A Question, A Statement, A Pukefest
February 9th, 2011 | by Ray Flowers |
I’ve got it all for you today.
First, a mailbag question.
Second, a brief discussion off my fantasy top-25.
Third, a reason to throw up on yourself.
Who wouldn’t want to read about all of that?
I posted my top-25 fantasy players for 2011 just about a month ago. I still like the list, though I might move a couple of guys up and down a few spots. Two main notes at this point after checking out the fantasy landscape. First, I’m shocked at the wide variance with Ryan Braun this draft season. I listed him at #3 overall, but I’ve seen him go as low as #8, the spot I took him in the K-BAD fantasy league over at KFFL. Obviously I was overjoyed to get him that late. Second, I still don’t think Adrian Gonzalez, who I had at #20 on my initial list, should be going in the top-10 overall, but his current ADP is 9th, and in the K-BAD league he went 6th. He’s going to have a hard time justifying that selection since he brings no speed on the base paths.
In my keeper league I can hold on to four players. I’ve settled on Ryan Braun, Jason Heyward and Ubaldo Jimenez. For my fourth spot I’m having trouble. Would you keep David Price, Adrian Beltre or Jayson Werth?
- Todd, Downey, California
I love the young talent in Braun and Heyward, and while I’m not sold on Jimenez duplicating his work from last season, he has to be considered one of the top-15 starters in 2011 so I’m fine with protection him as well. As for the other three that you have to choose from for the last spot, some thoughts follow.
Price: Previously I gave my sentiments on Price in Hot Stove: Still Simmering. You can read the article for the details, but I’ll boil my thoughts on the young lefty down to this – he was slightly fortunate last season, and despite some undeniable growth, I’d be surprised if he repeated his overall pitching line from last season.
Beltre: One of my favorite whipping boys, I’ve written about the new Rangers’ third sacker many times this offseason. In Insanity Reigns Supreme, I broke down how amazing it was that Scott Boras was able to coax so much dough out of the Rangers. I also broke down Beltre on the field and believe, for the 17th time, that the data says he is a good, but not great, option at third base. Don’t get me wrong, I have no issue at all with him being my third basemen in standard leagues, but I certainly would not draft him expecting a repeat of last years .321-28-102-84 effort.
Werth: Everyone loved Werth as a Phillie, but now everyone seems rather down on him as a National (I discussed the signing in Around the Horn: Hot Stove, Dec.6, 2010). While h is current ADP is 52 according to MockDraftCentral, I’ve seen him fall below that in some drafts that I have participated in. Werth is leaving a good home yard, as well as a stacked lineup in Philly, so his counting numbers could suffer in Washington. Still, the past three seasons he has been pretty darn good with an average 5×5 line of .279-29-84-92-18. There’s little wrong with that.
So who would I keep? I don’t think there is any reason to keep two pitchers out of the four guys, so I automatically removed Price (plus I’m not high on him anyway). As much as I like Werth, I also don’t think it makes sense to keep three outfielders out of four players. That leaves me with suggesting you roster Beltre given your setup, even if I would prefer to roster Werth if it was an either/or decision.
Do you need another reason to hate Alex Rodriguez? In case you missed it because you spent all of last Sunday making out with your significant other and didn’t watch the Super Bowl, we were served up yet another reason to despise A-Rod. In his best “I’m a Roman Centurion home from battle’ moment, the cameras caught girlfriend Cameron Diaz feeding him popcorn. I threw up in my mouth a little bit. A-Rod found out that the cameras captured it and went “ballistic” demanding that no more shots of him were to be run on television. He got his way, but for this scribe, it didn’t come nearly in time as the vision of Diaz feeding A-Rod popcorn has been seared into my brain, and if you haven’t picked up on it yet, it’s a painful image that will haunt me for many moons. For more on the story you can click the link to A-Rod Furious at Super Bowl Candid Shot (it even has a picture so that you can make yourself nauseous as well).
