Today's big player move in baseball was that the Orioles signed OF Delmon Young to a minor league contract.
Beyond that, there were reports that OF Jack Cust and RHP Bobby Jenks are interested in making comebacks after being out of baseball. Really? I guess the money if whatever field they're working in isn't as good as a major league salary.
You might also have heard some things about sometime Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez.
The latest is that he wants to sue Major League Baseball and the MLBPA in federal court over his suspension.
I expect that will go essentially nowhere. An arbitrator ruled that Rodriguez broke baseball's PED rules, based largely on Anthony Bosch's testimony and text messages between them. The arbitrator said there was sufficient evidence indicating that A-Rod used banned substances on at least three occasions and that he tried to block MLB's investigation (think obstruction of justice) at least twice.
So where's the smoking gun? Or maybe the dripping syringe?
There doesn't have to be one. How often is there a smoking gun even in a murder case.
Baseball doesn't necessarily have to follow all of the rules that would apply in a court of law. The idea is that people have rights, but there is no "right to play major league baseball." There has been a long history of instances where players have been suspended or banned with less evidence than would convict them in court. Baseball banned eight Chicago White Sox for at least knowing but not reporting attempts to fix the 1919 World Series. More recently, Pete Rose received a lifetime ban for betting on baseball, possibly including his own team, when he managed the Reds.
In my mind, baseball has allowed the dispute over Rodriguez's suspension to last far too long. I'm not sure how the figure of 211 games was decided for his original suspension. Perhaps the idea was to keep him from playing in 2013 or '14. For some reason, he was allowed to postpone his hearing until the off-season. Those hearings usually are held and adjudicated within a matter of days or weeks.
He was allowed to play while the other players brought down in the scandal involving Bosch's PED lab sat out suspensions. And his suspension was reduced to 162 games.
There probably wasn't enough hard evidence to give A-Rod a three-strikes-and-you're-out lifetime ban. Still, he seems to be getting off easy. However, he seems to have the sense of entitlement that says the rules aren't meant to include him.
It seems likely that fans will not be very forgiving. They/we don't like the idea that star players can get off on a technicality, as Ryan Braun did the first time, or that they should be allowed to buy their way out of suspensions.
A side note, or perhaps a historical note: It seems clear that Rodriguez lied through his teeth (as so many other accused players have done) a few years back when he said that he had used PEDs only while he played for the Rangers and only before baseball banned such substances. His most recent run-in lends credence to Selena Roberts' reporting in Sports Illustrated and a note of embarrassment for Peter Gammons' softball interview with A-Rod that let him slide for a while.
* * *
Basketball. My 7-1 win for last week moved me into third place, just two games behind the league leader. My signing of Marco Belinelli to give me an extra guard Sunday didn't hurt my team, but it wasn't enough to complete a sweep by also winning in 3-pointers.
My original intention was that Belinelli would be a short-term acquisition, and that I would bring Taj Gibson back on to my roster. Then I did some homework.
The question was whether I should bring Gibson back for help up front and waive Belinelli, or possibly another newly acquired guard, Mo Williams.
First I compared their raw numbers to see which two of them had the best overall statistics. Gibson led, as we'd expect, in rebounds and blocks, and also in scoring. Williams had the highest free throw percentage and led, not unexpectedly, in assists and steals. Belinelli was best in just two categories, field goal percentage and 3-pointers.
However, when I assigned 3, 2 and 1 points in each category, with 3 being the highest, the totals were Gibson 15, Williams 16 and Belinelli 17.
The second step was determining in which categories my team needed the most help. Through Sunday, I was below average in four categories -- sixth in assists, seventh in points, tied for seventh in 3-pointers and ninth in field goal percentage. Look above and you'll see that Belinelli has had the best season in the team's worst categories, FG% and 3s. Williams leads the three-man group in assists.
Third, because it's my first year in a fantasy basketball league, I tried to determine how successful teams are set up. Are they oriented toward big men, or more toward speed and other small-man skills. My short, small-sample-sized, research showed that the team currently in first place had a 13-man roster including seven players each who qualify as guards or forwards, and three qualifying at center. My current roster, without power forward Gibson, has six guards, six forwards and a center.
The first-place team outnumbers mine at shooting guard and small forward. My roster has more power forwards than his does.
By any measure, it seems, my best move would be to keep Belinelli and Williams on the roster and leave Gibson in the free-agent pool.
* * *
Football. At last night's Islanders-Stars game, I tried to keep up with the playoff scoring through ESPN.com. I'd check the box score on occasion, and write down updated point totals for each player. I left the hockey game thinking I'd won 29-26 to reach the AMFL Super Bowl. I noted that Colin Kaepernick had thrown a touchdown pass and put down 3 points next to his name. pass. I wasn't looking at the touchdown runs because neither of us had Frank Gore. I was surprised when the commissioner wrote today that I'd lost 32-29. Then I saw Kaepernick's TD run. Oh, well.
Things are going better in the bet-a-thousand pool. I had three wins and a push -- at least the Saints didn't score again to beat the spread -- so my bankroll is up to $1,600. That might not help much. The current leader is at $3,700. I pretty much have to win the final three games, and make big bets on the right teams. Off the top of my head, I'll probably bet $1,000 on one team and $500 on the other. Maybe 8 on one and 7 on the other if I don't have a real favorite, so a split wouldn't kill me. Another possibility is going $1,400 and $100 if there's a team I reeeaallly like. I noticed that almost all of the teams currently leading had the 49ers, and they all put significantly more than my piddly $100 on San Francisco.
* * *
Hockey. Last night I got to see the Islanders' Thomas Vanek in person, probably for the first time since 2005 but probably not going back as far as when he played for the University of Minnesota in the Frozen Four. He had two assists, and even better was plus-3. My team's plus/minus has been taking off lately. I'm up to plus-40 and just four behind the next team ahead of me. The leader is at 100 and something, so that's probably out of reach. I entered Monday still third with 66, and eight points out of second place. Again, first place seems ridiculously out of reach.
BTW, Vanek leads the Islanders in plus/minus (+8, I think), and he was well below zero when he arrived on the island after the Sabres traded him.
Monday, January 13, 2014
Saturday, January 11, 2014
What? There are game limits?
The only recent movement in baseball's off-season has been sideways or downward rather than moving any player or team's prospects upward.
The Rangers' bad news is that LHP Derek Holland could miss half of this season. He underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee after a fall in his home.
Rockies OF Carlos Gonzalez had his appendix removed, but that doesn't seem likely to cost him any playing time in 2014. Other injuries? Those seem probable, given his history.
The Nationals signed RHP Stephen Strasburg to a one-year contract for $3.975 million plus incentives, to avoid arbitration.
The Yankees designated OF Vernon Wells for assignment, officially to clear room on their 40-man roster. For what? Unless it's Masahiro Tanaka, the move could be no more than addition by subtraction, removing Wells from consideration in a crowded outfield picture. Too bad for them that they'll still be on the hook for most if not all of his contract. Most likely, Wells will simply go into the pile of mostly scrap-heap free agents. He would fit in there.
* * *
Hockey. I'm still treading water in third place, at 67 points. Five out of second place. I'm above average in every category except for goals against average (10th) and save percentage (ninth). I just recently realized that we have a limit for games played -- for forwards, defensemen, utility players and goalies. I can't find on the ESPN site a breakdown of games played by position. But the total games played seems to indicate that the league's top three teams could be on a pace to run out of games before the season ends. There is a gap down to the other seven teams, but guess who they would catch first if they're playing longer into the season. I think that even though the first-place team has more games played than anyone, it's so far ahead that none of us could catch up.
The games limit makes it most important to build a lead in the "average" categories -- GAA, save percentage and ATOI -- as well as plus/minus. If you run out of games at any position, those "average" figures wouldn't change. And they'd have to add a positive performance in plus/minus. Someone would have to outperform you in those categories. In the other seven categories, just showing up every day would build the totals and allow them to pass the teams with exhausted player limits. Not sure whether I could devise a strategy for limiting games played during the time remaining this season, but if I do, I'll pass it along. But I will observe the stretch run, and have a strategy before next season.
* * *
Basketball. Before I fell asleep at about 9:30 last night, I had a 5-1-2 lead this week. Right now, it's 7-1. If all of this week's matchups remain the same -- and I probably shouldn't be saying or even thinking this because it could jinx me -- I would move into third place (from fourth) but just two games out of first place (seven games coming into the week).
Several categories are close. I'm trailing by three steals, lead by one 3-pointer, two blocks and five assists. I currently have just two players active for Sunday. My opponent has three, but two are point guards. I might have to pick up a viable point guard of my own, one who's playing Sunday, to protect my lead. I'll figure that out more after Saturday's games.
* * *
Turns out I placed third in a Pittsburgh bowl pool. My winnings will pretty much cover my entry fees in the bowl and NFL playoff pools I entered.
Just realized I don't have any choice in the AMFL playoffs. I have eight players on my roster: Chagers QBs (hoping it's all Philip Rivers), D'Angelo Williams and Danny Woodhead at RB, Keenan Allen and Danny Amendola at WR, Vernon Davis at TE, Patriots Ks (Stephen Gostkowski) and Seahawks D/ST. This is a scoring-only league. This week is our league semifinals. The two winners in the top-division playoffs advance to the two-week AMFL Super Bowl. For this week at least, I have to hope the Chargers' offense performs well. There's a good chance against the Broncos. Also a good chance San Diego would lose 45-42. That would be OK as long as I could win and advance, and get good draft picks for the conference finals and big game 48.
The Rangers' bad news is that LHP Derek Holland could miss half of this season. He underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee after a fall in his home.
Rockies OF Carlos Gonzalez had his appendix removed, but that doesn't seem likely to cost him any playing time in 2014. Other injuries? Those seem probable, given his history.
