Yardbarker: Howie Kendrick

Sunday MLB on TBS: Comments from Angels/Yankees Gm

Sun, 03 Aug 2008 21:13:43 -0500

The following is commentary from today's (8/3) Sunday MLB on TBS broadcast between the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the New York Yankees with announcers Chip Caray and Ron Darling. ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** LA of Anaheim Angels (9) @ NY Yankees (14) Announcers: Chip Caray (play-by-play) and Ron Darling (analyst) Studio: Marc Fein Darling on NY Yankees starting pitcher Darrell Rasner's first inning struggles: He is a sinker/slider type pitcher. It's almost like he is too strong at the beginning of the game. His pitches tend to be out of the strike zone or flatten out a bit...It looks like he is trying to aim his pitches. You can never do that, you have to let them go. Darling on the Angels aggressive approach to running the bases: What makes it so unusual is that this Angels team has a lot of power, but they still play kind of smallish baseball. Darling on Angels second baseman Howie Kendrick, who has batted .500 against them in his career: (Howie) Kendrick, whom they (the Angels) believe is a future batting champion, that's how they feel about him. Caray: I think the Yankees feel the same way. Darling on the Yankees addition of outfielder Xavier Nady and left-handed reliever Demaso Marte: (Xavier) Nady could be the (former Yankees third baseman) Scott Brosius of this team; just the study guy, doesn't say much just gets the job done...but Demaso Marte, they really needed that addition, they haven't had a left-handed in their bullpen really all season long. Darling Angels third baseman Chone Figgins: In my opinion Chone Figgins is one of the most valuable players in this league, (he) does everything for this Angels, and they are arguably the best team in baseball going from first to third. they always are pushing the envelope. Darling on team's not protecting their farm system and trading for 'name' players: I think you suffer a lot more from stries - histories and salaries. You're always going to pay off of what people have done, not what they are going to do in the future. Darling on the Milwaukee Brewers: Of course (starting pitchers) Ben Sheets and CC Sabathia, when those two don't win in Milwaukee they look very ordinary as a team. Darling on Yankees outfielder Bobby Abreu getting thrown out at third in the fourth inning before shortstop Derek Jeter scored at home: Bad play by Abreu...Just amazing to me when you see a guy (like Bobby Abreu) that has that much experience in the game; has seen it all, done it all, and occasionally has that bonehead kind of play, no other way to describe it. Darling on the NY Mets pitching woes: John Maine, their sturdy right-hander who's had a solid season, now is going to be put on the DL with shoulder stiffness/soldier strain, and Billy Wagner is going to have another MRI, his second in the last couple of weeks. Caray: That's not a good category to lead Closers in. Darling on NY Yankees outfielder Xavier Nady, who's three-run HR in the seventh inning gave the Yankees an 8-5 lead: When you look at Xavier Nady, he was a very popular player when he was with the Mets a few seasons ago. I think for (NY Yankees GM) Brain Cashman when he goes to trade for players, especially every day players, it is always nice to know that they have played in New York, had success in New York and was a popular player in New York, even though it was for just a short time with the Mets. Caray on the high-scoring seesaw battle between the Yankees and Angels: If this is a playoff preview, Ron Darling, boy have we had a great game to watch today. Darling: What a great game, almost like a boxing match; toe-to-toe, these teams going back and forth. Caray on the third error by the Angels in the eighth inning, fourth overall, giving the Yankees a 10-9 lead: A nightmarish inning for Chone Figgins at third. It should have been two (a double play), they got none, Yankees back in front. Caray on the Angels blowing leads of 5-0, and 9-8: They've had a Halo of a time finishing off the Yankees today. Source: TBS Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network (http://www.businessofsportsnetwork.com/), which includes The Biz of Baseball (http://www.bizofbasketball.com/), The Biz of Football (http://www.bizoffootball.com/), The Biz of Basketball (http://www.bizofbasketball.com/) and The Biz of Hockey (http://bizofhockey.com/). He is contributor to Baseball Prospectus (http://baseballprospectus.com/news/?author=124), and is available as a freelance writer.Brown's full bio is here. (http://www.businessofsportsnetwork.com/index.php?option=com_content view=article id=47 Itemid=18) He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network (http://www.businessofsportsnetwork.com/index.php?option=com_contact view=contact id=2 Itemid=29).

