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					  <title><![CDATA[Fantasy Baseball Grumblings: For Better, For Worse]]></title>
					  <link>http://www.sportsgrumblings.com/baseball/articles/articles/960/1/For-Better,-For-Worse----May-15,-2008/Page1.html?sport_id=2</link>
					  <description><![CDATA[





 





Holding out hope for Manny Corpas? It is probably not the best of ideas. Who will be able to help out though in the bullpen Plan C? Check out some names to know this week in...
 





For Better, For Worse
Related Links:

National League Grumblings
 







]]></description>
					  <author>Mark Allen Haverty</author>
					  <pubDate>Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 CDT</pubDate>
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					  <title><![CDATA[Tigers]]></title>
					  <link>http://www.sportsgrumblings.com/baseball/articles/articles/723/1/The-Year-in-Review----the-Detroit-Tigers/Page1.html?sport_id=2</link>
					  <description><![CDATA[What Went Right?
Fresh off the heels of their
Cinderella season in 2006, the Detroit Tigers had plenty to prove to
the league in 2007. Were they a one-hit wonder or had they put together
a core ready to compete year in and year out? A 14-11 April record
assuaged any immediate fears that they wouldn&#8217;t contend and that was
without Kenny Rogers. Only the New York Yankees
bested the Tigers offensively in the American League and the
Philadelphia Phillies were the only National League team above them in
runs scored (887).
On-base percentage was an Achilles
heel for the Tigers in 2006, but they went from 24th in 2006 to t-4th
in 2007 (.345). The uptick was due in large part to the addition of Gary Sheffield (.378) as well as the marked improvement from Curtis Granderson (+26 points) and Placido Polanco (+59) at the top of the lineup. Sheffield missed 29 games or else he might have posted a 30-30 season at the age of 38! 
I would be remiss if I did not delve
deeper into the season of Granderson. He became the fourth player in
major league history to post a quadruple-20. What is a Q-20 you ask? It
is 20 or more doubles, triples, home runs and stolen bases. Oddly
enough, one of the three others achieved the mark last season with
Granderson. Recently crowned National League MVP, Jimmy Rollins,
performed the incredible feat for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2007, as
well. Granderson&#8217;s .913 OPS was good enough to rank eighth in the
American League and his 2007 season helped him establish himself as one
of the true stars of the league and the catalyst for the Tigers for
years to come. 
All of that, while impressive, pales in comparison to what went most right for the Tigers in 2007 and that was simply Magglio Ordonez.
Ordonez hit .278 in July and that was the only month during the year
that he hit less than .344. His OPS was, predictably, also lowest in
July at .767, but never below 1.037 beyond that. His 28 home runs was
his highest total as a Tiger and highest since his 29 in 2003 with the
Chicago White Sox. Though heavily team dependent, he also notched a
career-high in runs batted in with 139, which was somewhat surprising
when you consider he crushed 38 home runs in 2002. He also racked up
career-bests in runs (117), hits (216), doubles (54), walks (76),
batting average (he won his first title with .363), on base percentage
(.434), slugging percentage (.595) and thus subsequently OPS (1.029). ]]></description>
					  <author>Mark Allen Haverty</author>
					  <pubDate>Wed, 21 Nov 2007 00:00:00 CST</pubDate>
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					  <title><![CDATA[Indians]]></title>
					  <link>http://www.sportsgrumblings.com/baseball/articles/articles/721/1/The-Year-in-Review----the-Cleveland-Indians/Page1.html?sport_id=2</link>
					  <description><![CDATA[Only a year after being plagued with
mediocrity, the Indians were welcomed to 2007 with a slew of snowstorms
and left with some hardware to add to their figurative mantels. While
they did not mange to get to the World Series, they were within a game,
going further than many teams had believed they could. They surpassed
last season&#8217;s World Series representatives in the Tigers and took down
the Evil Empire in the New York Yankees in October. Yes, the only one October. 
It was not the smoothest sail in the
majors to get where they did, but with the help of some youngsters,
some veteran leadership and some huge production from the core
components, and you have a team that tied for the winningest record in
the bigs.
