My American Dreams League team has been pretty dismal. I’m playing for next year, I had no keeps to speak of going into the draft.
On problem was that I bought Nomar for $15. Not a problem if he comes back July 1, as they’re saying in Boston now, but a problem in that is money spent that has no return.
Unfortunately, I also spent what seemed like a quite reasonable $28 on Derek Lowe. So that makes $43 without return. And I spent $8 or so on Glenallen HIll, not for next year but to help me get into the middle of the pack. In the ADL you get fewer freezes the lower you finish (4 for last, 5, for 11th, 6 for 10th, 7 for 9th, 8 for 5th-8th. This butte works at the high end, too.
But the real problem has been my pitching. Eric Milton has been as good as hoped for, but Brian Moehler didn’t last long before going down, and Dave Mlicki and Steve Parris got off to awful starts. For a while I was so far out in the qualitatives I considered dumping them, in April.
But instead I special reserved Mlicki, traded for Reichert and added a bunch of middle relievers. All of whom immediately stank. Meanwhile, Mlicki’s first start after I reserved him was against… Tampa Bay!
Idiot! I said to myself. The next week I checked the probables and his next start was against Texas in Texas. No thank you. Of course, he did quite nicely. The next week I didn’t activate Jon Garland off my reserve because he was hit so hard in his first start. But he did fine and won, too.
And I activated James Baldwin when he came off the DL, missing his first (good) start, absorbing his second (bad) start.
All of which brings us to last night: Milton and Baldwin pitched shutouts. Lowe even tossed in 2 scoreless innings (earned scoreless, anyway), and I’m in 9th place in ERA now.
Tonight I have Mlicki and Reichert going. As I write this Mlicki has 2 hit the Rangers through 4. At Comerica. Reichert has allowed 3 runs through 4, but at least all of them were driven in by Russell Branyan, one of my guys.
If only the Royals could hit Sabathia…
ESPN.com: MLB Scoreboard