By The Jersey Hitman
League 6
League 17
The All-Star Break is just about here. There are two brothers that are helping a few of my fantasy teams - can you guess who they are? Having looked at the rosters for the All-Star Game, I see one player with no business being there - can you guess who it is? One last question: Can you name an NL West team with more wins than losses? Good luck with that one.
The Good: The Hairston Brothers
Jerry Hairston, Sr. was a solid utility player with the Chicago White Sox from 1973 to 1989. Good glove but not so good with the bat is how he would have to be described as a player, and not the kind of guy who would feature on a fantasy roster.
His sons, on the other hand, Jerry, Jr., with the Reds, and Scott, with the Padres, are helping a few of my teams this season. And there is a pretty good chance you can still find them listed as free agents in your league. Depending on your needs, at least one of them could help your team, too.
Let’s start with Jerry, Jr. He was red hot until a broken thumb landed him on the DL for a while, but when he came back, he picked up right were he left off. If it’s stolen bases you need, young Jerry may be your man; he has 15 SBs in just 173 at bats. His .335 BA is nice, too, and makes it very hard for Dusty Baker to take him out of the lineup. He is eligible at SS and OF in most leagues … plus 2B and 3B in others.
Meanwhile, brother Scott has been raking with the Padres lately. If it’s home runs you need, Scott could be your guy. He has hit 5 HRs in his last 5 games, as I write this, giving him 14 for the season - which is already a career high. A streaky hitter throughout his short career, he is worth taking a shot on now. Hitting 14 HRs before the All-Star Break is pretty darn good, especially considering he plays his home games at Petco Park.
The Bad: Jason Varitek, All-Star
A few days after I wrote that Jason Varitek should not be on anyone’s fantasy roster, he shows up on another roster - the 2008 American League All-Star roster. You have to be kidding me! Hitting under .220 and throwing out 15% of potential basestealers are not All-Star numbers.
He was leading the fan voting right up until the end, but the fans eventually got it right and voted in Joe Mauer as the starter. So how did Varitek get in? The players voted him in. Can you believe that? If the fans had voted him in, everyone would be yelling about how wrong it was.
But it’s the players who have really dropped the ball on this one. I don’t want to hear about what he has done in the past. This is the 2008 All-Star Game, and he has no business being anywhere near it. What a joke. He might well have the lowest batting average of any All-Star in history … but I’m too upset to check.
The Ugly: NL West
The Diamondbacks and Dodgers are ‘neck & neck’ at the top of the NL West. The ugly part is that neither team is playing .500 ball - both teams have more losses than wins and can’t seem to score runs. It has gotten so bad in Arizona that there are reports they are considering signing Barry Bonds. Say it ain’t so!
Hopefully someone will get hot after the All-Star Break and get above .500: it would be a big embarrassment if the division winner didn’t. The Texas Rangers are over .500 and have no real chance of making the playoffs. Maybe they can move to the NL West?