Deep Thoughts by Zak Handy

The birds are chirping...

2010-03-29T19:01:00Z

Well, I looked outside and saw a lot of short skirts and white skin being displayed...this as my man Bill Simmons would say is "Halter Top" season! With that, I began to let my mind wander to summer days and playing some ball with my RHMRBL compadres!

I believe that Lipson has already instructed his butler to take his Primo out of it's platinum encrusted casing, dust it off and place it with care in it's rightful place alongside his gold plated cleats. I also heard he's been getting his driver to take him to the batting cages (the special cages, of course, where they use only official MLB baseballs rather then the cheap rubber ones that must cages use).

I heard that Ryan is in prime form, watching MLB preseason games, collecting the stats and data, putting them in an Excel spreadsheet, you know, just to get some practice for this season. Last report was that he was able to do an entire team, batting AND pitching in his personal best time of 9 minutes and 43 seconds. Great job Ryan...with a little practice, I KNOW you'll be able to beat that!

JayR is in prime form as well, as he's studied every hitter, every stance and every flaw in each of our swings and will use that data to make his pitchers better.

Speaking of prime form, I read a report that Waylen and James Wesolowski have been working hard all winter to replace the irreplaceable one himself, Dave Reaper when it comes to "pops" consumed after each game. Guys, all indications show that it's going to take years of practice, but I have all the faith in the world that you'll be able to do it!

And finally, I recently heard through the grapevine that Moncayo was seen circling the All-Ages clubs, playing his music really loud trying to entice any and all "ladies" to talk to him...the reports of him offering candy as an added bonus CANNOT be confirmed, although I do have it on good authority that this move has worked once for him.

Guys, all jokes aside, the season is quickly approaching and I really look forward to seeing you all again, taking the field with my new teammates and having some good laughes with you all. It was a winter in which I wasn't sure if I'd be back, as we're looking to move further outside of Toronto, but after a long winter of missing baseball, I just couldn't tear myself away from you guys just yet. Although my playing time will be limited this year, I just didn't want to spend a summer without my friends, baseball and many laughes. See you soon!

Zak

2009 MLB Predictions SURE to go wrong

2009-04-02T19:21:00Z

So I'm still reeling from my terrible predictions last year, but I'll give this another try.

Last year, I picked one team that didn't even make the playoffs (Tigers) and another team that got bounced from the playoffs as quickly as a 16th seed in the March Madness brackets (Cubs).

I picked a couple Tigers for awards (Verlander for CY Young and Cabrera for MVP) and both guys really let me down. Let's just say I'll be avoiding any Tigers in my predictions for fear that I was the one who jinxed them last year.

As always, I'd LOVE to hear your feedback and your predictions. So with that, let's go!

AL East:

With the additions to that pitching staff, and a healthy David Ortiz, I HATE to make this pick, but I think the RED SOX take this division. If you look up and down, they match up really well with the Yankees and the Rays offensively, but pitching is where they really stand out to me. I think this is a VERY tough division, and it's going to be close all year, but I think the RED SOX win.

AL Central:

As much as I love my hometown Tigers, and I do love the addition of Josh Anderson and Rick Porcello, I just think their bullpen is so bad that they can't win. I LOVE the Royals this year, and I think that's a team that's on the rise, but I think they're one pitcher and one year away from really contending. Cleveland is the easy choice, and the White Sox are the reigning champs, but I have to go with MINNESOTA to win this division. I know Mauer is injured right now, but as long as he doesn't miss too much time, this si their division to lose. This division is so even that I think every team will be within 10 games of .500.

