Are you regretting drafting Jose Reyes?

How can I not be after witnessing the selfish, hypocritical actions of Jon and Kate Gosselin during Monday’s season premiere of TLC’s Jon and Kate Plus 8? Is it really about the kids, you two?!

How can I not be---now that 33.333% of 2009’s fantasy baseball season is now complete----when a handful of star players are eons and eons away from justifying such lofty draft picks?

That’s why I demand bedlam. I demand that fantasy owners start saying “NO” to high-profile, high disappointment names and start saying “YES” to underrated talent buried deep in MLB rosters.

I demand a blog dedicated to combat. No pomp. No circumstance. Just blood.

There must be blood.

Now let’s get ready to rumble. We don’t have much time.

Ding.

Jon vs. Kate 

What a train wreck! And what an opening bout! Anyone who witnessed this week’s Jon and Kate Plus 8 premiere on TLC knows the story: husband Jon and wife Kate---along with 8 children---are now struggling to keep their family afloat amid rumors of Jon’s infidelity, battles with paparazzi and Kate’s affinity to sudden fame. Whispered to be considering divorce, the premiere did nothing to disprove the notion. Barely on-screen together for more than a few tense moments, Kate’s obsessive-compulsive personality and Jon’s obvious hatred towards being part of such a reality show made for sad yet compelling television. 

Although the couple has made millions off of the series, Jon seems to be the more logical of the two in suggesting the show’s five season run should end if it helps save their marriage. However Kate can’t seem to wonder why paparazzi or “P-People”---the term she coined for her children to use---even care about their life, acknowledging that the media’s spotlight is a main reason why their marriage has become so strained. Hilariously she also mentioned that “millions of people want to know us” and that “she owes it to them to continue the series.” Awesome. Way to contradict yourself there, Katie.

And way to care about the well-being of your children.  

Plus 8

C Geovany Soto vs. C John Baker

With an average 2009 Yahoo draft position of 55, Soto owners merrily drafted the Chicago catcher while sugar plum visions of nabbing the next Victor Martinez danced in their heads---that is, until his 5 for 46, 2 RBI April clatter dashed those hopes rather quickly. He’s yet another tremendous example of why not to gamble your 5^th pick on an unproven catcher with only 30 games of MLB experience prior to his 23 HR/86 RBI 2008.  

Conversely, Baker is the quintessential late-round flyer you look for in a backstop---and one of the main reasons to avoid wasting such a high pick on the position. Baker finished 2008 strong with 46 hits in the last two months and hasn’t slowed down since, hitting in 22 of the first 33 games of 2009. Unranked in 2009 Yahoo pre-drafts, it didn’t take much sleuthing to notice he could be quite decent and ultimately, quite available.  

1B Chris Davis vs. 1B Paul Konerko

Talk about a “reach” in Yahoo leagues. Davis’ ADP was 74. Yes, I’ll say it again. 74. How? Why? I don’t know and I don’t want to know. To choose Davis over the like of Derek Lee (96), Carlos Pena (112) or Joe Votto (118) blows my mind and that’s all I’ll say about that. Now compare Davis to someone like Konerko and his ADP of 218---and it almost seems comical. “Konerks” is having a nice bounce-back year and is on pace for 21 HR and 90 RBI. More importantly he’s providing great value to anyone who selected him around the 18^th round. 

2B Howie Kendrick vs. 2B Marco Scutaro

How I and numerous owners yet again incorrectly pegged Kendrick (ADP of 105) as a top ten fantasy option at 2B is beyond explanation---because I literally have no excuse to justify such a decision. His inconsistent hitting and problematic hamstrings screamed “stay away” yet I foolishly “couldn’t quit” Kendrick---and must now face my unwillingness to accept wunderkind Scutaro’s early start as legitimate. I mean, who knew?! Not me, that’s for sure---and apparently not many others either, considering his 202 ADP. What I do know, however, is that Scutaro has become a versatile, three-position (2B, 3B, SS) bargain---especially for those who inserted him in place of Alexei Ramirez, Dan Uggla and even Aramis Ramirez.  

3B Garret Atkins vs. 3B Mike Lowell

Owners who discounted Mike Lowell yet again are eating crow in 2009. Once deemed just a spare part in the 2006 Josh Beckett/Hanley Ramirez deal, Lowell has quietly put together three consecutive Top-5 fantasy seasons at the 3B position. Back in April when his ownership was at just 31%, I suggested grabbing Lowell----and hope some of you listened, especially if you were searching for an Aramis Ramirez replacement.  Ranked 202^nd in Yahoo pre-drafts, Lowell has given owners nothing but value, value, value----to the tune of 77^th overall in current Yahoo scoring. I don’t see that dropping, unless of course his back acts up. 

Atkins on the other hand is falling---and falling hard. With an ADP of 72, he had all the makings to become a younger version of Lowell---and had similar numbers to prove it. But instead of improving each year, as Lowell has, Atkins has consistently declined. Each of his last three years has resulted in lower batting averages, less HR & RBI. His May has been atrocious so far with zero multi-hit games and no HR. Talk about a player going in the wrong direction! No wonder he’s ranked 828^th in Yahoo scoring.  

SS Jose Reyes vs. SS Azdrubal Cabrera

It must be first noted that in no way am I second-guessing the decision to draft Reyes at #4. He’s a stud and if you have an opportunity to draft him---you must draft him. Instead I’m merely pointing out that someone like Cabrera, who was largely viewed as an un-draftable schmo in 2009, can come out of nowhere to give you bargain-basement production in place of a high-tier commodity like Reyes.  

OF Corey Hart vs. OF Brad Hawpe

With an ADP of 67 in 2009, owners expected the trifecta of HR/RBI /SB from Corey Hart. Instead they’ve received an impatient hitter on pace to shatter his career high in strikeouts and be replaced at times by Jody Gerut and Frank Catalanatto. Not the ideal situation you were looking for out of your 6^th round pick. Conversely, Hawpe managed to ignore his pre-season ADP of 170 by turning into one of the NL’s top hitters. He’s right around 70^th overall in Yahoo scoring, even after a recent 3 for 20 slump. But overall, if you own Hawpe, you’ve gotten a bargain---especially if you delve into his RISP stats---.486 AVG, 2 HR & 30 RBI.

P Josh Beckett vs. P Wandy Rodriguez

If it wasn’t for Beckett’s 2007, in which he won twenty games and continued his post-season reputation as a big-game pitcher, what would we be thinking of him now? I ask this because for the better part of eight months Beckett has been both average and overrated. In addition, if not for his recent 8-inning 0 ER outing vs. the Mets, his ERA would be just south of 6.00. Not good for an ace and unacceptable for someone drafted on average at 67^th overall.

Rodriguez, one the other hand, seems to be channeling his inner Beckett, going deeper into ballgames while relying on the strikeout to get out of jams. Owners also have to love the fact that he’s given up 3 ER or fewer in ALL ten starts so far this year.   

RP B.J. Ryan vs. RP George Sherrill

Ryan owners no doubt are in panic mode after drafting the erratic closer (ADP 101) so early. Now owned in only 56% of leagues, he’s given up 10 ER in 10 total innings, has just as many K’s as walks, two blown saves and most recently has been designated to 7^th inning duties to get his head straight. Unfortunately even that’s not working out as on Monday it took him 32 pitches to record two outs. Yikes.  

Sherrill, the antithesis of Ryan, was drafted on average nine rounds later (19^4th), has six straight saves and hasn’t let up an earned run since May 2. Sherrill is a great example of why you never waste high picks on closers----because every single year they come out of nowhere to surprise you!