This article is written externally by Michael McNulty.
It was 43 years ago this past Sunday that Pete Rose barreled into catcher Ray Fosse at the 1970 All-Star Game at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati. Rose scored the winning run on the 12th inning play – but also separated and fractured the defenseless Fosse’s shoulder.
Fosse's shoulder didn't set correctly, and he was never the same.
Critics immediately lashed out at the "overzealous" Rose, saying the play was dirty and uncalled for. After all, the game was simply a mid-summer exhibition that didn't matter beyond pride. Rose defended himself by saying, “I did start to slide, but he left me no recourse because there was no place to slide -- and there's no sense in ever sliding into a bag if you can't get the bag."
Maybe true, but there’s an unwritten rule in sports: Never injure another player in an exhibition game. If the game doesn't matter, you don't play with the same typical edge. While the play may have been technically legal, and a fair baseball move, the game didn’t count so a careless Rose had “taken things too far.”
But what if that same type of play happened in the 2013 MLB All-Star Game? What kind of response would we see? Outrage? Suspensions? Interestingly enough, a player today wouldn’t face the same ferocious critics – because the game actually counts. Maybe not in the standings – but it does impact the World Series.
A player today could easily defend himself by saying: Hey, I was just trying to help my league in the World Series.
And he'd be right.
Starting in 2003, MLB Commissioner Bud Selig declared the league that wins the All-Star Game would give its World Series representative home-field advantage in the Fall Classic. Note: Up until that point, home-field advantage in the playoffs switched off between leagues each season and was not influenced by regular season record.
Of course, just typing the sentence about the All-Star Game influencing the World Series makes my head hurt. It’s about as non-sensical a rule in all of professional sports. (Just to clarify, if the National League wins Tuesday night’s game, the National League gets home-field in the World Series – and vice versa – regardless of the two competing teams’ records.)
One decade after Selig inserted this gimmick into the All-Star Game, the notion that a meaningless exhibition somehow impacts a sacred baseball institution like the World Series is still as phony and artificial as the day it was ill-conceived. Think about it, if you admit that the World Series is impacted by a gimmick – which it is – the World Series then becomes a “gimmick” in its own right. That's a crime.
But why is it a gimmick? Isn't it good for the All-Star Game to mean something?
Well, the problem is we all know the All-Star Game isn’t played (or managed) 100% all-out. This is a fact. Starting pitchers go and come – no matter how well they are throwing or how long they’ve been on the mound – so they can get some exposure among their peers. Non-pitchers, meanwhile, get a couple of at bats and then make way for other All-Stars off the bench.
If managers were truly trying to win the game, they'd go with Detroit's Justin Verlander (if he was throwing well) for 7 innings -- not two. They wouldn't take out a Derek Jeter (in his prime). You want him in the whole game, right?
Thus, Selig decided that a game in July – that isn’t played or managed correctly – should actually impact the most important games of the season in October (played by completely different players and teams).
Make sense to you? Of course not.
In a weird twist, Rose would have loved today’s All-Star Game even more than when he played. Why? Because it does matter.
Rose could have bowled into Fosse and nobody would have said a thing.
After all, Rose could say he was just trying to win the World Seires -- for somebody else.
Ironically, most of this week's waiver wire pickups all play on relatively poor teams who are either in last place or hovering just above it. All this proves is that it really doesn't matter where an owner gets his players from as long as they perform. This week all of our pickups are owned in 25% or less in most leagues so for most of you, they should be available...
1. Kyle Blanks-1B,OF-Padres - 25% owned- With more playing time now at 1B as Yonder Alonso and Cameron Maybin continue to linger on the DL, the oft-injured Blanks is getting to show his offensive arsenal on a daily basis. Through 43 games in total this season, Blanks has 8 home runs, 22 RNIs, 7 doubles and is batting a respectable .285. The once highly touted 6' 6" Blanks whose height brings back shades of Dave Winfield, is someone to consider grabbing at least for the short term while we wait to see what will happen when the Pods are back to full strength.
2. Nick Franklin-2B,SS Mariners - 25% owned- This former 1st round pick of the Mariners was called up last month, and had his major league debut on May 27th. Although just a small sample, Franklin has played in just 16 games and has posted a .300 average over his 50 at bats. He also has stolen a couple of bases and homered twice as he does posses some power as well as speed. Playing two infield positions will be an asset for your team should you find yourself in need of a MI in deeper leagues.
