FREE Fantasy Baseball Guide
05 Jan 2009 |
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Let’s say a pitcher comes off of a Cy Young caliber year and hits the off-season meat market known as baseball free agency. He just won twenty games with four shutouts. He pitched over 232 innings with a 2.67 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP. How much would that pitcher be worth in today’s market?  Just ask the Cleveland Indians. After all, they started this whole mess and it has been going on since the advent of free agency. To be honest, call me a myopic Cleveland sports fan, but, if you ask me, our sports franchises have had their hand in just about everything bad that happens in sports. No bitterness there, eh? But, in this case, it was The Tribe. Our aforementioned pitcher, Mr. Wayne Garland, had this very season in 1976 at the prime age of 25. A former 1st round pick, 5th overall, Wayne finished 8th in the Cy Young voting for this performance and promptly hit the free agent market. This appears to be a picture perfect pedigree for a long-term contract.Not surprisingly, the Indians learned a really hard lesson. Garland pitched just 613 innings for Cleveland over five years of that ten-year contract, racking up a paltry 28 wins. His ERA was 4.50 and his WHIP was an ugly 1.46 for The Tribe. He managed to post a pitiful 3.5 K/9 rate and a 1.2 K/BB rate. With acquisitions like this, no wonder Cleveland teams never win anything. The moral of this story is obvious. Regardless of the money or how good the pitcher looks, long-term contracts can be dangerous. They were dangerous in 1976, and they are dangerous now. Flashing forward to 2009, we can list countless examples of similar free agent disasters. No, I’m not going to bore you with reminders of Mike Hampton, Barry Zito, and the rest of their value-less ilk. You already know enough about them. You also know that every MLB team has their own free agent pitcher sob story. Why do “real” baseball teams keep forgetting that picking up expensive free agent pitching has just as much potential for destruction? I’m not a big Yankee fan, but I am a realist. You play the game by its rules, and that’s exactly how the Yankees operate ... by the rules. The game says that they can spend all of their money, if that is what they want to do, and that’s JUST what they do. More power to them. The real problem for the Yankees is assuming that throwing money at their problems is the solution to all of their ills. Simply, as an Indians’ fan, watching the Yankees dump a quarter of a billion dollars on C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett warms the heart. With a history book full of free agent disasters, how can the so-called Evil Empire expect this not to blow up in their faces? A.J. Burnett and C.C. Sabathia C.C., though is a bit different. He’s a fabulous talent, but he’s been ridden like an absolute mule over the last two years. First, he plowed 241 innings and deep into the playoffs for The Tribe in 2007. Then, the Brewers unashamedly whipped him through 131 innings in 17 starts in 2008. That was an average of 7 2/3 innings per start, complete with seven complete games. By comparison, prior to the abuse heaped on by Milwaukee, C.C. had logged only 19 complete games in 237 career starts. Sure, he put up mind-blowing stats both years – except in the 2007 ALCS against the Red Sox, Yankee fans – but, come on! With a 6’ 7” – 290 pound frame that has already shown itself prone to oblique injuries, how can warning bells not be ringing incessantly throughout Yankee stadium? What does all this mean for us fantasy baseball enthusiasts? It’s simple. We should approach our teams with the caution that so often escapes our ‘real life’ counterparts. Don’t drop too much of your auction budget into over-priced, over-hyped starting pitching. Don’t select these highly risky, dangerous players with extremely valuable early-round draft picks. Approach your fantasy teams with common sense, and maybe MLB general managers will learn something from us. Trackback(0)
Comments (6)
  written by JoeLano, January 05, 2009
Poor CC Sabathia, he actually threw a major league leading 10 whole complete games last season! The babying of starting pitchers in baseball has gone a bit too far. Pitch counts, inning limits...jeez!
CC is the first pitcher to throw double digit complete games since 1999. From 1987 to 1998 at least one pitcher, many seasons more than one, threw at least 10. For the entire of history of baseball before 1987 it normally took at least 20 complete games to lead the league. I know the game has changed, but take the ball, pitch and finish the job if you can. Maybe the problem is some pitchers really just don't throw enough.
written by Brian Joura, January 05, 2009
It made me smile when I got to the site and saw a headline with Wayne Garland in it. Someone needs to do a story with Cesar Cedeno or some other 1970s guy tomorrow.
It seems like the real problem was making Garland throw 282.2 IP his first year in Cleveland, which led to the rotator cuff problems. Of course, if Garland was available today after what he did in his standout 1976 season, we would focus on his K/9 of only 4.38 and his HR/9 of 0.39 and his FIP that was half a run higher than his ERA.
written by Bob Sikon, January 05, 2009
Thanks for the compliment, big o. I think The Tribe might be out of one year wonders ... unless Adam Miller can find a way to stay out of the trainer's room.
Gabriel, can you believe it? I completely forgot about Kevin Brown! Another triumph amongst the history of pitching acquisitions.
written by GabrielLundeen, January 05, 2009
Since when has common sense had any place in baseball? I think the Yankees should sign Ben Sheets, trade for Rich Harden and offer Mark Prior a minor league deal.
You're right about big contract pitchers, though. I immediately thought of Kevin Brown...
written by big o, January 05, 2009
a very entertaining read. hope to see more of your work soon.
i took a hiatus from baseball around 1976 , so i never knew of wayne garland. not that your Tribe needs anyone to put the whammy on them , but : fausto 2008 c. lee 2009 ? do you think that i should be looking for the Tribe's next one-year wonder ?
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Wayne Garland's 1977 afro is so good that it beats out any actor (black, or otherwise) from "What's Happening," "Good Times," and "Starsky and Hutch." Combined.