What Went Right
After suffering from a season of
mediocrity in 2006, the 2007 Indians turned things around early and
continued to poor it on after the All-Star break. While many had
Detroit pegged as the team to rise to the top of the always-competitive
AL Central, it was the Tribe that strung together a very solid second
half to pull away from the rest of the pack and represent the division
in the playoffs.]]></description>
					  <author>Mark Allen Haverty</author>
					  <pubDate>Mon, 19 Nov 2007 00:00:00 CST</pubDate>
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					  <title><![CDATA[White Sox]]></title>
					  <link>http://www.sportsgrumblings.com/baseball/articles/articles/718/1/The-Year-in-Review----the-Chicago-White-Sox/Page1.html?sport_id=2</link>
					  <description><![CDATA[At the end of the 2006 season, one in
which the White Sox won 90 games and did not qualify for the playoffs,
the buzzword around the team was mediocrity. Despite record setting
offensive performances, the White Sox did not get the opportunity to
defend their World Series title from 2005. General manager Ken Williams
went into the off season with grand plans to retool the bullpen, which
was miserable in &#8217;06, and reload the offense around a core of returning
players for another run at making the playoffs in 2007. If the Sox were
mediocre in 2006, then one can only describe them as downright comatose
in 2007. Their 72-90 effort, during what manager Ozzie Guillen
called &#8220;one of the longest summers I ever spent,&#8221; was good enough for
fourth place in the AL Central, 24 games behind the division winner
Cleveland Indians. They won just three more games than the perennial
laughingstock of the AL Kansas City Royals.What Went Right?
As miserable as the White Sox season
was, there were a few notable individual achievements worthy of
mention. The Sox also got the opportunity to get a good long look at a
few young players who will figure into their plans for 2008 and beyond.
Bobby Jenks was the
lone bright spot in the White Sox bullpen. He amassed 40 saves in 2007
and established himself as one of the elite power pitching closers in
baseball. During one stretch of the season, he retired a record tying
41 straight batters. Overall his record was 3-5, he converted 40 of 46
save opportunities, had a 2.77 ERA, and struck out 56 batters in 65
innings.
Jim Thome was the
White Sox offensive leader in virtually every category. He batted .275
with 35 home runs, 96 RBI, and 79 Runs all tops on the team. He joined
the 500 home run club on Sept. 16 and ended the season with 507 home
runs for his career.
Mark Buehrle hurled
the first no-hitter of his career on April 18 against the Texas Rangers
in which he struck out a season-high eight batters. He finished the
season with a 3.63 ERA and a record of 10-9. He had a very good first
half of the season, making 17 starts with an ERA of 3.03 before the All
Star Break. Of his 30 starts, 20 were quality starts and he ended up
hurling over 200 innings for the season.]]></description>
					  <author>Mark Allen Haverty</author>
					  <pubDate>Fri, 16 Nov 2007 00:00:00 CST</pubDate>
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					  <title><![CDATA[Blue Jays]]></title>
					  <link>http://www.sportsgrumblings.com/baseball/articles/articles/716/1/The-Year-in-Review----the-Toronto-Blue-Jays/Page1.html?sport_id=2</link>
					  <description><![CDATA[The Blue Jays can pretty much be
penciled in to finish third in the AL East every year. This year was no
exception. They had a few key injuries and players whose performances
were a little below expectation, but they managed to still finish in
third place in one of the toughest divisions in professional sports.
Admittedly, they finished one place lower than last year, but
considering the Red Sox and Yankees this year that is nothing to be
concerned with; having to stay in their division is something to be
concerned with.
What Went Right?
Calling Alex Rios a
breakout offensive star would be a slight exaggeration, but he
certainly bears watching to see if his power can increase anymore. He
finished with 24 homers, 17 stolen bases, 114 runs, and 85 RBI. Add in
7 triples and 43 doubles and he had a more-than-respectable .498
slugging percentage. This year he passed Vernon Wells as the team&#8217;s
offensive leader.
Making even more offensive gains than Rios did this year was Aaron Hill.
