10 Awesome Things That Happened This Weekend (4/12-4/14)

10. Jose Reyes Injures His Ankle
            A bunch of folks that drafted him in the third or fourth round on their fantasy team are really disappointed.

9. Carlos Quentin Drops Appeal, Dodges Trip to Los Angeles

            Shouldn’t of Quentin’s penalty forced him to play at Dodger Stadium less than a week after breaking Zack Greinke’s clavicle?

8. Kyle Busch Wins Another Nationwide Race

            It’s awesome that all of the young up-and-coming drivers get a chance to finish second to Kyle Busch every week in the Nationwide Series.

7. Michigan Point Guard Trey Burke Enters the NBA Draft
            Eventually, a NBA team could win a championship if Trey Burke was their fourth best player. I’m not sure if that’s a comment or an insult, but it’s the way it is.

6. Kevin Durant Fined $25,000 For “Menacing Gesture”

            I tried to fine my son $25K for dropping a menacing poop in his Pamper, but alas he doesn’t have any money.

5. Atlanta Braves Sweep Nationals, Improve to 11-1
            If Evan Gattis keeps hitting the crap out of baseballs, someone is going to make a movie about him in three years.

4. Kyle Busch Wins the NRA 500

            People two left or right of center were too busy arguing about the NRA to realize that a NASCAR race was actually happening.

3. Dirk Nowitzki Becomes First German to Score 25,000 Points
            Deutschland ist sehr gut.

2. Kobe Bryant Tears His Achilles, Makes a Crazy Facebook Post, and Then Tweets Photos of His Surgery

            Don’t bet against Kobe being ready for opening night next fall.

1. Adam Scott Wins The Masters

            This one was especially meaningful after Scott’s epic choke last summer in the British Open. Incredibly, he becomes the first man from Australia ever to win at Augusta.

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.

   

Earnhardt Clips and Round 3 of the Fantasy Baseball Mock Draft

            I never met Dale Earnhardt, but I’m pretty sure he would call anyone that would do a fantasy baseball mock draft a word that could also be used to refer to a cat. Nevertheless, 10 years after his death, I’m listing some clips of Dale Earnhardt’s most memorable moments before the 3^rd round of my fantasy baseball mock draft. There’s a few crashes (not the one that killed him though, I didn’t feel the need to list that), a few of his most famous shortcomings at the Daytona 500, and some of his most memorable victories.

Dale Earnhardt's 1982 Pocono Flip – Dale broke his kneecap as a result of this crash with the late Tim Richmond.

The Winston 1987 - The Pass in the Grass – Bill Elliott had the much faster car, but Earnhardt refused to surrender the lead.

Final Lap of 1990 Daytona 500 – Earnhardt cuts a tire down going into turn 3 on the last lap, giving Derrick Cope one of the greatest upset wins in NASCAR history.

1993 Daytona 500 – Earnhardt gets passed by Dale Jarrett on the last lap to again be denied a Daytona 500 victory. This race is best remembered for Dale’s father Ned announcing the final lap of the race.

1995 Brickyard 400 – Earnhardt holds off Rusty Wallace and Dale Jarrett for his only career win at Indianapolis.

1996 Dale Earnhardt Flip at Talladega –Earnhardt refused to be loaded onto a stretcher despite a broken collarbone, sternum, and shoulder blade after this hellacious crash.

1997 Daytona 500 – In contention for the win, contact with Jeff Gordon leads to Earnhardt ending up airborne.

1998 Daytona 500 – Dale finally wins the Daytona 500.

Earnhardt Rattles Terry Labonte's Cage – Earnhardt spun out the much faster Terry Labonte with two laps to go to win the 1999 August race at Bristol. (EDITORS NOTE: Unless you really enjoy the song “Flirtin’ With Disaster”, fast forward to about the 0:45 second mark of this clip.)

Earnhardt Wins By 0.006 Seconds – Earnhardt barely held on to beat Bobby Labonte in a 2000 race at Atlanta.

18th to First – In what would be his final Winston Cup victory, Earnhardt makes an incredible charge to win the 2000 fall race at Talladega.

