As we enter the middle part of the season’s final month, I salute those of you still with a fighting chance in your respective leagues. Hopefully some of the tips we’ve passed on over the season have helped in some small way. And if you are in a dogfight, there’s no letting up now, so let’s see if we can’t provide just a little more advice to help you over that final hump towards a 2006 championship.
Loaiza Bubble Burst by Rays
In case you hadn’t noticed, Esteban Loaiza has been a very steady player since August. His off-season signing by Oakland certainly caused many an eyebrow to be raised, and when he struggled to an 0-3, 8.35 April and missed all of May thanks to a strained left trapezius muscle, the A’s were universally derided for their dumb move.
However, Loaiza’s more recent performance has helped to quiet the peanut gallery. In August, he was 4-0, 1.48 with 31 Ks against just four walks, a dominating enough performance to earn him AL Pitcher of the Month honors.
Saturday night, however, Loaiza was burned for more runs than he had given up in his six previous starts. After a six-start, 5-0 run with seven runs – six earned – allowed over his last 45 1/3 innings, Loaiza was hammered by the Rays of all teams for eight runs and 12 hits in just 5 1/3 innings. He did strike out seven and walk only one, but talk about having your bubble burst.
Still, I like Loaiza down the stretch. Anyone can get rocked in a start, even against Tampa Bay. Loaiza’s command has been impeccable, making him a must-start. There’s a chance he’s still unowned in more shallow mixed leagues, so scan your waiver wires if you’re seeking starting pitching for September.
A Little Rest Goes a Long Way
Apparently, all Carl Crawford needed was a day off – in fact, just a few innings did the trick. With his star outfielder mired in a 4-for-37 skid, D-Rays manager Joe Maddon opted to keep Crawford out of the starting lineup on Wednesday – even though Tampa Bay had an off day on Thursday. Crawford sat the first seven innings before grounding out as a pinch hitter in the eighth and then heading out to finish the game in left field.
In the two games since then, Crawford has produced four hits, two runs, two RBI and a steal, proving he’s past his slump. Crawford is batting .305 for the season, which, assuming he can maintain it, would be the highest average of his career, topping the .301 mark he set last year.
Crawford just turned 25 last month, and with his developing power, he’s going to be a fantasy staple for years to come. Consider him a top 10 AL pick and top 25 overall pick heading into 2007.
Kiwi Update
I was doing some research the other day when I stumbled across a name I had almost forgotten about – Travis Wilson. Perhaps you recall, Wilson was the New Zealand softball star that intrigued the Braves enough to earn a minor league contract at the age of 19. It got me wondering whatever became of him, especially after he got a ton of attention back in 2002 as it looked like he was knocking on the door of a big-league job.
He spent eight years in total trying unsuccessfully to make the majors. Along the way, he was the 1999 South Atlantic League All-Star Utility Player and played in the 2000 Futures Game. Wilson accumulated 3,035 career minor league at-bats, but a lifetime OBP of .304 ultimately doomed his chances of ever seeing the light of day on a major league field.
He did come close, though. Wilson was actually on the Braves’ 40-man roster before being designated for assignment after the 2002 season. He spent one final, lacklustre season with the Atlanta organization before playing his last minor league year in 2004 with the Double-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds.
A six-year minor league free agent at the conclusion of the 2004 season, Wilson headed back home to New Zealand to rejoin the national softball team – the Black Sox. He’s now 29 years old, and will doubtlessly never taste organized ball again. But for a brief period, Wilson gave hope to all softball players that they too could one day draw the attention of a major league team and come within an injury of getting a call to the Show.
By the way, if anyone has heard any more recent news on Wilson, please pass it along.
El Duque Gives the Mets a Shot in the Arm
The Mets definitely look like a major World Series favorite, but before we simply acclaim them world champions, they do face a few obstacles, most notably key issues with their pitching staff.
Pedro Martinez has been out since August 14, although he is on the comeback trail. Tom Glavine just recovered from his own major injury scare, and is trying to round back into form. Steve Tracschel somehow has 14 wins, but he looks amazingly shaky right now. Oliver Perez was great his last time out, but before that he looked to be on his way to the bullpen. Even John Maine has struggled recently.
