From the Windup is Matt Snyder's extended look at some aspect of America's pastime each Thursday.
I think we can all agree that it's far too early to start voting upon who the best 2009 players are when it's only the middle of May. That being said, there are certainly some shining stars at this point who deserve some props. Plus, Major League Baseball recently released their All-Star ballots for our voting pleasure -- we vote on who will start the All-Star Game. If that's not important, I don't know what is. Let's take a gander.
Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.
The Washington Nationals will be looking for a new closer as Joel Hanrahan has been fired. He was given the opportunity to close out five games and blew saves in three of those. His ERA is an unhealthy 8.64. The team will look to use a closer by committee approach for a while, waiting to see if injured Joe Beimel can return and flourish.
Tuesday, one day after Hanrahan surrendered a game-losing grand slam, Manager Manny Acta said that his team would now finish games -- or at least try to finish them -- with a committee of relief pitchers that includes Julián Tavárez and Kip Wells, both signed in March to non-guaranteed minor league deals. Once Joe Beimel (left hip flexor) returns from the disabled list in the first week of May, he could either join the mix or claim the job for himself.
Baseball bats have been manufactured with white ash for as long as most baseball fans can remember. It is easily the most ideal wood to be used, because it cracks when it breaks instead of shattering. See the inset picture for an illustration. Evan Longoria, left, is tapping his ash bat on the ground to see if it's been cracked or not. In the other photo, Chase Utley's maple bat is shattering -- which often sends sharp and jagged pieces flying dangerously into the playing field, or, worse, the crowd.
Over the past few seasons, baseball has been doing extensive research on these maple bats, but now a new bat issue has emerged. Ash trees could be in serious danger (via Men's Journal) in North America.
MLB Power Rankings:Where we care what you've done for us lately when we break down the who's who and the what's what in the baseball world each week.
Baseball is here. Only for three days so far, but that's enough for knee-jerk reactions and our collective excitement, certainly. Are the Yankees in trouble? Will Ken Griffey, Jr. lead the Mariners back to glory? Are the Orioles for real? Are the Braves bound for the playoffs again? Will the Marlins manage to save baseball and win the National League East? What happens when Jim Thome and Kyle Farnsworth meet in a hadron collider?
Find out the answers to these questions -- and more! -- after the jump.
We still have more than seven months before the Baseball Writers' Association of America hands out its hardware, but why wait? MLB FanHouse's staff is ready to name the award winners today.
But don't hold us to it.
These predictions are nothing more than having some fun. Think about it; there's two ways to predict who wins the MVP or Cy Young Award: take the obvious guy who's been at the top of his game (Johan Santana, Albert Pujols) or go with a hunch and make a stab at some so far unrewarded talent (Grady Sizemore, David Wright).
Dan Haren has been awful this spring. Adam Jones is raking, as is Chris Shelton. Michael Bourn has been a completely worthless hitter. Of the above players, two have stat-lines that matter, and two have ones that don't.
You see, judging spring training stat-lines in fantasy baseball can be helpful, but you don't want to get too caught up in it. After all, the games are meaningless. Most established veterans are just going through the motions in attempt to get their body ready for the real season. For them, the stat-lines are meaningless. Thus, I don't care that Haren has sucked thus far. I'd still draft him with confidence.
Let's take a deeper look at a when they matter, when they don't, and why.
It has been over a month since we posted a roundtable on the value of the man who used to be the undisputed best fantasy second baseman in baseball. Within the past month, though, things have changed. Chase Utley has recently started playing in Spring Training games -- two games, six plate appearances and nine innings on defense.
Opening Day for the Phillies is two weeks from Sunday. Do we expect Utley to be completely ready for the season by then, and, if so, how does this alter his fantasy value?
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 ... Team that decided not to spend big bucks in the offseason. Reversing course from the normal offseason spending spree in New England, the Red Sox team headed into 2009 looks remarkably similar to last year's squad. You'll recognize all nine hitters in the starting lineup and a majority of the starting rotation. Key acquisitions were made in the bullpen, bringing Takashi Saito from the Dodgers and Ramon Ramirez from the Royals. John Smoltz will look weird without a Braves uniform, but should make a major contribution to the pitching staff when he returns from shoulder surgery. And if Brad Penny can return from injuries to his 2007 form, he should provide a nice spark to the rotation as well.
Alex Rodriguezwill not have surgery on his injured right hip as reported earlier Thursday morning, at least not right away, according to Yankees general manager Brian Cashman. The embattled New York third baseman had a cyst in his right hip, but he also has a torn labrum in the area, a much more serious injury that will eventually require him to go under the knife.
According to Peter Abraham of the LoHud Yankees Blog, Rodriguez has already had the cyst drained in hopes that it will help him regain some of his mobility. From there, the Yankees will pursue a course of rest and rehabilitation and be left to pray that the injury is not so physically limiting that he won't be able to stay on the field and be effective.
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.
Baseball bats have been manufactured with white ash for as long as most baseball fans can remember. It is easily the most ideal wood to be used, because it cracks when it breaks instead of shattering. See the inset picture for an illustration. 
We still have more than seven months before the Baseball Writers' Association of America hands out its hardware, but why wait? MLB FanHouse's staff is ready to name the award winners today.
It has been over a month since 
