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Roger Clemens’ God Complex Created His Legend and His Downfall

August 20th, 2010

Roger Clemens' indictment might signal the beginning of the end for the Rocket.

Quite frankly, the only thing most people have to say is, "Why?"

Why couldn't Clemens just admit he was wrong like Andy Pettitte and Alex Rodriguez? Why couldn't he just take it like a man and let the truth humble him just a little bit?

Simply put, Clemens couldn't or wouldn't because he has a God complex unlike many we have ever seen.

Of course, that complex is also part of what made him so great as a player.

He would get in anyone's face, challenge anyone, and more often than not, he would come out on top. 

He didn't give a damn about throwing a bat at Mike Piazza or beaning anyone who stepped up to the plate and looked at him wrong. A lot of people probably hated him for that, but a lot of people feared and respected him and his game because of that intensity.

Not to mention, he managed to sit out half a season and negotiate a contract that did not force him to travel on road trips. So, in many ways, the God complex was fostered by those around him.

In many ways, Clemens was one of the best pitchers we will ever see take the mound. When it came to baseball, you really couldn't question his God complex. He was simply that good.

Unfortunately, Clemens thought that he was not only bigger than the game of baseball, but also bigger than the justice system, and maybe bigger than life itself. He really might think he is God.

They say that things are bigger in Texas, but this isn't what they meant, Roger.

That right there is why Clemens is about to burn in sports infamy, and maybe in jail too when it is all said and done.

Clemens is not guilty yet, and all of these are currently allegations, but the evidence continues to be overwhelming. 

The strangest part about it is that Clemens seems to think that he is above all of this; that he can just throw high and inside and it will all go away; that the judge will just shake his head and walk away from the plate, another strikeout victim to God Clemens.

I hate to break it to you, Roger, but this ain't a game anymore. Your intensity and supreme ego are not going to get you out of this one. They are only going to bury you.

Clemens' biggest strength turned out to be his biggest weakness, and he proved that no one really is bigger than the game—and certainly no one is bigger than the law.

Clemens deserves whatever he gets. He was just too stubborn to swallow the humble pill and admit he was wrong. That is all he had to do.

The craziest thing about it is that Clemens has not only entrenched himself in this uphill battle because of his ego, but his ego is only intensifying the wrath of the justice system. The more this seems to drag on, the more Clemens seems intent on continuing this fight.

ESPN's Bill Simmons once referred to Clemens as the Antichrist. Many baseball fans probably feel that way as this continues to escalate. The only place on earth where Clemens doesn't stir up these connotations might be inside his own head.

As Clemens keeps fighting this losing battle, he is proving that contrary to popular belief, he feels the opposite. He still feels like he is God.

That is why Clemens will lose the most important game of his life.

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Colorado Rockies: The Beat(ing) Goes On

August 19th, 2010

What's new? Nothing with the Rockies.

