Tom:  It’s that time of year again, Matt.  It’s time for us to get ready for another exciting All-Star game!  In fact, there is a ton of buzz surrounding this game, because it’s going to be the last All-Star game played in Yankee Stadium.  Of course, when I think of the All-Star game, the most immediate memory that comes to mind is the 1989 game, when Bo Jackson and Wade Boggs led off the game with back-to-back HRs.  That of course proved that Bo Jackson could, in fact, do “everything.”  It also meant that he knew everything, or so he said.  That’s what made the “Bo Knows” Nike campaign so successful.  Aside from “Diddley,” there was nothing Bo didn’t know.  And who were we to argue that?  Bo knew a .250 career batting average, 141 career HRs, 841 career Ks, 2,782 career rushing yards, 16 career touchdowns, Superman’s Dean Cain, Fakin’ Da Funk, and hip replacements –- among other things.  What other athlete in professional sports can say the same thing?  I think Bo Jackson epitomized what it means to be a true athlete and, most importantly, a true salesman.  In what is quite possibly the most famous ad campaign ever, Jackson not only sold his product, but he also sold his image.  Much like the legendary Michael Jordan, Bo Jackson was the face of the most popular shoe brand of the late-1980s.  That’s not bad company, and Bo knows it, too.  So, Matt, do you know more than Bo?  Do you know what the All-Star game means to baseball?    

Matt:  Well Tom, I can honestly say that I’m glad I don’t know “avascular necrosis”, which just sounds painful!  I do know that, even with the stipulation saying that the league who wins the All-Star Game gets home field advantage in the World Series, the All-Star Game is not the must-see event which it used to be.  Maybe it’s because players don’t care as much about it with all the money they make these days.  Maybe it’s because you don’t get a chance to identify All-Star players as being with a specific team with rampant free agency.  There are only a handful of players who have been with the same team for the past 10 years.  It's hard to build fan loyalty that way.  Although I was too young to remember the game itself, I remember seeing the highlights of the 1970 All-Star Game many times when I was a kid.  The play that stands out, of course, is when Pete Rose bowled over Ray Fosse.  Being a die-hard Indians fan even at a young age, that play made me hate Pete Rose, even before it was fashionable.  It is ironic that the All-Star Game will be held at Yankee Stadium this year, and it looks like half of the American League starters will be Boston Red Sox, which should make for an especially surly crowd.  I had a chance to see a game in Yankee Stadium earlier this year.  History aside, the Yankees are overdue for a new home.  It's not the best place to watch a game; Yankee Stadium is definitely past its prime.  This week, we will profile four players who are past their prime as well, with this season possibly being their "last hurrah."  Do they have enough in the tank to give you meaningful fantasy numbers for the rest of this year?  Hey Tom, start us off this week.

Carlos Delgado still looked like a formidable figure against the Yankees recently. Photo Credit: WikiCommons

CARLOS DELGADO, 1B, NYM

Just when we thought Delgado, a fringe Hall of Famer, was through, he set a Mets record with nine RBI in a single game against the Yankees last Friday.  How dare he!  Just when all of New York called for Delgado’s head on a plate, he had to go and put up stellar numbers in the weekend series against the Yankees.  With 445 career HRs and 1,419 RBI, it’s really easy to fall in love with his power.  However, over the past year and a half, Delgado has shown signs of aging, and it’s quite possible that his best days are well behind him.  His six HRs and 20 RBI for the month of June may have owners reconsidering Delgado again.  Is he a hidden source of power or just another fantasy player toying with our emotions?  Let’s find out as Tom and Matt dissect whether or not Delgado has one hot streak left in him this year. 

STATS (through July 3rd):   AB: 305  H: 72  R: 41  HR: 14  RBI: 46  BB: 33  SB: 1  AVG: .236

Tom:  I have seen a lot of Mets games this year, and there have been very few constants for the Kings of Queens.  Carlos Beltran, Jose Reyes, David Wright, and even Johan Santana have all struggled this year.  The one difference between Delgado and the other players I just mentioned, though, is that Delgado has shown next to nothing this year.  I cannot condone anyone picking up Delgado based on his stellar performance against the Yankees this past Friday.  And I’m not the only one down on Delgado.  His own manager, Jerry Manuel, is also down on him.  Manuel has been pulling Delgado in late innings to replace him with Fernando Tatis for defensive purposes.  Is that really a big deal for fantasy owners?  Yeah, it is.  Only because you are now talking about taking an extra AB away from Delgado in each game he plays.  That adds up over time.  It also tells me that his bat isn’t good enough for the Mets to live with his defensive deficiencies late in games.  Manuel is a performance manager who does not care how many years of service you have under your belt.  He sees Delgado as a liability and, to tell you the truth, I couldn’t agree with him more.  You should look elsewhere for a power bat, maybe young Chris Davis of Texas, because Delgado is going to give you a 1-for-20 week as a “thank you” gift for adding him to your roster.  Stay away!  Fool’s Gold

Matt:  Delgado is a lifetime honorary member of my fantasy baseball team.  Delgado originally came up in the Toronto Blue Jays system as a catcher, and in my 1996 fantasy draft I grabbed him late. That year I was rewarded with a .270 BA / 25 HR / 92 RBI season, which helped me win my league that year.  Now 12 years later, while Delgado can still hit for power and drive in runs, with 14 home runs and 46 RBI so far this year, that production comes attached to a .236 BA.  The other issue with Delgado this season is that his power is extremely inconsistent.  He is like a weekly Rip Van Winkle.  His bat sleeps for five games then awakens with a big game, and then his lumber returns to slumber.  This is especially problematic, because, if you are “platooning” Carlos, you can’t predict when he’ll have his weekly breakout game.  A deeper look at the numbers shows that his batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage are all the lowest levels of his career, so there isn’t much evidence to support a Delgado turnaround.  Don’t get sucked into seeing one big performance by Carlos and thinking he’s “back”, because he’s Fool’s Gold!
    

CHAN HO PARK, SP/RP, LAD

Park, owner of one of the all-time worst contracts in baseball, has shown some life out there for the Dodgers.  He is finally pitching like he deserves to be in the majors.  With a 2.70 ERA and 25 Ks in only 20 IP in the month of June, Park is turning into a hot name on the waiver wires.  We all know that Park was not worth the five-year, $65 million dollar contract he was given by the Rangers in 2002, but he is starting to pitch like he did his first time around with the Dodgers.  He is throwing strikes and limiting his walks.  Park has expressed that he is finally happy again now that he has returned to the Dodgers. Is that a sign of good things to come?  Has his return to Los Angeles given him a sense of comfort?  If he pitches like he did during his first tour of duty with the Dodgers, we may have a Mother Lode situation on our hands.  But, will he?

STATS (through July 3rd):  GS: 3  IP: 55  H: 53  ER: 15  BB: 20  K: 41  W: 2  WHIP: 1.33  ERA: 2.45 

Tom:  Here is a pitcher whose name comes up constantly when discussing terrible free agent contracts.  It’s funny, because I’m not so sure that his $65 million would be so bad if Park had pitched the way he did from 1997-2001 over the past five years.  In free agency this year, he would have seen well over $100 million dollars in a six or seven-year contract.  But, that’s not the case, so we move on and try to figure out what Park did to get it right over the past two months.  Again, as noted, he claims that he is in the best mental shape of his life and is very happy pitching in Los Angeles again.  Does that translate to him being a top-flight starter?  Probably not.  For many years, I gave Park a shot in fantasy, due to the impressive numbers he put up with his first stint with the Dodgers.  I figured he was bound to bounce back from "off year" after "off year."  However, Park has posted an ERA below 5.00 only once since 2002, and that was just an unimpressive 4.81.  You know I would almost buy into the 2008 version of Park, except for the fact that Brad Penny is close to coming back from his injury, and Eric Stults is actually pitching better than Park is at the moment.  I think Park has a move to the bullpen in the near future.  While he hasn’t made my list of mother lode pitchers, at least he can say he’s been well paid for his disservices.  Fool’s Gold

Matt:  Wow!  Chan Ho Park, talk about a blast from the past.  If Delgado’s bat is Rip Van Winkle, Park’s arm is a cicada, because this is the first time in seven years he’s pitched well.  Harsh?  A little, but certainly not unwarranted.  From 1997-2001, while pitching for the Dodgers, Chan Ho won 75 games and struck out 200 batters in a season twice.  Since then, Park has won 37 games and has struck out 454 batters...total. This season, Park is 4-2 with a 2.45 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP, while striking out 41 batters in 55 innings, pitching mostly out of the bullpen.  So, what’s the reason for the resurgence?  Perhaps he feels comfortable in Chavez Ravine.  Maybe after struggling with his health and mechanics the past six years, he is finally physically and mentally prepared to pitch.  I wouldn’t bank on it, though.  If you’re driving towards a fantasy championship, Chan Ho will put that journey in "Park" because he’s Fool’s Gold!

JIM EDMONDS, OF, CHC

Edmonds is now in his 18th season in the major leagues.  He has been around so long that he was actually drafted by the California Angels.  For his career, Edmonds has posted a .286 batting average with 371 home runs and 1,151 RBI.  He is also an eight-time Gold Glove winner in the outfield.  However, his hard-nosed playing style has caused his body to succumb to a few more aches and pains than is normal. Since peaking in 2004 with arguably his best season as a pro--finishing that year with a .302 BA, 41 home runs, and 111 RBI--his numbers have decreased in all three of those categories in each subsequent season.  Coming into this season, the expectation was that Edmonds would be a veteran presence who could play decent defense and give the Padres just enough offense to make him worth their while.  Needless to say, it didn’t work out that way.  Through his first 26 games in 2008, Jim was only batting .178 with one home run and six RBI, and he was released by San Diego on May 9.  The Cubs picked him off of waivers, and since joining the Cubs, Edmonds has played extremely well, hitting .292 with eight home runs and 24 RBI in 35 games.  What can we expect from Edmonds the rest of the season?

Stats (through July 2nd):  AB: 196  H: 47  R: 20  HR: 9  RBI: 30  BB: 27 SB: 2  AVG: .240

Matt:  I am a big Jim Edmonds fan, and I would enjoy seeing him continue to have a strong season with the Cubs.  However, there are several factors which could inhibit Edmonds' ability to put up the kinds of fantasy numbers you would need to get to start him on a regular basis.  First and foremost is his age and recent history.  The last three years, Jim has averaged 123 games played with a .257 BA, 20 home runs, and 49 RBI.  With 77 games left in the season, if he were to play every day, I could see him surpassing that three-year average in RBI and home runs.  He even has an outside chance of getting his batting average up to .257 for the season.  Again...if he were to play everyday.  At 38 and with the beating his body has taken, it is unlikely that Edmonds will play every day.  In fact, with Reed Johnson returning from a stint on the disabled list, the rumor is that Johnson and Edmonds will split time in the outfield, which would further diminish Jim’s value.  If you have had Edmonds on your team for the past seven weeks, pat yourself on the back for finding the Mother Lode, but that vein is just about dry. Be ready to cut him and move on, as he will soon turn into Fool’s Gold.

Tom:  Here is another guy who had a very good month of June.  I think he’s a nice fit as a veteran presence on a Cubs team looking to make a push for the World Series.  That, however, does not necessarily translate into a quality fantasy player.  Edmonds should have a nice season, but I don’t see him as being a waiver option.  He is probably going to hover around .250 for the season.  He’ll most likely finish the year with 18 HRs, which isn’t much, considering he already has 8 HRs.  So, there may be a little power left in his bat, but not impact power.  There is a reason why the Cardinals were willing to let him go.  I see the appeal for Edmonds on the ball field, but not in the fantasy arena.  I think Matt Murton probably has bigger fantasy upside.  That is, of course, if he were to somehow get the ABs.  I don’t foresee that being the case –- barring unforeseen injury –- so, look elsewhere if you are searching for an outfield bat.  This is the time of year when you will see more of the top prospects getting called up.  Edmonds, you had a nice run, but it’s time to join the club of non-impact fantasy players.  But, hey, getting a ring this year for the Cubs would be nice!  Fool’s Gold

GREG MADDUX, SP, PADRES

Originally drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 1984, Maddux, who turned 42 a couple months ago, has arguably been the best pitcher in the Major Leagues since his breakout year in 1988.  350 wins, 3,326 strikeouts, and career ratios of 3.13 in ERA and 1.14 in WHIP.  There's no question that those are first-ballot Hall of Fame numbers.  Did I mention his 17 Gold Gloves and four Cy Young Awards?  In 2008 though, Maddux has run into some difficulties.  He has only three wins against six losses, and he is in danger of snapping his 20-year consecutive streak of winning 10 or more games.  The reason that streak is in jeopardy is not entirely due to poor performance.  While his season ERA and WHIP are significantly higher then his career average, they are certainly in line with the numbers he has put up over the past five seasons.  Even his strikeout rate and Batting Average Against (BAA) are along the lines of his past five seasons.  So what’s the reason for the poor win-loss record?  The San Diego Padres are not a good team.  Will Maddux be able to overcome the poor Padre offense, and gut out seven more wins, while still giving you good strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP?

Stats (through July 2nd):  GS: 18  IP: 107  W: 3  K: 53  BB: 21  WHIP: 1.26  ERA:  4.04

Matt:  Greg “Mad Dog” Maddux.  Even in his 23rd major league season, that nickname still applies. Think about this: His season ERA and WHIP are a full point higher then his career numbers, yet this year’s numbers are still below league-average.  How could you not want a guy on your fantasy team who will give you close to 200 innings, while giving you a 4.04 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP?  Yes, he doesn’t strike out a lot of people, with only 53 fanned in 107 innings.  Yes, he plays for the Padres and may not win many games.  However, if your fantasy pitching staff is constructed well, Maddux should have a place on your team.  What would benefit Maddux the most this year in his quest for a 21st consecutive 10-win season?  A change of scenery.  What if he were to re-join former teammate Jim Edmonds on the Cubs?  With that offense, he should easily get seven wins the rest of the way.  Hold onto Maddux if you roster him.  Otherwise, go see if you can get him cheap.  If he is traded to a contender, his value will increase accordingly.  This golden oldie is the Mother Lode!

Tom:  Maddux is one of those pitchers I never ever want to bet against.  He’s a tough guy who is one of the greatest pitchers of all-time.  He knows how to “pitch.”  He can work the corners and change speeds, which is important for older pitchers to do.  These are the reasons why he has been able to extend his career for so long.  However, he’s on his way out this year.  This might as well be his “going away” tour, because I don’t think that he has much left in him.  In fact, Maddux hasn’t won a game since May 10...over 10 straight starts.  For a guy who'll only get you two to three strikeouts per game, that is not good news.  The other bad news is that Padres are 19 games under .500 and 10 games out of first place.  There has to be a point when the Padres start looking to next year.  If that’s the case, you will see young guys getting called up and put into the rotation so they can see what these guys have.  Maddux may be their first choice for taking an extra day off here and there and for missing a start or two.  You do not want to have to deal with that.  He’s a bit past his prime, and while I have to tip my hat to Maddux for his fantastic career, I also have to know when to fold ‘em.  Fare thee well, Greg Maddux.  Fool’s Gold  

Write in Wirkiowski and Lorenzo on your All-Star ballot!  Remember that movie “Angels In The Outfield?”  it will be like that –- they are precious angels.  Matt – This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it and Tom – This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed