Posts Tagged ‘baseball’

First Pitch Fantasy Baseball Ranks

Monday, April 1st, 2013

Ranked the Top 200 a few days ago in preparation for a draft that ignores SB (H/R/HR/RBI/AVG/OBP & W/HLD/SV/K/ERA/WHIP).

Haven’t updated it since the draft to reflect the Motte injury, Jose Fernandez’ promotion, etc., but here it is as a matter of record.

Fantasy Baseball Top 200: 24-Mar.

• 1. Miguel Cabrera
• 2. Robinson Canó
• 3. Joey Votto
• 4. Prince Fielder
• 5. Albert Pujols
• 6. Ryan Braun
• 7. Carlos González
• 8. Andrew McCutchen
• 9. Bryce Harper
• 10. Matt Kemp
• 11. Mike Trout
• 12. Stephen Strasburg
• 13. Clayton Kershaw
• 14. Troy Tulowitzki
• 15. Justin Verlander
• 16. Adrián Béltre
• 17. José Bautista
• 18. Buster Posey
• 19. Ian Kinsler
• 20. Justin Upton
• 21. Josh Hamilton
• 22. Giancarlo Stanton
• 23. David Price
• 24. David Wright
• 25. Edwin Encarnación
• 26. Dustin Pedroia
• 27. Evan Longoria
• 28. Ryan Zimmerman
• 29. Jason Heyward
• 30. Yoenis Céspedes
• 31. Adam Jones
• 32. Cliff Lee
• 33. Félix Hernández
• 34. Matt Cain
• 35. Cole Hamels
• 36. Billy Butler
• 37. Allen Craig
• 38. Adrián González
• 39. Yu Darvish
• 40. Jay Bruce
• 41. B.J. Upton
• 42. Gio González
• 43. R.A. Dickey
• 44. Matt Holliday
• 45. Adam Wainwright
• 46. Zack Greinke
• 47. Paul Goldschmidt
• 48. Jered Weaver
• 49. Craig Kimbrel
• 50. CC Sabathia
• 51. Kris Medlen
• 52. José Reyes
• 53. Ian Desmond
• 54. Jason Kipnis
• 55. Joe Mauer
• 56. Anthony Rizzo
• 57. Shin-Soo Choo
• 58. Aroldis Chapman
• 59. Ben Zobrist
• 60. Starlin Castro
• 61. Brandon Phillips
• 62. Chris Sale
• 63. Jacoby Ellsbury
• 64. Aaron Hill
• 65. Aramis Ramírez
• 66. Freddie Freeman
• 67. Pablo Sandoval
• 68. Álex Ríos
• 69. Carlos Santana
• 70. Madison Bumgarner
• 71. Johnny Cueto
• 72. Asdrubal Cabrera
• 73. Mat Latos
• 74. Matt Moore
• 75. Max Scherzer
• 76. Hanley Ramírez
• 77. Alex Gordon
• 78. Jordan Zimmermann
• 79. Yovani Gallardo
• 80. Jimmy Rollins
• 81. Ryan Howard
• 82. Paul Konerko
• 83. Austin Jackson
• 84. Jonathan Papelbon
• 85. Eric Hosmer
• 86. James Shields
• 87. Brandon Morrow
• 88. Ike Davis
• 89. Matt Wieters
• 90. Melky Cabrera
• 91. David Freese
• 92. Brett Lawrie
• 93. Rickie Weeks
• 94. Carlos Beltrán
• 95. Elvis Andrus
• 96. Desmond Jennings
• 97. Nelson Cruz
• 98. Jake Peavy
• 99. Martín Prado
• 100. Jon Lester
• 101. Josh Johnson
• 102. Curtis Granderson
• 103. Mark Trumbo
• 104. Tim Lincecum
• 105. Yadier Molina
• 106. Rafael Soriano
• 107. Jason Motte
• 108. Hunter Pence
• 109. Chris Davis
• 110. Víctor Martínez
• 111. Miguel Montero
• 112. Ian Kennedy
• 113. Salvador Pérez
• 114. Chase Utley
• 115. Dan Haren
• 116. Matt Harvey
• 117. Roy Halladay
• 118. Derek Jeter
• 119. Sergio Romo
• 120. Chase Headley
• 121. Joe Nathan
• 122. Josh Willingham
• 123. Wilin Rosario
• 124. Mike Moustakas
• 125. Mike Napoli
• 126. Will Middlebrooks
• 127. Mariano Rivera
• 128. Andre Ethier
• 129. Nick Markakis
• 130. Nick Swisher
• 131. Adam LaRoche
• 132. Carlos Gómez
• 133. Fernando Rodney
• 134. Greg Holland
• 135. Huston Street
• 136. Tom Wilhelmsen
• 137. Jeff Samardzija
• 138. Brian McCann
• 139. Jesús Montero
• 140. Dan Uggla
• 141. Brett Anderson
• 142. Homer Bailey
• 143. J.J. Putz
• 144. Justin Morneau
• 145. Brandon Belt
• 146. Howie Kendrick
• 147. Jim Johnson
• 148. Danny Espinosa
• 149. J.J. Hardy
• 150. Michael Morse
• 151. Joel Hanrahan
• 152. Lorenzo Cain
• 153. Julio Teherán
• 154. Jeremy Hellickson
• 155. Grant Balfour
• 156. David Murphy
• 157. Todd Frazier
• 158. Pedro Alvarez
• 159. Alexi Ogando
• 160. Josh Beckett
• 161. Alfonso Soriano
• 162. Wil Myers
• 163. Bruce Rondon
• 164. Shelby Miller
• 165. David Robertson
• 166. Anibal Sánchez
• 167. Hiroki Kuroda
• 168. Andrew Cashner
• 169. Brandon Beachy
• 170. David Hernández
• 171. Kyle Seager
• 172. Michael Young
• 173. Michael Bourn
• 174. Shane Victorino
• 175. Ichiro Suzuki
• 176. Tyler Colvin
• 177. Jurickson Profar
• 178. James McDonald
• 179. Jonathon Niese
• 180. Jarrod Parker
• 181. Domonic Brown
• 182. Kyle Lohse
• 183. Manny Machado
• 184. Corey Hart
• 185. José Altuve
• 186. Neil Walker
• 187. Carlos Quentin
• 188. Carl Crawford
• 189. Doug Fister
• 190. Dexter Fowler
• 191. Alcides Escobar
• 192. Andrelton Simmons
• 193. Josh Rutledge
• 194. A.J. Pierzynski
• 195. Dustin Ackley
• 196. Trevor Cahill
• 197. Tim Hudson
• 198. Jed Lowrie
• 199. Alex Cobb
• 200. Ryan Dempster
• 201. J.P. Arencibia
• 202. Nolan Arenado

