by Moonlight Graham

In 2003, in an attempt to regenerate fan interest just a year after a lack of available pitchers forced MLB Commissioner Bud Selig to declare the All Star Game a tie, Baseball’s hierarchy decreed that the Mid-Summer Classic would now determine home field advantage in the World Series. It wasn’t already bad enough that the rosters were watered down by the requirement that each team, no matter how bad, must be represented; now, a player from a second division club could have a hand in deciding the outcome of the sport’s premier event months in advance.

While the move was and is opposed by many, I never really had a problem with it.  Not because I agree with the concept; it’s completely ridiculous to think I’m staying up that late to watch Garrett Jones of the Pittsburgh Pirates face Kansas City Royals’ closer Joakim Soria because I’d like the Mets to have home field if they get that far.  However, because the old system of alternating the privilege was also completely without merit, I figured, “Who cares?”  Until I realized that the new policy actually gives mindless fans the opportunity to hurt their team’s shot at a championship; often at the prompting of it’s own front office. We’ve all been to the ballpark in the early part of the season and heard the huge pitch to vote for the hometown boys.  Actually, you don’t even have to attend a game anymore, as on-line balloting has given everyone a voice.  “Send Joe Blow to Los Angeles for the All Star Game”, blare the ads.  “Forget the stats, vote for our guys!”  On the surface, a nice marketing strategy, but one that could prove fatal to a championship run. 

The Philadelphia Phillies have won two consecutive National League pennants and, despite being ravaged by injuries, are still within striking distance in the NL East. There aren’t many Phillies fans that aren’t expecting a third straight World Series appearance.  Yet, right down to the last week, fan balloting had 3B Placido Polanco, SS Jimmy Rollins and 2B Chase Utley in the starting lineup.  Polanco, hiting .318 with 4 HR and 27 RBI, is a far cry from New York Mets’ third sacker David Wright or Scott Rolen of the Cincinnati Reds; two Gold Glovers also boasting BA over .300 while sitting near the top of the league’s RBI standings.  Rollins has missed all but twenty games this season while Utley is going through the worst campaign of his career.  How does a Philadelphia baseball fan better the National League’s chances of winning the game by voting for any of them?  Rest assured, however, that if Charlie Manuel’s boys open the Series on the road, every cheese steak moron that backed “J-Roll” will be whining for all he’s worth.   And not a soul in the Phillies’ front office will realize that their ad campaign was probably a bad idea.

Fantasy News and Notes

Although there hasn’t been a Triple Crown winner since Carl Yazstremski in 1967, there may actually be a three man race for the honor in the AL this year.  Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera leads the loop in HR and RBI and is fifth in BA.  Rangers’ OF Josh Hamilton is fourth in the batting race while sitting just 4 HR and 5 RBI back of Cabrera while, in Minnesota, Justin Morneau has as many dingers as Hamilton and is third in BA.  He’ll have to pick up the RBI, though, as he’s more than 10 behind the top spot… Don’t be too quick to write off the first half of Blue Jays’ OF/3B Jose Bautista.  THe HR may have tailed off and his BA was never stellar, but his 49 BB indicate he’s still got a plan at the dish…Hank Blalock was released by the Rays to make room for Gabe Kapler.  Guess it’s really over when a team wants Kapler instead of anyone… Let me get this straight.  The Seattle Mariners, dead last in the AL West, may be looking to move Cliff Lee but gave up prospects for Russell Branyan?

Buy Low

- Is anyone still paying attention to the Baltimore Orioles?  If your league isn’t, call the guy that owns Adam Jones and make a deal.  After a miserable start, Jones used a hot June to raise his BA to .274 and now has 13 HR…This may be your last chance to grab Moonlight’s favorite sleeper, Jason Kubel.  His bat has warmed with the weather in Minnesota, his BA s climbing and he’s on pace for 90+ RBI.

Sell High

- After a dugout confrontation for not hustling in Tampa, B.J. Upton was out of the lineup with, what was called,  a hamstring issue.  I’m not buying. This is a guy that melted last year when Joe Maddon dropped him in the order.  Expect the same dropoff if he’s feuding with teammates… Angels’ RHP Joel Pineiro has won five straight.  A solid pitcher, he’s never been dominant and you won’t miss him too much; especially if you can use his hot streak to secure a big bat.

Grab Bag

- Cincinnati Reds’ rookie Travis Wood debuted yesterday with seven strong innings.  Not a big K guy, he’s been an ERA and WHIP monster all through the Minor Leagues.  If he stays in Dusty Baker’s rotation, grab him.

Drop Zone

- If you haven’t shed yourself of Rockies’ 1B Todd Helton, do so, now.  Having never struck out more than 80 times in any of the last seven seasons, he’s now at 50 and complaining of a bad back.

Sick Bay

-  Had to share this one. In the Hausier’s Krowedum Rotisserie League, Jack Sullivan’s Big Steins have been bitten by the injury bug; often with comical results.  The laughter from the rest of the league had not yet died down after Kendry Morales was lost for the season while celebrating a HR when Luke Scott, another Big Stein, pulled a hammy rounding first after going deep.  The way I figure, if Jack’s guys keeping hitting dingers, he’s got no chance to win.

St. John’s Basketball Hires (Settles For?) Steve Lavin

Don’t know if there’s a better indication of how far the St. John’s basketball program has fallen than the difficulty the powers that be had in signing a new head coach.  ESPN analyst and former UCLA head man, Steve Lavin, accepted the job after the Johnnies were rebuffed by Florida’s Billy Donovan and Paul Hewitt of Georgia Tech.  In addition, Fran McCaffrey, who led Siena to the top of the MAAC during his tenure, and Boston College head man Al Skinner were brought in for interviews and may or may not have been offered the job.  That Lavin is, at best, the Red Storm’s third choice, and might actually be the fifth, speaks volumes to the current irrelevance of what was once a national power.  While Lavin has his work cut out for him, he does have a significant resource of talent in his own backyard.  Armed with four returning senior starters and eight scholarships, he may actually be able to effect a significant turnaround in very short order if he can tap into the prep talent in New York City; something at which his two predecessors failed miserably.  It’s been too long since the Johnnies were at the top of the Big East and a viable threat in the NCAA tournament.  Lavin has an opportunity to be a hero to all of the Johnnie faithful longing to, once again, be a part of March Madness.  Here’s hoping he delivers.

New York Mets: Same Song, Different Year

Seems like not much has changed since we last left our beloved Metsies.  Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran are still injured, Oliver Perez, Mike Pelfrey and John Maine are all huge question marks behind Johan Santana and the identity of the starting first baseman remains a mystery. Unfortunately for the denizens of CitiField, the rest of the division has improved greatly; making a very real possibility of a fourth place finish.  It’ll take a hot April by David Wright and Jason Bay to carry the anemic offense until the team is at full strength and an amazing turnaround by a pitching staff that was knocked around pretty good throughout training camp.  The way things have gone for the Mets over the last few years, however, such good fortune just doesn’t seem to be in the cards.

Dwight Gooden Still Hasn’t Hit Bottom

Given his history, I can’t imagine anyone was shocked last week by the news that Dwight Gooden had suffered another relapse in his ongoing battle with drug addiction. What was unbelievable, however, was the decision to release him on his own recognizance.  This is a man so overwhelmed by his addiction that, after being arrested in 2006, he opted for prison over extended probation, perhaps in the hope that incarceration would separate him from his addictions.  Yet, despite his history, a municipal court judge decided that being charged with driving under the influence of drugs, leaving the scene of an accident and endangering the welfare of a child; his five- year-old son riding in the back without a car seat, there was no reason to hold Gooden on bail.  Seriously?!  Perhaps it was this same forgiving attitude that prompted the Mets to induct Gooden and Daryl Strawberry into their Hall of Fame this summer.  Can’t wait to visit CitiField and have my son ask me why Gooden isn’t in the Hall at Cooperstown.  Maybe I’ll just refer him to A Bronx Tale and DeNiro’s speech about the saddest thing in life being wasted talent.

Major League Baseball Opener

Baseball’s back on Monday, (we in the Cheap Seats refuse to acknowledge Sunday Night’s made for TV event as the opener ) and with it comes the hope of every fan, even in Pittsburgh, that this will be a great year for his favorite team.  I’ll share my selections for Divisional Champions as well as Pennant and World Series Champions with the caveat that you review how miserably I chose the participants in this year’s Final Four.

