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.
As you could probably tell from the parade down Broad Street, everything came together for the Phillies in 2008. Cole Hamels made the leap from No. 1 starter to shutdown ace, Brad Lidge didn't blow a save from April to October and the big three in the lineup kept on churning until the Rays were dispatched and Philadelphia rejoiced for the first time in 25 years.
Hamels, Lidge, Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley will all be in their familiar roles when next season opens. No matter what the Mets do, that nucleus should make the Phillies the favorites in the NL East, not to mention the two steps beyond that, before next season. That doesn't mean there isn't work to do.
You don't need to look any further than Pat Gillick's retirement and Ruben Amaro's ascension to general manager to see how little time there is to celebrate a title before thinking about next year. The Phillies don't need any wholesale changes, but they can't stand pat either. Like sharks, baseball teams need to keep moving or they'll die where they sit.
On Deck is FanHouse's look at the day's most intriguing baseball matchups.
New York Yankees (68-60) at Baltimore Orioles (61-66) 7:05 PM ET
I remember it being early April, 2007. I was just starting out at FanHouse, and I was blogging my ever-loving heart out while wearing some new pajamas that I had bought to celebrate my arrival here. It was then when all of a sudden, a loud "whoosh" rattled my windows and knocked me off of my seat. I thought it was some sort of freakish weather pattern, or an airplane flying a bit too low while landing at LaGuardia.
Turns out there was nothing to worry about. It was just Carl Pavano falling off the face of the earth.
On Deck is FanHouse's look at the day's most intriguing baseball matchups
Kansas City Royals (35-43) vs. Colorado Rockies (32-46) - 8:10PM Est.
Remember earlier this season when the Diamondbacks started out the season something ridiculous like 20-1, Chase Utley had around 14 home runs in the first week of April, and everyone was saying that the National League had finally caught up to, and passed, the American League as the class of baseball?
You aren't hearing much about that anymore now that interleague play has started are you? That's because the AL is kicking the NL's butt so far this season. Only three teams in the American League have a losing record against the senior circuit right now (Toronto, Cleveland, Cincinnati) while only four National League teams (New York, Atlanta, Colorado, Cincinnati) have a winning record against the AL.
The biggest kick in the stomach for the National League? The Royals are 11-3 against them so far this season. The same Royals team that's 24-40 against it's own league. All of which means that if the Royals haven't contacted Bud Selig and asked about switching leagues yet, they should seriously consider it.
On Deck is FanHouse's look at the day's most intriguing baseball matchups
San Diego Padres (23-35) vs. Chicago Cubs (36-21) - 10:05PM Est.
For the first time since 1908, the Chicago Cubs have the best record in baseball on June 2nd. You know what else the Cubs haven't done since 1908? Yep, they haven't won a World Series. I'm pretty sure that this is a sign that the 100-year wait is finally going to come to an end.
Don't worry about the fact that even though they've won seven in a row, they've yet to experience an injury to a starting pitcher the last two seasons (how long can that last?), and they currently have a run differential of freaking +92 on the season, they're still only 2.5 games up on the St. Louis Cardinals.
That World Series is theirs.
Unless, of course, the league forces them to play games on the road in the postseason.
On Deck is FanHouse's look at the day's most intriguing baseball matchups
Chicago White Sox (25-20) vs. Cleveland Indians (22-24) - 8:11PM Est.
The White Sox offense has been struggling all season, but fortunately for them, they play in the AL Central where the pitching has been dominating hitters all season. Nobody in the division can hit. The highest scoring team in the Central is the Detroit Tigers, and look what's that gotten them.
Still, the Sox have been able to hang around the top of the division all season long because of their pitching, which has been fantastic. As a Sox fan I've often thought to myself this season "If we could only somehow manage to score four runs a game, we'd be dangerous."
Well, last week Ozzie Guillen finally shook up the offense by switching around the batting order. Jim Thome got dropped from third to fifth, Paul Konerko from fourth to sixth, and A.J. Pierzynski was moved up from sixth to second while Carlos Quentin was moved up to the third spot in the lineup.
Since then? The White Sox are 7-0, and looking to complete their second series sweep in a row tonight. This time against division rival Cleveland.
The NL East is baseball's most puzzling division almost two months into the season. A mere two games separate the first-place Florida Marlins from the fourth-place Atlanta Braves. You get the feeling that there is a big opening for any one of these teams to take control of this divsion with one really good week.
One of those teams that is a winning streak away from taking command is the Philadelphia Phillies. The Fightin's entered Tuesday night's game with the fourth most runs in the National League, yet they rank 12th in batting average and eighth in on-base percentage. In fact, the only offensive category where the Phils are excelling is in home runs. They lead the league in round-trippers with 64 on the season.
Manager Charlie Manuel is particularly worried about his team's struggles with runners in scoring position -- they're hitting .252 in those spots this year. "Our offense is a little bit different than it was last year," said Manuel before Tuesday night's game against the Nationals. "We gotta start moving our runners more," he added, lamenting the loss of speed that came with the departure of Michael Bourn in trade this winter.
"We're not gonna manufacture runs," said Manuel. "That's who they are. It's not a knock on these guys."
Of course, it is a bit of a knock on his players, and while Manuel might feel like his team is less dynamic, it's nearly as effective as it was last year offensively, and could be even better if Ryan Howard could make more consistent contact and get his average above the Mendoza Line (he already has three strikeouts today). As for the RISP thing, the Phillies only hit .259 in those spots last year, yet they still led the National League in runs. Why? Because they hit a ton of home runs and extra-base hits. Even though Manuel might not realize it, the big fly might be the best thing his team has going for it.
On Deck is FanHouse's look at the day's most intriguing baseball matchups
Kansas City Royals (5-2) vs. New York Yankees (4-4) - 8:10PM Est.
The first week and a half of the baseball season has been somewhat odd. The Tigers are 0-7, the Orioles are 6-1, and even the Royals have gotten off to a 5-2 start to the season. Which one of those three teams is more likely to maintain it's current pace? I'd have to say the Royals. The Tigers are in a bit of trouble, but there's still plenty of time for the team to rebound and get back in the AL Central race, and I'm just not convinced that the Orioles have enough talent to stay ahead of the Yankees and Red Sox for six more months. The Royals, on the other hand, have a lot of good young talent and a pitching staff that's pretty underrated. Are they going to stay atop the AL Central all season? I don't know, but they aren't going to go away quietly either. Zack Greinke will be getting the start for Kansas City tonight, and he'll look to continue the performance he gave against the Tigers last week. Greinke went 7 innings and allowed only one run in the victory over Detroit, and tonight he'll be facing a Yankees lineup that's missing both Derek Jeter and now Jorge Posada. Of course, Zack is 1-2 with an 8.22 ERA lifetime against the Bombers. The Yanks will counter with Ian Kennedy, who got bombed in his first start. Kennedy allowed 6 runs in only 2 innings against Tampa last week. He's made one start against the Royals in his career, allowing two runs and five hits, but didn't pick up the decision in the Yankees victory.
It's been a pretty great spring for pranks this season, with my personal favorite being the Phillies somehow convincing Kyle Kendrick he'd actually been traded to Japan. This week it was the Chicago Cubs getting in on the act, as they played a cruel trick on their strength coach, Tim Buss.
When the Cubs began practice in the morning, Aramis Ramirezpointed to a wrecked '95 Nissan Sentra near the Cubs bullpen and asked: "Hey 'Bussy,' what's your car doing on the ramp?"
Buss looked over at the wreck and replied: "That's not my car."
But then Buss did a double take.
"Dude," he said to Ramirez. "That's my car!"
Buss soon discovered his car was demolished beyond recognition, but this was no ordinary crime. The car windows all had been smashed in, the front, back and sides all were severely dented and the smoking guns-a couple of baseball bats and balls-were strategically placed in the windshield.
Jon Lieber, Kerry Wood, and Ryan Dempster then continued playing dumb even as Buss figured out that it was the pitchers who had destroyed his car. What upset Buss the most about it? It wasn't even his car. It was his wife's. So not only was he out a car, but he wasn't going to be getting any love at home either.
The Cubs then finished their workout and left Buss twisting in the wind before Lieber told him to "quit pouting" and follow him to the weight room. Once they got there, Buss saw the new $25,000 Nissan Xterra the players had bought for him.
Then as Buss thanked them and admired his new car, they destroyed that one too. Okay, no they didn't, but they should have. That would have been hilarious.
Footprints in the Snow
Our MLB editor provides weekly dispatches from major league games in 
It's been a pretty great spring for pranks this season, with my personal favorite being the Phillies somehow convincing 
