Ok Baseball season is drawing to an end and Football Season is creeping in on us, so lets do a baseball update and then we will follow it up with a football draft spectacular. My Red Sox have slipped a bit, my predication that Zobrist and Jeter would slow down has been clearly wrong, and major trades have reversed the power of my two teams. RedSoxRevenge (League One) is firmly in 3rd place, and Soxtown (League Two) is shockingly and fairly strongly holding onto first place. Let's break it down.
League One (RedSoxRevenge)-At last visit I had picked up Hanley Ramirez and Kendry Morales, well Han-Ram I traded away for Zack Grienke and Ryan Franklin. Again at some point (at least in non-head to head leagues and non-keeper leagues) you have to trade for need and not hold on too tightly to the guys whose stats you have a good lead in. The downside to trading Hanley who I love, is that David Wright went down the very next day, I was sure the Fantasy Gods had decided to punish me. So quickly my new lineup that has been altered via trade and moves looks like this:
1B-Derek Lee 2nd-Chase Utley 3rd-Mike Lowell SS-Ben Zobrist OF-Manny Ramirez OF-Jayson Werth OF-Kendry Morales UTIL-Raul Ibanez C-Jorge Posada
This lineup lost Holiday and Han-Ram to trade, and David Wright to injury...but again the RBI/Runs/HR's didn't need the help anymore...so I pushed up Werth to replace Holiday (Werth had earned it) and added Lowell to replace Wright who I hope returns soon. Zobrist was a Han-Ram replacement and has been fine. A-Ram and Soto sit on my bench. My lead in those offensive stats is in no jeopardy. It was my pitching that was falling apart.
Pitching: SP-Zack Greinke SP-Edwin Jackson SP-Randy Wolf SP-Ryan Dempster SP-Tommy Hansen SP-Rickey Nolasco Relief: Ryan Franklin, Joe Nathan, Brian Funtes, and Kerry Wood.
The pitching which was falling apart pre-trades, is getting back on track...I have a shot to make up ground in Saves with Franklin back on this team, and Wood has been Ok as well. I finally got the ace I wanted in Zack Grienke, where as Nolasco, Dempster, and even E-Jax all scare me start to start. Randy Wolf has been great and probably starts game two of the playoffs for the dodgers (crazy right?)
League Two (Soxtown)-At last check here I had just picked up Chase Utley and Kendry Morales...I gave up Adam Dunn and Ryan Franklin (two good players having good years). So have those moves worked...Um Yeah...shockingly this team that was riddled with injuries and so thin at pitching finds itself in first place...not to borrow a line from the A-Team but "I love it when a plan comes together" (insert theme music here). Lineup looks like this.
1b-Kendry Morales 2nd-Chase Utley 3rd-Kevein Youkillis SS-Alexei Ramirez OF-Grady Sizemore OF-Andre Ethier OF-Michael Cuddyer UTIL-Dustin Pedroia
The lineup looks a little patchwork at first glance, but the MVP like play of Kendry and the resurgence of Andre Ethier has really lifted this team in power stats...Having both Youk and Pedroia in the lineup has helped immensely and when Sizemore plays he's pretty good. Clint Barmes and Josh Willingham sit on my bench. Again this league did need help in offense, however the pitching was a nightmare...and believe or not it has also improved.
Pitching: SP-Jon Lester SP-Cliff Lee SP-Jason Marquis SP-Tommy Hansen Relief: Brad Lidge, Brian Fuentes, Bobby Jenks, Fernando Rodney, and Neftali Feliz.
Cliff Lee exploded to help me take the top spot in wins, and Lester has been ace-like. Jason Marquis just kept winning and I couldn't ignore that. Tommy Hansen has been nice as well. I was dominating the saves category but was losing ground there for a bit so I decided to hold onto my closers who I dangled in trades. I was able to reduce my ERA which was firmly in last place at last check it is now in 2nd to last (not bad huh...took a lot of work to get there) and my whip has been improved quite a bit.
Some Advice from the guy in 1st and 3rd: Probably too late now to do much, most trade deadlines have passed and there isn't too much else on the wire left. Keep an eye on September Call-Ups and make sure your lineups are in good order daily so you don't leave "unplayed games" on the table. Also if your chasing only AVG might be time to bench those guys who go 1-5 everyday.
Stars to keep an eye on-Tazawa and Bucholz on the Red Sox are doing well, and even Paul Byrd is worth a win or two. Alex Gonzalez and Chase Headley are both probably out there for you to grab. Jamie Moyer has pitched very well cleaning up for Pedro and even a Ryan Dempster may have found his way onto the wavier pool. Also Tim Hudson is on his way back and his make and style should show immediate success.
Good luck to all in the stretch run and hopefully I go two for two!
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