By Richard Schortemeyer III
With the MLB All-Star Game being held this week at historic Yankees Stadium, in its last season of existence, this is going to be a special weekend for MLB. With that in mind, it’s time to look back at the first half of the 2008 season in ‘MLB Land’.
There have been so many great stories, surprises, and disappointments; I wish I could recap them all for you. However, like my boys from the Sandlot would say, it would go on “fooooooooooooooorevvvvvvver.” So, instead of semi-entertaining you with that, I have decided to shorten it a tad and give you a special edition of “On the Record.”
After I give you my top fantasy surprises and disappointments, I will give you five players that you should consider adding to your teams in the second half. They could put you over the top and give you a coveted fantasy league title.
BEST STORY
Josh Hamilton - OF - Texas Rangers
As the first player selected in the 1999 MLB Draft, the sky was the limit. That sky quickly filled with black clouds, and was falling down, due to years of drug and alcohol addiction. Hamilton finally resurfaced in 2007 and hit 19 HRs in an injury plagued season for the Cincinnati Reds. However, the Reds had pitching needs and sent Hamilton packing to Texas in exchange for SP Edinson Volquez. It is extremely rare to find a trade that benefits both teams, but it seems like this one will help both teams for many years to come.
Texas was struggling to find a power surge after the 2007 departure of 1B Mark Teixeira and the ever growing disappointment of 3B Hank Blalock. Hamilton has more than made up for that lost power. After 11 multi-RBI games in April, Hamilton hasn’t slowed one bit. Leading the league in RBIs, with a slugging percentage around .550, and a top-5 ranking in HRs has easily made Hamilton a top candidate for AL MVP.
Hamilton is the main reason why the Texas Rangers actually still have playoff hopes heading into the second half. His latest accomplishment was a ninth-inning two run game-winning HR off MLB saves leader Francisco Rodriguez (LA Angels) this past Wednesday. Wow! Wouldn’t it be great to see Hamilton cap off his amazing first half with a HR Derby title and an All-Star Game MVP?
Other notables: Boston SP Jon Lester, Tampa Bay RP Troy Percival, New York SP Mike Mussina, Washington SS Cristian Guzman
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT
Andruw Jones - OF - LA Dodgers
After years of being one of the league’s best all-around OFs, while playing for the Atlanta Braves, Jones decided it was time for a change of scenery. He made one big mistake with his trip to the west coast - he left his bat on the east coast.
The first sign of this disappointment could have been Jones’ 2007 season. Usually, when it’s your free agent year, that’s when you step up your game to show other teams why you deserve a lucrative deal. But, for Jones, it wound up being one of his worst seasons since he started a little over a decade ago. Despite the respectable 26 HRs and 94 RBIs, Jones whiffed 138 times and batted just .222.
The Dodgers were hoping that was just a fluke. Everyone quickly found out that it just might be the start of a rapid downfall for one of the best CFs the game has ever seen. Batting way below the Mendoza Line, with only 2 HRs and 9 RBI’s in 50 games for the Dodgers, Jones is in a really nasty spell. He has been featured mostly in the bottom half of a lineup which is not a top offensive lineup by any stretch.
The only reason Jones is still getting starts is his Gold Glove like ‘D’, which, unfortunately, doesn’t help fantasy owners one bit. Let’s hope a change in halves brings back the old Andruw Jones that baseball fans have admired for over a decade.
Other notables: Cincinnati SP Aaron Harang, Detroit SS Edgar Renteria, Houston SP Roy Oswalt, Atlanta OF Jeff Francoeur
BIGGEST SURPRISE
Justin Duchscherer - SP - Oakland As
For years, Duchscherer was one of the top setup pitchers in MLB. However, if you dig deep, you’ll find that his roots are as a starting pitcher with five starts in the 2001 and 2003 seasons combined.
After three excellent seasons as a set-up man and emergency closer in the Oakland pen, last season was arguably his worst as a big leaguer. He posted an ERA close to 5.00 in 17 appearances and missed the last four and a half months with a hip injury.
In the offseason, Oakland manager Bob Geren simply asked Duchscherer if he would like a second chance as a SP. Judging from the first half of this season, it could have become the best baseball-related decision Duchscherer has ever made. With the team lead in wins, and a MLB lead with an ERA under 2.00, he has now become the team’s ace (with Rich Harden departed) and amazingly is a favorite to start for the AL in the All-Star Game.
Other notables: Cubs SP Ryan Dempster, Pittsburgh OF Nate McLouth, Mets OF Ryan Church, St. Louis OF Ryan Ludwick
TOP 5 PICKUPS FOR SECOND HALF
1) Torii Hunter - OF - LAA - One of the great five-tool players in the game today. A semi-slow start, but with great table-setters and quality hitters in front of him, expect the norm for this Gold Glove All-Star OF.
2) J.J. Hardy - SS - Milwaukee - After a career year in ‘07 (26 HRs, 80 RBIs), he seemed to hit a wall early this season. However, he has seemed to break through it with around double-digit HRs and 20 RBIs in the last month.
3) Mark Grudzielankek - 2B - Kansas City Royals - one of the more solid middle infielders in the game today. A career .290 hitter, Grudzielankek has hit around .300 with over 30 doubles and 50 RBIs each of the last three seasons.
4) Tim Wakefield - SP - Boston Red Sox - A deceptive knuckleballer who’ll give you quality starts, he would be a solid bottom-half pitcher for your fantasy squad.
5) Mike Pelfrey - SP - New York Mets - This is a wild card. A former first rounder, he seems to be getting more comfortable on the mound as he’s dug himself out of an early hole. Since June 1, he is 5-0 with a 2.62 ERA. With a great offense, good stuff, and a solid bullpen, he’s worth a shot.
Well folks, I have enjoyed this first half, and hopefully my column has been somewhat beneficial. Check back next week as we will see who starts the second half “On the Record.”
Until next time, Adios all.