AL West:

I'd like to say this is the easiest division, and on paper it is, but with all the injuries to the Angels rotation, it's tough to say. You can't lose Ervin Santana, Kelvim Escobar and John Lackey (and possibly Joe Saunders) and not expect a drop off. With that being said, they should all be back by the end of April (with the possible exception of Santana). Oakland has made some really nice additions, and I love the fact that Giambi is back and can be himself again free from the appearance restraints that he had in NY...hello long hair and dirty facial hair! Texas will put up monster offensive numbers, and Josh Hamilton will be even better this year, and Nelson Cruz will be a top 30 fantasy player, but their pitching is down right awful. So, I have to go with the ANGELS, despite their injuries. I love the Abreu signing and he'll really help that lineup.

NL East:

Really fun, really competitive division. Atlanta completely retooled their pitching, and watch out for Tommy Hanson this year, especially if Tom Glavine is going to miss a big amount of time. The Mets look good on paper, but I'm not sold on them. The Marlins are like the Royals, and they're going to be VERY good in a year or two. They have arguably one of the best rotations and one of the best players in ALL of baseball (Hanley)...this is a team on the rise. The PHILLIES though, are the team I'm picking to repeat. I think they have such an amazing balance of power, speed and pitching.

NL Central:

Not a very competitive division, and I know my guys Gerrard and DaveyT will be upset with me for not picking the Cubs, but I just can't pick them. Milwaulkee will regress, Houston will be competitive, but not very good and Cinci is another team on the rise. I love the pickups they made and I think Willy Taveras will win the base stealing award this year. Their pitching is solid and they have a hammer in the bully in Cordero. BUT...the Cardinals will win this division. Any team with Pujols has to be the favorite. Phat Albert will come close to winning the triple crown this year!

NL West:

The DODGERS will win ths division, and win it fairly easy if everyone stays healthy. I LOVE the pitching staff in SF, and I think Lincecum is the best pitcher in baseball. They're stacked from 1-5 (Lince, Cain, Randy Johnson, Barry-I-suck-Zito and Jonathan Sanchez) and their bully is solid. Arizona will compete, and I think Justin Upton turns into a 15/15 guy this year. The Padres stink, and I hope that does NOT translate in to our league...lol. The Rockies will surprise people this year even without Holliday, but the Dodgers are clearly the best team in this division.

RECAP:

Boston, Minnesota and Los Angeles to win their divisions in the AL

Philadelphia, St Louis and Los Angeles win their divisions in the NL

Wild Cards = New York Yankees narrowly edge the Tampa Bay Rays for the AL Wild Card spot and the Cubs narrowly edge the Mets for the NL Wild Card

World Series = Boston vs Los Angeles with the RED SOX winning another World Series (man, I hate saying that!!!)

AWARDS:

AL MVP - Joe Mauer. His team loses when he's out, and when he comes back he (and Morneau) force them into the playoffs. Holliday will get some consideration for this, as he'll continue to build on his impressive resume and keeps the As competitive all year.

NL MVP - I wanted to go with Albert-I'm-going-to-win-the-triple-crown-Pujols, but I think now that he's hitting in the 3 spot, Hanley goes 30/30 with 120 RBI. Did you know he hit 33 HRs last year and only had 67 RBIs...he needs to have guys get on in front of him!

AL Cy Young - Roy Halladay competes for this award again, but falls a little short again. Zack Greinke continues his rise to elite status, but falls short this year. Jon Lester wins this award in a very tight, close race.

NL Cy Young - Lincecum has another stellar year and Johan wills his team to a bunch of wins, but Brandon Webb decides to reclaim his trophy.

AL Rookie - everyone is saying it's going to be Matt Wieters, but I have trouble picking him with all the hype surrounding him. Rick Porcello has the chance to win double digits with the Tigers, but I don't want to jinx him, so I'm staying away from him. David Price will win this award because he's the most experienced and has the best composure. Elvis Andrus will also be in the running for this.

NL Rookie - Tommy Hanson has a very good chance to win this, depending on when he comes up, but if Logan Morrison or Stephen Strasburg sign early enough, this is their award to lose. Morrison is one of the best hitters the world has never heard about, and Strasburg is a beast who hit 100+ on the radar gun 14 times IN HIS LAST GAME alone!

