The Final Day
October 3rd, 2012 | by Ray Flowers |
It’s a sad day for many in the world of baseball as this is the final day of the regular season. Hopefully your team is in the playoff mix, and your fantasy team still has something to play for on this final day of the 2012 regular season.
Miguel Cabrera is on the cusp of the Triple Crown which would be the first since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967. Cabrera has a seven point lead over Mike Trout in the batting race (.331 to .324), a one homer lead over Josh Hamilton (44 to 43), and an 11 RBI lead over Hamilton (139 to 128). Cabrera also leads the AL in SLG (.608) and OPS (1.002) and as great as Trout has been, that’s going to be hard for him to overcome when ballots are cast for the AL MVP Award.
Clayton Kershaw (hip) will make his final start today even though the Dodgers have been eliminated from the playoffs (the Dodgers went 32-31 after they picked up Hanley Ramirez, 29-27 after they added Shane Victorino, and 17-18 after they brought to town Adrian Gonzalez). Why? He’s chasing the Cy Young Award. Currently first in the NL in ERA (2.58) and WHIP (1.03) he needs 10 Ks to pass R.A. Dickey (230) for the NL lead in strikeouts as he chases his 14th victory. Even if he gets there I would bet that either Dickey or Gio Gonzalez wins the award given how the voters have traditionally cast their ballots.
Buster Posey pushed his average up to .337, .010 points clear of Andrew McCutchen for the NL Lead. Posey will obviously ended the year as the leader in the NL and it seems quite likely that he will also lead baseball in batting average. Of course, that’s not really accurate as Melky Cabrera hit .346 this season but MLB took the easy way out and removed him from consideration for the award to save face by changing the rule book mid season to remove from consideration players that were suspended for PED use.
I still can’t believe it, but Jimmy Rollins went 20/20 this season from June 1st on.
Carlos Ruiz had one hell of a season that was marred by injury. Each of the past two years he had hit better than .280, and he always walked as many times as he struck out, but that doesn’t come close to explaining his .326 batting average, especially since he posted a career worst 0.58 BB/K ratio (it was 1.00 or better the previous four seasons). At the same time, I can’t decide if the batting average or the power output was the bigger surprise. Having never hit more than nine homers in a season, and totaling 14 the past two years, Ruiz somehow went out and hit 16 bombs this year. The fact that he more than doubled his HR/F ratio this season was the reason, especially since he had a four year low in his fly ball rate. Don’t overdraft him next season – he’s not hitting .326 or going deep 16 times again.
Just for the hell of it. Who says beautiful women and baseball don’t go together?
Think you had a rough Tuesday? James Shields tossed a nine inning complete game… and lost. If that wasn’t bad enough, he authored one of the greatest complete game loses in baseball history. Shields allowed just one run in the game, two hits, and didn’t walk a batter. He also struck out a Rays’ all-time record 15 batters in the outing (no one has noticed, but Shields will end the year with 223 Ks which right now is tied with King Felix for fourth in baseball). That outing by Shields enabled him to become the first pitcher of the modern era, since 1900, to strikeout 15 batters without walking one with 15 or more strikeouts and just one run allowed.
What’s more surprising – Chase Headley knocking in 113 runs, Alfonso Soriano platting 108 or Justin Upton sitting at 67 RBIs?
By Ray Flowers
Tags: Adrian Gonzalez, Alfonso Soriano, Andrew McCutchen, Buster Posey, Carlos Ruiz, Chase Headley, Clayton Kershaw, James Shields, Jimmy Rollins, Josh Hamilton, Justin Upton, Melky Cabrera, Miguel Cabrera, Mike Trout
By Pablo on Oct 3, 2012
Wrapping up my 1st place finish (thank you Ray!) and need to pick 4 keepers in my 12 team 5×5 (w/ OBP not AVG) league. Candidates are:
AGon, RZim, Phillips, Dunn, Braun, J-Up, B-Up, Ludwick, Crisp, Gio and F-Rod
Who would you keep?
By Ray Flowers on Oct 3, 2012
Pablo – Congrats on the win this year…
The guys I would keep.
1 Braun
2 Upton
3 Zimmerman
4 AGone
Hard to pass on BJ Up, but I don’t love the idea of keeping 3 OFs among just four players.
By Jim on Oct 3, 2012
Ray, with your help, I’ve finished well in two tough leagues, so thanks. I don’t think you’ve posted this anywhere … and if you have, I apologize … but it seems like a good Rayism: Tuesday’s game between the Cubs and the Astros marked the first time two teams with 100 losses each have played against each other in 50 years. Cubs lost 3-0.
Thanks for the female eye-candy, stay healthy, and have a great off-season!
By Ray Flowers on Oct 3, 2012
You are welcome Jim, glad I could help.
No, I haven’t posted that one about the loses. Cool, but so sad at the same time, no?
By Andrew on Oct 3, 2012
Ray—got any DEEP sleeper RBs for this week, ppr…between byes and injury im rolling with Woodhead, B Powell, Hillis (if active)… anyone else in this minefield you like better: Royster, Ball, Hillman, Kuhn, J. Casey (Texans RB/TE), L. Miller, J. Lane???
Thanks
By Tom on Oct 3, 2012
Ray, In an effort to honor my humanity contract, I just sent off a message to the team that beat me out on the last day. That was part 1, now for the more important part… Ray, THANK YOU for your advice and guidance throughout this season!!! I’m looking forward to rolling the rest of the league in our 30th season next year with your advice again. Well, I guess that with the comment about looking forward to next year, you can tell I’m from Buffalo. Once again, Thank you.
Tom from the Buffalo Baseball League
Green Monsters Owner and GM
By Tom on Oct 3, 2012
Ray, I’m once again looking to pick your brains. In a 10 team AL only league, How much will adding Houston affect auction pricing. This season was one day too long, but I will have to submit my keeper list in a little bit. Thanks.
Tom from Buffalo
By Marc in CO on Oct 3, 2012
Ray, Ray, Ray,
I can’t thank you enough for all of your hard work on this site and XM Fantasy. I know it may not seem like it sometimes, but a lot of people, including myself, really appreciate all that you do. I sweated out the final day and won my NFBC Satellite League in dramatic fashion. From your draft guide to your trade advice to your daily insights, I really owe my championship to you. Hail to the Oracle!
By Ray Flowers on Oct 4, 2012
Andrew – Boy that is digging deep. I don’t really see anyone on that list. Ball or Hillman could do something, and Casey could always score on a lucky play, but I think your options are the best of this sorry bunch. Good luck.
By Ray Flowers on Oct 4, 2012
Tom – Glad I’ve been able to help you out a bit. Congrats on the success.
As for next year, adding the Astros just gives you a few more options. An AL only league should be 12 or 13 teams now with the addition of the ‘Stros, so the fact that you have only 10 in your league will actually allow you to have some movement on the waiver-wire in season which isn’t a bad thing at all. One positive, there will be a couple more options at catcher, a big deal in two catcher lgs that are single league setups.
By Ray Flowers on Oct 4, 2012
Marc in CO – Hey, congrats on winning your NFBC Lg. That’s a great accomplishment… must have been torture (I lost my lg, last yr I did it, when the White Sox and Tigers played Game 163. I need one run from three guys to win my lg… didn’t get it. Was a killer. 22nd overall out of 360 teams and didn’t even win the league). Congrats, and you’re welcome.
By Joe M on Oct 4, 2012
Hey Ray
Wanted to thank you for all your help this season, answering every question I had. I ended up winning my H2H league yesterday.
Key picks taken from your draft guide.
Edwin Encarnacion
De Aza
Kenley Jansen (Let everyone else fight for J. Guarra)
Paul Goldschmidt
Your draft guide also enabled me to focus on the better arms specifically in relief over the people who were named closers to start the season.
Anyway, all your hard work and time you put in every single day of the season helped me win a championship.
Also learned a big lesson this year how to look beyond the basic stats of a player to determine value.
Thanks Again
Joe M
By Ray Flowers on Oct 4, 2012
Joe M – Glad the Draft Guide was so helpful this year. Also pleased to hear your understanding of players is continuing to evolve.
Have a great offseason, and tell a friend about BaseballGuys if you can.
By Chrissy on Oct 4, 2012
Ray I just wanted to stop by and say thank you for all of your great advice, articles and guides, in which I got both! I was invited to play in a league the expanded their league. It is a roto,up to 13 player keeper auction league and I was starting with a clean slate. I came in with my handy dandy draft guide compliments of you,
drafted very well, bought the mid season rankings and made adjustments and WON THE LEAGUE!!!!!!!!!! Thanks Ray for all of your hel! Not sure the other teams are so happy about it! lol On to Football!!
Chrissy
By Ray Flowers on Oct 5, 2012
Chrissy – Way to show the boys who is boss. Congrats. Glad I could help you to the championship.