Fantasy Sports Counselor

Best Fantasy QB: Manning Vs. Brady

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Litle) — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 15:44:00 -0500

The Counselor is IN:

Let us take a look at who the best fantasy QB in a comparing of Brady and Peyton. I know some people will complain that I am not comparing other quarterbacks like Romo, Brees, Palmer, Anderson, and Eli. These other QBs are not at the same level as these two studs. Personally, I hope that Romo will be in this discussion next year.

Brady
Strengths
Last year, Tom had the greatest fantasy season of any quarterback ever. Not only did he have 50 touchdown passes but he also rushed for two scores. He totaled 4806 yards passing. The addition of Randy Moss and Wes Welker gave Brady the receivers he needed to demonstrate his explosiveness.

Weaknesses/concerns
This was the first season that Brady was a fantasy stud. He was always a good fantasy QB but never a top fantasy QB. The two years previous, Brady had 26 and 24 touchdowns. That is 50 total for the two years before. One has to wonder if last year was a fluke and if Brady will post more pedestrian numbers this year.

Manning
Strengths
Peyton is Mr. Consistent Fantasy Stud. Over the last 3 years he has thrown 28, 31, and 31 touchdowns. He threw around 4000 yards each year. Indy continues to be an offensive Juggernaut of a team.

Weaknesses/Concerns
There are very few weaknesses in Peyton's game. Harrison is getting older but Reggie Wayne has stepped up to be the go to receiver. Peyton will probably not throw 50 touchdowns this year.

My Opinion:
I would choose Peyton Manning between the two. He is more consistent than Brady. I would think that the running game of the Patriots will be more involved than they were last year. If that is true, it will take away opportunities from Brady.

The Counselor is OUT:

The Balk: The Rays delight and Fantasy Insight

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Litle) — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:45:00 -0500

The Balk is half Larry's rambling thoughts on baseball and half fantasy baseball thoughts.

The Counselor is IN:

Larry's Ramblings:

After watching the Rays come back and win against the Red Sox earlier this week, I have decided to cheer for them. This young team has good pitching, solid fielding, surging power, and speed. It was difficult not to enjoy watching them perform on the field and mount their comeback against the World Champs.

They are not replacing my Texas Rangers as my favorite team. But I am going to be pulling for them when they are facing the other teams in the American League. I hope the Rays can win the tough AL East. I would love to see the Rays make the playoffs. GO RAYS!

Fantasy Section:

* RHP Closer Joe Borowski was designated for assignment. It is unknown who will be designated for the closing role. Rafael Betancourt and Masa Kobayashi are two possibilities.

*OF Andruw Jones was activated from the disabled list.

*2B Luis Castillo was placed on the disabled list.

*SS Rafael Furcal will be out for 2 months with back surgery.

*LHP Jeff Francis was put on the 15 day DL with shoulder inflammation.

*SS Jason Bartlett was put on the 15 day DL after spraining his knee.

*OF Matt Holliday has been involved in several trade rumors including to the Angels and the Cardinals.

* SP C.C. Sabathia is being rumored in numerous possible trades through MLB. This will be very important to the team that brings him in, their divisional rivals, and if the fantasy owner especially if they are in an AL or NL only league.

The Counselor is OUT:

Mort's View on the Rookie Salary issue

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Litle) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 22:45:00 -0500

The Counselor is IN:

This morning Chris Mortensen, ESPN NFL expert, was on ESPN Radio's Mike and Mike show. I usually agree with Mort on most issues but not on this issue. Here is what Mort had to say about the Rookie salary issues.

"Chris Mortensen, NFL- Mort says the rookie salary cap issue is a brilliant public relations stunt by the NFL. It's not like owners will take care of veterans if rookies had a cap. There's $400M available now for that. Why should rookies like Jake Long and Matt Ryan be punished? Owners are asking to be saved because agents beat them in negotiations." (Mike and Mike)

Mort was asked about raising the minimum cap to ensure that the owners would pay out the money to the veterans. He stated that the owners would not agree to raise the minimum even with lowering the rookie wage scale because "it is not an issue with the owners". He also stated that the rookies have proven themselves in College and this should provide them with the ability to get the big pay day.

By his logic, Cedric Benson and Ryan Leaf should have been paid the big bucks they were because they had proven themselves. How many times have we heard the NFL is a completely different game than college. So why would players not have to prove themselves in the NFL before becoming a top paid player at their position.

