Tanpola Articles Directory

We all know what the Mets got when they acquired Johan Santana this week. They got baseball’s best pitcher. And, the Phillies and MVP Jimmy Rollins are now looking up at their arch rivals again regardless of who Jimmy thinks is the team to beat. Johan is now with one of the best teams in MLB; in the Senior Circuit, he now has the ability to face a pitcher every nine at bats. Hence, Santana’s already lofty draft position in fantasy baseball is now even greater.

But what did Minnesota get besides getting rid of a salary that the small market Twins knew they would not be able to afford after this season?

Carlos Gomez is the player that fantasy managers will be happy to pick up with a low round pick in deep leagues. Gomez played the role of defensive outfielder with a lot of speed in 2007 for the Mets. And, what speed he has! The 22-year-old Dominican is said to even be faster than Mets’ shortstop Jose Reyes who led the NL with 78 stolen bases last year.

Gomez swiped 12 bases in 15 attempts while playing in 52 games and hitting .232 in 125 at bats for New York. Gomez played a similar role to what Michael Bourne, now with the Astros, did with the Phillies.

Gomez is seen to have the inside track to earn the starting center field job with the Twins in ‘08. If he can hit just .250, he’ll be a nice leadoff man that can quickly get into scoring position for the big Twins bats like Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, and Michael Cuddyer. Expect Gomez to swipe 30-40 bases in 2008. We don’t expect he’ll hit for much average, but if he gets enough AB’s, Gomez can add 15 homers as well.

Kevin Mulvey is an interesting addition to the trade and should battle for the # 4 or # 5 starting pitcher spot with the Twins. Mulvey, 22, was the 62nd pick overall in 2006 when the fireballing right-hander gave up his senior season at Villanova to join his favorite team as kid. The New Jersey native has a fastball that can be overpowering and a biting slider. Mulvey was 11-10, 3.32, in 26 starts with the New Orleans Zephyrs (AA) last year in his first pro season. BallparkBob watched Mulvey throughout his career at Villanova and thinks Mulvey’s potential is enormous. Consider picking up Mulvey, especially if you play in a league that rewards strikeouts and retains players from year to year.

Philip Humber, 25, is the most seasoned of the pitchers the Twins picked up. The Rice graduate had a cup of coffee with the Mets in each of the past two seasons when he compiled 13 innings pitched. Humber had Tommie John Surgery and has never appeared to fully regain his fastball which is now in the 87-91 range. Humber’s out pitch is his curve. If the Twins decide to keep Mulvey at AAA this year, teh mroe experienced Humber could be the man to earn a starting job.

The final pitcher is Deolis Guerra. The 18-year-old Venezuelan pitched in High A last year for St. Lucie and probably has the most potential of all three, but Guerra is several years away from playing in the Show and should not be a consideration for Draft Day 2008 unless your Fantasy Baseball League lets you hold a 40-man roster for futures.

http://www.fantasybaseballdugout.com Anthony Wayne is an avid baseball fan. He’s visited the Field of Dream in Iowa in honor of his favorite movie. He has won his fantasy baseball league 13 of the past 15 seasons.

In every fantasy baseball league, there’s always one guy who makes a surprise pick or two during the draft. He’s usually the guy who’s done his homework on Fantasy Baseball Sleeper Prospects. He’s the guy who reads Fantasy Baseball Dugout.

Fantasy Baseball Dugout is proud to present its 2008 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper Prospects. The criteria for qualifying as a sleeper prospect is that the player was not a regular for the 2007 season and that the season was his first in The Show. Most fantasy baseball sleeper players were September call-ups to The Bigs, but some you probably would not have heard of unless you were an avid minor league fan.

#1 — Joba Chamberlain, Starting Pitcher, New York Yankees.

Once a hefty 272 pound pitcher at D-II Nebraska-Kearney, Chamberlain lost weight and was simply dominating at every professional level in 2007. He’s an interesting guy–a Native American member of the Winnebago tribe.

A hamstring injury hampered Chamberlain and he did not make his pro debut until May. He then made it all look easy.

Chamberlain started at Hi-A Tampa where he went 4-0 with a 2.03 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 40 innings while holding hitters to a microscopic .181 average. He was promoted to AA Trenton where he went 4-2 in seven starts with a 3.35 ERA and a massive 66 K’s in 40 IP’s. After three appearances at AAA Scranton/Wilkes Barre where he fanned 18 in 8 innings, Chamberlain was promoted to the Yanks.