Hill had 6 homers and 28 doubles in 2006. This year he increased them
to 17 home runs and a team-leading 47 doubles. Batting mostly seventh,
he scored 87 runs and had 78 RBI.
Frank Thomas held up
well after his comeback year of 2006. Thomas had over 500 at-bats for
only the fourth time in the last eight years. His 26 homers and 95 RBI
were respectable, though a long way from the 39 and 114 from the
previous year. ]]></description>
					  <author>Mark Allen Haverty</author>
					  <pubDate>Wed, 14 Nov 2007 00:00:00 CST</pubDate>
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					  <title><![CDATA[Devil Rays]]></title>
					  <link>http://www.sportsgrumblings.com/baseball/articles/articles/714/1/The-Year-in-Review----the-Tampa-Bay-Devil-Rays/Page1.html?sport_id=2</link>
					  <description><![CDATA[What Went Right?
When using the word &#8220;offensive&#8221; in
regards to the Tampa Bay Rays, it is usually a derogatory term. In
2007, the word that followed was often &#8220;prowess.&#8221; Posting the
fifth-highest team OPS in the American League, the perennial doormat
raised the bar of expectations and gave their fans plenty to look
forward to in the future. Led, unsurprisingly, by Carl Crawford (.315/.355/.466), the Rays&#8217; offense featured several bona fide threats including Comeback Player of the Year, Carlos Pena. Pena mashed 46 home runs, second to only Alex Rodriguez in the American League, en route to a 1.037 OPS. 
B.J. Upton and Delmon Young
began to cash in on their potential during the 2007 season as well. At
23 and 22, respectively, the two combined for 37 home runs, 175 runs
batted in, 32 stolen bases and 151 runs scored in 1119 at-bats. Upton
carried the bulk of that load with 24 home runs 82 runs batted in
despite playing just 129 games. He continued to strike out at an
alarming rate, but improved his strikeout-to-walk ratio from 3.0 in the
past two seasons to 2.4 in 2007. 
Rookie import Akinori Iwamura
did not have quite the power displayed in Japan, but he certainly did
not disappoint, either. He posted a solid .285 batting average in 123
games, good for tenth among all qualifying third basemen in baseball.
He was sharp with the glove as well netting the top fielding percentage
among third basemen. Manning the left side of the infield with Iwamura
was Brendan Harris. Harris excelled in his first
full-time gig after playing very sparingly with four teams since 2004.
He hit .286/.343/.434 with 12 home runs in 521 at-bats. ]]></description>
					  <author>Mark Allen Haverty</author>
					  <pubDate>Mon, 12 Nov 2007 00:00:00 CST</pubDate>
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					  <title><![CDATA[Yankees]]></title>
					  <link>http://www.sportsgrumblings.com/baseball/articles/articles/711/1/The-Year-in-Review----the-New-York-Yankees/Page1.html?sport_id=2</link>
					  <description><![CDATA[The biggest change in the quality of the bullpen occurred primarily with the promotion of one Joba Chamberlain. Chamberlain ripped off a 2-0 record with a 0.38 ERA through the regular season (24 Innings), highlighting his lethal gun by striking out 34 batters and walking only six during his regular season stint. The reemergence of Mariano Rivera and his cut fastball was yet another reason to be happy with the results in 2007.

Within the batters box, Robinson Cano continued to show why he is destined to be a 30/40-100-100 guy by posting a .306 batting average, ripping off 41 doubles, seven triples, and 19 home runs, while knocking 97 runners all while crossing the plate with a combined total of 93 times. He hit an amazing .328 against lefties and a .296 batting average against lefties. There is not too much more you want from a player that you paid half a million to play.

Due to injuries, the Yankees got a first hand look at how far the talent is with players like Melky Cabrera, Shelley Duncan, and Andy Philips (before hitting the disabled list). 

Jorge Posada continues to defy age and injury, poking a career-high .338 average with 90 runs scored and 90 RBI. Now a free agent, I have to believe that the Yankees will not balk at throwing the money necessary at him to get it done. It is the Yankees, after all &#8211; heaping money on players over the last five yeas has not exactly been an issue for them.