(Note: Updated with the team we are putting on the field for opening day):

C: Salvador Perez
1B: Freddie Freeman
2B: Robinson Cano
3B: Ryan Zimmerman
SS: Troy Tulowitzki
LF: Bryce Harper
CF: Adam Jones
RF: Alex Rios
UTIL: Shin Soo-Choo
Bench: Jesus Montero, Brandon Belt
DL: Hanley Ramirez

SP: Yu Darvish; Zack Greinke; Matt Moore; Jake Peavy; Jon Lester; Dan Haren; Alexi Ogando; Jose Fernandez
RP: Tom Wilhelmsen; Addison Reed; Bobby Parnell; Steve Cishek
DL: Brandon Beachy

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Tourists Game

Wednesday, August 26th, 2009

Last night I took in my first minor league baseball game and it provided an enjoyable contrast to a Major League Baseball contest.

In a match-up of vicious team mascots, the Asheville Tourists welcomed the visiting Greensboro Grasshoppers.  There were plenty of lead changes to keep the action fresh: Asheville got on the board first, Greensboro put up a six-run 3rd inning to make it 6-1, next Asheville charged back to take a 8-7 lead, and finally in the top of the ninth Greensboro scratched one more run across against the Tourists’ closer before their final man was sent down swinging with the score standing at 11-9 in favor of the home team.

As for the quality of play, there were three or four mammoth home runs and there were multiple pitchers throwing in the mid-90s according to the guns.  Baseball really is a game of inches, though, and I suppose putting a 94-mph fastball down the middle of the plate may be why some of those balls traveled to another stratosphere and the pitchers who threw them are still playing in single-A.  Two Colorado Rockies’ (Asheville is one of their affiliates) scouts sat across the aisle from me during the second half of the game and made notes after every pitch.

There was plenty of history to soak in at McCormick Field as well.  Willie Stargell and Eddie Murray both played for the Tourists, and legend has it the layout of the ballpark is what first inspired Murray to transform himself into a switch-hitter.  Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Ty Cobb, and Jackie Robinson have all played as visitors (although some of the games may have been of the barnstorming/exhibition variety) at this ballpark, and in 1972 Cal Ripken, Jr. was a batboy while his father (the elder Cal) was manager of the team.  Sparky Anderson also managed the team to a 1968 championship before landing a gig in the bigs.  Current major leaguers who cut their teeth as Tourists include Todd Helton and current Texas Ranger Jason Jennings.  Even Bull Durham showcases the team as the club Crash Davis joins to finish his career and break the minor-league home run record.

Enough with the glitter.  The estimated attendance was 2,596.  We got to the box office five minutes before the first pitch and scored sixth row seats behind home plate for $10 each.    They didn’t even stop selling beer after the seventh inning like many of the wussy Major League teams do now.  The atmosphere was much more like a high school game than anything I’ve ever experienced at big league digs.  Well, except for the fact that there was a billboard for the premier local head shop above the seats behind third base.  All in all, though, it was a great time and I would go again.  As I said, tix were only $10 a piece for the best seats in the house.  It is possible to spend $40 a pop, but that comes with the experience of taking BP with the team before the game.  Unfortunately, we arrived too late to partake, and besides, I wouldn’t want to embarrass my parents’ new hometown team.

Best of all, I got to see recent South Atlantic League Hall of Fame inductee and current Tourists’ manager Joe Mikulik up close and personal.  He even charged out of the dugout to argue a call for us.  Alas it didn’t come close to his most famous tirade.  Nor could it compete with my favorite minor league managerial explosion of all time.  But for $10 it was more than satisfactory.

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Baseball Doubleheader

Monday, August 10th, 2009

I am the player/co-founder/manager/part owner of a new semi-pro men’s league baseball team in the DFW metroplex. The team is named the Colt .45s, and yes we plan on jamming that Afroman song before every game. We are registered to play in the D.A.B.A. 25+ fall league that plays seven-inning games with wood bats. Yesterday we had our first preseason game against the Mud Cats.

The team’s debut was a rollicking 10-5 victory. I contributed a line of 1-2, HBP, 2 SB, 2 R (including the first run in the franchise’s history), and I also pitched a scoreless seventh with 1 K, 1 hit allowed, and no walks. The 2 steals were more a result of the Cats not exactly having their pitching/catching battery fine-tuned at this point than of any newfound blazing speed on my part.

We participated in the league draft two weeks ago and so today was the first time we really got to see all our guys playing together. The draft itself was a neat process as the other members of our ownership group and I watched the free agents try out while we made notes and rated their abilities before convening with owners of other teams and the commissioner to commence the draft. As it turns out, we got some good players, and thankfully we assembled a squadron of good-natured dudes that seem to get along quite well also. Definitely looking forward to contending for the crown in our inaugural season.

What was that I mentioned about a doubleheader? It was awfully nice to return home and see that Derek Holland hurled a three-hit shutout against the Angels. I don’t think the Rangers will be letting go of him anytime soon, so if the 45’s decide to make a roster addition we may just have to settle for Padilla.

” … and two zig zags, baby that’s all we need.”

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Feliz Futuro

Monday, August 3rd, 2009

Neftali Feliz’s Texas Rangers debut inning: 3 up, 3 K’s. Avg. fastball: 98.5. Hit 100 twice. Dirty change. Welcome to the future.

Update: Came back out for the 7th (understandably). 3 up, 3 down. 1 K, 1 foul pop, and 1 ground out to second. Threw 21 of 30 pitches in all for strikes. Hit 100 five times.

neftalidora

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Smart Stuff

Saturday, September 8th, 2007

Chipper Jones on learning how to hit a fastball: “My Dad and I played in the yard [in DeLand, Fla.] with tennis balls. He’d throw as hard as he could from 45,50 feet. From the time I was seven, I saw balls come at me 75,80 miles an hour. I had to tune it up.” – Sports Illustrated [10 Sep. 2007]

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