I'm Supposed to be HATING The Yankees!

"It's getting harder and harder to root for one team," I remember my dad saying back in my youth. We all know that it's a sad truth with free agency and all that. Well, I fear that our rivalries have also been getting a little hazy. Sure we've got new rivalries that spring up here and there (Rays/Red Sox), and good ole classic ones that never die (Giants/Dodgers). But when you find out that the player you hate has just been traded to Toronto, and they brought in a very likeable Ichiro, the old memories start to be forgotten--with the exception of a few managers and a few fans. When you're watching a game on ESPN and they show an online poll that says that the number one defensive play of all time is Jeter's (admittedly awesome) pop-foul over-the-shoulder catch and Willie Mays famous centerfield over-the-shoulder catch in like ninth place, you realize that there's a disconnect there (and that our elders aren't rushing to their laptops to submit a vote).

Now, for myself, being born and raised in the Southeast, hating the Yankees was in the water. Then after college I moved to southern California--where you're supposed to--again--hate the Yankees. Problem is, as all these transactions keep taking place and the seasons wear on, I find myself liking these particular Bronx Bombers more and more. How dare they with all their damn money!!

Let's start at the top: Manager Joe Girardi--er, HECK, George Steinbrenner took his calzones and retired resulting in no complaints from me--but back to manager Joe Girardi. In 2006 (two seasons ago), he was let go by the Marlins just hours after completing what was one of the best managerial performances that you'll see. He led the very young and always-last-place Florida Marlins to an impressive 6 games under .500 season (78-84) and ended the season only ONE game behind the then 15-straight-season champion Atlanta Braves. Thankfully, his job was recognized, and he was awarded the National League Manager of the Year...just days after being fired! Suck on that Huizenga (sp? why's the 'u' in there?) Anyways, he took a year off of managing baseball to option for the ever-popular alternative of Television Analyst. Just to note, he was offered a managerial position with the Baltimore Orioles last season, but had good instincts to hold off.

Alex Rodriguez is quite simply, a bad-ass. He didn't get any respect from the MVP voters until he landed on a winning team. Furthermore, just seeing the Yankees fans completely under-appreciate how good they had it at third base made us all want him on our teams, where he most likely would be appreciated. Granted, he was making quite a few errors defensively, and he wasn't able to maintain his 1.000 BA that he started in the early season of '07 (i kid), but I'm positive that these 'bad' spells were only a result of the "walking on eggshells" mentality that New Yorkers seem to have on its players.

Didn't Derek Jeter always give you that same resentment feeling that Michael Jordan gave you...always in the playoffs beating YOUR team? Yeah, I had that kind of hatred. What happened? Well, I guess I lost all my angst after several down seasons of Yankee baseball. Now, I'm starting to have more and more respect for him -- the same kind of respect I started to gain after Michael Jordan finally retired and couldn't beat my teams anymore. He's quite the class act, he hustles on every play, and something about seeing him make a big error, yet hear ZERO boos come out of the Yankee Stadium faithful, is awe-inspiring. Just take the May 20th game against the Baltimore Orioles, if **A-Rod** would've made that error during last season, the boos wouldn't have stopped until he left the field. Derek Jeter has commanded the respect of one of the most disrespectful crowds in the game...WOW!

I will always admire Jason Giambi for being one of the first active baseball players to admit that he juiced. I don't know if he remains a client of a Balco-style company or not, but he put himself out there, and hopefully tought some kids to keep it clean. Seeing him play well now makes me smile a little bit.

You can't really have any beef with Johnny Damon, Jorge Posada, Bobby Abreu, or Mariano Rivera...these guys have been putting forth their best effort since the beginning of their careers, AND in tough environments.

It was refreshing to see Joba Chamberlain show a lot of respect to Padres first-baseman Adrian Gonzalez after the close play at the plate last week, seems like a good kid. He looks and acts like a kinder, gentler Roger Clemens that doesn't want to take the 4 days off in between starts.

I don't want the Yankees to win it all, let's make that perfectly clear! I guess I just want these guys to be affordable.

