By Dalton Del Don
The more I think about it, the more I like Corey Patterson this season. It’s not ideal that the Reds have plenty of outfield options, but Patterson is a very good defender, and his average should stay afloat starting mostly against righties. Moreover, his relationship with Dusty Baker dating back to the Chicago days should lead to a long rope, as Baker sees him as one of his guys and likes his style of play (the .297 OBP won’t be clogging up the bases). Playing in a bandbox, a 20/50 type season isn’t out of the question, even though he’ll be hurting the Reds in the process.
Injuries are a part of the game, but they’ve been a little ridiculous in the early going. Gary Sheffield wasted no time this season.
Anyone who watched Eric Gagne’s season debut also likely picked up David Riske. Gagne simply looked brutal, and one shouldn’t be too optimistic for a turnaround. If you’re a Gagne owner and can get Riske straight up right now, I’d do it in a nanosecond. Kerry Wood’s shaky start, meanwhile, is far less worrisome. He’s touching 98 mph on the gun, and while he’s never had great command, Wood should be a very successful closer as long as health permits.
Ron Gardenhire is mistakenly considered a great manager by most, but his irrational decision to start Craig Monroe over Jason Kubel versus a righty suggests just the opposite. That better not happen again this season.
Put a fork in Trevor Hoffman, he’s done. Since the end of July last year, he has a 6.26 ERA and 1.87 WHIP. Doesn’t matter how good your changeup is if your fastball is the same speed.
I’m avoiding all players slated to start their year during the ESPN Sunday night opening game next season. Last year, Chris Carpenter got rocked and hasn’t thrown a pitch in a game since. This year, Chad Cordero gets shut down in the bullpen during a save opportunity with what sounds like a potentially long-term injury. It’s the ESPN Sunday night opening game curse.
Forget Rookie of the Year, it’s Johnny Cueto for Cy Young. Cueto was flat-out dominant during his first big league start Thursday, posting a 10:0 K:BB ratio and allowing just one baserunner over seven innings. Of course, the 22-year-old is bound to be inconsistent with his command over the course of this season, but the Reds are obviously holding a winning lottery ticket. His fastball/slider combo is pretty much unhittable.
Dalton’s weekly SF Giant rant: Aaron Rowand batting sixth? Don’t get me wrong, I think that’s where he belongs in a normal major league lineup, but the Giants’ barely resembles a Triple-A squad, and if they thought he was worth $60 million, surely he’s one of their five best hitters, correct? True story: Bengie Molina couldn’t score from second base on a soft single even when it was during a hit-and-run Tuesday. After a 1.5 hour rain delay Wednesday, San Francisco thought it’d be a good idea to bring Tim Lincecum back into a game in wet conditions. In a season destined to finish with the worst record in baseball? Words can’t describe how poorly ran San Francisco’s franchise is.
After a dominant spring, Joe Saunders looked very good in his season debut against the Twins on Wednesday. After working hard all offseason, Saunders can’t be ignored. A lefty who induces that many groundballs needs to be picked up in deeper leagues.
I’ve told you once, but it’s worth reiterating, don’t “sleep” on Pacman Jones.
If you need middle infield help, look no further than Jose Lopez, who is a major candidate to break out in 2008. Coming off a second half that saw him hit .213/.238/.281 last season, he’s easy to overlook, but Lopez is still just 24 years old and is batting second in the Mariners lineup. He’s also taking a different approach this season, concentrating on going oppo and cutting down on the strikeouts. If he’s still available in your league, he won’t be for long.
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