The Baseball Chick

Earlier this week, Kimberly Bell, former mistress of Barry Bonds, got me laughing by getting into the dirty details regarding her former partner’s alleged steroid-related shrinkage. She met Bonds in 1994 and over the course of their nine years together, saw Barry change in more ways than simply bulking up; in fact, she testified specifically about the effects to his “Kool and the Gang” caused by his alleged steroid use.  According to TerezOwens.com:

Called by federal prosecutors to the witness stand in Bonds’ perjury trial, she testified that Bonds’ sexual performance declined in the later years of their relationship.  She also said that his testicles changed shape and shrank…Another side effect of steroid use.  Bell also testified that Bonds grew and shaved chest hair and developed acne on his back…

The technical term for that is “backne.” I just can’t wait to see who federal prosecutors call next. Are they going to call his teammates from the 80s who saw him naked in the locker room in order to testify as to his formerly massive package? Is the jury going to get the luxury of visuals, such as before-and-after photographic comparisons documenting this wiener change?  But I digress…

Wednesday’s testimony came primarily from current and former employees of UCLA’s Olympic Lab, which tested a urine sample from Bonds obtained during baseball’s 2003 testing program, and which tested positive for “the clear.” Prosecutors have now indicated they only have three witnesses left: Kathy Hoskins, Bonds’ former personal shopper; Dr. Arthur Ting, the slugger’s former orthopedic surgeon; and Don Catlin, a renowned anti-doping expert who tested a 2003 drug sample from Bonds.  Prosecutors have declined to call Bobby Estalella, a Giant during the 2000 and 2001 seasons who presumably would have testified to occasions when Bonds told him about using performance enhancing drugs, former Giants Benito Santiago and Armando Rios, and former Balco VP James Valente.

Bonds faces four counts of perjury and one count of obstructing justice for lying to a federal grand jury about steroid use.

Unless your world only encapsulates incessant Yankees-Red Sox coverage, the 2010 World Series has actually amounted into quite an interesting little affair.  After all, the Giants have not won it all since 1954 (when the team was still in New York), and the American League is represented by the perennially mediocre Texas Rangers, who have never even appeared in a World Series, whether residing in Washington, D.C. or Arlington.  Usually these franchises are masters of futility.  So while this is clearly exciting for both teams’ loyal fans, it can also be an intriguing World Series for anyone else tuning in.  After all, America is guaranteed to not witness another Yankees’ champagne bath, video montage to George Steinbrenner, or cascade of projectile vomit coming out of the mouths of Phillies fans and landing directly on little children for the remainder of this season.

Moving on.  We have quite a cute little pitching battle to look forward to.  Game 1 is the marquee matchup between pitching superstars Tim Lincecum and Cliff Lee.  Cliff Lee’s 2010 postseason numbers have been off the chain.  Lee is 7-0 with a 1.26 ERA the past two years in the postseason, and has struck out 34 and walked 1. Lee also threw a complete game in Game 5 of the ALDS. He has a 0.75 ERA this postseason, while pitching a total of 24 innings in 3 games, and an impressive 3.18 ERA cumulative for the entire 2010 season.  Pitching for the Giants on Wednesday night, Tim Lincecum has a career 3.04 ERA and a 2010 postseason ERA of 1.93.  However, Lee’s stuff this postseason has been pretty nasty in the best way.  He made an impressive and powerful Phillies’ lineup look like the Pittsburgh Pirates.  All pitching well this postseason, Matt Cain has had a 0.00 ERA this postseason, Colby Lewis a 1.45, Jonathan Sanchez a 2.93 and C.J. Wilson a 3.93.  Needless to say, tough pitching is going to be on exhibition from both sides during the 2010 World Series.

The Giants seem to have the better bullpen, and certainly some of these games will be tight in the later innings.  In terms of closers, Neftali Feliz has been pretty damn good, but is virtually untested in postseason play.  However, Brian Wilson, freaky beard and all, has done the job in sticky situations this postseason, and has gotten the big out when absolutely necessary.  Unfortunately, he’s caused some ulcers in his 9^th inning appearances this postseason.  Wilson needs to have better command of his stuff, and cannot fall behind as often as he did against Philadelphia.  Ultimately, his backdoor cutter is going to have to be on-point against the powerful Texas Rangers, who are often looking to demolish a fastball mistake.

But ultimately, this World Series will come down to offense and the big bats of the Rangers.  There is no doubt in my mind that this will become a battle between San Francisco’s ace pitching staff and the Rangers’ stacked lineup.  And quite frankly, once Cody Ross cools down (history and his career dictate that he most certainly will), what potency do the San Francisco Giants really have offensively? They have offensive talent sprinkled throughout their lineup, including the phenomenal Buster Posey, but the Giants lineup top to bottom is simply not intimidating… at all.  Cumulative, the Giants had a .257 batting average this season.  Meanwhile, the Rangers have big-time bats like Nelson Cruz, Josh Hamilton, Vladimir Guerrero, David Murphy, Ian Kinsler, Michael Young, and Elvis Andrus.  And these threats come from both sides of the plate.  And let us not forget that Josh Hamilton is currently showcasing why he is becoming one of the preeminent ballplayers in the league.  The Giants pitching staff will need to bring their best off-speed stuff to each and every game if they hope to keep Hamilton off the bases.

