TooLiveBrew

The problem is he's being paid as the number 2 starter But that's not really the case anymore. The salaries have just escalated so much - plus, given that, his 2008 contract number ($8 mil.) isn't even close to being #2 money - it's 2009 & 2010 where you see that big jump (Soup pulled in $6 mil. for 2007). I think JBriggs's summary on Suppan is pretty much spot-on, fwiw.

I know it's not a new thing, but is it an excuse for an 11 ERA? Absolutely.

I just want to ask a question for clarification - I'm supposed to feel sorry for MLB coaches for not getting some free money? I can't really feel like they're victims here.

You'd like that, wouldn't you! http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif Fielder career v. Cubs (143 PA): .260/.357/.553/.910, 9 2B, 9 HR, .280 BABIP Fielder career @ Wrigley (81 PA): .278/.358/.639/.997, 5 2B, 7 HR, .277 BABIP

Or not. "Off the field, Orioles' Markakis is serious about staying loose" "Markakis, who barely spoke in the clubhouse two years ago as a rookie, has started a new craze among his teammates with his purchase of Heelys, athletic shoes that have wheels on the bottom. The shoes are usually worn by children, but that matters little to Markakis, who sports them to and from the stadium and rolls around on them in the clubhouse and in the players' parking lot. 'We visited him [last week] and we were walking next to him and all of a sudden, he goes gliding by us on the sidewalk,' said Dennis Markakis, Nick's father. 'We didn't even know he was wearing them. He's like a little kid, always having a good time.' ... 'I just was looking at it, saw the handle, and I said, 'Man, I could balance that on my chin,' said Markakis ... 'Once I signed [a professional contract], my buddies told me that I was going to change. But there's no point in that. You see people change and get big heads. You should just stay the same, stay who you are. People like you for who you are, not what you do.'" What a total winner. Any team would be lucky to have this guy. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

Every established MLB pitcher works almost exclusively on their pitches in ST - not getting guys out. That's not a new thing, either.

That's a great story! My favorite part... "No doubt his entire family will be watching -- and listening. The elderly blind man who sits in the stands next to Richard Weeks at Mark Light Stadium is the patriarch of baseball in the Weeks family. Victor Weeks, Jemile's grandfather, was an outfielder for the Negro League's Newark Eagles in the late 1940s. Last Christmas, Jemile and his brother unwrapped books on the history of the Negro League. "He's a real inspiration to me," Jemile said. "Just having that in your background, and understanding and listening to the stories, it inspires you even more." For more than 30 years, Jemile's grandfather has been able to see only shadows because of his severe glaucoma, but that hasn't stopped him from following every pitch." Holy crap - sure, it's not very incredible to discover that the Weeks boys' father & grandfather were ballplayers, but this angle is completely fantastic! There's such super potential for an amazing news-piece to come out of this... please, Anthony Witardo, make a ridiculously-awesome interview/article happen!

Damn, that Big Dog bot was just plain incredible!! For every moment in the video when I thought, "Meh...", there was a spot where I absolutely crapped my pants after the robot recovered something fierce from being kicked/slipping on ice/random stuff.

How is Joe Dillon getting so much time off from being Purdue's mascot to play baseball? That's... awesome. I'm shocked that no one has thought of this before! http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/laugh.gif

Thanks a bunch for that insightful recap, dpapo. Great to hear. Hopefully Dillon can make the squad - I just can't believe that both Kapler & Gwynn are valued higher than Joe, once all angles are factored in.

Gotta love the world of ESPN where "wins" is the only meaningful stat. Haudricourt was the main pusher of the "OMGzzz!1!! Capee haze'nt WINZZd!" bandwagon, to be fair. ESPN is awful, though - don't want that lost in the shuffle! I'm not trying to say Cappy had a decent season, but I don't think it's as bad as it was made to be. Bingo. Not nearly as bad as some would have you believe.

Of course, it's the ARWROF - short for "aracko wrong-ness factor" http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif Duuuuuuh

first time i looked at it, i swore weeks had his hand on JJs butt. I had to look twice..and yes, I giggled Ok, phew! Nice to see that duped some others. I still like the pic. Rickie just wants a touch...

