More Lester

It took Red Sox starter John Lester 105 pitches to shutout the Yankees in a five-hitter. Lester struck out eight Yanks, lowering his ERA to 3.21 in a 7-0 victory. He's now 7-3 on the year.

Fantasy Impact: Lester looks like he's growing into an ace, but he's got a ways to go to earn that title in fantasy ball. Lester gave up six runs the last time he pitched. He's a work in progress, but still a really good one.

The unlikeliest star

Tigers outfielder Marcus Thames didn't own a starting spot in the Detroit Tigers lineup when the year got started. Now the Detroit Free Press is considering him a potential candidate for the All-Star game. Don't laugh, their theory is plausible. The Tigers don't have anyone with a clear-cut better first half of the season except for Magglio Ordonez, and he's injured.

Somehow, I don't see this happening, but it's an interesting consideration.

The case for Paul Konerko

For all of the offensive problems Dewayne Wise and Brian Anderson have experienced over their Major League careers, they're forcing the White Sox into a difficult decision once Paul Konerko returns next week.

Konerko, who's been out with an oblique problem, is hitting just .215. Anderson's modest .232 is about his low point for the season, but much better than his .118 mark in 2007. Wise is a career .210 hitter in just over a half season of Major League work, but he's entered Thursday over .300. Konerko's numbers are the worst of the bunch right now, and Anderson is the best defensive player in the group. While he and Wise play center, not first (Konerko's spot), starting centerfielder Nick Swisher moved over to first while Konerko rested. The Sox could leave Swisher there and platoon the centerfielders, meaning Konerko would be out of a starting spot.

Fantasy Impact: Swisher is the only player guaranteed to contribute regular at bats, but it would be surprising to see Konerko dropped out of the lineup right away. His track record is nothing short of very good, and the Sox are more likely to throw him in the fray to see if he can sink or swim before they make a move. Konerko will be expeted to pull out of the funk, and if he can't, Anderson and Wise will become no better than part-timers, not exactly attractive to fantasy owners.

MLB gloss coming off?

This article from Forbes would seem to stand opposite to everything ever uttered by Bud Selig regarding the popularity of baseball today.

Selig always talks about this being the golden era of baseball. Just one month ago he was at it again:

"Today is the golden era of baseball," Selig said. "The game today is more popular than it has ever been in its long and distinguished history."

That may, in fact, be true depending on what set of statistics you look at. But if fewer fans are going games, even for economic reasons, that means baseball is slightly out of touch with what fans are looking for. That's makes any boom period slightly less shiny, even if it is still fairly golden.

DNA matches Clemens

The piling on continues for Roger Clemens. Apparently the DNA matches the paraphernalia Brian McNamee submitted to federal agents. Here's the latest from MLB.com.

Here's wondering whether or not Clemens will deflect the latest information by saying McNamee planted the evidence. This story just won't go away.

A rant on All-Star voting

All-Star voting is over, and for two reasons I did not participate this year.

First, I don't think fans should have the opportunity to pick the All-Star teams, and this first reason comes via two reasons that support that reason: A) The All-Star game decides home-field advantage in the postseason, so the best teams should be on the field - not the teams fans want to see. B) The All-Star game is not "The Most Popular" game, meaning players who have proven themselves with their play over the first-half of the season should get the chance to play. They shouldn't play because they are liked. They should play because they've starred on the field.

Second, the opportunity to vote for months prior to the close date and up to 25 times on the MLB site is just insanity. Anyone can rig that system, and if you're the fan of lets say the Cubs or the Red Sox, what's stopping you from piling up the other league's ballot box with scrubs? A weaker N.L. lineup might get the Red Sox home-field in the World Series this year. Cubs fans should be doing whatever it takes to get that opportunity. What's stopping them?

Fans need to realize that this isn't an election - there's no free speech in the selection of an All-Star team. They should ask baseball to do the right thing and change the way All-Star teams are selected. The best players need to be on the field. That's especially true when the game means something. Then again, the game was never intended to decide home-field in the first place, so maybe the argument should start with eradicating the problem, not the symptoms of that problem.

Buck on sports broadcasting

Awful Announcing is upset with Joe Buck (what's new), but to listen to Buck's lament about the time it takes to follow sports is somewhat disappointing. He says sports are no longer as "special or unique" as they once were because of the overwhelming access these days. He'd rather watch the primetime reality stuff on network TV.

The access these days is what makes is easier to follow sports, Joe, not more difficult. As someone who has broadcast games and sports shows, I can understand how overwhelming all of the preparation can be - but that preparation gives you the opportunity to do what no one else does. You're there, you have the access, you have the opportunity to reach people.

I don't think Buck is a bad guy necessarily, nor is he out of his mind to complain about his job (who doesn't). I don't, however, think he's a very good sportscaster on many, many levels. Maybe this explains it.

Cleveland needs to sell

It's time for the Cleveland Indians to sell. Another extra-inning heartbreaking loss to the White Sox leaves them 12.5 games out of first with four teams to catch in the A.L Central. With ten teams ahead of them for a Wild Card berth and just 28 days from now until the trade deadline, expect offers to fly in for high-priced stars like C.C. Sabathia. The big lefty actually started Wednesday's loss, a 6-5 no-decision that A.J. Pierzynski put to bed with his 10th-inning solo home run. It was Pierzynski's second home run of the night.

Rays of hope

The Tampa Bay Rays swept the Red Sox with three hard-fought wins, giving themselves a very possible shot at not only first place in the A.L. East at the All-Star break, but also a chance for the best record in baseball in the first half of the season. The Rays own one fourth-place finish and nine fifth-place finish in their 10-year history. Since the Rays inception only one team, the 2006 Blue Jays, has cracked the Yankees/Red Sox 1st-2nd lock at the top of the division. Toronto missed the post season that year, but if Tampa plays .500 ball the rest of the way, they're almost guaranteed to make the playoffs.

Nothing magical about Madrigal

Warner Madrigal's Major League debut for Texas is about as scary as they come. The first time out he blows a save in spectacular fashion, giving up six runs on five hits while only retiring one Yankee. He came in with the lead, left with a certain loss and his ERA is 162.00 -- as New York put it on Texas 18-7.

Kuroda returns

The Dodgers Hiroki Kuroda made a solid impression in his first game back from the disabled list. Kuroda pitched seven innings, giving up just five hits and no runs in a 4-1 win over Houston.

Fantasy Impact: Kuroda was on the DL for just under a month with shoulder tendinitis. He was mixing in good and bad starts leading up to the injury, and now with clearance to pitch again, expect a few more good outings. If the shoulder is healthy, he's a good fifth starter or better on a fantasy roster.

60 saves

The Angels' Francisco Rodriguez is well on his way to breaking the single-season saves record. Wednesday he closed out number 34 on the year, going one inning and striking out a batter to preserve a 7-4 win over Oakland. K-Rod is just 23 shy of Bobby Thigpen's 57, and we've not yet reached the All-Star break.

Fantasy Impact: K-Rod is pitching as well as he ever has, despite the fact that he is striking out less than a batter per inning for the first time in his career. At this point 60 saves seems a possiblity.

Bruce bruises Pirates pitching

Jay Bruce homered twice tonight for the Reds. Bruce hit the first in the bottom of the first in a response to the four runs Pittsburgh scored in the top half of the inning. Bruce then hit a three-run homer in the third, giving Cincinnati a brief 5-4 lead in a game they eventually lost, 9-5.

Fantasy Impact: Bruce is busting out of his power slump. His last home run before tonight's dual blasts came on June 13th. He's now up to six homers this season to go along with a .292 average. Bruce has been hailed the next Larry Walker. You should drool over that, but it might not be fair to compare just yet. He's a rookie, so expect more slumps like the one he just jumped out of.

Thompson hit hard

Reds rookie Daryl Thompson struggled in his second Major League start, and he really struggled tonight. Thompson worked just 4.1 innings, giving up seven runs on eight hits in a 9-5 loss to the Pirates. Thompson yielded four runs in the first, then settled down the rest of the way. He did cough up two solo shots to Xavier Nady in the third and the fifth.

Fantasy Impact: Thompson is just another one of those Reds rookie starters who has to take a few lumps on his way to serviceable MLB pitcher. It might take a while, but he's got a ton of upside.

Thanks to Danks

The White Sox can thank starter John Danks for their dramatic 3-2 win over Cleveland Tuesday. Danks matched Cleveland ace Cliff Lee pitch-for-pitch, going eight innings, striking out eight, while giving up just one run. With their teams deadlocked after eight, things were turned over to the bullpens, which, in turn, gave up three runs in the ninth inning. The Sox win the game, 3-2 on an RBI base hit by Orlando Cabrera in the 10th after Alexei Ramirez's game-tying home run.

Fantasy Impact: Danks is making the South Siders forget the guy they traded for him. Brandon McCarthy was dealt to Texas for Danks and two other prospects just before Christmas, 2006. McCarthy is hurt this year. He hasn't pitched. Danks has pitched brilliantly. His ERA is down to 2.50, and he deserves better than his so-so total of five wins.

Cain can pitch

Giants starter Matt Cain turned in his best performance of 2008 against the Cubs Tuesday, striking out 10 while yielding just one run over eight innings. He wins his 5th game, 2-1.

Fantasy Impact: This is Cain's second double-digit strikeout game of the year, of which he only had one all of last season. Cain held opponents to one run or less eleven times in 2007, but many of them came early in the year. With this victory, Cain's picked up his fifth start of holding an opponent to one run or less -- which has to make you wonder if he's saved something special for the second half. His ERA is down to 4.13 as it was 6.64 back on April 18th.

Cubs still chasing C.C.

Speaking on WSCR radio in Chicago this afternoon, baseball analyst and White Sox broadcaster Steve Stone said the Chicago Cubs were still in the hunt for C.C. Sabathia. Stone believes the Cubs have the right combination of "Major League ready" talent and prospects to land the Indians ace should Cleveland consider itself unlikely to compete for the postseason.

Some of the "MLB ready" players who came up in the discussion were pitcher Sean Gallagher and infielder Ronny Cedeno. Stone mentioned prospects Donny Veal, Tyler Colvin and Jeff Samardzija as trade possiblities.

Stone also mentioned the A's Rich Harden and the Blue Jays' A.J. Burnett as players the Cubs could go after.

Lance - a lot of production

Lance Berkman hit his 22nd home run, knocked in his 68th RBI and scored twice as the Astros beat the Dodgers, 4-1. Berkman's average is up to .365.

Fantasy Impact: Anyone who thought Berkman would cool down by now is dead wrong. The Astros' first baseman is cooking. Last year at this time he was hitting just .263, which scared off some fantasy owners in this year's draft. Berkman, however, is a career .304 hitter with 281 home runs. If you jumped on him in an early round he's rewarding you now.

Mr. Smith goes to Anaheim

The A's Greg Smith dominated the Angels in Anaheim, going for his first complete game in a 6-1 win. Smith improves to 5-6 on the year, giving up just a run on four hits. The Angels 3-4-5 slots, filled with Vlad Guerrero, Torii Hunter and Howie Kendrick, combined to go 0-12.

Fantasy Impact: A great rebound outing for the rookie left-hander who lost 4-0 to Philadelphia the last time out. Smith's ERA drops to 3.44, and he could be in the running for A.L. Rookie of the Year.

Hawpe's hot

The Rockies' Brad Hawpe finished up a torrid June with his eigth home run in Colorado's 15-8 loss to San Diego. Hawpe's season average is up to .260 after hitting well over .300 for the month. He batted just .218 in May and spent time on the disabled list.

Fantasy Impact: I heard somebody call Hawpe the left-handed Manny Ramirez in the offseason. Not quite, but he's pretty good when he's going well. It looks like he's solved what was keeping him from hitting the ball with authority. He's a good number two outfielder.