Surprise!!!

Surprise!!!
Every year a few players start out very hot and every year those players eventually cool off. As the month of May comes to a close, we have a few guys that are still hot and showing no signs of slowing down. A couple of them are no strangers to the spotlight and a couple are just beginning to take center stage. Let’s take a look at the 5 guys that are the biggest surprises thus far.
Lance Berkman
Berkman has been around the game for a while now and has made quite a name for himself, but this year he’s looking to set career highs across the board. He’s currently batting .384 with 17 HR, 47 RBI, 57 runs and 10 SB. His batting average is downright ridiculous and he’s already set a career high in stolen bases. If he can maintain his current pace, he’ll set new marks for HR and RBI and shatter his previous run total.
Chase Utley
Some would call Utley a rising star and others could make the case that he’s already a certified superstar. He’s doing everything in his power to make the latter true. Utley is right at his career pace for average, runs and stolen bases, but his power numbers are through the roof. He’s currently batting .310 with 17 HR, 46 RBI, 42 runs and 5 stolen bases. He’s on pace for 49 HR and 133 RBI, which would destroy his previous highs of 32 HR and 105 RBI.
Dan Uggla
The Marlin middle infielder doesn’t have the experience that some of the other guys, but he’s well on his way to stardom. Uggla is carrying a career high .307 average along with 16 HR, 38 RBI and 41 runs. At this rate, Uggla will set new career highs across the board with 51 HR, 120 RBI and 130 runs.
Josh Hamilton
Hamilton burst back onto the scene last year and showed why you never give up on talent. With his troubles in the past, Hamilton is looking to make up for lost time. He’s batting .324 with 13 HR, 58 RBI and 35 runs. He’s already set a career mark for RBI and is currently on pace for a whopping 174 this season. At this rate, he’ll hit 39 HR and cross the plate 105 times.
Joey Votto
It turns out that the only thing holding Votto back was Dusty Baker. Once Votto was given his fair shot, he took it and ran. He’s currently batting .294 with 10 HR, 29 RBI and 28 runs. He only played a handful of games last year so he’s already setting career highs. At the pace that he’s on, he’ll hit 30 HR while scoring 85 times and knocking in 90 RBI. The scary thing is that I think he can top those numbers. Not bad for a rookie that started the year behind Scott Hatteberg.

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Week 7 Review from Letsgodeep.com

Week 8 Review

A quick glance at this week’s leaderboard shows us that we have a new leader. AllorNothin takes over the top spot this week with 143 homeruns. Mr. Papa Georgio slips to 2nd place with 142 homeruns. #1Philsfan has 141 homeruns, which is good enough for 3rd spot. Dilldocks and bulldogs round out our top five. Let’s take a look at this week’s player totals… 2 players with 16 homeruns 1 player with 15 homeruns 2 players with 14 homeruns 2 players with 13 homeruns 4 players with 12 homeruns 6 players with 11 homeruns 3 players with 10 homeruns 7 players with 9 homeruns 13 players with 8 homeruns 6 players with 7 homeruns 13 players with 6 homeruns 10 players with 5 homeruns 5 players with 4 homeruns 7 players with 3 homeruns 3 players with 2 homeruns 3 players with 1 homerun 7 players have failed to go deep Lance Berkman leads the MLB in HR again this week, but Dan Uggla, who also has a total of 16 HR, joins him at the top. Chase Utley continues to keep pace with 15, while Adrian Gonzalez and Ryan Howard each have 14 HR. Adam Dunn and Ryan Braun stay close to the top with 13 HR each. Chipper Jones, Jason Bay, Josh Hamilton and Pat Burrell all have 12 HR. Nine players have a total of 10 or 11. The surprise of the group is rookie Joey Votto with 10 homeruns. Twenty players comprise the 8 and 9 HR groups. Hanley Ramirez and Brandon Phillips look to add to their totals, while Matt Holliday and Rick Ankiel just look to get healthy. Nineteen players make up the 6 and 7 HR group. Alex Rodriguez returned to the field with a bang and now has 6 HR, but Curtis Granderson has cooled off dramatically and remains stuck on a total of 6. Fifteen players are in the 4 and 5 HR group. Adam LaRoche is having a good month and has increased his HR total to 5, but guys like Travis Hafner and Carlos Beltran are facing a power outage and have just 4 HR each. Thirteen players have 3 HR or less. The majority of the players in this group have battled injuries and their HR totals have suffered as a result. BJ Upton and Koskue Fukudome on the other hand, have no excuses. Our bottom 10 players remain the same this week. It’s depressing to even type their names anymore. If you own them, you know who they are.