]]></description>
					  <author>Mark Allen Haverty</author>
					  <pubDate>Fri, 09 Nov 2007 00:00:00 CST</pubDate>
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					  <title><![CDATA[Orioles]]></title>
					  <link>http://www.sportsgrumblings.com/baseball/articles/articles/706/1/The-Year-in-Review----the-Baltimore-Orioles/Page1.html</link>
					  <description><![CDATA[Well, the five year rebuilding plan
is going great for the Orioles so far. From 69 wins to 70 to 74 to 78 &#8211;
they are, slowly making progress.
Wait&#8230; scratch that&#8230; we have that in the wrong order&#8230;
Yep, the horrid Orioles, despite all
their money and nice shiny park and traditions of success on the field,
continue to get worse, not better, with each season.
The only thing sadder is that if
someone asked me to put a bet down on this trend continuing or not, I
would have to go with continuing &#8211; this simply is a bad team, a bad
organization, a bad owner, and none of that will be a quick fix.
What Went Right 
Very little went right, but there were occasional highlights. The biggest highlight of the season would be the performance of Erik Bedard.
While a record of 13-5 might not be spectacular, you can blame the
Orioles&#8217; bullpen and offense for that, as the numbers he had control
over were spectacular. Bedard&#8217;s 3.16 ERA was good for fourth-best in
the American League and ninth best in the major leagues. His 221
strikeouts were surpassed by only three other starters in baseball, and
no starter posted a better strikeout-per-nine ratio than Bedard&#8217;s
10.93. On any other team, with the numbers he put up, Bedard would have
had at least 16 to 18 wins and been a Cy Young contender; instead, he
is an afterthought.]]></description>
					  <author>Mark Allen Haverty</author>
					  <pubDate>Mon, 05 Nov 2007 00:00:00 CST</pubDate>
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					  <title><![CDATA[Rockies]]></title>
					  <link>http://www.sportsgrumblings.com/baseball/articles/articles/760/1/The-Year-in-Review----the-Colorado-Rockies/Page1.html</link>
					  <description><![CDATA[Back in 2004, the principal owners of
the Colorado Rockies, Charlie and Dick Montfort, decided that the team
needed restructuring. Several years of signing big name free agents,
hoping they would deliver the team a trip to the post season, only
resulted in losing seasons and dead weight on the payroll for the
15-year-old franchise. During a discussion about whether to re-sign Vinny Castilla
for another year, the Montforts instead committed to plans that ensured
the majority of the team&#8217;s players would come from within the Rockies
player development program. Patiently, they waited through three more
losing seasons until the breakthrough success of 2007, which saw the
Rockies set a team record for wins in a season with 90. The Rockies
played October baseball in the Mile High City for the first time since
1999, and the Rockies captured the team&#8217;s first NL Pennant and the
right to play in the World Series against the Boston Red Sox. However,
they were no match for the pitching-rich Red Sox, who swept the Rockies
in four straight games. There is reason to rejoice in Denver though, as
the team is poised to be competitive again in 2008 and beyond. Let us
take a closer look at how this came to be.

What Went Right 
The starting pitching for the Rockies
actually started to come together during the 2006 season. Had that 2006
team been more consistent offensively, the team might have made the
post season then. Fast-forward to 2007, when the pitching fired on all
cylinders, all season long. None better than lefty Jeff Francis,
who emerged as the staff ace with a record of 17-9, a 4.22 ERA, and 215
innings pitched. His 17 wins was the most ever by a lefty for the
Rockies, and second only to C.C. Sabathia's 19 wins
for a lefty in MLB during 2007. His first six starts of the season were
somewhat uneven. Take those numbers out of his stats and he was 16-5
with a 3.82 ERA over his last 28 regular season starts.
Josh Fogg was a
solid, if unspectacular, contributor throughout the season. In
particular, during his five starts in September he went 3-0 with a 3.25
ERA, with the team winning all five games he started. 
Aaron Cook was also
pitching quite effectively until an oblique injury cut his season short
in August. He was 8-7 with a 4.12 ERA, and even came back to pitch
pretty well in the World Series despite missing 10 weeks of action. 
