Where Do Sports Go From Here

I was going to call this post "How Baseball will Lose Generations of Fans" because that's what seems to be happening.

Consider that both the NBA and NHL will have playoff games scheduled in July and August - normally the dog days of summer that usually belonged solely to MLB. As a sports viewer what would you rather watch - an NBA or NHL playoff game or a regular season baseball game? I think the ratings will show the clear answer (that is of course if baseball ever comes back).

Sports bettors will show their clear preference too and it won't be for baseball.

What about fantasy baseball players? Well many fantasy leagues have already cancelled their seasons so the number of players will be minuscule compared to years past. The average guy tuning in to see how one of their players is doing may not exist this season. And many fantasy leagues may not recover and return next year. I'm not sure if my primary league will return. There's a number of guys who feel that fantasy baseball has run it's course for them (and I may be included in that number).

What about support for baseball from rural areas that are home to minor league teams? Well MLB is trying to shut down many of those same teams so how do you think that's going to translate into support? Many residents will say - "Screw my minor league team over? Well screw baseball then!" Huge self-inflected wound by MLB. Kids who may have grown up taking school trips to the local minor league affiliate will now never have that exposure and their fandom of the major league parent team will never happen.

And next year and potentially for years to come the sports calendar will be changed - and not in ways that favor MLB. The NBA and NHL will probably be forced to push back their next season's opening for a month or two to accommodate this year's messed up schedule. That means NBA and NHL playoffs next year will also overshadow baseball. Who is going to care about Spring Training exhibition games that are up against playoff NBA and NHL games? That could be the new normal.

That would in effect give baseball just a couple of weeks of having the sports calendar to itself before college and pro football returns in August. That exclusive couple of weeks may not be enough to sustain baseball. And this isn't even taking into account that MLB games have been priced out of the range for an average family of four to attend in person.

Baseball is heading for a reckoning. And it ain't going to be pretty.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

SNL should do a "Murder Hornets" vs "Killer Bees" West Side Story based skit. Might be easiest as a Robert Smigel cartoon... Too bad Charles Bukowski's Beer Shits is too long for a fantasy baseball team name. Also too bad that many fantasy leagues won't even bother this year... Murder hornets may be getting all the press but its Tarantula Hawk Wasps that are the real nightmare insects. These beasts literally eat tarantula's for breakfast... "A good plan, violently executed now, is better than a perfect plan next week." - General George Patton... I think HBO really should look into making a series on Jonathan Wild (1682-1725) the "Thief Taker General" of London. The true story is almost unbelievable and the historical and literary connections are heavy and ready for the telling. I picture a Rome meets Monty Python type of series.  I'm also adding Henry Fielding's The Life and Death of Jonathan Wild, the Great to my book wish list. That book is not just a retelling of Jonathan Wild's life but also a satiric send-up of British Prime Minister Robert Walpole. Come on HBO - make this happen!...

Confession

I grew up Catholic and I have to confess that most of my time at mass was spent reviewing the Boston Red Sox roster in my head. First I would try to recall each player on the 25 and 40-man rosters. Then I would start thinking about if certain players at Pawtucket would be upgrades. This would get me to about the time the priest was giving his homily. At that point I was most likely starting to go through next year's free agent class and wondering which of those players would be a good fit in Boston.

When it was time for communion - I would stop thinking about the Red Sox roster and start thinking about which women in the receiving line I would like to have sex with (but that is a different confession).

I am thinking about starting to attend church again. I think it might help with my fantasy baseball skills.

Confession

I grew up Catholic and I have to confess that most of my time at mass was spent reviewing the Boston Red Sox roster in my head. First I would try to recall each player on the 25 and 40-man rosters. Then I would start thinking about if certain players at Pawtucket would be upgrades. This would get me to about the time the priest was giving his homily. At that point I was most likely starting to go through next year's free agent class and wondering which of those players would be a good fit in Boston.

When it was time for communion - I would stop thinking about the Red Sox roster and start thinking about which women in the receiving line I would like to have sex with (but that is a different confession).

