Should I Keep Mark Teixeira?

So I've been dragging my feet on this topic for weeks now... In the fantasy baseball league that I care most about, we've implemented the "keeper" rule.

Now since I pimped the last few days of the season, most of my eligible players are middle of the roaders who just happened to have double headers on the final weekend of the season. However, I do still have Mark Teixeira. Which brings me to my question... Is he Keeper worthy?

I drafted him with the 24 overall pick last year and I thought it was a steal. He had a terrible year, but still outperformed almost everyone else taken in the 20s. The way I look at it this year, 1st basemen rank like this:

1. Albert Pujols - Obviously
2. Miguel Cabrera - So long as he lays off the bottle
3. Mark Teixeira - 1st half or 2nd half?
4. Adrian Gonzalez - New team in a friendly stadium
5. Joey Votto - Can he repeat?
6. Ryan Howard - Still waiting for the bat to leave his shoulders...
7. Prince Fielder - if you haven't noticed, he's overweight.
8. Kendry Morales - broke a leg.
9. Paul Konerko - career year?
10. Ike Davis, Billy Butler, Justin Morneau, etc

The first 6 have proven that they can put up numbers even if they have bad seasons. None of them are locks for the 5th tool (SB). So I ask you, the loyal reader(s) of my website... is it worth wasting my keeper pick on Mark Teixeira? The alternative is taking a supplemental pick between the 1st and 2nd round. 

Give a man some feedback!

Phils v. Yankees for the Start of Grapefruit Action

For the first time in 117 days, Baseball games are back on your television screen! MLB Network is carrying the Phils this weekend (Sunday is on a delay). I'll try to provide updates as the game progresses...

1st Inning:

• Ross Gload puts one through the hole at second, and Ryan Howard puts some good wood on a couple of pitches from Bartolo Colon, but ends up with just a deep flyout to left field. 
• Colon looks decent for a guy who hasn't played in a few years. I didn't realize how well he played during the Dominican Winter Leagues. 2-1 with a sub 2.00 ERA. It's a small sample, but I still have to make him the early favorite for the Yankees 5th starter job.
• Cole Hamels hits Mark Teixeira and gives up a long flyout to Alex Rodriguez but seems to be locating well otherwise. Velocity is still only in the high 80s according to the pitch tracker. 

2nd Inning:

• Big rip to the left field gap by Ben Francisco for a triple. Domonic Brown works a walk, but Jeff Larish grounds into a double play.
• So much for Colon looking good. He's done after 2 innings and 36 pitches. He got out of the game with limited damage, but they hit a few balls off him pretty hard. 
• A couple of hits for the Yankees result in a run. Francisco Cervelli ripped one down the line for the RBI. Hamels had a little trouble locating late in the inning, but I suppose it's still early. 

3rd Inning:

• Seems like every season Yankees people are pumping up Joba Chamberlain and they're back at it again. Apparently his delivery is all new and despite the fact that he's heavier than ever, it's all muscle weight! He has a 1-2-3 inning against heavy hitters Wilson Valdez, Pete Orr, and Ross Gload.
• Vance Worley is your new pitcher for the Phils.He gives up a double to noted popcorn eater A-rod, but otherwise gets out of the inning unharmed. 

4th Inning:

• Ben Francisco works the count for a nice walk and follows it up with a SB. Looks like he wants to 
• The Brian Wilson MLB2K11 commercial is actually kind of funny. He's clearly been to the Will Ferrell school of acting. But like most things Ferrell, I can see myself getting sick of it pretty quickly.
• Andruw Jones found another job? I didn't even realize. Man, the Yankees will give anyone a 2nd (or 3rd or 4th) chance!
• Joe Girrardi's biggest concern with the team is nailing down the starting pitching. 

5th Inning:

• Nick Swisher, on the other hand thinks the Yankees have "amazing starting pitching." I'm not sure he realizes which team he's on.
• The action in this game is even more boring than the 1-1 score would suggest. 
• I spoke too soon... Valdez rips a single up the middle and Pete Orr follows him with a double to the right field corner. Juan Samuel channels his inner Davey Lopes and sends Valdez  to the plate and he sneaks around the tag to take the 2-1 lead. 
• 3-1 Phils on a single by Gload. Inning over on a John Mayberry Jr.fly-out. 
• Add Eric Chavez to the list of Yankees reclamation projects. They're assembling the All-Injury team from 2004. Where's Ken Griffey Jr at when you need him? 
• Teixeira is the only Yankees regular still playing. And he rewards the squad with a stand-up RBI triple that was inches away from a HR but likely would have been caught by a center fielder not named John Mayberry. Keep it up, Tex, and I may just use my fantasy baseball keeper on you!3-2 Phils.

6th Inning: 

• Switching over to 1210AM for the Phillies audio for the rest of the game. Took a little work to sync the radio with the TV. First Phillies Graham Slam commercial of the season!
• Quick inning for the Phils. 3 up, 3 down.
• I can't tell if Andruw Jones is being selective at the plate or if he's just too lazy to swing the bat. Naturally, he gets thrown out with a terrible stolen base attempt.  
• Pickoff attempt turns into a Balk by Ryan Feierabend, but he gets out of the inning with a pop to the catcher. 
• Hamels on his spring debut

7th Inning: 

• Career minor league catcher Dane Sardhina rips one off the left field wall. Steinbrenner field is starting to look bigger than Yankee Stadium. 
• I just saw the stat line from Danys Baez B game today... 2/3 Inning, 5 Hits, a walk, 5 runs. Time to give this guy the old Adam Eaton treatment and give him his salary as a parting gift.
• Josh Barfield (son of Jesse Barfield) legs out an infield single, but inning ends 1 pitch later on a Ross Gload line out to right (nice diving play by Justin Maxwell).
• New comer Brian Schlitter enters the game for the Phils... Wheels struggles not to giggle.  
• Big 2 run bomb to dead center by Jorge Vazquez, and a double by Brandon Laird. I can't imagine why the Yankees cut this Schlitter guy earlier this season. 
• 11,900+ in attendance for the biggest crowd ever at Steinbrenner Stadium.  

8th Inning:

• Is it too early to be sick of Spring Training and ready for the real thing? Announcers already seem to be in midseason form, why can't the rest of the team be ready to go?
• Walk, infield single, and a walk load the bases for the Phils & Sardhina. The game has ground to a snails pace. Bloop single and a pair of RBI. Nice at bat by Sardhina. 5-4 Good guys. 
• Mike Zagurski has a quick inning. He's gonna need a lot of those this spring (and probably an arm injury to Contreras) to win a job with the big club. 

9th Inning:

• Is anyone still reading? Was anyone to begin with?
• Barfield legs out another infield single and then breaks up a double play with his slide at second. This kid has some wheels. 
• In for the "Save" for the Phils is Jason Grilli. Former 4th overall selection by the Giants, but a non-roster guy for the Phillies.
• Channeling his inner Brad Lidge, Grilli gives up a few baserunners before getting the final outs.

Phillies are still undefeated. 162-0 well within grasp.

 

Phils Win (Get used to this headline...)

Brief post, but for the first of what will be many many times, the Phils won today! Sure, it was only against Florida State University, and sure hardly any regulars played for more than a few minutes, but it's always nice to start the season off on the right foot with an 8-0 victory.