That’s why Orlando Hernandez’s recent showings have been so important. El Duque dealt with his own injury woes – skipping a start at the end of last month because of a tired arm. But overall, Hernandez has really turned his season around after a very forgettable run in Arizona. Since arriving in New York, he’s been much better, specifically in his last three starts, when he’s been simply superb.
In 18 1/3 innings over that stretch, Hernandez has given up just 10 hits and three runs – two earned – with eight walks, 18 strikeouts and no homers allowed. Saturday night, El Duque crafted an excellent seven-inning, four-hit, one earned run effort to beat the Dodgers 3-2. He struck out six and walked just one, retiring 15 straight at one point to reach double digits in victories for the first time since he was a Yankee mainstay in 2000.
The fact that the victory came over a possible playoff foe only served to remind the Mets how great a post-season pitcher Hernandez has been over his career. Any thoughts of banishing him to the bullpen or leaving him off the playoff roster altogether had to have been exorcised by this gem.
If you own El Duque, enjoy the ride down the stretch. For the season, in 143 1/3 innings, he’s given up just 140 hits while striking out 140 batters and looks like he’s peaking just in time to shine in the postseason once again.
Another Difference Maker
Speaking of players who are making a difference for their teams, precious little praise has been thrown the way of Dodgers’ shortstop Rafael Furcal this season. Many have lauded Greg Maddux and the impact he’s had on the pitching staff, but is it any coincidence that the Dodgers’ 2006 turnaround occurred just as Furcal started really heating up?
He’s hit .336 with a .545 slugging percentage since the All-Star break, but has really picked things up recently, riding a current five-game hit streak and batting .424 in September.
Furcal has shown more patience this year, with a walk rate at its highest level since his amazing rookie season. Through 140 games played, he’s showing good pop for a lead-off man, having already reached the 30-double mark for the second straight year and double digits in homers for the fourth straight campaign.
Ryan Howard is looking the clear-cut NL MVP for 2006, and no one in their right mind can make much of an argument against that, but I believe Furcal deserves recognition for helping Los Angeles turn around its fortunes. Recall that last season’s 71-win team was the worst Dodger club since 1992. And while many newcomers have played a part in the quick recovery, the spark Furcal has provided at the top of the order may have had the biggest effect of all.
If you want more evidence of the difference Furcal has made, take a look at what’s happened to Atlanta since he left. Now certainly, the Braves’ problems run deeper than merely lacking a spark at the top of the order, but given Marcus Giles’ struggles at the top of the order (not to mention his public disdain for the role), you can’t help but wonder how much of a factor Furcal’s departure has had on Atlanta’s dramatic swoon this season.
Blog Update: If you haven’t yet visited www.RotoRob.com, our new fantasy sports analysis blog, you’ve been missing out on all the fun. On this week’s Podcast, we discussed whether the Tigers will hang on in the AL Central, talked about Anibal Sanchez’s amazing no-hit performance and then wrapped things up with our Fantasy Report which included a look at a Marlin utilityman who’s been absolute fantasy gold this season. In addition to our standard baseball and basketball material, our expert hockey and football writers are posting regular content. Fantasy football coverage has really picked up now that the season’s underway, and we’ve recently posted cheat sheets. Recent baseball posts include a look at the Giants’ perplexing season and the fortunes of their ace, Jason Schmidt; an assessment of Royals “All-Star” Mark Redman; and a Dodgers’ Fantasy Report.
If you like my columns at CREATiVESPORTS.com, you’ll get more of the same, except with more of an edge and often in more bite-size form. Check it out! www.rotorob.com.
NEXT: Spikes Up is scheduled to return on September 18, assuming I don’t suddenly vanish only to be discovered mummified years down the road.
Comments? Questions? Criticisms or witticisms? You can reach me at rob@creativesports.com if you’d like further information or have a question you’d like me to answer in an upcoming column. Have a suggestion for a column or want to hear analysis about a particular player? Feel free to write. I might even answer!
Rob Blackstien is a freelance writer and the principal of Pen-Ultimate (www.pen-ultimate.ca), a Toronto-based writing and editorial services firm. On weekdays, he writes the Daily Dose and posts fantasy baseball news on Rotoworld, and his baseball work has also appeared on BaseballNotebook.com and the Fantasy Baseball Guide magazine. Rob has also written baseball and basketball columns for usatoday.com and foxsports.com.