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Wilkerson vs. Thomas

Wouldn’t you know it that two days after publishing my reasons why you should keep Frank Thomas for four games, rather than Brad Wilkerson for six during a week with no DH, Wilkerson has his second Big Game of the year. Big Games are those in which a player’s RBI and Runs add up to four (a totally arbitrary measure, of course).

So, if you took my advice and played Thomas over Wilkerson this week, tonight you’d be looking at a pinch-hitting appearance by Frank, and Wilkerson’s biggest game of the year. This is a tough game.

Major League Baseball : Ask Rotoman

The postings here have mostly stopped because I’m working full bore on the football magazine, which ships to the printer next week.

But Ask Rotoman at mlb.com keeps on keeping on, this week debunking splits, suggesting that it might be easier to start a new league than change an old one, liking Joel Pineiro perhaps a little too much, and really having no use for the White Sox bullpen–but appreciating it anyway.

Got questions? Send them to peter@askrotoman.com, or visit the discussion board (link above).

Major League Baseball : Fantasy : Ask Rotoman

They come out every Wednesday, like clockwork.

If you want to participate shoot me good questions. I particularly like those that reference the poetry of Joni Mitchell, the plangency of Lou Reed or the candor of the Moldy Peaches, but I’m also open to suggestion. Suggest on.

Major League Baseball : Fantasy : Ask Rotoman

A friend wrote in today and asked if I was still writing the Ask Rotoman column. Seems he’s always checked it out from the links here at Ask Rotoman, and I neglected to blog it last week (I’ve been sucked into a vortex of child care and the NFL the last two weeks). This issue of Ask Rotoman is a classic, so if you missed please check it out, especially if you want to know why it might be a good idea to trade Mr. Pujols for Mr. Prior.

ESPN.com – MLB – Detroit Scores 17!

You know we’re into the season when a 6-6 raises Carlos Pena’s AVG to only .236.

As for me, I had KC’s best pitcher in the game, which is some small comfort.

Sports: AL: Controversial call saves K.C.

Jeremy Affeldt’s first save wasn’t exactly a beauty, but if you were struggling with him as a starter I guess it was alright.

ESPN.com: Jose Offerman

Jose Offerman has never gotten quite enough credit for the things he did well because the things he did poorly were so visible. Like, for instance, getting a stupid amount of money from a small-market franchise. As if that was Jose’s fault.

His problem was that he didn’t hit enough to be a first baseman, but couldn’t field well enough to play second base. I mention this now because he played his third game this year at second for the Twins tonight, and only made two errors.

What Jose did well was take walks, and it’s the reason he’s had a long and varied career (as if that was a good thing).

In addition to being a bad fielder Jose was a bad baserunner. In a way, you could call Offerman a spry Dave Magadan. But I’m not sure why you would want to.

Will he have value this year if he qualifies at second base? All I can say is, more value than when compared to first basemen, but not really. No homers, no steals, a bad batting average. On base percentage is his best category. As Variety says frequently about oddball movies with no commercial potential: Could work in specialty situations.

ESPN.com – MLB – Boomer and the bar stool: Wells explains injury

The funny thing is Boomer has so innoculated himself to these sorts of problems it doesn’t matter how ridiculous the explanation is. But you have to wonder why it took days to come up with the gnarly barstools (and why call them that while they’re in kitchen?).

At least he’s not taking steroids.

Major League Baseball : Fantasy : Ask Rotoman

Everytime I turn around there’s another Ask Rotoman column out there. This one evaluates Preston Wilson and suggest ways to recover from catastrophic injury. Like Marcus Giles or Troy Glaus.

ESPN.com – MLB – Crack-ed up: No more Cracker Jacks for Yanks

This was inevitable when the Yanks canned “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” in favor of “God Bless America.”