The Counselor is OUT:

NFL Rookie Pay Scale

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Litle) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 23:45:00 -0500

The Counselor is IN:

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has stated that the current money being thrown at early first round rookies is “ridiculous”. It is hard to disagree with him. When you have Jake Long becoming the highest paid Offensive Lineman as a rookie with $30 million guaranteed on a $57.75 million contract over 5 years.

The Players Association appears to find the idea of a Rookie Player Scale as a point of contention. They believe the market is dictating the rookie salaries. They are willing to fight for the salaries of their rookie players.

My big question to the Players Associations is "Why not support the veterans?" If you limit the money for the rookies, then you have more money for the veteran players. The NFL salary cap not only has a maximum but also a minimum salary. So if the cash is not being set aside for escalating rookie salaries, then it has to go to the veterans. I am not sure if this point is lost on the Players Union or not.

The Counselor is OUT:

Fantasy Draft: LT or All Day?

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Litle) — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 21:52:00 -0500

The Counselor is IN:

It is time to start thinking about fantasy football. In a month, NFL camps will be in full swing. Currently the new stands and books stores have this seasons FF magazine lining the shelves.

The number 1 overall pick for a fantasy draft is always a fun discussion at this time of the year. You can make an argument for Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, LaDainian Tomlinson, or Adrian Peterson. In most leagues, Runningbacks are at a higher premium than Quarterbacks. Because of this, I will focus on the Runningbacks.

Here is a comparison of LT and All Day.

Tomlinsion
Strengths
LT has been a consistent fantasy stud since his first season. He has rushed for 18, 28, and 15 touchdowns in the last 3 years. He had 2, 3, and 3 receiving touchdowns on top of the rushing ones. He has rushed for over 1,450 yards in each of the last three seasons (with 1815 yards in 2006). LaDainian is a consistent top 5 fantasy producer.

Weaknesses/concerns
LT is 29 years old. He is on the downward side of a typical runningback’s productive years. He has been the workhorse in San Diego for years. Is this the season LT will lose a step or even worse?

Peterson
Strengths
Peterson's 2007 season was an amazing rookie year. He ran for 1341 yards while sharing time with Chester Taylor. He ran for 12 touchdowns and had another touchdown receiving. He had a 224 and a record setting 296 rushing yard day. The NFL future is bright for Adrian.

Weaknesses/Concerns
Peterson only has one season behind him. There is no history on consistent he will be. A sophomore slump is always a possibility.

Adrian has been plagued my injuries in the past. His hard running style of running over people could lead to time on the injury list.

He is still splitting time with a good runningback in Taylor.

My Opinion:
I have them listed as 1A and 1B. I would love to have the second overall pick in a draft where I will be guaranteed one of them. If I have to pick one, I would go with Peterson's potential. I have been bitten by 29 and 30 year old stud running backs that become pedestrian after 28.

The Counselor is OUT:

Fantasy Football Resource sites

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Litle) — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 18:30:00 -0500

The Counselor is IN:

Below is a mammoth list of Fantasy Football Resources. Some of the sites are fee based and some are free of charge. My friend Deb at Cowboys Pride posted this list. She agreed for me to run her article on this blog.

If you have not been to Cowboys Pride, then you are missing out. This fan site prides themselves not only in loving their Cowboys (and mine) but they have members that are fans from many other teams. They welcome fans from all NFL teams (even the Redskins).

Cowboys Pride goes beyond discussing the NFL. They have coverage and articles on Baseball, NASCAR, Boxing, NCAA, a variety of Fantasy sports, Military Heroes and much more. I am happy to not only be affiliated but to write for this intellectual bunch. This is a full service site that has free membership. Stop in, join up, and let them know that I sent you.

Here is the List:

SportingNews.com Fantasy Football Source - Dominate your fantasy league this season. SportingNews.com's Fantasy Source is just $4.99 and comes loaded with stats and info like player rankings, updates, news, injuries, depth charts, offseason transactions, and expert mock drafts. (And yes, it's printable).

4for4.com Fantasy Football - Providing cheat sheets, draft, NFL and injury report information.

All Pro Publishing - Offering everything from cheat sheets to player rankings.

Ask The Commish.com - Providing mock drafts, a free draft kit, sit or start advice, weekly picks, free contests, and more.

Dominate Your League - Fantasy Football information, rankings, projections, news, articles, tools, links, and forums.

