Carlos Gonzalez – Colorado Rockies Singles Hitter?
One of the great things about living in the San Francisco Bay Area, and there are a bunch of them, is being a stone’s throw away from both a National League and an American League team. One is right across the Bay from the other, and fans get to see all the teams from both leagues up close over the course of the season.
This past weekend, the Oakland A’s hosted the Detroit Tigers and fans got to see the likes of Prince Fielder, Miguel Cabrera and Mark Verlander take the field. Take a short trip across the Bay and a day later the San Francisco Giants were hosting the Colorado Rockies who bring Todd Helton (okay, his skills are fading, but he’s still dangerous at the plate), Troy Tulowitzki, and Carlos Gonzalez to town. Forgetting for the moment that A’s fans got to watch the MVP-caliber play of Gonzalez on a near-daily basis until he was inexplicably traded to the Rockies, it is a particular pleasure to see this young man play the game.
Calling Gonzalez one of the premier players in the game is not a flash of brilliant analysis. His skills are roundly admired and he has the stats to back up his well-deserved reputation. His Silver Slugger and Golden Glove awards from 2010 tell you most of what you need to know. But even Bill James admits there are qualities some players have that transcend statistics, qualities that make them stand out in a way that is difficult if not impossible to quantify. The best in the game have those qualities, whatever they are.
The BallPark Report: Citi Field Insights
Scott Engel and Mike Damergis come to you from Citi Field with in-depth analysis and player interviews. Find out why David Wright is playing so well and hear from Ike Davis, Jon Rauch and more. Scott also adds bonus Fantasy spins on many key Mets.
Fantasy Baseball: Roto-Rx
Join us for Roto-Rx twice each week throughout the MLB season as Dr. Roto and co-host Pat Mayo take an in depth look at the world of Fantasy Baseball. Injuries, position rankings, trades, sit’ em or start’ em, buy sell or hold, it’s all here on the industry’s number one Fantasy Baseball podcast.
On today’s podcast Dr. Roto and Pat Mayo discuss:
- Why Fantasy owners should never take injury advice from a player.
- Which rising prospects are ready to emerge this season?
- Which top players are good trade bait right now?
- Can the Dodgers survive without Matt Kemp?
- What is the state of the Blue Jays?
All this and more on RotoRx!
Recorded Tuesday, May 15th, 2012
The BallPark Report: Tampa Bay Rays
Scott Engel takes an insider’s look at the Tampa Bay Rays
When the second week of May concluded in Major League Baseball, the Tampa Bay Rays were no longer in first place in the American League East. The surprising Baltimore Orioles took two of three from the Rays to take over possession of the top spot as the schedule moved to the mid-May point.
Inconsistency has plagued the Rays in the first month-plus of the season, as they dropped six of eight after winning 12 of 13. But no one doubts that this team will be near the top when it counts later this year. The Rays have tons of talent oozing from every corner of the roster. They also have a very tight-knit clubhouse, with excellent camaraderie. One veteran who came to Tampa Bay in the offseason told me that he definitely enjoys the clubhouse atmosphere a lot more than on his last team. Players refer to each other as “family”, and even seemingly menacing closer Fernando Rodney turns soft-spoken and speaks glowingly of his high comfort level in Tampa Bay.
College Baseball’s Story of the Year: Nick Petree
College Baseball doesn’t often receive the national attention that College Football and College Basketball do, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some exciting and remarkable things happening in the sport.
Case in Point…. Missouri State’s Red Shirt Sophomore Nick Petree, who sat out the 2010 season recovering from Tommy John surgery, tossed another gem this past Friday night. Throwing eight more shutout innings against the Evansville Purple Aces, Petree ran his streak to 72.1 scoreless innings. Nick allowed three hits, struck out nine and walked three batters in the 2-0 win.
Josh, Yogi, and Legacies
Location – A bar in Boston 30 years down the road. A couple of old timers are nursing schooners of beer. It’s pouring outside. The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees have been rained out so, as is often the case with these guys, they start bitching about the Sox.
“Our starters are gettin’ killed.”
“There’s a kid in Pawtucket that’s ready to come up. He’s got a wicked slider.”
“What the hell is Pedroia waiting for?”
“The kid’s name is Beckett.”
“Oh. Been down that road. Skip it.”
Al Leiter’s Latest Mound Insights
Andy Pettitte is scheduled to return to the Yankees rotation this weekend. How effective can he be after missing a season? Why is Johan Santana is looking like he never missed time with an injury? And what the heck is wrong with Tim Lincecum?
To get answers to these hot questions and more, we spent some time with YES Network and MLB Network analyst Al Leiter at Yankee Stadium this week. Leiter breaks it down just like he used to carve up hitters when he was a player: With admirable craft and precision.
Fantasy Baseball: Roto-Rx
Join us for Roto-Rx twice each week throughout the MLB season as Dr. Roto and co-host Pat Mayo take an in depth look at the world of Fantasy Baseball. Injuries, position rankings, trades, sit’ em or start’ em, buy sell or hold, it’s all here on the industry’s number one Fantasy Baseball podcast.
On today’s podcast Dr. Roto and Pat Mayo discuss:
- Should Josh Beckett have been playing golf when he was injured?
- Are the Boston Red Sox going to turn it around this year?
- Is Josh Hamilton worth a big contract?
- Who are the Top 5 players if there was a redraft?
All this and more on RotoRx!
Recorded Thursday, May 10th, 2012
The BallPark Report: Arizona Diamondbacks
Scott Engel provides an insider’s view of the Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are the defending National League West champions. They are known for bearing the gusto and spark of their manager, Kirk Gibson. But lately, the team seems to be a hollow replica of the bunch that took the divisional flag last year, and they are struggling to recapture their stride as a unit. The Diamondbacks have been mired in third place in the NL West. They have been very disappointing at home, and their team ERA has been falling in the Major League ranks.
There’s certainly no lack of talent on this squad, with young standouts such as Justin Upton and Paul Goldschmidt offering a lot of promise. Veterans such as Aaron Hill and Jason Kubel have been strong early-season contributors. The starting pitching is certainly solid overall, and catcher Miguel Montero is a very important central figure on both offense and defense.
Ron Guidry Talks About 1978 and More…
Mike Damergis sits down with New York Yankees great, “The Gator”… Louisiana Lightning” … Ron Guidry.
The Yankee legend who had a career .651 winning percentage talks about:
- His 18 strikeout game in 1978
- His path to the major leagues
- The famous one game playoff against the Boston Red Sox
- The greatest moment in his career
- His decision to retire
In 1978, his defining season Guidry was 25-3, with a 1.74 ERA, .0946 WHIP and nine shutouts.
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