The Nationals signed RHP Stephen Strasburg to a one-year contract for $3.975 million plus incentives, to avoid arbitration.
The Yankees designated OF Vernon Wells for assignment, officially to clear room on their 40-man roster. For what? Unless it's Masahiro Tanaka, the move could be no more than addition by subtraction, removing Wells from consideration in a crowded outfield picture. Too bad for them that they'll still be on the hook for most if not all of his contract. Most likely, Wells will simply go into the pile of mostly scrap-heap free agents. He would fit in there.
* * *
Hockey. I'm still treading water in third place, at 67 points. Five out of second place. I'm above average in every category except for goals against average (10th) and save percentage (ninth). I just recently realized that we have a limit for games played -- for forwards, defensemen, utility players and goalies. I can't find on the ESPN site a breakdown of games played by position. But the total games played seems to indicate that the league's top three teams could be on a pace to run out of games before the season ends. There is a gap down to the other seven teams, but guess who they would catch first if they're playing longer into the season. I think that even though the first-place team has more games played than anyone, it's so far ahead that none of us could catch up.
The games limit makes it most important to build a lead in the "average" categories -- GAA, save percentage and ATOI -- as well as plus/minus. If you run out of games at any position, those "average" figures wouldn't change. And they'd have to add a positive performance in plus/minus. Someone would have to outperform you in those categories. In the other seven categories, just showing up every day would build the totals and allow them to pass the teams with exhausted player limits. Not sure whether I could devise a strategy for limiting games played during the time remaining this season, but if I do, I'll pass it along. But I will observe the stretch run, and have a strategy before next season.
* * *
Basketball. Before I fell asleep at about 9:30 last night, I had a 5-1-2 lead this week. Right now, it's 7-1. If all of this week's matchups remain the same -- and I probably shouldn't be saying or even thinking this because it could jinx me -- I would move into third place (from fourth) but just two games out of first place (seven games coming into the week).
Several categories are close. I'm trailing by three steals, lead by one 3-pointer, two blocks and five assists. I currently have just two players active for Sunday. My opponent has three, but two are point guards. I might have to pick up a viable point guard of my own, one who's playing Sunday, to protect my lead. I'll figure that out more after Saturday's games.
* * *
Turns out I placed third in a Pittsburgh bowl pool. My winnings will pretty much cover my entry fees in the bowl and NFL playoff pools I entered.
Just realized I don't have any choice in the AMFL playoffs. I have eight players on my roster: Chagers QBs (hoping it's all Philip Rivers), D'Angelo Williams and Danny Woodhead at RB, Keenan Allen and Danny Amendola at WR, Vernon Davis at TE, Patriots Ks (Stephen Gostkowski) and Seahawks D/ST. This is a scoring-only league. This week is our league semifinals. The two winners in the top-division playoffs advance to the two-week AMFL Super Bowl. For this week at least, I have to hope the Chargers' offense performs well. There's a good chance against the Broncos. Also a good chance San Diego would lose 45-42. That would be OK as long as I could win and advance, and get good draft picks for the conference finals and big game 48.
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Baseball fans: Try to stay awake during Countdown to Tanaka
The Countdown to Tanaka has overshadowed what little real news there has been about Hot Stove League acquisitions.
Oh, there will be announcements about the Hall of Fame in a few minutes as I write this, and the sacred names most likely will appear farther down in this post. But that really has nothing to do with fantasy baseball.
Or if you're a relative of Ramon Hernandez, Robert Andino or Xavier Nady, you might be interested to know that they have signed minor league contracts with the Royals, Pirates and Padres. Re-signed in the case of Andino and Nady -- and possibly with Hernandez, who has been with more teams than I can remember.
Oh, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and Frank Thomas. No Jack Morris? It helped Glavine to be associated with Maddux, but after all, Glavine was a 300-game winner in his own right. Thomas might have stayed a year or two too long, but before that he was clearly a dominant player.
In case you haven't noticed, there's a new look to the blog.
* * *
Football. We're going through the draft for the playoff semifinals in the Andy Memorial Football League. I'll keep you posted. Remaining from my regular-season team were RB D'Angelo Williams, WRs Keenan Allen and Danny Amendola and Seattle's D/ST. My first draft pick was San Diego's QBs, which I'm hoping is Philip Rivers alone. The top four teams in the league are taking part in the championship playoffs draft. This is a scoring-only league.
* * *
Hockey. Lately, for every point or half-point my team has gained, I have lost a corresponding point or half-point. So I'm spinning my wheels at 66 points, in third place. Currently, I'm five points behind the second-place team, which has been fluctuating more than I have.
There are areas where I can gain: 1 power play point out of the league lead, 10 penalty minutes away from a point, 7 seconds from another point in ATOI. My goalkeeping still sucks. I'm 8 wins away from another point and .18 away from the ninth-place team in goals against average. There are three teams within .055 in save percentage. The problem with being close is that there are teams similarly close behind me.
