Sports Blog

The flurry of steroids related drama surrounding Major League Baseball has been pretty high this season.

First it was leaked that Alex Rodriguez tested positive for performance enhancing drugs while he played for the New York Rangers.  He was able to avoid a lengthy suspension because the test was given in anonymity before the current drug rules were instituted, but the hit to his character and the game of baseball were still large.

Adding to the already dark cloud of A-Rod’s failed test is the fact that over 100 other MLB players tested positive during the same time period.  The tests are sealed so people are naturally starting to question a lot of players from the last 10-20 years.  Anyone who starts to slump, like Boston’s David Ortiz, makes baseball fans wonder if their former greatness can be attributed largely to the juice.

Then there are cases like Manny Ramirez, where it has yet to be proven he took steroids but the circumstantial evidence is overwhelming.  All of these unpleasant stories make this weeks fantasy impact player even more impressive.  He has never been linked to any type of performance enhancing drug and is one of the brightest young stars in the game today.

This weeks fantasy impact player is New York Mets‘ third baseman David Wright, who started off the season a bit on the slow side but has turned it on in the past couple weeks.  Currently riding a respectable 11-game hit streak, Wright leads all third basemen in batting average with a monstrous .362, good for eighth overall among all players with at least 100 at bats.

For the past seven days he is the second highest rated player on ESPN’s fantasy player rater and is first for third basemen.  During that same time span he is 14 for 22 at the plate for a whopping .636 batting average.  He also has 10 walks to only three strike outs, which explains his high on-base percentage (.750) and OPS (1.568).  It is true his power numbers are down, but considering he has hit at least 25 home runs in each of the last four years it is only a matter of time before his power catches up to the rest of his impressive numbers.

Toss in the fact that he trails only Chone Figgins in steals among third basemen and you can see just how dominate Wright is in the world of fantasy.  It isn’t reasonable to expect him to continue hitting .362, but his final regular season stats could easily be a .315 batting average, 28 home runs, 115 RBI and 30 stolen bases.

And what fantasy owner wouldn’t be ecstatic for those numbers?

Image Source:Hawk Fantasy Sports

When word got out that Manny Ramirez was going to be suspended for 50 games there were a lot of different reactions from different people. Dodgers owner Frank McCourt was pissed, teammates were disappointed, and fans were largely a mix of both.

Then there were fantasy owners who were not so much angry at his alleged misconduct but by the fact that one of their top draft picks (his average draft position was 23.7) was going to be useless until early July.  Just as it is going to be impossible for the Dodgers to straight up replace his production in their line up, you aren’t going to find a player on the waiver wire that will match or exceed his production.

However, there are a few quality steals out there that will help you ride the ship until Ramirez’s return.  So whether you lost Manny, are ready to drop a disappointing outfielder (B.J. Upton!), or are simply looking to add some depth, here are five fantasy impact outfielders that could help your team.  All five are currently in ESPN’s top 50 outfielders and are owned in less than 50 percent of leagues.

Michael Bourn, Houston Astros:  The 20th ranked outfielder and owned in only a third of leagues, the most tantalizing aspect of Bourn is his ability to swipe bags (tied for third among outfielders).  He isn’t going to give you any power, but his solid batting average (.317) and stolen bases (13) makes up for it.

Denard Span, Minnesota Twins:  Span’s production is similar to Bourn.  He isn’t going to hit many home runs, which is typically what you look for in your outfielders, but his average (.299) and steals (8) are only slightly lower than Bourn and he has almost twice as many RBI (18).

Jack Cust, Oakland Athletics:  Owned in just over a quarter of leagues, Cust is capable of giving you decent power numbers.  With five home runs and 21 RBI already, it isn’t out of the question for him to put up 25 and 80 by seasons end.

Jason Kubel, Minnesota Twins:  The second Twin on this list is the exact opposite of the first.  Kubel isn’t going to be swift on the bases, but runs and RBI are similar to Span and he hits for a higher average (.333).  Before you pick him up make sure he qualifies in your league as an outfielder because he spends a lot of time as the DH.

Elijah Dukes, Washington Nationals:  One of the few bright spots on the Nationals, Dukes is currently the 49th ranked outfielder and is proficient in almost every category.  His average (.280), runs (12), home runs (4), RBI (23) and stolen bases (2) are all very respectable and he probably has more upside than anyone else on this list.

And so another one bites the dust.

In case you have been living under a rock for the last 24 hours and/or haven’t had any human contact, Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Manny Ramirez has tested positive for human chorionic gonadotropin, or hCG, a female fertility drug and banned substance of Major League Baseball.

Ramirez has been suspended for 50 games and will lose more than $7 million dollars in salary after deciding to drop his appeal of the ruling.

Sadly, for those who root for the Dodgers, the savior of their team has joined the likes of other home run hitting heroes who have fallen under the dark cloud of the steroids era.  While Ramirez hasn’t tested positive for steroids — he said he has passed about 15 drug tests over the last five seasons — the tarnish to his image may be too much for even him to overcome.

hCG is, after all, a drug commonly used by steroid users to get their bodies to naturally reproduce testosterone after a steroids cycle.  At best he is guilty of gross negligence when it comes to monitoring drugs he puts into his body.  At worst he is a cheater a la Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds, Jose Canseco, etc., etc.

We aren’t supposed to be surprised any more when a new name pops up on the list of substance (ab)users, but regardless of whether or not you are a fan of Ramirez it is likely you were at least a bit shocked when you heard the news.  Manny is a lot of things, but until yesterday a cheater wasn’t thought to be one of them.  Ugly exit from Boston aside, Ramirez has been the goofy, eccentric, fan-friendly player that Bonds never was.  For all his shortcomings, Ramirez was the carefree-to-a-fault, clean power hitter baseball desperately needed.

Or so we all thought.

Manny being Manny used to be a nice way of saying Ramirez is a bit of knucklehead.   Now it just feels like the butt of a bad late night joke, the easy way of saying Ramirez’s deception can only be described as Ramirez-like.

McGwire taught us all that chicks dig the long ball, but nobody told him and the players that followed that drug induced potency didn’t count.  Now Ramirez has taught us all a lesson we hopefully won’t soon forget.

Looks can be deceiving. Just because a player doesn’t show the typical signs of steroid use (Bond’s enormous head) doesn’t mean he is above suspicion.  Just because a player is engaging and charismatic doesn’t mean he is beyond doubt.  Just because a man can lift a city doesn’t mean he can evade punishment.

And, apparently, just because you aren’t supposed to be surprised any more doesn’t mean you can’t be.

Image Source: Wbz.com

It is still extremely early in the MLB season, but if votes were cast today for the Cy Young award there would be no doubt in which pitcher was most deserving of the hardware.  His stuff has been so dominant he is currently the No. 1 ranked fantasy player according to ESPN, ahead of such household names as Johan Santana and Albert Pujols.

The pitcher and this weeks fantasy impact player is none other than Zach Greinke of the Kansas City Royals.  Greinke’s hot start — he didn’t give up his first two earned runs of the year until his fifth start — has helped fantasy owners stay at the top of several pitching categories.

Greinke is first in the MLB in wins (5) and earned run average (0.50) in 36 innings of work.  His ability to eat up innings has made him and Boston’s Tim Wakefield the only pitchers to have tossed two complete games.  Greinke is also in the top 10 in strikeouts per nine innings, strikeout to walk ratio, and WHIP for pitchers who have logged at least 20 innings.

To put it in non-stat geek language; Greinke has been lights out.  And when you take into consideration his average draft position was 84.5 compared to Santana’s 9.1, he was one heck of a bargain for those owners who were smart/lucky enough to take him.

Image Source: HardBallTimes.com

We are only a handful of games into the 162-game marathon that is the Major League Baseball season, but it is never too early to start thinking about MVP candidates. Some of the players performing in the elite class are perennial all-stars and household fixtures. Others, however, are not well known nationally and are bursting onto the scene for the first time.

Can these players perform at their current pace for the entire season? Will any of them be in contention for the MVP trophy at the end of the year? History says no, but it is still fun to take a look at some early season favorites. Here are five players in no particular order playing MVP type baseball.

Miguel Cabrera: Cabrera has been a real offensive force for the Detroit Tigers and has helped them get off to a 7-5 start. Currently he is among league leaders in several categories — first in batting average (.489); tied for first in hits (23); and third in on base percentage and OPS (.538 and 1.326). Cabrera has shown the world he could hit like this before and it wouldn’t be a complete surprise if he stayed towards the top in these statistics for the entire year.

Ian Kinsler: As hard as it may be to imagine, being stuck on the Texas Rangers does have its advantages. Perhaps the biggest is the stadium itself, which has been known to be a hitter’s park. Kinsler, who is only in his fourth season in the majors, leads the league in OPS and slugging as he is in the top ten in on base percentage, batting average, stolen bases, RBI and home runs.

Kevin Youkilis: With big questions of whether or not his best seasons were behind him, all Youkilis has done is prove his naysayers wrong. He’s gotten on base better than anyone in the majors, leading the league with an impressive .559 on base percentage. And even though his power numbers are middle of the pack, by putting himself on base with such frequency he’ll make an impact in a lot of games this season.

Johan Santana/Zack Greinke: Everybody who follows baseball knows that Santana is a stud, but few outside of Kansas City realized how special Greinke is. Both have been dominant through three starts and will be in contention for Cy Young awards and possibly MVP hardware.

Greinke: 0.00 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 3-0 record, .219 BAA
Santana: 0.46 ERA, 0.81 WHIP, 2-1 record, .157 BAA

And there you have it, five players off to incredibly hot starts. The list is sure to change throughout the year but no one can deny that these guys have performed great thus far.

With the weather heating up around the country and Major League Baseball a couple weeks into its season, it is only natural to think about wanting to get out on the diamond to play some ball. And whether you plan on playing a friendly game with the family or a hard nosed battle in your rec league, you are going to need a solid glove to get you through the action. But how do you go about finding a glove? Which one is right for you? Where are the best deals? Worry not, because regardless if this is you first time picking up the leather or you are a seasoned pro, I’ve got you covered. Read more »