The second verse is the same as the first. As we discussed
last week, it’s very important not to get too down, or too high, on guys this
early in the game. Here’s a prime example of what not to do around this time.
As many of you know, little Kaz Matsui has gotten off to a great start, and a
friend of mine is lucky enough to have him on his team. Now, this friend is of
course very happy that this guy he drafted as something of an unknown is doing
so well right off the bat, but he’s also smart enough to realize that he isn’t
going to hit .571 all year. This may seem like a fairly obvious conclusion to
draw, but you’d be surprised by how many fantasy owners stand on the platform
as the logic train passes them by.
So, after that first game of the season when Matsui went 3/3
with a homer and three RBI, this friend of mine finds he’s been offered a trade
by one of his league mates. The deal, that was offered to him mind you, is
Matsui for Bobby Abreu. Once he composed himself and checked his Hooked on
Phonics tapes to make sure he was reading correctly, he accepted the offer and
that was that. He knows that one game doesn’t prove anything, and that Matsui
is still unproven. Why not trade him while his value is high in the eyes of his
league mate for Abreu, a steady performer that he knows will get the job done
and post a the very least a 20/20 season with a batting average around
.300?
What could this guy have been thinking trading a third or
fourth round draft pick for a seventh or eighth round draft pick after just one
game, with 161 left to play? Well, he get excited like all too many fantasy
owners do. He’d probably been in need of a shortstop and had his eye on Matsui
during the spring, and in his mind, going 3/3 with a homer and three RBI in the
first game meant Selig would name him regular season MVP by the end of the
week. The moral of the story is that doing well/poorly in one game, or even
five or ten doesn’t mean a guy will have a great/horrible season. I know it’s
tough to watch your second round pick go 0/8 to start the season while the guy
that got selected right after hit two homers in his first three at bats, but
you must be patient. I must sound like a broken record making such a seemingly
obvious point over and over again, but it really is one of the most key aspects
of doing well in fantasy sports. So remember, Frankie says relax…and don’t do
the “Bands Reunited” performance no matter how much VH1 begs. But that’s a
lesson for another time.
New York Yankees
Last week we mentioned Mike Mussina’s ugly outing in Japan
and how not to get freaked out by it. Well, he did it again in his second
start, and once again I’ll tell you to keep your cool. Moose is sitting on 199
career wins, so getting over that hump and notching number 200 could be playing
on his mind a bit. That answer not satisfying you? Still worried that a slow
start will ruin him for the entire season? Allow me to warm up the flux
capacitor and bring you back to a time when UConn wasn’t the site of Middle Eastern
style riots and Tiger Woods could still win a golf tournament. You see, way
back in 2001, Moose went 1-3 with a 4.78 ERA in April. He ended up rebounding
in a big way and ended the year with 17 wins and a 3.15 ERA (his lowest since
’94).
Detroit Tigers
When you play for the Detroit Tigers, it’s hard to get the
publicity of, well, just about any other human being on the face of the planet
(before this season that is). When you play for the Tigers and hit .240? You’d
get more press working as the personal assistant to the guy who played Steve
Urkel. So, allow me to introduce all of you to man who could end up helping you
out at third base in 2004. Eric Munson did hit .240 in 2002, but he also went
yard 18 times and will only improve in this, his second full season in the
majors. The book on Munson is that he usually gets off to a slow start, and
then comes on strong later in the summer, but so far so good for the 26 year
old. With two homers and five RBI in his first four games, Munson is definitely
a guy to keep your eye on, especially if third base is a weak point.
Los Angeles Dodgers
You really can’t talk about slow starts without bringing up
the man who perfected this art form, Adrian Beltre. Like clockwork, Beltre will
stink throughout the entire first half of the season, then when everyone gives
up on him, he emerges from the All-Star break and plays out the rest of the
regular season like a guy worthy of a fantasy roster spot. However, this year Adrian
must be confused because he’s actually gotten off to somewhat of a fast start
in these first few games. If you ask me, this is just another one of his
tricks. He’s pulled the same scam on fantasy owners for so many years now that
they’ve finally caught on to his game and aren’t drafting him. Don’t let Adrian
stay one step ahead of you and watch him carefully. Should he continue to play
well, snatch him up, as this could be the season he finally puts it all
together and fulfills the potential we’ve all been talking about since he was a
teenager.
Chicago Cubs
Corey Patterson is a guy I’ve liked for a few years now. He
showed he could get the job done last season, before going down with a knee
injury that ended his year prematurely. He’s back now though, and his
surgically repaired knee appears to be doing fine. If he can stay healthy all
year, and I believe he will, a 30/20 season is very possible. Even coming off
the injury, Dusty Baker is giving him the green light to run, which is a good
sign that he’s still capable of stealing bases at a pretty steady clip. Since
he’s only 24 and still developing, it’s possible the guy in your league that
has him sees Patterson as being worth a bit less than he really is. Simply put,
if you’re club needs a boost in power and speed, Corey is a guy you should
consider trading for.
That’ll do it for this week. Keep in mind, if you have any
questions on trades or certain players or what you should eat for lunch next
Tuesday, send an email to <a href=mailto:qwaz21@aol.com>qwaz21@aol.com</a> and your query could
end up in a future edition of Fantasy Spotlight.
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