On Thursday night in Los Angeles, a place the Rockies go to lose,  Colorado dropped the final game of the three game series. They were shutout once again, 2-0.
In 28 innings during the three game series, the Rockies scored a total of three runs. One of those was a gift in the 10th inning of the Rockies win on Wednesday. Octavio Dotel had three wild pitches in one inning that allowed the Rockies to score the winning run.
Ted Lilly was the recipient of the Rockies latest gift. The newly-acquired lefty threw his first complete game shutout since 2004 when he was a member of the Toronto Blue Jays.
Credit should not be taken away from Lilly, but the fact is, Lilly is not the first pitcher to have a career night against the Rockies in the last few weeks. Add Lilly's name to the list of Ross Ohlendorf, James McDonald, Mike Pelfrey, and Zach Duke.
It is no coincidence that a guy who hasn't pitched a complete game shutout in six years, goes out and does it against a Rockies team that is supposedly still in the playoff hunt.
A perfect example of where the Rockies continue to fail was in the 9th inning. With Lilly reaching the 100 pitch mark and the top of the order seeing him for the fourth time, Eric Young Jr. worked a five pitch walk. Even the one pitch that was called a strike was not thrown where Lilly wanted it.
Dexter Fowler stepped to the plate, representing the tying run. Instead of forcing Lilly to throw a strike and get himself in trouble, just as he had done with Young, Fowler swung at the first pitch, grounding into a double play to end any threat the Rockies had.
A day after the release of the once-productive Brad Hawpe, the critics are still silent about the true problem with the Rockies' bats. Frustration mounts with struggling hitters like Miguel Olivo, Chris Iannetta, Todd Helton, Seth Smith, Ian Stewart and Clint Barmes. The hitters continue to struggle, toiling away.
The problem however, is not that all of the Rockies are falling into long slumps at the same time. The problem is that their approach never changes. Every hitter is swinging for the fences. Top to bottom of the order the Rockies' hitters are not being patient at the plate. They are not taking smart at-bats. They quickly get behind in the count and are hitting the pitchers pitch instead of their pitch.
If a hitter is ahead in the count, the pitcher has to throw a pitch over the plate, allowing the hitter to have a better chance at getting the barrel on the ball. When a pitcher gets ahead in the count, he can throw pitches off of the plate, knowing that a hitter does not have the luxury of taking a pitch near the zone. The snow ball effect continues to affect the Rockies.
When one hitter is not making adjustments it can be blamed on the hitter slumping or not listening. When one-third of club is not just in a slump, but mired in a month long or more drought, the finger has to be pointed in a different direction. In this case, that direction is the hitting coach, Don Baylor.
The only time Baylor seems to come out of hibernation is when a manager around the big leagues gets fired. On three different occasions Baylor has made it very clear that he would like to take that ousted manager's spot. He was even quoted earlier in the season as saying that he is basically bored not being the guy who is calling the shots.
The facts make it clear; Baylor is burned out with his job and is simply going through the motions. That attitude is penetrating to the players and shows up in the game. It is time for Baylor to find his way to the door.
The shutout marks the fourth time in the last six road games in which the Rockies have been blanked.
For more on the Rockies visit RockiesReview.com
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Posted in Colorado Rockies, MLB, NL West

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Padres finish first 4-game sweep of Cubs (AP)

August 19th, 2010
Will Venable extended San Diego's rally with a key hit and capped it off with a memorable dash to the plate. It was just another smart play by the Padres in a banner series at Wrigley Field. Venable hit a two-run single in San Diego's four-run seventh inning and the Padres rallied to beat the Cubs 5-3 Thursday, completing their first four-game sweep of Chicago in their 42-year history.

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Is Michael Brantley a Late Season Fantasy Baseball Sleeper?

August 19th, 2010

Michael Brantley is often overlooked as a potential source for stolen bases. 

In fact, in 2010 he’s done little to make people take notice.  A year removed from stealing 46 bases at Triple-A (and another four in the major leagues), he stole just 13 bases at Triple-A this time around.

It’s not that he was struggling overall; he hit .319 and continued to show a strong eye at the plate, walking 34 times vs. just 28 strikeouts.  Those are very good numbers, as are his 54 runs in just 273 AB, but as an outfielder with little-to-no power, the stolen bases have to be there in order to justify value.

He’s been up and down between the majors and minors this season, stealing four bases in 143 major league at-bats.  Half of that has come in the last week, however, when he stole bases on back-to-back days late last week.

In fact, since returning to the majors after the trade of Austin Kearns opened regular playing time, he has hits in seven of ten games.  He’s hitting .317 with 2 HR, 6 RBI, 10 R and 2 SB over that time.

Those are great numbers, but the question still remains, will he steal enough bases to justify using him in five-outfielder formats?

To help shed some light, let’s get a better idea of his history:

  • 2006 (360 AB at Single-A) - 24 SB
  • 2007 (405 AB between Single & Double-A) - 36 SB
  • 2008 (420 AB at Double-A) - 28 SB

Obviously, if he played regularly in the major leagues, that would mean closer to 600 AB.  Over those three seasons he posted a stolen base once every 13.5 AB.  If he were able to maintain that pace, in 600 AB he’d steal over 40 bases.