Red Sox v Angels: Bigger Fish To Fry

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 12:26:24 -0500

Manny Ramirez has been a bit of a distraction as of late, but the Sox have bigger fish th fry with the Angels in town... Matsuzaka faces Weaver tonight... get the preview at The Bottom Line.

Mid Season Report

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 23:54:07 -0500

The first half of the 2008 Major League Baseball season has been full of surprises, from the Tigers to the Rays to the Padres to the Braves. Most surprising of all, at least to the Phillies faithful, is that at the All Star break the Phillies were in first place atop the National League East. The Phillies are currently a half a game ahead of the Mets and one a half games up on the Marlins. Lets go through the majors and recap the season so far. AL East Perhaps the biggest story in the majors this year is the surprising play of the Tampa Bay Rays, who at the break were just half a game behind the first place Red Sox, and that's with a seven game losing streak. The Rays have been bolstered by one of the most talented young lineups in the majors in years, as well as some timely defense and a great, young rotation led by ace Scott Kazmir. They are definitely the Cinderella, the darlings of the 2008 season, much to the chagrin to their division rivals the Red Sox. Boston fans are upset that some of the media focus and the limelight has been diverted from their beloved Sox. The reigning champs continue to be one of the best teams in baseball, despite losing pitcher Curt Schilling for the year (and perhaps for good) and a decline in production from slugger David Ortiz (including a stint on the disabled list). It looks like this could be the first time in years that the New York Yankees won't make the playoffs. They currently sit six games back of Boston and it just looks like there is too much talent in Tampa and Boston for the Yanks to make up enough ground. That being said, I am loathe to ever count the Yankees out of anything. Red Sox win division. If it wasn't for the Rays, the debacle in the AL Central would be the biggest story of the season. The Tigers, whom I picked to win the World Series, are a disappointing .500 on the season. Even more surprising, the Indians are in last place, 12 games under .500. The Chicago White Sox are sitting pretty atop the Central at 14 games over .500, led by 10 game winner, and former Phillie, Gavin Floyd. Erratic closer Bobby Jenks, despite being on the DL, has 18 saves with a 1.95 ERA. On offense, the White Sox have a tandem of heavy hitting outfielders in Jermaine Dye and Carlos Quentin. I have to admit, I'm not overly impressed by the White Sox. In large part, I think they have overachieved so far this season. I think they will come back to earth, which will leave an opening for the Minnesota Twins to step in and take the division. The Twins, led by first baseman Justin Morneau, DH Jason Kubel, and catcher Joe Mauer, are right on the tail of the White Sox, just a game and a half back, and with star pitcher Francisco Liriano waiting in the wings of AAA, the Twins are poised to move into the post Santana era. Twins win the division. AL West Until the Texas Rangers find someone who can pitch (Vicente Padilla currently leads the team in wins with 10), the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are the prohibitive favorites to win the division for years to come. The Rangers can hit, led by the top individual story of the year Josh Hamilton, Ian Kinsler and Milton Bradley, but their pitching is a joke. They boast a rotation of Kevin Millwood, Padilla, Jamey Wright and Kason Gabbard. Until they can get at least one pitcher, they could have all the offense in the world, they still won't be able to compete with Los Angeles. The Angels' pitching rotation, which boasts John Lackey, Ervin Santana, Joe Saunders and Jered Weaver, not to mention closer Francisco Rodriguez who is on pace to shatter the single season saves record, is arguably the best in the majors. Their offense, while not being the power heavy lineup that Texas or Boston has, plays small ball like no other team in the majors. The obvious offensive leader is Vladimir Guerrero, accompanied by Torii Hunter. But the offense works so well because of intelligent baseball guy like Chone Figgins, Howie Kendrick, and Garret Anderson. The Oakland Athletics have basically traded themselves out of contention and the Seattle Mariners have the worst record in baseball. Needless to say, Angels win the division. I think the Rays win the AL Wild card this year. They are too talented to fall behind the likes of the White Sox or Rangers. In the end however, the Red Sox have too much experience and skill to be taken down. They beat the Angels to go on to the World Series. NL West Many commentators are calling this the NL Worst, and it's hard to argue with that. After starting out red hot, division leading Arizona is now one game below .500. That's right. The division leader has a losing record. Need I say more? The reigning NL Champion Colorado Rockies are fourth in the division with a record of 39-57, topped only by the San Diego Padres, an incomprehensible 37-58. The Dodgers are one game back of the Diamondbacks, trailed by the San Francisco Giants in third place. This division is a crapshoot at this point, but the Diamondbacks' pitching, led by Brandon Webb and Dan Haren is just too good and the offense is not going to continue to struggle in the mighty fashion it has over the past month or so. With up and coming stars like Mark Reynolds, Conor Jackson and Chris Young, the Diamondbacks are going to eventually right their ship. Arizona wins the division. NL Central This is the best division in baseball. The Cubs are tied with the Angels for the best record in baseball. Four and a half games behind them are the Cardinals, with the Brewers just a half game behind them. All three of these teams are going to be better in the second half. The Cubs traded for Rich Harden last week, and the Brewers added reigning AL Cy Young Award winner CC Sabathia. The Cardinals are getting ready for the return of Adam Wainwright and former Cy Young Chris Carpenter. Both pitchers are aces on almost any other team in the majors. The Cubs and Brewers already have bona fide aces on their teams in Carlos Zambrano and Ben Sheets, respectively. This is, without a doubt, the toughest division in baseball in some time. I think the Cubs are ultimately the most complete team in the league, and certainly the division. Now let me just say, here and now, there is no way Ryan Dempster continues to pitch this well. He just isn't this good. He will come back down to earth. But even with The Dumpster coming back to reality, the Cubs are bolstered by some serviceable pitching in Ted Lilly and Jason Marquis, in addition to Zambrano and Harden. On offense, the Cubs' lineup reads like it's very own All Star roster, led by Derek Lee, Alfonso Soriano, Aramis Ramirez, and Geovany Soto. Cubs win the division. NL East The Phillies came into today with a half game lead over the Mets. The Marlins sit just one game behind the Mets. It is a division up for grabs to say the least. The Marlins boast a talented, young roster rivaled by only Tampa Bay and Arizona. Led by Hanley Ramirez, Mike Jacobs, Dan Uggla and Josh Willingham, they have an offense that puts the in a position to win every night. That being said, their pitching is thin, with Ricky Nolasco leading the team with 10 wins and a 3.70 ERA. The Braves are most likely looking to scrap this year and go into rebuilding mood, if only temporarily. First baseman Mark Teixeira is a free agent at the end of this year and chances are that the Braves are going to move him before the trade deadline. Their pitching is pretty banged up, and old. John Smoltz, Tom Glavine and Mike Hampton are all currently on the disabled list. Not to mention that they are six and a half games out of first place. The Mets pose the biggest threat to the Phillies' playoff hopes. Winners of nine straight coming into the break, the Mets are batting .320 as a team during that time. They also only gave up a total of 19 runs over the same span. They are hot, no doubt, led by Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran, and Fernando Tatis. But therein lies the problem for the Mets. They have been winning in large part as a result of the contributions of usual bench players like Tatis, Endy Chavez, and Damion Easley. The Mets' pitching is also suspect after you get past Johan Santana and John Maine, neither of whom have been stellar this season. After having a impressive season last year, Oliver Perez is 6-5 with a 4.44 ERA. His record is somewhat deceiving, as he has been wildly inconsistent this year. Pedro Martinez continues to battle being really old. Originally set to return this week, his next start is being skipped. I just don't think the Mets have the talent to overcome a Phils team with a much more potent offense and what could end up being a more stable pitching rotation. The Phillies acquired Joe Blanton from the Athletics Thursday, and while Blanton has not had much of a year so far this season (5-12, 4.96 ERA), he has show some real talent and a change of location could be all he needs to break out. More importantly, the addition of Blanton means that Adam Eaton is out of the starting rotation. Brett Myers is progressing nicely in AAA and is set to return to face the Mets on July 23rd. JA Happ threw a no hitter today in his minor league start and it is only a matter of time before he is brought up to the major leagues for good. The biggest cause for concern for the Mets is that the Phils' struggles have in large part been due to a lack of offense. This coming from one of the most offensively talented teams in the league. Jimmy Rollins, Chasey Utley and Geoff Jenkins are eventually going to turn things around. Ryan Howard continues to lead the league in home runs and RBIs. Pat Burrell is going to eclipse his usual 30 home runs and 100 RBIs. And that's without the possible addition of another bat, like Matt Holliday or Jason Bay. I say this with the caveat that I generally have no faith in the Phillies in ever winning anything, and at the risk of tempting fate, I pick the Phillies to win the division. I pick the Brewers to win the NL Wild Card this year. I'm going to be very cliche and pick the Cubs to win the NL Pennant over the Brewers. I think unless the Phillies add a serious starting pitcher, ala Erik Bedard, they are not going to be able to compete with the Brewers in the playoffs. That will bring us to the ESPN's ultimate dream, a Red Sox Cubs World Series. Bristol could fawn all over the lovable losers from Chicago and Boston. Seriously though, just thinking about it makes me want to throw up. Boston wins, again. (Just threw up again) Should be a very exciting second half. Continue to check out Hot Stove Philly as we bring you all the latest scores, trades, rumors, and general sports drama.

Fantasy Baseball: I Want My Life Back!!!!!

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 15:55:41 -0500

Waking up late this Sunday morning, I had officially realized how fantasy baseball was slowly taking over almost every aspect of my personal life. I looked at the clock to see one of the scariest sites a fantasy baseball owner can see on a Sunday, 12:56 p.m. I rushed to my computer to make sure my lineup was set and that everything was in order for the 1 o'clock games. But then i realized something that scared me even more. My lineup for Sunday was already set 2 days ago, yet I was still freaking out about checking my lineup in time. Not to brag or anything, but right now my team is in first place in my league and that is why I pay so much attention to it this season. In the past, however, I have been out of contention by the all-star break and yet I still find myself hanging on to every pitch by my starter or every deep fly-ball hit by one of my players. Fantasy baseball just seems to have a dominating effect on my life and I know that there are people out there just like me. Last season, I had the number 1 pick in my draft and for our league, pitching is more important than hitting. That meant that Johan Santana was the consensus first pick. So I went online, bought a Santana Minnesota Twins shirt, and a red Twins hat. I haven't worn either of those items in the last year and a half. On days where Tim Lincecum pitches, I wear his shirt to work as an undershirt. Wardrobe aside, fantasy baseball also affects how I act at work. As some of you may know, I work at a local newspaper in the Westchester County area. I am in front of a computer all day, waiting for stories to follow and report on. Most of my time spent here is looking up fantasy baseball stats and if I am lucky enough, following any games that start during the day. Though when work comes to me, I do end up having to stop what I am doing to make sure I don't accidently write about Carlos Beltran in some sort of robbery trial. When I go out at night, I am following baseball scores on my cell phone constantly, and at times completely ignoring the people I am with. The other night someone asked me what I wanted to drink, and I looked up at them and said, "Howie Kendrick just homered, isn't that crazy?" (For those of you who don't know, Kendrick never homers so it was crazy) 5 years ago this would've never happened. With technology the way it has progressed, people have more access to things they couldn't have imagined just as early as 2003. Perhaps 5 years from now, I'll be able to get a phone call from Uber shortstop Hanley Ramirez telling me how his late plate appearance felt or a text message from Ben Sheets letting me know his shoulder is alright after the 111 pitches he just threw. My point is that while I clearly like fantasy baseball, I am not happy with the social habits it has helped me develop. Something must be done to prevent myself and others from permanently becoming social outcasts and missing birthday parties to watch Ryan Dempster pitch against the Reds. While some may think this is a bit dramatic, I kid you not I have heard stories of missed parties and other events over fantasy baseball matters. Nobody plan any weddings in September this year, cause I won't be able to make it…

The MVPs of the day July 10th

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 08:56:28 -0500

These are the best performers in the MLB today and they are not in any order. -3B/OF Fernando Tatis: game winning two run homer against the Giants -1B Ryan Howard: two homers against the Cardinals -OF Emil Brown: walk-off homerun against the Mariners in 11th inning -1B Justin Morneau: went 5 for 5 against the Tigers in a Twins win in the 11th -2B Howie Kendrick: had his first HR of the season and had two HR in the an Angels win in the 11th

AOL Sports Lists Cheapest Great Team

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 14:13:29 -0500

AOL Sports came up with a list of players, all making six-figure salaries that would rival any team at the moment. Imagine this line-up.

Phillies Pitcher Cole Hamels-$500,000- won 15 games and struck out 177 in 183 innings

Red Sox Reliever Jon Papelbon, relief pitcher- $775,000-72 career saves and 1.62 ERA.

Catcher Brian McCann-$800,000-hit .333 in '06 and has 47 career HRs. Only 24 years old

Brewers 1B Prince Fielder-$670,000-youngest player to ever hit 50 HRs

Angels 2B Howie Kendrick-$400,000- has hit .306 over parts of 2 ML seasons

Nationals 3B Ryan Zimmerman- $500,000-has driven in 200 runs over last two seasons

Marlins SS Hanley Ramirez-$439,000- fell one homer short of being third player in history to hit 30 HRs and stealing 50 bases

Astros RF Hunter Pence-$396,000-hit .322 with 17 HRs in 107 games

Diamondbacks CF Chris Young-$400,000-fell 3 stolen bases short of being first rookie to ever post a 30-30 season

Brewers LF Ryan Braun-$455,000-2007 Rookie of the Year hit 34 HRs and drove in 97 runs in 113 games

Can't help but make you scratch your head at some of the salaries for established players not playing at even close to the level of some of these young players. Let's see where these guys are after their next contract negotiation.

MLB World Series Predictions

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 18:01:07 -0500

So who do you think will be contenders for the World Series this year? I know mine. For the N.L. right now the Cubs are doing awesome with a 47-28 record as of right now and Ryan Dempster with an 8-2 pitching record. Derrek Lee has been doing good with 15 homers also. But that is not my pick. You might not agree but my pick is the Philadelphia Phillies. They might have a lower record from the Cubs (42-33) but there doing fine. They have three very good pitchers. Ace Cole Hamels coming in a 7-4 record same record with Jamie Moyer and Kyle Kendrick 6-3 record. The Phillies are known for there explosive offense. Chase Utley you may say that he is in a 0 for 20 Slump but he'll work his way out of it. Look at the biggining of the year. Utley Blasted 12 Homers for the month of April and has 22 Homers right now. Ryan Howard yes I know he strikes out a lot. But he been hittin homers to with 19 on the year. Pat Burrell is doing remarkable same with Brad Lidge having 18 Saves already. Now on to A.L. Three teams have doing to great Tampa Bay Rays, Boston Red Sox, and Los Angeles/Anaheim Angels. Out of those three I think the Red Sox will repeat back to the World Series. I'm not an A.L. fan and I watch N.L. more then A.L. so I don't know much about A.L. But that's what I'm predicting because they have the best record in A.L. 46-30. So here is what I think the World Series will be Red Sox Vs. Phillies. I think this will go down to game 7 the last game in the series. But I think the Phillies will take it in the end barely with a 5-3 victory in game 7. That's my prediction. Tell me what's yours in a comment below.

