10 Awesome Things That Happened This Weekend (5/2-5/4)

10. Jon Lester Racks Up 15 Ks
            It was an extremely gaudy number of strikeouts for Lester, who isn’t known for a high strikeout rate. He hasn’t pitched this well in a game since his no-hitter all the way back in 2008.

9. Denny Hamlin Earns First Win of 2014 at Talladega

            Denny can thank his lucky stars that NASCAR didn’t throw a caution flag before he took the white, as there was no way he would’ve held the lead on the backstretch during the final lap.

8. Pacers Survive 3-Point Chucking Hawks
            Atlanta set NBA records for most threes in a series and a single playoff game Saturday, but that wasn’t enough to overcome a Pacers squad that sort of look like it figured things out. We’ll find out when they face John Wall and the Wizards tonight.

7. Thunder Outrun Z-Bo-Less Grizzlies

            Marc Gasol wasn’t able to clog up the paint without his fellow star big man, and Oklahoma City took full advantage.

6. California Chrome Dominates Kentucky Derby

            California Chrome couldn’t have asked for a better set of circumstances for the Derby, but that’s because he’s a horse and he can’t ask questions.

5. Brooklyn Survives Late Raptors Rally, Advances to Second Round Date With Miami

            We were pulling for the Raptors, but ultimately Brooklyn will deliver the greater test for Miami than the young Toronto club would have. The Nets are 4-0 against the Heat this season.

4. Marion Gaborik Ties Game Late, Then Delivers Kings Overtime Victory Over Ducks

            When he’s engaged, there are few snipers more effective than Gaborik in THE NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE. Saturday night, Gaborik was engaged.
         
3. Bruins Rack Up Four Third Period Goals, Even Series With Montreal
            It’s hard to remember another hockey team that has as much of a flair for the dramatic as the Bruins have had over the past five years or so. Saturday was another memorable comeback, which ensures they wouldn’t travel to Montreal in a 0-2 hole.
         
2. Clippers Outlast Warriors in Game 7 Shootout
            Doc Rivers looked more excited Saturday night than he was when the Celtics won the title six years ago. I guess with all his team has dealt with over the past week, it was warranted.

1. Damian Lillard Delivers the Dagger, Eliminates Houston

            0.9 seconds was all Lillard needed to send the Rockets home for the summer. Blazers-Rockets may not have lasted the full seven games, but from start to finish it was the most entertaining series of the first round.

Have Indigestion? The Red Sox Bullpen Won't Provide Relief

No Credentials is trying to make an effort to actually watch baseball this year. If I catch any part of a game this season, I’ll do my best to write up a paragraph or two about it. Here are some overboard comments about the piss-poor Red Sox bullpen.

            The Boston Red Sox only have 12 position players on the big league roster so they could have more options in the bullpen. In the bottom of the eighth on opening day, Vicente Padilla came trotting out of the bullpen to relieve Jon Lester. Read that sentence again. Now let me put that in italics and center it.

In the bottom of the eighth on opening day, Vicente Padilla came trotting out of the bullpen to relieve Jon Lester.

             For those of you that only follow Boston sports and generally ignore the national sports landscape, let me give you some valuable information… Vicente Padilla sucks. Of seven middle relief pitchers, it’s really sad that he was the first one chosen to pitch in a one-run ball game.

            Boston still has 161 games to go, but let me make a classic over-the-top-blogger proclamation. The bullpen is going to be the undoing of the 2012 Boston Red Sox. Alfredo Aceves is a great band-aid (middle-relief, spot starts), but he’s not a closer. Mark Melancon is well, Mark Melancon. I like Franklin Morales (the lefty specialist), but otherwise this bullpen is a mess. Expect plenty of more frustrating finishes for Boston until Andrew Bailey returns in July, and by that point, the AL East and wildcard (only one AL East team is getting a wild card spot. AL West will get the other one) will be out of reach.

Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft Rounds 4-5

            It’s been a little while since the last installment so if you want a refresher on who got taken already, click here for round 1, and here for rounds 2-3.

4-37 = Elvis Andrus, SS, Texas Rangers

            You’re not going to get any homers, but he’s the safest source of steals the shortstop position has to offer.

4-38 = Zach Greinke, SP, Milwaukee Brewers

            Advanced metrics indicate that Greinke is a fantastic buy-low candidate (if a pick within the fourth or fifth rounds can be considered “buy-low”). Redraft league participants should consider the merits of taking Greinke as your staff ace two rounds later than you would have to take Felix Hernandez.

4-39 = Brett Lawrie, 3B, Toronto Blue Jays

            Lawrie has all the raw tools to succeed, it’s just a matter of if he can live up to the hype or not. In a redraft league, he’s probably not worth the risk of using such a high pick on him.

4-40 = Starlin Castro, SS, Chicago Cubs

            Castro is a hitting machine, and an up tick in the stolen base department could make him a second round pick at this time next year.

