Footprints in the Snow is FanHouse's look at the paths to be forged by MLB teams this winter as they look ahead to 2010.
Philadelphia Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro made it a point not to bring back the exact same lineup in 2009 after winning the World Series in 2008. He succeeded in that goal by replacing the departed Pat Burrell with Raul Ibanez in left field. The strategy worked as the Phillies won their division and made it all the way to the World Series, eventually losing to the New York Yankees.
During this offseason, expect the mantra to be very similar to last winter. The one position in the lineup that likely will roll over is third base. The team declined their $5.5 million option on Pedro Feliz and will try and find an upgrade in the free-agent pool. If they fail to do so, they can always bring Feliz back to the team.
Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action with a quick nod to what is ahead.
You Oughta Know ... Chris Carpenter may win one of the closest NL Cy Young races in years, but his final start of the regular season will be better remembered for what he did with that bat.
The right-hander threw five shutout innings in a 13-0 win over the Reds. Six of those Cardinal runs were driven in by Carpenter, who hit the first home run of his career, a grand slam, in the second inning. He added a two-run double later.
"That was one of the funner days I've ever had," Carpenter said. ... "I think the only other home run I hit had to be in high school. I was a really good hitter, I guess, but I grew up in New Hampshire, and we didn't see many 90 mph fastballs."
Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action, with a quick nod to what is ahead.
You Oughta Know ... The names Hal McCoy and Ernie Harwell.
Both were honored at ballparks on Wednesday, and their absence from the game will be felt by fans in Cincinnati and Detroit.
Harwell, the long-time Tigers radio announcer, has inoperable, terminal cancer. So the team chose Wednesday night to honor him at Comerica Park, and after a video tribute in the third inning, he thanked the fans:
It's not a terribly glorious week for two-start pitchers in week six (Monday, May 11th - Sunday May 17th) of the fantasy baseball season. With the light day of action on Monday there are only 34 total this week, and most of this week's pitchers are risky picks.
You won't need to set you lineups until 7:05 PM ET on Monday as the only four games are night starts
Must Start Johan Santana, Mets - Monday vs ATL (D. Lowe) and Saturday at SF (R. Johnson) Matt Cain , Giants - Tuesday vs WAS (J. Zimmermann) and Sunday vs NYM (M. Pelfrey) Jered Weaver , Angels - Tuesday vs BOS (J. Masterson) and Sunday at TEX (S. Feldman) Roy Halladay, Blue Jays - Tuesday vs NYY (A. Burnett) and Sunday vs CWS (G. Floyd)
NEW YORK -- Johan Santana was mortified, disgusted. He had just committed the cardinal sin of his profession by walking the opposing pitcher.
This wasn't just any other pitcher, either. This was a pitcher who one day earlier was considered washed up, a liability in his own dugout. This was Chan Ho Park, a player considered even less a threat in the batter's box than on the mound, and now Santana had twice given Park a free pass, piling embarrassment atop humiliation.
Santana could laugh about it later, of course, because on a night when he could barely do any wrong, his lone two mistakes Wednesday were buried in the roar of a sweet pitcher's duel that was as unexpected as it was dazzling.
Did Phillies ace Cole Hamels really build up this much bad karma by simply leading Philadelphia to a World Series Championship?
So far this season, which isn't even a month old, Hamels has had elbow issues, been pushed back due to shoulder issues, been nailed in the shoulder by a line drive and been roughed up for a 9.69 ERA heading into Tuesday night.
Speaking of Tuesday night, Hamels was forced to leave his start after spraining his ankle. Details as to the severity of the injury he suffered trying to field a bunt are unclear at this point.
Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.
Cole Hamels, Brandon Webb, Tim Lincecum and CC Sabathia owners eat your heart out. Relative unknowns -- and likely undrafted in nearly all mixed fantasy leagues -- Ricky Romero and Glen Perkins are straight dealing right now. And after three outings each, it's time to start wondering if the quick starts are not flukey.
From now until the regular season begins, Fantasy Flings is where you'll find interesting story lines about your favorite teams from Spring Training. If there is a position battle, a nagging injury, a comeback story or a youngster making a surge for the "big club" we'll let you know the fantasy implications.
Atlanta Braves Omar Infante and Matt Diaz are popular kids in camp as Spring Training winds down. They're popular not so much for their talent or spring numbers (although both have great spring stats) but for who they will be replacing in the starting lineup if mending time stretches into the regular season. Chipper Jones is nursing an oblique injury and Garrett Anderson a calf problem. Both are expected to return to action this week. If that doesn't happen or further set-backs occur, Infante and Diaz gain some NL-only value.
FanHouse continues its 2009 MLB Preview with a look at the Philadelphia Phillies.
The City of Brotherly Love's long championship drought came to an end when Brad Lidge struck out Eric Hinske in Game 5 of the World Series last October. The city exploded in appreciation of a team that's a blueprint for success in the modern game, with homegrown stars studding the lineup and top of the rotation, and a handful of savvy acquisitions, like Lidge, sprinkled around to fill holes.
Footprints in the Snow is FanHouse's look at the paths to be forged by MLB teams this winter as they look ahead to 2009.
The funny thing about the Dodgers is that it's really, really easy to forget that before Manny Ramirez rode in on his dreadlocked donkey like a free-swinging Don Quixote, well, they were basically just your run of the mill mediocre baseball team.
Ned Colletti was, justifiably, on the hot seat, Andruw Jones and Juan Pierre were gathering larddustballs on the bench, and despite some pretty good pitching, there wasn't enough offense to limp the team towards a .500 National League West-winning record and OMG JOE TORRE FAIL.
But Manny did show up, and he did play the role of hero. The Dodgers streaked into the playoffs, the fans started flocking back to Chavez Ravine in their imitation 'locks and then Los Angeles shocked the world by sweeping the Cubs in the NLDS. Nowhere to go up but, right? Um, actually, no.
Footprints in the Snow is FanHouse's look at the paths to be forged by MLB teams this winter as they look ahead to 2010.
Starting Five
Starting Five
NEW YORK -- 
Did Phillies ace 
Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the 
