Five Reasons to Remember: Cellar Dweller Special

Today we continue our serial, Five Reasons to Remember a Player, also known as the Hurricanes are for Drinking Fantasy Baseball Preview. Since you probably know enough about the bigger name players in the game, these features will focus on the lesser knowns. You can get “insider” tips about Albert Pujols anywhere. Today we are going to give someone else a turn.

DISCLAIMER: Spring Training stats mean about as much as tits on a boar. They may look nice, but they ain’t serving any real purpose, except determining the roster composition for about the first month of the season.

Five Reasons to Remember: The Juice (of Jesus of Nazareth)

Today we continue our serial, Five Reasons to Remember a Player, also known as the Hurricanes are for Drinking Fantasy Baseball Preview. Since you probably know enough about the bigger name players in the game, these features will focus on the lesser knowns. You can get “insider” tips about Albert Pujols anywhere. Today we are going to give someone else a turn.

In 2004, former big-leaguer Andy Van Slyke postulated that the only way 46 year-old Julio Franco was still playing in the Major Leagues was because he was on steroids. Franco agreed, claiming that he was indeed using a performance enhancer:

“Andy Van Slyke is right,” Franco said. “I’m on the best juice there is. I’m juiced up every day, and the name of my juice is Jesus. I’m on His power, His wisdom, His understanding. … Next time you talk to him, tell him the steroid I’m on is Jesus of Nazareth.”

I would definitely find Jesus if it meant I got pipes like those.

Each year, there are a few older players who have inexplicably great seasons. It’s part of the natural progression of a baseball player’s career. I’m not naive enough to believe that these late-career outbursts are never aided by the use of (real) performing performance enhancers; I’m also not cynical enough to believe that each older player who has a great season is on steroids. I guess we could call these players bounce-back veterans, or something along those lines, but I really wanted to work that Franco story in. I’m in no way insinuating that these players are going to use steroids, only that I think they will have good seasons.

Five Reasons to Remember: Adam LaRoche

Today we continue our serial, Five Reasons to Remember a Player, also known as the Hurricanes are for Drinking Fantasy Baseball Preview. Since you probably know enough about the bigger name players in the game, these features will focus on the lesser knowns. You can get “insider” tips about Albert Pujols anywhere. Today we are going to give someone else a turn.

First baseman may be the single most important postion in fantasy baseball. It’s a place where you can get a lot of offensive production, from a player who will play a lot of games. It’s also a good place to get your utility offense, and a good bench position to have in case of injury. The thing is, there are a limited number of first basemen who are absolutely must-haves. You know the names: Pujols, Berkman, Howard, Morneau, Teixera. You can throw Konerko, Delgado, Fielder, and Lee in there as guys who will get drafted before Adam LaRoche. In fact, if LaRoche is your starting first baseman, you probably won’t be winning. But if you are looking for a backup first baseman, and a solid guy to keep around as a backup first baseman, LaRoche would be a good guy to spend a mid-to-late round pick on.

Five Reasons to Remember: Felix Hernandez

Today we continue our serial, Five Reasons to Remember a Player, also known as the Hurricanes are for Drinking Fantasy Baseball Preview. Since you probably know enough about the bigger name players in the game, these features will focus on the lesser knowns. You can get “insider” tips about Albert Pujols anywhere. Let’s give someone else a turn.

Felix Hernandez shot through the minor leagues, making his major league debut at the age of nineteen. Two years later, at the ripe old age of twenty-one, King Felix has a season and a half of Major League service time at an age when most of his contemporaries are trying to find themselves in Europe or at the bottom of a keg of Natural Light. I am betting that F-Her has never tasted Nattie; he certainly wasn’t drinking much beer this offseason when he reportedly lost twenty pounds. And while one reputable study seems to indicate that (be nice) larger pitchers tend to perform better over time, Felix was a big boy anyways, and if a commitment to fitness keeps him from following the Bartolo Colon career path, that can’t be a bad thing, can it?

Five Reasons to Remember: Hunter Pence

Today we continue our serial, Five Reasons to Remember a Player, also known as the Hurricanes are for Drinking Fantasy Baseball Preview. Since you probably know enough about the bigger name players in the game, these features will focus on the lesser knowns. You can get “insider” tips about Albert Pujols anywhere. Let’s give someone else a turn.

Entering Spring Training, the Astros’ outfield looked like a pretty stable, solid situation. With the offseason acquisition of Carlos Lee, the trade of Willy Taveras, and the continued maturation of Chris Burke, Luke Scott, and Jason Lane, the Astros had a pretty talented, versatile top four. It’s still early, but it is looking more likely that Hunter Pence has gone and screwed all of that up. Pence was the Astros’ second round pick in the 2004 draft, after a stellar career at the University of Texas Arlington. Although the former Maverick has yet to play a game above the Double-A level, his formidable athleticism, and stellar spring numbers have thrust his name into the conversation for the opening day outfield. The probability is high that Pence will start the year in Triple-A, but the Houston Chronicle’s Richard Justice, whose Sports Justice blog is absolutely required reading, has already pencilled Pence into the second spot of the lineup. Manager Phil Garner has been fairly non-committal, which is to be expected. After all, he wouldn’t want to give Pence a false sense of accomplishment this early.