DR U Fantasy Football Guru - If your fantasy football team is ailing, feel free to visit the doc, no appointment necessary.

Dr. Fantasy Football - Features news, player rankings, cheat sheets, depth charts, injury reports, and more.

Dr. Stats Fantasy Sports - Fantasy information to help you win your league, including player news, injury reports, stats & cheat sheets.

DraftHelp.com - Everything you need to create, draft, manage, and run a fantasy sports league. FanInsights - Fantasy football draft guides and rankings available in Excel format.

Fans Fantasy Football - For fantasy fans by fantasy fans... just people that have player the game for 15 years.

Fantasy College Blitz - Taking fantasy football to school - providing fantasy-focused analysis of college football.

Fantasy Football Advice - Free fantasy football info, draft lists, scouting reports, sleepers & more.

Fantasy Football Daily Tips - A blog providing tips, news, and strategy for fantasy football players.

Fantasy Football Digest - NFL news, fantasy leagues, tips, and more.

Fantasy Football Edge - Free player rankings, game day weather report, player news, depth chart & injury reports.

Fantasy Football Experts - Player rankings, daily injury updates, preseason draft features, and weekly matchup analysis.

Fantasy Football Golden Boy - A guide how to play and win in fantasy football. Fantasy Football Indepth - Custom cheat sheets, rankings, expert analysis, and a unique team evaluator.

Fantasy Football Jungle - Free predictions, waiver wire analysis, team rankings, and advice.

Fantasy Football Mastermind - Providing comprehensive fantasy football information since 1996.

Fantasy Football Post - Fantasy football information site offering analysis and opinions.

Fantasy Football Realm - Fantasy football projections, schedules, stats, and fantasy strategy tips.

Fantasy Football Starters - Software tools for draft trade line-up and league/team managers.

Fantasy Football Toolbox - Free information, cheat sheets, draft tips & discussion boards.

Fantasy Gas - Free & premium fantasy football NFL cheat sheets, ranking and projections.

Fantasy Information Central - For the most local fantasy sports news on the net.

Fantasy Playmakers - Fantasy football and fantasy baseball news, information and sports forums.

FantasyDraftEdge.com - Offering customized cheat sheets and personalized one-on-one advice throughout the fantasy football season.

FantasyFootball.com - Offering football packages, a message board, player updates and live advice seasonly.

FantasySharks.com - Fantasy information, articles, projections and interviews. Home of Tony Holm's The Prognosticator series.

FF Geeks - Featuring projections, sleepers, links and articles.

FFL Draft Guide Online - Provides FFL team owners a complete and functional online draft list.

ffWarRoom.com - An online fantasy football community. Football Cash Cow - Provides weekly NFL Picks, waiver wire advice and start/sit recommendations.

FootballDocs Fantasy Football - Providing bench/start advice, articles, cheat sheets, draft software, information, and useful links.

Footballguys.com - Fantasy football information, news, and projections for the fantasy enthusiast.

Footballistics - An online destination for NFL and fantasy football information and interaction.

Forecast Football - Showcase your skill at predicting the fantasy football performance of athletes.

Grogan's Fantasy Football - Fantasy football information, analysis, and tools. Updated daily throughout the season.

Huddlegeeks - Expert fantasy football analysis, cheat sheets, depth charts game recaps and much more.

Junkyard Jake - Roster tips, player stats, team reports, NFL news and weather links, games & a totally free contest.

MoSneaky - Online fantasy football eMagazine featuring cheatsheets, depth charts, and NFL fantasy player rankings.

My Fantasy Ball Football - Fantasy football site with free cheat sheets, customized player rankings, draft guides, and player projections.

myFantasyLineup.com - A free community site dedicated to helping you make the correct start or sit decisions. NFL Freaks - Free fantasy football tips, player news, advice, statistics, rankings and more.

No-Offseason - A 365-day resource with a special emphasis on dynasty formats and individual defensive player leagues.

NumbCruncher.com - Offering QBD League Tool, future weekly stats, and a variety of game ideas.

ProFantasySports.com - Fantasy recaps, injury reports, cheat sheets, start 'em bench em', and more.

Robin Sports - Offering fantasy football information and analysis.

RotoGuru Fantasy Sports - Focused analysis of salary cap games, particularly those offered by TSN, Swirve, and PS Challenge.

RotoJunkie - Your daily dose of fantasy football rants, raves and opinions including The Bull Pen message forums.