My team was plus-6 Tuesday, so I'm up to 31 points but still 19 behind the next-higher team total.
* * *
Basketball. I made a mistake by not updating my lineup Tuesday. I was up late Monday working on fantasy baseball projections, up late Tuesday morning and as a result I missed out on Joakim Noah's double double by leaving him on the bench. I'm down 5-3 to the team immediately ahead of me in the division, and need to win at least 5-3 to move ahead of that team. Noah's strong points were not in the areas where I'm trailing, but my feeling is that you can't have too big a lead in any category. I understand that if I have 100 more assists than the rest of the league heading into the final few weeks, I could deal assists for shooting percentage or something else I'd need. (You're on notice, Ricky Rubio. Don't be surprised when you hear those trade rumors.) Though first I'd have to get ahead by 100 assists. Another problem is that it's a head-to-head league, so my final Rotisserie (R) totals have no impact on the final standings.
I'm very close in field goal percentage, steals and blocks. It should help in steals, at least, that six of the eight players in my lineup tonight are guards. I don't believe that I have lost since Week 3, and I don't intend to lose this week.
Oh, there will be announcements about the Hall of Fame in a few minutes as I write this, and the sacred names most likely will appear farther down in this post. But that really has nothing to do with fantasy baseball.
Or if you're a relative of Ramon Hernandez, Robert Andino or Xavier Nady, you might be interested to know that they have signed minor league contracts with the Royals, Pirates and Padres. Re-signed in the case of Andino and Nady -- and possibly with Hernandez, who has been with more teams than I can remember.
Oh, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and Frank Thomas. No Jack Morris? It helped Glavine to be associated with Maddux, but after all, Glavine was a 300-game winner in his own right. Thomas might have stayed a year or two too long, but before that he was clearly a dominant player.
In case you haven't noticed, there's a new look to the blog.
* * *
Football. We're going through the draft for the playoff semifinals in the Andy Memorial Football League. I'll keep you posted. Remaining from my regular-season team were RB D'Angelo Williams, WRs Keenan Allen and Danny Amendola and Seattle's D/ST. My first draft pick was San Diego's QBs, which I'm hoping is Philip Rivers alone. The top four teams in the league are taking part in the championship playoffs draft. This is a scoring-only league.
* * *
Hockey. Lately, for every point or half-point my team has gained, I have lost a corresponding point or half-point. So I'm spinning my wheels at 66 points, in third place. Currently, I'm five points behind the second-place team, which has been fluctuating more than I have.
There are areas where I can gain: 1 power play point out of the league lead, 10 penalty minutes away from a point, 7 seconds from another point in ATOI. My goalkeeping still sucks. I'm 8 wins away from another point and .18 away from the ninth-place team in goals against average. There are three teams within .055 in save percentage. The problem with being close is that there are teams similarly close behind me.
My team was plus-6 Tuesday, so I'm up to 31 points but still 19 behind the next-higher team total.
* * *
Basketball. I made a mistake by not updating my lineup Tuesday. I was up late Monday working on fantasy baseball projections, up late Tuesday morning and as a result I missed out on Joakim Noah's double double by leaving him on the bench. I'm down 5-3 to the team immediately ahead of me in the division, and need to win at least 5-3 to move ahead of that team. Noah's strong points were not in the areas where I'm trailing, but my feeling is that you can't have too big a lead in any category. I understand that if I have 100 more assists than the rest of the league heading into the final few weeks, I could deal assists for shooting percentage or something else I'd need. (You're on notice, Ricky Rubio. Don't be surprised when you hear those trade rumors.) Though first I'd have to get ahead by 100 assists. Another problem is that it's a head-to-head league, so my final Rotisserie (R) totals have no impact on the final standings.
I'm very close in field goal percentage, steals and blocks. It should help in steals, at least, that six of the eight players in my lineup tonight are guards. I don't believe that I have lost since Week 3, and I don't intend to lose this week.
Sunday, January 5, 2014
Let's see the NBA at Yankee Stadium in April 2015
Still not much going on in off-season baseball. Unless you count the guys who are retiring but you thought they were already retired. Yes, I mean you, RHP Jeff Suppan and 1B/OF Aubrey Huff. Both had their days in the sun without really catching fire or gaining widespread acclaim. Suppan seemed to have the potential to be very good when I saw him in the minors. That potential became the ability to win 10-12 games a year seemingly forever. Huff was instrumental in bringing the first World Series championship to San Francisco, as well as being part of the Rays' growth into a contending team.
The other big baseball news seems to be that Rangers -- New York Rangers, that is -- goalie Henrik Lundqvist will be wearing a mask featuring the likenesses of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio for the Stadium Series hockey at Yankee Stadium.
The NHL will be coming out of its shutdown for next month's Olympics with a series of outdoor games, like the one that drew 105,000 people to Michigan Stadium on New Year's Day. The most exotic locale will be Dodger Stadium, which last saw ice in a cocktail glass inside a luxury suite.
