Inside the Majors

Simple Tips To Help Your Fantasy Baseball Team

admin — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0000

July is almost over and your fantasy baseball team may need a few tweaks for the big push. However, making those changes always seems like a risky gamble. So how do you know what changes to make? To make things simple let’s look at some offensive and pitching areas that can improve your team.

Offensively, the biggest issues revolve around hot bats and contenders. Scour the waiver wire and find players who are riding hitting streaks or hitting consistently. If the player is possibly facing a trade, like Carlos Beltran, this could be a huge benefit to your team. Players who go from the basement to a contender typically produce during the stretch run. Also, don’t hold a hot player until they go cold. Simply, use OPS to find the next hot hitter.

In terms of pitching, finding the right arm is a little tougher. If you are in a close race picking up a veteran who is pitching consistently for a good club could be enough to push you over the top. If you need to make-up ground taking gambles on hot prospects with high yield potential could pay off, just mind that you pick prospects from good teams.Related Article : Quick Fantasy Baseball Streaming Options for 7/31/11

Are Baseball Players Better Prepared These Days

admin — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The game of baseball may look the same as it did in the past, but the players of today are much better prepared than the players of yesteryear. These days the players subject themselves to rigorous off-season workouts and dietary plans that were unheard of in years past. The scouting of today is also vastly superior to the past. There are people on the payroll of teams whose only job is to watch tape and look for weaknesses of opposing players.

With the addition of sophisticated computer equipment, players can actually see when a pitch breaks and precisely what area of the plate the ball will go to. This helps them to face opposing pitchers even when they have never faced them before.

Pitchers also are better prepared. Not only do they have to pitch less innings because of relief pitchers and closers, they also have access to advanced recuperation methods that players in the past didn’t have. This means that hitters are constantly facing fresh pitchers. The pitchers also know exactly where a player likes the pitch to be thrown for them to hit it. This helps them stay away from that part of the plate making it harder to hit their pitching.

Why Do We Hardly See Any Good Catchers Anymore?

admin — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Gone are the days of Johnny Bench and Carlton Fisk calling great games from behind the plate while getting on base and driving in game winning runs. It seems the do-it-all catcher has gone the way of the dinosaur. It is a very important position on the baseball diamond. Catcher is probably the second most important position besides pitcher. The catcher is important because they basically help run the entire defensive phase of the game for the team while the other team is up to bat. They help decide which pitches to throw and where to position fielders according to where they think the other team will hit the ball.

It seems today that catchers are more of a specialty position. Most teams have catchers that will bat later in the lineup because they are essentially defensive specialist that can’t hit that well. There are still a few teams that have catchers that can both hit and play well behind the plate. Those teams experience a very decided advantage over teams that have catchers that are one dimensional. It is because teams are getting faster because of the fact that they are hitting for less power. Teams need to forgo some of the hitting power to make sure they can have a catcher that cannot commit errors and be able to throw out base runners efficiently.

These things seem to be cyclical. It can be expected that a new batch of catchers will come out in a couple of years that can catch, hit for power, hit for average and throw out base runners that are trying to steal with ease.Want to know more? Go ahead: Ray Fosse, victim of Pete Rose, feels for Posey

A Source for all Your Baseball Information

admin — Thu, 12 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Contrary to popular belief, keeping up with baseball can mean year-round enjoyment for you and your family. There’s usually something related to the sport going on, whether in the Major Leagues, the minor leagues, a college baseball team, or the College World Series. People can always tune in to sports channels from providers like http://www.direct.tv to get the information they need, but here’s a brief introduction to some of the different faces of this great American past-time.

Major League Baseball

When spring training begins, baseball information flows. Who reported and who didn’t, any hold-outs or injuries, the projection for your team this season, and reports about rookies. Major League news abounds all season, as well as into the post-season, the off-season, and the draft.

College Baseball

Maybe it’s your alma mater, or maybe it’s the college one of your children wants to attend; whatever the reason, the Collegiate World Series captures most baseball fans’ attention. The double-elimination playoffs and championship series creates mealtime conversation for many devoted college fans.

Backyard Baseball

Watching baseball and cheering for your favorite teams is fun, but it’s also a blast to get out and run the bases yourself. Whether you’re playing with friends, family, or as part of a league, baseball is a great way to get exercise and get a feel for what goes on in the minds of your favorite athletes. When it’s time to relax, just turn on your satellite TV service to catch up on the latest baseball news.