Trade Rumors Getting Hotter

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 11:23:20 -0500

A lot of rumors abound about players like CC Sabathia, Erik Bedard, and Matt Holliday being traded. This week's Clearing The Bases column explores these possibilities and the rest of the news around the majors.

The 10 Best Post-Hype Prospects for Fantasy Baseball...

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 18:44:40 -0500

A post-hype prospect is someone in his second, third or fourth year who has yet to produce at the level that was expected of him when he made the league. Because of this, these super talented prospects go from over-valued to under-valued, and are now sleepers ready to break out and help your team down the stretch run.

Fantasy Rundown: Bruce Almighty

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 06:01:20 -0500

Jay Bruce had a spectacular debut week in Cincinnati, and should be a top fantasy option for the rest of the season. He wasn't the only top prospect reaching the big leagues however as Oakland called up Carlos Gonzalez. Elsewhere in this edition Ken Griffey Jr. nears a milestone, Bartolo Colon keeps winning, and Dontrelle Willis regains a starting spot.

Angels Dealing with Injuries

Wed, 21 May 2008 14:11:11 -0500

Chone Figgins may be returning soon, but Eric Aybar injured his finger and could miss significant time and possibly join Howie Kendrick on the DL. The cast of characters to replace them does not look good for Angels fans and fantasy owners.

I Have a Mancrush on Howie Kendrick

Wed, 07 May 2008 13:28:58 -0500

It all started innocently enough. A few years ago, I started hearing about this kid in the Angels minor league system. I was told he was pretty handy with the woo, er...bat. A future major league batting champ, the experts told me. Teams started putting in calls to the Angels asking about Kendrick. They were waving Johan Santana, Miguel Cabrera, even pictures of GM Bill Stoneman in his underwear to pry Kendrick away from the Halos. Stoneman wouldn't budge. There's still no indication of whether those pictures are the real reason Stoneman handed the reigns over Tony Reagins before the 2008 season. Howie graduated from the minor leagues with a career batting average over .400. Then he entered into the Major Leagues, and into my heart. In 2006, he hit .285 with 21 doubles, 4 homers, and 30 RBI in 72 games. In 2007, he hit .322 with 24 doubles, 5 homers, and 39 RBI in 88 games. I was sold on Howie. I bought his autographed baseball from Ebay. I was devastated when someone else took him off the boards in fantasy baseball. But don't worry. He will be mine. Oh yes, he will be mine. This year, Howie hurt his hamstring after only 10 games (Howie, if you need an amateur masseuse, call me...). He was hitting .500 with 5 doubles and a triple. Howie's on his way back, however, playing some rehab ball for Single-A Rancho Cucamonga. Yesterday, he went 3 for 3 with 2 homeruns. I love it when he does that. My predictions for Howie's career? He will be baseball's first career .600 hitter. He will annihilate Barry Bond's home run record with 983 dingers. He will drive in 4,700 runs, in honor of his jersey number (HK-47 - you're so witty, Howie!). While he's at it, he will cure AIDS, cancer, and diabetes in the offseason. He will also be found vacationing - with me - in the Bahamas...which he will have bought.

Top Pickups Around the Diamond- Week 6

Tue, 06 May 2008 12:34:01 -0500

Each week, we take a look around the majors to determine the players worth adding and those that are just a flash in the pan.

Week 5 Diamond DL Report

Thu, 01 May 2008 22:18:28 -0500

In this weekly fantasy column, FIO co-founder & editor Matt Hinzpeter takes a look at the walking wound in the world of fantasy baseball. Find out which guys are set to return, news and updates concerning some key players, as well as the newest additions to the DL.

Sizzlers and Fizzlers, Week 3

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 00:51:27 -0500

Who's hot, who's not in Major League Baseball? We'll get you started with a sizzler, Travis Buck (OF, Oakland Athletics): After a tumultuous first 22 AB's, Buck broke out. He has gone 8-28 (.285 BA), 4 RBI, 5 R, and has recorded a 3B and 6 2B. This is what expert projected out of the young A's outfielder, and now that he's producing, he's worth a look in AL-only leagues, and deeper mixed leagues.