You would think that Chamberlain’s meteoric rise would have been too much to put up similar numbers with the Bronx Bombers. Nothing could have been further from the truth. Chamberlain worked out of the bullpen and appeared in 19 games. In 24 IP’s, he fanned 34 while walking just 6 and giving up 12 hits. Opponents were nearly invisible against Chamberlain at the plate with a .145 BA. Chamberlain’s ERA in the bigs: 0.38.

Chamberlain has the makings of a closer or a #1 starter. Manager Joe Girardi is going to be hard pressed to not move him quickly into that #1 starter role in 2008. Watch his status closely during Grapefruit League games. You could end up with a mid-round steal in Chamberlain.

Fantasy Baseball Dugout considers Chamberlain to be a top 20 pick among all pitchers in the 2008 fantasy baseball draft. He will win at least 15 games in pinstripes and will be a dominant strikeout machine with enormous upside potential in future years.

# 2 — Clay Bucholz, Starting Pitcher, Boston Red Sox

Bucholz is the best home grown pitcher from the Sox farm system since Roger Clemens. This guy is certainly no surprise given the fact that he tossed a no-no in just his second major league start last season against the Orioles. He likely would have made the Red Sox post-season roster had Boston not shut him down with a tired arm.

Bucholz was simply dominant in the minors last year and is another strikeout machine for leagues who take whiffs into account. Bucholz averaged 12.3 strikeouts per 9 IP last year in the minors with AA Portland and AAA Pawtucket.

All this despite the fact that Bucholz was not a full time pitcher until 2005 when he was picked in the first round supplemental draft by the Sox. Several teams stayed away from Bucholz because of an April 2004 theft arrest.

The right hander tops out at 95 MPH with his fastball and has a 12-6 curve to go along with an effective change. Most scouts would like to see him rely on his fastball more and it remains to be seen if he can hold up for an entire season as he pitched a career high 149 IP’s last year and was gassed at the end of the season.

Fantasy Baseball Dugout projects Bucholz as the # 4 starter this year for Boston behind Beckett, Matsuzaka, and Lester. He’ll get his chances to impress and will probably be the Sox # 2 man by next season.

# 3 — Jacoby Ellsbury, Outfielder, Boston Red Sox

Ellsbury is another guy who is already well known, yet still qualifies as a rookie. Ellsbury relieved a slumping Coco Crisp in the World Series last year and hit a sizzling .438 in the Fall Classic. This was after hitting .361 in September while playing for the injured Manny Ramirez. Not to mention, a Pawtucket record of a 25-game hitting streak.

Ellsbury hit .353 last year in just 116 AB’s. He won’t hit for much power, but is a force at the top of the lineup for a Red Sox team that will score a lot of runs. And, Ellsbury will help your all important stolen base totals. He swiped 9 in the Bigs last year and a total of 50 overall with his three clubs.

The ceiling is high for Ellsbury, but there’s no guarantee he will be with the club when the Sox break camp. While it is rumored that Boston is trying to move Crisp, Ellsbury may have to wait for a mid-season call up to break the starting lineup if the Red Sox can’t move Crisp.

# 4 — Ian Kennedy, Starting Pitcher, New York Yankees

Kennedy is another Yankee who benefited from exposure in a September call up. He started three games and had a sparkling 1.89 ERA while holding opponents to a .191 BA.

Kennedy rose through the Yank’s farm system like a torpedo last year moving from Hi A Tampa to AA Trenton to AAA Scranton/Wilkes Barre, before joining the pinstripers in September. His combined record was 13-3 with 178 strikeouts in 166 IP.

Kennedy’s best pitch is his changeup which has a nice run to it. He can hit 92 MPH, but is often criticized for a too slow curveball which can bottom out at a middle-schoolish 69.

Fantasy Baseball Dugout sees Kennedy as the # 5 starter in the Yankees rotation in a crowded pitching corpse that includes Wang, Petitte, Chamberlain, Hughes, and Mussina. Kennedy should win at least 12 games in 2008.

# 5 — Evan Longoria, third baseman, Tampa Bay Devil Rays

Another name you’ve heard of, but more likely because of its similarity to many men’s fantasy, and I’m not talking baseball at all here. Longoria was the third overall pick by the Devil Rays in 2006 out of a stellar All-American career with the Long Beach State Dirtbags.

Longoria, who played shortstop in college, is seen more as a third baseman in the Bigs. His lack of speed projects him better at the hot corner where he has soft hands and good body control that will likely push Akinori Otsuka over to second.