So there it is, there's my picks...any thoughts?

2008 RHMRBL season comes to end...

2008-09-29T19:54:00Z

It's a bitter sweet feeling right now.

My team, the White Sox are the last team standing, the 2008 RHMRBL champs - that feels very good typing that! The bitter sweet part is the knowledge that the season is over, and we won't be playing ball again until next May...ouch!

I'd like to start off by saying thanks to everyone for a fun, succesful and healthy season. It's always nice when us "old guys" can escape the season with just minor aches and pains. I believe the teams were drafted very well, very fair and there was a lot of parity in the league this year - I mean, when the 3rd and 4th ranked teams are battling for the league championship, that tells you there wasn't one clear cut team that was head and shoulders above everyone else. It seemed like every one had a fun season and really enjoyed their teams. I'd like to say kudos to all of you, but more importantly to the guys who drafted the teams, and to the guys who ran the teams. It's not an easy job managing playing time, egos and friendships, but you all seemed to do an amazing job!

I look back, and remember the joy and excitement that everyone had at All-Star Wings when the teams were unveiled, and the feeling that every team had a chance to win it this year. I remember looking at my team and thinking that we had a very balanced team full of great guys, but looking at teams like the Red Sox and they Yankees and thinking "how the heck are we going to score enough runs to beat these guys?" Or looking at the D'Backs and Padres and thinking "how the heck can we match that pitching rotation?" Or looking at the Mets and thinking "how are we going to match that balanced attack?"

Luckily, I had a lot of advice from guys like Bucky, Doc, Jay-R and Jay Gerrard, and I learned on the fly as to how to run a successfull team. We decided early that we play, we win and we lose as a team. Each and every one of us paid the same amount of money and if you showed up, you were going to play if you wanted to...that's what I'm proudest of. In sports, as in any team, you're only as good as the worst player on your team. When one of us was down, the rest of us picked up the intensity and played harder. Rarely did we get down on each other, and that really helped us out in the long run. Every night a different guy stepped up and played the hero.

I was very impressed with a few people in the playoffs, and I'd like to give "shout outs" to them right now: Jay-R, you pitched an amazing game against us, and it's a shame that there had to be a loser, but to pitch a 2-1 game in this league is absolutely insane! Reaper, you always impress me with your skill set, your knowledge of the game and your comfort at the dish. Robbie C, you played hurt and you played like a champ! Levy, you pitched great despite the injuries, and a lot of credit has to go to you.

In the second round, Rocco, you pitched VERY well. We had a game plan going into the game, but your power and effectiveness pretty much destroyed that game plan. Farhaan, to play as well as you did all the while not eating due to religious beliefs, WOW! You earned a lot of respect for your performance. Kerny, you pitched a great game, and it's too bad you got tagged with the loss, but your performance was definitely championship material.

In the finals, well, you can't go forward without saying something about the guy who pitched in EVERY game in this round. Waylen, you pitched very well, and completely baffled us in game one. Matt and Mike Cooper, great performances. Paul So, I never knew you could hit like that...wow!

As for my team, you all know how I feel about you, so there's no need to put it here, as I've sent you all an email telling you how proud I am of us. We really came together near the end of the season, and we really were only getting better as the playoffs went on. Jay-R had suggested that we get the defending champs to come back as a whole unit the following year while everyone else gets put into the draft and tries to dethrown the champs - I TRULY do wish that was the case this year!!!

On another note, as i mentioned above, I do feel the guys who drafted did an amazing job, and they all deserve another shot at drafting a team. Like I said, if you look at the standings, there was so much parity throughout the league, and each team seemed to have a lot of fun. I know there's talk of switching the "drafters" up for next year, and I for one would like to say that shouldn't be the case...give us at least one more shot. Yes, I'm VERY biased because I want to pick again, but all one has to do is look at the standings, the playoffs and the results of the year and you'll see that it was a VERY successfull season for each team. I've spoken to 2 of the other guys who drafted, and they have a lot of interest in doing it again. For those who make the decision about who is drafting next year, I'd like to ask that you seriously consider sticking with the current guys.

Well, I'm rambling, but I'd like to say again, thanks for a great year to all. To the White Sox, thanks for all the laughs, the memories and the pride. You made a first time coach, first time "drafter" look a lot smarter then what I really was. See you all next year...

Zak

What have I learned?

2008-07-30T17:38:00Z

Well, here we are, passed the halfway point in the season and looking at the standings, it’s turning out to be one heck of a season. The Yankees seem to have a firm grip on that first place position, but everyone else is still battling for that second place spot. Since we are at the halfway point, I’ll invite you to sit back, relax and read a lil’ thing I like to call, "What Zak has learned so far…"

What have I learned about the Mets? I’ve learned that Lipson is still one heck of a pitcher, long hair and all. That guy can paint the plate, throw with power and has a devastating slider. Even more impressive, he’s turned himself into one of the best hitters in this league! – Sommer has a CANNON behind home plate…runners beware! – Bobby Hill has a lethal bat, and probably the ugliest, but very effective pitching delivery – DDT has to be one of my favorite guys in this league and Marv still loves taking the mound, pitching well and then never letting you forget about how effective he is, or about the time he struck you out with the bases loaded and two outs to end the game.

What have I learned about the DBacks? Reaper has probably the best slider I’ve ever faced! How that guy can still throw gas, throw that slider, make plays in the field and then down 9 "pops", I’ll never know??? – Billy Lyons throws VERY hard! – Robbie C can still cover ground in CF and rake at the plate, even after a year off – Carli loves to stir the pot, even if it means he’s going to get tossed from the game – Dickie is a great guy to be around, but only in small doses…HAHAHA…just kidding buddy and that Reynolds/Levy combination on the mound/behind the dish is deadly. It’s almost like they can read each other’s mind…great chemistry boys.

What have I learned about the Padres? Biemiller is hitting .722…WOW! Paul So, Steve Miranda and Waylen make for a potent 1-2-3 pitching squad – Roter swings from his A*S every pitch, but he’s the type of guy I love playing with…I KNOW I’m going to get 110% of him on every play of every game. I completely respect that – Matt and Mike Cooper or not Jason Gerrard…hahahaha…sorry boys, had to get a dig in there representing Jay…they do however, make up probably the best SS/2^nd combo in the league – Justin has a ROCKET in CF…didn’t know that, that’s for sure!!!

What have I learned about the Red Sox? AJ, hurt hand and all, is still the best power hitter in this league. There’s no one I’d rather have at the plate in crunch time then that guy! – Desi and St. John can always make me laugh, even if they’re not trying to be funny, great guys! – Rob Cole still has a six pack – Adam Hook is probably the slowest pitcher I’ve ever faced (but he still easily beat us) – "Postie" has to be the nicest guy in the league, hands down! – Wilcox can cover ground in CF and their rookies (Kirsh, Patton) like to smack talk to my teammates (Webb, Vent)

What have I learned about the Yankees? Rocco has really developed into quite the ball player. You’ve come a long way since I first met you buddy! Now about that "Enter Sandman"…- Kerny is one cool cat, and throws VERY hard – Moncayo is always fun to be around – I don’t think I’ve ever seen Andy Dalton smile…I think he’s actually a Terminator sent back from the future. In all honesty, glad to have you back as Prez…keep up the good work – Chick is probably the best 3B in the league and Dwayne has a wicked boat(early campaign on my part to be part of your team outing if you go on it again this year)

What have I learned about my team, the White Sox? Bucky has really worked hard and has become a very good pitcher. Thanks for all your help with running the team and learning how to juggle lineups, half games and still be liked – Godard is like Greg Maddux…probably the smartest guy I know when it comes to baseball…and porn – Vent is always good for a laugh, and loves porn – Andy B gets beat up every game but still keeps playing…you’re a warrior – Zimm is very fast – Webb has great defense and a very good bat – Demsky has the coolest nickname in the league (CornFlake) – Doc loves to try and deceive base runners – James Dean has the coolest real name – Sutherland throws a very good splitter – Brandon loves to play baseball, even after a cortisone shot and Gord can still swing a mean stick, especially when it’s needed.