4-41 = Stephen Strasburg, SP, Washington Nationals

            The only thing that will keep Strasburg from finishing the season as a top-5 fantasy pitcher will be the Nationals limiting his innings.

4-42 = Dan Haren, SP, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

            Haren is a notorious fast starter/poor finisher (that’s what she said), but the addition of Mr. Pujols should generate an extra win or two or three.

4-43 = Matt Holiday, LF, St. Louis Cardinals

            Those of you worried about Holiday’s ability to anchor the Cardinals lineup should remember that he was the best hitter on a Rockies team that went to the World Series in 2007.

4-44 = Ryan Zimmerman, 3B, Washington Nationals

            I’ve owned Zimmerman twice, and I think he spent a combined 753 games on the DL. He’s a nice player when he’s healthy, but for the life of me I can’t figure out why Washington would pay him $100 million.

4-45 = Carlos Santana, C-1B, Cleveland Indians

            Displaying arguably the most advanced plate approach of any young player in the game last season, Santana is due for a fairly substantial increase from his 2011 batting average, which also has the potential to translate into 30 dingers.

4-46 = Ryan Braun, LF, Milwaukee Brewers

            Keep in mind that at the time I made these picks, Braun was facing a 50 game suspension, and I still had him at 46. It’s a little concerning losing Prince Fielder’s bat behind him, but Braun is too talented to slip out of the top-10. I would take him with the third pick if I had the chance in a redraft league today.

4-47 = David Price, SP, Tampa Bay (Devil) Rays

            If you’re into nerd stats, Price’s 12-13 2011 season was actually better than his 19-6 campaign in 2010. Even in the AL East, Price has the talent to deliver top-5 stats.

4-48 = Alex Rodriguez, 3B, New York Yankees

            I’m not touching A-Rod with a ten-foot pole unless my draft is in the sixth round and I’m still in need of a third baseman, but some idiot is going to draft him earlier than that.

5-49 = Matt Cain, SP, San Francisco Giants

            Boring? Yes. Effective? Yes again. Thank the post-steroids era for making this guy a fifth round pick.

5-50 = Ben Zobrist, 2B-RF, Tampa Bay (Devil) Rays

            Fantasy baseball’s version of a Swiss army knife, Zobrist does a little bit of everything. A great pick at this point in the draft to anchor your middle infield.

5-51 = Paul Konerko, 1B, Chicago White Sox

            One of the few non-steroids aided first basemen to remain effective in his mid-30s, Konerko is the man to target if you miss out on the big time first basemen in the first two rounds.

5-52 = Jon Lester, SP, Boston Red Sox

            I’ll let the “experts” at ESPN fill this space. Here is what they have to say about Lester saying he wants to right the wrongs of 2011 and have a great 2012.

Lester was the first involved party to come clean about the aforementioned fried chicken and beer controversy and was very contrite, and implied he would make good in 2012. Normally, this can be brushed off as player-speak, but when the player is a cancer survivor, the words have more credibility.

            Uh, okay.

5-53 = Michael Young, 1B-2B-3B, Texas Rangers
            One of baseball’s most underrated hitters, Young’s position flexibility makes him a valuable asset for any fantasy team.

5-54 = Yovani Gallardo, SP, Milwaukee Brewers

            The second Brewers pitcher taken in our mock that nerd stats indicate is a breakout candidate. Gallardo’s price tag is even cheaper than Greinke’s, which makes him a potential championship-swinging player in redraft leagues. At 26, Gallardo is poised to have a Cy Young caliber season.

5-55 = Chase Utley, 2B, Philadelphia Phillies

            Age is catching up to him, but his place in the middle of the Phillies lineup still makes him one of the best options at second base.

5-56 = Mike Napoli, C-1B, Texas Rangers

            Don’t bank on Napoli batting over .300 again (his .344 BABIP in 2011 is completely unsustainable), but even if he drops to .250 his increased at-bats could lead to 35+ dingers. It’s hard to argue with anyone who would make him the first catcher off the board.

5-57 = Dan Uggla, 2B, Atlanta Braves

            The batting average can be scary, and he’s prone to prolonged slumps, but there isn’t a better source of home runs from a second baseman not named Robinson Cano in baseball.

5-58 = Brandon Phillips, 2B, Cincinnati Reds

            Brandon Phillips is like the Matt Cain of second baseman. He’s not sexy, but he gets the job done.

5-59 = Eric Hosmer, 1B, Kansas City Royals

            The day that Eric Hosmer improves his fly ball rate will be the day that Eric Hosmer rules the universe. Like Brett Lawrie, Hosmer’s a risky proposition in redraft leagues with this high of a pick.