NL East- Florida Marlins, NL Central- Cincinnati Reds, NL West- Colorado Rockies,  NL Wild Card- Philadelphia Phillies
AL East- Boston Red Sox, , AL Central- Minnesota Twins, AL West- Seattle Mariners, AL Wild Card- Tampa Bay Rays
NL Champs- Colorado, AL Champs- Minnesota
World Series Champs- Minnesota

If you’re a succesful Fantasy Baseball player, you know that it’s nearly impossible to finish near the top of the standings without having power at the corners. Unless you’ve secured significant pop at both First Base and Third Base, it’s a good bet you’ll be one of the first in your league looking to make a trade.

A quick glance at the top of your 2010 Fantasy Baseball Draft sheets should reveal quite an imbalance between the two slots. You’ll probably have as many as twelve first tier options and a number of second and third tier guys capable of giving you 20+ HR and 90+ RBI. At third base, however, the pickins’ grow slim. There are but five top tier selections to be made; six if you’re confident that David Wright can bounce back in CitiField. As the talent at the Hot Corner begins to thin, you’ll find yourself scrambling to find adequate options. Good luck.

The solution? Well, even though Moonlight’s First Commandment tells us to never, ever draft for position in the first few rounds, it might be wise to grab an elite third sacker early as long as his stats are not dwarfed by another available player.

Stars

At First Base, we all know the cream of the crop, as Albert Pujols, Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder, Ryan Howard and Mark Teixeira should all be gone by the middle of the second round. There is a group of studs, however, who fall to the fourth round and beyond in most mocks that may actually return more value than the aforementioned stars, if only that they’ll be selected so much later. Give a long look to Justin Morneau, Adrian Gonzalez, Derek Lee and Adam Dunn. Across the diamond, Alex Rodriguez, Evan Longoria, Ryan Zimmerman, Pablo Sandoval and Mark Reynolds lead the pack. Reynolds and Sandoval might also be eligible at 1B in your league but you’d be silly to use them in that slot.

Sleepers

Take advantage of your last opportunity to grab Billy Butler and Joey Votto in any round after the second. These two young superstars will rocket to the top of the rankings in 2011. Gordon Beckham is a star on the rise for the White Sox who’ll be at 2B this year but still carry 3B eligibility. In Oakland, Kevin Kouzmanoff is happy to be away from pitcher friendly Petco Park, where he somehow managed 18 HR and 88 RBI.

Slippers

You won’t find Moonlight among those that think David Wright’s stats will return to their old levels. He’s still a star, but 20 HR, and not 30, may be the max in his new home. Lance Berkman had minor knee surgery last weekend and will miss two to four weeks. His numbers slipped badly last year and the Astros have a lot of talent in the Minors.

Stiffs

Both of our stiffs are getting their mail in Seattle these days. At 1B, Casey Kotchman doesn’t have nearly enough pop to be considered and should go undrafted in a mixed league while 3B Chone Figgins will have you scrambling to make up HR and RBI all year. Avoid both.

Moonlight Graham’s Top Ten Fantasy Corner Infielders

Albert Pujols                                                 Alex Rodriguez

Prince Fielder                                                Evan Longoria

Mark Teixeira                                                Mark Reynolds

Miguel Cabrera                                              Ryan Zimmerman

Ryan Howard                                                David Wright

Billy Butler                                                    Pablo Sandoval

Justin Morneau                                             Kevin Youkilis

Joey Votto                                                   Aramis Ramirez

Derek Lee                                                     Chipper Jones

Adrian Gonzalez                                         Gordon Beckham

Catcher-Brian McCann noses out Geovany Soto for the nod as top backstop in the NL.   Despite an Atlanta lineup that had difficulty staying healthy and then lost Mark Teixeira, McCann stayed consistent all year.  His .301 BA, 23 HR and 87 RBI solidified his spot on top of the fantasy rankings headed into the 2009.

First Base-While Ryan Howard’s 46 HR and 148 RBI carried the Phils into the post season, it was Albert Pujols’ overall excellence that garners him the nod here. Albert posted an amazing .357 BA while smashing his usual 37 HR and 116 RBI.  That he did it all with an elbow that needed surgery is even more amazing.

Second Base-Philly’s Chase Utley seemed to lock up this honor by Memorial Day.  However, his slump during the middle months brought him back to the pack before his late season surge put him on top for good.  Look to grab his .292 BA, 33 HR and 104 RBI in the first round of next year’s draft.

Shortstop-Hanley Ramirez may have been the most productive Fantasy player across the board in the Major Leagues.  If only the Marlins would drop him from the leadoff spot and let him get 100 RBI.  As it was,  his .301 BA, 33 HR 125 R and 35 SB warrant the first pick of 2009.

Third Base-Wright.  The Mets’ third sacker has established a model of consistency that has almost become boring.  Even though his SB were down somewhat this year, he is still a top five pick in any league.

Outfield-Fresh off his being robbed of last year’s MVP award, the Rockies’ Matt Holliday set about raising his game.  While his 25 HR and 88 RBI were lower than expected because of a month lost to injury, his 28 SB and .321 BA made him one of the elite.  The subject of off season trade rumors, he’s a keeper no matter where he plays next season.  Carlos Beltran quietly provided another 25 HR 25 SB season while also knocking in 112 RBI and scoring 116 R.  Houston’s Lance Berkman split his time between 1B and OF and gains recognition here for his overall excellence.  On top of his .312 BA, 29 HR and 106 RBI he also posted 18 SB.

Starting Pitcher-If you were fortunate enough to draft Tim Lincecum, hang on to the youngster for as long as you can.  He had 18 W for a team that won only 70 and led the league in K by a wide margin; ringing up 265 batters.  Can’t wait to see his W totals as the Giants improve.

Relief Pitcher-Brad Lidge is an easy choice with 41 S in 41 chances while posting 92 K out of the bullpen.

The Case for Albert Pujols

In New York, Carlos Delgado has become the feel good story of the fantasy baseball season, riding a hot streak through the second half and leading the Mets to the top of the NL east. His 33 HR and 100 RBI are numbers that were not only deemed unreachable at the beginning of the season but seemed just as impossible not two months ago. His resurrection has prompted many conversations about the possibility of the big first baseman taking home MVP honors at the end of the year. While there are some reasons for Delgado to warrant consideration, it is not entirely clear that he is even the Mets’ MVP let alone the league’s. Many will point to Jose Reyes or David Wright as the best the Mets have to offer. Regardless, any conversation regarding the NL MVP should begin and end with Albert Pujols.

The St. Louis first sacker came into the season having already acknowledged that he would have to undergo elbow surgery. Not wanting to miss any time, he vowed to play for as long as he could stand the pain. This revelation caused him to drop out of the first round of many Fantasy drafts. The Moonlight Fantasy preview advised against using a top ten pick on him. Many also wondered why he would postpone surgery during what was to be a down year for the Cards. Albert has made fools of us all.

Heading into this week, Pujols had a .360 BA and an impossible .466 OBP. His 32 HR and 95 RBI are very impressive but not as eye popping as his DiMaggio-like K total of just 48. On top of everything else, despite losing three of their top 5 starters and their closer, the Cardinals have been able to stay in playoff contention throughout the year.

Anything can happen, as evidenced by last year’s travesty that saw Jimmy Rollins get the award over the more deserving Matt Holliday, but if Delgado beats Pujols, the voting system should be changed.

RISING

Adam Dunn has been gotten some starts at 1B for the D’Backs and may qualify there in your fantasy league. He has been hot of late with a terrific OBP. Bronson Arroyo was recently named NL Player of the Week and is a free agent in many leagues.

FALLING

Brandon Webb has failed in three straight attempts to gain his 20th win. The Arizona ace may be feeling the effects of a long season.

GRAB BAG

3B Dallas McPherson was called up to the Marlins after belting 42 HR at AAA Albequerque and could provide a late power boost.

DROP ZONE

Jeff Kent underwent knee arthroscopic knee surgery last week and could return to the Dodgers just before the playoffs; too late to help Fantasy owners.

SICK BAY

Cubs’ starters Rich Harden and Carlos Zambrano have been shut down due to shoulder ailments. Cleveland DH Travis Hafner returns this week, more so the Indians can evaluate his progress than to contribute. His shoulder is still not 100% so, don’t expect any power. Billy Wagner’s season appears over as elbow problems persist.

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