Posts belonging to Category Major League Baseball

The Golden Sombrero presents MLB Look-alikes: Joe Maddon and Gene Hackman

Thanks to Phil for pointing this one out!

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 player is destined to continue down the same path as the previous year, or if his numbers for the next season are going to regress back toward the norm.  With that being said, let’s take a look at two guys that have left tons of fantasy players wondering, “was last year a fluke?”

He was Major League Baseball’s home run leader in 2010 despite never previously hitting more than 16 home runs in a single season.  He touched up baseballs with the ferocity of an early Mike Tyson.  His name is Jose Bautista and is the most obvious choice for this article.

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#32 Yonder Alonso – Cincinnati Reds

1B/LF

DOB: 4-8-87

ETA: 2011

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• Delino DeShields, Jr. was charged with a DUI last week after he was stopped by police in Georgia.  The 18-year old center fielder was the Houston Astros’ first-round pick – eighth overall – in the 2010 draft, and is the son former Major Leaguer, Delino DeShields (a name that is an essential for the baseball name game).  Somewhere Matt Bush is laughing his ass off right now…

• The Kansas City Royals announced that they will move their prized catching prospect, Wil Myers, to the outfield.  Regarded as one of the top prospects in all of baseball – and a pre-season candidate for Minor League Player of the Year – Myers bat can play at any position.  As we all know, catching can be lead to any number of injuries.  Therefore the Royals decision is an investment in the 21-year old Myers, and more than likely means that his arrival in the Big Leagues will come sooner than expected.

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• Splashing Pumpkins takes a look back at some of the more notable home runs hit by the San Francisco Giants in 2010 thanks to information provided by Hit Tracker.  With sluggers like Pat Burrell, Aubrey Huff, and Pablo Sandoval, you will never guess who owns the year’s biggest bomb…

• These days I feel like most of us have forgotten how good Grady Sizemore was from 2005-2008.  Over those four seasons, Sizemore appeared in three All-Star games while playing in 639 of 748 possible games for the Cleveland Indians.  But after several injuries – the most recent being a microfracture in his knee – Sizemore has only played in 139 games over the last two seasons.  Now in the last year of his contract, Craig Calcaterra speculates whether the Indians will pick up his $8 million option for 2012.

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