# MLB: April 2011 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [April 1, 2011, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2011/576712 "2011-04-01T02:42:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2011/576712/81 "2011-04-04T14:30:58Z")
So some funny things from this weekend. AJ is getting praised for what was not actually a good game but one where at least he did not implode and meanwhile Bill Madden of the Daily News is crying “The sky is falling” as Phil Hughes had one really bad outing. He even provides some humorous facts to back it up. After all Hughes ERA “shot up” from 3.83 to 4.19 in the second half last year. Rarely have I seen a .36 rise in ERA = doom. Is there any panic in the Boston papers yet or Madden the lone idiot putting too much on an opening weekend? ---
**Author:** ![storyteller0910](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@storyteller0910](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/storyteller0910)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2011/576712/82 "2011-04-04T14:34:39Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > So some funny things from this weekend. AJ is getting praised for what was not actually a good game but one where at least he did not implode and meanwhile Bill Madden of the Daily News is crying “The sky is falling” as Phil Hughes had one really bad outing. He even provides some humorous facts to back it up. After all Hughes ERA “shot up” from 3.83 to 4.19 in the second half last year. Rarely have I seen a .36 rise in ERA = doom. > > Is there any panic in the Boston papers yet or Madden the lone idiot putting too much on an opening weekend? I don’t know about the Boston papers, but I did see a couple of idiots on ESPN doing “sky is falling” pieces on the Red Sox last night. Seriously, people, it’s three games in April. The Red Sox will be fine, Phil Hughes will be fine, just relax. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2011/576712/83 "2011-04-04T14:38:50Z")
> [@storyteller0910](#): > > I don’t know about the Boston papers, but I did see a couple of idiots on ESPN doing “sky is falling” pieces on the Red Sox last night. Seriously, people, it’s three games in April. The Red Sox will be fine, Phil Hughes will be fine, just relax. ESPN is good enough. I would gladly trade ‘Phil Hughes is a problem’ for ‘Red Sox are doomed’ but I find both unlikely and impossible to predict on the opening weekend sample. I mean I also don’t think Teix is likely to hit 162 homers either. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2011/576712/84 "2011-04-04T15:10:30Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > ESPN is good enough. I would gladly trade ‘Phil Hughes is a problem’ for ‘Red Sox are doomed’ but I find both unlikely and impossible to predict on the opening weekend sample. I mean I also don’t think Teix is likely to hit 162 homers either. 😃 What?! Next you’ll tell me that the Royals won’t win 95+ in spectacular walk-off fashion… ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2011/576712/85 "2011-04-04T16:00:42Z")
I remember when the Yankees started the season 0-4 and everyone was baying for blood. They went 114-44 the rest of the year. So yeah, the first series doesnt mean a lot. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2011/576712/86 "2011-04-04T16:11:51Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > I remember when the Yankees started the season 0-4 and everyone was baying for blood. They went 114-44 the rest of the year. So yeah, the first series doesnt mean a lot. That was such a great year too. But it was 1-4 not 0-4. Also 114-48 or 125-50 counting the post-season. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2011/576712/87 "2011-04-04T17:30:49Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Looks like the Reds are on track, sweeping many pundit’s NL Central darling the Brewers. If Travis Wood is available in your fantasy leagues, pick him up. Kid’s a rising star. Is this advice to be taken independently of your Bengals advice? Is there a personality inside you that can be trusted with local sports information? ---
**Author:** ![Invisible\_Chimp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f05b48/32.png) [@Invisible\_Chimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Invisible_Chimp)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2011/576712/88 "2011-04-04T18:00:23Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Looks like the Reds are on track, sweeping many pundit’s NL Central darling the Brewers. If Travis Wood is available in your fantasy leagues, pick him up. Kid’s a rising star. Lackey looked awful in his first start, I just dropped him twice for Wood. I looked at last year’s stats and Wood looks legit. ---
**Author:** ![LonghornDave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a87d85/32.png) [@LonghornDave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LonghornDave)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2011/576712/89 "2011-04-04T18:37:04Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > \*\*Note to What Exit?: \*\*Jose Molina is slow, but believe me, his brother Bengie was slower. Calling what he was doing “running” seems an overly generous description. Bengie Molina had the most laughably slow looking triple I could ever imagine last year. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2011/576712/90 "2011-04-04T19:26:40Z")
> [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](#): > > Is this advice to be taken independently of your Bengals advice? Is there a personality inside you that can be trusted with local sports information? Ha-ha. I don’t give bad Bengals advice, at least not when it comes to fantasy football. I do pretty well in my leagues precisely by avoiding having too many Bengals players on my fantasy rosters! > [@Invisible\_Chimp](#): > > Lackey looked awful in his first start, I just dropped him twice for Wood. I looked at last year’s stats and Wood looks legit. Wood is legit and he’s only going to get better. Johnny Cueto might be worth keeping an eye on once he gets healthy. Arroyo is pretty good at eating innings and always posts a decent WHIP and ERA. Homer Bailey is still a big question mark and he’s hurt right now too. Edinson Volquez is so damnably inconsistent. He’ll walk three in a row and then strike out three in a row. As I see it, the only Reds worth having in fantasy baseball would be Joey Votto, Jay Bruce, Travis Wood, Drew Stubbs, perhaps Francisco Cordero, Brandon Phillips and the catcher Hanigan. There’s probably a couple more that could emerge as the season wears on, but those are the best of them right now. Interesting. From googling around, I found this: [http://bleacherreport.com/articles/624851-cincinnati-reds-2011-fantasy-baseball-team-preview/page/2](http://bleacherreport.com/articles/624851-cincinnati-reds-2011-fantasy-baseball-team-preview/page/2) and it pretty much agrees with me. And watch out for Aroldis Chapman, he of the 105mph fastball. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2011/576712/91 "2011-04-04T20:09:26Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Ha-ha. I don’t give bad Bengals advice, at least not when it comes to fantasy football. I do pretty well in my leagues precisely by avoiding having too many Bengals players on my fantasy rosters! > > Wood is legit and he’s only going to get better. Johnny Cueto might be worth keeping an eye on once he gets healthy. Arroyo is pretty good at eating innings and always posts a decent WHIP and ERA. Homer Bailey is still a big question mark and he’s hurt right now too. Edinson Volquez is so damnably inconsistent. He’ll walk three in a row and then strike out three in a row. > > As I see it, the only Reds worth having in fantasy baseball would be Joey Votto, Jay Bruce, Travis Wood, Drew Stubbs, perhaps Francisco Cordero, Brandon Phillips and the catcher Hanigan. There’s probably a couple more that could emerge as the season wears on, but those are the best of them right now. > > Interesting. From googling around, I found this: [http://bleacherreport.com/articles/624851-cincinnati-reds-2011-fantasy-baseball-team-preview/page/2](http://bleacherreport.com/articles/624851-cincinnati-reds-2011-fantasy-baseball-team-preview/page/2) and it pretty much agrees with me. > > And watch out for Aroldis Chapman, he of the 105mph fastball. What’s the deal with the catcher situation there? They both put up a good game or two this year already. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2011/576712/92 "2011-04-04T21:11:05Z")
> [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](#): > > What’s the deal with the catcher situation there? They both put up a good game or two this year already. Hernandez and Hanigan are both good batters and are average defensively. Hernandez was the guy that had four hits (including the walkoff three run homer to win their opening day game) on Thursday and Hanigan is Arroyo’s guy, so they always split time, which I guess isn’t really all that great from a fantasy perspective. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2011/576712/93 "2011-04-04T21:13:24Z")
> [@Carmady](#): > > Giants lose 3 out of 4, continue their shoddy defensive play. Cody Ross needs to get healthy fast because Huff is lost in right field. I’m not looking forward to seeing Kershaw or Billingsley again this year. I’d play Nate Schierholtz in RF. He would’ve caught the tie-breaking “triple” that spun Huff around 3 times. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2011/576712/94 "2011-04-04T22:12:30Z")
> [@LonghornDave](#): > > Bengie Molina had the most laughably slow looking triple I could ever imagine last year. Of course, I watched Ken Huckaby leg out an inside the park homer, too. It was like watching a cruise ship race. One of my favourite basebal lfacts of all time; Prince Fielder has hit more inside the park home runs than Rickey Henderson. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2011/576712/95 "2011-04-04T23:23:18Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > One of my favourite basebal lfacts of all time; Prince Fielder has hit more inside the park home runs than Rickey Henderson. That just ain’t right! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2011/576712/96 "2011-04-04T23:59:18Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > That just ain’t right! > :eek: Rickey liked doubles, you could still steal third that way. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2011, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2011/576712/97 "2011-04-05T01:18:55Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Rickey liked doubles, you could still steal third that way. Yeah, but that aside…Prince Fielder…that sheer _mass_…infield park homerun…hard to compute! ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2011, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2011/576712/98 "2011-04-05T01:51:57Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Yeah, but that aside…Prince Fielder…that sheer _mass_…infield park homerun…hard to compute! It makes sense if you think about it in terms of just letting momentum work for you. I don’t want to be that third base coach who has to get him to slow down. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2011, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2011/576712/99 "2011-04-05T03:15:29Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Yeah, but that aside…Prince Fielder…that sheer _mass_…infield park homerun…hard to compute! One of them was when Alex Rios inexplicably decided the ball was dead. You kind of had to see it to understand, or else just know Alex Rios is an airhead. ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2011, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2011/576712/100 "2011-04-05T13:10:11Z")
That Buck Showalter can manage a little, can’t he? Sure, it’s only a few games, but the O’s look good. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2011/576712.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-april-2011/576712.md?page=6)