June 2007
This Blog is moving and so is Nomar!
Look for me over at the Sporting News and Fantsay Baseball Mafia.com – http://www.sportingnews.com/blog/dhhouston and http://www.fantasybaseballmafia.com/
"We’re trying to get ourselves in a position where we can be the best we can be, and that option right now is there for us," manager Grady Little said Monday. "Nomar’s 100 percent on board. He’s been over there before. It’s not a strange place for him." Nomar played first base Monday at Arizona and he went 0-for-5.
Loney has been on fire since being recalled from the minor leagues a couple of weeks ago. "This has a lot to do with the way James Loney is swinging the bat and the way he’s playing, too," Little said. "The primary factor is to try to help us win games. And we feel like this is a move we want to give a shot at right now."
Grab Loney in all leagues he is not a power hitter but should hit for a high average the rest of the way.
Dodgers play it safe in 2007 Draft
Here’s BA’s pre-draft scouting report on Withrow:
Chris Withrow, rhp
School: Midland (Texas) Christian HS. Class: Sr.
B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-3. Wt.: 195. Birthdate: 4/1/89.
Scouting Report: Withrow first boosted his stock last summer at the Texas Scout Association showcase, and he has continued to rise up draft boards this spring. He has a projectable 6-foot-3, 195-pound body and plenty of present velocity. He was reaching 93-94 mph as the draft approached and consistently pitching at 88-92 mph. He has a clean delivery, no surprise for someone whose father Mike pitched at Texas and reached Double-A in the White Sox system. Mike is also his pitching coach at Midland Christian High. Withrow doesn’t always finish his curveball, but it’s a promising pitch with bite and has improved this spring. He should get drafted high enough to pass up the opportunity to attend Baylor, but if he does go to college he’ll be a two-way player. He has some hitting ability and the athleticism to play an outfield corner.
W L ERA G SV IP H BB SO
8 1 1.32 13 3 58 40 8 90
Inside: Chris is a big strong all-around athlete, who will just get bigger and stronger by the time he reaches Los Angeles (likely 2011). The best things about him are his very clean and repeatable mechanics (this type of pitcher tends to stay healthy) and three pitches (fastball, curve and change) that have a chance to be above-average. This type of player is a nice safe pick.
Unfortunatley, he is not Rick Porcello. For the third year in a row for the Tigers Christmas came early. Detroit as always is willing to over pay for young talented hard-throwing pitcher. With the 27th pick they dared what the Dodgers would not and selected the best high school pitcher in the game Rick Porcello (think a Josh Beckett-type talent). The problem with 6’5 195lb, Porcello is not his 96 mph heater or his other three above average pitches, its his SIGNABILITY! This guy is going to be very expensive to sign. Oh well that’s Baseball in 2007 if your willing to over-pay you can do well no matter where you select in the draft.
Dodger Update
June 1st and the Dodgers are nine comes over .500 and in a three way tie for first place with San Diego and Arizona. With 109 games to go the Dodgers are still a long way from finish line. As Pete Rose says the baseball season doesn’t really start until the kids are out of school! We’ll folks it seems now is the time to get down to the business of a full blown pennant race.
As always taking 2 out of 3 from the Nationals is a good way to start a 10 games road swing. The remaining games of the trip are as follows:
At Pittsburgh (4 games) – Inside stuff: The Pirates have only won 1 season series at home this year. Duke vs. Wolf; Snell vs. Kuo; Gozelanny vs. Penny and Maholm vs. Lowe.
At San Diego (3 games) – Inside Stuff: The Padres are red hot having gone 18-9 in May.
C. Young vs. Hendrickson; Maddux vs. Wolf and Peavy vs. Kuo.
I am bit leery of these matchups. It’s always tough for a first place club to go into someone else’s park and face their best pitchers. Despite that I think the Dodgers can take at least four out of the seven games. The key will be Kuo despite a so so season in Las Vegas he may get the ball twice this week. I would much rather have Grady Little give the ball to Chad Billingsley instead of trusting Kuo. Or at worst give youngster DJ Houlton a try he at least has been effective (his susceptibility to the long ball might not hurt him so much in Pittsburgh and San Diego).
The next big thing, Milwaukee blue-chip prospect Yovani Gallardo pitches tonight for Nashville against the 51s. You can listen to the game for free at the Las Vegas 51s website. Gallardo is likely to be called up to the big soon so do your self a favour and listen in. This guy could really help out your fantasy team in the second half push.
Jason Schmidt continues to rehab and looked great against some Single-A competition going 6 scoreless innings, giving up just 2 hits with a 7/1 K/BB ratio. 51 of his 71 pitches were strikes. Even better no pain the next day! So it would appear that he will be back soon.
UPDATE: Joe Beimel will take to the mound tomorrow against Pittsburgh instead of Kuo!
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