So what have I learned? I learned this league is full of good players, but more importantly, great guys. I love playing in this league and feel honored to be a captain. I thank every one of you for coming to the park each and every game, giving your all and making my life a little better for knowing you.

Thanks guys,

Zak

Hope SPRINGS Eternal

2008-03-30T18:46:00Z

Ahhhh, I woke up this morning to see the sun shining, the air smelled a little better and the birds were singing a beautiful lil' diddy! Why the joy you ask? Well, it's "officially" opening day of the 2008 Major League Baseball Season. I know, I know - we've already had two games, but when you have to wake up before the roosters just to watch the games, well, that's not "really" opening day. So tonight we usher in a new season, a new park, a new era (post-Mitchell report) and a bunch of optimism.

This is the time of the year that every team has a chance, and every team is still in the hunt - EVEN the Royals...well, ok, maybe NOT the Royals, but even they have hope as they look at the fresh new faces on their team and see a bright light at the end of the tunnel.

Every fan is giddy about their teams' chances, and they feel like THIS could be their year. As I look at the landscape of the game, I see a lot of close races (the NL West looks to me like the division that's going to be the tightest) and I see hope. I see a league that has been under a lot of scrutiny, that has seen a lot of bad press as of late, but more importantly, I see a league that has so many fresh new faces that will brighten up the game. Guys like Ryan Braun, Justin Verlander, Miguel Cabrera, Aaron Hill, Ryan Howard, Cole Hamels, guys like that who the league really needs to market and shine a light on. These guys are stars in the making, if they're not already.

With the Mitchell report casting a doubt on the sport, it's time to lace'em up and start playing, to start focusing on something other then that report, to start focusing on the game itself, the purity, the love that it's fans so admire. If you're like me, Moncayo, Les, you've already done your research, you've done your fantasy draft(s) and you've got a good idea as to who you're really banking on for the year.

This is always one of my favorite days, cause as a fan, I'm just eager to get the game that I love back, to start cheering for my team. Did your team make any moves (I'm from Detroit, so of course I'll be EAGERLY watching to see if the moves "we" made are going to payoff)? Did your team call up any young studs that you've been reading about in Baseball America, Baseball Prospectus...? Are you disappointed your team didn't go after that lefty ace (IE: Toronto - Bedard) that could put them over the top? As I mentioned, this is when every team still is in the chase, so let's get the games going and watch the boys of summer do what they do so well!

Some predictions from me:

AL East - Yankees
AL Central - Tigers
AL West - Angels
AL Wild Card - Cleveland (I chose Cleveland, only because of the question marks around Bostons' staff, and the number of games they've logged last year and the trip to Japan this year)

NL East - Mets (tough choice, I want to say Atlanta, I just think NY will be out for revenge after their collapse last year)
NL Central - Cubs
NL West - Colorado
NL Wild Card - Atlanta

Going to the W.S. this year will be (drum roll please) Cubs vs. Tigers

AL Cy Young - Verlander          NL Cy Young - Cole Hamels
AL MVP - Miguel Cabrera         NL MVP - Mark Texeira
AL Rookie - Jacoby Ellsbury    NL Rookie - Fukodome
AL Comeback - Liriano             NL Comeback - Kerry Wood

What do you think....