5-60 = James Shields, SP, Tampa Bay (Devil) Rays

            Shields was No Credentials favorite pitcher who most likely went after round 20 in fantasy drafts in 2011. He was on both of my fantasy teams last season, and delivered a pretty good Roy Halladay impression. Many skeptics believe that 2011 was a fluke, but nerd stats back up the case that Shields is capable of having another solid campaign in 2012. He’s going as late as the eighth round in some leagues, which is absolutely absurd. Go move Shields up your draft cheat sheet as soon as you close this browser.

10 Awesome Things That Happened This Past Weekend (12/17-12/19)

10. ESPN Fires Employee Responsible For Offensive Jeremy Lin Headline
            It’s very disconcerting that such a headline could make it all the way to being publicly viewed. You’d think an organization like ESPN would have better forms of checks and balances.

9. Jimmie Johnson’s Car Fails First Tech Inspection at Daytona

            It’s great to see that Chad Knaus vacation this off-season didn’t change his devious ways too much. There hasn’t been a more hate-able crew chief in the history of NASCAR.

8. Seeds Are Planted For Rick vs. Shane Showdown on “The Walking Dead.”

            No Credentials would like to hear from the readers. Who do you want to see survive, Rick or Shane? My vote is for Shane. If you’re willing to have your response posted (get it to me via e-mail at c_muir@hotmail.com, twitter @nocredatall, or on Facebook) I’ll run them in a post before next week’s episode.

7. Carl Edwards Win Pole for Daytona 500, Roush-Fenway Sweeps Front Row

            Qualifying at Daytona means about as much as a politician’s guarantee to lower taxes, but Edwards should be pumped to start 2012 on a high note after the disappointing end to last season.

6. Beckett and Lester Acknowledge Lack of Judgment Last September

            We can file this news bulletin in the “better late than never” department. Perhaps the need for redemption will empower both Red Sox pitchers to reaffirm their status as aces.

5. Lionel Messi Scores Four Goals in One Game
            For those of you not in the know, four goals is a lot.

4. Spurs Nearly Blow Lead, Defeat Clippers in Overtime

            It was impressive feat for San Antonio to win it’s tenth straight game in the Clipper building, but they paid a heavy price to do it. Manu Ginobili, who was making his fourth start after missing 22 with a broken wrist, suffered a strained oblique after a hard screen by Kenyon Martin. San Antonio also lost backup center Tiago Splitter to a strained right calf. For a team that has been trying to baby Tim Duncan through this condensed regular season, that’s a big deal.

3. Tim Wakefield Retires

            I’m just going to list all of the memorable (for better or worse) players Wakefield was teammates with during his run in Boston that I can type from memory in five minutes.

Roger Clemens

Mo Vaughn
Jose Canseco
Tim Naehring
Scott Hatteberg
Jason Varitek
Heathcliff Slocumb (unofficially, his trade was the catalyst for the foundation of the 2004 Red Sox, along with steroids)
Derek Lowe
Pedro Martinez
Troy O’Leary
Trot Nixon
Nomar Garciaparra
John Burkett
Hideo Nomo
Johnny Damon
Manny Ramirez
David Ortiz
Curt Schilling
Mark Bellhorn
Rich Garces
Orlando Cabrera
Dave Roberts
Kevin Millar
Lou Merloni
Jacoby Ellsbury
Matt Clement
David Wells
Jonathan Papelbon
Hideki Okajima
Kevin Youkilis
Clay Bucholz
Jon Lester
Josh Beckett
John Lackey (woof)
Dustin Pedroia
Dante Bichette
Aaron Sele
Adrian Gonzalez
J.D. Drew
Carl Crawford
Bronson Arroyo
Daniel Bard
PAPELBON (still a little distraught he’s no longer with the Sox)
Keith Foulke
Jared Saltalaicantspelltherestofhisname

            Playing with all those guys (and the many more that I forgot, like Todd Walker, Tom Gordon, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Carl Everett, ect.) is an accomplishment on it’s own. I’ll remember Wakefield for being the most fun Red Sox pitcher to watch (after Pedro) for how quickly he worked. I’ll remember him for his quirky knuckleball, which usually led to either 8 innings of one run ball or 2 innings of 9 run ball. I’ll remember him doing whatever was asked of him (remember him getting 15 saves in 1999? Crazy). I’ll remember him for bouncing back after giving up the series clinching home run to Aaron Boone in the 2003 ALCS (most pitchers would’ve been destroyed by that moment). It’s more likely that baseball fans will see another Pedro Martinez before we ever see another Tim Wakefield.

2. Linsanity Continues Sunday Against Dallas

            Linsanity is just like Tebow Mania, with the only difference being that the player at the center of the craze is actually pretty good.

1. Kyle Busch Nearly Wrecks Twice, Wins Wild Bud Shootout

            Classic NASCAR fans can rejoice. Pack racing is back (at least until the last two laps anyway). Kyle Busch put on one of the best displays of driving in restrictor plate history with two brilliant saves, and then his slingshot move to nip Tony Stewart at the finish line. Folks should be looking forward to a great Daytona 500.

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.