I am thinking about starting to attend church again. I think it might help with my fantasy baseball skills.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Think I'm over the Patriots loss on Sunday. I will be avoiding Boston sports talk radio until after the Super Bowl though... Heh heh - best take I've seen on the GOP Iowa debate... Oh and for the Super Bowl - I will be rooting for the Panthers to crush Denver... Vengeance Quakers would be a good name for a band (or for rational Patriots fans rooting for Carolina in the Super Bowl)...  Heh heh... Am I the only one who reads Peter King's columns but hears them in my head in the voice of Fat Bastard from Austin Powers?... The 30 players listed in this article would make very good fantasy baseball targets (many will probably be bargains)... Speaking of fantasy baseball - Schtup With People may be my fantasy team this year... If you've seen Star Wars: The Force Awakens then this is pretty funny... I have always had a problem with the Fleetwood Mac song You Make Loving Fun. as opposed to what? You Make Loving Feel Like Working in a Coal Mine?...WTF?...

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Just to be clear - we now know exactly who President Obama picked in his NCAA pool but we still don't know where he was the night our Embassy in Beghazi was attacked... Interesting place to dance... I'm still not 100% convinced that the new Kevin Costner movie Draft Day isn't some elaborate hoax by ESPN or the NFL Network... Someone should republish the Encyclopedia Brown books but replace his sidekick Sally Kimball with Courtney Love. Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Missing 777. Comedy gold!... If you're into fantasy baseball - here's some rookies who should make an impact this season... I agree that a modern variation of the Golden Rule is whether you recline your seatback on an airplane or not..

Confession

I grew up Catholic and I have to confess that most of my time at mass was spent reviewing the Boston Red Sox roster in my head. First I would try to recall each player on the 25 and 40-man rosters. Then I would start thinking about if certain players at Pawtucket would be upgrades. This would get me to about the time the priest was giving his homily. At that point I was most likely starting to go through next year's free agent class and wondering which of those players would be a good fit in Boston.

When it was time for communion - I would stop thinking about the Red Sox roster and start thinking about which women in the receiving line I would like to have sex with (but that is a different confession).

I am thinking about starting to attend church again. I think it might help with my fantasy baseball skills.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

If Jake Peavy was a free agent in any fantasy baseball leagues last night - I'm guessing that he's not this morning after pitching a complete game shutout... Teddy Bruschi conquers Kilimanjaro... I tend to think of Jeff Samardzija as kind of a flop for the Cubs but he has decent ERA (2.96) and is striking out more than a batter per inning pitched (27 K's in less than 25 IP)... Sherlock Holmes as a series of graphic novels... Has there been a bigger turnaround this year than the Pirates Charlie Morton? Last year he was 2-12 with a 7.57 ERA but this season he's 5-1 with a 2.62 ERA... This was the coolest moment from the NBA Draft Lottery... This is funny if true. Supposedly the Tropicana Field PA system played John Fogerty's Centerfield for Jorge Posada's at bats. You know "put me in coach/I'm ready to play"... Jesus Mary and Jerome would be a great name for a band... The Phillies' Cole Hamels has an impressive 2.14 ERA in the 8 starts since his first disastrous start vs the Mets... Very funny but I'm guessing they are not real - Best Damn You Auto Corrects of April... Todd Helton is quietly having very good season - hitting .323 with 6 HR and 20 RBI. Amazing that his .323 is actually below his career .324 mark... Tweet of the Day from @RumsfeldOffice:

Secrecy before the OBL operation was key to its success. The leaks since ensure the next one will be more dangerous for our troops.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Keith Olbermann is out at MSNBC. Just curious but does anyone think the Olbermann ratings came close to justifying his contract? Is anyone really surprised at this business decision? Most people deriding this move say that they just fired the guy with the highest ratings at the network but they never mention the guy had lower ratings than Samurai Jack re-runs... Interesting - Why We Have Different Types of Screws and Screwdrivers... Schtup With People will be my Fantasy Baseball team name this year. Exploding Dildos is out. I got the name from this list of awful band names. Too bad Gynecological Whack-A-Mole is too long... The trade between the Angels and Blue Jays looks like an absolute disaster. The Blue Jays get two players they can actually use while the Angels get a franchise crippling contract. Oh and did I mention that Vernon Wells has been awful at Angels Stadium (.226 BA/ .267 OBP/ .340 SLG/ .607 OPS in 159 AB). Absolute disaster... Also interesting - An elevator that publicly shames people who go only one floor... Saying Olbermann had the best ratings at MSNBC is like saying some player is the best on the Pittsburgh Pirates roster. Faint praise indeed... Meanwhile the Tampa Bay Rays signed both Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez. Just a couple of years ago who would have guessed that Damon would get twice as much as a free agent than Manny?... I so want to have a poster sized picture of this... Those Captain Morgan commercials about rum and coke being greatest idea ever crack me up but not for the reason they intend. They have two guys with a gallon of rum and just one 2-liter bottle Coke. Those are going to be some strong drinks. I can't help but picture how those two schmucks will look when they are half-way done with the bottle of Captain...