During a 10-day period in late July
and early August, the team lost three of its starting pitchers due to
injuries; Cook (oblique), Jason Hirsch (broken fibula), and Rodrigo Lopez (elbow). Two youngsters from the team's farm system, Ubaldo Jimenez and Franklin Morales,
stepped up to keep the team in contention. Jimenez gave them 15 starts
in which he went 4-4 with a 4.28 ERA and 68 strikeouts in 82 innings,
while Morales gave them 8 starts, going 3-2 with 3.43 ERA, at one point
putting up 20 consecutive scoreless innings. 
Another young pitcher emerged as the team's closer when Brian Fuentes blew four consecutive save opportunities in late June. Manny Corpas
shifted from setup man to closer, and from the All Star break on,
converted 18 of 19 save opportunities with an ERA of 1.54, BAA of .211,
and 25/6 K/BB ratio in 35 innings of work. Corpas will at least compete
for the closer&#8217;s job in the spring, and may get the job outright if the
Rockies move Fuentes in a trade this winter.
The Rockies were among the top five
teams in MLB in nearly every offensive category and second only to the
Phillies in the Senior Circuit. Slugging outfielder Matt Holliday
led the way, putting on an offensive clinic and posting incredible
numbers. He led the NL in RBI (137), Batting Avg. (.340), hits (216),
total bases (386), extra base hits (92), and doubles (50). He also hit
36 homers, scored 120 runs, and even stole 11 bases. Holliday is just
the third player to lead either league in both batting average and RBI
since Carl Yastrzemski last won the Triple Crown in 1967. (The others were Joe Torre in 1971 and Todd Helton in 2000). He will be 28 years old this season and entering his prime production years, so expect more of the same for 2008.
After a dismal 2006 season that saw a
precipitous drop in production all around, 2007 was nothing short of a
bounce back year for Rockies elder statesman, Todd Helton.
The average (.320) is still there, though the seasons of 30+ homers
appear to be gone for good. Helton hit 17 round trippers this season
along with 42 doubles. He still knows how to take a walk though, and
defensively, he had just two errors in 1545 total chances. In fact, the
Rockies committed the fewest errors (68) in MLB while getting the most
chances (6326).
Brad Hawpe continued
his growth as a hitter in 2007, increasing his power numbers (29
homers, 116 RBI) while maintaining his average (.291). Hawpe drove in a
run every 4.4 at bats, good enough for tops on the Rockies and second
in the NL behind Ryan Howard who drove in a run every 3.9 at bats.
The biggest story in Colorado this
season, besides their wild run to the World Series, was the emergence
of Rookie of the Year, shortstop Troy Tulowitzki.
Tulowitzki proved to be the total package, providing offensive power at
the plate and stellar defense in the field. He batted .291 with 24
homers, 99 RBI, scored 104 runs, and had an OBP of .359. In addition,
he lead all shortstops in fielding percentage (.987), total chances
(834), assists (561), putouts (262), and double plays (114). He should
provide equally good numbers in the Mile High City for years to come.
What Went Wrong
It is somewhat difficult to find
things that went wrong for the Rockies. All of the pieces just seemed
to fall into place for them. One issue they did have involved the
hitters at the top of their order.
Willy Taveras proved
to be a great acquisition by the Rockies, although he had some
difficulty with injuries again, and only managed to play in 97 games.
Still, he hit .320, clearly benefiting from Coors field's dimensions,
and stole 33 bases as the lead off batter. The Rockies need him to stay
healthy and to get on base for the sluggers behind him in the order.
The other spark plug in the lineup was Kazuo Matsui,
acquired from the Mets at the end of the 2006 season. Matsui thrived in
Colorado, batting from the two hole most of the season. He stole 32
bases, while only getting caught four times, and helped provide a
one-two punch at the top of the lineup along with Taveras when they
were both healthy. Matsui only managed 104 games in '07. The team has
already lost him to free agency. 
The Rockies also had injury problems
among the starting pitchers. As already mentioned, they lost Cook,
Hirsch, and Lopez during a 10-day stretch in July and August. They
lucked out with the young pitchers that bailed them out. One can only
speculate how much farther the team might have advanced in the World
Series with more experienced pitching against the Red Sox. In the final
analysis, other than Todd Helton, this was an extremely young team, and
the lack of experienced veteran players on the bench may have made a
difference in their ultimate outcome. Then again, it could be that
these players were too young and inexperienced to realize that they
were not supposed to be that good.
The Moves They Made
In 2006, the Rockies auditioned several players in center field, most notably Cory Sullivan.
While Sullivan appears to have the tools to be a decent player, he
simply did not pan out as the top-of-the-order hitter they wanted him
to be. He cannot hit for power, cannot steal bases, and is too much of
a free swinger to get on base at an acceptable rate to lead off. So the
Rockies first need last winter was a lead off hitter who could play
center field. They found their man in Willy Taveras, whom they acquired in a trade with the Houston Astros along with right hand pitchers Taylor Buchholz and Jason Hirsch in exchange for right-handers Jason Jennings and Miguel Asencio.
The Rockies clearly got the better end of the deal as all three players
they acquired contributed to the success of the team, although a broken
leg shortened Hirsch&#8217;s season and Taveras made several trips to the DL,
missing more than 60 games. 
Another key addition was the trade with the Orioles for Rodrigo Lopez,
for whom they sent a couple of minor league arms to Baltimore. Lopez
was pitching fairly well until an injury shortened his season. He
became a free agent at the end of the season and it is not clear
whether the Rockies are interested in bringing him back. 
Some other signings they made included OF/1B John Mabry, outfielder Steve Finley, reliever Mike DeJean, reliever Latroy Hawkins, and reliever Matt Herges.
Of those, only Herges and Hawkins stuck with the team. Herges was quite
effective in his 35 appearances, striking out 30 in 48 innings of work
with an ERA of 2.96, and Hawkins was effective for the team in middle
inning relief with an ERA of 3.42.
The Rockies attempted to bring
another pitcher into the fold to close out games when it became
apparent that Brian Fuentes was struggling with his control, and before
Manny Corpas got his chance. They acquired reliever Jorge Julio from the Marlins in exchange for the much-maligned Byung-Hyun Kim. Julio blew seven save opportunities, and pretty much pitched his way out of Colorado with an all around poor performance.
The Moves They Did Not Make (But Should Have)
As previously stated, the sheer youth
of the team and the lack of veterans in the clubhouse may have
contributed to the ultimate failure of the Rockies in the World Series.
Nowhere was it more apparent than on the mound among the starting
pitchers. There were several veteran pitchers available last winter
that may have been suitable for Coors Field. Jeff Suppan
comes to mind as the kind of pitcher that might have fit nicely into
the Rockies rotation while providing a veteran presence among the young
starters on the roster. 
Willy Taveras was probably acquired because of his relatively low salary, so suggesting someone like Juan Pierre
at $7 or $8 million per year would not make much sense. I am not a big
fan of Pierre anyway. However, the Rockies have some of the most
promising young talent of any major league team. No less an authority
than Bill James believes that the Rockies have the
strongest minor league system and deepest talent pool in baseball. They
probably could have packaged a few of those young players together and
shipped them to the Braves for Andruw Jones last
winter. While that would not have yielded the lead off batter they
wanted, it would have given them the scariest line up in baseball for
the 2007 season. Considering that they may not have been able to sign
Jones beyond the one year, it is probably best that I am not the GM.
Then again, it is high time the
Rockies got out from under Todd Helton's contract. Supposedly, the
Rockies were about to deal him last winter, first to Boston, then to
Anaheim. The Rockies should move him while he still has the value to
bring back talent in return. Several teams would love a .300+ hitter
with some power still in the tank. At the very least, they should be
able to get a couple of pitching prospects and a bat in return for
Helton.
Where Now?
The only player of real importance
that is gone from the team is Kaz Matsui. The Rockies need to find a
replacement for him at second base. They have a young third baseman
named Ian Stewart, who should be ready to make the
leap. Rumor has it the team is working him out at second base, and may
play him there, while retaining Garrett Atkins at third. 
The team appears to have ample
pitching, but they would still benefit from the presence of a veteran
starter on the roster. They also need to address the bullpen. Manny
Corpas can close if they decide to move Fuentes in a trade. They have
an option on Hawkins that they will likely exercise, but will need to
sign another arm or two to ensure depth in the pen. 
Chris Iannetta is a fine young catcher who struggled at the plate in his first full year in the majors, yielding to Yorvit Torrealba more often than not. This year should see playing time reversed, as Iannetta can and will hit. 
The rest of the lineup will return
for 2008. If Taveras can stay healthy, the offense produces like it did
in '07, and the pitching maintains and builds on its success, there is
no reason the Rockies will not make the post-season again in 2008.
]]></description>
					  <author>Mark Allen Haverty</author>
					  <pubDate>Sat, 24 Mar 2007 00:00:00 CDT</pubDate>
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					  <title><![CDATA[Angels of Anaheim]]></title>
					  <link>http://www.sportsgrumblings.com/baseball/articles/articles/730/1/The-Year-in-Review----the-Los-Angeles-Angels/Page1.html?sport_id=2</link>
					  <description><![CDATA[What Went Right?
The Angels made the playoffs for the
fourth time in six seasons in 2007 and tied the New York Yankees for
the second-best record in baseball. That Chone Figgins
finished sixth in batting for the American League is absolutely
remarkable and shines through as a case-study on why fantasy owners
should not give up on players after a bad month. Through the first 26
games, 25 of which covered the month of May with the other being an
April opener, he was hitting .160 in 94 at-bats. That is 21% of his
season&#8217;s at-bats and he put himself in an enormous hole. He responded
by hitting .461 in 115 June at-bats. That is just absurd. And though he
shaved over 100 points off that average in July, he was still white-hot
with a .351 average in 94 at-bats. He did not come close to slowing
down in August and September with .342 and .302, respectively. For
those counting at home, he hit .376 from June on. Had Garret Anderson
been able to stay healthy, he would have put together his best season
since 2003. He only played 108 games and still almost accomplished that
feat. He put together a season very comparable to his 2006 despite
playing 33 fewer games. Reggie Willits put together a
fine rookie campaign showing wonderful plate patience, exceptional bat
control and plus speed. Though he was homer-less in 430 at-bats, he was
a catalyst at the base of the lineup serving as the proverbial second
leadoff hitter. Gary Matthews Jr. could not repeat
his masterful walk year of 2006, but was not the complete bust that
many predicted he would be when the Angels overpaid him in the winter.
He had 64 fewer hits, which lead to a 61-point drop in his batting
average, but he had just one fewer home run and seven fewer runs batted
in despite 104 fewer at-bats. He bought into the speed game of Los
Angeles increasing his steal total to 18 from the 10 in 2006. Casey Kotchman managed to stay healthy and played more games last year (137) than he had the previous seasons combined (114).
Their dynamic 1-2 punch at the top of
the rotation performed remarkably well and was part of the Cy Young
discussion for much of the season. John Lackey went 19-9 with a 3.01
earned run average, 1.21 WHIP and 179 strikeouts in 224 strong innings
of work. His cohort, Kelvim Escobar, displayed some
of the league&#8217;s nastiest stuff and stayed healthy enough to start 30
games and post an 18-7 record with a 3.40 earned run average, 1.27 WHIP
and 160 strikeouts in 195 2/3 innings. Jered Weaver
bounced back from a poor April to post four straight solid months from
May to August, though he admittedly was not as dominant as his
sparkling rookie campaign that saw him go 11-2 with a 2.56 earned run
average. In the bullpen, Justin Speier fulfilled the Scot Shields
role (as he suffered something of an off-year, at least for him)
throwing 50 innings and posting a 2.88 earned run average and a
miniscule 0.96 WHIP. Back to Shields for a moment, I do not mean to
imply that he bombed the 2007 season, but he raised his earned run
average by 0.99 and his WHIP by 0.16. He still struck out a batter per
inning in 77 innings while notching an American League best 31 holds
(tied with Rafael Betancourt).]]></description>
					  <author>Mark Allen Haverty</author>
					  <pubDate>Sat, 24 Mar 2007 00:00:00 CDT</pubDate>
					  <subject />
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