I didn't watch it or listen, but my twitter feed was blowing up... Ryan Howard crushed a 2 run double in his first at bat, Dom Brown looked solid in the field, and Drew Naylor/Eddie Bonine/Michael Stutes/Justin DeFratus/Michael Schwimmer/Scott Matheison combined for a 4 hitter.

Clearly, this means the Phillies are on pace for a 162-0 season, zero runs against, and letting up a measly 648 hits on the season. Considering Cliff Lee & Roy Halladay are likely to pitch at least 4 no-hitters each and Cole Hamels & Roy Oswalt are due for one a piece, that means Joe Blanton will give up roughly 600 hits this season... and somehow he will still win 13 games.

Drunken Wisdom

Well I am back. I know I missed my post last weekend but that is good for the readers because you get two this week! Today's article plus an article on Saturday night! Hooray for all! Except for me, I have to come up with the ideas. I jumped at the chance to do this because I always had the issue with something. If I wasn't complaining about something people would ask me if I was feeling alright. Well it seems it is happening more and more where I really have no issues, it's weird but I think I have reached a little bit of serenity. However, last night I stumbled upon a gripe. Welcome back to Drunken Wisdom.

Last night when I strolled in from work at an increasingly late hour my lovely fiance was sitting on the couch watching watching the end of Raiders of the Lost Arc. No, I do not have any issue with the Indiana Jones franchise so put your torches and pitchforks back. In fact, I absolutely love the franchise (including Kingdom of the Crystal Skull). It is exactly what an adventure/sci-fi film should be. People don't like to lump it in to sci-fi but it deserves a place there due to the subject matter from religious artifacts from Raiders, to sacrifices with a heart being pulled out with bare hands in Temple, to a knight being sealed away for 1,000+ years in Crusade, to aliens in the latest installment, Kingdom. The Indy universe has also been made huge by a multitude of books that send the most bad ass archaeologist known to man on many more adventures.

Another franchise that got this right was Star Wars. Not only the 3 movies (I am only counting New Hope, Empire and Jedi here) but also a universe expanded on in books and video games. I don't put the other 3 in this discussion because they do exactly what I have an issue with. More on that in a minute though, I have some more praise for the originals. This franchise has more of a die-hard following than any movie that fits this format made in the 90's or 00's. Play the sound of a light saber powering up, Chewie speaking in his foreign tongue, or just a single breath from Darth Vader (coolest movie villain ever?) and people will smile and remember a story so well conceived and written that it is a quintessential piece of American cinematic history.

Why were these movies so good? Story, characters, blending the fiction with truth, and great special effects/set pieces that really immersed you in the world they were trying to portray. This no longer exists. Stories are recycled. Characters are unlikable and have no depth whatsoever. Isn't anyone else tired of the misunderstood hero? The hero who throughout the whole movie is running away and asking the question, why is this happening to me? After the initial shock you never heard Luke Skywalker ask that question. Hell, an hour and a half after he asks that question of himself he is more than happy to join the Rebel forces and take down a space station that could blow up an entire freaking planet. He knew it was his job and just did it, no more questions. Indiana Jones? He willingly went up against the worst military/government known to man multiple times in the name of finding artifacts that were important to humanity. Whether it was to help a small poor village in the mountains or to get an item in the museum or just to get it placed into a huge warehouse where it couldn't fall into the wrong hands. Today's hero play the woe is me far too often.

As far as story goes it is more or less nonexistent in most action films we see today. How many movies can there really be on the end of the world? Are today's writers getting lazy? Do the producers (whom only should be dealing with money) have too much control over the story of the film? They pretty much sit down and come up with a story they think will make them money. The producers aren't in this to give us a satisfying story. They just want to fill the seats with teenagers who want to see huge explosions, over choreographed fight scenes, and whichever Hollywood star/starlet is on the cover of the latest tabloid they saw while in line at the local supermarket.

We should put these movies back in the hands of the men who are paid to come up with plot, story and dialogue. I want to see more movies like we saw in the late 70's to late 80's.

Next on my hit list is modern horror compared to the brilliance of the 40's - 80's. See you Saturday! Get me another beer!

Ticket Sales & Attendence... by the numbers

Move over Bruce Sprinstean, Bon Jovi, Dave Matthews Band, and Justin Beiber... The Phillies are officially the hottest ticket in town. The combination of the great amenities offered at Citizens Bank Park and a culture of winning baseball in the Delaware Valley have made Phillies tickets harder to come by than a vaccine for swine flu.

Last Friday, the Phillies announced that they had already sold over 3,300,000 tickets. Those numbers include completely selling out the 28,500 full and partial season ticket packages, all the six packs, and all the newly introduced 3 packs of tickets. At least fifteen of the 81 home games are already completely sold out. All that remains otherwise are the special opportunities for Opening Day and the Red Sox series and individual tickets to select games. Hopefully you don't want to go to any games with a partner because my quick selection of 10 random weeknight games against opponents such as the Diamondbacks and Marlins yielded nothing but standing room only seats.

Follow me while I do a little math...

• The Phillies list their seating capacity as 43,651. Obviously, standing room only is extra.
• 81 home games would equal an attendance of 3,535,736... but with the G20 summit in Toronto last year, the Phillies had 84 home games (3,666,684 max)
• The Phillies sold 3,777,322 tickets in 2010 (most in the majors)
• The Phillies averaged 44,968 fans per game (2nd to the Yankees, whose capacity is 52,325)
• This means the Phillies sold out 103% of their capacity.
• The 3%... approx 1,300 fans per game willing to spend $18 just to stand and be part of the CBP atmosphere. 

The Phillies record of 123 sell outs in a row is impressive, but is nowhere near a chart topper. The Boston Red Sox own baseball's longest sellout streak at over 600 games. Though in the past year, their record has come into question as management may be intentionally keeping ticket prices down because there is more revenue to be gained through secondary markets like StubHub. As a matter of fact, the Phillies will have to sustain their current success a few more years just to reach the 332 consecutive sellout record for Philadelphia teams. The Flyers own that record with 8+ seasons of sellouts in the 70s/80s.

But looking at this year, as of Friday, the Phillies have already sold over 93% of their seating capacity for 2011. Bobblehead, fireworks, and fan appreciation nights are gone. The only dollar dogs you'll be getting are from your grocers freezer in packages of 12. If tickets stopped selling on Friday, it would already be the 4th largest crowd in the history of the franchise. The Phillies withhold 500 tickets to each game for day of standing room only sales, but I expect they will be gone by 9:05AM right after the box office opens.

One more round of numbers... (blow it up!)

If each fan in attendance paid $4.58 at the snack stand, the Phillies broke even on payroll last season. I know I did my part...

Sources: Baseball-Reference, FanGraphs, TeamMarketing.com

The Definition of Fandom

fandom: noun \ˈfan-dəm\: the state of being a fan or all that encompasses fan culture and fan behavior in general, or the study of fans and fan behavior.

I have this argument pretty much once a month with friends and family. Why are you a fan of _________ team? Of all the topics I've brought up, I fully expect this one to generate the most grief... and I welcome it. I'd love to hear you justify your fan decisions!

First off, I present THE THREE major explanations...

1. Geographic Location
2. They wear "pretty" jerseys/logos
3. You're a front runner

A 4th reason has been gaining some steam: "My parent/guardian was a fan and brought me up that way." I'll buy it, but for the purposes of this article I'm not going to address it. And to be fair, my 3 major explanations apply to team fandom only. There are dozens of reasons to like certain players. (style of play, alma mater, etc.) but one player should never dictate your overall fandom.

The first reason is obvious. You root for the team that is closest to your geographic location. This location is most always dictated by where you spent your "formidable" years growing up. If you relocate as an adult, chances are you will (and SHOULD) maintain fandom for the team you grew up with. Up until recently, this was really the only option out there for fans. Before ESPN, the internet, and sports packages, the only games you had media access to were games played in your own back yard. If you live in the midwest where teams are sparse, fanhood may be a bit challenging. This is typically where you find people resorting to one of the other two explanations.

The second reason has grown in popularity over the last decade. It seems like every time a new team enters a league, the owners choose jerseys and logos designed to make fashion statements. The purple of the Colorado Rockies, the turquoise of the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the bright blue of the Charlotte Hornets all led to substantial merchandise sales. Hell, I had a Hornets Christmas ornament and a Carolina Panthers pennant on my wall growing up because my mom liked the blue color they used. And that right there is really the point of this explanation. Fans like this typically like their team because their cap matches their shoes or because they saw a baby doll t-shirt that was just too cute to pass up. It's a fugazi reason, but with Lids selling hats in every size, shape, color, and style for every team to exist, being a Yankees fan because your cap matches your pumas is a disturbing trend.

But the one that takes the cake is being a front runner. Front Runner fans typically have no association with the team other than the fact that they latched onto the bandwagon at a high point. Fans in their mid 20s that love the Cowboys or 49ers but live in Philadelphia likely latched on when Joe Montana/Steve Young and Troy Aikman were winning Super Bowls by the handfuls. To save face, some of these types of fans will stick with their team long after the champion "ship" has set sail. While this is somewhat admirable, your fandom still has tainted roots. Naturally, these types of fans hate being called front runners. They often try to defend their choice in team, but I've yet to hear a valid argument. Their counterparts, however, are the worst of the worst. Guys who jump ship on a regular basis give a bad name to all fans. Similar to the cockroach, these bandwagoners show up when times are good, but crawl back into their hole when the going gets tough. They are the loudest and proudest fans when their team is successful but oddly silent when their team is 10 games below .500 (See: Mets, Cowboys, Devils, etc.).

So what's wrong with being a front runner? It's too easy. It's easy to associate yourself with the best team in the game... or the richest team... or the one with the most money/best players. Front runners don't suffer the same ups and downs as those who link themselves geographically. I'm from Philadelphia and I'm a 4 for 4 fan. I'm stuck with the Phillies/Eagles/Sixers/Flyers through thick and thin. While there have been some highs for these teams in recent years, much of my formidable years in the 90s were miserable. It would have been easy for me to latch onto a champion and for brief moments I did. I let my Frank Thomas fanhood sway me too far into Chicago White Sox territory. I got caught up in the yearly Super Bowl hype that I once found myself rooting for the Cowboys to win (I'm as ashamed of myself as you likely are of me). But by the time my teens were wrapping up, the rules became clear. There are three reasons to be a fan. Ask yourself, "which category do I belong to?"

How About Them... Baltimore Orioles

Life is rough as a team in the AL East not named the Yankees or Red Sox. It took years of futility and incredibly lucky 1st round drafts for the Tampa Bay Rays to climb out of the basement. Fortunately for Baltimore baseball fans, the Orioles seem to have followed the same model and are poised for a rise in the standings in 2011...

Before jumping into the players, let's give credit where it is due. Buck Showalter came out of managerial retirement and left the comfortable confines of Bristol, CT to become the Orioles manager last season. His results? Just 36-23 and the best record in the Al East over that span. Project that record over a full season and Showalter's O's could have won 98 games! I'm sure they only beat other cellar dwellers, right? Wrong. The Orioles went 11-10 combined against the Sox, Yanks, and Rays over that span while all three of those teams were in a serious playoff chase. Over that final 59 game span, the Showalter's pitching staff made 36 quality starts and the bats hit at a .300 clip. Solid numbers for a pretty significant stretch of the season.

But it's the years of futility that has really benefited the Baltimore Orioles. With 1st round picks the Orioles have selected Brian Roberts, Brian Matusz, Matt Wieters, and Nick Markakis in recent years. In the 2nd, Nolan Reimold. Add Mark Reynolds, JJ Hardy, Vladimir Guerrero, Derrek Lee, and Luke Scott and you have a formidable lineup. They have a solid group of veteran leaders and youth approaching their prime. All for about a third of what the Yankees pay for their team.

Their starting staff drops off a bit after Brian Matusz and Jeremy Guthrie. Brad Bergesen and Justin Duchscherer are question marks at best. But Kevin Gregg and Koji Uehara are solid bullpen arms and should be able to stop some of the early bleeding that could occur. 


The hitting corps are what impress me most. For a team that has struggled with offensive production for more than a decade, their lineup is very formidable. With role players and stars aplenty, the Orioles may actually have more hitters than they know what to do with. Derek Lee, Mark Reynolds, Brian Roberts, JJ Hardy, Luke Scott, Nolan Reimold, Vladimir Guerrero, Matt Wieters, Felix Pie, Adam Jones, Nick Markakis, and Jake Fox are 12 names that will compete for 9 starting positions. Showalter has so much flexibility with this group that he may be able to keep his young guys fresh and his veterans healthy. Speaking of which, health may be their biggest key to the 2011 season. If Brian Roberts can stay off the DL and the rest of the team puts up the numbers they are capable of, this team will score runs. Homeruns to be more specific. There are at least 10 guys on this team with 20 HR potential in 2011. 


Playoffs are a lofty goal for the coming season, but the Orioles are coming together as a major league baseball team. They will take their lumps in their own division due to lacking starting pitching, but they'll give out just as many.


88-74, 3rd place in the AL East.

Baseball 101: Lefty v. Righty Matchups

Mixing things up from recent posts to do a little Baseball 101. If anyone has any suggestions/requests for future installments of Baseball 101, let me know!

Even the most casual of baseball fans know that it is more difficult for a left handed batter to get a hit off of a left handed pitcher. Those who watch the 7th inning + of any Phillies game are especially aware of this difficulty.

The explanation is simple physics, but first you must understand the different types of pitches:

• Fastballs - typically high velocity pitches that fly straight though the cutter commonly breaks to the inside and the sinker drops about 5" more than the typical fastballs. 
• Breaking Balls - the slider and the curve are the most common. These pitches tend to have a little less velocity, but a very deceiving break at the last minute.
• Changeups - commonly referred to as an offspeed pitch, changeups and knuckleballs are typically 10-15mph slower than a fastball.

The most successful pitchers can throw any of these three types of pitches with an indistinguishable delivery.

When a left handed batter faces a left handed pitcher, balls that tend to "break" move away from the hitter at the last nano-second. This results in the batter having to reach further and lose balance on a ball that originally appeared right over the plate.

The typical baseball team carries between 11-13 pitchers on its 25 man active roster. Five of those pitchers are starters which leaves you between 6-8 guys you can turn to later in games. It's important that every bullpen has an even mix left handed and right handed guys. Late in a close game, managers will frequently use their pitchers for only a batter or two in an attempt to exploit the same handedness disadvantage. Tony Larrusa uses this strategy perhaps TOO often. Though it has existed in some form or another for decades, the term "LOOGY" has recently been coined in reference to a "left handed, one out guy." A guy like JC Romero has made an entire career out of being a LOOGY.

So if the Phillies are down 3-2 in the 8th inning of a ballgame and the heart of our lineup is coming to bat (Utley, Howard, Ibanez), you can almost guarantee that an opposing manager will bring in his left handed specialist pitcher:

vs. Lefty - Utley - .283 BA
vs. Righty - Utley - .298 BA

vs. Lefty - Howard - .232 BA
vs. Righty - Howard - .302 BA

vs. Lefty - Ibanez - .269 BA
vs. Righty - Ibanez - .289 BA

The likelihood of a comeback from those three drops significantly when facing a left handed pitcher (and the splits are even worse when facing an opposing relief pitcher!)

Pujols for Howard? Part II

While I was at work today, I got a handful of text messages and emails regarding the concept of an Albert Pujols for Ryan Howard trade. So I decided to reach out to Dropped Strike Three's St. Louis corespondent, Tim. Here is what he had to say...

Me: Pujols for Howard... Straight up.Would you?

Tim: Who is this?

Me: Who do you know from Philadelphia that would ask you that question?

Tim: True.

Tim: Umm well Pujols is a bastard and money hungry. I'm kinda done with him. ha

Tim: I've always wanted Howard on the Cards too.

Me: I'm quoting you as my St. Louis expert on my blog.

Tim: I hate you.

Me: Throw in Garcia and we'll give you Blanton and it's a deal.

Tim: (Silence)

There you have it loyal readers! All of St. Louis is ready to ship Albert Pujols to Philadelphia!!!!

Pujols for Howard?

Considering I'm not a very big Albert Pujols fan, his name sure has been creeping into my blog an awful lot lately. Yesterday afternoon, Ken Rosenthal threw fuel on a non-existent fire when he speculated that the Cardinals could consider trading Pujols for someone along the lines of Mark Texeira or Ryan Howard. There is no teeth to this story and I wouldn't even classify it as a rumor. It's more of an "idea." Interestingly enough, the same idea was brought up almost a year ago by Buster Olney, but that was prior to Ryan Howard signing his extension.

I would argue that a year ago would have been the most likely case for an Albert Pujols for Ryan Howard swap to occur. Both players approached free agency as the two biggest names at a power position. However, Ryan Howard's 5 year - $125M extension is a modest sum when compared to Albert Pujols' potential deal. Howard clearly took a hometown discount in signing for less years and a reasonable amount per year. Pujols, on the other hand, is looking to become the highest paid player in the game and has even attempted to ask for an ownership stake in the Cardinals. 10 years - $300M is just too much of a gamble for a mid market team like the Cardinals and all reports this morning are that the deal is dead in the water.

But hypothetically speaking, what would the world be like if the Phillies could swap Ryan Howard for Albert Pujols? First of all, a 10 year deal is still highly unlikely. Both Pujols and Howard are 31 years old now. There's a big difference between having a contract end at age 36 and at age 41. As impressive a specimen as Albert is, no player is worth $30M at 40 years of age. Something around 8 years - $240M is the absolute limit I could see coming from Ruben Amaro Jr if he was a Phillie. But do the dollars even work out? Well, you'd have to assume any deal for Pujols would require a few other pieces. The Phils would probably like to send Joe Blanton along in the deal and you can pretty much forget about a new contract for Jimmy Rollins. Otherwise, with Raul Ibanez coming off the books, the extra $5M added to next years salary really isn't a huge sticking point. Longevity would be the major sticking point. While Pujols has been relatively healthy for his whole career, his stance both on the field and at the plate suggest long term deterioration. While he's a gold glove caliber 1st baseman today, 10 years from now he's likely a designated hitter (a luxury that neither the Cardinals or the Phillies have in their lineup). With concerns that Ryan Howard may break down by age 36, why would the Phillies have any interest in a 41 year old making that kind of cash? Raul Ibanez has been in peak physical shape his entire career and even his body is falling apart in his late 30s.

But reason #1 why this has zero shot at happening... Despite being born and raised in St. Louis, Ryan Howard is Philadelphia. A trade like this only happens with baseball cards. Not even Ruben Amaro could pull this one off.

On Charlie & Ruben...

Apparently, Albert Pujols isn't the only one frustrated with his contract situation as Charlie Manuel has made it clear that he would like to have his contract extended prior to the start of the season. God knows, I've had as many "What the hell is he thinking?" moments with Charlie Manuel as anyone, but what exactly is Charlie Manuel worth to the Phillies? Manager's salaries are not typically made public the way player's salaries are, but some research shows that Charlie is currently signed for $2.4M through the end of the 2011 season. It is said that he is looking for something around a 2 year extension worth $4M/year. That would put him in line with the top 5 managers in the game. Before we determine if Charlie is worthy of being paid like a top 5 manager, lets look at the following figures...

• Among active managers, Manuel ranks 10th in career wins behind Tony LaRussa, Joe Torre, Jim Leyland, Dusty Baker, Bruce Bochy, Mike Scioscia, Terry Francona, Buck Showalter, and Ron Gardenhire.

• He trails only Joe Torre, however, in Win %

• His 5 playoff appearances are good for 5th best among active managers, and his 25 playoff wins since 2005 are the best in baseball. 

• Charlies average finish of 1.5 is the best among all active managers and his teams have never finished worse than 3rd. 

Scioscia, Francona, Leyland, and LaRussa all make at least $4M/year. Dusty Baker is slightly behind at $3.7M/ year. At 67 years old, Charlie likely doesn't have many years left managing. Two years at an increase of only $1.6M is a pretty safe gamble to make. Who knows, by then maybe Ryne Sandberg will be ready for a promotion and we can finally get some value out of our 1978 20th round draft pick!

Then again, let's not ignore the fact that Charlie Manuel's appearance in Philadelphia almost directly coincided with the appearance of Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, and Cole Hamels. Sprinkle in a cash cow of a new stadium and a few lucky acquisitions (Werth, Victorino, 2008 Lidge) and one could argue that a trained monkey could have coached this team to the playoffs. If Jim Leyland was chosen back in 2004, we very well may be looking at the same exact banners flying in the outfield.

How do you measure intangibles like "clubhouse chemistry?" You can't, but you have to reward success. Despite 4 consecutive division titles, the BBWAA has never rewarded Charlie Manuel with a Manager of the Year award. He's probably replaceable, but it's simply not a gamble Ruben Amaro Jr. should be willing to make...

Which brings me on to Ruben... when asked yesterday about Charlie Manuel setting a deadline for a deal to get done, Ruben seemed taken aback. “We don’t talk about negotiations. Obviously we want to get it done. We’d like to keep Charlie. Hopefully we’ll be able to get something done.” You have to understand, though, Charlie's contract was the farthest thing from Ruben's mind. Afterall, this was the first time his masterpiece was to be on display! As pointed out by The Good Phight, the Ruben Amaro Jr Smug Meter was at it's highest level:

"All the while, Ruben Amaro Jr. was stifling a grin. Along the back wall, away from the camera clicks and digital recorders, he put his hands in his pockets, crossed left leg over right and leaned against a trash can. He couldn’t help but gaze at the Phillies’ Four Aces and a Joe-ker. This was his Michelangelo."

"Every general manager fantasizes about building a mega-team, and in front of him was the visage of success. Through trades and the shocking victory in the free agent sweepstakes for Lee, Amaro upgraded the Phillies to the biggest, baddest team in baseball – one that walks alongside the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox without at all looking out of place. " - Jeff Passan, Yahoo!

While Ruben's achievements are impressive, the captain of this ship is still Charlie Manuel. A good handful of the key cogs to this machine are products of Pat Gillick and Ed Wade (gasp!) so Ruben probably gets more credit than he deserves. There will be at least a dozen times this season where my game-recaps (yes, I'll be doing those!) will be filled with rants about some inane Charlie Manuel decision. But it wasn't Charlie Manuel's fault that Brad Lidge couldn't close out a game in 2009 to save his life. And it wasn't Charlie Manuel's fault that Ryan Howard ended the 2010 season with his bat on his shoulder.

We've already seen Ruben cheap out on managers once this season. Davey Lopes was by all accounts a zen master when it came to the art of base running. Yet when asking for a modest raise, Lopes was denied, and so he walked. Charlie is also no stranger to this sort of situation. After back to back 90 win seasons in Cleveland, he was given his walking papers mid season partially due to his contract situation at the end of the season and failed negotiations.

“It wouldn’t be the first time in the world a manager would go into a season without a contract extension. It wouldn’t trouble me. It wouldn’t trouble the players. They’re pretty focused guys. Clearly none of us want this to be distraction and I don’t think it will be. Like I said, we’d like to be able to put this to bed, so we’ll see.”

 Two years at $3.8M/each is fair for all parties. Get the deal done, Rube!

NL Leading... Jumbotron?

With the return of baseball this week, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the improvements being made down at Citizens Bank Park this year. The story broke about 3 weeks back, but construction has been under way since at least November. In addition to a number of statistical categories, the Phillies will lead the league in HD "Jumbotron" size for the 2011 season, boasting one of the largest screens in the world. 

It's a impressive $10M upgrade for a stadium that is on only its 8th year of existence, but an appreciated one. The new "Jumbotron" is scheduled to measure in at 76' high by 97' wide for 7372' of high definition goodness. To put that into perspective, if you were to purchase something like this from Best Buy, you would be looking in the aisle for a 1,478" screen. It will almost certainly offer a better viewing experience than the 27" round tube in my man room. The digital display area will triple the previous video board(which has been relocated to Bright House Field in time for Spring Training). As with their history of Green initiatives, the new monitor will be powered by LED technology which requires significantly less energy than your typical display as well as improved viewing angles and resistance to sun glare. The video board will offer a number of different statistics and graphics at once as can be seen below. The new Daktronics HD-15 technology will include 1512 lines of resolution and the ability to show up to 144 quadrillion colors. I don't know what any of that means, but quadrillion sounds mighty impressive!

In addition to the massive new jumbotron, the Phillies will be installing a dedicated 4'x74' scrolling closed captioning display to assist the hearing impaired and all 800 monitors around the park will be upgraded to 32-42" HD displays.

While my initial reaction to this story was something along the lines of "why don't we spend that $10M on a right handed bat?!?!," I've since learned to appreciate the gift we're being given as fans. The old video displays were certainly adequate, but I applaud Phillies management for seizing an opportunity to reinvest in their park (Next up, demo Phillies drive and add another 10,000 seats!). The old round tube TVs in the public viewing areas were shoddy and dated. More than ever, Citizens Bank Park is becoming the "place to be" on warm summer nights (whether that's good or bad is a matter for a whole other article). The days of rats scurrying through corridors of Veterans Stadium and grown men urinating in sinks are way behind us.

When driving by the stadium, you can notice the void left by the missing display. Let's hope the weather cooperates in the coming weeks so the project is completed by March 29th!

Press Conference... The First of Many!

Some initial reactions to the Roy Halladay/Cliff Lee/Roy Oswalt/Cole Hamels/Joe Blanton presser this afternoon...

• Epic fail by Ryan Lawrence for not remembering that Joe Blanton has a World Series ring to go along with Cole. Turn over your press pass to me...

• Blanton claims to never pay any attention to trade rumors. I find that hard to believe. 

• Cliff Lee repeated that he thought the Phillies were the best opportunity to win championships. Plural!

• Halladay mentioned a trade rumor years ago that had him going to Oakland to pitch with Mark Mulder, Barry Zito, and Tim Hudson. That certainly would have been interesting. 

• Cliff Lee identified the mid 90s Braves staff of Glavine, Smoltz, Maddux, and Avery as the best he's ever seen. I would absolutely agree. 

• Roy Oswalt looked like he was ready for a nap the whole time. I counted 6 yawns.

• Oswalt also said that he's not making any decisions on retiring just yet. He's going to wait until the end of the season to measure his health. 

• The reporters kept on asking lengthy 2 part questions. Some of them were so complex that the pitchers had no idea what was being asked by the time the reporter was finished speaking... Easy with the complicated questions, you're confusing Joe!

• When asked about nicknames, Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay insisted that they hadn't heard any of the media nicknames given to them. When asked what they were, the media had one of the most awkward silences I've ever heard. Clearly no one wanted to be the one to leave out Joe Blanton. When someone finally spoke up, Cliff said that the nicknames were all worthless because none of them included 5 names. The best option I've heard so far is "Four Weddings and a Funeral."

• The Phillies are currently 2:1 to win the National League and 5:2 to win the World Series according to Vegas. That's almost too good to be true! 

Full transcript of the press conference here.

Lunch Time Link Dump

Installment #3 of baseball links form around the web...

• First and foremost, at 1:30pm today, Roy, Cliff, Roy, Cole, and Joe will be holding their first news conference together from Spring Training. The easiest way to listen is on 97.5FM The Fanatic. EDIT: Or watch on PhilliesNation.com

• VORP (Value Over Replacement Player) has become one of my favorite Sabremetric statistics. Well, the folks at chasingutley.com came up with a graph of how much money the Phillies have spent on replacement level players or worse over the past 2 decades. 

• Pictures of every World Series Ring created. Seems like they were all pretty simple until the 1977 Yankees had to go and jazz things up.  

• Ken Resenthal doesn't seem to think the Phillies will end up with 5-200 inning starters. Barring some injury, I completely disagree. 

• Baseball Think Factory gives you some ZiPS projections as to what can be expected from Phillies players in the 2011 season.  I think they're a little light on W's for some of the starting pitchers, but I'll gladly take a .280/18/80 line out of Domonic Brown.

• Tom Verducci from SI.com seems to think that anything less than the World Series from the Yankees, Phillies, and Red Sox is a failure.

• In perjury trial news, both Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds saw some legal action over the weekend.  I just got summonsed for jury duty on Saturday but I really wish I could be a fly on the wall at these two trials. 

• A thorough interview with Jamie Moyer from Bugs and Cranks where he talks about his charity foundation and his attempt at a comeback in 2012.  

• Edit #2, The print I mentioned on last week's link dump is finally available. I'll be getting one, and I suggest you do the same! Limited edition of only 200! 

Spring Training: Day 1

Day 1 of Spring Training has come and gone. Though from what I understand, it was mostly just pomp and circumstance and no serious work outs. Here's some notes I've gathered from the first day...

• Antonio Bastardo is coming off an injury in the Dominican Winter Leagues. He should still be ready for Opening Day.
• Jose Contreras shed 22lbs in the offseason.
• Roy Halladay is officially your Opening Day starter, but the rest of the order is still in the air. He's also been using the Clearwater facilities since mid December.
• Dom Brown has been working with Greg Gross the last few weeks and they think they've pin-pointed the problem in his swing.
• Jimmy Rollins is down in Florida already. He almost never reports to Spring Training before absolutely necessary.
• Chase Utley is the only other notable position player in town right now. 
• Only carrying 11 pitchers on the 25 man roster is a distinct possibility.
• Joe Blanton will be your 5th starter. It's not an open competition. Vance Worley and Kyle Kendrick will be stretched out during the spring in case of injury. 
• Dubee thinks all 5 guys could throw 200+ innings... something that has only been done 3 times before and not since 1979.

Drunken Wisdom

Welcome one and welcome all. Here we are, my first actual post. Yes, it's true, I will not be posting nearly as much as my counterpart does nor will they be as long. Don't get me wrong, I don't feel his are too long at all. I think they are great and perfect reading material. (Does anyone have a tissue so I can wipe this brown mark off of my nose?) I want my articles to be short, to the point, and be the spring board to a good debate in the comments section. With that said, on this Friday, February 11th (Happy Birthday Dad) let's get the ball rolling on Drunken Wisdom shall we?

All-Star Games

Yes I know, I know I wasn't going to hit on too many sports topics because that's what this blog mainly is and it's writing better suited for Pat. However, this covers all sports and has been on my chest for quite some time now. All-Star games have been around for as long as I can recall and are more or less a fixed tradition in the sports world. From when we are 7 years old up through making millions of dollars, if you are lucky enough, you have the possibility of being selected to All-Star teams. It is quite an honor if you ask me. Yes, some say it's nothing more than a popularity contest but isn't that the point? Usually, your most popular players are also the best player. Go to any sporting event and the jerseys and t-shirts you see on the fans typically bare the name and number of the teams most successful player(s). These select few deserve to be all-stars. There are also snubs out but you know what, they set the rosters to a certain limit, someone is bound to be left out. Sorry for your luck, try again next yet is the way this is handled. Nothing else can really be done. This is where I have an issue. If a player is having a season worthy of being an all-star make him one. Don't have the confines of a roster. Do not make it fan voting. Players and coaches ONLY!

You ask, well how can you not have a confines of a roster for an All-Star game? Simple, get rid of the games. I hate every All-Star game. They are atrocious and don't mean anything. The MLB tries to fool you by saying that it means something by determining home field advantage in the world series. What a crock. As a team, if I win 100+ games in the season and finish with the best record and go to the world series, I want home field advantage. Why work that hard if a mid season exhibition game can ruin that? Baseball is the only sport that tries to make it more than it is but it doesn't excuse the other sports.

Who watches the Pro Bowl? Show of hands. Based on the week leading to this game no one should raise their hand here. Everyone says they hate it but they keep having it. Is it making the NFL money or is more a cover to give the best players in the league and their families a weeks vacation in Hawaii. You can't make the argument of it bringing in revenue to a city. Honolulu needs no more revenue. It's not like other sports where they come to (new city name here) every year. They don't showcase the players. ESPN or your local news coverage does that. Get rid of the Pro Bowl.

Hockey, you are next. I at least admit that you tried to do something new. For the first time ever there was an actual draft by team captains playground style. Cool idea? I guess. Too bad you still fell flat on your face. Mid day on a Sunday? Not even in a primetime slot. Why, oh, because it was the same day before the other game no one watched. Would you want to be a goalie in the All-Star game? I know I wouldn't teams put up double digits and you look like swiss cheese in front people. Don't get me wrong, the 6 goalies there this year deserve to be called All-Stars for sure, however this game just makes them look atrocious.

So in conclusion......What? The NBA? Oh, they are still around? But they can't have All-Star game...... wow, really they do? And, coming up upon us soon? Huh, you don't say. Well, I'm not mentioning it. You can guess my opinion on that. I disagree with it. But, the good players still deserve to be All-Stars.

When I was a kid I loved getting into my little league All-Star game because I felt that it meant something. Would I feel that way if I was making millions and I was a professional? Probably not. Keep the 4 - 5 days during the season where the is still no games (they deserve the break). I'm all for that mid season. Also, keep the skills competitions. Whether it be the Home Run Derby. The multiple skills the NHL put on from shoot outs, to passing, to shot accuracy, to shot speed. Keep the Slam Dunk Contest and the 3-Point Shootout. Last and least bring back the QB Challenge would you NFL? That was fun!

So more or less keep your All-Stars. Keep the skill competitions. And do away with the games. Upon these factors you also have the possibility of injury which is an article all on its own which I won't get into now.

Let the comments fly. I'm off to grab another beer. Thanks for reading.

Don't Be That Guy...

Fantasy sports participants are a bunch of nerds. I run my own baseball league, participate in two others, run my own football league, and participate in two others. I've dabbled in fantasy hockey and fantasy NASCAR. I even tried fantasy golf once. The fact that I can tell you what positions Ty Wigginton is eligible for (1B, 2B, 3B), but I still can't remember my Dad's birthday (Feb 17th sounds about right) is an indictment on just how big of a fantasy nerd I can be.

Draft day banter and message board insults are some of the most stimulating conversations I ever have with my friends. But with each fantasy league I've participated in, there's always "that one guy." He always does something that irks you and takes a stab and the integrity of the league. So with that in mind and with Fantasy Baseball draft season approaching, I've compiled a list of "that guys" you should all try to avoid being...

• The "Homer" - I get it, you like the Phillies. But Raul Ibanez isn't a valid 2nd round pick.

• The "Rule Bender" - Listen, I'm sure if you study the rulebook closely enough you'll find some sort of loophole in the rules. But don't exploit them... just play the game straight up. There's no pride in winning a race if you throw your own grandmother under the bus to get there. 

• "Loyal to a Fault" Guy -  I realize Ken Griffey Jr. was your boyhood idol and you can still squeeze into that tattered size medium Mariners jersey, but the guy has been irrelevant since 2005.

• "Donation Guy" - If you're not going to pay attention to the league, don't bother drafting a team. Just give me $20 and I'll find someone else to take your place... or I'll just keep your $20

• The "Quitter" - It's a 162 game season. If your team is in the crapper in June, you still have 3 months to get things figured out. At least make a play for 3rd place!

• "No Preparation" Guy - If you're that hard up for time and money that you can't drop $7.99 for a magazine or stop by the public library to browse the internet for some tips before the draft (instead of internet porn), then already in over your head.

• "Wait, he's Injured?" Guy - You're in the same boat as "No Prep" guy. Trevor Hoffman is retired, Stephen Strasburg is out until September, and Ken Caminiti is still dead (too soon?)

• "Way Too Serious" Guy - It's fantasy baseball, not a NATO summit.

• The "Co-Conspirators" - I find it more than suspicious that your "uncle" wanted to drop Albert Pujols mid season and you were there to pick him up off waivers 8.3 seconds later.

• "Missed The Rule Change" Guy - Dude, check your email. We made that rule change 4 months ago! 

• The "No-Show" - If you finish in dead last, you are obligated to stand before your constituents and take whatever ribbing they give you. It says so in the Bible. 

• "Non-Payment" Guy - Don't take advantage of the commish because we're friends outside the league. Pay up, sucka... just don't try to hand me $50 for transaction money while we're already 6 beers deep at the bar! 

• The "Spy" - If you're looking for a second opinion, I'll gladly give you one... but if I catch you checking out my list of cheap closers you shall be hung for treason.

• "Takes Too Long To Draft" Guy - Okay, that one's probably me... 

Hopefully my own fantasy league guys will read up... you know which one you are!

Comeback Player of 2011?

In what was dubbed "the year of the pitcher," it was only fitting that the comeback player of the year awards went to two pitchers. Both Francisco Liriano and Tim Hudson bounced back from injuries and fatigue to post masterful seasons in 2010. While I believe that the pitching that dominated the 2010 season was no fluke, I think you'll see a bounce back season for a number of high profile hitters...

Grady Sizemore - OF
It seems like he's been around the league forever, but he's only 28 years old. Sizemore lost both of the past two seasons to injury and had microfracture surgery in early June of last year. But he's also only two years removed from ESPN calling him the best all around player in baseball. If Sizemore can stay off the disabled list he gives you a solid five-tool player. He's the rare 30-30 threat who plays outstanding defense in center field and will be the de-facto leader of the Cleveland Indians (assuming they don't trade him away). A healthy Sizemore is capable of a .290/.380/.500 stat line.

Brandon Webb - SP
His acquisition by the Texas Rangers last month flew completely under the radar. A $3M gamble to bring in a guy with a Cy Young award and two runner up finishes in the past 5 years seems like a pretty solid investment. While a shoulder injury has shut him down since opening day 2009, Webb claims to be fully recovered and ready to throw that dominating sinker that won him 22 games for the Diamondbacks in 2008. When he was healthy, he was a workhorse that tossed 200+ innings and struck out 175 batters with ease. If he can return to form, the Rangers won't miss a beat in losing Cliff Lee from last year's AL Championship team. I'm predicting 17-8, 3.35 ERA, 168Ks.

Jason Bay - OF
His first year in New York was not at all what the Mets had in mind. From his slow start to his season ending concussion, it was a disappointing season all around. Perhaps signing an all or nothing fly ball hitter to play in Citi Field was a bad idea, but no one could have predicted only 6 home runs from Bay. He's too good to perform as terribly as he did last season and he's probably the most predictable comeback player on this list. If the Mets are to have any success, Bay will need to return to form and earn part of his $66M contract.

Kendry Morales - 1B
Morales burst onto the scene in 2009 with a stat line of .305-34-108 as a switch hitting first baseman. While an injury took him down real early in 2010, few people seem to remember that he was right on pace to duplicate those numbers when his season ended. At 27 years old, he should be hitting his prime and with some health he should be a top tier first baseman again in 2011. Let's just hope he doesn't break any more bones while celebrating grand slams!

Pablo Sandoval - 3B
The man with the dumbest nickname in the history of professional sports had an outstanding 2009 campaign as a 22 year old. Instead of honing his craft, it seems as though he spent his offseason honing in on the value menu at McDonalds. Sandoval was noticeably larger and slower (on the bases, defensively, and with his swing). By the end of 2010, Sandoval was reverted to primarily a bench role on the WS Champion Giants. Offseason reports seem to suggest that Sandoval has now taken his training seriously and his weight is back down in the "healthy slugger" range. It will be an important year for Sandoval to prove that 2009 is the norm and not a fluke, but should he rebound, the Giants will be rewarded handsomely. The 3rd base job seems to be his for the taking again so a big spring could lead to a big season for the Panda. 

The Albert Pujols Saga

The saga that has been years in the making is finally unfolding in front of our eyes. When the St. Louis Cardinals signed Matt Holliday to a long term contract through 2016 the clock started ticking on the Pujols time-bomb. And thus far, the negotiations between Albert Pujols and the St. Louis Cardinals have been anything but smooth. Pujols believes (rightfully so) that he is the best player in the game and deserves to be paid like the best player in the game. Unfortunately, the Cardinals do not seem to believe that ANY player is worth the astronomical benchmark set by Alex Rodriguez's monster 10 year - $275 million dollar deal signed three years ago. That said, I'd like to take a look at a few of the moving parts of this negotiation and throw my $.02 into the ring.

First of all, Albert Pujols is 31 years of age. Scratch that, he's a DOMINICAN 31 years of age! That likely means he's 34 years old with very mysterious looking birth records. Honestly, the guy had the build of a 30 year old back in 2001. In his decade of Major League play, he's already made over $89 Million in salary and countless other dollars in endorsements. My point is, he's not a young guy or hard up for money and looking to score his first contract. This will be his second go around signing a nine figure deal. Is he the best player in the game right now? Absolutely. But for how many more years? Well if you ask Albert, I'm sure he'd say "forever." He's gained a reputation over the past few years of being one of the most selfish players in baseball. From criticizing the 2006 MVP award of Ryan Howard to refusing media interviews, Pujols marches to the best of his own drum. By demanding that the Cardinals try to work out a deal with him by February 16th otherwise he won't talk about it again until the end of the season, Pujols is again playing his selfish card. Cardinals management doesn't want to come out of this with egg on their face, but St. Louis isn't one of the major markets in baseball where $300M is taken lightly. In fact, they are projected to be around 10th in the league this year with around $110M on the books. A $30M/year deal for Albert Pujols would mean one third of their team salary going to one player! With Holliday making $17M next season and Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright both listed with hefty team options, Over half of the Cardinals salary would be going to 4 players. It's tough to fill out 21 roster spots with major league ready talent for $50M and still be a contender. So you have to ask yourself, does Albert Pujols care about playing for a winning team or does he just want the biggest payday possible?

Secondly, why set such an early deadline for contract negotiations? Let's be honest, players have very little to do with their actual contract negotiations. They all have a team of agents who handle the grunt work when it comes to hammering out contract details. You don't really think players are involved in the back and forth that gives them an incentive if they reach 40 home runs by labor day, do you? Albert Pujols can go about his daily routine as usual while letting the guys in suits handle the number figures all season long if he really wanted to. Instead, he forces this deadline on the Cardinals to make them believe that it's now or never for them to get a deal done hoping that management makes a hasty decision and gives in to his every demand. In reality, the Cardinals hold exclusive negotiation rights from the day the season ends until 5 days after the World Series. Assuming St. Louis doesn't make the playoffs, that could be a whole month of negotiations at the end of the season. It's doubtful that Pujols could put up numbers so astronomical this year that his value increases any more, but an injury or an "off year" could very easily lessen his value. Ask the Yankees if they regret renegotiating Alex Rodriguez's contract before they absolutely needed to. When talking such large sums of money, it's in the best interest of the Cardinals to wait this one out as long as possible while maintaining good standing with Pujols and company all season long.