Rotokingdom - Fantasy basketball talk, mock drafts, rankings and articles from community members.

Rototaction.com - Analysis, statistics and predictions from nationally syndicated fantasy columnist Michael Salfino.

SkillPositions.com - Year round fantasy and NFL football coverage.

Sport Fanatics Fantasy Sports - Free football news, cheat sheets, mock drafts, depth charts, injury reports and other fantasy sports infos.

StatLeader.com - Statistics and analysis based on real-life player performance applied to league-specific scoring systems.

The Fantasy Football Times - Fantasy football newsletter providing cheat sheets, rankings, news, tips, and resources.

The Fantasy Point - A fantasy football news, information, and analysis website that gets to the point.

The Huddle Fantasy Football - Providing fantasy football information since 1997. Cheat sheets, rankings, advice, news, stats and more.

The Sandlot Shrink - Fantasy sports advisors and statistics.

Xtreme Fantasy Football.com - Offering podcasts, cheatsheets, and player rankings updated daily.

Here are a few extras that Deb did not have on her list.

Fan Nation

Fantasy Insights

Fantasy Sports Central

Football Jabber

Rotoworld

The Counselor is OUT:

The Balk - Interleague Reality & Fantasy

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Litle) — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 10:55:00 -0500

The Balk is half Larry's rambling thoughts on baseball and half fantasy baseball thoughts.

The Counselor is IN:

Larry's Ramblings:

Has the luster of Interleague games worn off? I have heard some commotion about getting rid of these games between the leagues. Often this is from the "traditionalists" that cry out for Major League baseball to head back to the way baseball used to be played. Of course these same traditionalists don't want us to go back to the days of underhand pitching, a best of 9 game World Series, or using metal polls instead of bases. No they want baseball to be the way it was when they were children. I know it is fond memories of a simpler time when baseball players were more human and less diva. It could be argued that the divas were not as exposed to fans as they are today.

For me, the luster of Interleague play has not worn off. I still find myself intrigued by the match ups of teams in different leagues. I know that it may be less dramatic when the World Series comes around in October if the teams have faced each other. But I think each Interleague Series can be almost that intense.

I watched most of the Cardinals/Royals game from Wednesday night and loved it. I love the rule differences and how the visitors have to adjust. I am fascinated with the American League pitchers batting in the National League parks and the National League pitchers having to face another big bat in the American League parks. It is part of the fun. I hope it becomes something the traditionalists of the future fondly remember.

Fantasy Section:

2nd Half Players/ Studs
Here is a list of players that may play well in the second half of the season. Historically many of them are better after the All Star game than before. Trading for these guys could benefit your team.

--1B Mark Teixeira - you may be able to make a good trade for him. Someone may be willing to part with him since he is batting a mild .266. But he also has 10 homers so it will still cost you something of value. He is starting to get hot. You should get him now if you can.

-- 1B Richie Sexson- Richie always plays better in the second half and it is a good chance he will be on a new team. Rumors are that the Mariners will drop him very soon. His .220 BA is not helping. He could be a source of cheap power off of the waivers but be cautious.

-- OF Carlos Beltran- He is a traditional second half stud. He is currently batting a good .273 BA with 10 homers and 10 SB. I think he will find his power stroke in the summer months and move the homer total closer to 30 while inching the BA to .285.

-- OF Jermaine Dye- Another player who is known for strong second halves. He is already batting well with 12 homers and a .286 Batting Average. You will have to make a sweet deal to steal him away from a team but I think he will pay off for you.

-- Pitcher Johan Santana- Yes everybody wants Santana and it will be almost impossible to trade for him. I owned Santana in my AL only league for 6 years. Every year he was unhittable in the second half of the season. He is a huge part of my domination of that league. If you can trade for him, do it and laugh all the way to the bank. Johan is a second half super-stud. He already has a 7 wins, a 3.04 ERA and a WHIP of 1.21. Look for 15 to 18 wins with an ERA of 2.80 or less and a WHIP of 1.09.

The Counselor is OUT:

The Balk 6-12-08

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Litle) — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 20:17:00 -0500

The Counselor is IN:

Larry's Ramblings:

I recently spent an evening at Hammons Field, the ballpark for the Springfield Cardinals. The Springfield Cardinals are the AA affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. This team played in the Championship series for the Texas League last year. In Springfield, we do get to see the up and coming players before they become Major League stars.

With prices at $6 a ticket, I can afford to take my family out to the ballpark and have good seats. It has become an economic hardship to my family to Busch Stadium to see the big Cards with the noise bleed seats. Financially there is no comparison.

The game was a reminder of why I love baseball. A live baseball game has wonderful atmosphere. I love the mix of the smell of the grass and the hotdog vender. You have the crowd cheering for the home team. With every man, woman, and child singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame", it was nostalgic and wonderful.

Fantasy Section:
It is nearing the middle of June. You should have a good idea of what your players are doing. You should know if your team is a contender or not.

If a contender, then you need to examine what will make your team better. Do you need that one top starter to push you over or a stolen base guy to help you in a week category? No team is perfect. The other contenders will be examining their teams and attempting to make trades. Even if you are winning your league easily, you should examine possible trades. Rarely have I seen someone leading at the All Star Game not make a move and still win their league in a traditional roto league.

If you are out of contention, then you should be examining big names that you might want to trade. This is particularly true in keeper leagues. If you have a keeper league, trade off that big name for up and coming players. Done properly, this can get you into contention next year. If you are not in a keeper league, then you should be open to trading for quality players to advance your position this year

The key to performing well in Fantasy Baseball is continued to pay attention. So often the long daily season will cause some owners to stop paying attention. Replace your injuries and examine trade options and free agency pickups. If you do this, it should help your team stay near the top.

The Counselor is OUT:

"The thrill of victory... and the agony of defeat"

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Litle) — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 09:09:00 -0500

The Counselor is IN:

The famous words "Thrill of victory and the agony of defeat" is burned in the memory of many sports fans which grew up in the 70's and 80's. We tuned in many of a Saturday afternoon to see where in "Wide World of Sports" we would be taken. It might be a skiing competition, or a Harlem Globetrotter Game, or Evel Knievel or some other wacky sporting event. We all remember the intro with the skiing accident scene. The voice of this intro, Jim McKay, was often the sportscaster reporting from the event.

Yesterday, June 7, 2008, Jim McKay passed away from natural causes at 86 years of age. Other than the Wide World of Sports, he was most known for his coverage of horse races, like yesterday's Belmont Stakes, and the Olympics. He covered the horrific Munich Massacre during the 1972 Summer Olympics.

My condolences, prayers, and thoughts go out to the memorable sportscaster's family.

The Counselor is OUT:

Johnson to give Gold metal back for relay

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Litle) — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 14:07:00 -0500

The Counselor is IN:

According to SI, Olympic track sprinter Michael Johnson is set to give back his gold metal for the 2000 Sydney Olympics 1,600-meter relay. The world record holder for the 200 and 400 meters stated that he was shocked by the doping admission, performance-enhancing drugs, of former teammate Antonio Pettigrew. He stated that he will give this medal back to the International Olympic Committee because it is tainted with Pettigrew's admission.

Johnson has 5 Olympic gold metals and will still have 4 when he gives the relay one back. A gold metal is what track and field athletes train for their entire lives. It displays that they were the best in the world on that day. Giving a gold metal back would be pain stakenly difficult. I am sure it will be easier since he still has 4 other gold metals but it still would be a difficult decision to make. I commend Michael Johnson for his good conscience on this matter.

The Counselor is OUT:

The Balk 6-3-08

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Litle) — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 21:50:00 -0500

The Counselor is IN:

The Chicago White Sox face a lot of adversity this year with a lack of offensive prowess. It has not stopped them from leading their division with a 30 and 26 record. It also has not stopped Manager Ozzie Guillen from going on one of his usual tie raids. He stated the following over the weekend, ”I'm sick and tired to watch this thing for a year and a half. I'm not protecting anybody anymore. ... If they can't get it done, Kenny (General Manager) should find someone to get it done." His boss, Kenny Williams, stated that Ozzie should be cautious of throwing him under the boss since he has been the guy defending Ozzie. They ended up burying the hatchet and now love each other again. It appears that they are going to have to live with each other for this season especially if they continue to win in spite of their manager

I have heard it described as "Ozzie being Ozzie". You have to wonder if there does become a point where Ozzie goes from being an asset to a liability. His players do usually like Ozzie and often play well for him. Is this enough to deal with these continual distractions? We will see over time. A couple of years ago, Ozzie had to undergo sensitivity training after calling Chicago Sun-Times sports columnist Jay Mariotti inappropriate names.