Linky Links

Some stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

- Ballet Tiger - I couldn't stop laughing at this (watch the Tiger on the left)

- How to defeat a sliding chain lock with a rubber band

- Should you buy an iPad?

- Classic Fantasy Baseball bit

- Barack Obama Looking at Awesome Things

Top 10 Fantasy Baseball 3rd Basemen

Here's how I would rank 3rd basemen for fantasy baseball purposes.

1. Alex Rodriguez Yankees
2. Mark Reynolds Diamondbacks - drop him down a notch if your league penalizes for strikeouts
3. Evan Longoria Rays
4. Pablo Sandoval Giants
5. Ryan Zimmerman Nationals
6. Chone Figgins Mariners - stolen bases are what set him up this high
7. Michael Young Rangers - good for 20+ HR but I'm afraid of taking him for some reason
8. David Wright Mets - last year in pre-season some were arguing he was the top 3rd baseman. This year - not so much.
9. Chipper Jones Braves - don't ever count Chipper out (but also plan to have a Plan B for when he gets hurt)
10. Aramis Ramirez Cubs

I had Kevin Youkilis listed as a 1st baseman but he's probably eligible in every league for 3rd. He'd be in the top 5.

Top 10 Fantasy Baseball Shortstops

Here's how I would rank shortstops for fantasy baseball purposes.

1. Hanley Ramirez Marlins - so much separation between Hanley and the rest make him that much more valuable if you have the chance to grab him
2. Troy Tulowitzki Rockies - can he repeat his performance from last year?
3. Jason Bartlett Rays
4. Derek Jeter Yankees - you could swap Jeter and Bartlett around and I'd be OK with that
5. Yunel Escobar Braves
6. Jimmy Rollins Phillies - He had a down year last season and still hit 21 HR
7. Elvis Andrus Ranger - has tremendous potential
8. Jose Reyes Mets - most other people would have him ranked higher but 'm afraid of his health and the players above him aren't chopped liver
9. Stephen Drew Diamondbacks
10. Erick Aybar Angels

Rafael Furcal just misses making the list but I have to wonder if he's too past his peak to risk taking him over any of the players on the list. Alcides Escobar of the Brewers make be the sleeper in the bunch.

Top 10 Fantasy Baseball Second Baseman

Here's how I would rank second baseman for fantasy baseball purposes.

1. Chase Utley Phillies - if he's healthy then it's not even close.
2. Robinson Cano Yankees - this guy is a danger to win a batting title every year plus he has 20+ HR power. Being in the powerful Yankees lineup trumps concerns that sometimes he seems to play like he doesn't care.
3. Ian Kinsler Rangers - last year it seemed that Kinsler traded batting average for batting power. This season he could find a happy medium for both and hit .290 with 25 HR.
4. Dustin Pedroia Red Sox - you could almost make the argument for any of the next three to be listed in any order.
5. Aaron Hill Blue Jays - last year was a career year for Hill but he should be coming into his prime seasons so he should be able to duplicate something close.
6. Ben Zobrist Rays - was last year a fluke? Could be a bargain in most leagues but that's because the uncertainty about him. Hey - the AL East sure has a great bunch of second basement don't they?
7. Dan Uggla Marlins - 27+ HR's and 88+ RBI each of the past four years.
8. Gordon Beckham White Sox - may be listed as third base only in some leagues but worth a pick for when he become eligible.
9. Brian Roberts Orioles - most people probably have Roberts listed much higher than this but I'm concerned about his health.
10. Casey McGehee Brewers - could be a real sleeper for those not paying attention. Last year he hit 16 HR and was 4th in OPS among second basement with at least 300 AB.

