Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.
Troy Tulowitzki was the runner-up for the 2007 Rookie of the Year, but he followed it up with a rough 2008. And a rough beginning to 2009. All of a sudden, though, the kid has caught fire. Not coincidentally, the Rockies have as well.
After trouncing the Angels Monday night, the Rockies have now won 15 of their last 16 games. After going 0-2 in the first game of the streak, Tulowitzki has gone 20-for-48 (.417) with 5 home runs, 11 RBI, 15 runs, 4 doubles and 5 stolen bases. Again, that's in 15 games.
It's always nice to know how secure a closer's job is and who's next in line if somebody loses their 9th inning job. The Closer Report will give you that info. And if that wasn't good enough, we'll rank the closers from top to bottom.
As you'll see, Heath Bell has taken over the top spot on this edition of The Closer Report. A few big-name, top-of-the-charts closers from years past have fallen off quite a bit. How weird is it to see Brad Lidge near the bottom of the closer rankings and Joe Nathan stuck in the middle?
It's always nice to know how secure a closer's job is and who's next in line if somebody loses their 9th inning job. Each week The Closer Report will give you that information. And if that wasn't good enough we'll rank the closers from top to bottom.
Here's an interesting statistic. Somewhere between 30 percent and 40 percent of the closers who are listed as the the team's official closer will not be in that role by the end of the season. It's the case every year. Whether a closer loses his job due to injury or just plain can't get the job done, you're going to learn that you can find saves on the waiver wire throughout the season. You just have to know where to look.
Short-term, the immediate consequence is that Brad Ziegler keeps the closer's job indefinitely. And although Ziegler went into Tuesday's game with a 2.57 ERA and gained fame last year by beginning his career with a 39-inning scoreless streak, he's not quite closer material.
A scout who saw Oakland recently said the A's bullpen "is not the same without Devine. I don't think Ziegler's a closer. He's a good trick guy for short stretches."
Ziegler's sidearm delivery makes him tough on right-handed hitters, but lefties have a .4267 slugging percentage against Ziegler over his brief career.
From many other websites, you'll surely find lineup planners for Week 1 in fantasy baseball. I have no problem with that, but it's a week where each team is going to play six or seven games. Just as we do every year, we're entering a season where we really don't know how each player is going to fare. Sure, we have an idea, and we can speculate on all kinds of tendencies. But did anyone see Cliff Lee going 22-2 last season?
The basic premise for Week 1 in fantasy baseball is to just play your guys. You drafted the team and you know who you drafted as your starters. Play them. Doing anything otherwise is just getting too cute, and that's a good way to start off the season on the wrong foot.
Right-hander Joey Devine will start the season on the disabled list after suffering another setback with his troublesome elbow, leaving Brad Ziegler as the A's lone closer. Devine is headed to see Dr. James Andrews in Alabama next week.
"It's been a real rollercoaster for me," Devine said this morning before leaving camp. "I have some ups, but more downs. I'm trying to tell myself it will be fine, but there is only so much you can do. I've got to get it diagnosed and get it fixed. Whether that means sitting out and rehabbing or go to the next step from there."
The tradition in baseball, for the past few decades, has been for each team to choose one defined closer at the back end of their bullpen. Heading into the 2009 season, there is one team who has already intentionally chosen to head into the season with two closers, and they are both right-handed.
Fantasy baseball draft season is coming, so you best be prepared by delving through every major player on each team. Fantasy FanHouse is here to help with a quick once-over.
Meet the... Most average team in the league. It's weird, because there don't seem to be many real weaknesses on team -- but can you really find a bunch of strengths? I hate the term "very average," but this team is pretty close to the mean across the board. As you scroll through ADP charts, you'll find the A's aren't often towards the top of the lists, but they are definitely there. As I said, average.
I got my start in this industry at a now-defunct site called The Talented Mr. Roto. The namesake for the site, Matthew Berry, now does his thing over at ESPN. One hard and fast rule he always lived by -- and I'm sure he still does -- was this mantra: Never pay for saves.
It's just as simple as it sounds. If you play in an auction league, let everyone else bid on Francisco Rodriguez. Your money can be better spent elsewhere. If you draft, just find your relievers in the last few rounds. I'm not as hardcore into the theory, but it certainly has merit.
When drafting in fantasy baseball, I often find rankings are a lot less useful than using the tier system. Simply group guys together with others who will perform similarly, and you won't focus on single players. Being frazzled when that single player is taken immediately before your pick is a good way to ruin your draft.
We're definitely not proponents of drafting closers high, but getting the last member of a tier at good value could work in the right situations.
Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.
It's always nice to know how secure a closer's job is and who's next in line if somebody loses their 9th inning job. Each week 
From many other websites, you'll surely find lineup planners for Week 1 in fantasy baseball. I have no problem with that, but it's a week where each team is going to play six or seven games. Just as we do every year, we're entering a season where we really don't know how each player is going to fare. Sure, we have an idea, and we can speculate on all kinds of tendencies. But did anyone see 
PHOENIX -- The A's don't have co-closers anymore.
The tradition in baseball, for the past few decades, has been for each team to choose one defined closer at the back end of their bullpen. Heading into the 2009 season, there is one team who has already intentionally chosen to head into the season with two closers, and they are both right-handed. 
Fantasy baseball draft season is coming, so you best be prepared by delving through 
I got my start in this industry at a now-defunct site called 
