Turn Back the Clock: Third Base

Today I’m going to discuss the third base position as I continue to review my predictions for the top-10 at the position to see how they panned out (the following list is taken from the 2009 Fanball Annual Guide that was on newsstands prior to the start of the 2009 season).

To read previous positional reviews click on the following link:

CATCHERS

FIRST BASE

SECOND BASE

1. Alex Rodriguez

2. David Wright

3. Aramis Ramirez

4. Evan Longoria

5. Chippers Jones

6. Garrett Atkins

7. Chone Figgins

8. Aubrey Huff

9. Kevin Youkilis

10. Alex Gordon

A-Rod rebounded from hip surgery and missing a month of action to record yet another 30-HR, 100-RBI season. That’s 12-straight years of that type of effort to tie the all-time record previously held by Jimmie Foxx. Yeah, he really slowed down didn’t he?

Wright hit .307, two points below his career mark, got on base at a .390 clip (career .389) and stole 27 bases. Yet his season was a failure. Why? A five year low in runs (88) and RBI (72) was distressing, but his simply atrocious total of 10 homers, after 26 or more the previous four seasons, rendered his ’09 after an abysmal outing for a player who wasn’t hurt.

Ramirez injured his shoulder which limited him to a mere 82 games played. Still, in half a season of games he hit .319 with a .905 OPS as he hit 15 long balls and 65 RBI putting his production slightly ahead of the levels we have come to expect.

Longoria had only 58 RBI over his last 105 games, but with 55 in his first 51 his overall mark of 113 was the best at the position. Evan also went deep 33 times, was one of only three third sackers to score 100 runs (100 exactly), and hit a solid .281 with a .889 OPS. Not a bad second season in the league wouldn’t you say?

Jones hit at least .324 from 2006-08, but at 37 years of age expecting a repeat was asking too much (he hit just .264). Why was he ranked fifth on my list then if I already had lower expectations for his ’09 outlook? Bottom line was that the third base position just wasn’t that deep heading into last season (and still isn’t in 2010).

Atkins was abysmal. Period. You can read all about the performance in my recent Five Questions piece.

Figgins had a terrific season and it will make him a lot of money this offseason. Chone led the position with 114 runs and 42 steals, while hitting .298 with a .395 OBP. By thaw way, he was second in the AL in runs scored (Dustin Pedroia crossed the plate 115 times).

Huff failed, miserably, to repeat his tremendous 2008 effort (.304-32-108) turning out a .241-15-85 line in a season split with the Orioles and Tigers. He didn’t play a single game at third instead seeing time exclusively at first base (93 games) and DH.

Youkilis was much more productive than I thought he would be. He failed to match his ’08 numbers (.312-29-115-91), but was pretty darn close across the board (.306-27-94-99).

Gordon was injured, had hip surgery, spent time at Triple-A and all-around was a huge disappointment. He hit only .232 with a .703 OPS in 49 games, and in the offseason the Royals brought in Josh Fields to possibly challenge Gordon for starts at third in the coming campaign.

By Ray Flowers

Rumor Central – Turkey Style

Now that I’ve worked through my turkey induced coma (not that I’m complaining mind you), I thought it would be wise to take a look around the landscape of major league baseball and give my thoughts on a few of the players who are rumored to be on the move either through trades or by signing with a new team do to their free agent status.

Orlando Cabrera: With the recent signing of other shortstops to decent sized deals, you would have to think that Cabrera is in line for at least a nice two year deal. Hell, Jack Wilson got 2-years and $10 million from the Mariners. Wilson is a fine defensive player, but he can’t hold Cabrera’s jock as an offensive weapon. Consider that Cabrera has hit at least .281 with 83 runs and 171 hits in each of his last four seasons. Wilson? He has hit .281 twice in his career, has never scored more than 82 runs and has only once eclipsed 171 hits in his nine years. How could Cabrera not get at least $10 mil armed with those facts?

