Back we are again, and I trust all of you fathers out there had a good day of recognition yesterday. I spent it watching the Giants and Athletics tussle in San Francisco, always a good time.
In fact I saw Terry Shelley, a founding father of the WIFL league, my first fantasy league which had its first season 20 years ago, believe it or not. What a ride it has been from those days. It was good to see him, and catch up, even if only in a cursory fashion.
Anyway, to baseball, and some players who caught my eye over the past week. Jamey Carroll, for instance, has taken over the second base job in Cleveland, with Asdrubal Cabrera being demoted, and Josh Barfield hurt. Carroll, a solid bench player, has responded, raising his average to .277-0-10 with five swipes. Carroll hit .300-5-36 as a full-timer with Colorado a few years back, and he collected 11 hits last week, among the best in the majors.
A couple of names who seemed hot, faded, and now are back in a different guise, merit some attention. First, former Yankee hot-prospect, Tyler Clippard, now with the Nationals, has resurfaced after posting decent numbers (4-4, 3.41 over 12 starts) at Columbus. In a deep league, he is worth a shot, but probably not under other circumstances. His eiht strikouts to seven walks over ten innings this year says all you need to know.
Former Royal Billy Buckner was recalled, only now he is a Diamondback. Remember back a month ago when Arizona was an unstoppable force, and had the hottest pitching in the universe? Well, times change. Buckner, who can get strikeouts, or allow walks, looked so good last year at Omaha (9-7, with 85 strikeouts to 23 walks over 90 innings) but this year, at Tucson, Buckner has been an unispired 4-5, 4.48 over 80.1 innings and 14 starts. What is scary is he has allowed 90 hits, and worse collected just 44 strikeouts to 32 walks. The hits you can account for making the switch to the Pacific Coast League, but the loss of strikeouts and control is something that would likely plague him everywhere.
Another name we all know by now belongs to Andy LaRoche, back again with the Dodgers, and now maybe worth more than stashing. LaRoche is almost 25, but has clearly mastered AAA pitching, having hit .309 over hit last two minor league campaigns, and was hitting .318-0-1 this year, mostly on a rehab assignment. But, for example, last year, at LAs Vegas, LaRoche his .309-18-48 over 73 games. In a deeper league, LaRoche is a nice pickup, and in a keeper league he is a guy to acquire.
How about Jody Gerut? Remember the former Indians hot propsect, and Stanford grad? Well, now older, apparently healthy, and playing for the Padres, Gerut is hitting .289-3-12 with four steals over 121 at-bats. Plus, Gerut was among the leaders in hits last week (.433-1-6) with ten hits. Gerut always had good (p)reviews, and maybe now, in a low-key way, he is coming into his own. Gerut is still 30, so he has a chance for a few years of upside.
Another name I was enamored with was RA Dickey, a former flamethrower with Texas, now toiling his way back to the rotation with Seattle. Dickey is another guy who struggled with control to the tune of 17-21, 5.62 over 35 starts and 86 games. Dickey, pitching in middle relief earned a chance to start after allowing a single run over 18 innings. Although he did get knocked around his Friday start, he will get another chance. What makes Dickey interesting is at 34 he has begun throwing a kniuckler, and if he can get real control, well, that makes him interesting. And, he should only be of interest in the deepest of AL formats.
Staying in Seattle, with JJ Putz on the shelf, closing looks like it will fall to Brandon Morrow who has been nothing short of spectacular (1-0, 1.00 over 18 innings, with 25 whiffs), has earned a save already, and well, go with the hot hand. Of course if Dickey continues to flourish in releif, he could get a shot, but the other guy I would keep and eye on is Ryan Rowand-Smith. And, Mariners reliever Sean Green is also worth a serious look, with 38 whiffs over 38 innings and a 1-2, 3.32 record.
With Alfonso Soriano down, the Cubs advanced both Eric Patterson and Micah Hoffpauir. Hoffpauir ripped at AAA Iowa (.319-16-73) last year over 82 games, and has pretty good pop (.280-71-377 over 604 minor league games through 2007) and hits lefty, so he could provide some production in deeper NL formats. Patterson has been up and down before, and might also merit a look in a deep league, but neither has any value other than that.
Finally, the most intriguing name of the week belongs to Hernan Iribarren, and Venezuelan middle infielder with the Brewers. Iribarren had hit .271-0-15 with 14 steals over 49 games at Triple-A Nashville, and he could get some playing time while Rickie Weeks is down with a sprained knee. As often as not, guys like Iribarren struggle at first, but sometimes they turn into surprises. Like Carlos Gonzalez, who has earned a starting gig in Oakland. You just never know.