Fantasy Information:

* Key injuries

DH- David Ortiz Red Sox: He has a partially torn tendon in his left wrist. Ortiz should be able to avoid surgery on this wrist which is good news. He will be out for at least a month. The Sox will be lucky if he is back right after the All Star Game.

3B- Ryan Zimmerman- Nationals: The 23 year old has a small labral tear in his left shoulder. He was added to the DL retro to May 26. He was hitting .257 with 8 homers and 27 RBIs. With this injury, there is no guarantee when or if he will return this season.

* Players that might be available free agents in your league.

OF - Jay Bruce- Reds: Bruce has been in the majors for 7 days. If he is still available in your league then grab him right now. He is only batting .577, three home runs, seven RBI, and 12 runs. This in 7 games. He will not continue to hit .577 but he has hit for good average in the minors. I expect him to continue to play well and to be in contention for Rookie of the Year.

Starter Pitcher- Bartolo Colon- Red Sox: Yes this is the same Colon that killed you last year. He is also known as the "Big Fat Bartolo Colon" by Matthew "the Talent Mr. Roto" Berry. Bartolo may only be a temporary fix but he does play for the Red Sox so he will win some games. Here are his current stats: 3 wins, 3.50 ERA, and a 1.28 WHIP.

OF- Coco Crisp- Red Sox: Coco is the forth outfielder for the Red Sox. He has already been a source of cheap steals. With Ortiz on the DL, Coco should get consistent playing time, which he has not seen this year. I would expect his average and steals to go up. If you need steals, then here is your source.

The Counselor is OUT:

The Balk 5-28-08

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Litle) — Wed, 28 May 2008 22:00:00 -0500

The Counselor is IN:

Over the last couple of weeks, we have seen a few really bad homerun calls. Some are called homeruns that are not and others are called foul that are home runs. Some of these calls are changing the outcome of games. These calls could cause a team to miss the playoffs. How many divisional races and wild card races have come down to the last couple of games? If you can put in a form of replay for close homerun calls, then why not do it? MLB is talking about instituting this form of replay in the fall league as a test.

Baseball has been very slow to experiment with replay. I know several hard core baseball fans that are completely opposed to replay in baseball even when the call goes against their team. These fanatics usually discuss the tradition of the game and pace of the game. They also fear MLB using replay to call balls and strikes.

Here are my points back at these loyal lovers of the game. Firstly, the pace of baseball is already slow and laid back. This is not a bad thing. It makes for a relaxing day at the ball park. Taking time for a former umpire to check the monitor and to make a call will not slow it down much at all.

Secondly, you can easily limit what you will replay. The NFL has been successful in limiting what is reviewable for a long time. Tennis is using replay in a limited fashion very effectively.

Thirdly, let us talk about tradition of the game. How traditional do you really want to go? Should we go back to the days before the wild card where the only the winners of the two divisions in each league makes the playoffs? How about going back to a 9 game World Series? How about removing the bases and putting poles in their places (poles were common instead of bases in the late 1800s). Traditionalists usually want things to remain as they were when they were kids but the 1970s have come and gone.

Fantasy Advice:
A few weeks ago, I reminded owners not to dump their studs that were off to a slow start. Now it is time to examine those big names and see what they are doing 2 months into the season. Here are a few previously productive fantasy players that are not producing. You may want to consider trading or dropping these players at this time.

Tigers- OF Gary Sheffield is batting .213 with 3 homers, 12 RBIs, and 3 stolen bases. Age may have caught up with Gary.

Cubs- OF Jim Edmonds is only batting .167 with 1 homer, 6 RBIs, and 2 stolen bases. Talking about getting old, Jim looks like he is done. He should have retired as a Cardinal at the end of last year.

Reds- OF Corey Patterson is hitting .200 with 4 homers, 16 RBIs, and 8 stolen bases. Corey is still stealing bases so you may want to keep him but his batting average will kill you if he does not start hitting batter.

Pirates - 1B/3B Doug Mientkiewicz is hitting .207 with 1 homer, 8 RBI's and 0 stolen bases. Doug used to bring limited power but great batting average. Now he does not even bring that.

The Counselor is OUT:

Brotherhood of the traveling golden thong

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Litle) — Mon, 19 May 2008 23:18:00 -0500

The Counselor is IN:

Baseball players are very superstitious. If they do something special and they happen get out of a slump, then they attribute the luck to what they did. Jason Giambi has attributed breaking slumps to his golden thong underwear. The New York Daily News has the story.