Jermaine Dye: Jermaine has socked at least 27 homers with 78 or more RBI in each of the last five seasons. However, he will be 36 in January and hit a pathetic .179 with seven homers over his final 212 ABs causing a lot of teams some trepidation. Dye has attempted to rectify that feeling by offering to play first base to increase his versatility on the field, and it might be working. Rumors are swirling that he could end up in Texas or sign on the dotted with the Orioles, Giants, Mets or Braves. He still has 25 homer pop, but he might find it difficult to put up big time totals outside of the hitters’ haven that is U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago.

Roy Halladay: The biggest name on the market, every day seems to bring a new rumor (he has most often been linked to the Red Sox, Angels and Yankees – of course). What seems obvious is that the Jays are almost certain to move him and that the return will be plentiful for one of the top-5 hurlers in the game.

Matt Holliday: The top hitter on the market, Holliday appears rather content to go to the club that offers him the most loot – hardly and oddity considering that Scott Boras is his agent. He will break the bank with a flooring of $100 million merely being enough to get a conversation started.

Edwin Jackson: Coming off a career season (13-9, 3.62 ERA, 1.26 WHIP), Jackson’s name has been mentioned in a series of potential deals since the season ended. The Tigers need to cut payroll, Detroit has been especially hard hit with the economic downturn, and it looks like Jackson is their most moveable chip. It might also have something to do with his second half implosion (5.07 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, .290 BAA). Buyer beware here – we may look back on ’09 as a career best effort.

Ben Sheets: Floating out there after missing last year do to arm surgery. The Mets and Orioles appear to be the most interested in the moment, though many teams would bite at the right price (just as they would with Erik Bedard). It remains to be seen just what Sheets has left, but he posted a 3.09 ERA and a 1.15 ERA in 198.1 innings in 2008 and is one mighty intriguing option as a short-term, discounted pickup.

Marco Scutaro: Marco will not be back with the Blue Jays who seemed intent on moving on since the season concluded. To that end, they signed defensively gifted but offensively ineffective John MacDonald to a 2-year, $3 million deal. They then entered the free agent market and picked up Alex Gonzalez on a 1-year, $2.75 million deal. Gonzalez is also a fine defensive shortstop, and though he has some pop and offers more offense than MacDonald, he hit only .238 with 41 RBI for the Red Sox and Reds last season. I have no idea what Scutaro will eventually sign for, but seems to me that the Blue Jays could have offered him $4.25 a year (what they paid to the other two) on a multi year deal and had a chance to bring back a guy who, in the very least, will dwarf the others in his ability to get on base (he had a .379 OBP last year).

Billy Wagner: It looks like multiple teams are throwing their hats into the Wagner sweepstakes. This is hardly a shock given his track record and success last season when he returned from Tommy John surgery to post a 1.72 ERA while racking up 26 punchouts in a mere 15.2 innings. He could end up as a dominating setup man or a 1-year closer depending on who he signs with. The 38 year old still deserves serious consideration on draft day.

By Ray Flowers

Giving Thanks

As we approach our national holiday of thanks in America, a day I like to call Turkey Day instead of the traditional Thanksgiving, I thought I would come up with a list of things that I’m thankful for as I look back over the last calendar year.

I’m thankful for — the greatness that is Albert Pujols and Joe Mauer. Pay close attention to this duo folks. Years from now when you are in your rocking chair on the porch you’ll be able to tell the grand kids about how you witnessed their magnificence with a bat in their hands.

I’m thankful for — my new nephew Yonathan who was born on Monday, the 23rd of November just in time for the holiday. He joins my niece Hermela as the two shinning lights of my brother’s marriage. Not only that, he takes the heat of me for grand children since at the rate I’m going I’ll be lucky if I can find someone to hold my hand on Friday night. OK, it’s not really that bad, but you have to keep a brave face on when your younger brother outdoes you.

I’m thankful for — my computer – when it works. Without it I wouldn’t be able to do my job, though on those rare days that it doesn’t work I wish I was living back in Victorian times, that is until I remember that they didn’t have TiVo back then

I’m thankful for — the 49ers. Even though they are nothing more than average, they remind the Bay Area what football is supposed to look like. They haven’t seen competence with a football team in the East Bay in, well, forever (the Raiders are simply dreadful). How bad is it when there is a legitimate question if the local NFL team could be beaten by a college squad (Stanford certainly could give the Raiders a run for it).

I’m thankful for — my job. Lot’s of good folks don’t have one right now.

I’m thankful for — doctors who have finally stepped up and started to do some real work with players who have head injuries. No longer do we see guys with concussions being treated cavalierly. A bruise to your brain is what it is people, and I don’t know about you, but that sounds pretty serious to me.

I’m thankful for — pumpkin pie. I never eat it except at the holidays, but when the parties roll around I’m all about the dessert tray.

I’m thankful for — the San Jose Sharks magnificence in the regular season. Now if I could just add thanks for a wonderful playoff run all would be right in the world.

I’m thankful for — the impending release of our 2010 Baseball Preview Magazine that will be on newsstands prior to Christmas.

I’m thankful for — the continued success of Fanball. Can’t say I’m surprised since that’s what happens to good people who put in an honest day’s work.

I’m thankful for — Thursday night football. Wait, I’m not thankful for that in the least. Worst idea in the history of the NFL as it puts players needlessly at risk of injury just for the sake of a few more bucks, hardly what the NFL needs at the moment.

I’m thankful for — the three point line in the NBA, though I wish that Manute Bol was still slinging up those 25 footers, those were the days.

I’m thankful for — being able to watch Tim Lincecum in person. If you haven’t availed yourself of the chance to do just that put it down as a must do in 2010. The moment he walks on the field you simply cannot look away. He’s mesmerizing in a way that I haven’t seen since Pedro Martinez in his heyday.

And finally—

I’m thankful for — the freedoms that we enjoy as citizens of this great country of the United States of America. We should all be thankful for that.

By Ray Flowers

Turn Back the Clock: Second Base

In my continuing trip down memory lane I’ll review the second base position to see how my prediction for the top-10 at the position panned out (the following list is taken from the 2009 Fanball Annual Guide that was on newsstands prior to the start of the 2009 season).

To read previous positional reviews click on the following link:

CATCHERS

FIRST BASE

1. Ian Kinsler

2. Brian Roberts

3. Chase Utley

4. Brandon Phillips

5. Dustin Pedroia

6. Dan Uggla

7. Robinson Cano

8. Mark DeRosa

9. Kelly Johnson

10. Rickie Weeks

Kinsler was injured yet again and hit a career worst .253 making this call a bust right? Well, not really. Kinsler went 30/30 with 31 homers and 31 steals, as he also knocked in 86 runners while crossing home plate 101 times. Nothing wrong that that effort at all.

Roberts is historically good, and I’ve written it before. He has produced at least 100 runs, 30 steals and 40 doubles in 3-straight years. It may not sound like much, but it is an all-time major league record for second sackers.

Utley would have been the #2 guy on the list if it wasn’t for concerns about his surgically repaired hip (remember this was back in January when we thought Utley could miss April, and yes, I would have still had Kinsler higher than Utley last season even if dude was healthy). All Utley did was go 20/20 for the first time while hitting 31 bombs with 93 RBI and 112 runs.

You are pretty darn good when you’re an afterthought after the top group despite going 20/20 in each of the past three years. If you have to “settle” for Phillips consider yourself in good hands.

Dustin Pedroia didn’t repeat his MVP effort of 2008 (.326-17-83-118-20), but that was never going to happen anyway – though he got awfully close. He settled in and had a fine season one that was well worth a top-5 selection at the position (.296-15-72-115-20).

Uggla is a beast at the dish, a fact I recounted in Player Movement Thoughts.

Cano was, simply put, amazing. He hit a career best 25 homers, knocked in his second best total of 85 runners, scored a career-high 103 runs all the while batting .320 with 48 doubles. Time to include this man in the discussion of outright stars at the position.

DeRosa was traded from the Indians to the Cardinals, and dealt with a left wrist injury that eventually required surgery when the season was over. He wasn’t great, but it’s not like a .250-23-78-78 line is weak if you play second place.

