There is a two-man race for the best fantasy catcher heading into the 2014 season; the battle being waged between the St.
Thomas Vanek
Jersey . Louis Cardinals Yadier Molina and the San Francisco Giants
Buster Posey. You can make an argument for Posey, who has more power and likely
has a higher offensive ceiling, but hes also coming off a bit of a down season,
during which he hit 15 home runs in 595 plate appearances. While Molina doesnt
have the same power ceiling, only hitting more than 15 homers once in his
career, hes hit over .300 in three straight seasons and can run a little bit,
swiping 36 bases over the last five seasons. So, base-stealing provides an edge
for a Molina. Who would have guessed? If you cant land one of the premier
catchers, there are still some solid candidates on the next tier. Colorados
Wilin Rosario has mashed 49 homers over the past two seasons, more than any
other catcher, and hes just turned 25, so theres room for him to get better.
Milwaukees Jonathan Lucroy has raised his offensive game in the past couple
seasons, slugging 30 home runs and hitting .295 despite missing some time in
2012. There are a couple of wildcards at the position due for position switches.
Minnesotas Joe Mauer is headed to first base while Clevelands Carlos Santana,
whose 147 runs scored leads all catchers over the past two seasons, is looking
at either designated hitter or even third base. While that might offer better
longevity, its not as though Santana is going to play dramatically more even
with a position switch. He was a half-time catcher last season on his way to 642
plate appearances, so its not like hes due for an extra 100 plate appearances,
but anything to reduce wear-and-tear behind the plate offers improved potential
value and especially so in the case of Mauer, who has played fewer than 115
games in two of the past three seasons. Some other notables include Baltimores
Matt Wieters, who hasnt lived up to the hype, but does have 67 home runs over
the past three seasons; Kansas Citys 23-year-old rising star Salvador Perez and
the Yankees Brian McCann, a left-handed power hitter, who has slugged at least
20 home runs in six straight seasons and moves to a home park that caters to
left-handed power. Should you be late to the catcher party and seek out value,
Houstons Jason Castro and Washingtons Wilson Ramos are a couple in their mid-20s
and on their way up offensively, while A.J. Pierzynski is coming off two of his
most productive seasons. In two catcher leagues, consider the potential upside
from young backstops who arent yet established. Replacing Mauer behind the plate
in Minnesota, Josmil Pinto hit .342 in his first 83 major-league at-bats and San
Diegos Yasmani Grandal has shown some pop when not sitting out a PED suspension.
The Mets Travis dArnaud and Seattles Mike Zunino struggled in their first MLB
seasons, but both entered the league with an impressive pedigree. Scott Cullen
can be reached at
[email protected] and followed on Twitter at
http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook.
Cody Franson
Jersey . The move - the latest twist in Greeces nearly three-year
financial freefall -- is the first such action by any of the countrys major
sports bodies. It immediately halts all domestic track and field competitions,
including track meets May 12-13 in several Greek cities.
Dominik Hasek Sabres
Jersey . But last years runner-up Jarkko Nieminen crashed out despite
winning the first set against Denis Istomin. Istomin fired 10 aces and won 6-7
(5), 6-3, 6-2 to even his career record against Nieminen at 3-3.
http://www.sabreshockeystore.us/Hoodie/ . Whenever United loses, its crisis. When other top teams slip up, its the
quirky nature of the Premier League. The predictable reaction speaks to the
sky-high expectations for a team proven perennial contender and 13 times Premier
League champion.MADRID, Spain -- Real Madrid beat 10-man Espanyol 1-0 at home
Tuesday to advance to the semifinals of the Copa del Rey with a 2-0 aggregate
score. Having won the first leg 1-0 in Barcelona, Madrid entered the match at
the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium already in control and quickly sealed its place in
the semifinals when Jese Rodriguez scored in the seventh minute. The young
forward continued to win over Madrids fans by chesting forward Xabi Alonsos
precise lobbed pass while on the run before firing the ball beyond goalkeeper
Kiko Casilla. Cristiano Ronaldo was frustrated several times by Casilla, and the
Portugal forward was booked when he tripped Sidnei from behind in the second
half. Espanyol never seriously tested Iker Casillas in the opposite net even
before Victor Sanchez was sent off in the 77th with hiss second yellow card.
Ryan OReilly Sabres
Jersey. . Madrid will play the winner of the quarterfinal between
defending champion Atletico Madrid and Athletic Bilbao. Atletico leads 1-0
heading into Wednesdays second leg. The game featured Madrids Nacho Fernandez
playing against his brother Alex Fernandez. Nacho said it was "not normal at
all" to face Alex, who left Madrid for Espanyol last summer. "It was very
strange to play against one another," Nacho said. "We used to play together on
Madrids (B-team). But at the end you just play the game." Barcelona has one foot
in the next round before hosting Levante on Wednesday with a 4-1 lead from the
first leg. Real Sociedad will look to finish off third-tier Racing Santander on
the road on Thursday after winning the opening leg 3-1.
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