Five Reasons to Remember: Swiss Army Knives

Today we continue our serial, Five Reasons to Remember a Player, also known as the Hurricanes are for Drinking Fantasy Baseball Preview. Since you probably know enough about the bigger name players in the game, these features will focus on the lesser knowns. You can get “insider” tips about Albert Pujols anywhere. Let’s give someone else a turn.

In fantasy sports, like in real sports, depth is a very real, and very valuable commodity. With the limited number of bench positions available on most fantasy league rosters, players with eligibility at multiple positions become that much more important. When injuries inevitably strike, having depth can mean the difference between making or missing the playoffs. Today I thought I would discuss five players whose multi-position eligibility, in addition to their stats, make them fantasy musts. I call them Swiss Army Knives, because their versatility allows them to do a large number of jobs, but they don’t necessarily do any one job as well as a proper tool. These are some of the elite Swiss Army Knives; you will find plenty lingering late in your draft and on the waiver wire.

Five Reasons to Remember: Jhonny Peralta

Today we continue our serial, Five Reasons to Remember a Player, also known as the Hurricanes are for Drinking Fantasy Baseball Preview. Since you probably know enough about the bigger name players in the game, these features will focus on the lesser knowns. You can get “insider” tips about Albert Pujols anywhere. Today we are going to give someone else a turn.

Jhonny Peralta exploded on the Major League scene in 2005, hitting .292/.366/.520, with 24 homeruns, and 78 RBIs. He was expected to be one of the top fantasy shortstops in 2006, but wet the bed, turning in a mediocre .257/.323/.585 season. Peralta played in 149 games, and his struggles were spread out over the entire season, so it’s tough to say that his poor season had a definitive cause. Baseball is a hard game, so hard that unbelivably talented people often struggle. Maybe he just had a down season.

Shortstop is an exceptionally deep fantasy position, and Peralta should certainly be drafted after Derek Jeter, Miguel Tejada, Carlos Guillen, Jose Reyes, Jimmy Rollins, Michael Young, Hanley Ramirez, Bill Hall, Rafael Furcal, and possibly Steven Drew. But if you (somehow) miss out on all of these players, or you just want a good depth player to stash on the bench, you could do a lot worse than to take a late-round flyer on Jhonny Peralta. I would certainly rather have him than Khalil Greene, Edgar Renteria, David Eckstein, and B.J. Upton. Now, five more reasons to remember Jhonny Peralta:

Five Reasons to Remember: Matt Cain

Today we continue our serial, Five Reasons to Remember a Player, also known as the Hurricanes are for Drinking Fantasy Baseball Preview. Since you probably know enough about the bigger name players in the game, these features will focus on the lesser knowns. You can get “insider” tips about Albert Pujols anywhere. Let’s give someone else a turn.

You can’t spell Hurricane without C-A-I-N, so perhaps it’s only natural that we would run a feature on Matt Cain. Still, the Giants’ first round pick in the 2002 draft more than deserves the attention. In 2006 he had a fantastic season as a 21 year-old, going 13-12 with a 4.15 ERA and 179 Ks in 190.2 innings. As a flyball pitcher in the NL West, home of four brobdingnagian parks, look for Cain to build on his solid rookie season, and possibly contend for the Cy Young. After all, the only slugger in the NL West who can make the divisional parks look small is Cain’s teammate Barry Bonds.

Baseball Prospectus lists two of Cain’s closest statistical comparables as John Smoltz and Andy Benes. In his second full-season of starting, Benes put up 15 wins, a 3.03 ERA, and a 167:59 K:BB ratio. In Smoltz’s second season, he put up 14 wins, a 3.85 ERA, and a 170:90 K:BB ratio. Don’t be surprised to see Cain finish the season with 15 wins, a sub 3.50 ERA, and 170 strikeouts. My biggest concern with Cain would be his geriatric outfield defense. I would be ecstatic to get him in the middle rounds of the draft, because I’m betting that he finishes the season as one of the top-7 NL starters. Now, five more reasons to remember Matt Cain:

Five Reasons to Remember: Ian Kinsler

Today we debut a new serial, Five Reasons to Remember a Player, our Fantasy Baseball Preview. Since you probably know enough about the bigger name players in the game, these features will focus on the lesser knowns. You can get “insider” tips about Albert Pujols anywhere; here, we are going to give someone else a turn.

Ian Kinsler was hitting .476 through his first 21 ABs last season, when he dislocated his left thumb, and missed about six weeks. For the season, Kinsler hit .286/.347/.454, with 14 HRs, and 11 SBs. All in all, he had a very solid rookie year.

Second base is a luxury item in Fantasy Baseball, and if you can’t get one of the top 3, Chase Utley, Robinson Cano, or Brian Roberts, you would do well to wait until the suckers have used their middle round picks on Brandon Phillips, Rickie Weeks, and Dan Uggla, then take a flyer on Kinsler late. Ameriquest Field is one of the best offensive parks in the game, sort of like the AL version of the pre-humidor Coors, so look for Kinsler to put up nice numbers. With his tools, and his home park, he has a realistic shot at putting up a 20-20 season. Now, five more reasons to remember Ian Kinsler: