Bottom 3: struck out swinging against Wilson

Bottom 5: struck out swinging against Wilson

Bottom 7: struck out swinging against Koji Uehara

Final Line: 0-for-4, 4 K

Notes: Jackson’s golden sombrero during Game 5 of the ALCS was his second of the 2011 season, and the first by any player this postseason.

He has been an interesting case this postseason, as Jim Leyland continues to use him as the leadoff hitter despite his propensity to strikeout. Thus far, he has recorded a multi-strikeout game in six of the Tigers’ 10 postseason games, and has fanned in 18 of his 46 plate appearances – a 39.1% rate. But despite his lack of overall contact, Jackson has still posted a .311 OBP this October thanks to a walk rate of 15.2%, which is well above his career rate of 7.7%.

After playing in 304 regular season games for Tigers over his first two seasons, Jackson has fanned at least twice in 102 games, or 33.6% of the games he’s played in. Normally such a whiff rate would discourage a manager from hitting such a player at the top of the order, but because he is the owner of a career .331 OBP and .369 BABIP, and also possesses 20+ stolen base potential, he has remained a fixture in the leadoff spot. However, due to his declining wRC+ (104 in 2010; 90 in 2011) and wOBA (.333 in 2010; .309 in 2011), perhaps Jackson would benefit from a drop in the batting order next season – or as I like to call it, the B.J. Upton treatment.

Total 2011 Golden Sombreros: 124

Total 2011 Postseason Golden Sombreros: 1

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Bottom 2: B.J. Upton called out on strikes against Josh Tomlin

Bottom 3: Upton called out on strikes against Tomlin

Bottom 6: Upton called out on strikes against Tomlin

Bottom 7: Upton struck out swinging against Chad Durbin

Final Line: 0-4, 4 K

Notes: Just as he did in his first golden sombrero on May 4, Upton went down looking in three of his four punch-outs.  Apparently he was the only one to struggle against Indians’ starter, Josh Tomlin, who struck out four on the day.  Similarly, the Rays only struck out six times as a team, with Upton leading the charge.  But hey, at least BUpton didn’t bump an umpire while contesting strike three.

Total 2011 Sombreros: 31

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Classic BUpton: walk-off HR on Tuesday, golden sombrero and an ejection on Wednesday

Bottom 2: B.J. Upton struck out swinging against Brandon Morrow

Bottom 4: Upton called out on strikes against Morrow

Bottom 6: Upton called out on strikes against Morrow

Bottom 9: Upton called out on strikes against Frank Francisco

Final Line: 0-4, 4K (three looking)

Notes: When will this guy finally put it together? His golden sombrero on Wednesday lowered his season average to .238 and his home average to .197.  After being called out on strikes in the 9th, Upton lost his cool, slamming his bat and helmet and possibly making contact with the umpire.

Total 2011 Sombreros: 17

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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 owner and score some fine product; the perfect opportunity to pry away some prime real estate at Target prices.

Unfortunately for this week, I have no new trades to report in the Denslow Cup.  I have been in negotiations on a couple deals involving some weight…Jose Bautista, Chipper Jones, Joey Votto, Yovani Gallardo, and C.C. Sabathia.  Not that these are all guys I will be talking about in this article, but I just love negotiating with other owners to find out how their opinions have changed on different guys and see if I can bring back a guy, or two, for under market value.

Speaking of negotiating, I can speak enough on how important it is to love the hunt as much as the kill.  In order to pull off successful trades, it requires many discussions and proposals with different owners in your league.  If your mind has  changed on guys you drafted, be sure that the same has happened all across the league.  Knowing how certain players on the fringe of bust or bounce-back years are being reevaluated is key to hitting pay dirt.  The following is a list of great Trade Bait.

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On Tuesday, rumors began to circulate regarding Justin Upton and the Arizona Diamondbacks willingness to hear offers for their right fielder.  Thus far, the teams that have expressed an interest in the 23-year old include the Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves, and as of a few minutes ago, the New York Yankees.  Prior to the start of the 2010 season, Upton — who, on The Golden Sombrero, is commonly referred to as JUpton — signed a 6-year/$50 mil deal with the Diamondbacks that will make him a free agent after the 2015 season.

In 2010, he posted a .799 OPS that included 27 doubles, 17 home runs and 69 RBI, while playing in 133 games.  There are very few players in all of baseball who possess the strength and bat control that Upton does, and I expect that nearly every team will inquire about his availability.  Here is a video of him taking batting practice during Spring Training in 2010: