"March 2008" Monthly Archives

  • Entertainment
    AL Daily Player Notes - March 31, 2008

    Mike Sweeney - Sweeney hit a 3-run dinger on Sunday and looks ready to be the A's opening day Designated Hitter. It seems like Sweeney has been around forever, but he's only 34 years old and still might have some...

  • Entertainment
    NL Daily Player Notes, March 31st, 2008

    Brandon Phillips As I mentioned earlier in the spring, I have no problems taking stands on players and one player in particular that I’m taking a large stand on this year is Brandon Phillips. Everyone is gaga over Phillips 30-30...

  • Entertainment
    AL Daily Player Notes, March 30, 2008

    Dustin McGowan Let me preface this blurb with the fact that I have an unhealthy affection for Dustin McGowan. I think he’s far and away the best bargain available with regards to pitching this season. McGowan’s peripherals scream STUD starting...

  • Entertainment
    AL Pre-Season Predictions 2008

    With the NL Predictions in the books and the Mets projected to advance to the World Series let’s see who they’ll be taking on from the American League. 2008 AL Predictions: AL East: 1. Boston Red Sox The defending World...

  • Entertainment
    NL Pre-Season Predictions 2008

    As spring training concludes, the hope that springs eternal at the beginning of each camp revels in its last few days before its annual clash with reality. For a few teams, the hope they break camp with will catapult them...

  • Entertainment
    Preseason Projections Blog - March 28th

    Player Blurbs written by Michael Leone Eric Byrnes – Last year Byrnes had one of the best fantasy seasons among outfielders, but don’t buy into the hype just yet. His singles average was 43 points higher than his three year...

  • Entertainment
    Preseason Projections Blog - March 28th

    Preseason Player Projections - March 28, 2008| article by Michael Berman What do a hand fracture, a chronic bad back, a broken cheek bone and a broken leg have in common? They are all injuries that have kept Nationals 1B...

  • Entertainment
    Preseason Player Projections - March 27, 2008

    Dodgers Outfield Pierre v. Ethier. A decision that Dodgers fans and fantasy owners await with bated breath. No decision has been made as of late Wednesday, but the guess here is that Ethier will open as the starting left fielder...

  • Entertainment
    Pre-season Player Projections Blog, March 26th

    Johan Santana: As if he already wasn’t the best pitcher in baseball, Santana’s move to the Mets gives him two big advantages. The first is that historically lefthanders moving from the American League to the National League tend to have...

  • Entertainment
    Pre-Season Player Commentary

    John Bale - Bale pitched poorly yesterday down in a AAA game, but as bad as Jorge de la Rosa continues to be (four runs on nine baserunners in four innings, also yesterday) he may still get a rotation slot....

  • Entertainment
    Pre-season Player Projections Blog, March 24th

    Chris Capuano Capuano was diagnosed with a Torn UCL in his left elbow and could face the dreaded Tommy John surgery if the tear is full. I mentioned earlier in the spring I thought something was wrong with Capuano last...

  • Entertainment
    Pre-season Player Projections Blog, March 22nd

    Rich Hill As mentioned in yesterday’s news items, Rich Hill’s horrid outing on Thursday raises some red flags. Hill’s spring has been littered with control problems, walking 14 batters in just 12 2/3 innings. Such wild control issues for pitchers...

  • Entertainment
    Preseason Blog - March 21, 2008

    Preseason Blog - March 21, 2008Vlad Guerrero - Vlad was removed from the game yesterday with stiffness in his right knee.  He'll take a couple of days off before he resumes his baseball activities.   I think Vlad is perceived as...

  • Entertainment
    Pre-season Player Projection Blog, March 20, 2008

    Oliver Perez: After struggling in his first two outings, Perez looked good against the Nationals on Monday, 5 innings with 1 ER while striking out 5 and walking none. Perez has loads of talents, as evidenced by his 2003/2004/2005/2006/2007 K/9’s...

  • Entertainment
    Pre-season Player Projection Blog, March 19, 2008

    Luis Mendoza- TEX- Although he won’t make his first major league start of the year until April 12th, when the Rangers first need a fifth starter, but he has pretty much sewed up that role. Yesterday he held the A’s...

  • Entertainment
    Preseason Blog - 3/17/08

    Homer Bailey - Homer Bailey was pretty far ahead of Johnny Cueto in the pecking order this time last year, but it appears that Cueto has passed him this spring, as Dusty Baker seems inclined to give Cueto the third...

  • Entertainment
    Pre Season Blog, March 17, 2008

    Good Morning and Happy St. Patrick's Day!  Josh O'Beckett played come catch with Red Sox pitching coach John O'Farrell on Sunday throwing 46 tosses from 60 and 75 feet. This was the first time Josh threw since he left...

  • Entertainment
    The 2008 Rookie Class

    Lets start here ... there isn't too much about baseball I don't love. But there is nothing better than spending time in a minor league park, minutes from the B&M Baked Beans factory in Portland Maine, or the Brewery Exchange...

  • Entertainment
    Runners Stranded

    Runners Stranded Percentage (RS%) Runners Stranded Percentage: Measures the percentage of batters that reach base but do not score (more specifically, are not credited to a pitcher’s Earned Runs). The average stranded percentage for starters is .71. Pitchers with...

  • Entertainment
    Preseason Blog - March 14, 2008

    Preseason Blog - March 14, 2008Curt Schilling - We all knew it was coming, but seeing Curt Schilling's name next to the 60-day DL list made it very real for Red Sox fans.  The Sox made it official yesterday after...

  • Entertainment
    Turning Shaun Marcum into C.C. Sabathia: The Beauty of Middle Relievers

    In a couple of notes and blog entries this spring I’ve referenced my affinity for using Middle Relievers, so in this entry I wanted to explain the references a bit more clearly. As you can see by the title of...

  • Entertainment
    Pre-season Player Projection Blog, March 13, 2008

    Ryan Theriot “The Riot” gets a huge boost in fantasy value if manager Lou Piniella’s decision to use him as the team’s leadoff hitter sticks. Piniella made that announcement Wednesday, and considering Theriot has a .355 career minor league OBP...

  • Entertainment
    Pre-season Player Projection Blog, March 12, 2008

    Kyle McClellan- STL- McClellan seemed to benefit from the Tommy John surgery he underwent in 2005. His fastball went from the upper 80s to 94 mph heat with movement. Last year the Cardinals converted him from a starter to a...

  • Entertainment
    Pre-season Player Projection Blog, March 11, 2008

    Matt Morris: Morris is assured of a spot in the Pirates rotation. Barring a complete disaster, it will be his big contract, not his skills that will keep him there. Morris’ K/9 has now declined in the last five seasons,...

  • Entertainment
    Expected ERA vs Actual ERA Part II

    Expected ERA vs Actual ERA Part II Thursday we looked at the pitchers from 2007 who benefited from an ERA which was better "than deserved". This sabermetric formula is based on a statistic developed by researchers Dwight Gill and...

  • Entertainment
    Pre-season Player Projection Blog, March 10, 2008

    Good news for Chad Tracy owners. He is expecting to go off of his blood thinning medication on Friday which would mean he could start taking live BP for the first time this spring, possibly as early as the...

  • Entertainment
    Pre-season Player Projections Blog, March 8th

    Andy LaRoche Word leaked out of Dodgers camp late Friday that Andy LaRoche would be sidelined an estimated 8-10 weeks after being hit on the hand by a throw. The injury to LaRoche ends the 3B competition with Nomar Garciaparra...

  • Entertainment
    Player Projections Blog - March 7, 2008

    Preseason Blog - March 7, 2008Noah Lowry - Lowry's start to the 2008 season has been about as bad as it gets.  Lowry has complained of "fatigue" in the area between his left thumb and wrist, which definitely does not...

  • Entertainment
    Expected ERA vs Actual ERA

    As many of you already know, Fantistics uses sabermetric theories to create it's player projections model. These theories are the foundation to our successful forecasting history. One of my favorite forecasting models that we monitor here at Fantistics is...

  • Entertainment
    Player Projections Blog - March 6, 2008

    Dodgers #5 starter Things are starting to sort themselves out a bit here. Candidate #1, the $16 million a year Jason Schmidt won’t be ready for Opening Day after undergoing serious shoulder surgery last year. This really isn’t a surprise...

  • Entertainment
    Player Projections Blog - March 5th

    Chris Carpenter- STL- Preseason- Carpenter’s lost season was the second time in 5 years he has been out an entire year (I’m not counting his 6 innings in 2007). His 2005 and 2006 were superb, with sub-3.00 ERAs. However, he...

  • Entertainment
    Player Projections Blog - March 3, 2008

    Brad Lidge: There is a chance that Lidge, who had surgery on his knee, could be ready by opening day. He certainly has the skill set to be a successful closer, 11.8 K/9, but there also some warning flags. He...