Most importantly, though, is lack of suitors available for Albert Pujols. You can count the teams in Major League Baseball that have the resources to spend $300M on one hand. And just about all of them have their First Base position locked down. The Yankees are locked in with Mark Texeira at first base and a whole host of hitters poised to be their DH for years to come. The Red Sox are expected to lock down Adrian Gonzalez to a long term deal any day now and have Kevin Youkilis as their likely DH. The Phillies have Ryan Howard, The White Sox have Adam Dunn and Paul Konerko, and the Angels have Kendry Morales. Usual players like the Dodgers and Mets are so wrapped up in financial woes that their participation in the Albert Pujols sweepstakes seems doubtful. That leaves the Rangers and the Cubs as the only likely suitors. With the Rangers coming out of bankrupcy and still getting back on their feet, you might even say the only competition for St Louis is their nemesis up north in Chiago. Having been to St. Louis and Chicago a handful of times, I can assure you there is no love lost between these teams. Cardinals management will not lose their star player to the confines of Wrigley Field. Is Albert aware of this fact and possibly using it as leverage against the Cardinals? I have to believe the answer is yes.

No matter what happens, Pujols will get his payday. He'll have a whole fleet of Brinks trucks parked outside his front door unloading money until he says stop because he is Just. That. Good. But I hope he takes the high road here and wraps up a deal that is both reasonable for his team and will set his family up for generations to come. I have no doubt that he is genuine when he says he hopes to stay a Cardinal for the rest of his career. I just hope that his actions speak as loud as his words.

Fantasy Baseball Sleepers: Round 2

Now that I've received a copy of the Sporting News 2011 Fantasy Baseball magazine, I can make better evaluations as to players who are "sleepers." Round 1 consisted of players who I thought would fall down on draft boards regardless of value, but Round 2 will list guys who I feel will greatly outplay their "mixed league dollar values." So, without any further adieu, I give you Fantasy Baseball Sleepers: Round 2...

2B, Gordon Beckham - Chicago White Sox
Beckham had a very solid rookie year in 2009 placing 5th in Rookie of the year voting. Last year, however, his numbers dipped down all across the board. This time last year, Beckham was on a lot of watch lists as a middle infielder with substantial power. This year, they have him ranked as the 15th best 2nd baseman. In the about the last 60 games before Beckham was shut down last season, his numbers were actually back on the incline. He batted .300+, hit 7 HRs, and drove in 30 over that span. His ability to bounce back from such a slump speaks volumes about how this 24 year old has matured. Power numbers are rare for 2nd basemen and shouldn't be taken lightly. While Chase Utley and Robinson Cano remain the elite talents at the position, it's not incredibly deep after them. At $14, he's a much better player than everyone behind him and he has much greater upside than most of the players in front of him. I would take him as a top 8-10 player at that position. I predict 20 HRs, 80 RBI, and a .275 AVG at 2nd base for him.

RP, Drew Storen - Washington Nationals
Lost in all the pomp and circumstance of the Nationals drafting Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper is the fact that they might just be sitting on one of the top closers in the game. Sure, Storen was also a first round pick. And like most first rounders rushed to the majors, he took some lumps in his first year. But the Nationals are committed to him. With the Nationals in full rebuilding mode, I suspect that they will give Storen all the opportunities in the world to prove himself as a reliever. That notion is confirmed by the fact that the Nationals refused to include Storen in trade talks for Greinke and Carmona. As you know from my post earlier in the week, I think the Nationals will win 80+ games and without workhorse starters, someone will need to fill out those games. The Sporting News ranks him as the 25th best Relief Pitcher, but his upside alone should make him better than that. With so few relievers having their roles locked down, I think Storen is worth a shot. I would estimate 25-30 saves and solid peripheral numbers.

SP, Trevor Cahill - Oakland Athletics
I don't expect him to repeat his 2010 performance with 18 wins. As a matter of fact, a good portion of last year's stats were based on his opponents .237 batting average on balls in play (BAbip). 18 wins for the dreadful Oakland Athletics was just that much more impressive. Based on his ground-ball to fly-ball ratio, however, I would argue that Cahills stats are just as much skill as they are luck. Oakland has made some improvements to their team, but you can still expect the dueling 22 year olds of Trevor Cahill and Brett Anderson to be the cornerstone of the franchise. As is typical with the Athletics, expect them to milk their young pitching for everything it's worth for the next three years, then trade them all away as damaged goods while getting a ridiculous return. 16+ wins is a very reasonable prediction for Cahill based on the amount of innings he pitches and his low WHIP. Whether he repeats last years stats or regresses a bit, he's certainly better than the $12 value he's been given by The Sporting News. Look for Cahill to give up more runs and hits this season, and it's doubtful he'll repeat as an All-Star or appear so high on so many Cy Young ballots, but he will almost certainly be a fringe top 20 SP option. I'm guessing 17-9, 132 Ks, 3.20 ERA, and a 1.20 WHIP.

Drunken Wisdom

Coming soon to a blog near you, Drunken Wisdom. You may have thought that you stumbled upon a baseball only blog. Yea, that was when my cousin was working alone. He may have his gripes and opinions with the MLB, well, I am here to cover the rest of the universe. I plan on bringing you an extremely opinionated article every few days from the world of music, movies (mainly horror), and anything else that crosses through my mind. If you don't agree with it, tough shite. I'm the author, not you. However, I always love debates so spew your comments right at me in the comments section below.

Lunch Time Link Dump

Installment #2 of baseball links compiled from around the web...

• A Bleacher Report article on why Curt Schilling should not be a Hall of Famer. To be honest, I always kind of figured he was a shoe in, but after considering his career 3.43 ERA and mere 216 wins I guess he's not a lock after all. I also never considered the fact that he never won a Cy Young award. He might get in eventually, but now I suspect it will take a few ballots.

• Michael Young is being completely disgraced by the Texas Rangers. I always thought of him as the American League equivalent of Chase Utley. He's a steady hitter, strong leader, and willing to make any sacrifice for his team. But giving away his position and asking him to DH or come off the bench... not cool. He deserves better as THE cornerstone of the defending AL Champs. 

• The lawyers seeking retribution against the Mets are seeking $1Billion dollars, going as far as accusing the Mets of willfully ignoring the warning signs. David Wright has even outed the Mets for their statement that the lawsuit will not affect baseball operations. It's out of control how screwed the Mets are. That said, Mark Cuban is chomping at the bit to get in on the Mets action and that is somewhat scary considering the lengths he will go to make his team a contender.

• If anyone is looking for a gift to get me in the future, this killer print of the Phillies four aces is a great idea. It's not yet available, but when it is, you can bet I'll own one. I might even put up a new wall just to have space for it:

•  A new Phillies blog I started reading and wanted to share: That Balls Outta Here!

• The Moneyball movie is months away, but some are already comparing it to "The Social Network." It's an interesting comparison, but as I said last week, sports movies just don't have the same international draw that other topical movies do. Regardless, the story is incredibly interesting and could make a hell of a movie.

• A recent siting of a Pete Incaviglia jersey at Wing Bowl reminded me to share the link to one of my favorite guilty pleasures, Straight Cash Homey.

• Some pretty cool facial hair shirts from Nike. You know I'm a sucker for a clever t-shirt. I might just have to browse the Majestic store.