3. Dillon Gee-SP-Mets - 10% owned- Trying his best to stay in the rotation once Mets top prospect Zach Wheeler is called up next week, Gee has turned his season around. Over his last three games, all wins, Gee has posted a 1.29 ERA along with a 19K/3BB ratio while allowing just three earned runs in 21 innings. Clearly the favorite to stay over Jeremy Hefner, Gee has been dealing with flexor tendonitis and if he can manage to control the pain and still pitch as well as he has of late, then he is safe to pick up in most leagues.
4. Jordan Lyles-SP-Astros - 3% owned- We know that it may be difficult for owners out there to pick up an Astro pitcher, but before you scoff at the opportunity, consider this; Lyles struck out 10...
The following article is from our friends at Fantasy Furnace...
1. Shawn Kelley-RP-Yankees - Here is our "Special K" of the week! This former Mariner had an awful 2-game stretch in his 3rd and 4th appearance back in the beginning of April, giving up 6 earned runs vs Cleveland and Detroit. By April 8th Kelley's ERA had ballooned to an unseemly 10.12. It has since dropped almost in half as he has let his K's do the talking for him. So far this season, Kelley has struck out 38 in just 22 1/3 innings. Kelley has helped keep the Bombers in quite a few games this season. For now, he is someone to consider in deeper leagues and A.L. only leagues.
2. Chris Carter-1B,OF-Astros - Those desperate for a player with some power numbers who is virtually unowned in most leagues, Carter is another who has gone unnoticed. Consider this: Carter has 3 more homers (11) than Albert Pujols, and just one less RBI (31). He's on pace to hit 30 home runs on the season and yet is owned in just 17% of leagues. His batting average (.223) admittedly is holding him back in many leagues, and yet players like Ike Davis of the Mets who only has 5 homers on the season and is batting an anemic .168 is owned in twice as many leagues.
3. Chad Gaudin-SP,RP-Giants - This well traveled veteran who just might set a record for the amount of times he's been traded (10) since entering the league in 2003, is someone that we're touting because he not only won his first game on Sunday vs the Cardinals as a starter since Sept. of 2009 when he was with the Yankees, but his ERA (2.21) and WHIP (1.15) are the lowest of his career. Gaudin is staying on as the Giants' fifth starter while Ryan Vogelsong continues his DL stint. He'll face the Diamondbacks this weekend and could be a...
This article is from our friends at Fantasy Furnace...
We have received several requests for little owned starting pitchers and outfielders from some of our many emails and are obliging this week with two SPs and 3 OFs. Three of our five waiver wire pickups are of the seasoned veteran kind so you will recognize their names. If you should have any specific needs for your roster, please feel free to contact us at fantasyfurnace@yahoo.com Here are this week's pickups...
1. Dayan Viciedo-OF-White Sox - Although Viciedo isn't exactly a household name, he's a candidate in deeper formats and A.L. only leagues this week. The 24 year old was given the everyday left field job last year, his first full season in the major leagues, and he showed why he deserved it by playing keen defense and blasting 25 home runs. The undrafted outfielder needs to cut down on his strikeouts which kept his batting average at a mid tier .255 last season. Viciedo is currently hitting .303 going 11-for-30 (.366) in the month of May.
2. Raul Ibanez-OF-Mariners - We know that you're probably asking yourself,"why tout a player that will be turning 41 next month?" Well, like Viciedo above, Ibanez is also a fringe fantasy player who is tailor-made for A.L. only and deeper leagues. Consider that discounting last season's one-year bench role with the Yankees, Ibanez has hit 20 or more home runs in 6 out of his previous 7 seasons and crushed 30+ HRs in two of them, so we know he still can hit for power. Barely owned, the LF has just finished a veritable All-Star-like week going 8-for-22 with 5 HRs and 11 RBIs. Ride him while he's hot !
3. Bronson Arroyo-SP-Reds - The veteran right-hander has been one durable pitcher going 8 of his last 9 seasons with 30 or more starts. He is as steady as they come and makes an ideal pickup in mixed leagues, while in more shallow ones he can be quite a serviceable streaming candidate. Arroyo is coming of back-to- back wins over the Brewers and Phillies highlighted by a 0.00 ERA and 0.91 WHIP over 14 1/3 innings pitched. He faces the anemic Cubbies next week which should yield him his third win in as many games. Arroyo is owned in just 22% of leagues.
