Who I’m Voting Into The 2012 MLB All Star Game

The Major League Baseball All Star Game is easily my favorite all-star game event in professional sports. Not that it has great competition or anything. In the NBA no one plays defense until the last minute of the game. In the NFL no one even plays in the game. In the MLB at least the game means something. Players are joined together from their respective leagues to win a nine inning game to capture home field advantage in the World Series. I also love the moves that have to be made by the managers throughout the games and the switching of positional players/pitching decision making. This year’s Major League Baseball All Star Game is being held in Kansas City, home of the Royals. With the game about a month away and voting already taking place for starting lineups I have put together my starting lineup for each league. I know this won’t end up being the exact lineup because it always becomes a popularity contest but here are the guys that deserve it.

American League All Stars

C: Jarrod Saltalamaccia, Bos, .271 avg., 10 HR, 25 RBI

1B: Paul Konerko, CHW, .376 avg., 11 HR, 33 RBI

2B: Ian Kinsler, TEX, .281 avg., 6 HR, 23 RBI

3B: Miguel Cabrera, DET, .315 avg., 9 HR, 42 RBI

SS: Derek Jeter, NYY, .339 avg., 5 HR, 19 RBI

OF: Josh Hamilton, TEX, .367 avg., 21 HR, 57 RBI

OF: Adam Jones, BAL, .317 avg., 16 HR, 34 RBI

OF: Josh Willingham, MIN, .277 avg., 10 HR, 35 RBI (Stat to note: .403 OBP)

DH: David Ortiz, BOS, .323 avg., 13 HR, 37 RBI

SP: Justin Verlander, DET, 2.54 ERA, 5-3 record

National League All Stars

C: Yadier Molina, STL, .329 avg., 8 HR, 22 RBI

1B: Joey Votto, CIN, .330 avg., 8 HR, 30 RBI

2B: Jose Altuve, HOU, .315 avg., 3 HR, 18 RBI

3B: David Wright, NYM, .366 avg., 5 HR, 31 RBI

SS: Rafeal Furcal, STL, .328 avg., 4 HR, 23 RBI

OF: Carlos Gonzalez, COL, .335 avg., 14 HR, 35 RBI

OF: Ryan Braun, MIL, .310 avg., 14 HR, 36 RBI

OF: Melky Cabrera, SF, .376 avg., 4 HR, 26 RBI

DH: (I know the NL doesn’t have a DH but they will need one in their lineup), Giancarlio Stanton, .302 avg., 13 HR, 40 RBI

SP: Gio Gonzalez, WAS, 2.04 ERA, 7-1 record

 

Mark My Words: June

In order to be a great fantasy owner you must be able to predict and project how well players will do down the road. Owners have to see production before it is performed by players otherwise you might miss out on that player, it might be too late and another owner in your league snatched him before you. Just like last month I have decided to somewhat predict the future. I have put together a handful of things that I believe will happen in the month of June, a lot of statements in which you may be shaking your head now but when we look back on July 1^st I will say “I told you so”.

1)      Mark My Words, Los Angeles Angels Outfielder Mike Trout scores more fantasy points than Texas Rangers Outfielder Josh Hamilton in the month of June: Josh Hamilton is having one heck of a season. Hamilton leads almost every statistical category by a large margin. Hamilton also leads the league in fantasy points. This season has been owned by Josh Hamilton, June will be owned by 20 year old youngster Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels. Trout is known as one of the most talented prospects in the league and he has shown off his abilities early on in the big leagues. Trout was the 25^th overall pick in the 2009 draft, and ranked the #2 best prospect according to Baseball America. Trout joined the Angels big league club five weeks into the season and has been raking since. He is currently hitting .302 and has 5 homeruns in his short stint with the club. In June 20 year old Mike Trout out performs Josh Hamilton.

2)      Mark My Words, Aroldis Chapman still has a 0.00 ERA: Aroldis Chapman is having a dominant season. A season in which he has yet to allow a single run. He also took complete control of the Cincinnati Reds closer role. Earlier this month I wrote about Chapman’s dominance https://boxseatssports.wordpress.com/fantasy-sports-insider/fantasy-baseball/an-eventful-week-dominant-season-aroldis-chapman/. I’m predicting the left hander continues this magical season and doesn’t allow a run in June either.