Longoria will get plenty of playing time for the Devil Rays and is the favorite to be the AL Rookie of the Year in 2008. Longoria is a .300+ guy with 30+ homers, even in his rookie campaign.

Last year, Longoria played at AA Montgomery and AAA Durham in one of the best farm systems in the MLB. He hit 26 homers while knocking in 97 RBI. Longoria also belted 29 doubles.

The knock on Longoria is that he can sometimes be too aggressive at the plate, sometimes chasing bad pitches. This led to 110 strikeouts last season.

# 6 — Brandon Wood, SS/3B, Los Angeles Angels

In 2005, Wood broke into the pro ranks with 43 home runs for High A Rancho Cucomonga. His season with the Quakes pinned Wood as a superstar, but his stats since, while good, have been a bit more pedestrian. He hit 23 homers and .272 BA at AAA Salt Lake last year.

Wood has power, but also strikes out a lot. He fanned 120 times at Salt Lake last year before getting 33 AB’s with the Angels. Critics site that Wood often tries to pull the ball too much which makes him susceptible to outside pitches.

The Angels still have Aybar, Figgins, and Izturis in the mix at shortstop, but none of these guys have the pop that Wood has. Expect Wood to be the Angels third baseman this season.

# 7 — Adam Miller, Starting Pitcher, Cleveland Indians

Miller has been dominant in the minor leagues, but has been injury prone so be sure to check his status before drafting him in March. He only pitched 65 innings last year at AAA Buffalo where he went 5-4, 4.82.

When he’s healthy, Miller can be lights out. He has hit 97 on the gun, although not as of late. Still, his slider is very impressive and clearly his best pitch. Miller has been more effective as he’s matured as a pitcher and not tried to blow his heater by everyone.

We see Miller as an eventual starter, but he’ll probably start 2008 in the Tribe’s bullpen or will battle the more experienced Aaron Laffey for the #5 starting job behind Sabathia, Carmona, Westbrook, and BallparkBob lookalike Paul Byrd. We’re thinking Laffey will earn the # 5 spot just to add a second southpaw to the Indians’ rotation.

# 8 — Daric Barton, first baseman, Oakland A’s

Barton was acquired from the Cardinals in 2004 in the Mark Mulder deal. After moving from catcher to first base, Barton had a streaky year in 2007 for AAA Sacramento where he hit .293 with 9 HR’s and 38 doubles.

He has no wheels and is not a power hitter despite weighing 205. Recently, he’s been getting more loft on his stroke, but he’s basically a line drive hitter of the Kevin Youklis mode.

A left-handed hitter, Barton will likely be the A’s starting first baseman this year unless Dan Johnson can beat him out which appears to be unlikely. He’s strong and hits the ball extremely hard so if Barton can pick up more of a homerun stroke, he could change his game and be a 20+ homerun hitter.

# 9 — Luke Hochevar, Starting Pitcher, Kansas City Royals

I know, picking a pitcher on the Royals is crazy, but this one is worth a look. Hochevar was the number one overall pick in the 2006 draft. His stats last year were, quite frankly, not impressive either–4.69 at AA Wichita and 5.12 at AAA Omaha.

But, that’s why we call them sleepers. Hochevar, 24, hits 95 with his fastball and has a late-breaking curve that can be devastating. He needs to work on his control and how well he does with his control will determine if he makes the big club in April.

Expect Hochevar to battle Kyle Davies for a spot in the Royals’ rotation behind Meche, Bannister, Greinke, and De La Rosa. Based on his less than impressive minor league stats, you’ll be able to pick up Hochevar in the late rounds and he could prove to be worth the gamble in large leagues.

# 10 — Jeff Clement, catcher, Seattle Mariners

Clement can flat out rake. But, there’s just one problem, the Mariners don’t have an opening behind the plate with Kenji Johjima there.

Clement broke Drew Henson’s national high school record with 75 career homeruns out of Iowa. Clement went on to play college ball at Southern Cal spurning the Twins offer in the 2002 draft.

The left handed hitting Clement stroked 20 dingers last year at AAA Tacoma with a .275 BA. He was streaky last year at Tacoma and his stats suffered from playing at cavernous Cheney Park in the Pacific Coast League. Clement slugged over 100 points higher while playing on the road.

With Johjima entrenched as the Mariners’ catcher, however, Clement will have to get his AB’s as a DH or when the M’s give Johjima a breather. Johjima hits righty so the left-handed hitting Clement should get some shots when the M’s face a bevy of right handed pitchers.

http://www.fantasybaseballdugout.com Anthony Wayne is an author for the Fantasy Baseball Dugout which provides free fantasy baseball information to help you win your league in 2008.

