Crafty veteran Tim Wakefield wasn’t so crafty on Sunday. Wakefield’s knuckler was not quite knuckling enough, and the Red Sox fell to the Twins 9-8, losing for the second time in three tries against the Twins this weekend.

Wakefield only lasted 2 2/3 innings, giving up seven runs — six earned — raising his ERA on the season to 4.25. The Red Sox bats heated up briefly with one run in the third and three in the fourth, but the bullpen couldn’t hold the Twins in check, giving up runs in the fourth and the seventh innings. The Sox scored twice more in the seventh on Kevin Youkilis’ two run double, as the Youk-dog continued his torrid May similar to what he did last season. He’s batting .359 so far this month, with five doubles, six homers, ten runs, 14 RBI and six walks. It’ll do. Of course, the Greek God of Walks hit over .400 with six dingers last May, so he’s clearly a May man.

The BoSox entered the top of the ninth down three runs against the usually unhittable Joe Nathan and made some noise. They quickly collected three hits and scored two runs, but stranded the tying runner on base as Nathan was able to barely escape out of the inning for his 12th save of the season.

The win pushed the surprising Twins to 19-17 on the season, one game ahead of Cleveland for first in the AL Central, while the Sox fell to 24-16 with their lead over the Tampa Bay Rays shrinking to only 1.5 games. That’s right, the Rays. Seriously. I’m not joking. And it’s May.

Fantasy Factors

Youkilis has been putting on a rare display of power and production with an OPS of 1384 for the month and it looks like he might be on his way to becoming a top five fantasy first baseman. He went 2-for-5 on Sunday to raise his overall average to .319 on the season. Continue to ride Youkilis’ hot bat, but don’t be surprised if his power numbers start to level out as he is not typically known for the long ball (last season, he hit a career-best 16). May is clearly his month, so either start him on your team or sell him while his stock is high.

The real David Ortiz is finally starting to show up. After a dismal April in which he batted under the Mendoza Line at .198, Big Papi currently sits at .241 on the year, thanks to a .368 mark for the month of May. And to think Sox fans were worried! Ortiz currently has seven homers and 28 ribbies, and with his batting average still being lower than usual, you might be able to steal him from other owners. Big Papi just had a bad month, but trust me when I say…actually, when I guarantee…he will finish with 30+ home runs and 100+ RBI. Don’t say I didn’t tell you so when September comes around.

Wakefield finally put up a serious stinker. Prior to Sunday’s game, his worst outing was an eight inning performance in which he gave up five runs. Normally, he does very well in the Metrodome, heading in with a career mark of 7-3 with a 3.95 ERA. Owners shouldn’t be worried though, because from time to time the knucklers are going to get rocked. Half the time, they don’t even know where their pitch is going to end up. I wouldn’t start Wakefield unless you have a big time pitcher on the DL, in which case he is a nice fill in. Otherwise, his 27 Ks to 23 BB is not enough to make up for the fact that he’s a good source of Ws, likely headed for 15 wins on the season.

Joe Mauer is being outhomered by Ichiro Suzuki right now, 2-0. Now, that’s no knock on Ichiro as we all know he has some power, but the point is Mauer is batting in the three hole for the Twins and while he is hitting a superb .330, one would think he would have at least one dinger by now. He is sporting an excellent .409 OBP with a modest 15 RBI, and he went 1-for-4 again on Sunday, continuing a solid May. Mauer is one of the best catchers in the game, so obviously start him and hope he begins to mash a few home runs and produce some more RBI.

Craig Monroe went 2-for-4 with a grand slam in Sunday’s contest, raising his average to .284 on the year. Despite having a nice game, do not count on Monroe as he is a streaky hitter who is currently splitting time at DH for the Twins.

Justin Morneau’s average isn’t quite where we want it to be yet (.284), but he took a step in the right direction on Sunday, going 3-for-3 with a walk. Canada’s finest has a respectable six home runs on the season to go along with his 27 RBI, but has yet to go yard and has only produced five RBI so far this month . He is going to give you plenty of power, but unless he gets that batting average and OBP up a little bit, it might be worth looking at another option for first base.

Manny Ramirez, nursing a sore hammy, got the day off, but the fact that he pinch-hit in the ninth suggests he’ll be okay. Hopefully some down time with help ManRam redisover his early-season stroke. A 1-for-15 skid has him under .300 for the first time since April 15. Contract year, baby!

Mike Lamb enjoyed a nice weekend, going 5-for-9, but please remind me why the Twins signed this guy again? A 556 OPS? Uh, right. And the Twins actually believed this dude could be an everyday player.

With Manny sitting, Jacoby Ellsbury shifted over and handled left field. He took an 0-for-4, capping an ugly 1-for-12 weekend. The rook is playing, but not hitting particularly well so far this season. Coco Crisp, meanwhile, was in centrefield for the second straight day, and he went yard for the second straight game. He also tripled, stole a base and drove in three runs on Sunday. It’s about time to consider Crisp as a fantasy option, in AL-only leagues at the very least. He’s earned more PT, and if Ellsbury keeps flailing, Crisp will get it.

Matt Tolbert, an early season revelation, continues to struggle. He’s been playing second with Brendan Harris nursing a sore right hamstring, so Adam Everett has been manning short. But Everett hasn’t exactly taken his chance and run with it. He was 1-for-4 Sunday to get back to .200 on the year. Woo hoo! I’d say Tolbert needs not worry, about Everett at least.

Alex Cora returned from a DL stint because of his elbow. He’s been out almost a month, and got the start at short, lashing three hits, including a double. With Julio Lugo still dealing with the after effects of his concussion, and Jed Lowrie sent back to the minors, Cora could see some action this week.

Rookie Nick Blackburn earned the win for the Twins. He wasn’t overly sharp, giving up nine hits and four runs in six innings, but he walked just one and struck out five — his most in over a month. Blackburn is now over .500, but his ERA is approaching 4.00. He’s a decent option in deep AL-only leagues, but because of his lack of Ks, he’s best used in 4×4 leagues.

Mike Timlin appeared in his 1,032nd career game, moving him past Lee Smith and Jose Mesa into eighth place all-time. Unfortunately, after a solid 2007 campaign, the 42-year-old righty looks to be on his last legs, having giving up 16 hits and ten runs in nine innings this year. Start watching for a passing ice floe to toss the oldtimer onto.

May 12th, 2008
Categories: BASEBALL, Daniel Olson, Game report, Uncategorized . Author: Daniel Olson . Comments: 2 Comments

It was your classic west vs. east matchup Sunday afternoon as the Mariners tried to avoid a sweep against the Yankees. Unfortunately, the Bronx Bombers came to play despite starting the day a tad slow. After scoring only seven runs in their previous four games, the Mariners gave starter Carlos Silva a 2-0 lead after the first inning. But once the third inning arrived, it was all downhill from there as the Yanks cruised to an 8-2 win.

Silva, who had previously shined since signing a four-year contract with the Mariners in the offseason, was clobbered by the Yankees as it appeared Hank Steinbrenner might have injected his whole squad with HGH prior to the third inning. The Pintripers posted six runs in the third and followed that up with two more in the fourth, knocking Silva out in his poorest performance since becoming a Mariner.

After the two-run first inning, the Mariners bats went cold again. Like their previous four contests, they could not get anything started as they managed just five hits over the final eight innings and were stifled by Darrell Rasner, making his first start this season.

In another rare showing, the Mariner bullpen actually held steady, not allowing another run the rest of the contest. But the eight runs tacked on Silva’s stat sheet were more than enough as the Yankees finished off their Seattle sweep.

Fantasy Factor

• Robinson Cano of the Yankees has been mired in a god awful slump to start the season, entering Sunday’s contest batting at a .151 clip. While he only went 1-for-4, he did belt a home run, something that could potentially reestablish some confidence he lost in April. It might be too early to reinsert him into your starting lineup, but keep a close eye on Yankee box scores in case Cano starts to wake up and hit at his usual .300 clip. This dude is way too good for this to continue much longer.
• Third basemen Adrian Beltre has enjoyed a solid start to the season and continued this on Sunday as he belted a two-run homer to account for the Mariner offense. He finished 2-for-4 on the day, and is up to .283 on the season with six home runs. Right now he is one of the few Mariners who is producing consistently. Leave him in your lineups.
• Derek Jeter had a monster afternoon, going 4-for-5 to raise his batting average above the .300 mark (.313). He could be labeled as Mr. Consistent in regards to fantasy baseball, and there’s no reason to not start him right now. It looks as if his injury is all healed up and he is ready to continue to produce good numbers in a powerful Yankee lineup.
• Signing his new three-year contract recently apparently did not cause backstop Kenji Johjima to remember how to hit the ball. He is batting a measly .184, going only 3-for-23 over his last nine games. He has been consistent in his three years in Seattle, but will soon turn 32 years old, which is getting a bit long in the tooth for catchers known for their offense. Maybe the Mariners gave him a contract extension too soon? We will see, but for now keep him on your bench as there are plenty of catchers who will at least bat over .200 for you!
• If you have not done so yet, pick up Rasner. Since Phil Hughes is out until at least July with a broken rib, and Ian Kennedy has not thrown the ball well (earning himself a demotion back to the minors), Rasner is almost guaranteed to stay in the rotation and he pitched great Sunday. Granted, the Mariner offense has been struggling mightily, but Rasner only allowed two runs in six innings on 76 pitches. If you need pitching help, he’s worth taking a look at.
• Ryan Rowland-Smith, who briefly had value when he was getting save chances with J.J. Putz out, has been horribly inconsistent, but he tossed two shutout frames Sunday. This Aussie showed promise as a rookie last year, but his command has been awful so far in 2008, making him a very shaky bet even in deep AL-only leagues.
• Kyle Farnsworth has pitched well this year — especially lately — so it’s surprising more owners aren’t giving him a longer look, particularly in leagues that track holds. After a down year in 2007, Farnsworth has improved his control, and is back to striking out over a batter per inning. Do note, however, that he will be called on the carpet Tuesday to hear his appeal of a three-game suspension he earned after throwing behind the head of Manny Ramirez last month. If Farnsworth’s suspension holds up, he won’t be seeing much action this week.
• Richie Sexson, who looked like he was getting his shit together recently before taking an 0-for-7 in the first two games of this series, was given a day off. Jose Vidro manned first in his place. Sexson has been healthy so far this season, and he’s recovered somewhat from his disastrous 2007 campaign, but he’s still nowhere near the slugger he was when he first arrived in Seattle and the years leading up to that. Still, an improved walk rate has allowed Sexson to lift his BA up to the point where at least he’s not straddling the Mendoza Line anymore. Hey, it’s something.

May 5th, 2008
Categories: BASEBALL, Daniel Olson, Game report . Author: Daniel Olson . Comments: 3 Comments

Owners who have jumped on the Erick Aybar bandwagon are feeling no pain.

Welcome to the debut of Game Report, our periodic column that’s going weekly. Every week, I’ll focus in on one game and provide you with all the relevant fantasy tidbits from it. This week, we caught Sunday’s game with the Angels, who have been rolling without their top two starters, taking on the Tigers, off to a very sluggish start, but showing signs of life.

It has been the same story for Tiger starter Justin Verlander all year long. He starts off cruising and then abruptly smashes into a wall. Nothing was different on Sunday.

Verlander only gave up two runs through five innings and then was torched for four earned runs in the sixth, leading to his exit and, ultimately, a 6-2 victory for the Angels over the Tigers.

Torii Hunter, signed as a free agent this offseason, led the way for the Angels, going 2-for-4 with a bases-clearing triple and three RBI. Surging shortstop Erick Aybar also provided a nice punch, going 2-for-3 with three RBI to raise his average on the season to a robust .346.

Los Angeles starter Jered Weaver was as equally impressive on the mound as were his teammates at the plate. He allowed only two runs on four hits in 6 1/3 innings, raising his record to 2-3 on the season and lowering his ERA to 4.21.

Outside of outfielder Magglio Ordonez, the Tigers struggled to get anything going at the plate. Maggs went 2-for-2, but the rest of the lineup was only 3-for-24 and was unable to crack Weaver’s code.

The always reliable Scot Shields came into the game in the eighth inning and wrapped things up with two innings of shutout ball.

The Los Angeles Angels of Southern California Orange County Near Anaheim towards Tijuana now sit at 16-10, tied with the upstart Oakland Athletics in the AL West, while the Detroit Tigers (hey, what a simple name) sit at 11-15, mired in last place in the AL Central. I guess money doesn’t buy championships, but then again if you have seen the Yankees the last eight seasons, you already knew that.

Fantasy Factor

• While Weaver has gotten off to a mediocre start, he flashed his brilliance again Sunday which is why everyone is so high on the 25-year-old righty (that and the fact that he is not his gawd-awful brother Jeff). Continue to ride Weaver as he heats up right along with the weather.
• On the flip side, owners might want to bench veteran Gary Sheffield as he is batting a putrid .159 with only one home run. He is bound to pick it up eventually, but plug a different solution into your lineup in the meantime.
• Maicer Izturis, only playing because Howie Kendrick is hurting, left the game early with back spasms. This may be a blessing in disguise for fantasy owners, as Izturis has been awful, and this injury may precipitate the promotion of Brandon Wood. Chone Figgins shifted over to second when Izturis went down. As for Kendrick and is hammy, he’s expected to be activated this week.
• Edgar Renteria’s seven-game hitting streak was snapped, but he produced his 16th RBI of the year on a sac fly. He’s on pace for his second 100-RBI year and is batting .324. It’ll do.
• With another two hits Sunday, Casey Kotchman wrapped up a 5-for-11 series. We’ve been waiting on this breakout forever, and now it’s here as this kid is on pace for 200 hits. You want contact hitting? You got it. Kotchman has now gone six straight games without whiffing.
• Carlos Guillen (knee) was back in action after missing three games and it’s great to have him back considering he’s off to a monster start and was one of the only Tigers who was actually hitting when they started so weakly. Of greater interest from a fantasy perspective is the fact that Guillen was playing third base in place of Brandon Inge. Instead of shifting Miguel Cabrera back to third, Detroit opted to put a gimpy Guillen there. Interesting indeed. If nothing else, for leagues where only one game is necessary, Guillen now qualifies at third base, in addition to shortstop (from last year) and first base, making him an incredibly versatile commodity.

April 28th, 2008
Categories: BASEBALL, Daniel Olson, Game report . Author: Daniel Olson . Comments: 4 Comments

Can Roy Williams lead UNC past his ex-team, or will Kansas force him to assume the position?

For the first time in the history of the NCAA tournament, the selection committee nailed it. Four teams left; four number one seeds. The closest to a mid-major scare was Davidson, who got barely brushed aside by Kansas in the Elite Eight. That leaves just four big time programs in Kansas, UNC, UCLA, and Memphis.

With the exception of the Kansas-Davidson game, the other three Elite Eight games could hardly be called close. Number two seed Texas got blown out by Memphis (the trendy number one seed who everyone picked to lose). UCLA produced its first blowout since the opening round as the Bruins dispatched Xavier by 19 points. Finally, UNC controlled the number three seeded Louisville Cardinals as the Heels punched their ticket to the Final Four.

So onto San Antonio for the finale of the big dance, where scouts will drool at the talent and millions of eyes will be enthralled with their television sets (more than usual, that is). And this writer will be rooting against the Tar Heels who easily dispatched my Cougs (WSU) in the Sweet 16. But that’s beside the point! [Note from the editor -- there's no accounting for taste.]

UNC vs. Kansas, Saturday, 6:07 p.m., EST

Tar Heels coach Roy Williams once led the Jayhawks of Kansas to four Final Fours (say that quickly five times). Now, he has moved on to RotoRob’s favourite, Tar Heel Nation, where he has UNC in the Final Four against his former school.

If you did not know any better, you would think Kansas is the only vulnerable team entering this Final Four as, previously stated, it had the only close Elite Eight contest. But not so fast. The Jayhawks played the Cinderalla of the tourney, scorching Davidson Wildcats (also of North Carolina) featuring scoring machine Stephen Curry. In last week’s column, I told you to watch out for Curry and it is hard to say he disappointed, pouring in 25 points against Kansas. But the Jayhawks were able to avoid a last second upset as a desperation three by Davidson clanged off the rim at the buzzer.

Davidson was the surprise seed of the tournament, and was really one of the only Cinderellas. But the fact that Kansas could overcome the Wildcats in itself shows that the Jayhawks are real. Coach Bill Self finally led his squad to the Final Four after failing in all his previous tournaments as Williams’s successor.

Junior guards Mario Chalmers and Brandon Rush played stifling defense on Curry, and despite scoring 25, Curry was held to just 9-for-25 from the field. Chalmers also contributed 13 points and three rebounds while Rush poured in 12 points and a nice seven rebounds.

Kansas has above average guard play so can match up well with the Tar Heels in the back court, but the question is if its big men can hang with National Player of the Year Tyler Hansbrough. Sasha Kaun had a solid game against Davidson, pouring in 13 points on 6-for-6 from the field, but I’m not quite sure he is quick enough to guard Hansbrough.
UNC just might have too many offensive weapons for Kansas. Not only do the Tar Heels have Hansbrough, but guards Wayne Ellington and Ty Lawson are a lock for double-digit points every game as well as a probable first round selections if they were to enter the draft this April. Throw in with super sixth man Danny Green and you have no weak spots up and down the Tar Heels’ roster.

This will be a great game, but my bold prediction is Tar Heels walk away with it.

UCLA vs. Memphis, Saturday, 8:47 p.m. EST

For making three Final Fours in the last three seasons, the Bruins are not getting a ton of respect. Coach Ben Howland has his strongest team out of all the recent Final Four runs, and the Bruins look poised to make more noise in the Finals than they did last season.

Led by guard Darren Collison and freshman sensation Kevin Love, this team is tough. Xavier made a somewhat surprising run to the Elite Eight where it was just absolutely controlled by the Bruins of UCLA. Love chipped in his typical 19 points and ten boards while Collison chipped in with 19 points and five assists. The Bruins’ stifling defense also held Xavier to only 36 per cent shooting from the field. UCLA has a solid rotation with Russell Westbrook, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, and Josh Shipp joining Love and Collison. All of these players can score, and all of these players can play extraordinary defense as well. They are athletic enough to run with Memphis but, most likely, will try to control the tempo and play a much slower pace than Memphis likes to play.

Memphis has really surprised so far in the tournament despite being a one seed. On ESPN’s predictions of the Sweet 16 last week, all eight analysts picked Memphis as the number one seed most likely to lose. Well, it didn’t. In fact, it wasn’t even close. The Tigers blew out Michigan State by 18 points which was not even a real indication of how lopsided that contest was. Memphis actually led 50-20 at the half in that game! The Elite Eight pitted them against Texas, a game which most thought the Tigers would lose. That did not happen either as they destroyed the Longhorns by 18. In that contest, do-it-all guard Chris Douglas-Roberts chipped in 25 points while freshman Derrick Rose tossed in 21 points. Texas was not able to rally and handle the amazing length of the Tigers.

If you’re a fan of the Tigers, you better enjoy your last glimpse of Rose. More than likely, he’s bolting to the NBA after this season and with good reason as he will be one of the top picks in the draft. With a backcourt of Rose and Douglas-Roberts, Memphis can score with anyone in the nation. Throw in the horses in the middle, Joey Dorsey and Robert Dozier, and you have a tough starting squad to defend. If Memphis gets into an uptempo game with UCLA, it has the edge and might be able to take the game from the Bruins. But if the game is close at the end, the Tigers might be in trouble as they were the third-worst free throw shooting team in Division I basketball this season.

Because I’ve seen UCLA play about 20 games this season (however, I’m not a UCLA fan) I know the squad pretty well and know how great of a coach Howland is. That’s not to take anything away from John Calipari (an outstanding coach as well), but UCLA has the experience from two previous Final Fours and I think it will eventually show as the Bruins will squeak by a very difficult Tigers squad.

The Bold Prediction

I’m calling UNC and UCLA for the championship in what will be a great game. But really you can’t go wrong with any of these four teams making the championship. They are four absolutely quality teams that NBA scouts will be going nuts over during this championship weekend.

If it is in fact UNC and UCLA, I think Love will be the best matchup of the year against Hansbrough and UCLA will pull off the victory giving Love a championship in his first and (most likely) only season in college.

April 2nd, 2008
Categories: BASKETBALL, College sports, Daniel Olson, March Madness Preview . Author: Daniel Olson . Comments: 2 Comments

When he wasn’t airing out his abundantly hairy pits, former NBA player Dell Curry was canning treys; now his son Stephen is building his own legend.

There always seem to be those players that step up out of nowhere in the tournament. The guys who have you scratching your head while saying “Wait, who is this guy?” The 2008 head scratcher for many of you (myself included) is Stephen Curry of the Cinderella Davidson squad. In Davidson’s first two games against Gonzaga and Georgetown, Curry has almost single-handedly carried his team to victory. Against the Bulldogs of Gonzaga, he poured in a game high 40 points, and followed that performance with 30 points in Davidson’s upset of number two seed Georgetown. Wow.

So maybe you say the name sounds familiar. Probably true. His dad was Dell Curry, long-time NBA player and three-point specialist. Regardless, I’m sure Stephen Curry was not on too many Players-to-watch lists before the tournament started. But after scoring 70 points in two contests and leading his Wildcats to the Sweet 16, he is plenty well known now. He’s even being projected as a late first round, early second round pick in the NBA draft for his uncanny ability to knock down threes.

March Madness. Where the unknown become the known! [Of course, long-time readers of RotoRob know that we touted Curry in the lead up to last year's tourney.]

Super Sweet 16 (Game of the Week)

Washington State vs. UNC, Thursday 7:40 p.m. EST

Okay, call me a homer (it has to be obvious by now that I’m a Coug through and through), but regardless of my loyalties, this has to be one of the most intriguing games of the Sweet 16. You have the ultimate shutdown defense in Wazzu, and the ultimate high powered offense in UNC. Both teams have absolutely destroyed their first two tournament opponents. Here’s a brief recap of what happened in these teams’ first two games:

Wazzu looked shaky in its first round victory of Winthrop. And by shaky, I mean for a short 20-minute period in which the Cougars went into the half tied at 29. But that disappeared quickly as they outscored Winthrop 42-11 in the second half to win 71-40. Ouch. Talk about defensive prowess.

In its second contest, Wazzu never looked shaky against Luke Harangody and the high powered Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Notre Dame jumped out to a 5-0 lead early on, but that would be its only lead in the contest as Big East Player of the Year Harangody was held to ten points for the game. Final score, Wazzu 61 Notre Dame 41. For those who are counting, that represnted only half of Notre Dame’s season average point wise.

On to UNC. The Tar Heels have not played a game in doubt yet, as Tyler Hansbrough and company steamrolled their first two opponents. After earning the right to get bitch-slapped by UNC by winning the play-in game against Coppin “A Feel” St., Mt. St. Mary’s was, as expected, bitch slapped. It was not a close contest as Hansbrough and Ty Lawson led the team with 21 points apiece in the Heels’ 113-74 victory. Wow. That’s scary good offense right there.

Many people thought UNC would get a much harder challenge from the tough SEC Arkansas squad. Nope. The Tar Heels once again scored in triple digits in a 108-77 victory, this time led by superstar guard Wayne Ellington. What is even better is the squad played everyone on their bench, with all 15 players seeing some action. Talk about a stacked team.

So why is this such a great game? Mostly because it is the best offense versus the best defense in the nation. But also because of the insane amount of future NBA talent in the game. UNC’s Hansbrough might potentially turn pro after this season, as may backcourt stalwarts Lawson and Ellington. All look to be first round picks. For Wazzu, Kyle Weaver hopes to continue to soar on draft boards with his defensive prowess, and what better an opportunity then to face the number one team in the tournament? Also, senior guard Derrick Low will look to continue a strong tournament and move up his draft status from mid second round to early second round selection.

The final reason it will be the best Sweet 16 game? Because I’m flying across country to see it, so damn it, it better be!

Happy bracket watching everyone.

[Note from the editor -- RotoRob has been a UNC fan since he started following college hoops many a year ago, so this matchup pits two of our staff's teams against one another. All I can say, Daniel, is you better watch your back, or else I will arrange to have extremely flat beer served at your next kegger. I might even confiscate your bong.]

March 26th, 2008
Categories: BASKETBALL, College sports, Daniel Olson, March Madness Preview, The Bench Warmer . Author: Daniel Olson . Comments: 1 Comment