Fantasy 1B Rankings
Fantasy drafts are closer than you think. It's never too late to start thinking about potential draft day selections. We're going to run through our picks at each position each week leading up to draft day. The format will assume a 12 team league, and we'll also pick 4 sleeper picks. Without further ado, here's 1B.
- Albert Pujols - no brainer, probably the number 1 overall pick of most drafts
- Miguel Cabrera - 1st rounder, like AP, combines power, run production, and average
- Joey Votto - could also be 1st rounder, expect another big year
- Adrian Gonzalez - maybe 1st round, certainly top of the 2nd. Look what he did with nothing in SD, now he has Boston protection. Big numbers coming.
All-Time Yankees Team
Getting back into the swing of things... gonna go with an easy one - the most storied franchise in baseball history - the New York Yankees All-Time Team.
There aren't many positions that you could debate on this list. I went with Dickey because most historians say that he was a better defensive catcher than Berra (or Posada). You could take Nettles over A-Rod because A-Rod took PED's or because he played elsewhere but he's one of the most decorated players in the history of baseball and he's played more games with the Yankees than he has with any other franchise. Lazzeri is a hall of famer and played in NY for 12 seasons. He has the numbers, the hardware and the tenure to back up the nomination. Joe Gordon only played 2B in NY for seven seasons and Cano is still at the onset of his promising career. Willie Randolph is the other name that comes to mind...
Can you name the players who have homered in 40 or more stadiums? - sporcle
Can you name the players who have homered in 40 or more stadiums? - sporcle
Bear in mind, they had to be homerun hitters, they had to spend time in both leagues, and they had to have played through the new stadium era. Good Luck!! -Mc
Phils Rotation vs Best Ever
There have been lots of great pitching staffs over the years with mulit-20 game winners and impressive numbers. Along with my partners, I selected two squads to compare the current Phils rotation against to see how they stack up. I'm going to pick a best season, a best "main stars" trio, and a best overall rotation. It's going to be a melding of a particular season, as well as historical perspective of the pitchers involved. First up is the 1971 Orioles with Jim Palmer, Mike Cuellar, Dave McNally, and Pat Dobson - the famed 4 x 20 game winners. The second staff is the 1998 Braves featuring Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, Denny Neagle, and Kevin Millwood. Now there are caveats that need to be addressed which I'm sure you're already envisioning. First and foremost, the four man rotation vs the five man rotation. That alone gives the Oriole pitchers approximately five extra starts each. Second, pitchers were allowed to pitch deeper into games in the 70s and even the mid 90s. Also, those two eras were also more pitching dominated than today. Lastly, I'm a Mets fan, but I'll be objective. I'll break down the Oriole and Brave staffs and compare to the current Phils for the three decisions, none of which are easy.
The 1971 four 20 game winners were incredibly blessed with perhaps the best defensive infield in history. Gold gloves were earned that year by Brooks Robinson (3B), Mark Belanger (SS), and Davey Johnson (2B), and oh by the way Boog Powell had a .991 fielding percentage. Who knows how many runs this defense saved in 1971. The Oriole pitching staff included Mike Cuellar (20-9, 3.08 era, 124 K's), McNally (21-5, 2.89, 91), Palmer (20-9, 2.68, 184) and Dobson (20-8, 2.90, 187). Cuellar came over from Houston for a bag of peanuts basically a few years prior. He pitched 6 seasons in a row of 18 or more wins, goving over 20 three times. McNally was underrated, and his 1971 season culminated 4 consecutive 20 win campaigns. Most of you know that Palmer was a HOF pitcher and 1971 was his 2nd of 8 twenty win seasons (all done over a 9 year span). Dobson was a journeyman pitcher, with a career winning percentage under .500. 20 wins is 20 wins, but he likely benefited greatly from the defense and momentum the team provided that year. 1969-1974 when the big three, minus Dobson, were together netted 2 Cy Young awards and eleven 20 win seasons.
The 1998 Braves used the bats to provide the momentum and support for their pitching aces. Four guys on that team smashed 30 or more homers providing the pop for the starters. The pitching line was Maddux (18-9, 2.22, 204), Glavine (20-6, 2.47, 157), Smoltz (17-3, 2.90, 173), Millwood (17-8, 4.08, 163), and Neagle (16-11, 3.55, 165). Two notes: Smoltz won 17 games only starting 26 of them. Also, it appears by the ERA totals that Millwood and Neagle benefited from the potent lineup. Comparing the big three, Maddux is a lock HOF pitcher that notched 20 wins only twice. He did, however, have and additional five 19 win seasons, and also had the potentially unduplicatable 17 consecutive 15 win seasons. Glavine, another lock HOF pitcher, had five 20 win seasons of dominance for the Braves. Smoltz is a HOF pitcher in my opinon, though not a lock. 200 wins, 155 saves, and 3000 K's gives him Eckersley type numbers that are hopefully enough to punch a ticket to Cooperstown. Although the Braves pitchers were together longer, I'll give a similar 6 year synopsis, from 1993-1998, of their legacy. Totals netted 5 Cy Young awards and four 20 win seasons.
