AL MVP, CY Young and ROY Leaders
by faketeams
on Jul 17, 2008 7:00 AM EDT
in Baseball
With the second half of the baseball season kicking off today, here are the players in the AL who were the pre-All-Star Break leaders in the three major awards. This also happens to be how I voted in the on-going blogger voting being run by Rotojunkie. Expect the overall results to be up by Friday.
AL CY Young:
1. Justin Duchscherer, Oakland A's
2. Cliff Lee, Cleveland Indians
3. Roy Halladay, Toronto Blue Jays
There is no way I see Duchscherer having a second half to match his first, but, until then, he deserves the 1st place vote. My personal favorite to win it at season's end is Roy Halladay. To do so he will have to continue winning and lapping the field in innings pitched and complete games.
AL MVP:
1. Ian Kinsler, Texas Rangers
2. Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers
3. J.D. Drew, Boston Red Sox
I made Ian Kinsler the MVP because he is sparking the shockingly strong Texas offense. While one can argue Josh Hamilton is the MVP, Kinsler's across the board offensive production gets the nod.
AL ROY:
1. Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay Rays
2. Jacoby Ellsbury, Boston Red Sox
3. Nick Blackburn, Minnesota Twins
Unless Joba Chamberlain goes on to post an 8-1 record in the second half, the Al ROY is Evan Longoria's to lose. With an .861 OPS and well-regarded defense (#1 amongst AL 3B in fielding percentage), Longoria is looking in his rearview mirror to see any other competitors.
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Mid-Season AL MVP, CY Young and ROY
by faketeams
on Jul 2, 2008 8:01 AM EDT
in Baseball
Rotojunkie has taken over the dynamic feature started by Baseball Happenings that draws on the collective knowledge of the blogging community to provide intelligence on which players are currently considered the leading contenders for the big three baseball awards - MVP, Cy Young and ROY - for the American and National leagues. This week's AL voting should be available later today.
AL Cy Young:
1. Roy Halladay, Toronto Blue Jays
2. Cliff Lee, Cleveland Indians
3. Joe Saunders, Los Angeles Angels
My voting remains the same as last time, but I have Justin Duchscherer in the picture. What holds him back is he has not pitched as many innings as any of the top three - the 21 inning gap behind Saunders is the smallest one. John Danks of the 1st place White Sox has a great ERA but five Wins is more than a stretch to get in the picture.
AL MVP:
1. Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers
2. J.D. Drew, Boston Red Sox
3. Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees
Hamilton holds on to the top spot simply because he has more ABs than either Drew or Rodriguez, two players on better teams. With injuries beginning to creep in for Hamilton, I don't expect him to occupy the top spot much longer. Anyone else notice that ARod is just three HRs behind the AL lead and has eleven SBs to go with his .405 OBP?
AL ROY:
1. Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay Rays
2. Joba Chamberlain, New York Yankees
3. Jacoby Ellsbury, Boston Red Sox
With Jacoby Ellsbury's plummetting OBP (.344), he no longer grabs the top spot. Evan Longoria has an OBP just three points lower and an OPS more than 100 points higher. As long as Joba Chamberlain continue to look like a #1 starter, Ellsbury's hold on the 2nd spot will not last much longer either.
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Fantasy Trading: The Art of Negotiations Part I
by faketeams
on Jun 24, 2008 7:16 AM EDT
in Baseball
by Ryan Kaltenbach
I recently stumbled across an article about negotiation and found parallels that can be applied in fantasy sports. I was amazed that virtually every point the author made is applicable for us. So in 5 easy installments over the next 5 days we will dissect Thomas Noble's article, "Improving Negotiation Skills: Rules for Master Negotiators".
"Rule 1: Attitude"
Where is your head when you come to the table to deal? Are you trying to rip someone off or make a fair deal that can help both sides? This matters. Of course, we want to win the deal but in order to make it happen we need to approach it with the right attitude.
"Rule 1.1 Everything is negotiable all of the time"
You might know an owner (sometimes by looking in the mirror) who isn't willing to deal top players. Shouldn't we be willing to look at any deal that we feel makes our team better? Of course. So, regardless of your league being a keeper or non-keeper don't take anyone off the table. This is especially applicable in keeper leagues where people are less willing to deal off top talent. Sometimes the thought of having a top player through his peak years is enough to squash a deal that can put you over the top this year. Remember, flags fly forever. Win now and worry about keepers later. If you can actually make your team better by trading off A-Rod or Johan, then pull the trigger.
"Rule 1.2 Compromise is omnipresent"
If you have a need and they have a need, there will always be a way to find a middle ground. Middle ground may not come after the first or second offer but it can be found with patience. However, if you're towards the top of your league and trading isn't a must don't settle. Use the leverage from your position to your advantage. Only in times of desperation do you NEED to compromise.
"Rule 1.3 ‘Fair' is a range"
"...when I negotiate, I look for the favorable middle ground - where my client is pleased with the resolution and the other party is satisfied enough to do the deal."
When you're negotiating with a rational owner you can find a deal that will satisfy both needs. I just wish there were more rational owners out there. Although my man love for Jacoby Ellsbury is nowhere near rational at the moment.
Coming tomorrow, Rule 2: Communication Skills
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AL MVP, CY Young & ROY Leaders
by faketeams
on Jun 18, 2008 7:30 AM EDT
in Baseball
Rotojunkie has taken over the dynamic feature started by Baseball Happenings that draws on the collective knowledge of the blogging community to provide intelligence on which players are currently considered the leading contenders for the big three baseball awards - MVP, Cy Young and ROY - for the American and National leagues. This week's AL voting should be available later today.
Here is the way I voted. My biases for voting in the Cy Young and MVP awards lean towards those hitters and pitchers playing on contending teams. ROY determination is not tied are strongly to his team's record, but good rookies on expected paly-off contenders will get additional consideration.
AL Cy Young:
1. Roy Halladay, Toronto Blue Jays
2. Cliff Lee, Cleveland Indians
3. Joe Saunders, Los Angeles Angels
Despite having two fewer wins and a higher ERA, Roy Halladay gets my 1st place vote over Cliff Lee. Halladay has thrown 15 more innings (107.7 vs 92.7) and has a better K/BB ratio (6.6 vs 5.4). With Lee returning back to Earth, he only has wins to prevent others from seeing he is no longer the front-runner for the award.
AL MVP:
1. Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers
2. J.D. Drew, Boston Red Sox
3. Milton Bradley, Texas Rangers
Josh Hamilton remains at the top of the AL MVP voting, but he is being challenged by teammate Milton Bradley, who current lead the AL in OBP (.451) and OPS (1.081). Making a surprise leap into the top three is Boston Red Sox RF J.D. Drew. With David Ortiz out of action, Drew has stepped-up in June with 7 HRs and a .447 AVG. On the season, he is second in OBP and OPS to Milton Bradley. He gets the 2nd place vote thanks the his team being in first and Bradley getting competition from Josh hamilton.
AL ROY:
1. Jacoby Ellsbury, Boston Red Sox
2. David Murphy, Texas Rangers
3. Joba Chamberlain, New York Yankees
Anyone notice the New York Yankees have four rookie pitchers on their staff not including Ian Kennedy? Maybe this plan of fiscal discipline will pay-off - assuming all of them last past the July 31st trading deadline. I can see a couple of these rookies, like Jose veras and Russ Ohlendorf, finding their way the the Seattle Mariners for LHP Jarrod Washburn or Miguel Batista.
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AL Cy Young, MVP, Rookie-Of-The-Year Leaders
by faketeams
on Jun 4, 2008 7:15 AM EDT
in Baseball
Rotojunkie has taken over the dynamic feature started by Baseball Happenings that draws on the collective knowledge of the blogging community to provide intelligence on which players are currently considered the leading contenders for the big three baseball awards - MVP, Cy Young and ROY - for the American and National leagues. This week's AL voting should be available later today.
Here is the way I voted. My biases for voting in the Cy Young and MVP awards lean towards those hitters and pitchers playing on contending teams. ROY determination is not tied are strongly to his team's record, but good rookies on expected paly-off contenders will get additional consideration.
AL Cy Young:
1. Cliff Lee, Cleveland Indians
2. Ervin Santana, Los Angeles Angels
3. Joe Saunders, Los Angeles Angels
AL MVP:
1. Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers
2. Carlos Quentin, Chicago White Sox
3. Kevin Youkilis, Boston Red Sox
AL ROY:
1. Jacoby Ellsbury, Boston Red Sox
2. Nick Blackburn, Minnesota Twins
3. Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay Rays
How is it the team with the best record in the American League, The Tampa Bay Rays, only gets one player considered for one of the top three awards, and that only because the rookie class behind Red Sox CF Jacoby Ellsbury is so weak? I can't imagine the actual voters not "forcing" a Rays into the Top 3 in all the awards if the Rays make the play-offs. The team will be the talk of the 2008 season, and the deisre to recognize it in the CY Young, MVP and Rookie-of-the-Year awards will be too strong to resist.
FOR ROY, Logoria is an easy choice to appear on the baseball writer's ballots. My best guess would by CF B.J. Upton for MVP on the strength of his .400+ OBP and SBs total. For Cy Young, James Shields would get the vote right now, but Scott Kazmir could get it if he remains in the rotation for the rest of the season. He has already surpassed Shields in Wins for the season and is just 20 Ks behind him with 43.2 fewer innings pitched.
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AL Cy Young, MVP and ROY Leaders
by faketeams
on May 20, 2008 11:45 AM EDT
in Baseball
Baseball Happenings enters its 7th week of polling the blogging community to provide intelligence on which players are currently considered the leading contenders for the big three baseball awards - MVP, Cy Young and ROY - for the American and National leagues. This week's results should be available later today .
Here is the way I voted. My biases for voting in the Cy Young and MVP awards lean towards those hitters and pitchers playing on contending teams. ROY determination is not tied are strongly to his team's record, but good rookies on expected paly-off contenders will get additional consideration.
AL Cy Young:
1. Cliff Lee, Cleveland Indians
2. Daisuke Matzusaka, Boston Red Sox
3. Joe Saunders, Los Angeles Angels
Although Lee was bombed on Sunday, the 2008 season is far enough along that his statistics didn't plummet. Anothe rone or two like that, and he could very well be back with the pack. I struggled with the order of the next two because Daisuke doesn't pitch enough innings and Saunders doesn't strikout anyone nor does he have a killer GB/FB rate. Ultimately, I went with the 7-o pitcher.
AL MVP:
1. Carlos Quentin, Chicago White Sox
2. Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers
3. Kevin Youkilis, Boston Red Sox
This was a close call given Hamilton's league-leading RBi total, but, ultimately, Quentin has been the best player on the 1st place team. Kevin Youkilis came in 3rd, but I suspect he will suffer from the presence of Manny Ramirez and the resurgent David Ortiz.
AL ROY:
1. Jacoby Ellsbury, Boston Red Sox
2. Greg Smith, Oakland Athletics
3. Nick Blackburn, Minnesota Twins
This is the same order as last time. All three have worsened since last time, but none are doing as poorly as hyped (over?) Tampa Bay Ray Evan Longoria. A 231/316/402 is a far cry from what was expected. New York Yankees reliever Joba Chamberlain could have made the list, but he in the midst of allowing runs in enough appearances to make his ROY candicacy appear to be an illusion of the New York media.
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Jon Lester's No-Hitter Leads To The Firing Of Brian Cashman?
by faketeams
on May 20, 2008 6:45 AM EDT
in Baseball
Jon Lester threw a no-hiter versus the Kansas City Royals last night. The only thing I could think about was how well the Boston Red Sox did by not trading for Johan Santana and how much worse the Yankees look for not doing so. Lester was one of the key pieces demanded by Minnesota as was CF Jacoby Ellsbury.
Lester is now 3-2 with a 3.41 ERA in 66 innings. Jacoby Ellsbury has a .377 OBP with 18 SBs. The Yankees have Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy who have a 8.70 ERA in 50.2 combined innings, Jeff Marquez has a 6.16 ERA in 9 AAA starts and Melky Cabrera has a .317 OBP. Meanwhile, Santana is 5-2 with a 3.30 ERA in 60 innings for the Mets and exactly what the Yankees need.
This certainly makes it appear that the Red Sox front office was a lot smarter than the Yankees front office by holding on to its prospects while the Yankees look foolish for doing the same. Will this be the same burr-in-the-saddle for Hank Steinbrenner that it would have been for his father?
If so, then do not expect GM Brian Cashman to make it through the season. Why let Cashman trade prospects for major league help? Didn't he just demonstrate he could not properly evaluate them when he failed to deal Hughes, Kennedy and Marquez for Santana?
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Kei Igawa, Jacoby Ellsbury And Other Baseball Notes
by faketeams
on May 10, 2008 7:01 AM EDT
in Baseball
Kei Igawa made his return to the New York Yankees rotation and did nothing to make anyone think he is anything but a $46MM mistake. Recognize the cost is sunk and return Ian Kennedy to the rotation. The alternative is using Igawa next Wednesday in Tampa.
If not Kenendy or Igawa, then Steven White becomes the third in a parade of pitchers to keep Joba Chamberlain in middle relief. White is 3-1 in seven starts at Scranton Wilkes-Barre with a 2.68 ERA in 40.1 innings. The 18 walks off-sets the 31 hits allowed and 32 Ks.
Jason Isringhausen quietly blew his 5th save. "Quietly" because there seems to be an Eric Gagne Closer Death Watch on, and he has blown the same number of saves. Here are their stats. Is Ryan Franklin any worse and alternative in the Cardinals' bullpen than Salomon Torres is in the Milwaukee one?
| W-L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | BS | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | K | ERA | WHIP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 - Jason Isringhausen | 1-4 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 5 | 15.2 | 19 | 13 | 13 | 2 | 8 | 11 | 7.47 | 1.72 |
Carlos Gomez stole two more bases to bring his 2008 total to an American-League-leading 15. Who is second with 14 SBs? Boston Red Sox rookie Jacoby Ellsbury. Both players are slugging .413 and have averages in the same area (.288 of Ellsbury and .278 for Gomez), but Ellsbury OBP is .397 while Gomez sits at just .305.
Who would you rather have? The question seems easy to answer. Ellsbury's OBP is so much better that he is the player to take. Unless you consider each player's age. Gomez is 2.25 years younger. Is a player with a much better OBP and more than 24 and a half years old the better player for a rebuilding team than the one who is still closer to 22 than 23?
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