Blogs

John Earnhart

MLB Blog Breakdown

September 30, 2009 11:46am CDT

GoldenGateGiants.com: Game Diary: Whiteside Bats Cleanup, Wilson Blows Save, Season Blown Up
Giants correspondent Dave Tobener discusses the Giants' heartbreaking loss and the club's final trends.

"No Freddy Sanchez in the lineup tonight, either. He needs surgery, and the latest news is that he knew he needed knee surgery back in July, when the Giants traded for him. That trade is looking better and better. "

Impact: For those fantasy baseball managers still trying to make that last push, you could perhaps take a look at Travis Ishikawa. The Giants close their season out against the Padres and the Diamondbacks. The Giants will play Arizona at home, where Ishikawa's batting .349 with a .936 OPS. He's also hit seven out of his nine home runs at home. Continue to follow Tobener's blog, as he'll have the latest news on the futures of Brad Penny and Freddy Sanchez.


RedbirdRoost.com: Boras Expects Ankiel to Start Somewhere
Cardinals correspondent Ryan Boyer analyzes Rick Ankiel's year and his future with the club.

"I actually think Boras is right, to an extent. Some (not a lot, as Boras put it) teams would view Ankiel as an upgrade in the outfield. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported last week that the Pirates are one of them and are likely to pursue the 30-year-old this off-season. "

Rick Ankiel's days in St. Louis are likely over after this season.
Impact: Ankiel's future in St. Louis looks pretty grim. The club already has the contracts of Matt Holliday and Mark DeRosa to deal with. They also will likely add a starter over the offseason. If Ankiel has a new home in 2010 (Pittsburgh?), he'll likely see more playing time and provide veteran leadership. But fantasy baseball managers should be wary, as Ankiel declined rapidly this year after a promising 2008.


BravesHeart.com: Can the Braves Possibly Sneak in the Back Door?
Braves correspondent Joe Lucia weighs in on the club's playoff chances.

"So what do the schedules look like the rest of the way for the Braves & Rockies? Let's look at the Braves. The team has 5 games left against the Washington Nationals, the worst team in baseball, and 3 against the Florida Marlins, who are clinging to playoff hopes at 4 out in the wildcard."

Impact: Aside from winning 15 of their last 17 games, the real story out of Atlanta is the pitching. Rookie Tommy Hanson has 11 wins and a 2.98 ERA. Sophomore Jair Jurrjens has won 14 games and is carrying a 2.61 ERA. Javier Vazquez has already thrown two complete games this month and is riding a five-game win streak. Tim Hudson has recovered nicely from his injury. Sadly, Derek Lowe seems to be the worst of the bunch, but even he's got 15 wins. All five of these men will be worth remembering on draft day next year.


DockOfTheRays.com: Howell Shut Down For the Season
Rays correspondent Jason Collette analyzes J.P. Howell's departure from the 2009 season.

"It is definitely the right move because Howell has been worked like a rented mule since the start of the 2008 season and his results look more like Troy Percival of late than what we have come to expect from Howell."

Impact: J.P. Howell's season is officially over. However, he finished 2009 with some useful numbers. Howell had seven wins, 17 saves, a 79/33 K/BB rate and an ERA of 2.84. The eight blown saves are slightly disappointing, but then again, so has the Rays' season. Stay tuned to Collette's blog to find out Howell's role for next year.


SouthSideSwingers.com: Danks Recordfirst CG of Career in White Sox Win
Our White Sox correspondent, Kurt Unrue reviews the recent success of John Danks and Gordon Beckham.

"John Danks did something that he has never done in his three year professional career. He threw his first complete game in a 6-1 victory over the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field last night. In the victory, his 13th of the year, he gave up only one run on three hits, one walk and seven strikeouts. "

Impact: John Danks' complete game was a good sign after he was coming off two straight losses. Gordon Beckham is a guy to your fantasy playoff roster is he's available. He not only has third base and shortstop availability, but he's also hit safely in six out of the last seven games, totaling nine RBI.


PhillyPhanatic.com: Phillies Set for One Final Homestand
Our Phillies correspondent, Joe Burt, delivers his opinion on who the closer should be in the City of Brotherly Love.

"In the Phillies 6-5 victory against the Milwaukee Brewers Sunday, Ryan Madson collected a save without inducing a heart attack. There have been a few recent bullpen meltdowns, including Tyler Walker giving up a walk-off two run shot to Ryan Braun Saturday night. But on this night, Madson made his bid to be the Phillies closer for the duration of the season. Will Charlie Manuel think the same? "

Impact: Ryan Madson is clearly the best option at this point but, nothing is set in stone. Brad Lidge is still hanging around in the bullpen with his 0-8 record, 7.38 ERA and his two blown saves this month. Brett Myers', J.A. Happ's and Chan Ho Park's names have also been thrown into the mix.

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