I had one of those fantasy weeks. Kevin Brown went on the Disabled List. All my starting pitchers had pitched on the final Sunday of the previous week so I had very little points on the SP side of things. The Philadelphia BURRELL’s 8 game lead in my league is now down to 1 game over the 2nd place team.
Here are the standings… (If you care)
Now for the important stuff, outside of my self important rhetoric, this week’s edition of…
Salute to Sports Video Games that Changed our Lives
Bases Loaded (NES 1988)
One of the first baseball video games to use the centerfield view perspective, Bases Loaded (1988) was a revolutionary game as far as pitcher motion realism and batter movement. Not having real players was a downfall but the gameplay was terrific for the time.
Bases Loaded (NES 1989) was the first game that allowed us to peg other players. What a concept!
Weekly Fantasy Baseball Tips
This week I wanted to start a little something new. As one of the original writers on Sportscolum.com I would like to get feedback for the column and see what people like, don’t like and would like discussion on. I have formatted the column so far on WHAT I LIKE to see…but if there are comments/requests from the reading community I would be more than willing to give feedback and change the landscape of the column. Maybe a reader mail column based on comments would work…
This weeks Fantasy Advice covers players who are on the Disabled List but are available to make a big difference in the near future and the rest of the year.
Deep Cover: Lazarus Version
Larry Walker, OF, Colorado
Walker was a superstar. He is getting old. Well he IS old. However, he plays in Colorado and he has one big run left in him. Last year he played 143 games and put up quite unremarkable numbers which makes me gunshy to recommend this once great fantasy player. However, I believe he’ll get it going. Call this one a major hunch. Burnitz and healthy Preston Wilson and Larry Walker would make the Rockies ready to roll…this is a gamble but pick him up…put him on the bottom of your bench and see how it plays out.
Carlos Delgado, 1B, Toronto
Dell “GOT IT” – Still one of my favorite of the mindless ESPN catch phrases, still has it. He simply started out slow. Then he got hurt. This guy will explode coming off the Disabled List and make a major run. Right now his average is pathetic (.227) yet his power numbers (8 HR and 32 RBI) are more than respectable for only 50 games to date.
Look for Carlos to finish in the neighborhood of .270 / 34 HR and 105 RBI’s. With only 90 or so games left for him to play that means many fantasy points for those who grab him now.
Horacio Ramirez, SP, Atlanta
Love this guy. Horacio is relatively unknown. His record is a paltry 2-4, which will scare the typical owner away but his ERA (2.28) and opponents BA (.222) are wonderful. Not a strikeout machine but very respectable (4.7 per 9IP). Pick him up now!!!
Fantasy Advice Tracker
Each Week I will update the Fantasy Rank of the players I recommended and
their change in ranking since my recommendation.
Updated 6/22/04
Date Rev | Player | Fantasy Rank: Prior | Fantasy Rank: Current | Diff | Rating | % | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
7-Jun | Rich Harden | 204 | 186 | 18 | Up | 9% | |||
7-Jun | Barry Zito | 193 | 201 | (8) | Down | -4% | |||
7-Jun | Javier Vazquez | 46 | 33 | 13 | Up | 28% | |||
7-Jun | Billy Wagner | 77 | 122 | (45) | Down | -58% | |||
7-Jun | Danny Kolb | 134 | 66 | 68 | Up | 51% | |||
7-Jun | Lew Ford | 95 | 104 | (9) | Down | -9% | |||
7-Jun | Mark Texeira | 366 | 294 | 72 | Up | 20% | |||
7-Jun | Mark Loretta | 190 | 148 | 42 | Up | 22% | |||
7-Jun | Joe Mauer | 928 | 989 | (61) | Down | -7% | |||
15-Jun | Alex Sanchez | 157 | 151 | 6 | Up | 4% | |||
15-Jun | Dave Roberts | 176 | 191 | (15) | Down | -9% | |||
15-Jun | Luis Matos | 272 | 345 | (73) | Down | -27% | |||
2,838 | 2,830 | 8 | 0.28% | ||||||
22-Jun | Larry Walker | 924 | |||||||
22-Jun | Carlos Delgado | 390 | |||||||
22-Jun | Horacio Ramirez | 283 | |||||||
* Fantasy Rank based on 5 x 5 league All Leagues (Courtesy of YAHOO!) |
Fantasy Football Sleepers 2004
We continue on with our Fantasy Football Sleepers for 2004.
ANNOUNCEMENT: July 13th we will begin Fantasy Football preview with Mock Drafts, Position Reviews and more detail on top sleepers!
June 1st: WR
Charles Rogers, Detroit
Jerry Porter, Oakland
Peerless Price, Atlanta
June 8th: RB
Brian Westbrook, Philadelphia
Kevin Jones, Detroit
Michael Bennett, Minnesota
June 15th: QB
Mark Brunell, Washington
Kerry Collins, Oakland (Gannon Injury)
Carson Palmer, Cincinnati
June 22nd: TE
June 29th: D/ST
July 6th: Kicker
This week…
Tight End’s
LJ Smith, Philadelphia
Kellen Winslow Jr, Cleveland
Winslow may be a class A jerk but if he can get into camp on time he’ll be Shockey Part II as a rookie
Daniel Graham, New England
That’s it for this week…and oh yeah…watch to see where Ben Gordon goes in the NBA draft. If he goes to the right club, look for him to be an immediate fantasy stud in the NBA!!!