The Morning Offering: March 31, 2005

Written by The Fool on March 31, 2005

Do you have any idea how frustrating it is to write something interesting and compelling at 2:56 a.m. while listening to the great Willie Nelson spew sweet country lines on “Shotgun Willie”? Meanwhile, he probably had much more weed before recording this album than I had beer before writing this. We’ll see how that evens out in a couple hundred words or so.

Speaking of short term memory loss, The Fool has a fantasy baseball draft at noon on Thursday, the second of two drafts this season. It’s an American League-Only league, with many of the same characters playing that finished behind The Fool last season. Oh, and the one team that finished ahead of us, too.

So this morning, you’ll get a list of American League players who are not yet listed by the Yahoo! Fantasy Baseball system. Yes, it’s an AL-twisted self-serving version of The Fool’s Secret Stash. Consider it Names You Should Know. . . but can’t do anything about if you’re playing in a Yahoo! League.

Also funny – we had to have a way to draft said players if you want them, even though they aren’t in the system . . . so our erstwhile crooked commish put together a list of players you would never draft to use as substitutes during the online draft. The all-star crew: Paul Phillips, Rob Bowen, Chris George (you know you’ve owned him and his 14 ERA), Jason Kubel (star of a previous “secret stash” column), Aaron Rakers and Arnie Munoz.

The Fool lobbied for Robbie Alomar to be on that list . . .

But anyway, here are some American League names to know:

Felix Hernandez, RHP, Seattle Mariners
He’s the top pitching prospect in baseball, so you should have heard of him. But some Rotogods – one of whom I’m drafting against today – have claimed it’s cool not to know shit about guys in Baseball America, so there’s a chance I’m alerting you to some cool young pitcher you’ve never heard or read a peep about. If that's the case, you’re not a baseball fan, but please, keep reading.

Felix Hernandez, the Mariners’ top prospect, is only 18 (though he turns 19 in April), and the Mariners will almost certainly start him at Class AAA this year. But he has gotten better during the spring, throwing scoreless outings in three of five appearances. Hernandez has rocketed through the system, going 21-6 in 34 starts at four levels over the last two years. The Venezuelan has a 97 mph fastball to go with a polished curveball and changeup. It may be a bumpy ride, but this rookie could be electric and make an immediate impact.

Brandon McCarthy, RHP, Chicago White Sox
The White Sox sent McCarthy down yesterday, but he could be in the majors before he makes three starts in Charlotte. McCarthy is another flamethrower who has had an excellent spring, but his chance at playing depends on injuries to the White Sox rotation. It appeared a week ago that he could end up with Mark Buehrle's spot, but Buerhle insists he'll be ready to start the season despite his foot injury. But take a chance on McCarthy, or at least keep an eye on him. The 6-foot-7 righty has gone 3-0 with a 0.59 ERA this spring, and has been a strikeout machine in the minors; in 351 innings, he has 406 K's and an excellent WHIP. Just because Yahoo! doesn’t know who he is doesn’t mean you shouldn’t.

Chad Orvella, RHP, Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Orvella, 24, was one of a number of young Devil Rays sent down midway through March who are better than their “major league” counterparts. You’ll hear from this guy again soon. Baseball America says he could be a closer, but who knows – the Rays need arms, and he has a “plus” one. He played shortstop in college but was drafted as a pitcher. It has worked well; in 86 pro innings, Orvella has struck out 132 batters and walked only 11. That last number isn’t a typo. Though he’s pitched at all three minor league levels, he’ll likely start back at Class AAA Durham this year. . . but he’ll be having fun in the sun before too long. And so will you, if you remember him.

The Fool can't believe Doc Furious gets to have fun with the April Fool's Day Offering. . . . there's just something not right about that.

-- Written by The Fool on March 31, 2005