Baseball training mitts and gloves are not new. Their basic shape and design replicate the gloves used by the early Players of the game. When padded gloves made their appearance after world war II, utilizing two hands was the only way to gain ball control.

These padded shells did not offer much if any pocket by witch to trap the ball using the glove only. As the padding in these gloves tended to shift during play, the pocket formed through use would also shift.
Commercially available training gloves include the Kelley Athletics Training mitt, Akadema APG97 Infielders Training Glove, a.k.a. the Pancake; Mizuno GXT1 Training Glove and Valle Eagle Trainer Pancake Training Glove. These gloves share similar geometry and shape.

Using a round training mitt has two obvious advantages. First, off axis catches can still be trapped over any portion of the glove. The rigid perimeter creates a stable base for glove operation as a whole. Second, as Coaches drive grounders to the Player with a baseball bat from 40 feet or more, a properly placed glove will give the visual indicator or a complete circle. This circle is important as it confirms to the Coach that the mitt is perpendicular to the ground. Oblong shapes are tell tale signs that the Player does not have their hand in the proper position. This type of instant feed back allows Coaches greater efficiency in monitoring player position throughout the drill.

Imagine throwing a baseball at a large flat board. If perpendicular to the play, any ball striking the board will simply bounce back towards its origin. This is a great advantage for Players as the ball is in front of their line of site and between them and the play. Now, rotate the board 30 degrees behind perpendicular. Most players not using two hands have their glove in this position as they are reaching out in advance of the ball. With our board, any ball striking will continue its forward progress. The baseball will bounce up and behind the player.

If lucky, the ball will not go too far and the made scramble for control will end in with the base runner only advancing by one. Unlucky Players take the bounce in the face or chest where serious injury can occur.

Several versions of this type of baseball training device have been granted Patents in the United States. From simple rigid materials 4,208,051 held by Thomas S. Robertson 1980 to the Triangle pad, 4,802,669 held by Peter C. Birmingham, 1989

It is interesting to note that under United States Patent 4121824, in 1977 Robert Hirschfield developed what on the outside appears a typical small glove, while the inside is reinforced to impair the ability of the glove to close.

The invention concerns a partially inflexible device which may be worn as a glove by one attempting to increase his glove/hand reaction time proficiency in the baseball skills of catching, fielding and catch/throw agility. It also may be used by an instructor or coach in demonstrating or teaching those skills to players of any skill level.

The glove has the palm portion thereof made inflexible whereby a user cannot flex the palm to catch a ball by squeezing it with his glove hand. Instead, the user is forced to use his free hand to trap a ball between the inflexible palm of the glove and the free hand. The inflexible palm portion of the glove can be integrally formed with the glove; it can be an insert, permanently secured into a pocket of the glove; or it can be an insert which can be easily inserted into and removed from a pocket of the glove.

Summary of the Hirschgield Invention:

Participation in the sport of baseball requires, as does participation in any physical activity involving the use of special techniques, the development of certain fundamental skills. Unless those fundamental skills become “second nature” to the player so that he executes them virtually automatically, and without hesitation or concentrated effort, his level of play will be curtailed.

This invention relates to improving one’s skill in the baseball arts of fielding, catching and the combination of catch/throwing. As will be shown, by using the subject device, one automatically will practice the proper techniques of fielding ground balls, line drives and fly balls; of catching a ball thrown by another player and of catching and throwing a ball in one fluid motion.

A variety of situations arises during a baseball game where those techniques must be executed competently and quickly. To name but a few, an infielder must be able to field a ground ball and throw it without hesitation where the batter, or any base runner for that matter, is running quickly; an outfielder must be able to catch a batted ball, whether in the air or after it bounces, and with a quick release throw to the appropriate base or to home plate; an infielder, usually the second baseman or shortstop, must be able to catch a thrown ball and quickly pivot and throw to effect a double play. A game may be won or lost depending on proper execution.

Accordingly, baseball players at all levels of skills continually practice in an effort to increase and advance their level of play. Correspondingly, instructors and coaches of players who range from elementary school-age children to professional ballplayers insist on the development and enhancement of certain fundamental skills through repeated practice of properly demonstrated techniques. Players and coaches alike have had a long felt need for a training device that would enable one to develop those skills while reducing, if not eliminating, the potentiality of developing “bad habits” or poor skills.

