Griffin Phelps

Tweet I originally planned on writing a review of my time spent at the ABCA (American baseball Coaches Association) national convention in Anaheim.  However, every time I began to think about the idea I grew more and more tired with it.  Finally, I realized that if I were already tired of the subject, then how [...]

Tweet I guess the best place to start is here- from my seat on this here train.  It’s five ‘til 8 and we are on the Amtrak from Gallup, New Mexico and won’t exit this beast until we hit Fullerton, California.  What do five coaches, a 12-hour overnight train ride, four and a half days [...]

Tweet     Welcome to the big leagues Jeff Luhnow.  A mere six days into his inaugural tenure as a general manager of a Major League franchise Mr. Luhnow has already completed his first trade.  As a fan I’m stoked.  Sure, it might have cost us a cheap and controlled closer, but who cares when [...]

Tweet With the Fall Classic kicking off tonight, I felt compelled to make my predictions for this exciting World Series. Let me start off by saying that I am rooting for Texas. For starters, as an Astros diehard I would not be able to look myself in the mirror if I rooted for those bastards [...]

Tweet   –  I am finally sold on Ian Kennedy.  Dude has won more games this year than he has in his entire big league career.  And after watching him strike out six in a row in the 7th and 8th innings last night, I just can’t ignore the impression it left upon me.  He [...]

Tweet –  What a weekend for baseball.  The Rays were able to pull within 2 games of the Red Sox and the AL Wild Card spot. The best play of this series was started by David Price’s chest, though. –  Justin Verlander is a beast.  12 consecutive starts, and 12 consecutive wins.  Not to mention [...]

Tweet –  Who does Shelley Duncan think he is?  He must think he is the man he makes sure all bad things happen in 3’s.  Bad joke…maybe.  But bad defensive outfielder…not last night. –  Why in the world was Clayton Kershaw ejected for that pitch the other night?  And I better not hear the argument [...]

Tweet –  Congrats to Tim Wakefield on his 200th win.  Dude is 45 (2nd oldest pitcher to ever record 200 wins btw) and throws a flippin’ knuckleball.  That tells you a lot about the guy. –  Was J.P. Howell actually crying in the dugout after giving up that dinger to Matt Weiters?  I wonder what [...]

Tweet –  How bout those Rays?  Can they really pull the rabbit out of the hat and clench a playoff berth?  I mentioned this earlier as a joke, but the Tampa Bay Rays are about to pull a Houdini. –  But which is more impressive- The Rays surge, or the Boston Red Sox collapse? – [...]

Tweet     –  Nyjer Morgan is exciting.  His defensive prowess in the outfield is absolutely fun to watch.  He brings a competitive nature to the game that should be lost on no man.  However, with that said, I wish Albert Pujols would have continued past the mound and cold-clocked Morgan right in his jaw [...]

Tweet –  As a former student of the University of Nevada, I saw my fair share of drugged out women of the night.  Watching CJ Wilson last night brought back memories.  His cutter and curve were as nasty as the workers of Reno’s 4th street corners. –  Speaking of the Rangers, who put firecrackers inside [...]

Tweet I hope everyone enjoyed his or her holiday weekend as much as I did.  Lots of exciting things happening over Labor Day weekend, so let’s jump right in. – I finally caved and joined Twitter.  Follow me @sp_flips to get up to date info and nonsense. – So much for having a bunch of [...]

Tweet -       Stephen Strasburg’s final rehab start has come and gone.  He again looked supreme in comparison to the hitters he faced.  He even appears to have more of a mental edge after recovering from Tommy John.  Watching the way he carried himself, and the mound presence he exuded, gave me goose bumps.  MLB hitters [...]

Tweet -       Another Yankees vs. Red Sox series got underway last night…yawn.  At least there was a little bit of tension after Francisco Cervelli’s (weak) celebration of his own homerun.  But other than that, what is the point of so many meaningless games for these two teams down the stretch Bud Selig? -       How cool [...]

Tweet -       What a night for southpaws last night.  As predicted here yesterday, Wandy Rodriguez was masterful.  He struck out a career high 13 through seven-innings.  I’m glad the Astros kept him around, as he could be a solid No. 2 for years to come. -       Did Cole Hamels forget that this was his first [...]

Tweet -       Sure, the Yankees are one of, if not the most storied franchise in baseball.  They have a history of being larger than life, no doubt.  However, do they really believe that they are in a position to complain about rescheduling a couple games due to a freaking hurricane?  Forget being happy about the [...]

Tweet While flipping through the channels last night around 10:30 PM, I came across one of the all-time classic baseball movies…The Sandlot.  For me, and hopefully anyone with a soul and an ounce of love for baseball, this movie is a go-to.  No matter what is happening, or what else is on the boob tube, [...]

Tweet -       I am glad to see Jim Thome waive his no trade clause and return to Cleveland.  He is the anti-LeBron for that city, not to mention they could really use his bat to make a final push at the playoffs. -       Talk about a grand showing by the Yankees last night.  Did anyone [...]

Tweet -       I guess it is a good thing that Rangers catcher, Mike Napoli, doesn’t play wide receiver.  Big Papi didn’t even look like he was planning on barreling over Napoli, yet the catcher still heard footsteps and lost the handle on what should have been an easy out at the plate.  And he’s a [...]

Tweet Apologies for those of you looking for this article yesterday.  At the middle school where I teach we had to teach the new 6th graders how to use and open their lockers, as well as distribute laptops to each individual student.  If that sounds like sitting in hell with a puffy coat on, it’s [...]

Tweet Lefty pitchers are baseball’s equivalent of kickers in the NFL.  They are just a little bit different.  However, because we lefties are such a minority in the realm of baseball, it allows us to provide the rest of you with a unique perspective on the game.  Since I have this special ability to provide [...]

Tweet Having not written anything recently, I feel completely lost as I try to put together something for Sombrero Nation.  I checked the files on both my work computer and home computer, and found out that I have eight different blog posts started, just waiting for me to finish them.  For whatever reason, I just [...]

Tweet This year’s Cardinals took the field Friday night following a day of pictures, opening ceremonies, and a parade.  The first Friday of the CMWS is a grind, and unprepared teams who happen to draw a Friday evening game always get trounced for not managing the day properly.  The host team has no excuse for [...]

Tweet Each season I always manage to make at least one deal where I move a large amount of players, vastly altering the look of my team.  As I have mentioned before, trading players, and acting like a GM, is one of my favorite parts of fantasy baseball.  Thus, it is logical to see that [...]

Tweet It has been announced that Drayton McLane and Jim Crane have reached an agreement on the purchase of the (my) Houston Astros.  This sale brings closure to the end of an era that has seen the Astros reach the World Series, and then become the laughing stock of all MLB organizations. (Except maybe Pittsburgh…maybe.)  [...]

Tweet It is that time of the year for owners to come to grips with the reality of their team.  Your guys have either performed at or above the level you expected when drafting them, or have fallen short of reaching your expectations.  But even if you might have flopped on draft day, chances are [...]

Tweet Wow, what a week.  We had two no-hitters and a few pitchers come up just short of a no-hitter.  We also saw a couple streaks come to an end.  Unfortunately, Andre Ethier was not able to record a hit for a 31st consecutive game, and Joey Votto’s streak of reaching base safely ended at [...]

Tweet Another week and another healthy helping of goodness, baseball is well under way with what can finally be considered a “worth-while” sample size.  By now, you have had enough time to watch baseball games, dissect saber-stats, and formulate a nice feel for your team and league.  It is the primetime to find an unsatisfied [...]

Tweet Playing fantasy baseball is fashionable for many reasons.  It appeals to not only rad people, such as myself, but also has qualities that attract the nerdiest guy you know from your AP stats class back in high school.  People love the stats, and people love trying to predict the future.  If they didn’t, then [...]

Tweet After reading Dee’s write-up of his draft picks, I would like to add my own review of the Denslow Cup 2011 draft.  Before we get into my picks and reasoning, let me tell you this: the league is filled with nerds, and playing in an OBP league drastically changes the way our draft goes [...]

Tweet National League West Division 1.     San Francisco Giants 2.     Colorado Rockies 3.     Los Angeles Dodgers 4.     Arizona Diamondbacks 5.     San Diego Padres Central Division 1.     Milwaukee Brewers 2.     Cincinnati Reds 3.     St. Louis Cardinals 4.     Chicago Cubs 5.     Pittsburgh Pirates 6.     Houston Astros (tear drop) East Division 1.     Atlanta Braves 2.     Philadelphia Phillies 3.     [...]

Tweet Mark Twain is responsible for popularizing the Sir Charles Wentworth Dilke quote, “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.”  As someone who bases many of his opinions on statistics, I could not agree more.  I could take any player, along with any different combination of stats, and come up with [...]

Tweet Last night, on ESPN Radio’s Brian Kenny Show, Brian Kenny posed the following question to Jayson Stark: “Is Albert Pujols hitting the market good for baseball?”  Stark, being the baseball purist that he is, was a bit befuddled by the question until ultimately saying yes.  I tried to wrap my mind around all of [...]

Tweet Everyone has a vice.  If you’re like me, you have multiple vices.  My favorite vice, fantasy baseball, is right around the corner, so I just couldn’t help but look for some interesting angle to write on in January.  Analysis of off-season moves are done by, well everyone.  Rankings and season previews are more of [...]

Tweet Everyone has a vice.  If you’re like me, you have multiple vices.  My favorite vice, fantasy baseball, is right around the corner, so I just couldn’t help but look for some interesting angle to write on in January.  Analysis of off-season moves are done by, well everyone.  Rankings and season previews are more of [...]

Tweet Yesterday I took a look at Jose Bautista and whether his 2010 season was a fluke. Now, let’s move over to the NL and take a look at a guy that many are hoping regains his 2009 form, and forgets about his pathetic 2010 campaign (especially myself considering that I drafted him last year).  [...]

Tweet Merriam-Webster defines a fluke as a stroke of luck. As a self-proclaimed fantasy nerd, I am always on the lookout for guys who I think might have had a fluky season.  It does not matter to me if the season in question was a positive or negative; I just want to know if a [...]

Tweet So much for it “being in the bag,” I guess.  As some of my readers may know (although most of you may not), I am a lifelong Houston Astros fan.  The first piece of sports memorabilia I ever had as a young child was a Colt .45’s jersey.  Having been born and raised in [...]

Tweet After hearing about Cliff Lee duping the entire world, forgoing destinations like Texas and New York and returning back to Philadelphia, I can’t help but find the similarities between this free agent signing and Lebron James.  I’m not trying to say that Lee pulled something like “The Decision.”  I am trying to say that [...]

Tweet In the game of baseball it is common place to hear somebody talking about “playing the game the right way.”  The right way means a few things.  It means not taking a single pitch off.  It means conducting yourself like a professional.  It means that as a player, you are willing to sacrifice your [...]

Tweet How you doin Sombrero Nation?  I know I have not posted in a while and I apologize for that.  I have been busy handling my coaching duties for the Farmington Cardinals, your 2010 FABC representative Host team in the 2010 Connie Mack World Series.  I say that with pride.  The Cardinals were the winner [...]

Tweet In the latest installment of the SombreroCast, Griff and Dee reflect on a recent Farmington Cardinals game, discuss hitting philosophies, talk about some players and player development and touch on ideas regarding coaching theory. Click here to listen to Part I Click here to listen to Part II Related Posts Audio from Thursday’s appearance [...]

Tweet Griff and Dee weigh in on Farmington High School players selected in the MLB Draft, the North/South series and Stephen Strasburg. Click here to listen to the podcast Related Posts Audio from Thursday’s appearance on B-Squared Show Guest appearance on B-Squared radio show, Thurs at 10:30am cst

Tweet “Hell, If I’d known 40-40 was going to be a big deal, I’d have done it every year!”- Mickey Mantle “40/40 club/ESPN on the seats” This is exclusivity at it’s best.  Fellow blogger Brett (aka my lil brother) wrote a piece on baseball’s influence over hip-hop music.  I felt that out of tribute, I [...]

Tweet First off, let me apologize for my delay in releasing any new pieces for all the people of Sombrero Nation.  This last month has been quite a ride.  First there was the state tournament (in which the Scorps lost their semi-final game in heartbreaking fashion), then I had to finish up my first year, [...]

Tweet As many of you may know, a colossus of baseball has retired recently.  It was a first for me.  It was the first time in my life that I had witnessed the retirement of not only my all-time favorite baseball player, but my boyhood idol.  Griffey did more for me than most fans.  He [...]

Tweet June 3, 2010 June 1st is a big date in the Fantasy Baseball World.  As TMR alluded to in his article on ESPN.com earlier, it marks the opening of trade season.  It is also about the time that you begin to have substantial enough data sets to start forming a solid opinion as to [...]

Tweet April 25, 2010 My first full season as a high school baseball coach has finally come to an end.  For the grand finale, we were able to hook the C-teamers up with a dream come true…playing at Ricketts Park.  They got the whole deal, including pre-game batting practice on the field.  Watching the grins [...]

Tweet April 22, 2010 Late one evening, my assistant coach-for both my high school C-Team and my summer league Connie Mack team-his girlfriend, my girlfriend and I were entertaining ourselves with some rather deep conversation about teaching techniques.  By around 12:15 a.m. an epiphany had found its way through to my brain.  We all began [...]

Tweet April 12, 2010 As an avid, lifelong, true Astros fan, I have experienced bliss as well as turmoil.  It was only 5 years ago that the ‘Stros found themselves in the World Series.  Yet there is now a putrid taste in my mouth when I think of my beloved big league club.  How could [...]

Tweet April 12, 2010 Plan the work, work the plan.  This is a mantra that I heard over and over again while pitching for the University of Arizona.  Thanks Coach Lopez.  It might be one of the best pieces of advice I have ever heard.  It transcends the baseball field and carries over in to [...]

Tweet April 6, 2010 NL East: Philly, Atlanta, Florida, New York, Washington NL Central: St. Louis, Milwaukee, Houston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh NL West: Colorado, Los Angeles, Arizona, San Francisco, San Diego NL Wild Card: Atlanta NL Pennant: Colorado NL MVP: Troy “Too Legit” Tulowitzki NL Cy Young: Ricky Nolasco NL ROY: Jason Heyward AL East: [...]

Tweet April 6, 2010 Working the waiver wire; who wants to worry about that?  Not many people work the waiver wire correctly.  Too often I hear people talking about, “Oh I don’t need to worry about that.  My guys are doing just fine.”  Or, “Who could there possibly be that is better than anyone I [...]