What Goes on at the Winter Meetings?

www.insidethemajors.com — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Another season in the books, and quite a spectacular one for all you San Francisco Giants fans out there, but for the other 29 teams out there, it’s already time to start rebooting for 2011. Though spring training is still a few cold months away and 2010 exploits are fairly fresh in the memory, December marks the summit of who’s who in baseball and baseball fans. More casual fans out there might be asking, what goes on at winter meetings? By now you’ve probably at least heard the term on ESPN or some other sports broadcast Picture 3,000 people descending on Orlando, Florida, (the site varies by year), consisting of representatives from all 30 franchises, from head honcho decision makers to minor league affiliates, not to mention several international guests, and professionals spanning all aspects of America’s pastime. While GMs in particular will be focusing on getting some player contracts, negotiations and trades underway, the four days of meetings don’t just look ahead towards spring with anticipation, but feature events to celebrate the accomplishments on the field the previous season. The schedule includes an awards luncheon, banquet, trade show (as in baseball as a trade, not player trade discussions between teams), business seminar and capping it all off, the yearly Gala. Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort, in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, will play host to professional baseball, as fans around the country hope their club not only enjoys itself at the festivities but walks away with some on-field souvenirs for all to enjoy in the future.

Inside the NL Wild Card Race

www.insidethemajors.com — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 21:39:53 +0000

As the Braves come off a three game chunker at the hands of the Philadelphia Phillies in what was the next to last time the two teams will square off in the regular season, Atlanta now officially joins the heated National League Wild Card race alongside the San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres and the Colorado Rockies. Sitting 6 games out of pennant position in the NL East, the Wild Card represents the Braves last chance at returning to the post-season this year, in what is manager Bobby Cox’s final tour of duty before heading off into baseball history. Of the three NL West teams, at least one is assured a playoff spot as division winner, though there certainly isn’t room for all three as in a best case scenario, at least one team in their time zone would join the Braves on the golf course (or anywhere else besides the baseball diamond) in October.Right now the Giants hold a half game lead in the West, with the Padres a close second and the Rockies 3.5 games off the pace. The Braves and Giants actually sport identical 86-67 records heading into the weekend, meaning the Pads are a half game back in the Wild Card race as well. While based on strength of schedule, odds makers would predict the Braves to emerge victorious with the National League’s final playoff spot, Atlanta has struggled on the road. The Braves boast the best home mark in baseball at 52-23 (the Phils actually have 53 wins, but have 5 extra home losses marring their record), but have stumbled to a 34-44 total on the road. With the Mets and Nationals series both set to take place in unfriendly confines, before returning to Atlanta to face the Marlins and the hotter-than-Hades Phillies once again, anything can still happen in the season’s final two weeks. The Braves Giants and Padres look to be on equal playing field going forward, largely due to where the games are played, with the Rockies looming large as a dark horse contender, as only two teams will continue to play into mid-October.

Not So Royally Screwed

admin — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 14:58:47 +0000

With the announcement of the latest location for Major League Baseball’s Mid-summer Classic, a lot of the country’s bigger cities and historic stadiums are openly questioning the commissioner’s decision. The 2012 All-Star Game will be played in Kansas City, Missouri, home of the one of the league’s most consistent teams. Year in and year out the Royal’s are among the most predictable teams in baseball, setting the City of Fountains abuzz with a few mid-level acquisitions before tanking to the bottom of the AL Central a few weeks into the season.Red Sox fans, among the most outspoken fans on any subject, are perhaps the most up in arms about the MLB’s decision. The 2012 season will mark the 100^th anniversary of Fenway Park, among the oldest and most fabled venues in baseball history. Though the Red Sox were the hosts of the 1999 All-Star Game, the Fenway faithful feel they deserve another. Of course, with the recent success of the Red Sox, not to mention the Celtics and Patriots, spoiled Boston residents are starting to feel a like they’re entitled to everything these days.Disappointed fans should take a page out of Armando Galarraga’s book; keep your mouth shut and take the high road. Even if you’re a little upset Fenway Park won’t host their second All-Star game in just over a decade, but don’t ruin this for the poor folks down in KC. It’s not like fathers and sons have had a lot of great baseball memories in Kauffmann Stadium over the years. You had Nomar Garciappara, they had Mark Grudzielanek, for your Curt Schilling and Pedro Martinez, they were left with Darrell May and Jimmy Gobble. Boston has had its moments; for a team that went decades without a title to their name, you would think they know what it’s like to be down at out. Let Royals fans have their mid-summer day in the sun, they’ve been stuck in the cold, dark cellar for long enough.

What’s Wrong with the Rays?

admin — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 19:12:52 +0000

Were you to up and ask any baseball manager what’s wrong with Tampa Bay’s team, you’d be swiftly greeted with a perplexing and a choice-word evaluation of your own baseball assessing talents. By many accounts, the Rays sport one of the most complete line-ups in baseball, featuring a rare top to bottom combination of speed and power. Complete with a spry selection of still-developing young players bolstered by the experience of savvy veterans, Tampa Bay really knows how to fill up a stat sheet even the Sabremetrics guys won’t scoff at, including the most important statistic: winning percentage. Close behind the Yankees atop the ever competitive AL East, Tampa is off to a very solid 45-32 start. So what then would dare cause anyone to assume the Rays have anything wrong at all?Delving deeper into the matter, this amateur diagnoses concludes the Rays currently suffer from what, for lack of an official medical term, we can only refer to as “Happy Gilmore Putting Syndrome.” Stuart Sternberg, the team’s principle owner, is probably just one more lethargic home-stand short of screaming, “That’s your home! Are you too good for your home?!” Tampa Bay has compiled an untouchable 25-13 road mark, tops in the bigs. While it is reassuring to know your team is resilient enough to win in unfriendly confines, the flip side of this impressive stat is their alarmingly average 20-19 home total. Looking up and down the standings, the Blue Jays, Athletics, Mariners and Nationals all boast better home records, and that’s just teams playing.500 baseball or worse. The Rays overall .584 winning percentage makes any comparison to such lowlife franchises an utter embarrassment, much less a comparison in which they’re on the losing end. Frustrated fans could only imagine the lead they might have if the team played halfway up to their potential in games the hometown crowd could actually attend. Baseball is a game of endless numbers and statistics, some prove significant and others trivial, but this jury is still out on whether Tampa Bay’s relative troubles at Tropicana Field could be indicative of larger team issues down the line.

Strasburg: Instant Superstar or Scherzer Sequel?

admin — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 17:17:11 +0000

Ninety-four pitches is all it took for Stephen Strasburg to turn in one of the most high pressure pitching debuts in the history of Major League Baseball. Strasburg missed Pittsburgh bats left and right fanning 14 batters in just 7 innings on his way to his first career win. Even more impressive, he seemed to heat up as the game carried on, striking out the last 6 batters he faced. Perhaps equally encouraging for Washington fans, and almost unheard of for a first time pitcher, was the zero walks issued by Strasburg. A lone 2 run homer by Delwyn Young was the lone blemish on what would’ve been a clean sheet, but the young fellow responded with the poise of veteran, retiring the next 10 players to step to the plate.So, now a few weeks into his career, how great was his opening act and how bright is Strasburg’s future? The performance in and of itself was no less than legendary, but those calling for a Cooperstown career shouldn’t be so certain just yet. Not to take away from Strasburg or discredit what was an outing that will go down in baseball history, but he isn’t the first young pitcher to burst onto the scene with an awe-inspiring introductory game. In 2008, former 11^th overall pick Max Scherzer made his major league debut for the Arizona Diamondbacks while on the road against the Houston Astros. Coming out of the bullpen, Scherzer pitched a perfect 4 and 1/3 innings without allowing a hit or walk. At one point, he retired 13 consecutive hitters (still the high mark for a debut game) on his way to racking up 7 Ks. Starting out as a reliever, Scherzer was no doubt under less scrutiny than Strasburg, but the on-field portion of his performance stands up to that of the celebrated rookie sensation. For the record, now in his 3^rd year of service, Max Scherzer currently has a less than stellar 12-21 career record with a 4.37 ERA. This season his ERA has ballooned to 6.14 on the way to a 3-6 start. Not to say the fire-baller won’t be one of the better pitchers in the league one day (already boasting his own 14 K game last month), but so far Scherzer has learned it’s a long road to stardom.Scouts have hyped the National’s new guy as arguably the greatest pitching prospect of all time. Analysts across the airwaves are singing his praises, and rightfully so, but bear in mind we are still only 2 games into what will hopefully be a long major league career. When he takes the mound Friday, let Strasburg continue to earn his big league reputation, pitch by pitch, before listing among the all-time greats.

Hope in Washington

admin — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 15:01:31 +0000

Amidoil spills, natural disasters and turmoil abroad, we are quickly approaching a day in our nation’s capital when the eyes and attention of both left and right leaning voters will lie on the right arm of a 21-year-old kid. Stephen Strasburg is no prophet with answers to the world’s most pressing issues, but is viewed by many scouts and GM’s as a baseball messiah of sorts, sent from his heavenly hometown of sunny San Diego to resurrect a Washington Nationals team that has been mostly lifeless since their days of exile in Montreal. Strasburg has flown through the Nationals minor league system with a speed that usually eludes D.C.’s decision makers, making only brief pit stops in Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Syracuse before getting the called to the show. To the surprise of few and excitement of many in Washington, Strasburg was barely touched by lower league hitters, finishing his minor league career with an impressive 7-2 record , 1.30 ERA and miniscule .80 WHIP. He added 65 strikeouts to his stat sheet in only 55 and 1/3 innings of work.While Strasburg was seemingly anointed as the best player in the draft class, prior to last year’s MLB Entry Draft, he will still face an uphill battle to take home the league’s Rookie of the Year award. Working with a 2 and a half month advantage, incumbent candidate Mike Leake, right hander for the Cincinnati Reds is off to a stellar start in the majors with a 5-0 record and 2.22 ERA. Even were Strasburg to come out and live up the enormous billing he has had thus far, such numbers are simply hard to come by for a first year player. Leake, though less heralded as a cant miss prospect in preseason hype, was taken just 7 spots behind Strasburg in last year’s draft at 8^th overall, so his early season success should come as no surprise.