Just looking at numbers and not taking them in context is a huge mistake. 

If you just looked at Brantley’s stolen base totals this season, you’d easily write off his 2009 success as an aberration.  While it was better then his 2010 campaign (he had 457 AB), he clearly has always been a solid stolen base threat.

It also helps that he has always had a good eye at the plate.  Entering 2010, he had walked 258 times, while striking out just 190 times in his career.

With his speed and eye at the plate, you would expect him to hit for a good average.

While he entered Wednesday hitting .203 in the major leagues, it came courtesy of a .210 BABIP.  The strikeout number (11.9%) is what you’d expect, so the average should certainly come around.

Granted, he’s not going to hit for power, and thus won’t drive in many runs.  That is a huge knock against him and limits his value to deeper formats.  If you play in a league that only requires three outfielders, you’re not likely to use him unless you are desperate for stolen bases.

In five-outfielder formats, it’s a different story.  You have a player that, hitting atop the Indians' order, could hit .300 or better.  He easily could steal 30+ bases in a full season and should score runs. 

There’s value there and he is certainly worth owning.

In fact, he’s likely to be in the outfield full-time in 2011, meaning depending on your keeper rules, he could be worth stashing away. 

He’s not a high-end option, but a solid player who may be getting overlooked.

What are your thoughts on Brantley?  Could he have value in 2010?  How about 2011?

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Posted in AL Central, Baseball, Fantasy, MLB, Michael Brantley, cleveland indians, fantasy baseball

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August AA Farm Report: Jeremy Jeffress Fresh Off His 100-Game Suspension

August 19th, 2010

From the sensational bat of Jason Kipnis to the absolute domination of Chris Archer, let’s take a quick tour of AA ball. Who will get the promotion to AAA and more importantly how long until they make it the big leagues? 

 

BATTERS

Beau Mills, 1B, Cleveland

AA Line: .231, 8 HR, 61 RBI

The No. 13 overall selection in the 2007 draft has regressed badly in his second season at AA.

Mills, 24, hit .293 with 21 homers and 90 RBI in at the same level in '09, drastically ahead of his current pace. He's hitting an inferior .189 in August, marking his third sub-.200 month. He also posted a .169 April and .162 June.

The left-handed swinging Mills has faced significant struggles against southpaws, batting .203 with only seven extra base hits (one HR) and a 7:25 BB:K ratio. The above splits are staggering coming from a line-drive hitter with a professional approach.

Outside of a .320, five HR, 23 RBI July, he's been downright disappointing. 

 

Jason Kipnis, 2B, Cleveland

AA Line: .339, 9 HR, 34 RBI

Mills' teammate in Akron has confronted no such challenges.

Kipnis has been nothing short of sensational since being promoted from the Advanced A Carolina League, raising his batting average .039 points and OPS over .100 points in the Eastern League.

He's batting .377 in August with three HR and 13 RBI. He's an impossible out with runners in scoring position, hitting .417 with a 1.226 OPS. Kipnis has yet to display a weakness at the plate through two minor league seasons and continues to raise the bar at each level of competition.

He's on the fast track to the show, especially as his power continues to develop. 

 

Devin Mesoraco, C, Cincinnati

AA Line: .294, 13 HR, 31 RBI

Mesoraco is the portrait of growth as a ball player in a short period of time.

A year ago he was sputtering in the Florida State League, hitting .228 with limited pop. In 99 games between Advanced A and AA ball in 2010, he has quickly turned the corner.

He's batting .313 with 23 HR and 62 RBI, with an OPS .300 points higher than last season. Mesoraco is torturing left-handed pitching with a .365 BA and five HR in 52 plate appearances. His weaknesses have come with ducks on the pond, hitting just .204 with RISP, a figure that he will need to elevate with experience.

It's time to take notice that Mesoraco is a legitimate catching prospect.

