On Deck Circle

It Takes Two: Player News & Combos

You know the cliche it takes two to tangle? Or what about how all good things come in pairs? No matter which of these you prefer to abide by, you will be informed about two players at every position in this article, ranging from Victor Martinez's injury to Melvin Mora's telling you that he's still alive.

“Backstop Blues”

Victor Martinez & Ramon Hernandez – Two of the top 4 catchers have been bitten by the injury bug and you can’t help but take your frustrations out on your Ace of Base cd.  Both players could see the dreaded list, I mean the disabled list.

“A Thirst at First”

Ryan Howard  & Albert Pujols  - It is unlikely that anyone landed this combination of hitting firepower, but from the looks of it right now, that could be a blessing.  As I write this article on Saturday night, Pujols and Howard have just 4 hits COMBINED.  I never thought I’d say this, but Pujols looks extremely uncomfortable at the plate: That menacing look on his face during every at bat has suddenly turned into an impatient rack of tension; perhaps the same glare fantasy owners are exchanging right back at Mr. Pujols. Still, even the best in the game struggle from time-to-time, so instead of adding Pujols on the trading block, exhibit some patience of your own and ride the storm. As far as Ryan Howard, he’s yearning for that very first long ball and when he hits that out, expect his bat to heat up like Dante’s inferno.

“Second to None”

Chase Utley & Ian Kinsler – Chase Utley, widely considered the best second baseman in the MLB, is just now starting to get in a rhythm. Going into Saturday night’s show-down against the surprising Marlins, Utley had just 5 hits to start the year. No need to worry, though, as Chase will heat up immensely during late April and early May. He can help you in hits, runs, RBI and even a decent amount of stolen bases. A more accurate Chase will be displayed as soon as Howard gets his stroke down.  Kinsler reminds me of of Utley’s second coming: the talent is surely there, although Kinsler’s hot start is sort of an aberration. He has just two hits, but his stats have been padded by both those hits being sent out of the parks. Like Utley, Ian Kinsler has a great all-around game and will look to be one of the better second basemen at a position that will be dominated by #26, Chase Utley.

“MOR-Assured at Third”

Miguel Cabrera & Melvin Mora – We all know that Cabrera is good, but do we all know that he is just shy of 24 years old? Thus far, he is sporting an earth shattering  .571 BA, 2 HR, and 6 RBI. He is the primary reason for the improvement of the Florida Marlins this year and he will ascend to the top 4 outfielders, in my estimation and by year’s end.  Meanwhile, Melvin Mora is mashing many balls (a little alliteration for you). The Oriole is refusing to accept the title of washed up by abusing starting pitching lately to the tune of two homers and seven RBI in just five games. It is certainly reasonable to think that last year’s contract issues with the O’s was the actual cause for a Mora down year, not old age.

“Short Stops not falling short”

Jimmy Rollins & Hanely Ramirez – Maybe you heard Rollins blabbing during spring training about how good the Phillies are going to be this year. Well, I’m not so sure about that, but one thing is for sure: Rollins is dealin’ the baseball all over the field and has made three big deposits into Citizens Bank.. Park. On Saturday he used his wheels to complete an in-the-park home run off of the D-train, who was running out of coal at the time. And Han Ram, what can I say about him other  than the fact that he’s a young stud at short stop?  I wish I had remembered which fantasy columnist on the internet predicted a sophomore slump out of Ramirez because his opinion probably has changed drastically since han-ram has played connect-the-dots all over the field with hits.

“STOUT “ field

Vlad Guerrero & Grady Sizemore  -- You could throw a cheeseburger at Vlad and he’d swing at it. Problem with that is, he would deliver that quarter pounder right down your trachea judging by the way he’s smacking the ball around early on. There is no questioning the talent of either Vlad or Sizemore but you have to like the immediate dividends these guys are giving your team (if you’re lucky enough to own them).  Want some “graded” cheese on that burger? Try this out for “size”…  Grady Sizemore is on pace for 162 homers, 324 hits, 378 runs, and 216 RBI’S… Okay, he’s had just 14 at bats to make those on-pace numbers a bit ridiculous to analyze, but in any case he’s on fire as a legit second round pick.

“Two closers and a little Baby”

Francisco Rodriguez & Joe Nathan – In case you were born yesterday, K-rod and Nathan are the best in the game. And in case you have been too busy hiding your Easter eggs around the house, K-rod has been accused of cheating, pulling a Kenny Rogers with a foreign substance to alter his throwing gas. Although he has 3 saves this week, Krod has been throwing far too many pitches and yielded a scary amount of hits so far.  Meanwhile, Joe Nathan is celebrating the recent birth of his daughter Riley. Not only is a Nathan a dominant closer, but he has an extremely supportive wife who would have allowed her husband to pitch the ninth inning if needed, skipping the birth of baby Riley.  Turns out the Twins didn’t need him for that particular game as they won big over the Orioles – Now we all know who wears the pants in that relationship.

“We want a pitcher notta belly itcher”

Bartolo Colon & Jered Weaver – Bart is making great progress in a return from a partially torn rotator cuff. His velocity is up, evident from an impressive start for Class A Rancho Cucamonga, where he struck out five batsmen and hit the radar at 95 mph.  Meanwhile, teammate Jered Weaver also appeared and dominated Cucamonga, and looks healthy following a recent bout of bicep tendinitis. Weaver should be ready to go in the third scoring period for all fantasy leagues, followed a week later by Bart Colon, barring any setbacks.