Archive for June 2009
Episode 1055 is up
June 10, 2009Fantasy Baseball Strategy Guide and News for 10 June 2009 (Issue 63)
June 10, 2009Carlos Gonzalez can hit a little bit. It remains to be seen whether he is a flash in the pan, but you might as well enjoy him while you can.
David Ortiz has been pretty unlucky this year, and in some leagues his original owners have lost faith in him. As he has shown this week, it may be time to give him another chance. With interleague play coming up this weekend, he may have to pinch hit, but my hunch is that Mike Lowell will sit on Sunday, so that’s one start right there. In addition Kevin Youkilis has been hurt recently, so he should get two out of three starts.
To a lesser degree, the same is true about James Shields. He may be 5-5, but he is much better than that. He could win 15 this season. I just picked him up in a league. Is he available in yours?
Yunel Escobar has been consistent this year and can give you help at shortstop, a place many of us need help at.
Dave Bush continues to be maligned, now physically after that line drive that got him in the knee, but he has a 1.22 WHIP and is better than people think. He could surprise his next time out.
Episode 1054 is up
June 10, 2009Episode 1053 is up
June 9, 2009Episode 1052 is up
June 9, 2009Fantasy Baseball Strategy Guide and News for 9 June 2009 (Issue 62)
June 9, 2009Don’t give up on Kenshin Kawakami yet. He’ll never be an anchor, but you should be able to get some innings out of him. A higher risk/reward guy is Sean West. You can also consider Jason Marquis. Imagine how bad the Colorado Rockies would be if they didn’t have him.
Remember Gabe Kapler? He hit a home run yesterday. If he gets some more starts in Tampa Bay, then he is worth a look.
Chris Iannetta is coming off the DL, and he’s another one of those low average, high power catchers. In a lot of leagues his owners gave up on him when he got hurt, so check and see if you’re into that sort of thing.
Fantasy Baseball Strategy Guide and News for 8 June 2009 (Issue 61)
June 8, 2009It’s time to give up on Rafael Furcal. Maybe you can get Clint Barmes to replace him.
Today’s young hotshot starting pitcher is Antonio Bastardo. More than a clever name, he’s especially nice in keeper leagues or if you need wins. And of course there is Vin Mazzaro. Be careful, though. He beat the Orioles, a poor hitting and aggressive swinging team. The walks will come back, and against a real offense, he could get lit up. Ubaldo Jimenez is another young guy that you may not have heard of. He’ll get you strikeouts without hurting your WHIP too much.
Randy Wells is a good all-around young talent. In leagues that have specific slots for starters and relievers, he can give you multiposition eligibility too. Don’t be scared off by Tommy Hanson. As long as he keeps the ball down, he’ll be alright. Despite leading his team with six wins, a lot of leagues have left Joe Saunders on the waiver wire. Check and see whether he is there.
It was always a big question whether Carlos Ruiz could hit. It’s June now, and he’s still hitting over .300. Maybe he can. Another name is Jamie Burke. The Mariners have lost two catchers already, and now Burke is going to get some starts.
Juan Rivera is quietly having a good season. Shh.
Fantasy Baseball Strategy Guide and News for 7 June 2009 (Issue 60)
June 8, 2009Trevor Cahill may mimic the wave the Oakland A’s are likely to get on. You could conceivably get another six to eight wins out of him if you keep him on your roster the rest of the year.
It was nice of Geovany Soto to hit a home run yesterday, but I’m giving up on him. It’s a decision I should have made weeks ago, but I really didn’t expect him to be the next Damon Berryhill.
You never know who is available in your league if you don’t look. I just added Jon Lester. Obviously I won’t get his stats from yesterday’s start, but he should get me some good numbers the rest of the year. And his wins for being on a good team makes it easier for me to pick up someone like Jarrod Washburn.
Kelvim Escobar is back. He’s yet another starting pitcher you should take a long look at if you need one. So is Nick Blackburn. And Jeremy Sowers.
Mike MacDougal is the closer in Washington.
Various Artists “Sugarrush Records Artist Sampler”
June 8, 2009They’re all Australian. (You can’t tell.) And they’re all pretty amazing.
Tara Simmons sounds like Mirah on “When You Say I Don’t Care About You.” Brindle sounds like Joy Pop Turbo with “Splinterfights.” They’re both excellent tracks if you like female vocals.
Flamingo Crash is good on “Yes! Yes! Yes!” if you’re into Panic at the Disco or those types of acts. They certainly sing with a lot of passion in the studio. The Black Stars have one of the best tracks on the album with “Alright Baby.” If Jet sounded more like these guys I would not hate him/them so much. It’s the same musical style, but the guitar sounds more like something Dinosaur Jr would do.
I also like Liam Griffin’s “Until You Fall.” This is the sound the Dambuilders tried to do. The chorus has a similar melody to “Drive By Kiss,” actually.
Kristy Apps has the last track, “Be Patient.” It’s good for fans of Tracy Chapman. It’s the same melancholy, stripped down (under) sound that you’d expect.
Danny Saber “Saber Bytes”
June 8, 2009Scott Saber was the center of the men’s basketball team at Cal State Hayward when I was a junior. I have no idea whether he is related to Danny.
I thought this was a compilation, but now I’m not so sure. The songs have different singers and a relatively common late-1980s danceable theme to them, but it’s hard to tell. iTunes thinks they are all by Saber, so I don’t know. The track listing lists a name before each track, so there you go. “Tou Jour” would then be by Helenrella. Regardless, it is the best of the bunch and has more of an early-1990s feel, like One Dove, only the lyrics are in French and not as good. But the synths have that same ethereal glow that will remind the listener of them.
“Possibilities” by Kirsten Price has a Portishead feel to it. It is also very good. Everything on this album is really good. It’s a trip back in time to when you had to drive to a fruit stand instead of waiting for the farmers market to come to you. And then after the long drive home you spent all afternoon de-stemming cherries so then all you had to do was eat them and spit out the pits.
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