The 2011 Phillies are an interesting case study because they have the defensive prowess akin to the Orioles, and also the power bats similar to the Braves. Their projected pitching lineup and totals (based on 162 game averages from baseball-reference.com with adjustments) is as follows: Roy Halladay (17-9, 3.32, 175), Cliff Lee (16-9, 3.85, 168), Roy Oswalt (16-9, 3.18, 183), Cole Hamels (14-10, 3.53, 205) and Blanton/5th starter (12-12, 4.20, 140). It's not outside the realm of possibility that any one of the main four guys could go for 20 wins this year. Maybe even all of them, but probably not Hamels. Among them, although not in a tidy 6 year stretch, they possess 3 Cy Young awards and six 20 win seasons.
Bearing in mind all the stipulations laid out in the beginning, I contend the best pitching season was 1971. There's something really pretty about looking at four 20s in the win column. Among all the teams' big three combos, I'd take Maddux, Glavine, and Smoltz ahead of Palmer/McNally/Cuellar and Halladay/Lee/Oswalt. The latter may take the mantle when all is said and done though. Begrudgingly, I will admit that if healthy, and fulfilling potential, having Cole Hamels as your #4 (a WS MVP) makes the Phillies new staff the best ever assembled in my humble opinion. I would greatly welcome comments, debates, and disagreements!
Trivia Question - For Hersh, and everyone else
In 1971, the Orioles had gold glovers at 2B, SS, and 3B. Who were they, and who beat out Boog Powell for the Gold Glove at 1B?
Trivia Question
Name the 2 players to hit over 300 career home runs and never have a 30 home run season?
Trivia Question
Since 1950, what pitcher had the lowest ERA without leading the league? No cheating. Answer in a few days!
Greinke Trade
Now that the dust has settled on this blockbuster deal, I thought that it would be good to dissect and analyze this trade, which could potentially shift the balance of power in the NL Central.
The Brewers receive 27 year old former AL Cy Young Award winner Zack Greinke, shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt and cash.
The Royals receive the Brewers starting shortstop, 23 year old Alcides Escobar, and three prospects; 24 year old outfielder Lorenzo Cain, 22 year old reliever Jeremy Jeffress (RHP) and 20 year old starter Jake Odorizzi (RHP).
Steroid Era - My Stance on This Matter
I'm a simple man; I enjoy life and I'm committed to doing everything that I can to impact my three sons in a positive manner. Children are like sponges and if you let down your guard for one regretful moment, they can and will pick up something that will have lifelong unintended implications. If you're a Phillies fan and you despise the Red Sox, chances are, you're likely half-heartedly rooting for the Yankees every time those two teams cross paths on National television (which is, at least 8 times per season). But if your son catches you rooting for the Yankees, that simple idea could change the course of his life. For that reason, I don't root for the Yankees... ever. That same logic has always led me to one simple conclusion- we must give the steroid era a free pass.
All-time Phillies Team
Here at Baseball Junkies, we'll often ask you to make a list of an all-time team, players, etc. Typically we allow for any 3 outfielders, not necessarily LF, CF, and RF (although bonus points if that's how you do it). Also 2 starting pitchers and one reliever/closer. Since the majority of our readers thus far are Phillies fans, I thought that would make the best team to start with. I'm not putting any year restrictions on this, although many of us may not know some of the older Phils. Here's what I got...see if your list differs from mine.
C-Dutch Daulton
1B-Ryan Howard
2B-Chase Utley
SS-Jimmy Rollins
3B-Mike Schmidt
OF-Chuck Klein
OF-Bobby Abreu
OF-Richie Ashburn
SP-Steve Carlton
SP-Robin Roberts
RP-Tug McGraw
Best Big Game Pitcher of All-Time
Your the manager, it's game 7 of the world series and you can pitch anyone in history. Whose your choice? I'm taking Bob Gibson. I don't think anyone had the killer instinct on the mound more than him. Tony Perez said on the MLB channel recently that his wife wouldn't watch him bat when it was against Gibson. She was afraid for him. He pitched in 3 game sevens and won 2 of them. Lost the third on a misplayed ball by Curt Flood in 1968. Sandy Koufax would be my 2nd choice.
Feller & Williams: Baseball Greats and War Heroes
The recent passing of "Rapid Robert" (Bob) Feller is truly a sad day for baseball. At 92, he was a fixture in baseball for 75 years, pitching his first game at age 17. Armed with "The Heater from Van Meter," Feller compiled 266 wins, 2,581 strikeouts, and a career ERA of 3.25. He pitched for the Cleveland Indians from 1936-1956. The Cy Young Award did not come into existence until 1956 or he certainly would have won multiple times. Perhaps more amazing than his on-field dominance, however, is the patriotism and sacrifice that Feller showed for our great nation. As we recently honored the 59th anniversay of the "day that will live in infamy," the sacrifices of Bob Feller, and indeed Ted Williams, should be better understood by baseball enthusiasts. Most casual baseball fans know the names of Feller and Williams, and more in-tune fans may also know some of their statistics and place in history. Many don't realize what they gave up, from a histrocial perspective, to serve thier country.
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