"The Yankee slugger revealed Friday he slips on a gold lamé thong with a flame-line waistband when he's trying to get out of a hitting slump - and he's shared it with his teammates." (Daily)

"'It works every time,' Giambi told the Daily News after his secret was outed on Portfolio.com." (Daily)

If that was not strange enough, he has talked up his thong underwear to his teammates. Some of them not only bought into it but borrowed his underwear to help them out of their own slumps. There is nothing like shared underwear to break one out of the slump.

"Derek Jeter agreed that Giambi's thong works, although 'it's so uncomfortable running around the bases'." (Daily)

"'I had it over my shorts and stuff,' he said. 'I was 0-for-32 and I hit a homer on the first pitch. That's the only time I've ever worn it'." (Daily)

"Johnny Damon also admitted donning the golden panties 'probably three times'." (Daily)

"I may need to wear it again soon', said Damon, who is batting a mediocre .255." (Daily)

"What is the secret of Giambi's golden thong?" (Daily)

"'You're not worrying about your hands or your balance at the plate,' Damon said. You're worried about the uncomfortable feeling you're receiving'." (Daily)

The New York Daily News wanted to help out all of the Yankees. They delivered 26 pairs of golden thongs to the Yankees. This way each team member and the manager can have their own.

As my father says, "Baseball players are not the men they used to be." After this story, I am inclined to agree.

The Counselor is OUT:

The Balk -5-18-08

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Litle) — Thu, 15 May 2008 15:30:00 -0500

The Counselor is IN:

Here is another issue of The Balk.

* Over a week ago, Mariner's Richie Sexson charged the mound and attacked Texas Ranger's Kason Gabbard for a pitch that was over the plate. Sexson thought was too close with other players getting hit in this game. Sexson was suspended 5 games for this incident. When I saw the highlights (or lowlights), I remembered the faithful day in 1993 when Robin Ventura charged the mound against another Texas Ranger, Nolan Ryan. The 46 year old Nolan put Ventura in a headlock, punched him in the head 6 times, and bloodied up Ventura. As a Texas Ranger Fan, that was our brightest moment (how sad is that). Nolan is now the President of the Rangers. I wonder if he will pull Gabbard aside and teach him how to use the headlock and how to bloody the nose of the next person that charges the mound.

* Players that might be available free agents in your league.

OF Coco Crisp- Red Sox. He is batting .315 with 2 homers, 10 RBIs, and 6 SB in 92 at bats. He would be a source of good batting average and some cheap Stolen Bases.
OF Ryan Sweeney- A's. He is batting .298 with 1 homer, 19 RBI's, and 3 Stolen Bases. 23 year old Sweeney has a lot of upside. If you are in a keeper league, he deserves a look.
3B Ramon Vazquez- Rangers. Ramon is batting .338 with 2 homers, 7 RBIs and no stolen bases. His value may really be in the multitude of positions that he may qualify at in your league. He has played 2 games at 2nd, 9 at Short Stop, and 16 at third base. Blaylock is expected to play 1st base for a while when he comes back from injury so Vazquez should continue to get a lot of playing time.
Pitcher Jose Contreras- White Sox. He has an ERA of 3.35, a WHIP of 1.19, and 4 wins. Jose killed me last year in my league but he appears to be back to his former self. He is not a bad pick up for an injury and may continue to pitch like this for the rest of the year.
Pitcher Tim Redding- Nationals. He has an ERA of 3.55, WHIP of 1.12, and 5 wins. I was surprised to find Redding available in my mix league.

* Interleague play has begun. Remember to update your lineup where needed to most benefit from the Interleague play. Many DHs will be sitting down. Players like Big Pappy should play enough in the NL to start qualifying for 1st base in some leagues.

* Be on the look out for minor league call ups. Some of the studs of Double and Triple A will soon be in the Majors. A few have already started showing up on the 25 man rosters. Some of these players will be high reward free agency pick ups. With the high reward possibilities, there is also high risk especially with pitchers.

The Counselor is OUT:

The Balk- (Weekly Fantasy Baseball Thoughts)

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Litle) — Mon, 12 May 2008 13:59:00 -0500

The Counselor is IN:

We are now about a month and a half into the Major League Baseball season. I will start to give my thoughts in my weekly column, Balk. I forgot to take my foot off the rubber before coming up with that name. .

* Most slow starting stars have started performing.

C.C. Sabathia is starting to pitch like the A.L. stud we thought he was. He has his ERA below 6.00. 5.xx is nothing to brag about unless it was close to infinity like Sabathia’s was.
David Ortiz is finally hitting the ball and hitting it well. He is now up to a .240 BA and 7 home runs. Considering that Big Pappy was below .095 batting average a few weeks ago, he is red hot.
Albert Pujols is smoking hot with a .348 batting average and 8 homers and 2 stolen bases. His slow start did not last long.

My main fantasy team has moved from second to last to second place in the last month. Things can change very quickly early in the fantasy season.

* It is time to start tweaking your team. Find those weak links and check out the free agents. You can start looking at potential trades with other teams in your league.

* Paying attention to your team and their needs now can pay off at the end of the season. Many owners lose track of their team and miss injuries and key free agent pickups.

* Texas Rangers Starting Pitching has been good (except for Jennings). This was not expected with from this team (in any season). We will see how they pitch in Texas heat of July, August, and September. Their hitting has also been solid.

* The Rays are at the top of the American League East. A month and a half in and they are better than the Yankees or Red Sox. This will be the story of the year if they can maintain it through September.

* Interleague play is about to start up. I always enjoy the competition between the leagues. You do have to be careful with your DH players in the American League during the play.

* News Flash- Home runs are down this year. They were down last year from the year before and are on pace to be several hundred less this year. On a related note, the average size of baseball caps for players are also down. Hmmmn. I wonder how that happens?

The Counselor is OUT:

NFL Rookie Max salary

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Litle) — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 23:11:00 -0500

The Counselor is IN:

Another NFL Draft has come and gone. There are several more rich young men from huge contracts of the first round picks. The majority of the money is given out to the top of the draft. The number 1 over all pick, OT Jake Long, is now the highest paid offensive lineman and he has not even stepped on the field for practice yet. Teams can not trade out of the top slot because no team wants the expense of the number one pick. This is crazy money for these players.

I believe that a Rookie contracts should be limited in some form of a Rookie Maximum cap. The top picks should get paid much better than a seventh round pick but should not be the highest paid player at that position. This would also help player to get signed and into camp. NFL Commissioner Roger S. Goodell agreed with this idea last week on Mike and Mike in the Morning. I know that the NBA has a similar cap with their rookies.

National Football League Players' Association leader Gene Upshaw does not agree. Below are his comments on this idea.

Every spring, the buzz from general managers is, 'We need to fix rookie compensation.' We addressed this issue by limiting rookie pool growth and fixing the maximum number of years a rookie could sign. The length of contracts severely limits players’ ability to move money into future years. What the media doesn’t report is that the rookie pool is part of the overall salary cap, and a player is only a rookie for one season. Clubs want the players to pay for mistakes teams make in drafting. We’ll never agree to a rookie wage scale in such a short-career sport. (NFL)

If there was a fix to the rookie compensation, then the teams would need to pay their veterans more. The overall salary cap would remain the same but teams could afford to compensate their own players better. This may actually help players to remain with one team longer.

This idea makes too much sense to me. It would be smart utilization of limited resources and cap money. I would think more union members would want to help their compensation rather than a few rookies.

The Counselor is OUT:

Accusations against Clemens continues to mount

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Litle) — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:52:00 -0500

The Counselor is IN:

First were accusations that Roger Clemens used steroids. He testified before Congress stating that he did not use steroids. This was contrary to Brian McNamee testimony that Roger did use. Roger is facing a lawsuit for defamation of character from McNamee.

The latest twist on the scandal has Roger having a ten year affair with a country music star, Mindy McCready. The accusations have Roger starting the affair when Mindy was 15 years old. MSNBC has the story. “'I cannot refute anything in the story,' McCready told the newspaper in a story posted on its Web site Monday night."

Roger is the best pitcher of my generation. He should be a first ballot Hall of Famer. These accusations could not only damage his reputation and affect the lawsuit against him, but they could potentially keep him out of the Hall of Fame. We know that off the field issues can keep you out of the Hall. If any evidence of this comes out, this could ruin Clemens.

Beyond all of that, if these accusations are true, then Roger will be going to jail for a long time. He will have violated a teenage girl. Sex offenders are not treated very nicely in prison. Roger may in for a nightmare of legal issues.

It is very sad to see your heroes fall.

The Counselor is OUT: