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A View of the Diamond

FantasyFanatics.com

March 11, 2008

    Before we all ignore Ivan Rodriguez in our fantasy drafts, perhaps it's time we give him a chance to redeem himself for a poor 2007. Batting leadoff for a stacked Tigers lineup on Monday, the 36-year old backstop hit his third homerun of the spring.

    Once the best fantasy catcher in the American League, Rodriguez has hit a dry spell in recent seasons as his power has all, but evaporated, while his speed is barely above the average catcher. Last year, Pudge hit just 11 homeruns for a .281 average. His runs sunk to just 50, while his RBI took a hit down to 63. Indeed, there are some questions as to why Pudge batted leadoff on Monday, considering he drew all of 9 walks a season ago.

    While Pudge is certainly not the same masked marvel we admired in years passed, he has earned the respect of fantasy managers to avoid going undrafted. After all, he still compares well to a Paul Lo Duca, and is still a part of a stacked lineup. Maybe we should expect one last hurrah from the likely Hall of Fame player.

    Pedro Feliz is sneaking under the radar. The Phillies newly acquired third baseman is making noise in the solid lineup, as he blasted his second homerun of the spring. There are two positives to being a part of that lineup. Firstly, there should always be runners on base. Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, and Jimmy Rollins are all MVP candidates, and will load up the bases aplenty. Next, you have to like the new ballpark that Feliz will call home. Citizens Bank Park is a juice box for homerun hitters, and Feliz certainly qualifies.

    In a less than stellar lineup the last couple of years, Feliz has smashed 20 or more homeruns in four straight seasons, and has averaged close to 85 RBIs. Feliz is a bit one-dimensional, in that he rarely steals bases, and does not hit for average or draw walks. Regardless, if you're looking for a third baseman who can approach 30 homeruns, look no further than here.

    Looking for a blast from the past, look no further than in Los Angeles. The Dodgers are giving Chan Ho Park a look and he has impressed, most recently tossing three perfect innings against the Orioles.

    Park has yet to allow a run all season, and is looking as though he might lock up a spot in the Dodgers rotation. Of course, this wouldn't be the first time that Park has succeeded in Los Angeles. He had a 5-year run in which he won at least 13 games each season. He topped out by going 18-10 with 217 K's in 2000. Two years later, he bolted Los Angeles for a big payday with the Rangers, and health woes derailed his career.

    Last season, Park attempted a comeback with the Mets, but the second he went out on a Major League diamond he got blasted for 7 runs in 4 innings. At just 34 years old, it is not conceivable that Park has something left in the tank. Apparently the Dodgers are interested enough to find out.

    World Series preview? The Mets and Red Sox engaged in a sensational pitching duel that ended even at 1 all. The Mets were led by staff ace Johan Santana. The major off-season acquisition tossed 4 stellar innings striking out 4, while allowing just 2 hits and no walks. However, his four shutout innings were matched by, Jonathon Lester, a pitcher he was originally rumored to be traded for. Lester struck out 5 in his four innings of work, walking one batter, while surrendering two hits. Both teams are expected to contend for a World Series, and for a day, their pitching certainly answered the call.

    In his return to the diamond from back surgery, Randy Johnson did not perform well. The 44-year allowed 3 runs on four hits in less than two innings of work. The good news was that Johnson claimed to be pain-free, but there are clearly other issues that have to be resolved.

    Last season, Johnson did offer some promise in his ten starts before injury set in. In 56.2 innings of work, he struck out a staggering 72 hitters, and walked just 13. The opposition hit just .245 off of him, leading to a fine 1.15 WHIP and respectable 3.81 ERA.

    Johnson is certainly a Hall of Fame pitcher and just 16 wins shy of 300. As long as health doesn't deter him, Johnson could be good for 12-14 wins this season. Best of all, with Danny Haren joining Brandon Webb, the expectations will be minimal for one of the most dominant pitchers of his generation. In his first 4 years with the Diamondbacks, Johnson's ERA never crept over 2.64, and he never won fewer than 17 games.