The Giants will not be able to keep Elvis Andrus off of the bases, at least not entirely, and their defense will need to be spectacular.  And unfortunately for the Giants, Chase Utley isn’t playing second base for the Rangers this time around.

The Texas Rangers win the World Series in an exciting 7-game series.

With the first half of the 2010 fantasy baseball and major league baseball seasons coming to an end, here are 10 position players to check for on the waiver wire that might be good injury replacements or sleepers that could help your fantasy team make that final push for a win.

Gaby Sanchez – 1b – Marlins – .307 avg, 38 runs, 8 hr, 34 rbi, 3 sb

The Marlins rookie first baseman got off to a bit of a slow start but has really started to show why he was one of the organizations top prospects for the last few years. Available in most mixed fantasy leagues due to a deep first base position, he could be worth a grab if you have a weak corner infield spot or an injured starter.

Tyler Colvin – OF – Cubs – .294 avg, 22 runs, 9 hr, 23 rbi, 1 sb

The Cubs seem to be frustrated with Alfonso Soriano and the main beneficiary of this has been Colvin. Colvin has taken advantage of the extra at-bats with some consistent pop. If you have Soriano and want his platoon-mate or you are in a deep league in need of some homers, give Colvin a shot.

Justin Smoak – 1b – Rangers – .221 avg, 26 runs, 8 hr, 34 rbi, 1 sb

A lot of owners jumped on the Smoak bandwagon when he first got called up and then quickly bailed when he struggled out of the gate. The Smoak Monster wasn’t known as a power hitter in the minors but he can certainly hit for average and put up RBI’s at the major league level. He has really gotten hot lately and has a lot of protection in the Ranger’s offense. I’d grab Gaby Sanchez first, but if he’s not available you could certainly do worse than Smoak.

Pat Burrell – OF – Giants – .244 avg, 16 runs, 6 hr, 23 rbi, 0 sb

Pat Burrell may very well end up being this fantasy baseball season’s most added/dropped player by the time the year is over. Everyone knows what you get with Pat The Bat, power and a slight ding to your team average. Average is just one category, however, and with more playing time coming his way he could be a nice 2-category boost for those owners looking for homers and RBI’s for their late season push.

Brennan Boesch – OF – Tigers – .344 avg, 24 runs, 11 hr, 40 rbi, 3 sb

A virtual unknown heading into the 2010 Major League Baseball season, and even more so going into the 2010 fantasy baseball season, the 6’6″ Boesch has been quietly making a name for himself in Detroit. An injury to Carlos Guillen got him the playing time he needed and he has taken advantage in a big way. He has done so well that Guillen is now playing second base. If you have any hesitation about adding Boesch to your fantasy baseball roster, just look at the numbers, they definitely speak for themselves and have been put up in just 189 at-bats.

Mark Ellis – 2b – A’s – .278 avg, 18 runs, 2 hr, 16 rbi, 2 sb

In my opinion, Ellis has always been underrated as a fantasy contributor. Playing a shallow position, he brings some decent pop (could hit another 10 homers), above average speed (could steal another 10 bases), and consistent hitting (should finish around .280). He won’t score or drive in many runs in the yawn-inspiring A’s lineup, but in deeper leagues and some shallow leagues it would be worth the 30 seconds it takes to compare what Ellis is doing to what your current starter is putting up.

Russell Branyan – 1b – Indians – .261 avg, 24 runs, 10 hr, 24 rbi, 0 sb

If any player is going to challenge Burrell for the “most added/most dropped” title this season, it would be Branyan. No matter what your feelings are about K-rate, there is no questioning this guy’s raw power. With the potential to hit at least another 15-20 homers this season, Branyan is definitely worth a look.

Alcides Escobar – SS – Brewers – .254 avg, 29 runs, 2 hr, 21 rbi, 5 sb

It’s a bit sad to have to mention Escobar in a waiver wire article this late into the season. He was a sleeper pick for a lot of fantasy owner’s at this year’s drafts, but a slow start and a surprising lack of stolen bases have lead a lot of owners to send him back to the lumber yard. He has a couple of stolen bags in the last 10 games and his bat is heating up, so now would be the time to check and see if an impatient owner gave up on this talented rookie.

Melky Cabrera – OF – Braves – .266 avg, 25 runs, 2 hr, 20 rbi, 3 sb

Ok, I have to be honest here, I’m not a Melky fan. A popular late pick this year after he was named the starting center fielder for the Braves, The Melk Man rewarded these savvy owners by starting the season exactly how I thought he would, horribly. Nate McClouth batting .180 turned out to be a better option for the Braves and for fantasy owners. But in the last 20 games Melky is batting .328. It would have to be a deep league or NL-only league to pick him up because he doesn’t really help in any other category, but you can’t ignore a hot bat when you’re trying to make a run at a title.

