Archive for the 'Baseball' Category

Dec 06 2009

Some Things About Fantasy Baseball Leagues

Published by Jacob Biggs under Baseball

Learning some things about Fantasy Baseball Leagues can be well worth doing. If it interests you at all, you owe it to yourself to learn how it works and get involved. Many people today are enjoying this fun way to enjoy the sport of baseball. You can either form a league, or join one that’s already going. A league consists of ten to twelve baseball teams. The number can rise to as many teams as 24. And the rules may cause you to limit your teams to the American or National leagues.

The first move is to choose yourself a team, and the next move is to start the team building. You have two separate options for building the team. You can choose to use the ‘draft’ system, or you can go by way of ‘auction’. The draft is done by rotation and picking players when your turn comes around. You make the decision at the beginning about whether or not to clean the slate after the season. Or you can opt for ‘protecting’, or keeping back, a certain number of players and carry them over to the next season.

When you take the auction route, you start with 260 credits for bidding. And for deciding the eligibility of a player, you go by the fact of whether he’s played at a certain position for 20 or more games last season. If he hasn’t, then you go with the position that he played the most at. It’s easy to catch on to the different

The scoring in fantasy baseball leagues is a pretty involved process. It’s based upon the statistics of the games. Home runs are counted, along with batting averages, runs batted in, stolen bases, wins, saves, run average, home runs, and finally the ‘WHIP’. The WHIP is a figure that’s derived from taking the Walks and dividing them by the Hits. The scores for all the categories get added up at the end of the season to determine the winner.

The rosters are another thing that stays about the same with all leagues. Nine pitchers and five outfielders. Then only one first baseman, one second baseman, one third baseman, a shorstop, a corner man, a middle infielder, and a player that’s miscellaneous. The miscellaneous player can be used in different ways by the two leagues. In the American League he’s used as a ‘designated hitter’. In the National League he’s a ‘utility man’.

The thing about fantasy baseball leagues is that there are so many different ways to play. There’s no way that’s chiseled in stone, and the many variations would take you a while to learn. But for many people, it’s a past time that they have a real passion for. There are places for playing and making money, if you feel you’re up to that caliber of player.

For newbies you can get draft guides and all kinds of help online. There are publications for sale that can assist you in learning the fine points and strategies to propel you into a competitive state in order to compete with seasoned players.

Fantasy baseball leagues are fun ways to enjoy the sport that so many Americans are so passionate about. There’s a lot to learn, but it doesn’t take long if you understand baseball. While there’s a lot more than you can find out in just this one article, there’s plenty of information to be had online if you search for it. Go ahead, take the plunge. You could be the next big winner!

Learn more about Fantasy Baseball Leagues. Stop by Jacob Biggs’s site where you can find out all about leagues and what it can do for you.

No responses yet

Jul 14 2010

Will The Detroit Tigers Continue To Roar In 2010

Published by Freddie Brister under Baseball

There are few people as shocked at the success that the Detroit Tigers are having as the Manager himself. Ask the Manager what he thinks about the success that the team is having, and he will be just as shocked as the rest of us are. This is because the Tigers looked like a lame team that would scrape by with a barely noticeable season in 2010, here we are before the All-Star Break and the team has life. This is a shock as there is no real explanation to the increased amount of talent. To see them play one might think they were promised to be moved if they had a winning season. The question that needs to be asked, is will this success continue into the rest of the season?

Halfway to a Championship

The Detroit Tigers are doing something that in recent years was new to them, winning. The first part of the season is almost complete and they are almost in first place in the division. This is a remarkable feat that they need to be happy with. Regardless of the rest of the season, there is the first half they can sit back and be proud of when it comes to their 2010 season. This is a far cry of the team that this time last season was looking to buy a win from their opponents. This as a result means that the Management for the team has finally got it right when getting them on the road to winning games.

Swing Batter, Batter Swing

For the past few years, the fans have all wondered, where is the hitting power? This question seems to be answered as this has been a powerful season for the Detroit tigers. There are more hits per at bat than in previous years combined, all of this hitting power, seems to have left the pitchers of opposing teams a little shocked as to where is all of the hitting power coming from? The bats are being lit up on a regular basis every time that they take the plate, there are several different reasons for this, and the most common is that the team is just that good in 2010.

Pitching the Basic to any Good Team

There are a few fans that are quick to point out that the pitching rotation is also a huge part of the success that the team has experienced in recent years. It is true that a good bull pen is a key part to any team being able to get batters struck out and save runs from being scored on them. The pitching rotation is stronger than it has been in recent years, which is a large part of the reason that the team has had the success that they have so far into the season. If this continues to be the case, there will be nothing but good things that come from it. If this is not the case, then the team will slip further down and will lose any chance.

The rest of the season will be one of two things, the best that the team has had in the last few years or another case of so much promise thrown down the drain, the jury is still out, but early indications show that this may be a good year for the team. Only time will be the true judge as to what will happen.

Freddie Brister is a huge fan of all sports and recommends checking out his Detroit Tigers blanket and Minnesota Vikings Bedding at his shop.


Related Blogs

No responses yet

May 26 2010

Phillies Break Bank To Sign Howard To Contract Extension

Published by Ross Everett under Baseball

Philadelphia Phillies’ slugger Ryan Howard has two years remaining on his current contract with the club, but the team had no interest in potentially losing him as a free agent. For that reason, the Phillies have worked out a hefty contract extension with Howard that will pay him an average $25 million a year for the next five years. The deal is the second richest in Major League baseball behind the New York Yankees’ shortstop Alex Rodriguez who pulls down a cool $27.5 million per season. The 30 year old Howard has played his entire career with the Phillies, leading the team to two consecutive World Series including a victory in 2008.

Howard spoke of his loyalty to the team as the main reason that he accepted the deal without hesitation:

“That wasn’t a very hard decision.”

“I tell you what, it’s a great feeling to have that security and know where you’re going to be. I feel what I’ve been doing over the last couple of years, I feel pretty confident that down the road, I’ll be right where I want to be and still doing the same things.”

He then threw in a playful jab at the notoriously hostile Philadelphia fans:

“Hopefully there’s no riots taking place back in Philly.”

Philadelphia’s GM Ruben Amaro, Jr. was also in a jovial mood in announcing the deal:

“As part of this deal, he has agreed to buy a second home for me.”

He then gave a more serious take:

“We just felt it was good timing for us. We felt No. 1, he’s one of the elite offensive players in the game. We could have waited another year and a half or so and dealt with it later on, but the fact of the matter is we decided he is that important to our organization and to our club and to our future.”

Howard’s agent Casey Close was also upbeat:

“This is a very good contract for him. The reason he felt the time was right was he loves his teammates, he loves the city. He wanted to be a part of something special for a long time to come.”

As was team manager Charlie Manuel:

“This is absolutely great. We signed Ryan Howard quite a few years ago and that means we’re keeping him. He’s one of our guys, he is a Phillie. It’s big for our team. That’s what you set out for. He’s very worthy of it. He is a great player and he is going to continue to be a great player for a while. Everything about it’s good.”

There is some risk involved for the ball club-despite a team option for the 2017 season they’re banking that Howard will remain a high level offensive player. The size of the contract, if nothing else, would make him almost impossible to trade. The Phillies have cooled off somewhat since a red hot start, but are still in first place in the National League East.

Ross Everett is a respected freelance writer experienced in travel, poker and sports handicapping. He is a staff handicapper for Anatta Sports where he is responsible for providing daily sports picks. In his spare time he enjoys fine dining, fencing and scuba diving. He lives in Southern Nevada with four dogs and a pet coyote.


Related Blogs

No responses yet

Apr 01 2010

Miami – A Successful Sports Team

Published by Freddie Brister under Baseball

The Miami Hurricanes has always represented the University of Miami in several baseball tournaments such as those hosted by the CWS and the NCCA. It is also a part of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The team is currently led by its coach, Jim Morris, which has been behind the Miami Hurricane’s success for the past seventeen years.

Already, they have won a number of championships and have had a constant amount of appearances in both the CWS and NCCA tournament. The head coach for the Hurricanes is Jim Morris, who has been coaching the team for a period of seventeen years.

All of their home games are played at the Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field. The park is bale to hold a total capacity of up to 5000 spectators and fans. The uniform colors that the Hurricanes wear are green, orange and white. There have been a large number of players that have gone to Major league after playing for the Miami Hurricanes. We are going to take a look at some of the most popular that are well known today.

Greg Vaughn was one of the players in the early years that made it to Major league. He was born on July 3rd, 1965. He made his debut for the Milwaukee Brewers on August 10th, 1989. He did change a number of teams during his career. Some of the other teams that he played for included the San Diego Padres, Cincinnati Reds, Tampa Bay Devil Rays and the Colorado Rockies. His last appearance was on July 10th, 2003 for the Rockies.

Because of this, players from the Miami Hurricanes have caught the attention of talent scouts for the major league baseball teams. Neal Heaton, Mike Pagliarulo, and Greg Vaughn are some of the homegrown Miami Hurricane players that made it big in major league baseball.

Another Miami Hurricanes player who successfully played in the major league was Mike Pagliarulo, born on March 15, 1960. His records were quite impressive. He holds a batting average record of 0.241 with 134 home runs, and an RBI of 505.

After initially playing for the New York Yankees starting July 7, 1984, he also played for other teams such as the San Diego Padres, Minnesota Twins, Baltimore Orioles, and Seibu Lions. The last team he became a part of was the Texas Rangers, and his last game was on October 1, 1995.

Pagliarulo had an impressive career record, which includes a batting average of 0.241 and 134 home runs, and an RBI of 505. Not to mention the different awards he has received during his career. His last team was the Texas Rangers and the last game he played in was on October 1st 1995.

Aside from this, he was also selected to be part of the All Star team for four times. He has also won numerous awards which included a silver slugger award and the National League comeback player of the year award. He received both of these awards in 1998. Aside from playing for the Milwaukee Brewers, he has also played for the San Diego Padres, Cincinnati Reds and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. His last game was with the Colorado Rockies and was held on July 10, 2003.

Freddie Brister is a big fan of College Baseball check out his: Auburn Swimsuit

One response so far

Apr 01 2010

Ohio State – The Buckeye’s

Published by Freddie Brister under Baseball

The baseball team for Ohio State University was known be the name of the Ohio State Buckeyes. The initial starting of the base ball program initiated in 1882. The home ground for the Ohio State Buckeyes was the Bill Davis Stadium. It has a capacity of being able to hold up to 5,500 spectators and fans. The uniform color for the Ohio State Buckeyes is Scarlet and Grey.

The Ohio State Buckeyes has been coached by hall of fame coach Bob Todd. He has been coaching the baseball team for the Ohio State Buckeyes for at least 20 years now and still going strong. Even though baseball was not that strong game, the Ohio State Buckeyes have made a significant amount of progress during their playing years.

For more than 20 years now, and counting, the team is blessed to be under the wing of Hall of Fame coach Bob Todd. He is responsible for making sure that the team steps up its performance after each game.

The Bill Davis Stadium has always been witness to the Ohio State Buckeyes’ home games. The stadium can hold a roaring crowd of up to 5,500 people. The team can easily be set apart from its rivals because of its distinctive colors, Scarlet and Grey.

After playing his debut game for the Oakland Athletics on September 3, 2004, he has already changed teams twice. He spent a year with the Chicago White Sox. He is currently playing for the New York Yankees as a first baseman and a right field, and is wearing shirt number 33. People are expecting a lot from Swisher for this season.

Steve Arlin is another player that deserves attention. Arlin was born on September 25, 1945. He has a pitching record of 34-67 and an earned run average of 4.33. His total strike outs amounted to 463.

His total amount of strike outs achieved was 463. He did change his team in the final year of his career where he moved to the Cleveland Indians. His final performance was on September 14th, 1974.

Another popular player that made it to major league in the early years was Frank Howard. He was born on August 8th, 1936. His debut game was for the Los Angeles Dodgers on September 10th, 1958. He did change to a number of different teams during his career.

The Ohio State Buckeyes definitely has a long way to go before bringing home the bacon. Nevertheless, the fact that it has produced top quality players along the way only goes to show that in time, this team can bring home the championship trophy and prove to everyone that they are the best in the baseball field.

Freddie Brister is a big fan of College Baseball check out his: Arizona Bikini

One response so far

Mar 31 2010

Nebraska’s Pride: the Lincoln Cornhuskers

Published by Freddie Brister under Baseball

The University of Nebraska had a base ball team known by the name of Lincoln Cornhuskers. They were members of both the national collegiate athletic association and the big 12 conference as well. The coach for the team who has been there for seven years running is Mike Anderson.

The Hawks Field as the Haymarket Park is where the action happens. All of the home games for the Lincoln Cornhuskers are held in this quiet place that can hold up to 8500 viewers that are looking for some real and live baseball action. Truly, the Lincoln Cornhuskers has brought pride to the University during each game that is filled with passion and enthusiasm.

The park is known to be able to hold a capacity of about 8,500 spectators and fans in total. The University of Nebraska has been popularly known for having some of the most well known players in major league.

Jamal Strong was born on August 5th, 1978. He was first drafted on September 2nd, 2003 for the Seattle Mariners and stayed with the same team as an outfielder until his final game on September 11th, 2005. Strong’s career was abruptly ended because of the numerous injuries he has acquired.

During his two-year career as an outfielder, he maintained a batting average of 0.277. Fans are still hoping that Strong will be able to recover from his injuries and to be back in the game for future seasons.

Stan Bahnsen is another homegrown player from the Lincoln Cornhuskers that has made it in the major league baseball tournaments. Bahnsen was born on December 15th, 1944. His 16-year major league career started when he was drafted for the New York Yankees on September 6th, 1966. His last game was for the Philadelphia Phillies and was held on October 2nd, 1982. In between, he played for several teams which included the Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics, Montreal Expos, and the California Angels.

Bahnsen was able to maintain a pitching record of 146 to 149. He also achieved a total of 1359 strike outs and his run average was 3.60. He received the Rookie of the Year Award in 1968 and has earned the name, the “perfect” pitcher.

Another player from the Lincoln Cornhuskers that is worth noting is Adam Stern, born on February 12th, 1980. He is popular for being a right handed thrower who bats left handed. He was initially drafted for the Boston Red Sox on July 7th, 2005.

Two years later, he transferred to the Baltimore Orioles. To date, he is now player number 63 for the Milwaukee Brewers. Although his batting average is 0.143, there is a lot more to expect from Stern in the coming seasons.

Freddie Brister is a big fan of College Baseball check out his: Texas Watch

One response so far

Mar 30 2010

Fantasy Baseball A Fun Side Activity

Published by Franklin Baggoio under Baseball

One of the best things to keep you busy during the sports seasons are those fantasy games that are out there. You can get into fantasy baseball, football, golf, and hockey and pay no money. There are also leagues where you pay money, but you can also win a lot if you come out on top. One thing is for sure you should research those picks before draft day.

When you start to think about playing any fantasy game you need to be ready to think, and research some. Picking a team can cause you to research through how players did the last few years, and look at any injuries they may have had. You just never know when someone will have an off year either. So there is a lot of guess work in the right players to pick for your fantasy baseball team too.

Drafts for fantasy teams can be done automatically or live. With a live draft, you need to make sure you have your picks ready to go. Plus be able to be at your computer when the draft takes place. This will allow you to be there and pick from your list who you want. Be ready to go below your top pick though. The draft is set up randomly, and you never know what position you will pull. Often times when it gets to be your turn, the player you want will have been picked.

Having several picks for the different positions is a must if you want to have a good draft. You never know who will have a great year though. So pick a few of the new players who are just coming up in the league too. Make a well rounded team that may have you winning your league and possibly money.

After the teams are picked you need to decide who will be your top line-up. Each week you will be able to change people too. But try and keep an eye on when games are played so you don’t end up having a team that is short a player or two. Having short players will have you at a disadvantage, earning less points for the week.

Or you have the other way of going, and just hoping that you get the picks that will come through. Set up the draft picks ahead of time through the page that you play at. When draft day comes around you will not even have to be at your computer. At times this way of picking a team can work out very well. One year in football a team that was picked for my league was amazing and I came out on top!

You just never know who can be on that free agent page, and a quick look may have you picking up a top performer. You cannot and will not get a team that has all the top names, there is no possible way. For one thing people will pick the top players quickly, and no one is going to stack your team for you and let you trade for those players.

Looking to find the single source of helpful information on fantasy baseball?

2 responses so far

Mar 29 2010

Penn State Nittany Lions

Published by Freddie Brister under Baseball

The colors blue and white represent the Penn State Nittany Lions, which is the official baseball team of the University of Pennsylvania. Even though the University participates in other Sports tournaments and is not that famous for baseball, there are still a lot of players from the Penn State Nittany Lions that are now considered as major league legends.

Baseball fans have surely heard the names Tom Lawless, Cliff Heathcote, and Ed Klepfer one way or the other. These players have one thing in common. They all started out with the Penn State Nittany Lions and have made a name in major league baseball.

Tom Lawless is a well-known infielder for the major league. He was born in Erie, Pennsylvania on December 19, 1956. He played first on July 15, 1982 for the Cincinnati Reds. Aside from the Reds, Lawless has also become a part of the Montreal Expos, the St. Louis Cardinals and the Toronto Blue Jays. His final happened on July 4, 1990 where he played for the Blue Jays.

This was on July 4th, 1990. During his career, he was popularly known for some of the most amazing statistics of baseball for his time. He had a batting average of 0.207 with 2 home runs. In those days, home runs were much more difficult to achieve. The total amounts of runs that he had achieved during his career was 24, all of which he batted in.

Cliff Heathcote was much older than Lawless, but his skills in baseball were definitely not outdated. Heathcote was born on January 24, 1898. He became popular in the major league as an outfielder. His batting average was 0.275 and had a total of 42 home runs. He had a total of 448 runs in which he has batted in. To top all of these, he had a total of 191 stolen bases which is an impressive record for his time.

Heathcote’s first major league game happened on June 4, 1918, where he played for the St. Louis Cardinals. He has also played for the Chicago Cubs for 4 years, for the Cincinnati Reds for 8 years, and for the Philadelphia Phillies for a year. His final game was for the Phillies and it happened on September 24, 1932. The legendary baseball player passed away on September 24, 1939, at age 41.

Aside from Lawless and Heathcote, another popular name in the major league is Ed Klepfer. Guess what? He also came from the Penn State Nittany Lions. The famous pitcher was born on March 17, 1888. His first game was on July 11, 1914 where he played for the New York Yankees. Klepfer has also graced other teams with his presence and his remarkable pitching skills. He has joined the Chicago White Sox and the Cleveland Indians before he retired from the major league.

Klepfer had an earned run average of 2.81, pitching record of 22-17, and a total strike out of 165. Given the period of time that Klepfer has played for the major league, his statistics were definitely remarkable and have benchmarked the performance of other pitchers that came after him.

The rich historical record of Penn State Nittany Lions only proves that the team and its players have made such an influence in major league baseball. Thus, with proper training and discipline, the Nittany Lions can rise to glory once more.

Freddie Brister is a big fan of College Baseball check out his: West Virginia Watch

No responses yet

Mar 28 2010

LSU Baseball Team – The Pride of Louisiana State University

Published by Freddie Brister under Baseball

The Louisiana State University is proud to be represented by the LSU Baseball Team in several competitions and tournaments. Since 1893, the LSU Baseball Team, or LSU, has represented the prestigious university in the NCCA Division I College Baseball League. Aside from this, LSU is also an active member of the West Division of the Southeastern Conference.

For years, the team has continued to gain one achievement after another. Some of the major achievements include 15 college world series and 6 national championships. The Alex Box Stadium has been a long time silent witness to the team’s prowess, since all of LSUs home games are held in this arena. The stadium can hold up to 9,200 people.

LSU does not only bring pride to the Louisiana State University by winning college baseball tournaments and games. The team has also produced a lot of players that have been successful and have created a name in major league baseball. Some players worth noting are Ryan Theriot, Brad Hawpe, and Mike Fontenot. All of them are former LSU players and are now significant contributors for various major league baseball teams.

There have been a large number of players that have made it to major league through LSU. One of the most famous names includes Ryan Theriot. Ryan was born on December 7th 1979. His first debut match was for the Chicago Cubs. He was drafted for the Cubs on September 13th, 2005 where he played his first game.

He wears the number two shirt for the Cubs and plays as a short stop. His current career statistics are quite remarkable. At the current moment in time, Ryan has a batting average of about 0.288 with 14 home runs. He has made 153 runs in total during his career. Seeing as he is slowly developing to his peak point, there are a lot of expectations for him during this season.

Another player worth noting is Brad Hawpe who was born on June 22nd 1979. On May 1st 2004, Hawpe was drafted for the Colorado Rockies and has stayed with the team ever since. He owns shirt number eleven and plays for the Rockies as a right fielder.

Aside from Theriot, Chicago Cubs also drafted Mike Fontenot a few months earlier specifically on April 13th 2005. Fontenot, born on June 9th 1980 wears shirt number seventeen and plays as the second baseman for the Chicago Cubs. Despite Fontenot’s quiet career since he played for the Cubs, he shows a lot of promise and could possibly be the next big name in major league baseball. Fontenot has 11 runs in which he has batted in, and maintains a batting average of 0.266 and a total of 21 home runs.

Another player drafted for the Chicago Cubs which also came from LSU is Mike Fontenot, who was born on June 9th 1980. His first game for the Cubs was on April 13th 2005. To date, he plays as the second baseman for the Cubs and wears shirt number seventeen.

Although Fontenot’s major league career is quite uneventful, his statistics are promising and he is a player to watch out for. He has a batting average of 0.266 and 21 home runs. He also has a total of 11 runs in which he batted in. In due time, Fontenot may be the next major league hit.

Freddie Brister is a big fan of College Baseball check out his: Oregon Watch

No responses yet

Mar 26 2010

Clemson – An All Out Sports Team

Published by Freddie Brister under Baseball

The Clemson University baseball team, apart from representing the university in the NCAA Division I college baseball is also said to participate in the Atlantic Coast Conference. While Jack Leggett is the present head coach, only two coach changes have been made since the beginning.

From the 1970′s, up until the 1990′s, Bill Winheim had been the coach of the Clemson baseball team and it was only in the year 2000 that coaches changed with Jack Leggett taking over. The Clemson home ground Stadium which can hold up to 6217 fans and spectators is known as the Doug Kingsmore Stadium and is said to host all the games played by the Clemson baseball team.

Having an average of 40 wins in the last 21 games, Clemson is renowned for winning games consistently and have had many of their players signing in for Major League once they leave the University. Their uniform colors are burnt orange and northwestern purple.

Some of the great names include Jeff Baker, Brian Barnes, Kris Neson, Jerry Brooks, Mike Brown and many more. Some names are more familiar than others which are why we are going to take a look at those that are more common in much greater detail.

Scott Winchester who was born on the 20th April 1973 was a right handed pitcher and was one of the first from the Clemson University to go major League by signing in for Cincinnati Reds and playing his first game on 8th Sept. 1977. When Scott retired on 9th August 2001, having played his last game for the Reds, his performance was not really reflected in his stats which red as a 3:8 win loss ratio, an earned run average of 5.42 and 55 strike outs.

Ken Vining Ken Vining, who played as a pitcher, was born on 5th December 1974 and was a popular player who made his first appearance in Major League on 23rd May 2001 playing for Chicago White Sox. On 5th July 2001 however, he made his final appearance for the White Sox.

With an earned run average of 17.55 and just 3 strike outs, Vining’s career statistics also did not show his real capabilities.

Matt White Matt White who was born on 19th August 1977 was a relief pitcher and made his debut appearance for the Boston Red Sox on 27th May 2003. Matt however, did not stop at playing for one team and was known to have played for the Seattle Mariners, Yokohama Bay Stars, Washington Nationals as well as the Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions.

Even though Matt was a good player in the field, his career statistics of a win loss ratio of 0:2, an earned run average of 16.76 and with just 3 strike outs, did not do justice to his capabilities on the field.

Freddie Brister is a big fan of College Baseball check out his: Rutgers Watch

No responses yet

Next »

Search

Easy AdSense by Unreal