Fake Teams Hits the Fantasy Links

Today is June 16, the 102nd anniversary of Jim Thorpe's professional debut as a pitcher.  His stint as a player for the Rocky Mount Railroaders (playing every position except catcher and second base) would later cause him to lose his gold medals earned at the 1912 Olympic games (for pentathlon and decathlon), though they would be reinstated in 1983.  Happy 100th anniversary, IBM.  Here are your fantasy baseball links for today:

The Regression Monster Summer Tour 2K11 | Baseball By Paul
Don't let the hilarity fool you - there's some good content there.

FANTASY BASEBALL - CLOSING TIME | RotoExperts
Closer depth chart and some updates.

The Next-In-Lines: Closers | FanGraphs Fantasy Baseball

Under the Radar - AL/NL-Only Leagues | BaseballPress.com

After another shaky start at the plate this season, he has settled in nicely by hitting .357 in June, with a very good on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) of 1.026. Saltalamacchia will have ample opportunity to drive in runs anywhere in Boston's lineup and could finish the year with 20 home runs.

FANTASY BASEBALL - H2HEADQUARTERS | RotoExperts
Waiver wire

Follow the jump for the latest fantasy baseball news and analysis from around the web.

Bullish on Dan Uggla | FanGraphs Fantasy Baseball

Uggla has now hit safely in 4 of his last 5 games, including two multi-hit games, and is batting .316 in that span with 2 HR, 3 RBI and 6 runs scored. All of the aforementioned rates have seen an improvement over the last week, and should continue to do so as the season progresses.

Bearish on Dan Uggla | FanGraphs Fantasy Baseball

An expanding strike zone, loss of power, and inability to hit LHP show that owners should cut their losses and move onto other possible 2B candidates.

Jorge Posada's Troubles vs. Lefties - Baseball Analytics Blog - MLB Baseball Analytics

This season, Posada's hitting .088/.225/.088 vs. lefties in 40 plate appearances. And while his K-rate vs. lefties from 2009-2010 was a fairly high 27.4%, that number has climbed to 32.5% in 2011, tenth worst in all of baseball.

Verlander's Septum | Baseball Analytics

Justin misses the middle of the plate, shows great control with four pitches, and made his change up look even more like his fastball. It's no surprise he took his pitching to the next level.

The myth of Dan Haren | The Hardball Times

If you do not currently own Haren, it means you should exploit the myth that Haren can't pitch in the second half. The myth does not mean you can get Haren for Zach Britton, but it does mean you might be able to trade away a "lesser" pitcher like Matt Garza, Josh Beckett, Mat Latos, or Anibal Sanchez as the substantial majority piece (if not a one-for-one deal) in a deal to get him.

Can Brandon Morrow Be A Viable Fantasy Option For the Remainder of 2011? | Rotoprofessor

While Morrow is not likely to post an ERA near his 2.55 FIP from here on out, if he can be acquired at any kind of a discount there is plenty of value to be gained. Morrow is showing that he is the elite source of strikeouts in the majors right now, and his rate stats should soon follow suit.

The Closer Report - Injury Updates | fantasyphenoms.com

Prospect of the Day: Zach Stewart, RHP, Toronto Blue Jays | Minor League Ball

Right now, Stewart projects as a number three or four starter at the major league level. He doesn't have Kyle Drabek's long-term upside, but he has sharper command at this point and could be a better bet for short-term success if he throws strikes.

Randall Delgado and Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Scouting the Unknown | Razzball

Throwing a 92 to 96 MPH fastball with a plus curveball and an solid-average changeup would have hyped more if Teheran wasn’t on the same team [as Delgado]. Curveball has good downward movement and bite and the changeup is deceptively thrown. One downside to this Panamanian grown prospect is his slight, or slender, pitching frame.

Fantasy Baseball Player Prospecting: Travis Snider, more | KFFL.com
Blue Jays' Travis Snider raking, Zach Stewart entering rotation, plus Cubs debut a fireballer.

Minor League Notes, June 15th, 2011 | Minor League Ball
Mike Montgomery, Casey Crosby, Brooks Raley, Sammy Solis

The Next Market Inefficiencies: East Asian Talent | FanGraphs Baseball

So if 13% of Americans create 70% of MLB athletes, then what could 13% of China produce? Better yet, what about just 5%? Just 5% of the Chinese population would produce 66.8 million baseball players, compared to America’s 42 million. Right now, an estimated 4 million Chinese citizens play baseball, a mere 0.3% of the population. But that number is bound to grow as the MLB and business owners actively pursue the sport’s development.

Catch A Glimpse Of The 'Moneyball' Teaser | Baseball Nation

Baseball Players And Their Representative Volcanoes | Baseball Nation
A new high for Jeff Sullivan. Yeah, that's right.