All-Waiver Team: Players to Avoid

I've been playing fantasy baseball with pretty much the same group of guys since the good ol' days nearly ten years ago (when Sandbox was free) --and they have always been quite a smart group of guys and very tough competition. This season is the first year that I also joined a pay league--with visions of cash dancing in my head. Anyways, to make a long story short, I've noticed that you can tell how wise the owners are in a league by the names you find on their league's Waiver Wire.

During my near-ten-year-fantasy-participation span, I've been compiling a list of 'note-to-self's about certain players that I have learned to avoid AT ALL COSTS in the future! In other words, I love it when my fantasy opponents start these players. Now, obviously, no disrespect to these players because fantasy sports ignores certain 'little' parts of the game that are crucial to helping a team win, i.e., assists from the outfield, sacrifice bunts, Hit-by-pitches, etc. Unfortunately for these players, fantasy owners don't give a crap about those things, because they don't show up on the leaderboard. Most of these players can be considered good players by their hardcore fans, but on the contrary will be hated by their fantasy owners.

They will have a three-hit/four-RBI night, and after checking your Waiver Wire, you'll pick them up...fully hoping they'll get your slumping offense back up to your satisfaction, but I am here to tell you NOT TO DO IT....even if you're in a 12-team league!

C Paul LoDuca / Ronny Paulino / Ramon Hernandez
With catchers, you just want to find a guy that will give you around 140 games and can bat as close to .300 as possible. LoDuca hasn't had much to offer for a few years now. Unfortunately, I always miss out on Victor Martinez because I mistake him for Ramon Hernandez (I don't know why) during the very stressful draft process. There's a huge value difference there, I know, but I don't watch the Indians and Orioles very much these days.

1B Adam LaRoche / Richie Sexson / Carlos Delgado
When you're in the middle of the Mets lineup, you're bound to get some RsBI...as long as you can swing a bat. With Carlos Delgado, he can't help but give you some numbers, but AT WHAT COST??...much frustration, and a slew of blown opportunities Adam LaRoche will hit well for a week here and there, but you have to be quick to grab him right before that happens.

2B Orlando Hudson / Jose Vidro
Orlando Hudson seems to be the nicest guy in the league today--just watch him during his very first at-bat each night, exchanging XOXO's with the catcher and umpire. His hot streaks are longer than most other players, and also come with stolen bases, but is just no match for his cold streaks.

3B Bill Hall / Wilson Betemit / Aubrey Huff
Good luck on guessing when Bill Hall is gonna give you a multi-homer game. He'll give you five straight 0-4's before the 3-4, 4 RsBI. And Wilson Betemit never gets many straight days of being on the roster anyways.

SS Rafael Furcal / Jhonny Peralta / J.J. Hardy
Yeah, I know, and Furcal has MVP numbers at his April rate. Trust me, I am wondering when he's gonna cool off. This lengthy hot start is definitely his most impressive since his early days with the Braves. I'm still leaving him on my personal "Stay Away From" list, but don't worry, he's owned in most leagues already anyway. If you own him, see what kind of sweet trade you can get with him before he goes cold.

LF Gary Matthews Jr / Andre Ethier
Gary--it seems--has a lot to prove every year, and has a lot of Oh-fers between his big games. He'll get you most of his RsBI while he's on your bench. Don't waste the small amount of Bench-space that you have. Ethier has a great swing, but the Dodgers don't seem to have a whole lot of run production--especially when you are noticing.

CF Andruw Jones / Mike Cameron
Boy, Andruw just can't seem to get it going since his big homerun season long ago. Tons of fantasy owners hold on to those distant hopes...don't bother. He's a player that I LOVE to see my fantasy opponents pick up.

RF Shane Victorino / Jayson Werth
Victorino comes along with a few stolen bases, but just doesn't seem consistent, and just not very valuable overall. His teammate Jayson Werth just never had much consistent playing time....And I won't be surprised if they platoon in right field when Shane returns from the DL.

DH Jack Cust / Lyle Overbay
Yeah, I've owned Lyle Overbay a couple different times....never again. And man, is it frustrating when you're DH strikes out with no outs and the bases loaded.

