2016 Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft - Round 2

            If you missed round 1, click here. 

2-13 = Miguel Cabrera – First Baseman – Detroit Tigers – Age 32

            Cabrera has been such a valuable fantasy commodity for over a decade it seems disrespectful to have him come off the board in the second round, but after posting a career low in Isolated Power in 2015, it’s no longer wise to build a fantasy roster around him. It shouldn’t surprise anyone to see him begin the “Albert Pujols on the Angels” phase of his career.

2-14 = A.J. Pollock – Outfield – Arizona Diamondbacks – Age 28

            Pollock quietly had a massive breakout 2015 campaign, obliterating career highs in every meaningful offensive statistic while also earning his first Gold Glove award. He isn’t a first round pick because folks would like to seem him come close to repeating his 2015 performance. It isn’t wise to bank on him racking up 20 homers again, but if that means he pushes his stolen base total over 40 you won’t complain. We’re all in on Pollock.

2-15 = Andrew McCutchen – Outfield – Pittsburgh Pirates – Age 29

            We’ve seen McCutchen ranked as high as fifth on some fantasy sites, but his declining counting stats are why we won’t own McCutchen on any fantasy teams this year. He’s only cracked 30+ dingers once, and his stolen base total plummeted all the way down to 11 in 2015. No Credentials isn’t spending a first round pick on an outfielder who will not crack 40 combined home runs and steals, and neither should you.

2-16 = Mookie Betts – Outfield – Boston Red Sox – Age 23

            Mookie’s strong finish last year gives everyone reason to be excited about his prospects in 2016. It’s reasonable to expect him to eclipse 30 stolen bases, and barring injury he will contend for the league lead in runs scored.

2-17 = Jose Bautista – Outfield – Toronto Blue Jays – Age 35

            Sure he’s old, but 40 homer potential with oodles of RBIs make Bautista worth the investment. You could bump him up a few notches in leagues that count on-base percentage instead of batting average.

2-18 = Jose Abreu – First Baseman – Chicago White Sox – Age 29

            Abreu regressed in most statistics during his second year in the majors, but some of that had to do with the putrid lineup around him. Todd Frazier’s presence (whether he hits before or after Abreu) should help.

2-19 = Dee Gordon – Second Baseman – Miami Marlins – Age 27

            Gordon had a banner first season in south Florida, winning an unlikely batting crown, leading the league in steals, and snagging a Gold Glove. A DL stint was the only thing preventing Gordon from leading the National League in runs scored. Even if his batting average regresses to around .300, his elite stolen base totals are enough to warrant him ranking this high in the mock. Drafting Gordon gives you the peace of mind to target power bats and starting pitchers in the late rounds instead of spending picks on cheap speedsters.

2-20 = Max Scherzer – Starting Pitcher – Washington Nationals – Age 31

            Scherzer delivered a number of dominating performances in 2015, but an inconsistent Nationals squad depressed his win totals. With a little more luck in the health department with the Washington roster, Scherzer will be in line to rank as the most valuable starting pitcher in all of fantasy when 2016 is over.

2-21 = Charlie Blackmon – Outfield – Colorado Rockies – Age 29

            Here’s a case where playing in the wacky confines of Coors Field heavily inflates a dude’s value. Blackmon wouldn’t go this high if you were looking to build a real baseball team, but in the world of fantasy 15 homers and 40 steals go a long way. The greatest risk owning Blackmon (and for that matter, any Rockie not named Nolan Arenado) is the risk of getting traded away if the team stinks.

2-22 = Edwin Encarnacion – First Baseman – Toronto Blue Jays – Age 33

            Here’s another masher from the Blue Jays flying off the board. Encarnacion posted the highest WAR of his career last season, and you could make a case for him to go as high as 15 in a draft.

2-23 = Chris Sale – Starting Pitcher – Chicago White Sox – Age 26

            There are a number of pitchers that will be picked after Sale that posted better ERAs a year ago, but Sale’s dominant strike out totals warrant him being ranked so high. Also, don't underestimate the value of having at least a league average defense behind you (that's something Sale couldn't claim last year). He’s the greatest threat to unseat Clayton Kershaw as the league leader in Ks.

2-24 = Starling Marte – Outfield – Pittsburgh Pirates – Age 27

            If only Marte could learn how to take a walk and not strike out a ton. His plate discipline is what keeps Marte from posting elite run scoring and stolen base totals.

2015 Fantasy Baseball Rankings - First Basemen

            First Base is still the deepest infield position in the fantasy game like it has been since the beginning of time, which if you’re a positional scarcity fanatic means you likely wait for the elite options to come off the board and snag the ninth or tenth best option. These days though, you can’t afford to pass up on the power numbers generated by the top-tier. In your draft or auction, half of the first twelve picks (or half of the players that cost the most money in auctions) will be first basemen.

            Beyond the top tier, you’re looking at players that will be leading candidates to fill your utility spot. If you play in a league with two utility men, it’s imperative that you have one of those spots filled with a 1B.

Tier 1 = The Cream of the Crop

J.Abreu, CHW

P.Goldschmidt, ARI

A.Rizzo, CHC

J.Bautista, TOR OF

M.Cabrera, DET 3B

E.Encarnacion, TOR

            Health permitting, here are your safest bets for guys that will put up elite home run and RBI totals. If you find yourself in the bottom part of the first round in a draft, it would be a terrible idea to draft two of these guys back to back (that scenario is even rosier if Miguel Cabrera has third base eligibility in your league, but we’ll cover that later) to give yourself an edge in homers.

Tier 2 = Lower Ceilings, But Reliable

F.Freeman, ATL

A.Gonzalez, LAD

            Freeman’s value is impacted immensely by extreme lack of talent in the rest of the Atlanta Braves’ lineup. The risk of him getting virtually no pitches to hit is enough reason for me to stay away from him in fantasy leagues. Adrian Gonzalez is one of the better bets to lead the National League in RBIs, but his limited home run potential keeps him out of the top tier.

Tier-3 = High Ceilings, Low Floors

T.Frazier, CIN 3B

P.Fielder, TEX

B.Posey, SF C

D.Ortiz, BOS

A.Pujols, LAA

V.Martinez, DET

J.Lucroy, MIL C

C.Santana, CLE C-3B

J.Votto, CIN

(EDITORS NOTE: There’s no way you should be drafting Buster Posey or Jonathan Lucroy as your starting first basemen, but we note them because they do have 1B eligibility)

            Tier-3 can be divided into three groups. Catchers (read the note above), older guys who’s year-to-year value is extremely volatile (Fielder, Ortiz, Pujols, Martinez, Votto), and guys that we’d like to see match their 2014 performance again to ensure reliability (Frazier was a beast all of last year, while Santana was a rock once the calendar turned to summer). If one or two of these guys slip into the ninth or tenth round of your draft, or are available towards the end of your auction, there’s a lot of profit potential if you plug one of them into your utility spot.

Tier-4 = All or Nothing

C.Davis, BAL 3B

C.Carter, HOU OF

            Here are two of the only players in baseball whose most likely results are either a tape-measure home run or a strikeout. Davis is the preferred option here because he is only two years removed from a MVP-caliber campaign, but don’t sleep on Carter. Sure he’s going to demolish you in batting average, but he hit more homers than any other first base eligible player last year while only hitting .223. If he can hit over .250 like he did after the All-Star break in 2014, we could be talking about 45+ dingers.

Tier-5 = Valuable Bench Players 

M.Adams, STL

E.Hosmer, KC

R.Zimmerman, WAS 3B-OF

B.Moss, CLE OF

S.Pearce, BAL OF

L.Duda, NYM

M.Trumbo, ARI OF

A.LaRoche, CHW

C.Headley, NYY 3B

M.Napoli, BOS

M.Morse, MIA OF

            Ideally you’d like as much positional flexibility as possible out of your bench, and you should have at least one 1B-OF or 1B-3B eligible player on your team. Of this group, we like Ryan Zimmerman (35% chance he doesn’t get hurt now that he’s stationed at first, and he’ll offer three position eligibility by May 1) and Chase Headley (just a hunch) the most.

No Credentials Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft, Round 3

3-21 = Jason Kipnis, 2B, Cleveland Indians
2014 Projection = .272 AVG, 18 HRs, 83 RBIs, 88 Rs, 27 SBs
            Barring an Ian Kinsler throwback season, no second basement will offer a better combination of steals and dingers than Kipnis.

Team 1 Roster = Kipnis, Miguel Cabrera, Yu Darvish

                  
3-22 = Yaisel Puig, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers
2014 Projection = .288 AVG, 26 HRs, 76 RBIs, 88 Rs, 17 SBs
            We’re probably too excited about Puig-mania from last summer, but regardless of where he hits within the top third of the Dodger lineup, he’s going to produce. There’s a pretty high ceiling here.

Team 2 Roster = Puig, Mike Trout, Edwin Encarnacion

                    
3-23 = Giancarlo Stanton, OF, Miami Marlins
2014 Projection = .270 AVG, 39 HRs, 91 RBIs, 81 Rs, 4 SBs
            Following an injury riddled campaign we think Stanton is in line for a return to his 2012 form. Like Puig, he’s another high ceiling player who realistically could hit 50 home runs.

Team 3 Roster = Stanton, Paul Goldschmidt, David Wright

        
3-24 = Evan Longoria, 3B, Tampa Bay Rays
2014 Projection = .274 AVG, 36 HRs, 106 RBIs, 94 Rs, 3 SBs
            If Wil Myers takes a step forward in his sophomore campaign, Longoria will have the best lineup around him since Carl Crawford was in town.

Team 4 Roster = Longoria, Robinson Cano, Joey Votto

                     
3-25 = Stephen Strasburg, SP, Washington Nationals
2014 Projection = 15 Ws, 223 Ks, 3.25 ERA, 1.11 WHIP
            Forgetting win totals (because people who use wins as a measure of the quality of a starting pitcher are dumb), Strasburg’s 2013 wasn’t as disappointing as some people have made it out to be. He’s the only starter with a realistic chance of competing with Yu Darvish for the strikeout lead.

Team 5 Roster = Strasburg, Chris Davis, Jacoby Ellsbury

                      
3-26 = Freddie Freeman, 1B, Atlanta Braves
2014 Projection = .302 AVG, 24 HRs, 105 RBIs, 97 Rs, 3 SBs
            Asking Freeman to be the next Chipper Jones, the Braves really could use a power surge from Freeman to push them over the hump in the National League. He stands to benefit the most of the Upton brothers and Jason Heyward bounce back from disappointing 2013 seasons.

Team 6 Roster = Freeman, Bryce Harper, Adrian Beltre

        
3-27 = Max Scherzer, SP, Detroit Tigers
2014 Projection = 16 Ws, 231 Ks, 3.34 ERA, 1.12 WHIP
            Advanced stats say Scherzer will take a step back from his Cy Young winning 2013, but he’s still a strong bet to deliver top-10 value among starting pitchers.

Team 7 Roster = Scherzer, Carlos Gonzalez, Adam Jones

        
3-28 = Carlos Gomez, OF, Milwaukee Brewers
2014 Projection = .260 AVG, 23 HRs, 68 RBIs, 87 Rs, 36 SBs
            Gomez felt like a fluke to me last year, which means if you believe in him, you’re getting a one to two round discount.

Team 8 Roster = Gomez, Andrew McCutchen, Troy Tulowitzki

                    
3-29 = Jose Bautista, OF, Toronto Blue Jays
2014 Projection = .266 AVG, 33 HRs, 87 RBIs, 91 Rs, 6 SBs
            It’s hard to see Bautista returning to his peak power numbers, but even the slight chance of a return to that level of production makes him worth a third round pick.

Team 9 Roster = Bautista, Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder

 

 



         
3-30 = Dustin Pedroia, 2B, Boston Red Sox
2014 Projection = .295 AVG, 16 HRs, 76 RBIs, 98 Rs, 18 SBs
            We’re guessing that Pedroia’s numbers won’t drop off at all without Jacoby Ellsbury hitting in front of him. If anything, he might run a little bit more.

Team 10 Roster = Pedroia, Clayton Kershaw, Hanley Ramirez

2012 Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft - Round 1

     Welcome to No Credentials second annual "Nerdfest", a month and a half long series showing how No Credentials would build 12 teams for a non-keeper league fantasy baseball team. My ranks should hold up well for either roto or head-to-head leagues. While this mock is based on a non-keeper league, I will occasionally call out guys who's value should be adjusted if you're building a keeper team, or if you are participating in an auction. Without further ado...

1-1. Robinson Cano, 2B, New York Yankees
.302 AVG, 28 HRS, 118 RBIs, 104 Rs, 8 SBs
             Cano plays the weakest position in fantasy, and all indications are that this will be his first full season hitting third. Having Mark Teixeira hitting behind him will give him more fastballs to crank out of Yankee Stadium.

1-2. Troy Tulowitzki, SS, Colorado Rockies

.302 AVG, 30 HRs, 105 RBIs, 81 Rs, 9 SBs
            Tulo plays the second weakest position in fantasy, and he’s a healthy year (which has never happened) away from his first 40-homer season.

1-3. Miguel Cabrera, 1B-3B, Detroit Tigers

.344 AVG, 30 HRs, 105 RBIs, 111 Rs, 2 SBs
            Cabrera plays the third weakest position in fantasy (notice a trend?), and he has a near equal on his club for the first time in the form of Prince Fielder. It appears likely that Cabrera will hit in front of Fielder, which like Cano, should increase the number of quality pitches he has to hit.  

1-4. Jose Bautista, 3B-RF, Toronto Blue Jays

.302 AVG, 43 HRs, 103 RBIs, 105 Rs, 9 SBs
            Two years is enough of a sample size to declare Bautista a top-5 worthy pick. Depending on the position eligibility rules of your league, he’s #1 pick worthy in re-draft leagues if you can plug him in at third base.

1-5. Albert Pujols, 1B, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

.299 AVG, 37 HRs, 99 RBIs, 105 Rs, 9 SBs
            I’m not crazy about the Angels line-up around Pujols, but if Pujols could help Lance Berkman return to elite status, couldn’t he do the same for a guy like Vernon Wells? Expect strategic use of the DH spot to keep Pujols fresh throughout the season.

1-6. Joey Votto, 1B, Cincinnati Reds

.309 AVG, 29 HRs, 103 RBIs, 101 Rs, 8 SBs
            Votto’s power numbers were down, but he showed improved plate discipline, drawing over 100 walks for the first time in his career. A return to 35+ homers is likely.

1-7. Evan Longoria, 3B, Tampa Bay (Devil) Rays

.244 AVG, 31 HRs, 99 RBIs, 78 Rs, 3 SBs
            Blame a dreadful BABIP for Longoria’s deflated 2011 batting average. A return to the norm in that statistic combined with avoiding the DL could lead to an MVP-caliber season for Longoria. Don’t be shocked if he puts up a .285-41-125-105-15 line.

1-8. Matt Kemp, CF, Los Angeles Dodgers

.324 AVG, 39 HRs, 126 RBIs, 115 Rs, 40 SBs
            There’s a 5% chance that Kemp will be available with the eighth pick in your draft, but here’s why he’s this low in this mock. Let’s take a look at what I wrote last year about Kemp in my 2011 mock draft.

2-22 = Matt Kemp, CF, Dodgers – Remember the discussion about Carlos Gonzalez earlier? Matt Kemp’s production the past two seasons is a perfect exhibit A for the case I was making for not using a high pick on Gonzalez.
After putting up 26 homers, 101 RBIs, and 34 stolen bases (along with a .297 batting average) in 2009, Kemp was going anywhere from fourth through the eighth pick in the first round last season in fantasy drafts. Kemp rewarded owners with a disappointing .249 batting average. The only category of importance that went up was home runs (he hit 28), but he had less RBIs and stolen bases (89 and 19), and was even benched for a few games by then manager Joe Torre. One telling stat that could’ve predicted Kemp’s 2010 struggles was his terrible strikeout to walk ratio. In 2009, he struck out 139 times to only 52 walks. In 2010, his strikeouts jumped up to 170 with only 53 walks.
With all that said, why would Kemp be this high then? The answer is simple…because of the same reason Carlos Gonzalez and Josh Hamilton were both picked a few spots earlier. Sure there is plenty of risk involved with these players, but if they play to their potential, you are getting guys that could end up being ranked in the top 5 at seasons end. The back half of the 2^nd round is the appropriate time to take these sorts of risks (as opposed to say, the middle of the 1^st). Kemp joins Robinson Cano on Team 3.

            To make a long story short, the same theory still applies, but in reverse. Kemp’s strikeout to walk ratio last season was 159-74. It wouldn’t be surprising at all if Kemp’s average fell back into the .260 range. If that’s the case, his counting stats won’t be nearly as high (think something closer to 25-25 in homers and steals, which is still useful, but not first round worthy with a mediocre batting average). Rather than spend a top-3 pick on Kemp in the draft (or spend too much on him in an auction), I’d prefer to target him in a trade if he starts slow this season.

1-9. Adrian Gonzalez, 1B, Boston Red Sox

.338 AVG, 27 HRs, 117 RBIs, 108 Rs, 1 SB
            Take 15 of the 45 doubles Gonzalez cranked out, turn them into homeruns, and you get the 42+ homers No Credentials expects Gonzo to hit in 2012. You could take him fifth in your draft and I wouldn’t make fun of you.

1-10. Prince Fielder, 1B, Detroit Tigers

.298 AVG, 38 HRs, 120 RBIs, 95 Rs, 1 SB
            His home run total might dip a bit, but the rest of his counting stats should be similar being paired up with Miguel Cabrera as they were with Ryan Braun.

1-11. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF, Boston Red Sox

.321 AVG, 31 HRs, 105 RBIs, 119 Rs, 39 SBs
            Ellsbury probably should be higher, but No Credentials would like to see one more healthy season before using a top-5 pick on him. If he suits up for 155+ games again, he should produce a .300 AVG and 70 combined homers and steals.

1-12. Clayton Kershaw, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers

21-5, 2.28 ERA, 248 Ks, 0.98 WHIP
            Kershaw has reduced his walk rate every year in the league, and at age 23, appears poised to be the dominant pitcher in the National League for the next decade. The advantage of being in the NL puts Kershaw ahead of Verlander in my book. Anyone that owns Kershaw in a keeper league but decides not to keep him for 2012 should be banned from playing fantasy baseball.            

           

Mid-Season Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft Review, Part 1

            We’re at the halfway point of the fantasy baseball season (that also means that we are at the halfway point of real baseball, but sadly for MLB, fantasy baseball is much more interesting to me). Now is a good time to call out some of the good predictions, as well as the crappy ones, made by No Credentials during the pre-season. I’ll find two players from each round of my 25-round mock draft to discuss.

Round 1

GOOD CALL = Adrian Gonzalez, 1B, Red Sox – I wrote back in late February that I would sign off on Gonzalez being taken 2^nd in any fantasy league. So far, he’s the 4^th ranked player in all of fantasy.

BAD CALL = Carl Crawford, LF, Red Sox – A little more research could’ve shown that Crawford would not fair well in extra cool weather (which this year in New England, lasted until late-May). Carl was finally starting to heat up before landing on the DL. Look for a big second half from him.

 

 

Round 2

GOOD CALL = Matt Kemp, CF, Dodgers – Lost in all the commotion of the Dodgers major financial woes (note to professional sports leagues: Don’t give franchises to people who have assets, but no cold hard cash) is the incredible season Kemp is having. I won’t take to much credit for predicting his success, but I did mention that he had the ability to produce top-5 production. Right now, he’s on pace for a 40-40 season.

BAD CALL = Ryan Zimmerman, 3B, Nationals – A long DL stint is mostly to blame for Zimmerman’s poor first half. He is capable of being a top-5 fantasy 3^rd basemen the rest of the way, so see if you can get him at a steep discount from a disgruntled owner in your league.

Round 3

GOOD CALL = Clayton Kershaw, SP, Dodgers – The league leader in strikeouts, Kershaw has officially arrived as a legitimate fantasy ace.

BAD CALL = Zack Greinke, SP, Brewers – A 5.63 ERA isn’t exactly what fantasy owners were looking from a player who was supposed to anchor a pitching staff.

 

 

Round 4

GOOD CALL = Jose Bautista, 3B-RF, Blue Jays – He’s cooled off a bit over the past few weeks, but you still can’t complain about a player with dual position eligibility that is on pace to hit 48 home runs.

BAD CALL = Ubaldo Jimenez, SP, Rockies – Jimenez has been a complete train wreck so far. It looks more and more like his first half performance in 2010 was a fluke.

 

 

Round 5

GOOD CALL = David Price, SP, Rays – Overshadowed by fellow starter James Shields, Price has had a very solid first half. He’s currently ranked 38^th among all players.

BAD CALL = Rickie Weeks, 2B, Brewers – His terrifying strikeout totals kept me from strongly endorsing Weeks in my mock draft, but so far he has posted a solid batting average along with 14 homers and seven steals.

 

 

Round 6

GOOD CALL = Jay Bruce, RF, Reds – Jay is currently on pace to smack 36 home runs, which gives him an outside shot to have 100 career home runs by the time he’s 24 years old. In retrospect, he should’ve gone in the 3^rd round in my keeper league.

BAD CALL = Mat Latos, SP, Padres – Latos has been a huge disappointment so far for No Credentials. Drafted as the second pitcher in one of my leagues, he’s been destroying my WHIP ever since an early season DL stint. The strikeouts are still there, so he is also a solid buy-low candidate (no one will buy him from me though. I’m in too deep).

Round 7

GOOD CALL = Shane Victorino, CF, Phillies - I predicted 15 homers, 40 steals, and over 100 runs scored for the Flyin’ Hawaiian this year. The steals aren’t quite there, but he’s on pace to hit the other two category goals.

BAD CALL = Pedro Alvarez, 3B, Pirates – The worst pick of my mock so far. I’m embarrassed to say that I endorsed taking him in the 7^th round.

Round 8

GOOD CALL = Shaun Marcum, SP, Brewers – Deemed the favorite “under the radar fantasy starter of 2011” by No Credentials, Marcum has delivered as the best pitcher for the first place Brewers.

BAD CALL = Jacoby Ellsbury, CF, Red Sox – I’m fairly certain that at some point I wrote that the Sox should trade Ellsbury (if you dig deep enough into the No Credentials archive you’ll find it). All he’s done in the first half is steal 25 bases and hit 9 home runs. Without him, Carl Crawford’s struggles would have killed the Red Sox.

 

 

Round 9

GOOD CALL = Chris Young, CF, Diamondbacks – I wrote in early March that if Young kept his batting average over .250 he’d have a shot at a 30-30 season. During the first half, he’s batting .255 with 15 homers and 10 steals.

BAD CALL = Brett Gardner, LF, Yankees – Here’s my preseason write-up on Gardner.

Gardner is essentially the same player as Jacoby Ellsbury (a speed-demon with no power that is prone to prolonged slumps). As mentioned earlier, on average, Ellsbury is going 58^th in ESPN drafts. Gardner is going 112^th. You’d be a damned fool to draft Ellsbury in the 5^th round when you can snag Gardner in the 9^th.

In related news, a damned fool wrote that Brett Gardner would provide the same production as Jacoby Ellsbury.

 

 

Round 10

GOOD CALL = Michael Bourn, CF, Astros – Bourn is on pace to swipe 70 bags this year. Even though he’s really only a 2-category guy (steals and runs), his dominance on the base paths is enough to have him ranked 24^th among all players in fantasy.

BAD CALL = Chone Figgins, 2B-3B, Mariners – Maybe it’s all the rain in Seattle, but for whatever reason, Figgins’ career has fallen over a cliff since he signed with them before the 2010 season. I finally cut him from my redraft league team three weeks ago.

 

 

Round 11

GOOD CALL = Mark Reynolds, 3B, Orioles – His .221 batting average has backed up my preseason plea for all fantasy owners to keep him off of their rosters. If you pick him up off the waiver wire, a cigarette box should pop up on your screen with a warning label that informs you of the dangers of owning Reynolds.

BAD CALL = Ted Lilly, SP, Dodgers – I predicted that a full-season in Chavez-Ravine would keep a few of Lilly’s fastball from getting hit over the fence. Sadly, Lilly is actually on pace to give up a career high number of home runs.

Round 12

GOOD CALL = Jeremy Hellickson, SP, Rays – His strikeout rate isn’t spectacular, but Hellickson has done a good job of pitching to contact in his first full season in the big leagues. A WHIP of 1.16 is very impressive for a rookie pitcher in the AL East.

BAD CALL = Matt Thornton, RP, White Sox – No Credentials put the possibility out there that Thornton would end up as a top-10 closer. The season was roughly 10 days old when Ozzie Guillen stripped him of closing duties.

   

10 Awesome Things That Happened This Past Weekend (5/20-5/22)

10. The World Didn’t End

            As most of you should know by now, we are still here. Whatever you do, don’t trust an 89-year-old man named Harold.

9. Carl Edwards Wins Sprint Cup All-Star Race

            Edwards was easily the class of the field, which made this year’s All-Star Race less exciting than usual. Nevertheless, let me make for why the NASCAR All-Star Race is the best all-star event in sports.

            It’s pretty simple really…the winner gets $1 million. NASCAR doesn’t play around with the whole “celebration of the sport” gimmick. It’s all about the cash. Would you like to see an NBA All-Star Game where players actually play a little defense? Throw up a $1 million reward to be divided up among the winning team, and you would have yourself the most hotly contested basketball game in the history of man. Baseball should take a page out of the NASCAR book too. You will never convince me that an outfielder from the Pirates would give a crap whether or not the National League is going to win home-field advantage or not.

            Let’s watch a couple of videos for comparison’s sake. Here is the final play of the 2011 Pro Bowl.

            Now watch the final lap of the 1992 Winston as Dale Earnhardt, Kyle Petty, and Davey Allison duel for the win.

            Allison was knocked unconscious in this crash and ended up getting hauled off to the hospital. The car was hauled to victory lane on a flatbed. I rest my case.

8. Former Teammates Roll Lance Armstrong Under the Bus

            I’m not sure what Lance did to piss people off, but he’s getting attacked from all sides. My question for you is, does it matter if he took steroids or not?

            Regardless of whether or not Armstrong was doping, he still managed to win seven straight Tour De France races after almost dying from cancer. More important to me, the majority of cyclists in the field were also doping. Ultimately, cycling has been proven to be a dirty sport in general. That doesn’t make Lance Armstrong any worse than anyone else.

7. Jose Bautista Hits Two More Homers Saturday

            Amazingly, in the post-steroids era, Jose Bautista finds himself on a 72 homer pace through 40 games. After the #8 item on this list, is it wrong for me to suggest that we ask Bautista to pee in a cup everyday for the rest of the year?

6. Canucks Take 3-1 Lead Over San Jose

            After a spirited effort in Game 3, the Canucks blew San Jose out of the water after three straight power play goals in the 2^nd period of Game 4. Giving the Sedin twins a man-advantage is not a recipe for success.

5. Animal Kingdom Fails to Win 2^nd Leg of Triple Crown

            And by doing so, he guarantees that No Credentials will not mention horse racing until April of 2012.

4. Chicago Cubs Play at Fenway Park For First Time Since 1918

            Now that the Cubs have played at Fenway, I vote for killing inter-league baseball for good. Until both league’s adopt the same stance on whether to have a DH or not, it makes no sense for a meeting between the AL and NL before the World Series.

3. Down 3-0, Lightning Storm Back Against Bruins to Even Series

            Boston needs to show some serious mental fortitude after getting a little too content and blowing Game 4. Tampa Bay has too much firepower to step off the accelerator.

2. Mavericks Take Game 3 in Oklahoma City

            For a while last night I thought was watching Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals. After two offensive showcases, defense finally showed up. The Thunder did a great job on Dirk Nowitzki until the 4^th quarter. Oklahoma City needs to bring the same defensive intensity for the rest of the series. They won’t shoot 1 for 17 from three-point range again. I like the Thunder to win Game 4.

1. Heat Defend Home Court, Take 2-1 Series Lead Over Chicago

            Chris Bosh showed up in a big way with 34 points in this game. Chicago needs to reestablish their dominance in the paint to get back into the series.

10 Awesome Things That Happened This Past Weekend (5/13-5/15)

10. ESPN’s Matthew Barnaby Arrested During a Domestic Dispute

            Barnaby was a fringe contender to make the 10 worst ESPN employees list, but no one in America cares about hockey, which doesn’t really make him relevant. I don’t want to make to much light of this situation (according to police there was no reports of violence), but when did ESPN begin to have more legal issues than the Cincinnati Bengals?

9. Carl Edwards Dodges Scary Crash in Nationwide Race at Dover

            Edwards was so concerned that he caused this last lap crash that he skipped his usual back flip after winning the race.

8. Matt Kenseth Steals Win

            A very boring race was given a bit of a jolt by an odd caution with 38 laps to go. Jimmie Johnson, Carl Edwards, and Clint Bowyer were the three fastest cars on the track, but they took four tires on the final pit stop (to put it simply for non gear heads, that was the wrong decision). Matt Kenseth elected to take two tires (again for non gear heads, that was the right decision). Kenseth cruised passed old-timer Mark Martin to take his second victory of the season.

7. Troy Polamalu Graduates From USC

            I’m not sure what Polamalu plans to do with a degree in history after his playing career, but good for him.

6. Chad Ochocinco Rides a Bull

            Of all of Chad’s antics over the past 10 years, this one is my favorite. It’s one thing to propose to a cheerleader, or Velcro a fake name to your jersey, or even legally change your last name. Riding a bull though is pretty serious business.

5. Lightning Smoke Bruins in Game 1

            Tampa scored three goals in 85 seconds of this one and never looked back. Boston looked very old trying to chase down Tampa’s top-3 lines (you’ll recall they had a similar issue against Montreal in Round 1).

