Taking One for the Team

MLB – St. Louis Cardinals/Chicago White Sox Box Score Wednesday June 21, 2006 – Yahoo! Sports

That’s what Jason Marquis is doing tonight, dragging down my Tout Wars NL pitching staff, which went into tonight with the second best ERA and Ratio in the league. Amazingly, after 12 runs in four innings I’ve still got 12 points in both categories, though the margin of error is significantly smaller now.

Major League Baseball

Fantasy: Ask Rotoman

The new one is online. What are the prospects of Roy Oswalt, Ben Sheets, Mark Prior and John Patterson as they threaten, at least, to return from the DL. Got too much of a category? How should you decide what to deal? Will Bobby Abreu, Marcus Giles and Carlos Lee be dealt before this year’s trading deadline? Chatter about Chad Billingsley and the schedule, round out this week’s issue.

Major League Baseball

Ask Rotoman

In the press to close this year’s Fantasy Football Guide 2006 Professional Edition, I neglected to plug this week’s Ask Rotoman column. It has been up since Wednesday over at mlb.com, with contemplation of a Jim Thome for Miguel Cabrera trade, a look at what’s happening with Andy Pettitte, and thoughts about catchers, most notably Josh Bard and Mike Piazza.

Milwaukee Brewers/Pittsburgh Pirates Box Score Tuesday May 30, 2006 – Yahoo! Sports

MLB – Yahoo! Sports

I’ve been tied up on the Fantasy Football Guide 2006, which wraps up this week, to think much about baseball, but I’ve noticed the Pirates the last two nights. One reason is because the offense on my Tout Wars NL team is accidentally built around the Pirates’. (Note that until yesterday this was one of the main reasons I was floundering in the second division.) I rostered Sean Casey and Craig Wilson, then added Freddy Sanchez in the end game, and Jose Bautista in the reserve round. A month in, when I needed a DH, Ronny Paulino seemed like the best pickup, on the chance that he’d stick even after Ryan Doumit came back (something there was talk of in Pittsburgh). Last night these guys combined for 11 RBI and hit better than .500. Tonight Jose Castillo is doing most of the damage, but my guys hit .350 with 3 RBI and 7 Runs. Most importantly, they all played, and I’ve moved back into the First  Division. Go Pirates.

Ask Rotoman, the column

Major League Baseball

The new column is out at mlb.com. I realize I haven’t been talking about why I choose the questions I do. In this week’s issue I compare Carlos Lee and Jason Bay, compare Michael Cuddyer and Aubrey Huff, chatter on about past embarrassments Tyler Walker and Jorge Cantu, and then I bite into the ripest piece of meat. Dig in!