Top 10 Fantasy Baseball First Baseman

Here's how I would rank first baseman for fantasy baseball purposes.

1. Albert Pujols Cardinals - obvious choice though my gut tells me that Pujols is due for a year with time missed for injuries
2. Ryan Howard Phillies
3. Prince Fielder Brewers - you could flip these last two with no problem. I put Howard slightly ahead of Fielder due to the better line-up surrounding him.
4. Miguel Cabrera Tigers - a sober Cabrera could have a monster year
5. Mark Teixeira Yankees
6. Kevin Youkilis Red Sox - you could flip these last two with no problem also. I put Teixeira first so that people wouldn't say I was a Red Sox homer. Youkilis actually should be taken before Teixeira since Youkilis also qualifies as a 3rd baseman as.
7. Joey Votto Reds - could be one of the best values in any draft. Capable of putting up numbers equal to anyone above him on this list but you can generally grab him much later in the draft.
8. Adrian Gonzalez Padres - great hitter but home ballpark and lack of support in line-up drop him down the list
9. Kendry Morales Angels - can he repeat his breakout season from last year? If yes then he easily can produce as good as anyone above him on list.
10. Derrek Lee Cubs - this is how deep this position is. Derek Lee is 10th and Justin Morneau doesn't even make the cut!

I have Pablo Sandoval and Mark Reynolds classified as third baseman but many leagues allow you to play them at first as well. I guess the point is this position is so deep that you shouldn't use your first or even second pick on a first baseman unless you have the chance to grab Albert Pujols.

Top 10 Fantasy Baseball Catchers

Here's how I would rank catchers for fantasy baseball purposes.

1. Joe Mauer Twins - not even close. Mauer should be one of the top picks in every draft.
2. Victor Martinez Red Sox - he'll be hitting almost every day in the middle of the potent Red Sox line-up. I can see .290 / 28 / 105 type lines for V-Mart.
3. Jorge Posada Yankees - not saying Posada is the third best catcher in baseball but I am saying that he'll put up the third best set of offensive numbers.
4. Brian McCann Braves - if he did better against lefties then he'd probably be ranked above Posada.
5. Geovany Soto Cubs - I'm looking for a big bounce back year from Soto. He had the classic sophomore slup and now he's in the cliche "best shape of his life". I guess you could classify this as a sleeper pick.
6. Mike Napoli Angels - solid 20 HR / 80 RBI production.
7. Miguel Montero Diamondbacks - could be a breakout year for the 27-year old Montero.
8. Chris Iannetta Rockies - two words "Coors Field". If you can carry two catchers play Iannetta when he's at home (.929 career OPS at Coors Field) and play your other catcher when he's on the road.
9. Matt Weiters Orioles - he will probably be drafted higher in most drafts than he deserves due to the hype about his potential. I bought into the hype last year but won't get fooled again. The people I've listed above him will all post similar type numbers but probably be available for you in later rounds of the draft.
10. Russell Martin Dodgers - most people will probably have him ranked higher but I'm worried about both his off year last season and his recent groin injury which you never know could nag him throughout the year.

Heh Heh - Fantasy Baseball is Funny

I was amused by this. Is it pitiful that I'm so into fantasy baseball that I figured this guy's problem seems to be that he isn't carrying a catcher?

HT Steve Silver

Top 5 - Biggest Fantasy Baseball Disappointments - Hitters

Today I'll take a look at who I see as the 5 biggest disappointments, as far as hitters are concerned, in fantasy baseball so far this season.

1. Lance Berkman - I thought he'd be an NL MVP candidate instead he has a .764 OPS. He was the first pick for many fantasy teams. He's the baseball equivalent to Daunte Culpepper right now.

2. Vernon Wells - just 5 HR and a lousy .691 OPS - did the new contract make him complacent?

3. Garrett Atkins - last year he hit .329 with 29 HR - this year he's hitting .234 with 4 HR

4. Rocco Baldelli - this was supposed to be a big comeback year - not the year of suck

5. Robinson Cano - still time for him to bounce back but he was supposed to be competing for a batting title not hitting .274