4. Jose Bautista Hits Three Home Runs in One Game

            I’m not sure who is responsible for turning Bautista into the 1996 version of Mark McGwire (more than likely a rogue Canadian scientist), but it’s awesome. He smacked five dingers in the three game series at Minnesota, which isn’t the easiest place to hit a home run.

3. Thunder Finally Knock Off Grizzlies

            It’s strange to say it, but I’m going to miss the Memphis Grizzlies. They gave us an epic upset of the veteran San Antonio Spurs. They pushed a much more talented Oklahoma City team to a 7^th game, despite losing the epic triple overtime game 4. They didn’t put out their best effort Sunday, but what are you going to do when Kevin Durant drops 39 and Russell Westbrook gets a triple-double? Look out for Memphis next year when a healthy Rudy Gay returns.

2. Jorge Posada Refuses to Hit 9^th in Yankees Lineup

            What do you get when you mix a washed up player with an oversized ego that’s upset about his spot in the batting order? This story.

            I was planning on talking about how this is only the beginning of issues that New York Yankees will have with aging players, but ESPN’s Wallace Matthews (who actually gets paid to write) beat me to it here.    

1. Chicago Hammers the Heat

            This was a tie game at halftime, but the depth of the Bulls overwhelmed Miami in the 2^nd half. Unlike Boston, Chicago has plenty of big bodies to clean up the boards and shut down the boards. The only thing that held them back in the first half was some sloppy play by Derrick Rose. Miami is in big trouble if they can’t keep Chicago off of the offensive glass (the Bulls had 19 offensive rebounds).

Sunday Draft (2-20-11) Round 4 of the 2011 Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft

4-37 = Jon Lester, SP, Red Sox – I love Lester this year. Even if he pitches as well as he did the past two seasons, he has a chance to sneak up to 22 or 24 wins with the powerful offense he has supporting him.

           

4-38 = Buster Posey, C-1B, Giants – Posey looks like the National League version of Joe Mauer, with a little less average and a bit more power.

4-39 = Jason Heyward, OF-RF, Braves – The only thing that held Heyward back last season was a couple of pesky injuries. His excellent plate discipline gives him the chance to a top-10 player this season. You’ll probably have to snag him in the 3^rd round if you want him on your team.

4-40 = C.C. Sabathia, SP, Yankees – I can’t figure out why most fantasy prognosticators have C.C. ranked so low. The last time I checked, he still pitches for the New York Yankees. Even more important, he has the option to opt out of his contract after this season (which based on how much money Cliff Lee got paid, Sabathia better be opting out of his contract), which means he is probably pitching to earn the last big contract of his career.  

4-41 = Dan Uggla, 2B, Braves – Uggla can be frustrating at times due to his high strikeout rate, but second basemen that consistently smack over 30 homers per season don’t grow on trees.

4-42 = Victor Martinez, C-1B, Tigers – Assuming Miguel Cabrera gets the help he needs and is ready to go for opening day, Victor Martinez is the perfect compliment for him. Victor will rarely have to play catcher this season, which means you will get more at-bats out of him than your typical backstop.

4-43 = Justin Upton, OF-RF, Diamondbacks – Upton was picked anywhere from the mid-2^nd to early 3^rd-round in fantasy drafts last year, but regressed in almost every offensive category. This is a guy that if he can ever figure it out, could deliver top-10 value.

4-44 = Jose Bautista, 3B-RF, Blue Jays – Bautista came out of nowhere to hit 54 home runs last season. While no one should expect to see that again, would you complain if you got 35 homers out of a 3^rd Basemen you took towards the end of the 4^th round?

4-45 = Ubaldo Jimenez, SP, Rockies – Jimenez was the best pitcher in baseball the first half of last year before sputtering down the stretch. Reports out of spring training are favorable so far, so expect Jimenez to come out of the gates strong again (and then maybe think about trading him in late June).

4-46 = Jimmy Rollins, SS, Phillies – I would not take Jimmy Rollins here, but in your draft someone will probably already have taken him at the end of the 3^rd round. Rollins has been in steady decline the past few seasons.

4-47 = Brandon Phillips, 2B, Reds – Cincinnati had one of the most powerful offenses in the National League last season, but Phillips actually had a down year. If he bounces back in 2011, expect a career year.

4-48 = Josh Johnson, SP, Marlins – If Johnson wasn’t such an injury risk, you could make a case for him being taken in the range of Felix Hernandez and Tim Lincecum. This is the perfect spot to gamble on him.