Order Now The Hardball Times Baseball Annual 2010 is now in development and will ship in mid November! This year's book will feature articles by THT's staff as well as Bill James, Rob Neyer, Tom Tango and Craig Wright. If you use this link to purchase the Annual, you will be in the first group to receive it and you'll be supporting THT.  Derek Ambrosino
John Burnson Derek Carty Marco Fujimoto Eriq Gardner Matt Hagen Jonathan Halket Rob McQuown Troy Patterson Mike Silver Paul Singman Michael Street And here's the full roster. Got a question for our fantasy baseball experts? Email us:
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Friday, October 16, 2009Where’s the fanfare?I am not a big fan of fanfare; generally speaking, it is simply something I don't need. However when I win a fantasy league, the morning after the season ends I expect to go to my league homepage and see in big, bold letters "Congratulations Paul, You Finished in First!" or something similar with virtual confetti and balloons flying everywhere. Maybe that is a little over the top, but I think at least some change to league homepages should occur. Right now the homepages to my Yahoo and CBS leagues this year look exactly the same as they did the day before the season ended and it leaves me with a very anticlimactic feeling. I was not in an ESPN league this year so I do not know how they handle the situation, but in general do you agree that some sort of fanfare should occur at the end of season? Posted by Paul Singman at 4:07pm Tuesday, October 13, 2009Player to watch: Ian KennedyIan Kennedy is a name I haven't heard in a while, but that's what might make him an interesting sleeper in 2010. It's way too early to tell what the Yankees will do, especially if they don't win the World Series, but Kennedy makes for an interesting guy to keep an eye on — especially given his 1.59 ERA at Triple-A. Kennedy's minor league numbers have always been good, though some have questioned his stuff, and he's been given little time in the majors to prove himself (or provide us with a sample adequate to condemn the playability of his stuff at the MLB level). This season at Triple-A, he posted a 9.93 K/9 and 2.78 BB/9 following a 2008 with 9.4 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9. Combined, that's over 90 innings with very good rates — not a huge sample, but encouraging. What caught my eye today, however, was his PITCHf/x data in the Arizona Fall League. His 91 MPH fastball was 2 MPH faster than it was in his 2007/2008 major league stint, his change-up looked solid, and his curveball looked quite good. It showed a very pronounced 12-to-6 break with over 10 inches of vertical drop. In his brief time in the majors, it was more slurvy with less vertical movement and more horizontal movement. Granted, it's one game and we have no idea what kind of adjustments these cameras might need, but it's worth noting. Keep an eye on Kennedy throughout the course of the AFL and again at your AL-only draft table in 2010. Posted by Derek Carty at 9:26pm Wednesday, October 07, 2009Final Fantasy Baseball Roundtable linkThe final Fantasy Baseball Roundtable of the year was hosted by FantasyPhenoms. Rob McQuown took the reigns for THTF this week. The question: As we look towards next year, give one pitcher and one hitter who make for great 2010 sleepers. Here's the link for those who would like to read the answers. Posted by Derek Carty at 10:46pm Monday, October 05, 2009For All the MarblesMaybe it's fate, maybe it's just an accident, but, in case you're living under a rock, you should know that the Minnesota Twins and the Detroit Tigers are playing on Tuesday for the AL Central Title and ... your fantasy title? Yes, it's true - at least for ESPN.com fantasy players: the final game of the season will count for fantasy points, giving you the opportunity to capture that single or half-point to snatch your fantasy title from the jaws of defeat, or tie. The probables for the game are Detroit's Rick Porcello and Minnesota's Scott Baker. If you're in a deep league, they're probably already gone. But, should that not be the case, pick them up immediately at the expense of your non-keepers, as they won't be kept for next season anyway. Think about it: if you're down in ERA or WHIP, you can make the decision on game day whether you want to play them. Should you be up in the standings by merely a strikeout or two, don't let your adversary get that single point to drop you in the standings. Do the same with any other position players out on the wire, as long as it doesn't affect your keepers. After all, it's happening in more leagues than you think. Two of my leagues have ties at first after 162 games. Though, sadly, I'm not leading in either one. Hurry, there's no time to waste. Why are you still reading this article? Posted by Mike Silver at 12:33am Sunday, September 27, 2009A small strategyHere is the situation to something you should always look for: Annoyingly your backup outfielder is getting the day off (meaning his team has a game, he is just not playing because of a platoon or for rest) on the same day one of your starters is also getting the day off. The two players are Curtis Granderson and Jonny Gomes let's say. You might think it doesn't matter whether you sit both, start Granderson and bench Gomes, or start Gomes and bench Granderson but the best thing to do is start Gomes in this situation. Playing in the National League, Gomes has a better chance of entering the game late as a pinch-hitter. Also if it is ever between two AL or two NL players, choose the faster one since he would have a better chance of entering as a pinch-runner. The little things add up. Posted by Paul Singman at 12:41am Tuesday, September 15, 2009Vulture closer: Kevin JepsenAngels manager Mike Scioscia does not feel comfortable handing the ball to closer Brian Fuentes 100 percent of the time anymore. In his first year as the Halos' closer Fuentes has turned out a mediocre season and after posting a 5.40 ERA in seven September appearances, a few saves will fall Kevin Jepsen's way according to Scioscia. With Jepsen a right-hander and Fuentes a lefty, Jepsen's opportunities figure to come when primarily righties are due up in the ninth. The casual glancer at Jepsen's season stats will be left unimpressed, but upon closer inspection you will notice that they were tarnished by a rocky April. After some final seasoning in the minors Jepsen was recalled in June, and since July has been absolutely dominant. In 32 appearances (34 innings) since July, Jepsen has a microscopic 1.57 ERA with an impressive 34 to 9 K:BB ratio. Even if you do not need the few saves Jepsen might get by the end of the season, his ratio assistance might be worth the add alone. Posted by Paul Singman at 4:18pm Tuesday, September 08, 2009Fantasy Baseball Roundtable linkHere's the link to this week's Fantasy Baseball Roundtable, hosted by RotoAuthority. The question: Have you ever quit on a fantasy team of yours? If so, what were the circumstances? If not, how were you able to maintain your motivation even after you had no chance? I tackled the question for THT this week, discussing a league I'm playing in this season. Posted by Derek Carty at 12:52pm Thursday, September 03, 2009Spot closers in ColoradoWith closer Huston Street out for the foreseeable future with biceps tendinitis, Rockies relievers will get the chance to earn some rogue saves. Lefty Franklin Morales was the first beneficiary, earning a save Tuesday night after a clean ninth inning. The right-handed Rafael Betancourt also figures to get some save opportunities, most likely when the due up batters are predominantly righty. Both relievers are having good seasons with ERAs around 3.00, striking out a batter an inning and limiting hits. |
Trade RumorsFrom MLB Trade RumorsOdds & Ends: Orioles, Brewers, Green, Sellers, Astros, Byrd, Vizquel, A's Dodgers, Blue Jays Discussing Halladay Gammons & Edes On Boston's Offseason Josh Johnson Extension Talks Reach Impasse Red Sox Express Interest In Four Boras Clients Blue Jays Contacted Cubs About Halladay Most Recent Comments on "BoTR" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
