(Ed. note: Chris Kahrl is still getting set up in his new D.C. digs, so Keith and Joe share pinch-hitting duties.) ANAHEIM ANGELS Optioned RHP Seth Etherton to Edmonton of the Pacific Coast League (AAA); activated RHP Kent Bottenfield from the 15-day disabled list; placed SS Kevin Stocker on the 15-day disabled list tendinitis in…
I just finished your article "Russian Roulette" on ESPN.com. After reading your excellent article I began to ponder the starting pitcher/wins ratio this year. It seems every second or third boxscore has a win by a middle reliever or closer. I’ve noticed a few relievers, like Danny Graves, Jeff Nelson and Gabe White, who have…
(Ed. note: Chris Kahrl is wending his way from Chicago to Washington, D.C., so Keith Law steps in for him. A new TA by Chris will be available later this week.) BALTIMORE ORIOLES Activated RHP Calvin Maduro from the 15-day disabled list; optioned RHP Gabe Molina to Rochester of the International League (AAA). [6/20] Activating…
There was a time when conservatism produced solid results in fantasy auctions. Hang back, let people spend themselves silly on the stars, then scoop up the middle guys at reasonable or even bargain prices. Judging by the LABR and ToutWars auctions last month, those days are gone. I went into the American League ToutWars auction…
Mike Hargrove‘s abrupt dismissal–"Hey, we could wait to fire you and keep it discreet, but we’d rather rub salt in that wound and embarrass the heck out of you now"–will cause a lot of head-scratching around baseball over the next few days. But while Hargrove arguably deserved to go after five years of early playoff…
A rematch of the 1997 pairing that turned out to be no match, with the Braves handily beating the Astros in three straight. The Braves come into this series as heavy favorites, due both to their strong September and the Astros’ struggles in the last two weeks. Lineups The Astrodome masks the fact that the…
The Yankees’ other fat toad As the Yankees coast to their third division title in four years, Joe Torre and company must begin to examine candidates for the probable playoff roster, including choosing his postseason rotation. The subject hasn’t received much press, but Torre should consider leaving Roger Clemens out of that rotation entirely. Clemens…
The umpires’ Wednesday proclamation that they will all gradually resign between now and September 4th might be the worst decision in baseball since…well, since Rich Garcia said it didn’t matter if Oscar Maier caught the ball, it was a home run. Legal wrangling aside, this is a battle the Men in Black can’t win, and…
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS Recalled pitcher Byung-Hyun Kim from Tucson of the Pacific Coast League (AAA); optioned pitcher Bobby Chouinard to Tucson. [5/27] Kim blew threw Double-A and Triple-A, leading to talk that he, like Billy Koch, will soon be installed as the major-league closer. Kim did pitch well in the PCL, but in one of the…
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS Optioned infielder Hanley Frias to Tucson of the Pacific Coast League (AAA); recalled pitcher Bobby Chouinard from Tucson. [5/22] Given the innings the D’backs normally get from their rotation, you wonder if they have any real use for an extra pitcher, much less one of Chouinard’s dubious qualifications. That said, they also ride…
Just a few weeks into the 1999 season, most roto teams have begun to separate themselves into the apparent contenders and rebuilders. However, with nearly 75% of the season left to play, it’s early enough to recast your fate and take advantage of some small sample-size fluctuations around the majors. Here are five players off…
Et Tu, Bobby? Although a fair amount of ink has been spilled on the Braves’ supposed bullpen woes this season, there wasn’t much evidence that Bobby Cox had started worrying about it. But Tuesday night’s display of Leylanditis Chronicus should have all Braves’ fans concerned. With 20-year-old rookie Odalis Perez already over 100 pitches, Cox…
I have to admit, this year’s ToutWars-AL edition marks my first foray into the world of the Sweeney plan, a popular strategy where you punt the two power categories (HR/RBI) and try to win the remaining six. You buy a few speedsters who’ll hit for good averages and pretty much blow the rest on buying…
Those of you who drafted in AL leagues in the last ten days may have seen the immediate impact of the surfeit of spring training information, gossip, and innuendo in John Wetteland‘s price. There was a brief period when it appeared that Wetteland might start the season on the DL, and miss a fair amount…
ATLANTA BRAVES (1998: 581 runs allowed, 1st in the NL) Rotation Greg Maddux, R Tom Glavine, L John Smoltz, R Kevin Millwood, R Odalis Perez, L Bullpen Mark Wohlers, R John Rocker, L Mike Remlinger, L Kevin McGlinchy, R Rudy Seanez, R Alternatives Kerry Ligtenberg, R (hurt) Mike Cather, R Bruce Chen, L Russ Springer,…
Recently, a reader sent the following to me: Keith — I enjoy your articles, and thought that I would ask you a question that I have never seen answered in all of the mags, books and websites: How does valuation change if you have 11 or 10 (or less) teams instead of the standard 12?…