The subject invention, which satisfies the aforementioned long felt need, is a device that provides the necessary means to advance the skills of any player. It is worn as a glove; indeed, its outward appearance may be that of an ordinary baseball glove. However, the pocket (that portion of the glove which covers the player’s palm) and the portion at least one-third of the way up each finger is made inflexible, though it may be shock absorbent. Accordingly, when a ball is hit or thrown to a player wearing the subject training device, he must cover the ball with his ungloved hand immediately upon the ball’s making contact with the rigid pocket, or else the ball will not be caught. In that way the player is properly taught to catch the ball with “two hands”, i.e., to cover the ball immediately upon contact.

The preference for a “two handed” catch exists in virtually all situations — ground balls, line drives, fly balls and thrown balls. Naturally, there are exceptions to any rule, but they are just that, exceptions. Sound fundamental skills require that one be able to perform the basics in a proficient way, and then be able to adapt as extraordinary situations arise (e.g. where one must jump, lunge or stretch in order to reach a thrown or hit ball with one hand).

Even with contemporary baseball glove technology, it is obvious that the advances in manufacturing and function still rely on basic skills to reach peak Player performance. Simple devices that can only function if used properly are the key to any Player success.

Mr. Dowdy is an Official Distributor for Kelley Athletic which is available at http://NW.kelleyusa.com or http://www.hirschgroupllc.com for more news/tips/articles or subscribe to the blog http://hgllc.typepad.com

With the advent of the great American pastime, Players, Coaches, Parents and Inventors have made amazing strides in the development of baseball mitts and gloves. Advancing Player performance at all levels which is tempered by distributed cost are the challenges faced by all.

Many significant advances are protected by United States Patents. Contemporary gloves make these original designs seem obvious in their development. But at the time, these changes were ground breaking.

An early Patent, Ball Players Glove. Although not baseball specific, the abstract gives full detail on what it is used for and whom they are to protect. Filed by Edwin Loucks of New York on August 23, 1887 under Patent Number 368,724. Essentially, this is an open finger glove with leather palm and rear strap with buckle.

The ringing goal for his invention was to be ’serviceable, cheap and extremely durable.’ Here, Player protection while participating in this new game drove its development.

As it has been said before, what is old is new again with time. Even in 1887, cost control for players was in the thoughts of their parents and equipment makers. The best mouse trap in the world is useless if the cost to acquire it outweigh the benefits of having one.

Further United States Patent 1,056,909 in 1913 by Charles M. King of Washington DC as assignor to AG Spalding & Brothers a New Jersey Corporation. In the Abstract, “The object of my invention is to produce a base ball glove or mitt in which the palm portion is constructed to present a more adherent surface in catching a base ball.”

Notice that baseball way back then was two words. But this summary pretty much starts it all; modern age of improving glove technology and the gloves ability to catch a baseball. Here creating equipment to functionally assist the Player.

US Patent Number 01,496,824 Robert F. Nixon Jr. of Philadelphia Pennsylvania took things up a notch with his patent in 1924 by most notably adding fingers to his Baseball Gloves and Mitts Design.

Through the history of baseball, design changes like these have been added to those then contemporary models. Each improvement enabling Players to stretch just a little farther or make plays during the heat of the moment not previously seen.

Another US Patent Number 2,750,594 by Henry Denkert of Johnstown NY added one of the most recognizable features still used in baseball glove and mitt manufacturing today. He created the baseball glove with a pre-formed pocket. His creativity forever solved an ongoing problem. “Gloves of conventional construction take considerable time for the pocket to form properly and since the padding can shift its position, the pocket may not retain its proper shape.” This break through occurred in June 19, 1956

From this point forward gloves look much as they do today. Changes in assembly, materials and processes still add to the equipments ability to function at a higher level then their predecessors.

One lingering question on the mind is would the historical greats have done better or worse if contemporary equipment was available to them. Would a 1924 Major League short stop have the same skill and ability if he was trained with a superior performing glove. Would he have learned to use two hands as well as he did when his glove demanded two hand performance?

It almost seems obvious that the player using a pocketless glove would have a significant in developing the use of two hands for all catching situations. When choice is provided between using two hands or clasping with one, modern players, particularly new players, opt for the single hand solution. Without great Coaching, breaking these habits is extremely difficult and could spell the demise of the Players advancement.

Mr. Dowdy is an Official Distributor for Kelley Athletic which is available at http://NW.kelleyusa.com or http://www.hirschgroupllc.com for more news/tips/articles or subscribe to the blog http://hgllc.typepad.com

Welcome To Tanpola Articles Directory