Yardbarker: Jim Thome

Dinosaurs invade the White Sox Game - No, not Ken Griffey Jr.

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 13:18:47 -0500

Somewhere, Carl Everett's head is about to explode. Because there was a dinosaur at US Cellular Field last night.

If you're ESPN.com, 3-Run Homers are called "Grand Slams"

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 09:16:37 -0500

ESPN.com needs to hire better headline writers.

Harden invites teammates to view WALL-E

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 19:01:53 -0500

CHICAGO, IL — In what he hoped would be a team-building exercise that would let his teammates get to know him a bit better, Rich Harden invited several Cubs teammates to join him for a screening of the movie WALL-E Saturday, only to find himself ridiculed. “I just thought it would be a nice team-building, spirit [...]

Jim Thome speaks about dedicating his 500th home run to his mother

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 18:10:40 -0500

Jim Thome speaks about losing his mother to cancer and dedicating his 500th home run to her memory. Appearance by White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen.

History of the Great First Baggers

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 10:56:42 -0500

The FBHOF explores the storied tradition of first base. From Cecil Cooper to Don Mattingly and Frank Thomas to Albert Pujols, first base has perennially been the premier power position of fantasy baseball.

Trade Deadline Deals - Impact on Your Fantasy Team

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 16:18:52 -0500

What are the fantasy impacts of the trade deadline deals? Which players gained the most value (hint, Andy LaRoche), and which lost the most (Andruw Jones)? Foxsports Fantasy breaks it down for you.

Griffey to White Sox?

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 09:02:55 -0500

With the all-important, "pending player approval", it looks like Ken Griffey Jr. is going to the Chicago White Sox, Ken Rosenthal is reporting bright and early this morning that a deal is near. The White Sox don't have an obvious slot for him but with a little jockeying around, he could play in center field, which he hasn't done since 2006. Moving Nick Swisher to first would reduce Paul Konerko and Jim Thome's playing time. Check back to see if Griffey approves the deal this morning.

HOORAY FOR SATURDAY!

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 10:51:31 -0500

by Jesus Melendez, Hall of Very Good

A lot of kids growing up get excited for the normal made up holidays…Valentine's Day, Halloween, the last day of school. Me…I always got jazzed up about the day the Hall of Fame announcement was made.

Sure, it doesn't have some fancy name or some wing at the Hallmark store dedicated to it, but it was, for a couple hours in January…my Christmas.

Well, TECHNICALLY, Christmas was Christmas…but you get the idea.

Then, after six months of thinking about it, we get what amounts to New Years Eve, a relative's wedding or basically any other "holiday" where someone stands up and makes some clichéd speech about what an honor it is and how they never thought they would make it.

This weekend, we get the pleasure of hearing what I am sure is going to be another in a long line of self indulgent speeches when Rich "Goose" Gossage takes center stage.

Gossage is a guy who went from 33% of the vote to close to 86% in eight years. Somehow he convinced 300 votes that all of a sudden he was good enough to become the next great reliever to be inducted into the Hall. Apparently he wasn't only a top notch closer…he's a wizard! Heck, he's not even the lone "Goose" to be elected into Baseball's hallowed halls!

In my estimation, he was on the right ballot at the right time.

For some reason, voters don't seem to want to enshrine Jim Rice or Andre Dawson and they live by some wacky code that SOMEONE needs to be voted in. But in an age of "did he" or "didn't he"…the Hall wasn't about to open its doors to the likes of Mark McGwire or Tim Raines. I get it.

Which brings me to what I saw recently on ESPN. Buster Olney and Buck Showalter were given five names of current Major Leaguers and were asked what they thought about their chances.

The names were no-brainers…Mike Mussina, Billy Wagner, Jim Thome, Omar Vizquel and Gary Sheffield. Let's break 'em down.

MIKE MUSSINA

To me, "Moose" is an interesting case. On paper, you see a HUGE winning percentage (.637), a brilliant 263 and 150 record and close to 2800 Ks. His career ERA is 3.69 and one could argue that had he not toiled for more than half of his career in Baltimore…he would be as much of a Hall candidate as Tom Glavine. HOWEVER, Glavine had five seasons with more than 20 wins. Mussina, while he's hit double digits in wins seventeen straight years, has yet to eclipse 20. The Cy Young award has eluded Mussina as well. Unfortunately, six top five finishes and no hardware doesn't make for the best Hall of Fame case. Showalter, said Mussina is a Hall of Famer…Olney disagreed. I'm with Olney on this one. Outside of wins and consistency, and this sounds stupid to say, Mussina just hasn't SHOWN me anything spectacular.

