Is it just me, or isn’t this story (which seems like it should be throwing huge sparks) wonderfully human and understanding? Mistakes were made, human beings talked to each other, did what they had to do, everyone understood, and they moved on. Nice.
Players
Balls, Sticks, & Stuff:
A wide-ranging look at Jimmy Rollins before the streak started, and since, from a Philly-based blog that has a great style and actual activities (a reading group!). Okay, the reading group is tackling Mike Schmidt’s book this month.
Cleaning Up
MLB – Chicago Cubs/Cincinnati Reds Box Score Wednesday April 5, 2006 – Yahoo! Sports
It’s hard to argue with the results, but was that Rich Aurilia batting cleanup today?
Roll Your Own
Steve has written a script that takes any group of nine players and suggests the best lineup. In this year’s first Ask Rotoman column this year I took a look at the Mets lineup mainly to argue that they’d better off with Carlos Beltran leading off. Steve, based on 2005 stats, says Paul Lo Duca should be the choice. At least he explains his methodology, which for a mechanical process sure makes a good deal of sense.
Stats Geek
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette – Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh has an analytical sabermetric baseball columnist! Plus he writes well, thinks clearly about the game, and has a sense of humor. Excellent!
Mike Lowell
Boston Red Sox : Player Information
A reader wrote to point out that Mike Lowell, who is generally thought of as a third baseman, played nine games at 2B last year, and so qualifies there in some leagues. Lowell’s 2005 campaign was so woeful that there are surely some who would prefer Hector Luna at second, but Lowell’s past is distinguished enough that he has to be considered a pretty good buy-low candidate this spring.
BTW, he seems to be doing just fine this spring after a slow start, though he’s hit just one homer.
Eric Munson
Rotoworld.com – Eric Munson Biography
The notion that Eric Munson is going to be a suitable reserve for the aging Brad Ausmus seems, on the face of it, to be crazy.
The notion that Munson will hit enough to hold the job, much less play the position well enough, is absurd. We have plenty of history to back that up.
Which is why Humberto Quintero is an interesting reserve play. With Raul Chavez out of the way (waived, then claimed by Baltimore) Quintero is the only real option the Astros have if (when!) Munson is discarded.
Quintero hasn’t developed as a hitter the way we (meaning, I) expected, so there are reasons for the Astros’ reluctance to promote him. But as a late in the game reserve pick sleeper, he’s golden.
Adam Kennedy Statistics
As Adam Kennedy reaches 30 there is a whirling dervish of a hitter named Howie Kendrick nipping at his heels. Some will tell you that the Angels will be looking to move Kennedy come midseason to make way for Kendrick, and clearly AL only players should worry about such a thing. Kendrick brings a very tough approach to the plate, and he has an impressive swing, but he’s probably not ready for the majors now, and the usually conservative Angels are likely to wait rather than push aside a regular in midseason.
This wouldn’t matter if Kennedy was going for full price, but if he’s discounted because of this talk, jump all over him. Howie Kendrick would. I think.
Ask Rotoman
Curtis Granderson or Rocco Baldelli? A third-eye look at Ryan Zimmerman and Edwin Encarnacion. First basemen and outfielders who may qualify somewhere special. And a two-league position by position survey of some deep and shallow sleepers. Sweet dreams.
Mariners CF Reed wrist not broken as originally thought
Oh, boy. In leagues that drafted over the weekend Reed suddenly becomes a 2007 keeper, if he takes the extra month he’s suddenly gotten and proves he can play in the bigs. I think he will.