MLB Injury Report: 5/25/2008

Injury Report 5.25.08

Chipper Jones Jones is having trouble with his back again and was out of Sunday’s lineup as a result. He’s considered day-to-day. Matt Holliday Holliday was placed on the 15-day DL with a strained hamstring. Andruw Jones Jones will finally have surgery on his knee and is expected to miss 4 to 6 weeks. Brad Hawpe Hawpe joins Holliday in the category of Rockies outfielder on the DL with a strained hamstring. Eric Chavez Chavez won’t return from the DL on May 27th when he is eligible. He’ll likely be out another week. Andy LaRoche LaRoche is off to a very slow start in Triple-A and likely won’t get the call up in the near future. Hank Blalock Add a wrist injury to the growing list of reasons that Blalock isn’t on the field. He’s once again expected to return this week.

Week 7 Review from Letsgodeep.com

5/24/2008

We have a new leader and thy name is Papa Georgio!Mr. Papa Georgio takes over the top spot with 122 HR, just days after our 1st prize deadline. Dilldocks and #1Philsfan share the 2nd spot with 119 HR each. Sultans of Swat 2 and The Hundo’s round out our Top 5 with 116 HR, respectively. Let’s take a look at our pool players…1 player with 16 homeruns1 player with 14 homeruns2 players with 13 homeruns2 players with 11 homeruns7 players with 10 homeruns7 players with 9 homeruns8 players with 8 homeruns8 players with 7 homeruns7 players with 6 homeruns14 players with 5 homeruns10 players with 4 homeruns12 players with 3 homeruns5 players with 2 homeruns3 players with 1 homerun7 players have failed to go deepLance Berkman is playing like a man possessed and has taken over the MLB lead with 16 HR. Chase Utley hangs onto 2nd place with 14 homeruns. Dan Uggla remains hot with 13 round trippers and another multi-HR game leaves Ryan Braun with a total of 13. Adrian Gonzalez is now tied with Chipper Jones at 11 homeruns.Josh Hamilton and David Ortiz both turned in big weeks, but not as big as Alfonso Soriano. Soriano has been tearing the cover off the ball and leads 7 players with 10 homeruns.Joey Votto continues to make an impact for his 1 owner and paces a group of 7 guys with 9 HR each. The surging Ryan Zimmerman leads 8 guys with 8 HR.We heard from Miguel Cabrera this week and he’s one of 8 players with 7 HR. Meanwhile, Hideki Matsui and Prince Fielder hit Sunday homeruns to finish the week among 5 other guys with 6 HR.Adam LaRoche is trying to forget his miserable April and joins 13 other guys with 5 homeruns. We also have double-digit groups with 4 HR and 3 HR. Alex Rodriguez looks to return to the lineup and get off the 4 HR mark, while Jimmy Rollins has returned, but is still stuck on 3 HR.JJ Hardy, Corey Hart and Andruw Jones all homered this week and join Koskue Fukudome and Gary Sheffield in the 2 HR group.Three T’s make up our 1 HR crew. Troy Glaus, Troy Tulowitzki and Ty Wigginton all have 1 HR to their credit.The Goose Egg Club remains unchanged this week. Victor Martinez and Delmon Young are still the biggest busts to this point. Andy LaRoche and Jay Bruce appear close to a call up and Eric Chavez is 2-3 weeks away from a return.

MLB Injury Report from Letsgodeep.com

5/24/2008

Andy LaRoche is ripping up Triple A and it's only a matter of time that he completes his rehab assignment and gets called back up to the bigs. The Dodgers 3rd base position is saturated, but there's no denying what he can bring to the table....He is their future at the hot corner.The hope is that some rest will help and he won’t have to go on the DL.Eric ChavezChavez is continuing to make progress during his rehab, but it doesn’t seem like he’s going to be able to make his return on May 27th.Victor Martinez hurt his index finger last night and should miss a couple of days to heal up.Hank BlalockBlalock had a setback and wasn’t able to rejoin the lineup this weekend, but he could return any day now.Troy Tulowitzki Tulowitzki has begun his rehab and is expected to return sometime between mid-June and mid-July.Jay BruceBruce continues to destroy Triple-A pitching with 3 more HR this week, but his call up may depend on a Griffey trade.

Mafia Moniker Musings 2 from Letsgodeep.com

Mafia Moniker Musings II



The Hundo’s was out to a nearly double-digit lead and hung on by the narrowest of margins as we hit our 1st quarter prize. Congratulations on winning $100 and 4 tickets to the MLB game of your choice!Our next prize comes on July 17th and next time the cash payout is higher. With 40 teams within 20 HR of the leader, it truly is anyone’s ballgame. Good luck to all of our participants.The good news is that The Hundo’s avoided #1Philsfan in the standings, the bad news is that no one is safe from the Consigliere and his friends. Here are a few more names that didn’t go unnoticed. Team Mas – I think you mean “Team No Mas” because your chances of winning are no more.Round Trippers – I think that you tripped rounding first because you’re way behind in this game.Beach Boys – It’s true. We wish they all could be California girls, but by the looks of your score, you have them in your lineup.GoGreen – It’s nice to see someone caring about the environment, but you can let your team know that they can start hitting homeruns because it’s not considered littering the bleachers.Michigan – Wow. Great name here. Lots of thought put into it. What’s wrong? Did you think that Idaho would be taken?Foley Bears – You better hope that your team turns it around like the Bad News Bears because the team is not looking good.Tallest Midgets – Is that like being the smartest person on the short bus?WarningTrackPower – After seeing your ranking, I’d say it’s more like InfieldPopUp.Ducchi – This name sounds too similar to a feminine hygiene product for me.Two Amigos – I think it’s time to bring in the 3rd Amigo to help you get to the top.

Week 6 Review in The All American Home Run Derby

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Guess who is leading the game after 6 weeks? That’s right. Once again, The Hundo’s leads the way in the All American Home Run Derby. The once insurmountable lead has dwindled to just 1 HR as we close in on our first quarter prize. With just 3 days of games remaining before the deadline, time will tell if The Hundo’s holds on to the lead or if we see a collapse like the New York Mets of last year. #1Philsfan is just one homerun back with a total of 100. Mr. Papa Georgio(98 HR), The Shockers(94 HR) and Sultans of Swat 2(93 HR) round out the Top 5 and also have a great chance to overtake our leader.Here is this week’s player breakdown…1 player with 13 homeruns1 player with 12 homeruns1 player with 11 homeruns2 players with 10 homeruns3 players with 9 homeruns2 players with 8 homeruns15 players with 7 homeruns14 players with 6 homeruns11 players with 5 homeruns8 players with 4 homeruns19 players with 3 homeruns4 players with 2 homeruns6 players with 1 homerun7 players have failed to go deepChase Utley has fallen off his pace, but still leads the Majors with 13 HR. Lance Berkman, Dan Uggla, Derrek Lee and Chipper Jones also have 10+ homeruns.Pat Burrell is another Phil that has cooled off, but remains near the top of the league with 9 round trippers. Adrian Gonzalez, Chris Young, Carlos Pena and Hanley Ramirez all have 8 or more.Joey Votto had a 3 HR game this week and Ryan Braun added a 2 HR night to lead 15 players with a total of 7 HR.Raul Ibanez finally added to his total and now had 6 HR. That’s the same number that Miguel Cabrera seems to be stuck on. Twelve other players also have 6 HR.Ryan Zimmerman showed some more pop and now leads a group of 11 players with 5 long balls.We have 8 players with 4 HR, but ARod is hoping to get off this list later in the week.Our largest group is 19 players with just 3 homeruns. Ian Kinsler and Adam LaRoche are starting to show some signs of power, but everyone is still looking for Vladimir Guerrero. His name appears on this list, but I haven’t heard from him in weeks.Koskue Fukudome and Khalil Green finally hit #2 on the year and join Gary Sheffield and Ryan Garko as the only guys with 2 HR.Six players sit with just 1 HR. Andruw Jones, JJ Hardy and Corey Hart are all equally unimpressive. Our Goose Egg Club is 7 this week. Delmon Young and Victor Martinez remain the only active players without a single homerun. Who hits one first? Delmon, Victor or Jay Bruce?

MLB Injury Report 5/13/08 from Letsgodeep.com

Take it Deep: www.letsgodeep.com


Manny RamirezManny is currently day-to-day with a sore hamstring.Alex RodriguezARod continues to workout without any setbacks and should return this week.Eric ChavezChavez could begin a rehab assignment this week and remains on pace to return at the end of the month. Hank BlalockBlalock’s torn hamstring is healing, but he still won’t be back for a couple of weeks.Richie SexsonSexson is currently serving a 5 game suspension for charging the mound on Kason Gabbard.Vernon WellsWells broke his wrist making a catch on Friday and will be out 6-8 weeks.Andy LaRocheLaRoche will continue to play in Triple-A for the foreseeable future.Josh FieldsFields is still in the minors, but is on the DL with patella tendonitis.Jay BruceBruce is now batting .328 with 6 HR, but the Reds would like to see his walk rate improve before he gets the call.

MLB Senior Citizens who have found the fountain of youth!

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Written by Consigliere
As we all know, players tend to lose a step on the base paths when they get older and it’s not uncommon that the power numbers tail off too. Some guys are able to maintain their power well into their 30’s and a few of them are making a splash in this year’s All American Home Run Derby players pool.Here is a look at the Top 5 pool players over the age of 35.Chipper JonesChipper might not be the Jones that hit 51 HR in a year, but he has hit at least 30 on six occasions. He came just one HR shy of that mark last year, but his 10 round trippers this year trail only Chase Utley and Lance Berkman, so he’s well on his way to 30 again.Manny RamirezManny has always been a monster at the plate and has eleven 30+ HR seasons under his belt and 5 of those years, he cleared the 40 HR plateau. Many experts thought that age had finally caught up with him when he only hit 20 HR last year. That was his lowest total since 1994 when he only played in 91 games. With 7 HR so far this year, Manny seems to be Manny again.Jim ThomeThome also has eleven seasons of 30 or more homeruns, but unlike Manny, he has 6 seasons of 40+ and a career high of 52 HR in the 2002 season. He’s hit an average of one homerun every 4 games since turning 30 years old and the only thing that seems to slow him down is the occasional injury. He has 6 HR in 32 games this year.Ken Griffey Jr.The question with Griffey is always, “what if?” What if he hadn’t battled injuries his entire career? Would we be talking about the greatest HR hitter ever? The man who owns the best swing in baseball has 9 seasons of 30 or more HR, but 7 of those years he hit 40 or more, including back-to-back seasons of 56 HR. Last year, at the age of 37, he hit 30 homeruns and proved to everyone that he’s still a force to be reckoned with when he steps up to the plate.Carlos DelgadoDelgado has had 10 seasons of 30 or more homeruns, but the interesting part is that it was in 10 consecutive seasons. You could make a very good case that Delgado has been a model of consistency for a decade, but you can also argue that the end of the streak last year marked the beginning a power loss. He still managed 24 HR and has 4 this year, but he hasn’t remained a threat like his counterparts listed above.