 

Adam Loewen, OF, Toronto

AA Line: .254, 12 HR, 62 RBI

Questioning Loewen's athletic prowess would be an exercise in futility.

The former No. 4 pick in the 2002 draft had his pitching career ripped away by arm injuries, but his future as a position player appears filled with promise.

In his second minor league campaign as a full-time outfielder, the 26-year-old has made massive strides, adding .018 points to his batting average, eight HR and 31 RBI from last season's final totals in Advanced A. He's been wearing out the gaps, hitting 22 doubles in '09 and 27 this season.

As expected, he's still quite raw at the dish. His strikeout total is an exorbitant 119 and his .237 BA against LHP is a work in progress. But Loewen's batting eye and plate discipline give him a solid foundation to work with, already drawing 53 BB. Oh yeah, he's got wheels too, swiping 14 bags.

Can you say a more talented Rick Ankiel? 

 

PITCHERS

Chris Archer, RH SP, Chicago Cubs

AA Line: 7-1, 1.26, 49 K

And to think Archer's numbers in the FSL looked impressive. Holy moley!

His performance through nine AA starts has been, in a word, FREAKISH.

Apparently the step up in class hasn't rattled his cage. I know his ERA is tough to see, but it's there somewhere. He's allowed 32 hits in 50 innings of work for a .185 batting average against, and his groundout-to-airout ratio is 1.66.

The one chink in his armor has been command, walking a whopping 32. When you're that tough to square up, just throw strikes. Nevertheless, despite putting base runners on, he's done a superb job pitching out of trouble.

Archer was stuck on the lower levels for four years, but is still only 21 and it's coming together fast. His fastball sits in the low-mid 90's and his sharp curve is "the pitch".

The Cubs acquired Archer from the Indians as part of the package for Mark DeRosa in '08. 

 

Deolis Guerra, RH SP, Minnesota

AA Line: 2-9, 5.99 ERA, 61 K

Guerra's pitching line is not a misprint.

The once highly-touted Mets farmhand, and centerpiece of the Johan Santana deal, has fallen on rough times.

After a mediocre-at-best '09 season in AA, the Twins moved him up to AAA for the start of '10. He did not reward the team's faith in him, getting hammered in four starts to the tune of a 6.84 ERA and .337 BAA.

The demotion has not aided matters, as he seems flat out lost at sea right now. Opponents in AA are once again hitting over .300 against him and he's surrendered 114 hits in 94-and-two-thirds innings. His lack of confidence is readily apparent in RISP situations, where batters are hitting .364. Escaping trouble is not his forte.

Unfortunately, the positive signs are few and far between. The best news of all is he's only 21, but a young pitcher can only take so much battering. 

 

Jeremy Jeffress, RH SP/RP, Milwaukee

AA Line: 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 9 K

After serving a 100-game suspension for failing a second drug test, Jeffress is back pitching in the minors, and back with a bang.

During his first stop in the Midwest League (A) he pitched eight hitless innings, striking out 14 in the process.

He faced some adversity during his eight-game stretch in the FSL, finishing with a 5.40 ERA, but once again whiffed 14 batters in 10 innings. Through nine innings of work in the Southern League, he's yet to surrender a run, allowing four hits and striking out nine.

There was never any denying his talent or rare power arm (upwards of 100 MPH), but his head has always held him back. Has Jeffress turned the page, or is another blip waiting right around the corner?

For baseball's sake, let's hope he's focused on pitching. He's a special one and can be a real quick riser. 

 

Recent Promotions to AA

Danny Espinosa, 2B, Washington; Xavier Avery, OF, Baltimore; Julio Teheran, SP, Atlanta; and Randall Delgado, SP, Atlanta.

Written by Adam Ganeles exclusively for TheFantasyFix.com. Look for Adam's weekly insight into A, AA, & AAA ball.

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Posted in Cincinnati Reds, Fantasy, MLB, Minnesota Twins, cleveland indians, milwaukee brewers, toronto blue jays

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