Panzram
05-25-2004, 05:15 PM
Hit Parade: Relating to a closer's task
By Brendan Roberts - SportingNews
I am sweating profusely and glaring (kinda like my mug shot above) at the hitter as I toe the rubber this past Sunday. Brought in to protect a 4-1 last-inning lead for my senior baseball team, I had to look like a closer, act like a closer, and considering my roundhouse curveball was hanging in the 'pen, I also had to use the closer's fastball-heavy repertoire.
The first hitter weakly grounds out. The next is late on a fastball and pops to first. New to the closer role, I think to myself: "Hey, this closer thing isn't so bad. It's just one inning." Of course, beginning with the next pitch, all hell breaks loose.
I held the lead and recorded the save for the Bud Light-sponsored team. But it was an adventure. I managed to walk a guy whom I had down in the count, bean the next batter, allow a bloop hit to center on my best curveball of the day and give up a double down the line on a pitch that I shook off my savvy, veteran catcher. All told, the tying run was on third and the go-ahead runner was on second when I coaxed a groundout to short.
As I walked off with my heart beating fast -- just seconds from urinating myself -- I made sure to apologize to the starting pitcher who almost couldn't bear to watch the debacle. One of the infielders said, "Boy, you Joe Borowski-ed that one." Amen, brother. I got the save, but I made in interesting.
It was a choke job, plain and simple. My fastball was zipping and I was hitting my spots against the first two guys, but I got nervous and started aiming it to get that last guy. I re-learned that the toughest out in the game is the last one, and it'll be a few months before I knock a closer for the seemingly easy role he has. OK, maybe a few weeks ... a few days ... when will Billy Koch pitch next?
It takes a special pitcher to get out the league's best when it matters most. A closer doesn't just have to have "the stuff" physically, but mentally. I'll keep that in mind as I examine middle relievers for my fantasy squad in hopes they will get a shot at closing. Becoming a closer is one thing; succeeding in the role is yet another.
FORTUNES RISING
Endy Chavez, OF, Expos. So you're scanning your mixed-league FA wire, and you're looking for steals. Chavez is invariably one of the best that's available. Then you sort for hot hitters in the last 15 days. There's Chavez, who is batting .381 since May 14. Games and at-bats. Chavez again. Too good to pass up, right? Wrong. Chavez was a career .254 hitter prior to this season, and he'll head back to the fourth-outfielder role when Nick Johnson returns next week. Chavez is worth keeping around in NL-only leagues, but he is best left for someone else in mixed leagues.
Nick Green, 2B, Braves. Well, it looks like the Braves have pulled another rabbit of their proverbial hat. Green is batting .360 in eight straight starts and looks to be in line for regular starts at second, even with Rafael Furcal back at shortstop. But have the Braves really found magic? Prior to this season, Green was a career .256 hitter in the minors, with little pop. Seems like a good sell-high candidate to us.
Austin Kearns, OF, Reds. You see it often in this space: "Wait for a little hot streak before you trade your slumping or injury-prone player." Well, as encouraging as Kearns' play has been (.381 average, eight RBIs in six games) since returning from the DL, I view that only as an opportunity to ship him away while he is showing the promise he once had. Torn thumb ligament, torn hamstring, right shoulder surgery, broken forearm ... the guy is as fragile as porcelain. But you'll find it amazing how little of that fantasy owners remember when a guy is playing well.
FORTUNES FALLING
Carlos Beltran, OF, Royals. We've actually had a few e-mailers wonder aloud whether he was worth their first-round pick. With that .265 average, we can see why. But note that Beltran has one of the biggest first-half/second-half split differences in the game. Over the last three seasons, he has batted .269 prior to the All-Star break and .323 after it. In fact, would you believe Beltran, one of the game's best players, never has been to an All-Star game?
Aubrey Huff, OF, Devil Rays. Month No. 2 is nearly in the books, and still Aubrey Huff is batting more like retired journeyman Mike Huff. Keep the faith (and the player), folks. For one, he has batted 30 points better after the All-Star break over the last three seasons. But most importantly, there are indications he is still on top of the ball. His BB rate is actually better than last season, and his K rate is lower. Every time I catch him on the tube, he is lining out to second or flying deep to center. His hit rate is low right now, but it'll even out in the end.
