97 weeks since I have blogged about; anything except for the little blurb that I put on a facebook note in August. In the past 97 weeks, I have had gone through two Fantasy Football and Baseball seasons; mostly mediocrity and failure; and I have had 3 jobs since then. I also try to speak to people carefully, hopes to be more goal oriented by solving problems and moving on. There are things that have unchanged too. Same fiancee, living in the same apartment since I was 9, same moping of our dilapidated transit system. Also an undying love for sports; especially Baseball.
Fantasy Baseball
A couple of things to note. Mike Siano and Cory Schwartz recently came out with their List of Twelve. The list may be 15, but their work is still pristine, yet going big-time on the MLB Network. Yovanni Gallardo, Francisco Liriano, and Josh Johnson will probably be targeted and drafted above their value, but I am intrigued at where Jonathan Sanchez, Johnny Cueto, Shaun Marcum and Jason Hammel will get valued. Sanchez pitching in San Francisco and having to pitch in ballparks like PETCO Park and Dodger stadium on the road definitiely add to his high K-rate. His ERA may go up to 3.60-3.70, but he puts up Ace-like Strikeout numbers. Shaun Marcum, I find similar to Sanchez, but this season Marcum will have to prove it in Milwaukee. Miller Park is more pitching friendly than The Rogers Centre, and Marcum places similar numbers with a better walk rate. Both Sanchez and Marcum are flyball pitchers, but also the NL Central I believe contains weaker teams with the Pirates, Astros, and Cubs.
Johnny Cueto and Jason Hammel are on my interested list because they have not been able to put it together for a season without massive struggles. Cueto has a great strikeout rate, but he's prone to a 5-6 start stretch where I wonder he needs to get cut. Jason Hammel struggled at the end of last season; however overall his two seasons in Colorado showed improved K/BB and B/9 rates for two consecutive years. Hammel is someone that I would rather pitch and ditch with, but he may likely get drafted.
Mike Pelfrey is on their list of 12, but Pelfrey's better bet is more of a real baseball pitcher than Fantasy. "Big Pelf" comes with a low K rate, but he makes my interesting list.
Mike Pelfrey: Opening Day Starter
I was highly intrigued by this move. Pelfrey for all intensive purposes has been the Mets pitcher of development since 2006. Now, in his age 27 season, it's the approximate age where a baseball player puts it together. Pelfrey did improve in ERA, WHIP, and mental toughness. Even Pelfrey's struggle in June/July, he still was unflappable, and kept on grinding. Eventually he put a good season together, despite the negatives of rate stats declining throughout the season. Pelfrey simply made pitches. As the opening day starter, Pelfrey's development is going to be about making good pitches and using a fairly good defense (4th in NL in 2010). His Spring Training is going to be vital to see if the Mets bestowed too much on what some fans say slow-developing/fraudelent.
