I Just Don't Understand

I’m in a foul mood today. OK, perhaps surely is a better word, but the bottom line is that I need to vent about some of the injustices that I have been facing the past couple of days (you like how I categorize everything as being an injustice to me?). OK, nothing here rises even close to the level of injustice, though I’m still in a foul mood.

I have a vested interest in Clint Barmes in that I scooped him up late in a couple of leagues. Therefore, I was disheartened to see that he wasn’t in the Rockies starting lineup on opening day (Ian Stewart started). Barmes was back in the lineup for game two. According to the Denver Post, several teammates, ‘off the record,’ expressed extreme displeasure that Barmes wasn’t in the starting lineup. Time will tell how this situation plays out, but I would still think Barmes finds his way to at least 350-AB this season (450+ are possible in my mind), enough to give him value given his qualification as a shortstop and second basemen.

Milton Bradley is already hurt. He was in the lineup on Tuesday night, but he already is dealing with an injured ankle that needed some extra taping. It’s already started Cubs’ fans, get used to it. This could end up going down as one of the worst signings of the off-season. There is just no way that Bradley plays 140+ games in each of the three years of the contract he signed with the Cubs. Explosive when he plays, he just wont be on the field often enough.

The Royals need to have their sanity questioned. Signing Kyle Farnsworth to a 2-year deal for more than $9 million this off-season already looks like a move that could lead to passing out dunce caps to every member of the front office. In his first appearance he allowed a 3-run homer to Jim Thome and picked up a loss and the blown save in the outing ruining a wonderful outing by Gil Meche (seven innings, one run allowed). Coming off a 2008 season of a 4.48 ERA and 1.52 WHIP, it seems like the Royals were seduced by the 61 K in 60.1 innings last year. Why Farnsworth would be given a substantial role is beyond me, and the Royals certainly paid a price for their arrogance on Tuesday.

Why didn’t I take Dexter Fowler instead of Gordon Beckham this season? Honestly, will it matter if the Rockies don’t run Fowler out there on a daily basis? He did homer in his first official AB of the season. Play him Rockies.

Why won’t anyone listen to me about Cliff Lee? Everyone is preaching patience, I would almost always agree with that too, but there has to be something really wrong with this guy. Said if before but here it is again: dating back to the start of spring the dude has allowed 56 hits in 25.1 innings of work. Something is seriously wrong there.

Why doesn’t Gil Meche get any respect, because he pitches for the Royals? Last season he had a better ERA than Josh Beckett (3.98 to 4.03), posted a better WHIP than A.J. Burnett (1.32 to 1.34), and had more strikeouts than Felix Hernandez (183 to 175). Shouldn’t that lead to some higher levels of respect?

Pablo Sandoval figures to hit, the dude just keeps his bat flat so long through the strike zone that it doesn’t seem to matter if the pitch is at his eyes or his shoe tops. However, his defense remains suspect as he continues to have a tough time with the exchange from his glove to his throwing hand on hurried plays. Just don’t know if he can handle the third base role on a full-time basis.

Talk about a guy getting little fantasy love. Jim Thome is old (38 years of age, 39 in August), is coming off his worst full-season batting average of his career (.245), and he only qualifies at the utility position. Still, since 1996, he has hit at least 30 home runs 12 times, and 11 times he has also knocked in 90 or more runs. Since that 1996 season, Thome is second in baseball with 486 HR and fourth in RBI with 1,320. If you need power, there is no reason to think Thome won’t provide it in 2009.

What a shock, DeWayne Wise went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in his first game as the White Sox’ leadoff hitter. Hey guys, the man owns a .253 OBP in his major league career while his batting average is .212. Are they really trying to fool us all into thinking that he can seriously hold down a role at the top of their order? Newsflash – he cannot.