Draft Day has passed, my team has been set

2008-02-19T15:13:00Z

Well, it was an interesting day...an early day, but it was fun and if given the chance to do it again, I would in a heartbeat! I'm not going to discuss in what order I was able to draft each of my teammates, but let's just say that I got everyone exactly where I wanted them. Going in, I had high hopes in getting certain players, and I was high on some where others may not have been. I was able to draft most of the players I wanted (sorry Kernie, Danny St. John, Leitch, maybe next year) and I'm very happy with our team.

It was very interesting watching each captain try to determine what players they wanted to play with, which ones would help their teams out, and which ones they wanted to avoid (as in life, there's always an individual or two with personality conflicts, and you want to do your best to try and avoid matching them up. If not, it's a long season, and nobody wants their summer to be ruined by animosity.) Sitting next to Chris Moncayo, we got a pretty good feel for how each captain was drafting, and at certain times we'd whisper or point out players we thought the captains were going to take before they did, and often muttered "shocker" or "surprise, surprise" when guys were taken.

Now, on to my team. Going into the draft, one of the biggest things I was aiming for was drafting a fun team. As I'm going to be spending 25-plus days of my summer with these guys, I wanted a team of guys I would look forward to seeing. Having acquired guys like Bucky, Battiston, Vent and Godard, I have no doubt our team will be laughing all season (with a little X-rated conversation thrown in, I'm sure!) I also wanted to load up on guys who can pitch, and was able to land 7 guys who logged a bunch of innings last year. Another one of my strategies was to draft for strength up the middle, and I was able to draft 4 guys who can catch, 5 guys who can play SS, and 4 guys who can play CF at a high level. As they say, pitching and defense wins championships.

Our team won't be like Chris Moncayos' or Adam Hooks'. Those guys drafted a lot of "big-boppers"! Those teams are going to scare the hell out of pitching, and put up huge power numbers. Instead, our team is going to have to rely on high OBPs and run like hell once we're on the bases. With 8 of the guys on our team with a .390 batting average or better, we should be fine to follow the old "get 'em on, get 'em over, get 'em in" philosophy.

I would like to say "great job to all the captains", and give a big thanks to all the league sponsors for backing the league and making it possible for us to play. I'd also like to say thanks to the executive for always putting the league first and doing an amazing job year in and year out in keeping the league fun, balanced and competitive. And finally, I wish everyone a fun, safe and memorable season. So...when do we play...

Zak

Ding, Ding, Ding...

2008-02-12T03:21:00Z

And we're off! 3 days until the rookie night, and less then one week until the draft. For those of you who aren't aware, I was one of the lucky guys who have been chosen to captain a team this year, and I'm really looking forward to it.

Being a captain is a pretty exciting thing, and I'm really looking forward to the draft. There's some nerves, some pressure, but for the most part, I'm just ready to start playing ball. Somebody said to the captains just recently "Remember, this is just a rec league so there is no pressure. Just 14 guys who are going to blame you if they have a shitty year!!!" No pressure, huh???

On to the draft...who do I draft? Do I draft Waylen, the returning MVP who put up monster pitching numbers? Do I draft Lipson, who may be the most dominant pitcher in the league, and who completely owns me? Do I draft Vent, my best friend? Do I draft Levy, the Playoff MVP? All good questions, and all great picks. There's really no clear cut winner in taking any of those guys!

Seeing how this is my first draft, I've been seeking the advice of a lot of guys, and getting a bunch of different perspectives. Bucky has made a science of the draft, so naturally I went to him for some pointers. Also, I've played for Bucky for 2 years, and if I can be half as good of a captain then the season will be a personal success. Jay-R has a book on everyone in the league, so of course I'd ask for his help. Other guys, like Danny C, Andy Dalton, Kid Vent, Jay Gerrard have been more then happy to give their opinion, and it's all been very helpful. Saturday is the draft, and we'll see if all the preparation and homework pay off...I'll keep you posted.

Zak.

PS - On a personal note, I'm saddened by the news that Jay Gerrard has decided not to return to the league. He may have always mocked and ridiculed me, but he's a good friend and I wish him all the best in his new league.