Baseball season is just around the corner! You know what that means...watching Cubs games on WGN at 2:00PM on a weekday and Sunday Night Baseball (this is a travesty) in its entirety when you have to be up in 5 hours for work. You do this not because you are interested in the outcome of the game but rather you want to see if Juan Pierre hits a bomb or steals a bag in his 5th AB in a meaningless game because it affects yours fantasy team. If you haven't launched stat tracker or looked up prospects for baseball already for the 2011 season, you are not a true baseball fan.
Some believe that fantasy sports take a loyal local sports fan and pits them against their beloved home team. Some people believe that gambling on fantasy sports is illegal. Some even believe that the fantasy sports world is a nerdy dream that is comparable to World of Warcraft. To this, I say: You're damn right and cha-ching. I will gladly take an extra RBI double from Andre Ethier even if it means an L for the Tigers. Pretty sick, right?
This all goes out the window with a potential "history in the making" moment. Allow me to give an example. June 2, 2010. Armando Galarraga on the hill. Pitching against the lifeless and pitiful souls from that shithole we know at Cleveland. You may have even been watching it. For Grady Sizemore's first 3 ABs, I was hoping for big things (I did not know his knee was made of paper mache and dreams at this point). As the game was coming to a close and I saw Armando had a shot at the no-no, I actually was forced to cheer against my fantasy comrade and for my home team. If I had known Jim Joyce was going to ruin my middle adulthood, I would have hoped Sizemore hit his 1 and only home run on the season.
So with your blood pressure elevated with thoughts of Jim Joyce ruining your only chance in life to see a perfect game, I offer you some nicer thoughts on the direction of the Tigers. Say what you want about the signing of RP Benoit, C/DH Martinez, and SP Penny. I think the Tigers have managed to pull in 3 guys who have proven themselves year in, year out as talented. It allows 23 year-old Avila to get his time behind the dish while not having to worry about Laird who has the plate discipline of Ray Charles. And before you think it...yes, I know our IF (outside of Miggy) is God awful but keep in mind Brandon Inge is a shoe-in for the All-Star team due to all the downriver skanks voting for him! And yes, I know Benoit is older than the Big Bang. But his stats of 1.34/0.68 over 63 games last year do not lie. He should be a great bridge to the nutbag, headcase, and lovable Papa Grande. And let us not forget that Vic Martinez had 25 HR and 114 ribeyes in 2007. In addition, let us not forget that Brad Penny had a 3.23 ERA through 9 games last season with STL before he had to shut it down with an oblique injury.
These moves plus the last 2 seasons acquisitions are what give us the nod in the AL Central. I look forward to what OOH JACKSON! has to do this year. I would love to see that power stroke start to develop. Miguel should have another day at the office should he be able to keep his hands off his wife and the bottle of Jack. JV should have his slide piece and Mr. Snappy working to perfection. Basically, if we don't sign Grilli or let Zumaya play "Cliffs of Dover" on GH3, I think we have a shot to make the playoffs. However, should Justin Morneau come up to bat in the bottom of the 9th in a tie game against the Tigers with the crown on the line and I have him on my fantasy team and he's not sitting out like a vagina with concussion-like symptoms, I may have trouble cheering against him if I am playing an arch rival in fantasy that week.
I'm really excited for this season. Both fantasy and Tigers. I think that my fantasy team can build off that heartbreaking semi-finals loss last year. As for the Tigers, this is the best lineup, the best rotation, and the best bullpen we have had going into a season in probably about 25 years. We have four proven starters and we all know that Phil Coke is awesome. Our bullpen is deeper than the STD registry at BETA. We have legitimate major league players at every position( yes, even Inge) and we have some quality backups as well. I am not worried about Carlos Guillen's eventual quad tear in June because I know we have a couple of younger guys that can step in and at least tread water. I feel that this is the year that Minnesota takes a step back due to injuries actually hurting them for once. The White Sox just have that 1994 Jack Parkman aura about them, however they will not play us in a playoff for the division. I feel that Ozzie and Ken Williams will kill each other before interleague play starts. Cabrera is going to have an even better year than last year which may put him into the .330, 45, 150 type of year that he can easily put up given some lineup protection. While I'm not printing playoff tickets yet, I feel better about this team than that flawed and ultimately terrible 2008 team.
ReplyDeleteDo not sleep on KC either...Even though the tiger killer Greinke went to the Brew Crew, I think they have a TON of young talent. And they have the ghost of SP Gil Meche smiling down on them. The guy gave up a guaranteed 12 million (I repeat 12 million) to allow the franchise to develop. That screams "good karma." And we all know that pro athletes believe in karma. Just ask Lebron and the 4 game losing streak for the Heat after his tweet on Cleveland's "bad karma." What a bum.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait for fantasy season to start. The expansion draft is always exciting. It is the reason I won the league last year. I drafted Votto, Weeks, Feliz, and Soria in last years expansion and those guys were all integral parts of my team. This year, regardless of who I wind up with in the draft, my biggest addition to my team is going to be the return of a healthy Kendry Morales. I missed his power last year, and had to make up for it by patching together power surges from bootleg ass Aubrey Huff. Between that and a return to health for Utley, I have a very positive outlook for this season. Welcome to my Reich bitches.
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