P Gil Meche / Dontrelle Willis / Cliff Lee / Derek Lowe / Scott Baker / Braden Looper / Barry Zito / Tom Gorzelanny / Livan Hernandez
Even someone in my league gave Dontrelle Willis a chance this year! Isn't it weird to see him celebrating a big offensive inning in the dugout--when he himself contributes nothing? He's been bad for too long now. He's the next Jose Lima. And even though it seemed everyone had given up on Barry Zito by now, someone still picked up and started him in my pay league. None of these guys will give you more than two or three straight quality starts.

If any of these guys are on your starting roster, and there's no better option on the Waiver Wire, then find your strongest point, and make a trade with that.

Fantasy Box Score

This is the time of year when I like to make package trades. This is when I take a couple of guys and trade them for a star. It is my firm belief that the team that gets the best player in a trade, is the team that got the better end of the trade. Now is the time of year when owners are beginning to wonder if they have built a championship team, this means it is the time to exploit those owners. I find that traditionally super star players are what we think they are. Yet, owners panic when somebody gets out of the gate slowly. This is the time to package some late rounds picks for studs. I recently picked up Ryan Howard in one league and Alex Rodriguez in another. All I had to give up were the likes of Justin Morneau and Jimmy Rollins. This is also a good time to trade saves. Owners panic when they see themselves at the bottom of a category. In reality there are always closers to be had off of waivers so if you can get somebody to give you a contributor, definitely make the move. I am a big fan of improving my teams through trades, but it is also helpful to try and mess up another guy’s team in the process. I like to be a stickler for certain players from the other guy’s team to be included in any deals. This is because I want to throw a wrench in what the other guy is trying to do. In short, I love to trade, that is what makes fantasy sports fun.

Drag Bunts…

No matter what you get offered, don’t trade Jose Reyes. Chone Figgins playing second base. It happened the other night against the A’s, if it continues he becomes even more valuable.

You must get rid of Barry Zito.

Russell Martin playing third base, it could happen. Right now he is third on the team depth chart at the position.

Manny Corpas should be let go from your team. The guy has completely fallen apart. Brian Fuentes will be the Rockies closer for the rest of the season.

I see no need to keep Jorge Posada. It is hard to imagine he will keep the power he brings, so therefore he really can be dropped for somebody with more potential.

Chad Gaudin has been lights out. Pick him up if you can.

John Smoltz heads to the DL. The bummer here is that he was doing really well.

Francisco Liriano gets sent to the minors. I don’t know if it is time to cut bait with him just yet. He needs to get some innings in so I would wait and see how he does in the minors before I made any moves with the young pitcher.

Don’t sleep on Ryan Dempster.

Ditto with Jayson Werth.

I say it every time. Get Andre Ethier on your team if you can. He is playing great.

Hiroki and Andruw: Money Well Spent?

Considering that he pitched impressively in his only loss in three outings for the Dodgers, which came against the red-hot Diamondbacks, Hiroki Kuroda (1-1, 2.89) should be having the Dodgers fans pleased with their big-cash signing last offseason. And speaking of big cash, Andruw Jones' opening-weekend cheers turned to second-homestand boos, as he took a lot of heat all this past weekend at Dodger Stadium--probably because he came in batting a paltry .129 with 1 RBI after his first 31 ABs. Kuroda didn't start Monday's contest particularly sharp, and it appeared that he was feeling a little residual pressure to prove to the Dodger Faithful that their money was well-spent in his case, which--at the present time--doesn't appear to be so in Mr. Jones' case.

Hiroki quickly overcame his jitters and settled down nicely after the Pirates put up two early runs. He shut down Nate McLouth and Jason Bay, both of whom can be quite the party poopers. The only mistake made was that someone forgot to tell Kuroda that no one should try to slip a fastball over the plate late in the game to fastball-hitting X Nady. Nonetheless, Kuroda left the low-scoring game with a one-run lead. That was his third impressive outing in as many starts--after going to San Diego and shutting down the Padres for his first win, then, going to Arizona where the only thing you can really put on him was walking pitcher Micah Owings in a big situation late in the game.

Not only is his pitching enough to get excited about, but so is his hitting. He showed a great eye in the seventh inning against the Padres, drawing a pretty crucial walk after going up to the plate fully expecting to bunt Blake DeWitt's lead-off walk over to 2nd Base in a tie ballgame. Now, rarely do you see full-time hitters able to pull the bat back successfully on a borderline pitch off the plate in a bunt attempt, but Kuroda did it 3, if not 4 times in that one AB--drawing the walk and giving up no outs to rally the Dodgers in putting up 6 runs in the inning. (May I interject that my baseball-crush is much bigger for the DH-free National League) Then in Monday night's game, Kuroda showed more plate presence with 1 out and a runner on 3rd--dribbling an RBI double down the 3rd-base line, scoring the go-ahead run.

BTW, it was Andruw that got the triple ahead of Kuroda and scored that run--add to that a couple of great swings at the plate on Tuesday and Wednesday nights for Andruw--and it's starting to look like his bat is coming around. I could foresee him getting a homerun or two by the end of this weekend...But he's too streaky, and will strike out in the pressure situation most of the time. Most of his RsBI will come when the runs aren't needed.

Last Place Roto

-Roto Words - By AJ Jackson

If you’re like me then you are in more than one fantasy league. If you’re in more than one fantasy league then the odds are pretty good that you have a team sitting close to last place after the first two weeks of the season. So in this spirit, I give you the steals. The steals are the guys who are about to make a big splash. You can grab them off the waiver wire or get them in a buy low style of trade. But, with steals come busts. So below you will find the busts, the guys who need to be traded.

Steals

Joe Crede 3B, CHW – The general consensus heading into this season was that Josh Fields would take over the third base job for the White Sox. Now just a few weeks into the season, Crede has three home runs and what looks like a strangle hold on the starting third base job for the White Sox.

Peter Moylan RP, ATL – With Rafael Soriano injured, it looks like Moylan will get the chance to close out some games for the braves. You should definitely pick him up if you already have Soriano.

Mark Reynolds 3B, ARI – This guy is mashing right now. With five home runs, Reynolds has more home runs on the season than my beloved Dodgers. Who cares if Reynolds can’t keep this pace. If he can just have two or three more spurts like this he will be worth the flyer.

J.D. Drew OF, BOS – Drew has played superior baseball up until this point. As long as he plays, he will produce. Batting in the mighty Red Sox line up, he should pile up RBI’s.

Bill Hall OF, MIL – Hall is mashing. Hall is also getting a chance to play a few positions which will give Hall’s value a big boost. He might never be the player he was a few seasons ago, however, he is still a great pick up.

Busts

Andruw Jones OF, LA – The guy has been horrible this year. I mean just horrible. Now he is batting seventh in Joe Torre’s line up. I wrote in my column for HomeTown9.com about how downright chubby Jones has been looking.

C.C. Sabathia SP, CLE – One word describes this pitchers last start, yuck.

David Ortiz U, BOS – Ortiz has been the biggest busts of all this season. Ortiz really looks like that knee of his is still bothering him.

Dontrelle Willis SP, DET – Remember when Willis was traded, the general consensus was that he would benefit from a change of scenery. That hasn’t happened. Now Willis is heading to the 15-day DL with a hyper-extended knee. It is now safe to cut bait with Willis as it is just not going to happen for him this season.

Prince Fielder 1B, MIL – The big fellow became a vegetarian in the off-season. Now Milwaukee fans are wondering, where’s the beef? Fielder has yet to hit a home run this season. In fact, J.J. Hardy hasn’t hit a home run yet either, leaving the Brewers relying on the surprising power of Gabe Kapler.

No Worries

Jose Reyes SS, NYM – Remember, the season is more marathon then sprint. Reyes may be keeping owners up at night, but there is no reason to think that with a couple of days worth of rest, the speedy shortstop will not be back to his old self.

Must Be On Your Team

Andre Ethier OF, LA – The kid is out of control right now. What a smooth swing this guy has. Seriously, when you watch him play, you think, Wade Boggs. Joe Torre has been trying all sorts of different batting orders; the one constant is Ethier batting third.

April Showers Cause Rain Delays

April Showers Cause Rain Delays

Through the first week of season there’ve been a few surprises, a few injuries, and a lot of good baseball. But before you start predicting a Baltimore vs. St. Louis Word Series, let’s take a look at the contenders, pretenders, and everything in between.