Josh Phelps, DH, Blue Jays. Designated hitters always have the ire of fantasy owners, who can't afford to plug up that coveted "utility" spot with a hitter who goes through tremendous slumps. Phelps is batting .233 in May and has just four homers, and he recently was dropped to the eighth spot in a struggling lineup. Don't burn that utility spot on him when you can have another player with more versatility who isn't fighting inner hitting demons.
LINEUP WATCH
Lew Ford, OF, Twins. The Twinkies have done some lineup tinkering with Shannon Stewart gone, and Ford is sittin' pretty in that leadoff spot. The Twins haven't really hit on all cylinders yet but still have managed to rank eighth in the league in batting average and 10th in runs scored. That bodes well for one of this year's surprise players.
POINTS WATCH
Frank Thomas, 1B, White Sox. The Big Hurt has walked 1,426 times in his storied career, leading the league four times. Yet would you believe his walk pace is higher this year than in any year of his career? That's right, Thomas has drawn a walk every 4.2 plate appearances. Combined with a .289 average, he has posted a .465 OBP, which is golden to those many points leagues that care more about OBP than AVG.
POSITION WATCH
Pedro Feliz, SS?, Giants. Just one more game. That's all those with a 10-game position plateau need to have Feliz as a shortstop. And what a middle infield option he is. He is no longer a platoon player and has legit 25-homer power. Even you shallow mixed leaguers ought to grab him immediately, if he is still available.
TIP OF THE WEEK
On light game days, such as Mondays and Thursdays, consider your total games allotment per position in daily-transaction leagues. If you have only a handful of batters playing that day, be sure to start them at the slots that are under the pace for total games played. When all else fails, be sure to start these players at actual positions (2B, SS, 1B, 3B, OF) instead of the broader position slot (CI, MI, UTIL). The CI, MI and UTIL spots will be easier to fill up later in the season. For instance, I had Barry Larkin going Monday in a daily-tranny league. Instead of starting him at 2B/SS, I made sure I started him at SS. Heck, by the end of the season, I might have only one SS on my team, but I still can plug an extra second baseman for extra games in that MI spot.
By Brendan Roberts - SportingNews
I am sweating profusely and glaring (kinda like my mug shot above) at the hitter as I toe the rubber this past Sunday. Brought in to protect a 4-1 last-inning lead for my senior baseball team, I had to look like a closer, act like a closer, and considering my roundhouse curveball was hanging in the 'pen, I also had to use the closer's fastball-heavy repertoire.
The first hitter weakly grounds out. The next is late on a fastball and pops to first. New to the closer role, I think to myself: "Hey, this closer thing isn't so bad. It's just one inning." Of course, beginning with the next pitch, all hell breaks loose.
I held the lead and recorded the save for the Bud Light-sponsored team. But it was an adventure. I managed to walk a guy whom I had down in the count, bean the next batter, allow a bloop hit to center on my best curveball of the day and give up a double down the line on a pitch that I shook off my savvy, veteran catcher. All told, the tying run was on third and the go-ahead runner was on second when I coaxed a groundout to short.
As I walked off with my heart beating fast -- just seconds from urinating myself -- I made sure to apologize to the starting pitcher who almost couldn't bear to watch the debacle. One of the infielders said, "Boy, you Joe Borowski-ed that one." Amen, brother. I got the save, but I made in interesting.
It was a choke job, plain and simple. My fastball was zipping and I was hitting my spots against the first two guys, but I got nervous and started aiming it to get that last guy. I re-learned that the toughest out in the game is the last one, and it'll be a few months before I knock a closer for the seemingly easy role he has. OK, maybe a few weeks ... a few days ... when will Billy Koch pitch next?
It takes a special pitcher to get out the league's best when it matters most. A closer doesn't just have to have "the stuff" physically, but mentally. I'll keep that in mind as I examine middle relievers for my fantasy squad in hopes they will get a shot at closing. Becoming a closer is one thing; succeeding in the role is yet another.