Johnson completely tanked – completely. After 2-straight years of at least .276-12-68-86-9, Johnson struggled all year hitting just .224 with eight homers and 29 RBI in just 303 ABs. Eventually the Braves turned to Martin Prado who hit .307 and now appears the favorite to start at second for the club in 2010.

I was higher on Weeks than anyone on staff. Though mid-May, I was looking like a genius. Unfortunately, Weeks was once again struck by another wrist injury, and as a result he appeared in a mere 37 games. Still, if we quadruple his effort we would end up with a .272-36-96-112-8 line which would have made me look like a genius. What could have been.

By Ray Flowers

Turn Back the Clock: First Base

We all know who the best first baseman in baseball is. He is the same man that is not only the best hitter in baseball, he is the man who provided a normal career arc will end up as one of the top-10 hitters who has ever played the game. This man was my choice to be the top first baseman in fantasy baseball in 2009, a fact that was presented in the 2009 Fanball Annual Guide that was on newsstands prior to the start of the 2009 season. In retrospect, how did my preseason top-10 list turn out?

To read previous positional reviews click on the following link:

CATCHERS

FIRST BASE

1. Albert Pujols

2. Miguel Cabrera

3. Ryan Howard

4. Mark Teixeira

5. Lance Berkman

6. Justin Morneau

7. Prince Fielder

8. Adrian Gonzalez

9. Derrek Lee

10. Joey Votto

Pujols was the best fantasy weapon in the game in 2009, a fact that was simply stated in How Good is Albert Pujols?

Cabrera is destined to post spectacular numbers while never quite getting his due since he plays the same position as Mr. Pujols. Cabrera has hit at least .292 with 26 homers and 103 RBI in each of the past six seasons and, you guessed it, he and Mr. Pujols are the only two men who can make that claim.

All Howard did was hit 45 homers, the third highest mark in baseball, while tying for the major league lead with 141 RBI. Amazingly, Howard has hit at least 45 homers with 136 RBI each of the past four seasons, and only Sammy Sosa (1998-2001) and Babe Ruth (1926-31) can match or better that run.

Mark Teixeira finished second in the AL MVP vote with yet another tremendous season (.292-39-122-103). Teixeira is one of only four switch-hitters in baseball history who have had at least four seasons of .290-30-100: Chipper Jones (five times), Lance Berkman (four) and Eddie Murray (four).

Berkman struggled out of the gate but finished strong, though 2009 was his worst all-around effort (.274-25-80) since 2005, the last time he was held to fewer than 530 at-bats. Still had a .399 OBP and a .907 OPS, but clearly he was “off” for a good deal of the year.

Morneau managed to sock 30 homers with 100 RBI despite being limited to his lowest at-bat total (508) since 2005 as he missed the last three weeks of the season with a back injury. Hard to call a fourth straight 100-RBI season a disappointment, and he has now alternated great with good seasons the past four years.

Fielder tied with Howard for the major league lead with 141 RBI as he blasted 46 dingers on the year. Fielder also finished a mere percentage point from his first .300 season. He also continued to display a keen eye at the plate as he was fourth in baseball with 110 walks and seventh with a .412 OBP.

If only he could get out of San Diego, something that might happen if the Padres decide to deal their slugger for a boatload of prospects. Gonzalez feel one RBI short of a third straight 100 RBI season but he socked a career best 40 homers despite hitting only 12 in 80 home games. Could produce astounding numbers in a better park with some lineup production.

Lee hit .189 with one homer in April. Those that remained steadfast were rewarded as Lee considerably picked up the pace over the course of the season on his way to hitting .306 with 35 homers and 111 RBI. The RBI were a career best, and the homers the second best mark of his career to his total of 46 from 2005.

Votto missed time with injury and depression over the loss of his father, in between all he did was rip the cover off the ball to the tune of a .322 average and 25 homers in a mere 469 at-bats. As a result he was one of only six big leaguers who hit at least .320 with 25 homers: Pujols, Cabrera, Pablo Sandoval, Joe Mauer and Robinson Cano.