By Ray Flowers
Tags: Adrian Beltre, Adrian Gonzalez, Aled Rodriguez, Cameron Diaz, David Price, Jason Heyward, Jayson Werth, Ryan Braun, Super Bowl, Ubaldo Jimenez
By Brian Benson on Feb 9, 2011
definitely keep David Price….does dating A-Rod cause your fantasy sex appeal to plummet??
By Ray Flowers on Feb 9, 2011
It can’t help.
By Ralph Florio on Feb 10, 2011
Why all the negativity on A-Rod and my Yanks?
By Ray Flowers on Feb 10, 2011
Ralph-
I have AROD in my top-20 fantasy options for 2011 – http://www.rototimes.com/article/2011/1/The-Top-25-for-2011
Got love for him as a player, but I despite his persona, his fake attitude, and his off the field junk. I’m not the only one in that boat.
As for the Yanks – 2 main reasons.
1- I live on the west coast and i’m sick and tired of east coasters thinking the world revolves around them.
2- I know its a free market place, but I dislike all the teams that simply try and buy championships. Also, when teams like the yankees outspend the average team by nearly 3 to 1, something is wrong with the system.
By Paul on Feb 11, 2011
The system is broke?
How many big market teams have won a WS the past 10 years?
Im not a Yankees fan but the system isn’t broke.
What do you mean that East coasters think the world revolves around them?
By Ray Flowers on Feb 12, 2011
Another reason to hate AROD:
http://www.tmz.com/2011/02/12/alex-rodriguez-cameron-diaz-miami-house-hunting-construction-running-photo/
Come on, you have to admit that the media in this country is ALL East Coast. You turn on ESPN during the season and you get Yankees, Red Sox highlights for like half the show. The only west coast team that really gets national media attention is the Lakers.
I think us west coasters are too laid back to really care that much, but it gets pretty old that everyone in the media seems to think the west coast is a bunch of pot smoking hippies.
By Paul on Feb 15, 2011
I agree that ESPN favors the Red Sox and Yankees.
But don’t you think that has to do with them being the top market teams? They spend the big bucks and bring in the big players, so naturally they will be talked about more… Good and Bad.
Another point I could make, like any good business ESPN markets towards their audience.
The last poll I saw on this was a couple of years ago but Yankees had the most fans and Sox were second thanks to bandwagon jumpers.
To me it seems like sports in general are followed more by people on the East coast then the West coast.
Why?
Maybe its the difference in attitude in a blue collar worker then a white collar worker.
Maybe it’s the time of day sports take place.
Maybe its the difference of weather.
The cold makes you crazy, you know?
As for A-Rod I couldn’t agree more.
He is the ONLY player in sports that I can’t stand. He’s ignorant & arrogant. He doesn’t respect the game or anyone else around him for that matter.
The way he acted at the super bowl, you know the NY media will be all over him, every chance they get.
Stay tuned into ESPN!!!
By Ray Flowers on Feb 16, 2011
Paul-
I think it’s a vicious circle. The only teams on ESPN are the Yankees and Red Sox. Therefore, people have no choice but to cheer for them – it’s the only teams they are exposed to growing up.
You are correct as well about market size, NY dominates everything – so to an extent I get it. You are also right about them spending tons of money.
Maybe I just get tired of all of it.
The San Francisco Giants are World Champs, but all you hear about is the Sox and Yankees in the press.
The Giants are World Champs, but all you hear about is how great the Phillies pitching staff is. QUESTION-
Does anyone in the media realize that the Giants, on the way to that championship last year, beat Lee, Halladay, Hamels and Oswalt? I bet 75% of fans don’t even realize that. It’s clear that the media doesn’t either.
By Paul on Feb 17, 2011
I did, that because I read it at Baseballguys.com!
Your right, most baseball fans probably don’t realize it but I think a fan wouldn’t unless you were a die hard Giants fan.
I do tend to favor the MLB network over ESPN.
Maybe my hidden conscience knows better.