"Kei Igawa was pretty bad for the Yankees to start the year, but his great Triple-A numbers after his demotion really caught my eye. He'll be just 28 this year, and he had pretty good numbers in Japan, so don't count Igawa out just yet." Yes, the guy's a Jersey boy, and therefore likely Yanks fan, but I personally find the Igawa case interesting. I don't take this as his true ranking of the top 5 minor-league SP, just some interesting candidates to examine. There are a lot of guys he could have included, but didn't. I don't take this to be a diss at all - to anyone.

Thanks for sharing those, BCBF. I see you've got some on that Flickr page from 2007, too. I hope some others will have the same giggle-to-'Oooohhhh'-moment that I had with this one - http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3021/2341872421_a9496c6eb6_m.jpg

The fantasy baseball talk pops up every season, and there's (obviously http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif ) quite a few that indulge - myself excluded. I think a forum for it is a really good idea, since what makes a great fantasy player many times has little to do with what makes a great real-world player... thus the debates about player value are different. Yes, the OT board handles this well, but it'd make things a lot simpler for those that want to have recurring conversations about fantasy baseball. As I'm typing this, I'm thinking that maybe just sticky-ing an 'official' fantasy baseball thread in the OT might be just as good. I know there's the 'find a league' thread that's stickied, but a second one, maybe 'Fantasy Baseball discussion' would be pretty cool.

But c'mon end, tell us what you don't like about Vargas. I'm really hoping that we hear some good news about Cappy's arm WOAHs soon.

I would rest Cameron at least once a week when he comes back (he's 35 years old remember) and replace him with Gwynn. Is that just hyperbole? Cam played 141 games in 2006 & 151 in 2007. There is simply no reason to rest him that much. He's a top-flight athlete, so the fact that he's 35 in this case is mere window-dressing. Your suggestion would net, basically, less than 100 games when you factor in his suspension. The suspension alone is reason enough to not rest Mike like he walks with a cane. Imo Cam should get about 125 or so games this season.

But then the point isn't about handedness - it's about pitching style.

**If this needs to be in the minor leagues, I apologize... since the focus is on finding the 'next' Gallardo/Lincecum, I felt the ML forum was good** Interesting read, and since it's free content, I'm just going to paste the article here: Saturday, March 15, 2008 Young pitchers to watch: Part 1Posted by Derek Carty at 7:18pm After the year pitchers like Tim Lincecum and Yovani Gallardo had in 2007, a lot of people are trying to identify the "next big thing" for 2008. In this two-part series, I'll point out some guys I think could have a fantasy impact in 2008. In Part 1, we'll look at players who threw a large enough sample at Triple-A or in the majors last year. In Part 2, we'll look at the Double-A guys. CriteriaWhen attempting to identify young impact pitchers, we must consider two criteria: talent and opportunity. If a player has talent but the major league rotation is full, his Triple-A dominance doesn't gain you any fantasy points. If a player has an opportunity but little talent, he's going to flounder and that opportunity will soon go to someone else... right after he screws up your fantasy team's ratios. Therefore, we'll examine players using these two categories. J.P. Howell-RaysTalent Year Age League Level G GS IP K/9 BB/9 GB% BABIP 2005 22 CAL A+ 8 8 46.3 9.3 4.7 68 0.274 2005 22 TEX AA 3 3 18 11.5 2.5 63 0.256 2005 22 PCL AAA 7 7 38 6.9 4.5 56 0.355 2005 22 MLB MLB 15 15 72.2 6.7 4.8 55 0.298 2006 23 PCL AAA 8 8 41 8.6 3.3 58 0.383 2006 23 IL AAA 10 10 55 8.0 2.5 48 0.333 2006 23 MLB MLB 8 8 42.1 7.0 3.0 45 0.357 2007 24 IL AAA 21 21 123.3 10.6 2.5 53 0.294 2007 24 MLB MLB 10 10 51 8.7 3.7 46 0.391 2005 scout grade from John Sickels: B+ 2006 note from John Sickels: Was rushed very quickly, too quickly in my view... His walk rate was too high in the majors for a guy who doesn't throw hard. Howell has been all over the place in the past few years, including three stints in the majors. His peripherals improved each time, and his excellent Triple-A numbers in 2007 bode well for his 2008 production should he win a spot in Tampa Bay's rotation. He's still just 24 and shown the ability to strike batters out and limit walks, in addition to putting up ground ball rates ranging from good to great. Opportunity Likely MLB Rotation: 1. Scott Kazmir 2. James Shields 3. Matt Garza 4. Battle, including Howell 5. Battle, including Howell He's battling for two spots with Andy Sonnanstine, Jason Hammel, Edwin Jackson and young longshots Wade Davis, Jeff Niemann and Jacob McGee. Sonnanstine and Jackson are probably the favorites, but Jackson's peripherals haven't been very good and Howell will likely get a shot at some point. When he does, he could be a very nice waiver wire pickup. Jeff Niemann-Rays Talent Year Age League Level G GS IP K/9 BB/9 GB% BABIP 2006 23 SL AA 14 14 77.3 9.8 3.4 43 0.267 2007 24 IL AAA 25 25 127 8.7 3.3 41 0.343 2005 scout grade from John Sickels: B+ 2006 scout grade from John Sickels: B 2007 scout grade from John Sickels: B+ (can he stay healthy?) 2008 scout grade from John Sickels: B Niemann is a talented pitcher, but he's struggled with health since being drafted fourth overall in 2004. He pitched just 30 innings in 2005, underwent shoulder surgery after the season, and then his 2006 was cut short. In 2007, he finally put in a full season. His peripherals don't jump out at you, but they are pretty good. It can't hurt how scouts rave about his stuff (look at Sickels' grades; B and B+ despite injury woes). All said, Niemann figures to be a quality major league pitcher one day, if he can stay healthy. Opportunity Likely MLB Rotation: 1. Scott Kazmir 2. James Shields 3. Matt Garza 4. Battle, with Niemann as a longshot 5. Battle, with Niemann as a longshot Niemann probably won't make the Rays out of spring training. There likely won't be room for him during the year unless someone gets injured, and the Rays have other young pitchers to consider if someone does get injured. Of those other young pitchers, though, Niemann has been around the longest and could be first in line. While Niemann has talent, the opportunity isn't guaranteed. Adam Miller - IndiansTalent Year Age League Level G GS IP K/9 BB/9 GB% BABIP 2004 19 SAL A 19 19 43.3 9.6 2.5 -- -- 2004 19 CAR A+ 8 8 91 10.5 2.8 -- -- 2005 20 CAR A+ 12 12 59.7 6.8 2.6 -- -- 2006 21 EL AA 26 24 154 9.2 2.5 55 0.296 2007 22 IL AAA 19 11 62.7 9.8 3.0 53 0.349 2005 scout grade from John Sickels: A 2006 scout grade from John Sickels: B- 2007 scout grade from John Sickels: B (would be A- or B+ if healthy, but I don't trust his elbow) Miller always has had outstanding numbers, but has been hounded by injuries. The 2005 line looks out of place with that 6.8 K/9, but we need to remember that he had elbow problems. These resurfaced in 2007, in addition to a finger injury, but he still pitched well. If Miller can ever stay healthy, he's has the skills to be a very good major league pitcher. He strikes out a lot of batters, doesn't walk many, and gets lot of ground balls. Major league pitchers who do all three include such guys as Francisco Liriano, Felix Hernandez, and everybody's favorite sleeper this year, Dustin McGowan. Opportunity Likely MLB Rotation: 1. C.C. Sabathia 2. Fausto Carmona 3. Paul Byrd 4. Jake Westbrook 5. Battle, not including Miller Miller will have to prove he's healthy and pitch effectively in Triple-A to work his way back into the Indians' plans, but given his former top prospect status and immense talent, it probably won't take too much to convince them. They have one open spot now, but the guys vying for it aren't ultra-talented. Aaron Laffey is decent, but Cliff Lee and Jeremy Sowers aren't very good. Byrd is getting older and isn't great himself, so there's a possibility Miller could get some action in 2008. Dallas Braden-AthleticsTalent Year Age League Level G GS IP K/9 BB/9 GB% BABIP 2005 21 CAL A+ 7 7 44 13.1 2.3 40 0.314 2005 21 TEX AA 16 16 96.7 6.6 3.0 45 0.337 2006 22 RK, A+, AA 10 10 37.3 13.3 1.9 35 0.358 2007 23 PCL AAA 11 11 69.7 10.5 2.5 41 0.282 2007 23 MLB MLB 20 14 72.1 6.8 3.2 37 0.355 2005 scout grade from John Sickels: none 2006 scout grade from John Sickels: none 2007 scout grade from John Sickels: none Braden was injured in 2006 and bounced all over the place, but he was exceptional in Triple-A in 2007. In the majors... well, it was a different story. His minor league numbers look as though he could be a quality pitcher, but some scouts don't think he'll make it as a starter at the major league level. Opportunity Likely MLB Rotation: 1. Joe Blanton 2. Rich Harden 3. Chad Gaudin 4. Justin Duchscherer* 5. Lenny DiNardo* *Not set in stone Oakland's rotation has plenty of question marks, and there's a good chance Braden will see time in the majors this season. Blanton could get traded, Harden usually gets injured, Duchscherer could fizzle as a starter, and Lenny DiNardo is no superstar. Braden is a very interesting guy to watch. Edinson Volquez-RedsTalent Year Age League Level G GS IP K/9 BB/9 GB% BABIP 2005 21 CAL A+ 11 11 66.7 10.4 1.6 48 0.331 2005 21 TEX AA 10 10 58.7 7.5 2.6 47 0.306 2006 22 PCL AAA 21 21 120.7 9.7 5.4 45 0.278 2007 23 CAL A+ 7 7 35 9.8 5.1 40 0.264 2007 23 TEX AA 11 11 51.3 9.8 3.0 47 0.240 2007 23 PCL AAA 8 8 50 11.9 3.8 44 0.238 2005 scout grade from John Sickels: none 2006 scout grade from John Sickels: B+ (excellent raw talent... some question marks) 2007 scout grade from John Sickels: B (Wild guess on the grade. I don't trust the Rangers to develop him properly) 2008 note from John Sickels: Rebuilt his mechanics... Great stuff, all boils down to command, just like before. Traded to the Reds from Texas this offseason, Volquez has plenty of talent. His biggest asset is his strikeout rate, which was incredible at 11.9 in Triple-A in 2007. His control has been shaky at points, but it was very good in 2005. If he can fine-tune that just a bit, Volquez could be an excellent major league pitcher. Opportunity Likely MLB Rotation: 1. Aaron Harang 2. Bronson Arroyo 3. Battle, including Volquez 4. Battle, including Volquez 5. Battle, including Volquez The Reds have several quality options for three spots, including Volquez, Johnny Cueto, Homer Bailey and Matt Belisle, as well as Josh Fogg and Jeremy Affeldt. Volquez's peripherals have been great this spring, but his ERA is 5.63. With Dusty Baker as his manager, it's looking like Volquez might start the year in the minors. He figures to get recalled at some point this year, though, and he has the skills to be a very good major league pitcher. Kei Igawa-YankeesTalent Year Age League Level G GS IP K/9 BB/9 GB% BABIP 2005 25 CEN JAP 27 25 172.3 7.6 3.1 -- 0.345 2006 26 CEN JAP 29 21 209 8.4 2.1 -- 0.292 2007 27 MLB MLB 14 12 67.2 7.1 4.9 30 0.307 2007 27 IL AAA 11 11 65.7 9.7 2.1 35 0.320 Kei Igawa was pretty bad for the Yankees to start the year, but his great Triple-A numbers after his demotion really caught my eye. He'll be just 28 this year, and he had pretty good numbers in Japan, so don't count Igawa out just yet. Opportunity Likely MLB Rotation: 1. Chien-Ming Wang 2. Andy Pettitte 3. Philip Hughes 4. Mike Mussina 5. Ian Kennedy Igawa will start the year in Triple-A, but if he pitches as well as he did there in 2007, he'll probably see some time in the majors this year. Mike Mussina's best days are behind him, and the Yankees will limit the innings of Hughes, Kennedy and Joba Chamberlain. Plus, Kennedy is no sure thing, and Hughes has had injury troubles in the past. Ian Kennedy-YankeesTalent Year Age League Level G GS IP K/9 BB/9 GB% BABIP 2007 22 FSL A+ 11 11 54.7 10.5 3.5 35 0.280 2007 22 EL AA 9 9 48 10.7 3.2 41 0.234 2007 22 IL AAA 6 6 33 9.3 3.0 41 0.267 2007 22 MLB MLB 3 3 19 7.1 4.3 26 0.237 2007 scout grade from John Sickels: B- (potential B/B+ if he can regain '05 form) 2008 scout grade from John Sickels: B+ Kennedy's strikeout rates were good in the minors, but dropped off in the majors. Scouts call Kennedy a finesse guy and think the Ks will fall off further once batters see him again. If that happens, his control hasn't been good enough to compensate. Kennedy has the potential to be good, but he could also fail miserably. Consider a downside of a 5.0 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9. Opportunity Likely MLB Rotation: 1. Chien-Ming Wang 2. Andy Pettitte 3. Philip Hughes 4. Mike Mussina 5. Ian Kennedy With Joba Chamberlain in the bullpen, Kennedy will start the year in the rotation. He'll have to pitch well to keep the spot once Joba gets moved, but he'll get to take a stab at it. Sean Gallagher - CubsTalent Year Age League Level G GS IP K/9 BB/9 GB% BABIP 2005 19 MDW A 26 26 141 8.5 3.5 47 0.261 2006 20 FSL A+ 13 13 78.7 9.2 4.4 57 0.345 2006 20 SL AA 15 15 86.3 9.5 5.8 51 0.326 2007 21 SL AA 11 11 58.7 8.3 3.7 49 0.291 2007 21 PCL AAA 8 8 39 8.5 3.0 45 0.308 2006 scout grade from John Sickels: B 2007 scout grade from John Sickels: B (inning-eater type) 2008 scout grade from John Sickels: B Gallagher isn't the most talented pitcher on this list, but he could be a usable player in deeper leagues. His strikeout rates weren't fantastic last year and his control has been a little iffy, but he has shown the ability to get ground balls and is at least decent in every regard. His scouting grade seems to indicate the same. You could find better; you could find worse. Opportunity Likely MLB Rotation: 1. Carlos Zambrano 2. Ted Lilly 3. Rich Hill 4. Ryan Dempster 5. Battle, with Gallagher as a longshot Likely MLB Rotation if Traded to Orioles: 1. Jeremy Guthrie 2. Daniel Cabrera 3. Adam Loewen (might start on DL) 4. Battle 5. Battle If Gallagher stays in Chicago, he's got several pitchers ahead of him, including Jon Lieber, Jason Marquis, Sean Marshall and possibly Kevin Hart. He could get a shot at some point in 2008, but there is no guarantee of that. If he is traded to Baltimore, he'll be in a tougher league, but his chances of playing greatly increase. The O's have several players battling for spots, some more talented than others, but Gallagher is skilled enough to get a shot over some of them. A trade is looking more likely in recent days given the report that the Cubs may have included Jose Ceda in their offer for Brian Roberts. Concluding thoughtsThat does it for our Triple-A pitchers. Next time, we'll look at some Double-A pitchers, including some more exciting guys like Johnny Cueto and Gio Gonzalez. Derek Carty is a student in New Jersey who loves Fantasy Baseball. His articles can also be found at FOX Sports, and he'll be contributing content to Rotoworld in the coming season. He welcomes questions via e-mail. EDIT: Linkage

Fwiw, 2008 ZiPS had him at .280/.338/.449/.787 over 343 AB... 21 2B, 11 HR, 30 BB / 60 K I don't have time to dig out the old thread(s), but I know we have PECOTA numbers posted on this forum, too.

Is there really any point to 'breaking up' LHSP? Honest question. With a rotation of 3 RHSP & 2 LHSP, you could face two LHSP in a 3-game set just as easily as two RHSP, no?

*removes foot from mouth, transfers to kicking backside*

Why down on Carmona? Swisher should have a career year in not only leaving Oakland's pitchers' park, but swapping over to hitter-friendly U.S. Cellular. I'd imagine the fact that he can play OF & 1B on top of that would be quite useful.

Snail, or e- ?