By Ray Flowers

Turn Back the Clock: Catchers

To be truthful, and everyone knows I’m nothing if not honest, I went to the bathroom today and grabbed the 2009 Fanball Annual Guide for a quick read. As I perused the magazine I started looking at my top-10 selections at each position and thought – I bet their would be some value to reviewing how accurate my predictions were last season. With that, I thought I would plow through each position on the diamond over the next while doing just that. Today, I’ll start with the catchers, and look for the other reviews soon as I move through each position.

* Note: These projections were rendered in January of 2009, so keep that in mind if some of them seem a bit off in retrospect.

1. Joe Mauer
2. Brian McCann
3. Russell Martin
4. Geovany Soto
5. Victor Martinez
6. Bengie Molina
7. Ryan Doumit
8. Kelly Shoppach
9. Chris Iannetta
10. Mike Napoli

Now you know why I suggest skipping on taking catchers early in a draft.

Of that group, I was dead on with the top-2, of course that wasn’t too hard to predict. After that, it got spotty in a hurry.

Martin really wasn’t as bad as he appeared to be even though he had full season lows in homers (seven), RBI (53), runs (63) and average (.250). Honestly he wasn’t, he was just really unlucky. I’m looking for a nice rebound effort in 2010 – he should come cheaper than he should.

Soto was a total flop, due to injury and the fact that he simply wasn’t as good as he appeared to be in 2008. Simple really.

V-Mart was a remarkable comeback story after an abysmal 2008 effort (.278-2-35 in 266 ABs). All he did was rebound to his established levels hitting .303-23-108, but it was still a wonderful season thanks to full health.

Molina continues to do his thing, and do it well despite being the slowest man on Earth. He was basically the Giants second best hitter behind Pablo Sandoval as he hit a career best 20 homers while knocking in at least 80-runs for the third time in three years in a Giants uniform.

Doumit was injured and never really able to get going last season. He isn’t the .318-15-69 hitter he was in ’08, but he also isn’t the bum that hit only .250-10-38 last year.

Shoppach was supposed to flourish behind the dish when the Tribe eventually traded V-Mart. Well they traded Martinez all right, but Shoppach wasn’t able to take advantage of anything as he fell to 12 homers and 40 RBI a year after hitting 21 long balls with 55 ribbies. He did lose 81 at-bats in 2009, and that certainly didn’t help. Neither did his .214 average.

Iannetta hit only .228, this after hitting .264 in 2008, and he also lost two homers and 13 RBI from his 2008 effort (18 HR, 65 RBI). Chris was given 44 fewer at-bats thanks to a late season surge at the dish by Yorvit Torrealba so the power numbers would have likely been right there if he had been given the same opportunity.

Napoli wasn’t at his best either. First off, Jeff Mathis continued to eat into his playing time. Secondly, was limited a but by injury, though he still was able to post 155 more at-bats than in 2008. As a result there was little difference in his homers (20 and 20) or RBI (49 and 56), but obviously the rate at which he produced them dipped a ton.

So there is my list at the catcher position. I know it doesn’t look great in retrospect, but then again, I always preface my rankings at this position saying that there is no accounting for the injuries and wear and tear on the body for the men who pull on the tools of ignorance.

By Ray Flowers

The Evil Empire

“You don’t know the power of the dark side!” If you haven’t been living on a desert island for the past, oh, 30 years, you know that this is a quite from Darth Vader of Star Wars fame. If you don’t know who he is, I truly feel sorry for you, but sufficed to say that he is the leader of the “evil” side in the battle for the universe, and helps to patrol over the dominion of the “Evil Empire.” Taking a page from this saga, Red Sox President Larry Lucchoino in 2002 deemed the Yankees “The Evil Empire” for their propensity to spend whatever it cost to put together the best team money can buy. This has been the case basically for the past 15 years, and it continues to be a massive question that needs to be addressed if the idea of competitive balance is at the core of what major league baseball really want to address (currently there is no salary cap, only a luxury tax). Consider the following three points.

1- The Yankees 40-man payroll in 2009 cost over $215 million. The next highest team was the other one from New York, the Mets, and their payroll was “only” $141 million (these totals are from an article by Jayson Stark).

2- The difference between the Yankees and the Mets, some $74 million, is more than the entire payroll of nine teams.