Now on to the 3^rd round…

3-25 = Tim Lincecum, SP, Giants – Lincecum’s stats were down last season (mostly due to a horrendous August), and he threw a ton of extra pitches during the Giants’ World Series run. I would be hesitant to use a pick this high on him, but this is probably about the spot Lincecum will go.

            Team 1 = Albert Pujols, Dustin Pedroia, Tim Lincecum

3-26 = Jose Reyes, SS, Mets – Reyes is another contract year guy that if healthy, should give you first round production. This is a reasonable spot to take a chance on him.

            Team 2 = Miguel Cabrera, Adam Wainwright, Jose Reyes

3-27 = Kevin Youkilis, 1B, Red Sox – Youkilis will gain 3^rd base eligibility between 1 and 20 games into the season (depending on your league rules). Whether he anywhere from 3^rd through 6^th in the Red Sox lineup, he’ll be a good bet to hit 25 homers with 105 RBIs.

            Team 3 = Robinson Cano, Matt Kemp, Kevin Youkilis

3-28 = Shin Soo Choo, OF-RF, Indians – A reliable source of 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases. With a healthy Carlos Santana and Grady Sizemore, Choo could finally break the 100 RBI barrier.

            Team 4 = Troy Tulowitzki, Ryan Zimmerman, Shin Soo Choo

3-29 = Ian Kinsler, 2B, Rangers – Kinsler would be a perennial top-10 pick if it weren’t for the fact that he’s missed 192 games during his 5-year career. I’d be happy to grab him if he slipped into the mid-4^th, but someone will grab him this high.

            Team 5 = Hanley Ramirez, Felix Hernandez, Ian Kinsler

3-30 = Clayton Kershaw, SP, Dodgers – This might be five picks to early, but his progression as a major league starter suggests that he could develop into a fantasy ace in 2011.

            Team 6 = Evan Longoria, Ryan Howard, Clayton Kershaw

3-31 = Zack Greinke, SP, Brewers – If you buy all of the talk that Greinke’s poor 2010 was due solely to the fact that he was bored pitching for a losing team, than you would be more than happy to add him at this point of the draft. Greinke has the ability to be the #1 pitcher in fantasy (he was for most of the first half of the 2009 season), and his switch to the National League makes him all the more tantalizing.

            Team 7 = Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Hamilton, Zack Greinke

3-32 = Matt Holliday, OF-LF, Cardinals – Holliday is blessed with hitting either before or after Albert Pujols (for at least one more year anyway). At his worst, he should finish the season with a .280-25-110 line, which makes him the safest pick of this round so far. He’s not a sexy pick, but he will help you win.

            Team 8 = Joey Votto, Carlos Gonzalez, Matt Holliday

3-33 = Andrew McCutchen, OF-CF, Pirates – I like McCutchen as a potential breakout candidate in 2011. He has solid plate discipline (70 walks to only 89 strikeouts), and with just a little help from his teammates, he could make a run at a .300-20-80-40-110 season in the five basic fantasy categories.

            Team 9 = Roy Halladay, Mark Teixeira, Andrew McCutchen

3-34 = Joe Mauer, C, Twins – Mauer is the safest bet in the majors to have a batting average of at least .320. If he can get his home run total closer to 20, this pick is a slam-dunk.

            Team 10 = Carl Crawford, Prince Fielder, Joe Mauer

3-35 = Cliff Lee, SP, Phillies – Going into this draft I figured Lee would be a late 2^nd round pick, but somehow it made sense for him to go right about here. I wouldn’t argue with anyone who took him as high as the 24^th pick.

            Team 11 = Ryan Braun, Alex Rodriguez, Cliff Lee

3-36 = Nelson Cruz, OF-LF-RF, Rangers – I’m a sucker for Nelson Cruz. Two years ago I traded Cole Hamels for Cruz. Last year I traded Buster Posey (and two other players, yikes!) for Cruz. This year I’ll probably just draft him in the first round so I don’t have to deal with any pesky trade negotiations.

            Team 12 = David Wright, Chase Utley, Nelson Cruz