BILLY WAGNER

Wagner should eclipse Eckersley on the all-time saves list this season and enter next year's campaign firmly in fifth place all-time, third on the active list. That being said, he's still WELL behind Trevor Hoffman, Mariano Rivera and Lee Smith AND is a guy who has never led the league in saves. By comparison, Hoffman has only led the National League twice, but he has nine seasons with more than 40 saves. Rivera has led the American League three times and has six seasons with more than 40 saves. Wagner has two. I'm not saying that Wagner isn't a premier closer…I'm just saying that if Lee Smith can't get a sniff at a time when Bruce Sutter, Eckersley and Gossage are…Billy Wagner is going to have a rough time competing for the writer's affection with the likes of Hoffman and Rivera still out there. As for Olney and Showalter…they split again. Showalter was a "maybe", while Olney "agrees" with me.

JIM THOME

I've made the case for Thome and over the last year…he hasn't done anything to make me feel otherwise. He's got 526 home runs and barely 2000 hits. He's going to have to do PLENTY more to sway me. Again, Olney and I are "no" votes…Showalter, predictably, was a "yes".

OMAR VIZQUEL

Again, this is a drum I've beaten before and is one of those guys that I LOVE to bring into the conversation when it presents itself. Not surprisingly, Olney, Showalter and I agree across the board with "Sheik Omar". As much as I would hate to see him hang it up…I think Omar needs to ride off into the sunset before he ruins his storied career.

GARY SHEFFIELD

Now…here's a guy who, in all honesty, deserves his own column. Does he pass the smell test? Not sure…he plays alongside some FANTASTIC players. Matter of fact, he's been overshadowed by plenty of them, but has put up some amazing numbers. A .294 career average, 2570 hits, 487 home runs and 1600 RBI puts him in a similar league as Willie McCovey, Mike Schmidt, Willie Stargell and Ernie Banks. HOWEVER…that's where some of the similarities end unfortunately since each of the afore mentioned have bettered Sheff's three top five MVP finishes by taking home the award at least once. I could go on and on about Sheffield (and I might just do that in the near future), but it is interesting to note that the nine time All-Star only once led the league in a major statistical category…he batted an NL best .330 in 1992. So…what did the ESPN experts think? Olney said "yes" and Showalter, for some reason, disagreed. Me? I agree with Buster…not Buck.

So what about you? I'll put each up for vote over at the Hall…and you tell me what you think!

Hall of Very Good: Hooray for Saturday!

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 17:58:03 -0500

A lot of kids growing up get excited for the normal made up holidays…Valentine's Day, Halloween, the last day of school. Me…I always got jazzed up about the day the Hall of Fame announcement was made. Sure, it doesn't have some fancy name or some wing at the Hallmark store dedicated to it, but it was, for a couple hours in January…my Christmas. Well, TECHNICALLY, Christmas was Christmas…but you get the idea.

Bullpen Implodes As White Sox Overpower Rangers, 10-8

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:53:40 -0500

While trade rumors continue to sizzle, Eddie Guardado and C.J. Wilson contribute to a heartbreaking Texas Rangers meltdown at U.S. Cellular Field.

MLB Status Check (7/17)

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 07:32:07 -0500

Screaming Sports' Billy Smith checks in on some of the mega-hyped offseason stars, as well as the not-so-hyped offseason stars. Who is living up to it? Who isn't? And who is coming out of left field? Billy has all of those answers for you.

Bodog AL MVP Odds

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 18:52:52 -0500

On to Bodog's MVP odds. They're all listed prior to their write-ups, so I won't bother posting a table up top.

Josh Hamilton, +200
Last night certainly helped, although his odds haven't changed since Monday afternoon. The Triple Crown talk has fizzled, at least for the moment, as his average is down to .310. The MVP campaign is obviously still in full force though, as he has 25 more RBIs than anyone else in the league.

There are various concerns here. One is how his body will hold up. He played just 90 games last year, and only 26 after July 7. But the more important issue is the quality of his team. Thanks to a team ERA+ of 81, the Rangers are 7.5 games back in the West, and only fifth in the Wild Card race, six games behind Tampa. It's entirely possible that Hamilton wins the MVP, but he's got way too much going against him to be worth it at +200 in mid-July.

Justin Morneau, +400
Morneau is a former MVP, has 68 RBIs, and his team is overachieving. That is essentially his campaign at the moment. Considering the Twins' chances of making the playoffs are about +400, and it's highly unlikely he wins the award if they don't, this is certainly not a good price.

Ian Kinsler, +550
This number actually came out at +400. There is no doubt Kinsler's having a great year, hitting .337/.397/.548 with 23 steals in 24 attempts. The second baseman leads the league in VORP, at 52.4. But the MVP? Even with his first half, he hasn't received much hype at all. He runs into the same problem as Hamilton, of playing on a third place team, except Kinsler is miles behind him in terms of name recognition, public perception, and the ever-important RBIs (Kinsler has 58).

Alex Rodriguez, +750
He missed three weeks, which means his counting stats won't jump off the page at the end of the year, so the Yankees would have to make a run at the playoffs for him to have a shot. He does have a current line of .312/19/53, so it's not unreasonable to think he could end up at .310/40/115. The problem is that won't be good enough if the Yankees don't make the playoffs, and it's far from a lock if they do. He's got a shot, but it's probably more like 12-1.

Carlos Quentin, +1200
I'd say this is the best value on the board. Quentin is looking great in the HR (22) and RBI (70) categories, and his batting average isn't bad at .276 (his OBP is .375; he walks a lot, but I doubt that'll help his case too much). He has the added advantage of his team is the favorite to win their division. If he had more of a name, he'd probably be the second favorite after Hamilton.

As it stand, though, the fact that he was a relative unknown before this year will hinder his campaign. It also makes it unlikely he can sustain this pace--his PECOTA, pro-rated for 650 PAs, coming into the year was .263/17/77. Even considering that, I think we'll start hearing a lot more about him in the national media if the White Sox stay on top of the Central, and he's got a chance at winning the MVP.

Jermaine Dye, +1500
Manny Ramirez, +1500
Evan Longoria, +2000
J.D. Drew, +2000
Joe Mauer, +2000

Dye would have to catch up to Quentin--he only has 56 RBIs--to receive any serious consideration. Considering some of the years that Manny has had without ever even finishing second, he would have to have an absolutely enormous second half. Longoria has gotten a lot of attention recently, but he's still only at .275/16/53, and his team isn't exactly a lock to make the playoffs at this point. Drew is having a monster year--.302/.412/.572--but his counting stats aren't as impressive, and it's likely that his reputation precedes him with a loft of the writers. Most of Mauer's value is in his position, his defense, and his OBP, which aren't exactly in the forefront of the voters' minds.

Francisco Rodriguez, +2500
Grady Sizemore, +2500
Kevin Youkilis, +2500
Carl Crawford, +3000
Mariano Rivera, +3000
Milton Bradley, +3000
Miguel Cabrera, +5000

Did you know K-Rod has walked 26 guys in 42 innings? That certainly doesn't portend well for his ERA over the next 2.5 months. Thigpen in '90 isn't the great comparison, since he had a better ERA (1.83), but his team didn't make the playoffs (he finished 5th). In '03, when Gagne went 55/55 with three losses and a 1.20 ERA, the Dodgers missed the playoffs and he finished sixth, while winning the Cy Young. The best comparison is probably Smoltz in 2002; 55 saves, 3.25 ERA, Braves won the division by 19 games. He finished eighth.

Field, +550
The only hitters I can reasonably makes a case for here--and this is really stretching it--are Vlad, Curtis Granderson, Jim Thome, and Magglio. I guess you can throw Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay in the mix, and maybe some unlisted closers--Papelbon, Nathan, maybe Jenks. Regardless, I can't see there being any value in this. Those guys are all real longshots.

One Grieving Indians Fan Puts His Allegiances Up For Sale

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 01:25:30 -0500

It's a sad thing when a team trades away its best player during the middle of a season, effectively giving up on the season at hand. So what is a fan to do when their team waves the white flag? You could stop caring, for one. Or you could be like this Cleveland Indians fan, grieving over the 2008 campaign after last week's trade of CC Sabathia.

I am an Indian's Fan who clearly doesn't have anything to root for in the next several months, but I want to find a reason to root for something to fill the hole in my soul.

Therefore, I am renting out my enthusiasm to anyone who feels like an extra fan will put them over the top.

Winning this guy's "fandom" comes with quite the package. This dude will not only root as hard as he can for your team, but he'll even watch at least one game a week. And not only will he "at least 3 emails a week telling you how awesome your team is," but he'll also "email a friend of yours and tell them why their team sucks, and why your team is awesome."

But this fan has his limits. There are some things he just won't do...unless you pony up. Want him to root for the Yankees? That's an extra $10,000. It will cost you $35,000 to have him root for a team that Barry Bonds joins. And for all you Major Leaguers out there looking for a one-man rooting squad...that costs extra too.

Package F). If you are a current MLB player and want my exclusive rooting rights for you individually, that will require an additional fee of $10,000.00 (USD) if your BA > .300 or your ERA is <> 3.00 (at the time of the sale) - VOID for Jim Thome, Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds

So while the winning bidder will be employing the rooting skills of this guy for the rest of the season it really makes you wonder how much he's willing to give. He is, after all, a turncoat fan. He's already given up on his team. What makes anyone think he won't give up on yours at the earliest inconvenience (such as a crushing loss, for example)? There's at least one believer thus far, who has bid $299 for this guy's fandom. So who's bidding $300?

Winning Ugly: Cabrera, Dye clash in dugout

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 02:03:36 -0500

The 1983 White Sox team slogan applied perfectly to the eighth inning ruckus in the Chicago dugout. While the Sox scored two runs in the frame to complete the comeback over the Royals, it wasn't accomplished without some noticeable turmoil. Comcast SportsNet television cameras captured a livid Orlando Cabrera being restrained by teammates Jose Contreras and Dewayne Wise from charging after Jermaine Dye. The Sox' shortstop was infuriated and appeared to be yelling expletives after scoring the go-ahead run on Jim Thome's base hit...

Fantasy Baseball Players of the Day - 7/8/08

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 09:34:39 -0500

Tuesday, July 8th Miguel Cabrera went 4 for 4 with 2 Runs, 2 HRs, and 3 RBI. Carlos Beltran went 3 for 4 with a HR and 4 RBI. Jim Thome went 4 for 5 with 3 Runs, 2 Doubles, and a Walk. Esteban German went 4 for 6 with 3 Runs, a Double, an RBI, and a SB. Alexei Ramirez and Mike Aviles also had 4 Hits. Chase Headley went 3 for 5 with 4 RBI. Scott Hairston went 3 for 5 with 2 Runs, 2 Doubles, an HR, and 3 RBI. Brian McCann hit a pair of solo shots. Kevin Youkilis, Adam LaRoche, Richie Weeks (3 Runs), and Mark Kotsay each had 3 Hits. Marcus Thames, Alex Rios, Ryan Braun, Geovany Soto, Yunel Escobar, and Nate McLouth each had 3 RBI. Kelly Johnson scored 3 Runs. Justin Duchscherer pitched a Complete Game two-hit Shutout to improve to 10-5 with a 1.78 ERA. He's got to be the early AL Cy Young favorite. Andy Pettitte gave up 4 Hits with 5 Ks in 8 scoreless Innings to improve to 10-6 with a 3.93 ERA. Justin Verlander gave up 2 Runs on 2 Hits with 7 Ks to improve to 6-9. Nick Blackburn gave up 2 Runs in a 6-2/3 Inning no-decision. Scott Kazmir gave up 2 Runs in 5 Innings with 9 Ks, but took a Loss. Joel Pineiro tossed 6-1/3 scoreless Innings to improve to 3-4. Cole Hamels gave up 2 Runs on 3 Hits with 8 Ks, but took the Loss. Brandon Webb delivered a Devil's line with 6 scoreless Innings, 6 Hits, and 6 Ks to improve to 13-4 with a 3.27 ERA. Mike Pelfrey threw 7 scoreless Innings allowing 3 Hits with 5 Ks to improve to 7-6 with a 3.93 ERA. C.C. Sabathia gave up 2 Earned Runs in 6 Innings to win his Milwaukee debut. Matt Harrison dominated his Big Leauge debut going 7 Innings and allowing 2 Runs on 5 Hits. Ryan Dempster gave up 1 Run on 2 Hits in 7 Innings with 5 Ks to improve to 10-3 with a 3.13 ERA. Carlos "Hi Ho" Silva gave up 2 Runs in a Complete Game loss. Randy Wolf gave up 1 Run on 5 Hits in 7 Innings with 7 Ks to improve to 6-8. Jair Jurrjens gave up 1 Run on 5 Hits with 6 Ks in 6 Innings to improve to 9-4 with a 3.00 ERA.