3- If you add up the payrolls of the Marlins, Padres, Pirates and Athletics those four teams come in at less than $190 million, or $25 million less than the Yankees.

Obviously the Yankees spending is a huge problem, one that threatens to ruin the game in my opinion if left unchecked, but the point of the article by Mr. Stark was that there is something fishing going on here. Distilling his piece down into one sentence, here is what we get:

Major league teams pocket $80 million before they sell a single ticket because of revenue sharing, radio and television money, and the central fund.

This raises the obvious question. If major league baseball is a $6 billion dollar a year business, and teams do in fact receive $80 million a year before selling a single ticket, how is it possible that 12 teams failed to have a payroll of $80 million in 2009? Here is the explanation of MLB’s chief labor negotiator, Rod Manfred. “You need to understand that these teams have expenses in addition to the 25-man roster on the field…They have the cost of their player-development system, which averages $15 million [per team] a year. They have the cost of acquiring [amateur] players through the [June] draft and internationally, which averages $9 million [per team] a year.” While that might all be true, the $80 million figure listed above does not include ticket sales, parking, sponsorships, souvenirs etc. With all that extra do coming in, is there really a reason that any team shouldn’t be able to spend $80 million on payroll?

After all of that Mr. Stark says that we shouldn’t blame the Yankees because at least they take that money and shove it back into their payroll. However, what does a team like the Marlins, who had the lowest payroll in baseball at under $40 million, do with all that extra dough? Honestly, a team like the Marlins just might be out-profiting clubs that spend three times as much money, even if their ticket sales are rather diminutive.

In the end I still hate the Yankees, and the fact that they simply try to buy championships. But this is a free market society, and a free market game, so you can’t blame them for taking advantage of the rules. However, if you are a Marlins fan, you might want to ask your team where that extra $40 million dollars is going because it clearly isn’t being invested in the on the field product.

By Ray Flowers

Four for Fantasy

Today is a historic day at BaseballGuys.com. I’m going to, for the first time, hit on each of the four major sports in the same piece. I know, I know, it’s almost as exciting as the release of Twilight: New Moon on Friday, so see if you can contain your excitement long enough to read the entire entry.

I’m loving this Twitter thing which you can follow at Baseball Guys Twitter Account. I was slow to come around, but given the fact that I’m pretty much glued to my chair for 12 hours a day, I might as well share all the information in this big brain of mine.

MLB TALK

Zack Greinke completely deserves the AL Cy Young Award, and I love the fact that he has studied sabermetrics with Brian Bannister. But I think this story is a bit ridiculous. It’s not like Greinke discovered uranium, he merely was exposed to a different way of analyzing pitching. I mean, I know an awful lot about sabermetrics, and it’s not like I could hit the mound and have success merely because I can break down how to use BABIP, CERA and DIPS. Greinke had success because he is immensely talented and finally at peace with himself – it’s not like he needs numbers to tell him not to groove a fastball down the pipe when the count is 0-2.

Lord help us. The Yankees have thrown their hat into the Roy Halladay sweepstakes. At what point does baseball step in and say this just isn’t fair?

Jarrod Washburn and the Mariners might hook back up, or at least there is some interest there by both parties according to the pitcher. Don’t know why the Mariners would be hot and heavy about adding a hurler that went 31-49 with an ERA over four in four years in the Pacific Northwest.

NHL TALK

Ilya Kovalchuk has been mind numbingly good this season. If not for a broken foot that sidelined him for a while, he almost assuredly would be leading the league in goals. After all, he has 12 markers in just 11 games.

Alexander Ovechkin returned to the ice and scored a goal – what a shock. He has 15 goals in 15 games this season.

I wrote about the top-50 fantasy options in the game today in my column entitled The Power Play. Give it a read if you enjoy the sound of a skate blade slicing through a sheet of ice.

If you are looking for a few guys who might be on waivers, give David Rogers’ article Free Agent Finds a look.

NFL TALK

I touched on the JaMarcus Russell debacle yesterday in Hazy NFL Thoughts. Good to know that the Raiders listened as the benched Russell in favor of Bruce Gradkowski. Don’t know if that will help the Raiders much though given that Gradkowski owns a 53.1 completion percentage and a 58.7 QB Rating in 22 career games, but something had to be done.

With Ronnie Brown out for the year with his foot injury, I just fielded a bunch of questions on Live Advice about guys like Lousaka Polite and Lex Hilliard. Yeah, it was a rough two hours.

Speaking of live advice, we have a great instrument that people can turn to in trying to put together a great team down the stretch in fantasy football, and that is our Rest of the Way Rankings tool.

NBA TALK

Is it just me, or do you get the feeling that you are viewing an episode of OZ or Prison Break when you watch an NBA game? Honestly, I bet you could count the number of guys in the league that don’t have at least five tattoos on your fingers and toes.

Just like hockey, we have an article each week that talks about which NBA weapons might be available on waivers with Deep League Pickups. Hey, we are a one stop shop for you all no matter what your fantasy needs are.

By Ray Flowers

Hazy NFL Thoughts

JaMarcus Russell giving the thumbs up. After all, he had just completed a pass in practice, and that alone was cause for celebration.

Some days I sit here and I have a clear vision of the day. Other times I drift around in a bit of haze, inundated from all sides by a bevy of ever changing sports information (I know, cue the violins right – my life is so tough). Today I’m in one of those floating moods, so here is random sampling of what’s going on in my noggin.

Dwayne Bowe was suspended for four games for violating the NFL’s ban on performance enhancing drugs (he will be out until Week 15). Speculation is that Bowe, who came to camp channeling his inner Fat Albert, took some kind of diuretic to help him shed the 30 extra pounds he was carrying. Here is my advice – try eating less ding dongs, get some sleep, and avoid devouring every piece of food put in front of you. Really, for a pro athlete to put on 30 lbs in an offseason simply boggles my mind. I haven’t left my house in like 11 days, have been eating cheesy poofs and Butterfingers from Halloween, and I haven’t gained a pound.

Speaking of staying in shape, JaMarcus Russell could learn a thing or two about avoiding the all-you-can eat Korean buffets at 12:30 at night after you’ve pulled back on a baker’s dozen o’ beers. A noted workout fiend, and by workout I mean that he attacks the dessert menu with abandon, Russell has been historically awful this season. Through nine games he has completed 47.1 percent of his passes with two scores, nine interceptions, and an average of less than 119 yards a contest leading to a 47.9 QB Rating. I’m being totally serious here – I could literally practice for about two weeks and step in and do that well. I’m not kidding, I used to chuck a mean 15 yard out with that orange Nerf ball when I was a kid.

Didn’t you used to be Terrell Owens? After catching a mere 26 passes for 366 yards and a touchdown I could have sworn you were Roscoe Parrish. Perhaps you should have spent less time with that reality TV show that attempts to show you as a smooth ladies man and more time trying to build a rapport with his quarterback.

For those that think the NFL is the No Fun League, here is some further support for the position. Listed below are the fines you receive from the league for committing said infraction.

Exposing a knee, roughing the passer, chop block: $5,000
*** That first one refers to a player whose sock has slipped down his leg revealing his exposed knee, and no, I’m not making that up.

Oh, and the best one? How about a $25,000 fine if you wear a college hat on the sidelines. Are you kidding me? You get a $25K bill for wearing a hat from your school while chilling out, but you can chop block a guy, potentially ending his season or his career, and pay only $5K? Something seems wrong with that doesn’t it?

Is Brady Quinn really that bad? Through nine career appearances Quinn has completed 52.2 percent of his passes with three scores and seven interceptions. As awful as he has been in five games this season, his 51.0 QB Rating is actually a massive upgrade over the 36.2 mark of Derek Anderson. And you thought Russell was bad.

Oh, I forgot to mention above, when discussing Russell, that prior to the Raiders last game that their wide receivers had 28 receptions on the year, or literally half as many as the next worst team, the Bucs. Think of that. The Raiders entire wide receiving corps was 50 percent worse than the next to last team, not the first team, the 31st team. Pathetic.

By Ray Flowers

2010 Auction Results

By Ray Flowers