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Hey Guys, A Few Runs Would Be Nice

By Robert E Hunt Jr | July 2, 2009 | MLB Notebook

Here's a quick stat that's hard to believe ...After today's no decision against the Reds, Arizona's Doug Davis is now 3-8 with a 3.15 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP. But that's not the hard to believe part ...A good friend of mine and a fantasy foe ... we'll call him "Deep Stat" ... pointed out that all three of Davis's wins have come when he's allowed zero earned runs. When he's surrendered just 1 earned run, Davis is 0-1 in three outings. When he's given up 2 earned runs, he's 0-1 with three no decisions. And when Davis has been...

Read more | 2 Comments | Tags: Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago Cubs, Doug Davis, Gatorade, MLB

The Rockies are angry, determined

By Jonathan Etkowicz | July 2, 2009 | MLB Notebook

As Ricky noted earlier today, the Rockies and Jason Hammel suffered a 1-0 loss to the Dodgers on Wednesday that essentially came down to one at-bat. Thus, the Rox left Los Angeles stung, losing the series two games as they attempt to carry their scorching June into July. Colorado is 2-10 against the Dodgers this season. The Rockies are angry at the series outcome, but are still a confident team. That is quite a change from where this team was at the beginning of June. Colorado was a team looking for a way to get back to the promise they showed in...

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Morning Notes: Meche, Bob Melvin, Minor Perfection

By Zach Sanders | July 1, 2009 | MLB Notebook

Gil Meche will fight through injury issues and pitch in the Royals series finale with the Twins tonight.Former Arizona Diamondbacks and Seattle Mariners manager Bob Melvin is accepting a job with the San Diego Padres. There is no word on what that job may be.Rockies minor leaguer Brandon Hynick threw a perfect game yesterday. Good for him....

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Tim Lincecum Channels Greg Maddux--The Rest of Baseball Watches Nervously

By Nuschler | June 30, 2009 | SF Giants Pride

"Oh, the places you'll go...there are games to be won. And the magical things you can do with that ball will make you the winning-est winner of all."--Dr. SeussUh oh.Don't look now, but a bad situation for Major League Baseball just got, potentially, a lot worse. Particularly if you earn your paycheck hitting in the National League. And if you suffer the ultimate indignity, if you have the misfortune of operating in the NL West?My sincerest condolences. Truly.Because Tim Lincecum seems to have found a new toy.I'm not really taking about the sinister slider he's featuring more heavily in his growing repertoire. Although the Freak's newest out pitch was in full effect during Monday night's masterpiece against the St. Louis Cardinals, it must play second fiddle on this night.The real star of the show was a different culprit--Lincecum's stumbled across the Greg Maddux Pitch and he seems to like it. ...

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San Francisco Giants' 2009 Season Is Already a Success--Now It's a Matter of Magnitude

By Nuschler | June 29, 2009 | SF Giants Pride

That might sound a little premature. Actually, it might sound a lot premature.After all, the San Francisco Giants have only played 74 of the 162-game slate. They sit a mere six games over .500 and, while they're in a cluttered group of leaders hunting for the National League Wild Card, their company in contention features some intimidating teams.The St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets, and Chicago Cubs are all within hailing distance of los Gigantes. On paper, that doesn't bode well for our guys.Aside from the Metropolitans, all those teams can trot out aces in the first two spots of the rotation--Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright, Edinson Volquez, Aaron Harang, Carlos Zambrano, and Ryan Dempster.For its part, the Senior Circuit's ballclub in NYC has Johan Santana and a bullpen bristling with A+ arms.The offensive side of the equation isn't even worth rehashing. Each franchise has an embarrassment of riches...

Read more | 1 Comment | Tags: Angel Villalona, Brian Wilson, Buster Posey, Connor Gillespie, Jonathan Sanchez, Madison Bumbarner, Matt Cain, Merkin Valdez, MLB, Nate Schierholtz, National League West, NL West, Pablo Sandoval, San Francisco Giants, Sergio Romo, Tim Alderson, Tim Lincecum

FB365's Morning Drive 6/29/09

By Charlie Saponara | June 29, 2009 | Fantasy Baseball 365

Grady Sizemore is 6 for 20 since returning from the DL. There may still be time to buy low with owners still worried about a recurrence of his elbow inflammation. I am not incredibly worried about his previous injury. Will Carroll of Baseball Prospectus put it this way: ...the medical staff believes that they're beyond the recurrence stage. Bursitis is a painful condition, but once corrected it tends not to recur. It's just the "getting ahead of it" that often takes something like a DL stint or even minor surgery to help. http://baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=9075 Aaron Hill keeps on mashing. 19 homeruns now on the year. Brad Lidge allowed 1 hit (bunt single) and one walk, but did not allow a run to score in his action since landing on the DL. He got the save, but his stuff and control, slider in particular, did not look so sharp. Tommy Hanson ran the NL East two headed monster this week and came out 2-0. The strikeouts are not there yet, but his stuff looks very good. I don't think he's going to make quite the impact the pre-season hype built up, but he should be a solid option the rest of the way. Brad Penny matched up fairly well against Hanson, but was struck by the long ball twice (Chipper Jones and Garret Anderson). I'm not a believer in Penny, but maybe Mark from Fantasy Baseball Hot Stove can convince me otherwise. Zack Greinke gets it done again, though he is clearly not as dominant as when the season started. I would actually be fine with selling high on Greinke for a top-notch hitter right now. After all Greinke did rank number 11 on Razzball's 20 Risky Pitchers for 2009. Also, strikeouts trending down. Since I said buy low on Wieters he has gone just about o'fer everything. Killing me Matt, killing me. B.J. Upton had a 5 star day. A homer, stolen base, 2 runs and an RBI. Can you say HUGE second half? Alexei Ramirez added his 10th homerun of the season yesterday. He now has 10 homeruns and 11 steals. More importantly "The Cuban Missle" has raised his AVG to .267. Ramirez started out very slow last season as well. Does his game rise with the summer heat? I'd buy low to find out. Brandon Inge hit a game winning homerun off of Jose Valverde. It was Inge's 18th of the season. I have to admit, I sort of liked the guy after his hot start to the season, but I never would have thought he'd be approaching the all-star break with close to 20 bombs. His K/BB rate is pretty much the same as it was last season, but his HR/FB rate is through the roof. Matt Gamel batted leadoff yesterday. That's interesting if it sticks. Was this the turning point for Francisco Liriano? Throwing 92-95 with a slider in the high 80's yesterday. I'm still not convinced, though he kept the ball down nicely yesterday. His last two starts have...

Read more | 3 Comments | Tags: Aaron Cook, Aaron Hill, Adrian Beltre, Alexei Ramirez, Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, B.J. Upton, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Brad Lidge, Brad Penny, Brandon Inge, Chad Gaudin, Chicago White Sox, Clay Zavada, Cleveland Indians, Colorado Rockies, Detroit Tigers, Fantasy, Fantasy Baseball, Francisco Liriano, Francisco Rodriguez, Grady Sizemore, Jose Lopez, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Dodgers, Luis Castillo, Matt Gamel, Matt Kemp, Matt Wieters, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, Mitch Kemp, MLB, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego Padres, Scott Hairston, Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Rays, Tommy Hanson, Toronto Blue Jays, Zack Greinke

MLB Notebook Looking for Part Time Writers

By Zach Sanders | June 27, 2009 | MLB Notebook

This is an official announcement for MLB Notebook:MLB Notebook is looking for Part Time writers. I can't put a number on how many we are hoping to add, because if we get 10 really great writers that apply, I will be tempted to add them all. Here are some details on what being a Part Time writer is all about:2-3 Posts a week - Could be more if you have the drive to do it, but we only expect 2 each week.Love of baseball - If you don't love the game, we don't love you.Writing Experience - We would prefer...

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Cincinatti Reds, Cleveland Indians, Colorado Rockies, Detroit Tigers, Florida Marlins, Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, MLB, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, St Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays, Washington Nationals

MLB Great Debates: Which Playoff Contender Needs a Trade to Stay in the Race?

By Staff Report | June 26, 2009 | MVN Outsider

MLB Outsider's Jaymes Langrehr and Kurt Evans debate the issue: Which contending team most needs to make a deal before the July 31 trade deadline in order to stay in the race? Jaymes Langrehr argues that the Brewers desperately need starting pitching:As we get closer to the trade deadline, a good number of teams are developing clear needs that need to be addressed if they're going to stay in playoff contention. Some teams will be able to cope with their weaknesses and still make the playoffs due to their other strengths. Other clubs will need to make a move if they have any chance at contending in the second half.The Milwaukee Brewers are a prime example. Heading into this season, they knew that their pitching wouldn't be as good as it was down the stretch last season. Given the strength of their offense, however, they figured to be in okay...

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MLB Great Debates: Which Playoff Contender Needs a Trade to Stay in the Race?

By Staff Report | June 26, 2009 | MVN Outsider

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MLB Great Debates: The Ballpark Experience

By Staff Report | May 26, 2009 | MVN Outsider

MLB Outsider's Jaymes Langrehr and Kurt Evans debate the issue: Which experience is better, going to a Major League Baseball game or going to a minor-league one?Jaymes Langrehr says MLB's quality is top-notch:Where I grew up, I was about a three-hour drive east away from Milwaukee County Stadium, and a three-hour drive west away from the Metrodome. I was literally stuck in the middle of nowhere when it came to the MLB map, and looking back, I was definitely jealous of the kids who were able to spend their summers buying cheap Brewers tickets and move their way up to field level (because it's not like anyone was sitting in those seats, anyway). Still, the few major-league games that I was able to attend were incredible -- even though the home team almost always got crushed. Even when your team stinks, there's something special about a Major League game that...Read more

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MLB Outsider Mock Draft: Arizona Diamondbacks Select Jonathan Singleton

By Staff Report | May 24, 2009 | MVN Outsider

MLB Outsider is hosting a 2009 MLB mock draft, where bloggers from all over come together in an attempt to project the draft results that will take place June 9. Diary of a Diehard's Jeff Summers writes up the pick for the Arizona Diamondbacks that Phil Lacovara selected at No. 17. 1B Jonathan Singleton has the power needed to be a first-round pick. Follow the mock draft here.[Note: Phil was unable to write up his picks, so Jeff stepped in much to our relief. He likes the Singleton pick but is unsure Washington will be the other pick, saying that " I could see the Jonathan Singleton selection as more likely since the D-Backs under Josh Byrnes have been heavy into cybermetrics and Singleton would fit their selection criteria."]The Arizona Diamondbacks are no stranger when it comes to Millikan High School. The very first draft pick in Diamondbacks history was...Read more

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MLB Outsider Mock Draft: Arizona Diamondbacks Select Levon Washington

By Staff Report | May 24, 2009 | MVN Outsider

MLB Outsider is hosting a 2009 MLB mock draft, where bloggers from all over come together in an attempt to project the draft results that will take place June 9. Diary of a Diehard's Jeff Summers writes up the pick for the Arizona Diamondbacks that Phil Lacovara of AZ Snakepit selected at No. 16. OF LeVon Washington gives the Diamondbacks speed to use at the top of the order. Follow the mock draft here.[Note: Phil was unable to write up his picks, so Jeff stepped in much to our relief. He disagrees with the Washington pick, saying that "the Diamondbacks tend to focus more on college-level talent especially in the early rounds. ... They seem to shy away from speed as a major attribute as is shown by them letting go of Emilio Bonifacio for Jon Rauch last season. Further questions of how his arm will come back from shoulder...Read more

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MLB Great Debates: Steroids and the Hall of Fame

By Staff Report | May 13, 2009 | MVN Outsider

MLB Outsider's Jaymes Langrehr and Kurt Evans debate the issue: Should the BBWAA look past the use of performance-enhancing drugs and vote known "steroids guys" into the National Baseball Hall of Fame?Jaymes Langrehr says the writers will eventually have no choice but to vote in tainted players:Once again, the game of baseball has been rocked by a star testing positive for a banned substance. Every time this happens, everyone ends up trying to decide if that player is going to be allowed to enter the Hall of Fame. And every time this happens, all the old time-tested baseball writers voting for the Hall say that the player will get in over their dead bodies.It's getting to the point now, though, that eventually they're going to have to lighten up, or risk enshrining some undeserving players. If they stick to their word, we won't be getting Alex Rodriguez and Manny...Read more

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MLB Great Debates: Which Unlikely Leader Can Keep Pace All Season Long?

By Staff Report | May 8, 2009 | MVN Outsider

MLB Outsider's Jaymes Langrehr and Kurt Evans debate the issue: Of the teams who raced out to hot starts in 2009, which is most likely to stay relevant and maintain a lead in the division deep into the season? Jaymes Langrehr picks the Florida Marlins:Sure, the St. Louis Carinals may be the easy choice. They've jumped out to a lead in a division that seems to be filled with fairly average teams. They have the best player in the game. They've got one of the better managers in the game. They seem like the best bet, right?I'm not taking the Cards -- put me down for the Marlins being the best bet to keep up with their hot start.Like the Cards, the Marlins are playing in a division that's pretty wide open. Like the Cards, they were able to jump out to a huge lead early in the season.They've been...Read more

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Fantasy Baseball: The Week Ahead

By Jeff Freels | May 3, 2009 | MVN Outsider

Sixty pitchers are scheduled to make two starts in week five of the 2009 season. As usual, most of them are useless except for in the deepest of AL or NL-only leagues. If I do not list them here, then consider them too risky to start unless you are utterly desperate. MUST START PITCHERS should be in your lineup no matter what: Tim Lincecum at Chicago Cubs, at Los Angeles Dodgers - Tiny Tim is back in the saddle and he has been awesome in his last couple of starts. Zack Greinke vs. Chicago White Sox, at Los Angeles Angels - I loved him this preseason and he is paying off big. The kid has Cy Young stuff. Felix Hernandez vs. Texas, at Minnesota - King Felix always seems to start the season strong before something goes wrong. Here's to hoping he keeps it together. Yovani Gallardo at Pittsburgh, vs....Read more

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MLB Draft: National League West Team Needs

By Staff Report | April 29, 2009 | MVN Outsider

This is the second in a series of posts authored by guest columnist Josh Lacey leading up to the 2009 MLB Draft. Today, he considers the team needs for organizations competing in the National League West. Previously, he profiled the top 20 prospects to watch as draft day approaches. As we creep closer to D-Day, one way to determine where your team might look in the draft is to analyze the current state of the system and identify organizational needs. With that in mind, let's take a team by team look at needs that may be a priority starting with the NL West. Arizona Diamondbacks Third BaseMark Reynolds has been given a rather long leash for a one dimensional slugger with a propensity for striking out. At some point the team will need to look for a long term answer at the hot corner. The DBacks' system is depleted due...Read more

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