4. David Phelps-SP,RP-Yankees - Now in just his second big league season, Phelps is getting noticed more and more by some savvy owners as the reliever turned starter has been nothing short of ace-like over his last three starts going 19 1/3 innings and allowing just...
receives CI Wallace, Brett, $0.5m (P-2013) OF Wheeler, Tim, $0.5m (P-n/a)
receives CI Chavez, Eric, $1.5m (2013)
Pittsburgh gets a cheap replacement at CI for Chavez with a player who could contribute in the future. In addition, we bring a prospect we have liked for some time with Wheeler.
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- 25% owned- With more playing time now at 1B as Yonder Alonso and Cameron Maybin continue to linger on the DL, the oft-injured Blanks is getting to show his offensive arsenal on a daily basis. Through 43 games in total this season, Blanks has 8 home runs, 22 RNIs, 7 doubles and is batting a respectable .285. The once highly touted 6' 6" Blanks whose height brings back shades of Dave Winfield, is someone to consider grabbing at least for the short term while we wait to see what will happen when the Pods are back to full strength.
- 25% owned- This former 1st round pick of the Mariners was called up last month, and had his major league debut on May 27th. Although just a small sample, Franklin has played in just 16 games and has posted a .300 average over his 50 at bats. He also has stolen a couple of bases and homered twice as he does posses some power as well as speed. Playing two infield positions will be an asset for your team should you find yourself in need of a MI in deeper leagues.
- 10% owned- Trying his best to stay in the rotation once Mets top prospect Zach Wheeler is called up next week, Gee has turned his season around. Over his last three games, all wins, Gee has posted a 1.29 ERA along with a 19K/3BB ratio while allowing just three earned runs in 21 innings. Clearly the favorite to stay over Jeremy Hefner, Gee has been dealing with flexor tendonitis and if he can manage to control the pain and still pitch as well as he has of late, then he is safe to pick up in most leagues.
- 3% owned- We know that it may be difficult for owners out there to pick up an Astro pitcher, but before you scoff at the opportunity, consider this; Lyles struck out 10...
- Here is our "Special K" of the week! This former Mariner had an awful 2-game stretch in his 3rd and 4th appearance back in the beginning of April, giving up 6 earned runs vs Cleveland and Detroit. By April 8th Kelley's ERA had ballooned to an unseemly 10.12. It has since dropped almost in half as he has let his K's do the talking for him. So far this season, Kelley has struck out 38 in just 22 1/3 innings. Kelley has helped keep the Bombers in quite a few games this season. For now, he is someone to consider in deeper leagues and A.L. only leagues.
- This well traveled veteran who just might set a record for the amount of times he's been traded (10) since entering the league in 2003, is someone that we're touting because he not only won his first game on Sunday vs the Cardinals as a starter since Sept. of 2009 when he was with the Yankees, but his ERA (2.21) and WHIP (1.15) are the lowest of his career. Gaudin is staying on as the Giants' fifth starter while Ryan Vogelsong continues his DL stint. He'll face the Diamondbacks this weekend and could be a...
- Although Viciedo isn't exactly a household name, he's a candidate in deeper formats and A.L. only leagues this week. The 24 year old was given the everyday left field job last year, his first full season in the major leagues, and he showed why he deserved it by playing keen defense and blasting 25 home runs. The undrafted outfielder needs to cut down on his strikeouts which kept his batting average at a mid tier .255 last season. Viciedo is currently hitting .303 going 11-for-30 (.366) in the month of May.
- The veteran right-hander has been one durable pitcher going 8 of his last 9 seasons with 30 or more starts. He is as steady as they come and makes an ideal pickup in mixed leagues, while in more shallow ones he can be quite a serviceable streaming candidate. Arroyo is coming of back-to- back wins over the Brewers and Phillies highlighted by a 0.00 ERA and 0.91 WHIP over 14 1/3 innings pitched. He faces the anemic Cubbies next week which should yield him his third win in as many games. Arroyo is owned in just 22% of leagues.
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