this one.

Flash forward just over two years to late-September 2004. Manny Ramirez and Kevin Millar are plunked on consecutive at bats by Scott Kazmir, causing the benches to empty. Earlier in the game, Bronson Arroyo had hit Aubrey Huff and Tino Martinez. Both Manager Lou Piniella and Kazmir were ushered from the game for this episode.

On April 24, 2005, Lance Carter threw behind Ramirez. Manny responded by going yard. Then Carter threw behind David Ortiz. Ortiz’s response? He made a move towards Carter, sparking a melee in which six players were ejected and eight were either fined or suspended. It turns into a war of words off the diamond when Curt Schilling uses his radio show to criticize Piniella. Rays announcer Joe Magrane responds by calling out Schilling on the next Rays telecast, which caused Schilling to drag Magrane through the mud. Good times.

Things are quiet until March 2006, when during a Spring Training game, crazy man Julian Tavarez kicks Joey Gathright as Gathright was scoring on a wild pitch. Tavarez slapped and punched Gathright, causing another emptying of the benches. In the scrap that ensues, Ty Wigginton busted a bone in his right hand. Tavarez earned himself a ten-game suspension for this squirreliness.

Last season remained more or less episode-free, but last month, on June 5, there was finally an episode in Boston when James Shields hit Coco Crisp in response to Crisp’s hard slide into Akinori Iwamura the night before. The upshot was that three players got kicked out and eight got suspended. Sweet!

July 2nd, 2008
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: RotoRob . Comments: 4 Comments

Earlier this week, we speculated on whether the exploits of Indy League pitcher Aaron Ledbetter would be enough to garner him attention from a major league organization.

Well, lest you think that kind of thing never happens, the Braves have signed catcher/1B Jason Phillips (aka, Goggles Paisano) to a minor league deal, adding him to the roster of their Richmond Triple-A team.

The 31-year-old Phillips, a veteran of 465 major league games with the Mets, Dodgers and Jays, was batting .302 with five dingers and 38 RBI in 42 games for the Camden Riversharks of the Atlantic League.

When last seen in the bigs in 2007, Phillips flamed out with just a .208 BA for Toronto.

But the trade of Sal Fasano last week opened a spot on Richmond so Phillips finds himself back in organized ball. He didn’t exactly burst onto the scene, taking an 0-fer in his first game on Friday. It’s going to take a hell of a lot of injuries for Phillips to actually make his way back to the bigs this season.

This isn’t the first time Atlanta has reached down to the Indies to add a body. Earlier this season, the Braves signed righty Brian Lawrence, who was also toiling with the Riversharks. Unfortunately, in three starts for Richmond, the 32-year-old Lawrence has been absolutely tattooed, so don’t look for a happy ending to this tale.

Having said that, remember Kerry Ligtenberg? The Braves plucked him from the Indies back in 1996, and he wound up having a brilliant rookie season in 1998, saving 30 games.

So hey, it can happen, but I’m not sure a similar triumphant return is in store for the goggled one.

June 28th, 2008
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: RotoRob . Comments: 1 Comment

Sometimes the Independent Leagues are just tailor made for certain players who had quickly flamed out in organized ball. Such seems to have been the case for one-time Cardinal draft pick RHP Aaron Ledbetter.

Drafted by St. Louis in the 24th round in 2001, Ledbetter spent two awful seasons at Rookie Level Johnson City, going 3-11 with a sky high ERA that would have made a pre-humidor Rockies’ hurler blush.

The following year, at the age of 22, he wound up in River City of the Frontier League and he’s never looked back.

In fact, earlier this month, Ledbetter became the league’s all-time strikeout king, passing the immortal Matt Schweitzer’s Frontier mark of 434 career Ks.

You can add the K mark to an impressive list of Frontier League records Ledbetter already owned, including most career wins, innings pitched, starts and a share of the mark of complete games.

He’s made the last three all-star games, and last year, based on his sick season (14-2, 2.71, 103 Ks in 129 2/3 IP), won the Brian Tollberg Award as the Most Valuable Pitcher (by the way, how bizarre is it that a pitcher who went on to win 15 major league games is the standard that all Frontier League hurlers strive to match?).

Ledbetter has accomplished all of this before the age of 27 (which he’ll reach this coming weekend). So here’s a question for you: is there a major league organization paying attention to what Ledbetter has been doing the past few years? Would someone give this still quite young hurler an opportunity to be the next Brian Tollberg?

June 26th, 2008
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: RotoRob . Comments: 1 Comment