Detroit Tigers: My favorite stat of the week: No team has ever started 0-6 and made it to a World Series. Another little known fact is that no pitcher has ever won a game in which he drank 9 gallons of chocolate milk and ate 12 boxes of graham crackers two hours before a start. Point is, the Tigers will turn it around and win the AL Central.

Colorado Rockies: At 2-5, the Rox are starting off like they do most seasons. People forget that before they went on that incredible 14-1 streak last year to close the season, they were a mediocre team. The Rockies are the 4th best team in the NL West.

Mike Hampton: For those who missed my earlier posts, I mentioned that Hampton has been paid $30 million over the past two seasons to not pitch an inning. Minutes before his first start of the season he pulled his pectoral muscle while warming up and now he’s back on the DL. On the other hand, if we were talking about Brett Tomko, it would probably be wise to pay him $30 million to not pitch for your team.

San Francisco Giants: They’re 1-6 record is deceiving; they could easily be 0-7.

Pedro Martinez: No shock here, he’s out 4 to 6 weeks with a hamstring injury. What is surprising though is he injured it in a freak cock fighting accident.

Baltimore Orioles: Tied for the best record in baseball! They’re on pace to win over 130 games! Buy your playoff tickets now!

Larry Bowa: Still a crazy, ornery, S.O.B.

If you’re anything like me, you’re name is Matt Toomey and you love ‘em with apple bottom jeans and boots with the fur.

Making Moves

-Roto Words - By AJ Jackson

Mike Pelfrey SP, NYM – Pedro is hurt. Surprise! Pelfrey will see a lot of primetime runs from one of the best batting orders in the game. He is now firmly entrenched in the starting rotation so this could be the year.

Billy Butler DH, KC – He may be a DH only, but he can hit. Get him if you still can, the Royals have more pop than you think.

Mark Lowe RP, SEA – J.J. Putz goes on the DL so Lowe becomes the guy of the moment in the city of rain. He is a must have if you already have Putz and a little roster space.

Joe Saunders SP, ANA – Saunders pitched 8 shutout innings the other day against a pretty good Twins line up. With injuries to Kelvim Escobar and John Lackey, Joe should get the ball a lot this season. He is somebody who should be picked up, especially if you own Lackey. Every year the Angels have a break out pitcher; there is no reason to think that won’t be Saunders.

Kevin Youkilis 1B, BOS – This guy scores runs. He is always on base and hits in the sweet spot of an obscene batting order. Yuuuuuuuuke won’t give you many homeruns, but he will draw a lot of walks which sets him up to score a lot of runs. Youkilis is looking to continue the production he had in 2007 when he helped lead the Red Sox through the post season on their way to the World Series Championship.

Gary Matthews OF, ANA – What people don’t realize is that Matthews is batting second in the Angels line-up. That means he bats in between Chone Figgins and Vladimir Guerrero. Matthews will see a ton of fastballs because teams will need to throw them to keep Figgins from running, and he will see a ton of strikes because nobody will want to put runners on in front of Vlad.

Mike Napoli C, ANA – Never underestimate a backstop with 20 home run potential.

Clayton Kershaw SP, LA – Kershaw is the next Dwight Gooden. At 20 years old, he is the best prospect the Dodgers have. Joe Torre practically drools over the guy and he has even said he thinks Kershaw will be ready to pitch in the big leagues sooner as opposed to later.

Nick Johnson 1B, WAS – Johnson is seeing most of the playing time at 1B for the Nats. He is worth a flyer if you have an injury risk like Albert Pujols. He could prove to be an effective stop gap down the road.

Blake Dewitt 3B, LA – The Dodgers are very weak at 3B. Dewitt, hasn’t looked bad at all in his first real playing time. It would not be a stretch to think that he could hold on to the job even after Andy LaRoche and Nomar Garciaparra come back.

Before I sign off for the day, let us discuss the often debated closer situation. I am always interested as to how people feel they should use closing pitchers. I personally do not feel that a closer is very important. There is always one who can be grabbed off of the waiver wire. Usually, the value you have to give to get a name closer isn’t worth the contribution the team gets in return. Closers really only contribute in Saves. If you look at the stats for the season to date, there are a bunch of guys who have saves that could have been had for nothing, and it is only the first week of the season. Well, that is just my opinion.