http://www.yardbarker.com/content/player/818 Recent articles about Tony Pena en-us Even when things seem to go right for the A's lately, something goes terribly wrong and they add to their mounting deficit of games that they trail the Angels and the Red Sox. Records were broken and tied Wednesday, reports about Frank Thomas coming back this week along with Keith Foulke's eminent return would seem to bode well for this struggling team, but it turns out to be all for naught…at least on Wednesday... Wed, 30 Jul 2008 20:05:00 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/298363 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/298363 Yesterday the Royals gave Angel Berroa away to the Dodgers. The official line is the Royals traded Berroa and cash to the Dodgers for 21 year old minor leaguer Juan Rivera. But when the details of the trade are examined it becomes clear the Royals are paying the Dodgers to take Berroa off their hands. The player Kansas City is receiving in return is a low level minor leaguer that doesn't project to be a Major League player. Berroa had long ago fallen out of favor with Royals fans and most Royals fans are glad to see Berroa gone. See http://coachk8.blogspot.com for the complete entry. Sat, 07 Jun 2008 14:37:20 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/275624 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/275624 Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears; I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him. I know. Sounds harsh. But it sure is fun. Ain't it? Of course it is. So without further ado, the All-Worst Team: Tue, 27 May 2008 11:58:18 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/271396 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/271396 Big name struggles and injury concerns are creating bullpen issues for several major league teams. AccuScore analyst Jonathan Lee has it all sorted out for you in this week's Closer Report. Tue, 22 Apr 2008 12:13:12 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/253568 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/253568 The Fantasy Sports Forum.com Every season we see plenty of closers who start the season in that role, but don't finish there. The start of this season will be no different and the clock is already ticking on several closers in the NL who do not have a very firm hold on their job. Since the closer position is probably the most scrutinized, it's natural that this topic would lead to a poll, suggested by an owner in one of my leagues. So from a poll, a roundtable debate was created. Question: Which closer will be the first to lose his job? Choices: Trevor Hoffman, Kerry Wood, Eric Gagne, Takashi Saito, or Brandon Lyon. Read full article at: The Fantasy Sports Forum.com Fri, 18 Apr 2008 07:06:33 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/241661 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/241661 The Detroit Tigers kicked off their season today, facing off against the division rival Royals. Justin Verlander pitched against Kansas City's Gil Meche. There were two new Tigers in the line up, Miguel Cabrera and Edger Rentaria. Cabrera started off the game slow in the field, getting his first error this year. He didn't exactly hit the ground running in the box either, stranding three runners and going 0-2. Renteria on the other hand, drew a walk and drove home Carlos Guillen for the Tigers first run of 2008 for two of his first at bats. The regular suspects were producing in the motor city, with Guillen, Ordonez, Inge, and Rodriguez combining for six of the first seven hits. Meche walked home Rodriguez for the second run of the game by pitching four straight balls to Gary Sheffield after initially pitching two strikes. Magglio and Placido both had an at bat with the bases loaded in the fourth but failed to come through. By the midway point Meche had seven hits, four walks, and two earned runs. While in the other dugout Verlander had only one hit and four strikeouts. After Renteria and the usual Detroit star players produced as expected Cabrera got his first hit, run, home run, and RBI for the 2008 season and as a Tiger. Cabrera hammered one of Meche's pitches over the left field wall to put the Tigers ahead three to nothing. Detroit seemed comfortable with Verlander giving up only one hit leading into the sixth inning. Alex Gordon drove one way back and out of there bringing around two runs and making this a one run ball game. Suddenly the Verlander and the Tigers were a little uneasier. The Tigers went three up three down in the bottom of the sixth and would move on to the seventh clinching on to a one run lead. Verlander walked Mark Teahen to start off the inning that was followed by Ross Gload's single that pushed Teahen to third. Verlander retired after striking out six with two earned runs, and a one run lead. Jason Grilli replaced Verlander and started out with John Buck getting a single and driving home Teahen and moving Gload to second, still no outs. The game was tied at three when Tony Pena Jr singled shifting Gload to third. Bobby Seay replaced Grilli with one out and runners on the corners. Gathright lined out to Renteria, which made it two outs, then Aquilino Lopez came in to replace Seay on the mound. Mark Grudzielanek drove home Ross Gload, the go ahead run. Alex Gordon flied out which ended a rough two-inning stretch for the Tigers. Meche retired with his team now clinching a one run lead, leaving the team's fate in the hands of Brett Tomko. The Bottom of the seventh started out promising with Gary Sheffield drawing his third walk of the game. However, Magglio grounded into a double play. Miguel Cabrera followed him by striking out swinging and bringing Detroit into the eighth down by one. Tomko would stick around for the bottom half of the eighth and Guillen, the first man up, made him pay by slamming a ball and tying the game up at four. Denny Bautista would stand on the mound for the additional innings. Bautista would walk the first Royal up, Teahen. Gload would sac bunt Teahen to second, one out. John Buck would come up next and send a ball soaring to Inge. Teahen would try and score but was called out at the plate while Buck posted up at second, two outs. In a déjà vu sort of way Pena Jr shot one right at Inge as well, only this time Buck would make it home and give the Royals a one run lead with a man on first. Gathright was walked which brought up Esteban German with a runner on first and second. Bautista struck out German to end the inning, but the damage was done. The Tigers would have to at least have one player cross the plate in order to keep playing. Joakim Soria stared down Clete Thomas to start the bottom of the eleventh. Thomas would lead off with a double that almost tied up the game falling in the warning track dirt and ricocheting off the wall. The tying run sitting at second, Brandon Inge stepped up and sac bunted Thomas to third. Edgar Renteria came up, not doing anything since he drove in the first run. He dug a hole starting out 0-2, he took two balls to even the count as the stadium became electrified. He swung for the fences but the breaking ball snuck by him. Placido Polanco would step into the batters box with two outs. Polanco drove a liner towards the gap but Alex Gordon made a diving stop and throws out Polanco ending the game and sealing an opening day victory over the Tigers for Kansas City. Both Renteria and Cabrera went 1-5 with an RBI. Miguel had a throwing error and a homer in his debut in Detroit. Verlander, like the rest of the Tigers played well initially but failed to take advantage of big plays that could've pushed them ahead for good. Nunez got the win for KC and Bautista earned a loss. Both starting pitchers will be nursing an unusually high ERA for a stutter step at the start of this season. It was a hard fought loss for the Tigers and a narrow escape for the Royals. This season and baseball looks to send to MLB in a different direction than the course it has been set on for a few seasons now. Mon, 31 Mar 2008 15:55:11 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/225256 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/225256 This week's Risers & Decliners lists the players who have had their stock rise in value by emerging as winners from their spring training position battles. Conversely, you'll also find the players with declining stock, due to loss of their starting job, ineffectiveness or injury. Mon, 31 Mar 2008 09:26:25 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/224998 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/224998 Ten of Fantasyfanatics.com's baseball experts lined up for a fantasy draft. Here's a look at the first 18 rounds with analysis. Any bad picks? Let us know. ROUND 16, PICK 151 Todd Jones, CL, DET The ERA, WHIP, and K's might leave something to be desired, but we're talking about a closer here. A pitcher who threw no more than 64 innings in each of the past two seasons, yet has racked up 75 saves. Despite grabbing my first closer in the 12th round, I now have three guys who can get 35 or more saves on my roster. Jones is the closer for the Tigers, a team expected to make a run into the playoffs this season. ROUND 16, PICK 152 Kevin Gregg, CL, FL It was time to pick up a second closer, and Gregg appears to have earned the job in Florida by saving 32 games last year. He struck out more than a batter per inning last season. ROUND 16, PICK 153 James Loney, 1B, LAD Loney was my Jim Thome insurance. He is not going to put up great power numbers for a first baseman, but if Thome goes down for a few weeks, Loney will give me a nice boost in batting average. Wed, 26 Mar 2008 21:24:07 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/219352 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/219352 We continue our fantasy baseball team previews, taking a look at what 2008 holds for the Kansas City Royals, highlighting key offseason moves, projected starters, players to draft/avoid and sleepers. Thu, 21 Feb 2008 10:44:45 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/156793 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/156793 The 2008 Caribbean Series, which began Feb. 2 in the Dominican Republic, will have a couple of interesting differences this year. Sun, 03 Feb 2008 12:58:06 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/121565 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/121565 Pre-season shortstop rankings for the American League has been posted at Crooked Pitch. Sun, 30 Dec 2007 15:54:05 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/56313 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/56313 The Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday traded MLB's saves leader Jose Valverde to the Houston Astros for 3 players in a separate, but connected deal under which the Oakland A's traded their ace and 2007 All Star Game starter Dan Haren to Arizona for 6 players with the Diamondbacks getting 3 players back from the Astros in a massive 3 team, 12 player pair of transactions. Mon, 17 Dec 2007 12:27:26 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/46925 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/46925 Battle of the Short Stops in the Majors, and Jose Reyes beats out his cross-town rival, Derek Jeter. Fantasy or not, Reyes right now is all the buzz around the big city. Jeter might be the toast of the town now, but is he ready to pass the torch to the ever energetic youngster Reyes? Mon, 25 Jun 2007 12:15:58 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/17287 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/17287