Conor Jackson – 1b, OF – A’s – .256 avg, 24 runs, 1 hr, 14 rbi, 5 sb

Another sleeper at drafts this year, Co-Jack is another player sent back to the lumber yard after a dismal start to the season. A change of scenery has done him good, however, and he is batting .333 in the 10 games since being traded from the Diamondbacks to the Oakland A’s. Owned in only 3% of yahoo leagues, Jackson is only 2 years removed from a .306/.376/.446 slash line. Any team in need of percentages should give Co-Jack a look and hope he doesn’t come down with a case of Bay Area Fever.

By The Fantasy Dick

The Fantasy Dick has been handpicked by The Baseball Chick to be her resident fantasy baseball expert and to dispense fantasy baseball advice to her readers. Contact The Fantasy Dick via email:  thefantasydick at yahoo.com, with any fantasy baseball questions.

The Major League Baseball trade deadline has come and gone and quite a few moves have been made in the last few days that will impact fantasy baseball teams everywhere. I will cover the trades with the greatest fantasy impact, starting with:

• The San Diego Padres traded pitcher Jack Peavy to the Chicago White Sox for lefty starter, Clayton Richard, and 3 other pitching prospects. Jake Peavy is due back sometime in September and could help the White Sox make a playoff push. Clayton Richard becomes an intriguing fantasy starter in NL-only and deeper mixed leagues with this move to the spacious Petco Park.
• The Cleveland Indians traded slugging catcher/first baseman Victor Martinez to the Boston Red Sox for major league ready pitcher Justin Masterson, promising lefty Nick Hagadone, and one other prospect. The move should not impact Martinez’s fantasy value and Masterson could find his way into the Cleveland rotation very soon. Mike Lowell will probably be the biggest loser in this deal as he stands to lose some playing time.
• The Red Sox made another move, sending recently acquired first baseman Adam LaRoche to the Atlanta Braves for first baseman Casey Kotchman. LaRoche’s fantasy value should increase as he will be the Braves’ everyday first baseman. Kotchman’s value will remain largely unchanged, but Boston seems like the winner here as Kotchman is 3 years younger and has slightly better career averages.
• The Cincinatti Reds sent 3 players, including third baseman Edwin Encarnacion, to the Toronto Blue Jays for veteran third baseman Scott Rolen. Encarnacion has the potential to deliver decent offensive numbers, but the Blue Jays will suffer a large drop in defense. If Rolen’s recent power surge is not a fluke, then he will love playing at Great American Ballpark and becomes a must-add in all NL-only leagues.
• The Los Angeles Dodgers picked up lefty reliever George Sherrill from the Baltimore Orioles for prospects. This move greatly improves the Dodgers’ tired bullpen, but greatly reduces any fantasy value Sherrill had as a closer, unless your league counts holds. Early reports are saying that Jim Johnson will get first shot at closing duties in Baltimore, as was predicted by The Baseball Chick a few days ago in the Fantasy Sports Corner.
• The Detroit Tigers traded prospects to the Seattle Mariners for left-handed starter Jarrod Washburn. Washburn may see an increase in his ERA and WHIP since he was aided by a superior Mariners outfield, but he should still be a reliable fantasy starter. The Detroit Tigers now have 3 of the top 7 starting ERAs in baseball in their rotation.
• The Oakland A’s, always active at the trade deadline, dealt second baseman Orlando Cabrera to the Minnesota Twins for a prospect.  Cabrera will immediately bat second and should prove to be a nice upgrade over Nick Punto and Brendan Harriss.  The veteran should get a nice boost in runs scored batting in front of Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau.
• Surprising buyers at the deadline, with a pair of moves, the San Francisco Giants picked up former batting champ and second baseman Freddy Sanchez from the Pittsburgh Pirates for promising pitching prospect Timothy Alderson.  The Giants also added Ryan Garko, courtesy the Cleveland Indians, to replace struggling first baseman Travis Ishikawa.  Garko should see a little more playing time in San Fran and Ishikawa could lose all of his fantasy value.  Sanchez’s value should remain about the same.
• The Chicago Cubs picked up lefty set-up man John Grabow and starter Tom Gorzelanny from the Pittsburgh Pirates for starting pitcher Kevin Hart and 2 other prospects.  Grabow will help to set-up Kevin Gregg in Chicago, leaving his fantasy value largely unchanged.  It appears Matt Capps will stay the Pirates closer for the remainder of this season.
• Finally, the Florida Marlins picked up first baseman Nick Johnson from the Washington Nationals for a prospect.  Johnson’s value may take a hit in Florida unless they decide to bench Emilio Bonafacio and move Jorge Cantu to third base, opening up regular playing time for Johnson at first.