FORTUNES RISING
Endy Chavez, OF, Expos. So you're scanning your mixed-league FA wire, and you're looking for steals. Chavez is invariably one of the best that's available. Then you sort for hot hitters in the last 15 days. There's Chavez, who is batting .381 since May 14. Games and at-bats. Chavez again. Too good to pass up, right? Wrong. Chavez was a career .254 hitter prior to this season, and he'll head back to the fourth-outfielder role when Nick Johnson returns next week. Chavez is worth keeping around in NL-only leagues, but he is best left for someone else in mixed leagues.
Nick Green, 2B, Braves. Well, it looks like the Braves have pulled another rabbit of their proverbial hat. Green is batting .360 in eight straight starts and looks to be in line for regular starts at second, even with Rafael Furcal back at shortstop. But have the Braves really found magic? Prior to this season, Green was a career .256 hitter in the minors, with little pop. Seems like a good sell-high candidate to us.
Austin Kearns, OF, Reds. You see it often in this space: "Wait for a little hot streak before you trade your slumping or injury-prone player." Well, as encouraging as Kearns' play has been (.381 average, eight RBIs in six games) since returning from the DL, I view that only as an opportunity to ship him away while he is showing the promise he once had. Torn thumb ligament, torn hamstring, right shoulder surgery, broken forearm ... the guy is as fragile as porcelain. But you'll find it amazing how little of that fantasy owners remember when a guy is playing well.
FORTUNES FALLING
Carlos Beltran, OF, Royals. We've actually had a few e-mailers wonder aloud whether he was worth their first-round pick. With that .265 average, we can see why. But note that Beltran has one of the biggest first-half/second-half split differences in the game. Over the last three seasons, he has batted .269 prior to the All-Star break and .323 after it. In fact, would you believe Beltran, one of the game's best players, never has been to an All-Star game?
Aubrey Huff, OF, Devil Rays. Month No. 2 is nearly in the books, and still Aubrey Huff is batting more like retired journeyman Mike Huff. Keep the faith (and the player), folks. For one, he has batted 30 points better after the All-Star break over the last three seasons. But most importantly, there are indications he is still on top of the ball. His BB rate is actually better than last season, and his K rate is lower. Every time I catch him on the tube, he is lining out to second or flying deep to center. His hit rate is low right now, but it'll even out in the end.
Josh Phelps, DH, Blue Jays. Designated hitters always have the ire of fantasy owners, who can't afford to plug up that coveted "utility" spot with a hitter who goes through tremendous slumps. Phelps is batting .233 in May and has just four homers, and he recently was dropped to the eighth spot in a struggling lineup. Don't burn that utility spot on him when you can have another player with more versatility who isn't fighting inner hitting demons.
LINEUP WATCH
Lew Ford, OF, Twins. The Twinkies have done some lineup tinkering with Shannon Stewart gone, and Ford is sittin' pretty in that leadoff spot. The Twins haven't really hit on all cylinders yet but still have managed to rank eighth in the league in batting average and 10th in runs scored. That bodes well for one of this year's surprise players.
POINTS WATCH
Frank Thomas, 1B, White Sox. The Big Hurt has walked 1,426 times in his storied career, leading the league four times. Yet would you believe his walk pace is higher this year than in any year of his career? That's right, Thomas has drawn a walk every 4.2 plate appearances. Combined with a .289 average, he has posted a .465 OBP, which is golden to those many points leagues that care more about OBP than AVG.
POSITION WATCH
Pedro Feliz, SS?, Giants. Just one more game. That's all those with a 10-game position plateau need to have Feliz as a shortstop. And what a middle infield option he is. He is no longer a platoon player and has legit 25-homer power. Even you shallow mixed leaguers ought to grab him immediately, if he is still available.
TIP OF THE WEEK
On light game days, such as Mondays and Thursdays, consider your total games allotment per position in daily-transaction leagues. If you have only a handful of batters playing that day, be sure to start them at the slots that are under the pace for total games played. When all else fails, be sure to start these players at actual positions (2B, SS, 1B, 3B, OF) instead of the broader position slot (CI, MI, UTIL). The CI, MI and UTIL spots will be easier to fill up later in the season. For instance, I had Barry Larkin going Monday in a daily-tranny league. Instead of starting him at 2B/SS, I made sure I started him at SS. Heck, by the end of the season, I might have only one SS on my team, but I still can plug an extra second baseman for extra games in that MI spot.