Yankee Stadium just had the Pinstripe Bowl football game. Hockey is next.
Let's get with it, NBA! Schedule at game at the new House That Ruth Built. Try to make it The House That Carmelo Brought Down. A Saturday or Sunday afternoon game in April (while the Yanks are out of town) should due. That's April 2015, and not a day later.
* * *
Basketball. I'm ahead 5-3 going into the last day of this week's competition. That would keep me in fourth place. But I'm down by just two assists, so I could pick up another game and possibly move into third.
With Ricky Rubio not playing today, I decided to pick up free-agent PG Mario Chalmers. I contemplated dropping up-and-down SG Joe Johnson, but I might need him to boost my 3-point total, so I waived Taj Gibson for the second time this season. I may try to pick him up again.
Eight of my 10 roster spots are filled tonight. I figure Chalmers at least has plenty of options of people to pass to who are likely to shoot and even make some shots. If I'm really lucky, he'll be getting assists for Chris Bosh.
* * *
Hockey. Still at 66 points, and sliding slowly farther behind the second-place team, currently at 73.
The biggest chances for me to gain ground are in assists, where I'm just 8 behind the team in second; power-play points, 4 behind both teams ahead of me in the standings, and save percentage, .027 behind No. 2.
Last night's game before my very eyes was a mixed blessing. Henrik Zetterberg scored two goals and was plus-2, but Brenden Dillon was minus-2. The goals weren't terribly important, because I already lead the league. Last night's plus/minus was up and down, but finished plus-1, boosting my season total to plus-19. That's still 21 points away from catching the next higher team.
My lineup for Sunday will have six skaters and possibly goalie Eddie Lack (Roberto Luongo was in goal for Vancouver Saturday).
* * *
Football. It seemed weird Saturday when I got up thinking I needed to make an 11th-hour check of my fantasy roster, then realized that I didn't have a team playing. Then as I listened to the first half of Kansas City-Indianapolis on the way to the Red Wings-Stars game, I was wondering whether I could retain RB Jamaal Charles on my playoff roster even if he wouldn't be able to play in the Divisional round.
I don't think it was just because I had the Colts in both of my playoff pools, but I found the KC radio crew very annoying. I just looked up the name of the Chiefs' play-by-play guy. He's Mitch Holthus, and he must have some following in Kansas and Missouri because he's been on the job for 20 years. The annoying part was when the Chiefs were tearing it up, he kept repeating a mantra that the Chiefs would be doing it "all day," which apparently included saying "all day" all day. He also seemed very impressed with himself for knowing the small town in Kansas where the head linesman lived, and the location of Mary Hardin Baylor University in Texas.
It wasn't until after the hockey game that I learned the Chiefs had blown their big lead and lost. All day apparently had a second half.
It didn't help the broadcast that color man Len -- turned out to be the one-time great Len Dawson -- was one of the type who pretty much agree with and parrot what the play-by-play guy says. Dawson has seen better days, and I think those are in the past. (All day.)
Anyway, in my pick-'em pool, both the Colts and Saints advanced, as I predicted, but by the skin of their teeth.
Fortunately, in my $1,000-bankroll, pick-with-the-spread pool, I "wagered" $200 on the Saints and just $100 on the Colts, who didn't cover as 2.5-point favorites. So my hypothetical bankroll is up to $1,100.
In my college pools, I don't expect I'll win anything despite picking up 28 points from Vanderbilt in the pick-winners confidence pool. I have 1 point on Ball State tonight and 5 on Florida State Monday. I'm not even sure Vanderbilt covered the spread, but going into that game I was just 11-16 in my point-spread pool.
The other big baseball news seems to be that Rangers -- New York Rangers, that is -- goalie Henrik Lundqvist will be wearing a mask featuring the likenesses of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio for the Stadium Series hockey at Yankee Stadium.
The NHL will be coming out of its shutdown for next month's Olympics with a series of outdoor games, like the one that drew 105,000 people to Michigan Stadium on New Year's Day. The most exotic locale will be Dodger Stadium, which last saw ice in a cocktail glass inside a luxury suite.
Yankee Stadium just had the Pinstripe Bowl football game. Hockey is next.
Let's get with it, NBA! Schedule at game at the new House That Ruth Built. Try to make it The House That Carmelo Brought Down. A Saturday or Sunday afternoon game in April (while the Yanks are out of town) should due. That's April 2015, and not a day later.
* * *
Basketball. I'm ahead 5-3 going into the last day of this week's competition. That would keep me in fourth place. But I'm down by just two assists, so I could pick up another game and possibly move into third.
With Ricky Rubio not playing today, I decided to pick up free-agent PG Mario Chalmers. I contemplated dropping up-and-down SG Joe Johnson, but I might need him to boost my 3-point total, so I waived Taj Gibson for the second time this season. I may try to pick him up again.
Eight of my 10 roster spots are filled tonight. I figure Chalmers at least has plenty of options of people to pass to who are likely to shoot and even make some shots. If I'm really lucky, he'll be getting assists for Chris Bosh.
* * *
Hockey. Still at 66 points, and sliding slowly farther behind the second-place team, currently at 73.
The biggest chances for me to gain ground are in assists, where I'm just 8 behind the team in second; power-play points, 4 behind both teams ahead of me in the standings, and save percentage, .027 behind No. 2.
Last night's game before my very eyes was a mixed blessing. Henrik Zetterberg scored two goals and was plus-2, but Brenden Dillon was minus-2. The goals weren't terribly important, because I already lead the league. Last night's plus/minus was up and down, but finished plus-1, boosting my season total to plus-19. That's still 21 points away from catching the next higher team.
My lineup for Sunday will have six skaters and possibly goalie Eddie Lack (Roberto Luongo was in goal for Vancouver Saturday).
* * *
Football. It seemed weird Saturday when I got up thinking I needed to make an 11th-hour check of my fantasy roster, then realized that I didn't have a team playing. Then as I listened to the first half of Kansas City-Indianapolis on the way to the Red Wings-Stars game, I was wondering whether I could retain RB Jamaal Charles on my playoff roster even if he wouldn't be able to play in the Divisional round.
I don't think it was just because I had the Colts in both of my playoff pools, but I found the KC radio crew very annoying. I just looked up the name of the Chiefs' play-by-play guy. He's Mitch Holthus, and he must have some following in Kansas and Missouri because he's been on the job for 20 years. The annoying part was when the Chiefs were tearing it up, he kept repeating a mantra that the Chiefs would be doing it "all day," which apparently included saying "all day" all day. He also seemed very impressed with himself for knowing the small town in Kansas where the head linesman lived, and the location of Mary Hardin Baylor University in Texas.
It wasn't until after the hockey game that I learned the Chiefs had blown their big lead and lost. All day apparently had a second half.
It didn't help the broadcast that color man Len -- turned out to be the one-time great Len Dawson -- was one of the type who pretty much agree with and parrot what the play-by-play guy says. Dawson has seen better days, and I think those are in the past. (All day.)
Anyway, in my pick-'em pool, both the Colts and Saints advanced, as I predicted, but by the skin of their teeth.
Fortunately, in my $1,000-bankroll, pick-with-the-spread pool, I "wagered" $200 on the Saints and just $100 on the Colts, who didn't cover as 2.5-point favorites. So my hypothetical bankroll is up to $1,100.
In my college pools, I don't expect I'll win anything despite picking up 28 points from Vanderbilt in the pick-winners confidence pool. I have 1 point on Ball State tonight and 5 on Florida State Monday. I'm not even sure Vanderbilt covered the spread, but going into that game I was just 11-16 in my point-spread pool.
Friday, January 3, 2014
If Orioles reach postseason, Berry could be a weapon
Still not much cooking on the hot stove barely five weeks before pitchers and catchers report.
1B James Loney has signed his 3-year, $21-million contract to return to the Rays. That's bad news for rookie 1B Vince Belnome, who has hit in the minors without reaching the majors and wasn't likely to have much playing time anyway.
A nice small deal was the minor league contract Quintin Berry signed with the Orioles. He's a good candidate as a fourth or fifth outfielder who can add a left-handed bat and even more important, a pair of legs with great base-stealing prowess (29-for-29 in the majors). His skills would be more important should Baltimore reach the postseason.
The Astros must project a big role for RHP Jesse Crain, a Canadian who signed a 1-year, $3.25-million contract with his adopted hometown's team.
The Reds are contemplating signing OF Grady Sizemore. The oft-injured 31-year-old has not played in the majors since 2011.
* * *
Hockey. My team remained at 66 points, now 6 1/2 points out of second place. All but one of my skating positions will be filled Saturday, with possibly two goalies starting.
* * *
Basketball. My team is stuck at 5-3 in this week's head-to-head competition. Jared Sullinger's 3-for-17 shooting took a heavy toll on my field goal percentage, which trails my opponent. I'm also trailing by seven 3-pointers and eight assists.
* * *
Football. Don't think I'll win anything in the pick-winners bowl pool. I lost 17 points with Ohio State and gained just 4 for Missouri Friday. I have just 35 points total remaining for the final three bowls. If Vanderbilt, with its 28 points, loses Saturday, I'm sure I'll have no chance to finish in the top three.
Haven't seen the standings on the point-spread bowl pool for a few days.
1B James Loney has signed his 3-year, $21-million contract to return to the Rays. That's bad news for rookie 1B Vince Belnome, who has hit in the minors without reaching the majors and wasn't likely to have much playing time anyway.
A nice small deal was the minor league contract Quintin Berry signed with the Orioles. He's a good candidate as a fourth or fifth outfielder who can add a left-handed bat and even more important, a pair of legs with great base-stealing prowess (29-for-29 in the majors). His skills would be more important should Baltimore reach the postseason.
The Astros must project a big role for RHP Jesse Crain, a Canadian who signed a 1-year, $3.25-million contract with his adopted hometown's team.
The Reds are contemplating signing OF Grady Sizemore. The oft-injured 31-year-old has not played in the majors since 2011.
* * *
Hockey. My team remained at 66 points, now 6 1/2 points out of second place. All but one of my skating positions will be filled Saturday, with possibly two goalies starting.
* * *
Basketball. My team is stuck at 5-3 in this week's head-to-head competition. Jared Sullinger's 3-for-17 shooting took a heavy toll on my field goal percentage, which trails my opponent. I'm also trailing by seven 3-pointers and eight assists.
* * *
Football. Don't think I'll win anything in the pick-winners bowl pool. I lost 17 points with Ohio State and gained just 4 for Missouri Friday. I have just 35 points total remaining for the final three bowls. If Vanderbilt, with its 28 points, loses Saturday, I'm sure I'll have no chance to finish in the top three.
Haven't seen the standings on the point-spread bowl pool for a few days.
Thursday, January 2, 2014
Downs could help White Sox bullpen
The White Sox have announced their 1-year, $4-million contract with free-agent LHP Scott Downs, with an option for 2015.
Their bullpen has been rebuilt, with Downs and RHP Ronald Belisario replacing RHP Addison Reed and LHP Joe Thornton.
Losing a closer (Reed) and left-handed setup man could seem like a big deal, but it's not as if the Sox bullpen was very effective last season.
The leading candidate for the closer's role is RHP Nate Jones. The 37-year-old Downs has 26 career saves, and RHP Matt Lindstrom also has been a closer.
To make room on the 40-man roster, Chicago designated LHP Santos Rodriguez for assignment.
Another up-in-the-air closer situation is in Texas, where RHP Neftali Feliz is considered the front runner, but could face challenges from RHPs Joakim Soria, Alexi Ogando, Miles Mikolas and Tanner Scheppers. Mikolas has been traded from the Pirates. I've seen him and Mikolas pitching in the Texas League. Scheppers was lights out before an arm injury, but pitched very well for most of 2013 in a setup role. For my money, Soria, Scheppers and Feliz would be the top relievers, with the order depending on their physical condition.
Any team needing a closer still could hold out hope to sign free-agent RHPs Grant Balfour (again depending on physical well being) or Fernando Rodney.
The Angels have taken a mild gamble by signing LHP Mark Mulder to a minor league contract. He hasn't pitched in the majors since 2008, but he could earn as much as $6 million this season from an incentive-laden contract.
* * *
Football. Shouldn't have said anything about my success in a college bowl confidence pool. I think I had only one winner in Wednesday's six games. I'm still sixth but down to about plus-170, and some 30 points out of third place and the money.
In my hypothetical $1,000-wager NFL pool, I am putting $200 each on the Saints and Packers and $100 each on the Colts and underdog Chargers. I expect to be in a straight pick-'em pool, where I'd probably take the same teams, except for Cincinnati over San Diego.
* * *
Hockey. Still at 65 points, and in third place seven points out of second. My plus-minus dropped from plus-13 to plus-12. Thursday's lineup has all but three skating positions filled, plus one goalie. I can pick up a point with five assists, plus-two in plus/minus and .04 in save percentage.
* * *
Basketball. After Wednesday, a poor shooting night dropped me down to a 7-1 lead. My team's field goal percentage is down to just .4395, trailing my opponent's .4412. I still lead by only one 3-pointer, two steals and 17 points. I'll have nine players going Thursday, to seven for my opponent.
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Astros improving one bite at a time
Happy new year.
And it should be a happier new year in Houston. That's not just because the Astros have signed free-agent RHP Jesse Crain.
Crain is more a symbol of change than a game-changer.
Houston's management has made a series of incremental improvements that won't move the Astros into contention this season, but should move them to a point where they are more competitive on a daily basis.
The change is most evident in the bullpen -- where Crain joins other new RHPs Chad Qualls, Matt Albers, Anthony Bass, Darin Downs and Raul Valdes.
That might not sound like much, but doesn't it sound better than Josh Zeid, Kevin Chapman, Chia-Jen Lo and Josh Fields? They were the unproven youngsters in a bullpen that led or tied for the lead in negative categories with a 4.92 ERA and 29 blown saves.
Fields and Lo were among the part-time closers Houston employed in what we now can call last year.
The most obvious weakness, even with the influx of veterans, is that there is no proven closer. Qualls would be the closest to matching that job description. He and Crain are tied for the most relief wins in the majors over the last 10 seasons, with 45. That says more about their longevity than their ability.
It's quite possible that some of the new Astros won't open the season on the major league roster. Well, Crain might not because he's still recovering from surgery following a bout with biceps tendinitis that ended early a 2013 season during which he was an All-Star for the White Sox (who weren't a whole lot better than Houston).
But let's say Downs and Valdes could go back to the minors or be shipped off to another organization. And maybe Zeid and Lo could be major leaguers in April. The point is that there would be greater competition for jobs, and even the losers in that competition could be viable major leaguers at some point in the season.
I'm planning to do some analysis during the next few days to determine who might be the best closer candidate in Houston. My gut feeling is that the Astros would start with Qualls, but we'll see.
* * *
I'm in two football bowl-picking contests. One is with point spreads, the other without. Haven't seen a recent report on the point-spread pool, but I started out something like 2-7. In the pick-winners pool, I've rallied after a slow start, and went 4-0 Tuesday. It's a pool in which you assign point values based on how much faith you have in a team's winning. Confidence pool, I think it's called. Texas A&M's rally helped because I had 30 points on the Aggies. I'm a little over plus-200, but haven't seen that report since early Monday.
By the way, I ended up making no money in my regular-season office pool. I made a rally in Week 17, tying for third at 12-5, but still finished 13 points behind the winner and four behind third place, the last with prize money.
Now I have a couple of different NFL playoff pools to master. One of those is straight pick-'em; the other is pick-'em while assigning wagers best on a theoretical $1,000 bankroll to begin the playoffs.
* * *
Hockey. I'm stayed at points, but fell 1 1/2 points farther out of second place. I got excited when I saw Keith Yandle, heretofore a drain on my plus/minus, was plus-3 Tuesday. However, my team still dropped another point in the plus/minus. Not many players going today, but I've set up my lineup for the next couple of days so that I'd have pretty much a full roster Thursday.
* * *
Basketball. My team currently is leading 8-0, but four categories are very close. Over the next two days, I had a choice for the 10th player in my lineup between Victor Oladipo and Taj Gibson. Because three of my closest categories are 3-pointers, assists and steals, I'm going with Oladipo.
And it should be a happier new year in Houston. That's not just because the Astros have signed free-agent RHP Jesse Crain.
Crain is more a symbol of change than a game-changer.
Houston's management has made a series of incremental improvements that won't move the Astros into contention this season, but should move them to a point where they are more competitive on a daily basis.
The change is most evident in the bullpen -- where Crain joins other new RHPs Chad Qualls, Matt Albers, Anthony Bass, Darin Downs and Raul Valdes.
That might not sound like much, but doesn't it sound better than Josh Zeid, Kevin Chapman, Chia-Jen Lo and Josh Fields? They were the unproven youngsters in a bullpen that led or tied for the lead in negative categories with a 4.92 ERA and 29 blown saves.
Fields and Lo were among the part-time closers Houston employed in what we now can call last year.
The most obvious weakness, even with the influx of veterans, is that there is no proven closer. Qualls would be the closest to matching that job description. He and Crain are tied for the most relief wins in the majors over the last 10 seasons, with 45. That says more about their longevity than their ability.
It's quite possible that some of the new Astros won't open the season on the major league roster. Well, Crain might not because he's still recovering from surgery following a bout with biceps tendinitis that ended early a 2013 season during which he was an All-Star for the White Sox (who weren't a whole lot better than Houston).
But let's say Downs and Valdes could go back to the minors or be shipped off to another organization. And maybe Zeid and Lo could be major leaguers in April. The point is that there would be greater competition for jobs, and even the losers in that competition could be viable major leaguers at some point in the season.
I'm planning to do some analysis during the next few days to determine who might be the best closer candidate in Houston. My gut feeling is that the Astros would start with Qualls, but we'll see.
* * *
I'm in two football bowl-picking contests. One is with point spreads, the other without. Haven't seen a recent report on the point-spread pool, but I started out something like 2-7. In the pick-winners pool, I've rallied after a slow start, and went 4-0 Tuesday. It's a pool in which you assign point values based on how much faith you have in a team's winning. Confidence pool, I think it's called. Texas A&M's rally helped because I had 30 points on the Aggies. I'm a little over plus-200, but haven't seen that report since early Monday.
By the way, I ended up making no money in my regular-season office pool. I made a rally in Week 17, tying for third at 12-5, but still finished 13 points behind the winner and four behind third place, the last with prize money.
Now I have a couple of different NFL playoff pools to master. One of those is straight pick-'em; the other is pick-'em while assigning wagers best on a theoretical $1,000 bankroll to begin the playoffs.
* * *
Hockey. I'm stayed at points, but fell 1 1/2 points farther out of second place. I got excited when I saw Keith Yandle, heretofore a drain on my plus/minus, was plus-3 Tuesday. However, my team still dropped another point in the plus/minus. Not many players going today, but I've set up my lineup for the next couple of days so that I'd have pretty much a full roster Thursday.
* * *
Basketball. My team currently is leading 8-0, but four categories are very close. Over the next two days, I had a choice for the 10th player in my lineup between Victor Oladipo and Taj Gibson. Because three of my closest categories are 3-pointers, assists and steals, I'm going with Oladipo.
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