By Dalton Del Don
It’s too late in most leagues, but Felipe Lopez needs to be picked up. Thursday marked the seventh straight start for him, so he’s now entrenched in the lineup. He’s not going to help your batting average, but there’s some solid stolen base and power potential from the middle infielder. RFK really limited Lopez over the past two years, so there’s some upside here.
Pitching with a damaged shoulder and soon to turn 41 years old, John Smoltz has been as good as ever this season. A 31:6 K:BB ratio over 23 innings with no homers allowed is about as dominant as it gets. A favorable schedule has helped, and he’s going to remain an injury risk, but fantasy owners might as well hold onto Smoltz and enjoy the ride.
David Ortiz is having an awful year, but he is on pace to still finish with 135 RBI.
In this installment of the clueless Joe Torre, did he really have Andruw Jones batting second and Nomar Garciaparra hitting cleanup Wednesday? I really think Major League Baseball managers might collectively be the dumbest profession in the United States. Want another example? Charlie Manuel decided to bring Cole Hamels out for the eighth inning Wednesday even though he had already thrown 118 pitches. I’m also not too big on Lou Piniella’s decision to skip Rich Hill’s turn in the rotation for inferior options like Jason Marquis and Ryan Dempster.
How is Barry Bonds unemployed right now? This is a national crisis and an outrage that deserves an inquest.
It’s pretty obvious Jeremy Bonderman is pitching with an injury. I was down on him entering the year, and he’s been even worse than I feared. Issuing 21 walks through 27.1 innings is staggering. Expect a DL-stint to arrive shortly.
Lance Berman is unconscious right now, batting .325 with six long balls and four steals. He’s also drawn seven walks to just one strikeout over the last seven games. He’s not going to suddenly steal 30 bases, but the Astros are running wild this year, so a career-high in the category should be expected. With an improved lineup also around him, Berkman is in line to obliterate last year’s numbers.
Jimmy Fallon to replace Conan O’Brien once he takes over for Jay Leno? Get ready for Chevy Chase, Part 2.
The Vikings and Chiefs trade looks win-win to me. Minnesota’s defense is going to be a force adding the league’s best pass rusher in his prime next to the NFL’s best interior. That team is a quarterback away from winning the NFC. Of course, quarterback is the most important position in football. I also applaud Dallas’ decision to go after Pacman Jones. Sure, there’s plenty of risk involved, but any time you can get a top-5 defensive player for a fourth rounder, you do so. When on the field, Jones is more valuable than any player in this year’s NFL Draft.
I’m beginning to think Francisco Liriano isn’t 100 percent recovered from his Tommy John surgery.
I would say that Brett Favre becoming the next cover boy of “Madden” would solve the jinx problem, but there’s always the chance he comes back. Still, it’s pretty fitting.
I’m not saying I predicted Manny Corpas losing the closer’s job mid-April, but last year’s 6.6 strikeouts per nine innings didn’t exactly scream dominant stopper. The .260 BABIP and .85 strand rate did, however, suggest he was lucky. He’ll turn it around, but this is another example of how fluid closing situations become because of small sample sizes.
Look Look. There’s a picture of me on ESPN.com. How exciting!
Morgues should be preparing for Gary Sheffield’s arrival, because he looks just about done. At age 39, his body is simply failing him. That said, American League pitchers beware, the rest of this Tigers lineup has officially awoken.
Might as well take a flier on Eric Hinske. His .327/.403/.727 line can’t be taken too seriously, but remember, the former ROY was a pretty good prospect back in the day. And after what Carlos Pena did last year in a similar situation in Tampa Bay, Hinske can’t be completely ignored. He might be a pretty good asset against right-handers this year.
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