3)      Mark My Words, this one is a carry-over from last month to get the sour taste out of my mouth. Former Yankee A.J. Burnett has a lower ERA than Yankee ace C.C. Sabathia in the month of June: I had this same prediction last month and I fell one outing short of this coming true. In A.J. Burnett’s last five starts he has allowed two runs or fewer. During this five game stretch Burnett has a 1.57 ERA and a 3-0 record. I would’ve hit on this prediction last month if it weren’t for Burnett’s first outing against the St. Louis Cardinals where he allowed 12 runs over 2.2 innings. Burnett has had a lot of success as of late and so has his former Yankee teammate C.C. Sabathia. Sabathia has had no problem going deep into games, going at least seven innings in seven of ten outings, and going at least 6 innings in all of them. The Yankee ace had a 2.75 ERA in the month of May but just a 3-2 record to show for it. This month I get my revenge on this prediction when A.J. Burnett out pitches C.C. Sabathia.

4)      Mark My Words, youngster Bryce Harper has more extra base hits than league leader (in that category) Joey Votto: Joey Votto currently leads the league in extra base hits with 30 total. Votto has 8 homeruns and 22 doubles. This season Votto has done more than just get extra base hits for the Cincinnati Reds he has also been getting on base at a great clip. The talented first baseman boasts a .463 on base percentage ranking second in the Major Leagues behind New York Mets 3B David Wright. In June, Bryce Harper will get more extra base hits than Votto however. Harper was called up on April 28^thby the Washington Nationals, the 20 year old right fielder has already found himself in the #2 slot in the Nats lineup card. Harper had 13 extra base hits in the month of May (5 doubles, 4 triples, and 4 homeruns).

Bryce Harper is just starting to feel comfortable

A statistic that is extremely impressive for a rookie. I first fell in love with Harper a bit later than everybody else. Of course I knew he was an incredible talent and I knew someday he would be a star in this league but I didn’t care too much about him until I saw him playing against the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN. Harper hit a soft blopper to left field and he exploded out of the box thinking double and with his hustle he got there. No other player in the league was stretching that single into a double, most guys would have just jogged down the first baseline. Since then I love the guy, he is always hustling.

5)      Mark My Words, Chicago White Sox pitcher Chris Sale has a lower ERA than Seattle Mariners ace Felix Hernandez in the month of June: I am a proud fantasy owner of Chicago White Sox lefty Chris Sale. Chris Sale is one hell of a pitcher and has unbelievable potential. Sale is currently 6-2 and has a 2.34 ERA in his first season moving from the bullpen to the starting rotation. In early May Sale was dealing with elbow soreness and there was discussions of him possibly moving back to the bullpen but an MRI revealed Sale is healthy. Sale has been dominant in his last two outings combining for 14.1 innings 1 run and only allowing 5 hits while also striking out 21. Tampa Bay Rays slugger Ben Zobrist compared Sale to a young Randy Johnson in one of his tweets after facing the Sox left hander. There was no rhyme or reason to why I have put Sale up against King Felix Hernandez in this prediction other than to prove Sale is becoming an elite pitcher in this league and can out play other elite starting pitchers like Felix Hernandez who is proven.

6)      Mark My Words, Edwin Jackson records more wins in the month of June than teammate Stephen Strasburg: Stephen Strasburg came out of the gates hot for the Washington Nationals, yet has fizzled in his last few starts allowing 4 runs in two out of his last three appearances. He has also failed to make it into the 6^th inning in all three of those outings. Strasburg still posts a 2.64 ERA but recent struggles mean other pitchers in the Nationals rotation need to step up. Edwin Jackson is their man. Jackson is having a solid season himself however struggling to get run support from his club, giving him a poor record. Jackson has a 3.17 ERA but a lousy 1-3 record to show for it. Jackson has pitched well in his last 5 starts not allowing more than 3 runs in any of them however his club has lost all 5 games. I’m predicting Jackson continues his own individual success in the month of June and his teammates chime in with some run support.

7)      Mark My Words, Matt Moore has a lower ERA than James Shields in the month of June: Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Matt Moore has been somewhat of a disappointment in the early stages of 2012. Moore is 1-5 with a 4.76 ERA. Moore was a clear rookie of the year candidate coming into 2012 after his postseason appearance against the Texas Rangers where he was successful. Moore has struggled early on, he has struggled getting late into ball games and teams are jumping all over his fast ball. In his last seven starts Moore has gone 6+ innings in only two of them. In his last outing he showed promise, he showed everyone a flash of what we expected all season long. In Moore’s last start he toed the rubber against the Chicago White Sox where he pitched 7 innings allowing only two runs and striking out 10. Moore’s teammate James Shields has been up and down this season. Shields will log innings for you but he does get tattooed sometimes. He currently has a 3.95 ERA but does have a 6-3 record for the Rays. I’m not entirely concerned about Shields giving up a lot of runs as of late however I think things are starting to click for the young lefty Matt Moore and I think we will see what we have all been waiting to see out of Matt Moore.

8)      Mark My Words, Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher James McDonald continues his dominant 2012 season and has an ERA under 2.70 in June: James McDonald of the Pittsburgh Pirates is putting together quite the 2012 campaign. The 27 year old right hander has been dominant all season long. He has yet to allow more than three runs in a single outing all season long. He also has no problem striking guys out, on May 17^th he proved that against the Washington Nationals when he struck out 11. Prior to that outing he struck out 8, 7, 10 and 8 in the four games before. McDonald has a 2.20 ERA for the Pirates far lower than expectations. In 2011 McDonald had an ERA of 4.21 however recent mechanical changes has proven success for the Pirate. McDonald continues this success in June when he pitches below a 2.70 ERA.

9)      Mark My Words, Fernando Rodney leads the league in saves at the end of June: How do the Tampa Bay Rays pump out these dominant closers? In his first season with the Rays Fernando Rodney has been rock solid locking down 16 saves. The Rays have a new closer every single season last year it was Kyle Farnsworth the year before that Rafael Soriano, Percival before that. Rodney is getting a lot of chances right now because the Rays are winning games, by the end of June Rodney will catch saves leader Jim Johnson of the Baltimore Orioles.

10)   Mark My Words, the San Antonio Spurs will win the NBA finals and they won’t need a 7^th game to do so:Last month I predicted the Miami Heat would still be playing in the playoffs, this month I’m going a little tougher than that by saying the San Antonio Spurs win the NBA title in June and they do it in six games against the Miami Heat. Tony Parker will be your MVP. 

Conner “Country Breakfast” Patch @

 connerpatch68

Mark My Words: I Told You So

Pujols’ Season Is Looking Up, Just Like Predicted

At the beginning of May I made ten bold predictions, so on May 31^st I could tell you “I told you so”. Below are my bold predictions I made in May, let’s see how I did!  

1)   Mark my words, Albert Pujols will hit 6+ homeruns in the month of May:

CORRECT: Pujols entered the month of May with 0 homeruns throughout April, in May Albert got hot and launched 8 long balls making me 1 for 1 on the year with my predictions. Pujols is improving and getting himself back into form however he still isn’t quite there yet. He batted .263 in May, much better than his April total .217.

2)   Mark my words, Jose Bautista will get his average above .240 before the end of May:

WRONG: Much like Pujols, Bautista struggled in April. I predicted Joey Bats was going to turn it around in a big way in May. In order for Bautista to up his average to .240 from a lousy .181 he had to hit .300 in May. The Blue Jays slugger failed to do so. At one point Bautista had his average up to .234 on May 26^th, but a recent slump has dropped him down to .223.

3)   Mark my words, former Yankee A.J. Burnett has a lower ERA than Yankee ace C.C. Sabathia in the month of May:

WRONG: This one didn’t look pretty after A.J. Burnett’s first start against the St. Louis Cardinals where he allowed 12 runs in only 2.2 innings. On the other hand Sabathia threw a gem against Kansas City going 8 innings and allowing 2 runs. Sabathia finished the month with a splendid 2.75 ERA, while Burnett finished with a 4.38. It looks bad, but if you really crunch the numbers here, take away Burnett’s terrible outing against St. Louis and he boasts a 1.57 ERA. I just missed on this one and it ticks off enough to repeat this prediction again in June.

4)   Mark my words, Japanese pitcher Hiroki Kuroda records more wins than Japanese Phenom Yu Darvish, in the month of May:

WRONG: In this debate neither pitcher really pitched well, Kuroda just got less run support. Yu Darvish finished the month with a 3-2 record and a 4.50 ERA for the Rangers. Hiroki Kuroda finished the month with a 2-3 record and a 4.25 ERA. Kuroda’s most impressive appearance was his last one on May 27^th against the Oakland Athletics where he pitched 8 innings of scoreless ball. Once again I just missed on this one but this one doesn’t sting as much as Burnett vs. Sabathia.

5)   Mark my words, I had to put this one in… My boy Edwin Encarnacion remains the highest scoring 3B and is ranked #1 in total points for 3b come June 1^st:

CORRECT: Edwin Encarnacion has been my man all season long and he continues to dominant in 2012. Encarnacion has already matched his 2011 total of 17 homers early into his 2012 campaign. At the beginning of the month Encarnacion led all 3B fantasy players in points ahead of Miguel Cabrera, David Wright, I predicted he was going to continue to stay at the top and he has. In my format Encarnacion has 199 total points ahead of the next highest player David Wright who currently has 180. I Knew I could depend on Edwin to pull through for me.

6)   Mark my words, Jose Reyes gets more hits in the month of May than league leader Derek Jeter:

WRONG: Wow this one hurts… This prediction might not have raised your eyes too much and you may not be surprised because Reyes is expected to out play the older Jeter. However, Jeter was leading the Majors in hits heading into May and Reyes was riding a big time slump. In the month of May Jeter had 34 hits, three less than he had in April. Reyes had 33 hits in May (one less than Jeter) and 15 more than he had the previous month. Tough hit, no pun intended but this one hurts falling just one hit shy.

7)   Mark my words, Alfredo Aceves records the most saves in the AL, in the month of May:

WRONG: Going into the month I felt as if this was going to be my toughest prediction to hit on, simply because it’s Aceves vs. the rest of the AL. I still felt confident however, Aceves fell short. Aceves had a solid month finishing with 8 saves and a 2.89 ERA and his Red Sox are now over .500 for the first time all season. The league leader in saves in the AL was a closer in his own division, Jim Johnson of the Baltimore Orioles. Johnson recorded 9 saves for the O’s.

8)   Mark my words, In the month of May, Matt Kemp has a higher total of stolen bases than homeruns hit: 

WRONG: My luck here has been pretty awful, but is it worse than Matt Kemp’s month of May? Kemp landed on the DL in early May with a hamstring strain and rushed back to the club too quickly putting himself back on the DL. Kemp recorded 0 homeruns in May and 0 stolen bases. Although this one should probably be a draw, I’m saying I’m wrong here.

9)   Mark my words, Gio Gonzalez finishes the month of May undefeated:

Correct: Gio Gonzalez is a stud. In his first season with the Washington Nationals Gio has a 2.04 ERA and a 7-1 record. He was also dominant in May, winning all five of his starts and finishing with a 2.25 ERA. The Nationals have a great rotation and a great one-two punch with Strasburg and Gonzalez.

10) Mark my words, the Miami Heat are still in the NBA Playoffs:

Correct: The Indiana Pacers put a little bit of a scare into this prediction running them into a game 6 series. I promise in June I’ll make my next prediction (non-fantasy related) a little bit tougher. Maybe something like… San Antonio wins the NBA finals and doesn’t need game 7 to do so. Yes, I like the sound of that.

I finished the month of May 4-10 on my predictions, looking to do much better in June to up the average a little bit. This month most certainly hurts just missing out on Burnett/Sabathia, Reyes/Jeter and Aceves. I’m excited to dive into next month’s list of predictions I promise you there are some good ones.

May 4/10 40%

Total 4/10 40%

Conner “Country Breakfast” Patch @connerpatch68