Gio Gonzalez – Fantasy Baseball Minor League Sleepers, Part 3 of 5

Gio Gonzalez is one of my top picks to have a major impact in fantasy baseball in 2007 the way Tim Lincecum or Yovai Gallardo did last year. Make no mistake, Gio Gonzalez isn’t as good as Lincecum or Gallardo in the short term, long term or ever. He is however the most elite of the 5 deep sleepers that I’ll be covering in the series and Minor League Baseball has him ranked 24^th on their Top 50 list.

He threw 150 innings last year and 154.2 in 2006 both at AA. His base on balls went from 81 in 2006 down to 57 this last season and his Ks went from 166 to 185 in essentially the same amount of work. That’s roughly a 2.5 per 9 total improvement between both categories. His 11 Ks per 9 should maintain in the 8 K per 9 range once he finally gets a crack at the majors. Gonzalez also boasted a paltry .216 BA against last year.

He just turned 22 this fall and once he arrives will benefit from the White Sox bullpen. It appears that he has little else to prove in the minors so he’s one to watch in spring training. I’d expect something like a pace for 180 Ks, low to mid 4 ERA, low to mid 1.3 WHIP and 14-16 wins projected over the course of a 34 start 220 inning season. There’s no way they’ll let him throw that much during the regular season, especially since the Sox have realistic playoff potential. So look for Gonzalez to pitch out of the bullpen for a stretch at some point. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in the rotation in April and would be shocked if he wasn’t up by June at the latest.

In 2008 I think Gio Gonzalez will be nice middle of the rotation player in larger fantasy baseball formats like the NFBC and in smaller 10 and 12 team formats he’ll make for a nice spot starter with solid keeper potential.

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Johnny Cueto – Fantasy Baseball Minor League Sleepers, Part 1 of 5
Wladimir Balentien – Fantasy Baseball Minor League Sleepers, Part 2 of 5
Eric Patterson – Fantasy Baseball Minor League Sleepers, Part 4 of 5
Wade Davis – Fantasy Baseball Minor League Sleepers, Part 5 of 5

Wladimir Balentien – Fantasy Baseball Minor League Sleepers, Part 2 of 5

Adam Jones has been considered the better Seattle outfield prospect but I’m not so sure – sometimes you just need to look at the numbers and forget about Jones’ pedigree and that many consider Wladimir Balentien “raw”. For starters he was named the Pacific Coast League rookie of the year – sounds pretty elite to me!

In 2006 Balentien hit 22 HRs with 14 SBs in 444 ABs and entered the season at 21 in AA. The downside is that he only hit .230 with 140 Ks – I guess that’s where the “raw” label comes in. Dating back to 2001 he’s always displayed 30 HR power projected over a 550-600 AB season with a high .290 BA and a useful number of steals.

At AAA in 2007 he cut the Ks down to 105 in 477 ABs and once again cracked .290 average – suggesting he learned something about hitting. PCL is widely considered a hitters league but the drop in Ks tells me he’s developing patience at the plate. Wladimir also hit 24 HRs and stole 15 bases.

I think he’ll get a shot in the bigs this year as he’ll turn 24 in July and has little else to prove in the minors. I would expect his average to struggling for a year or two while he adjusts but the 30 HR power isn’t going anywhere. Stolen bases are key when counting on rookies for fantasy contributions. Even if his power and other offensive numbers fall off sharply, 15 steals over the course of a full season makes him a useful player with very high value considering where you’d be able to pick him up. I’d expect something like a .250 BA, 25-30 HR and 12-18 steal type pace once he gets called with upside from there. Considering the fact that he should be available off the wire in most fantasy baseball leagues there could be some real value in 2008 with Wladimir Balentien.

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Johnny Cueto – Fantasy Baseball Minor League Sleepers, Part 1 of 5
Gio Gonzalez – Fantasy Baseball Minor League Sleepers, Part 3 of 5
Eric Patterson – Fantasy Baseball Minor League Sleepers, Part 4 of 5
Wade Davis – Fantasy Baseball Minor League Sleepers, Part 5 of 5

Baseball Card Storage Tips – Part 4 of 4, Crates

A nice sturdy plastic crate is essential for storing your cards long term. Of course if your baseball card collection is valuable enough a fire proof safe would be ideal. I found the crate pictured to the left at Office Max for something like $30. It’s air tight as it has a foam rubber ridge around the bottom of the lid and locking clamps on both sides. I wouldn’t trust it in a deep flood or fire but as protection from variations in humidity and temperature I think this is a great way to protect your baseball cards that won’t cost a lot either.

Baseball Card Storage Tips – Part 1 of 4, Sleeves
Baseball Card Storage Tips – Part 2 of 4, Toploaders
Baseball Card Storage Tips – Part 3 of 4, Boxes

More Baseball Card Display and Storage Tips

Johnny Cueto – Fantasy Baseball Minor League Sleepers, Part 1 of 5

This is the first installment covering 5 minor league baseball players that I think have a great chance to have an impact this year in fantasy baseball. I’m not sure if any of them will start the season in the bigs but eventually I think they’ll all make it. As such they’re probably only draftable in the deepest of fantasy leagues and guys to monitor in shallow leagues.

Homer Bailey and Jay Bruce have all of the limelight as far as Cincinnati Reds prospects are concerned but I think Cueto may actually have the best value this year. He struck out 170 in 161 innings last year which is better than the 9K/9 that I like and was 6th most in the minors – remember, K rates do translate well to the big leagues. His 3.07 ERA and 1.11 WHIP were also excellent.

His last stop was AAA where he struck out 77 in 61 innings with only 11 walks which was the best for both ratios in three separate stops in 2007. In other words, Cueto not only adjusted to the competition, he actually outperformed it. This sort of suggests that he may have been bored and under challenged at the lower levels.

It’s his 34 walks in 161 that most impresses me and suggests Cueto’s ready to shutdown major league bats. Some guys rack up big Ks with high 90s stuff which masks a lack of command and high walk rate – see Homer Bailey. It can sometimes take a little longer for these guys to develop. Cueto’s low walk rate suggests he knows how to pitch and not just throw – and for the record he does hit the mid-90s. He also gave up a fair number of hits which I actually view as a positive – it shows he knows how to pitch to contact. Plus numerous studies (go read Moneyball) show that pitchers have little control over their hit rate (and therefore ERA and WHIP), the addition of a major league infield could really benefit him.

MiLB.com has him ranked as the 47th best prospect in the minors but I like him to outperform that real soon. Johnny Cueto is someone to watch closely in spring training as I think he has a shot to win a job with the Reds. In deeper fantasy baseball leagues and keeper leagues you need to find a spot for Cueto sooner rather than later.

Wladimir Balentien – Fantasy Baseball Minor League Sleepers, Part 2 of 5
Gio Gonzalez – Fantasy Baseball Minor League Sleepers, Part 3 of 5
Eric Patterson – Fantasy Baseball Minor League Sleepers, Part 4 of 5
Wade Davis – Fantasy Baseball Minor League Sleepers, Part 5 of 5

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Carl Crawford Autographed Fleer Patchworks Cards – I Want Them!

Carl Crawford is one of my favorite players and does justice for my fantasy baseball teams every year. I came across the 2005 Fleer Patchworks cards last year and started to collect them. They come in gold, silver and copper versions – the gold cards are number to 49 and the other cards in progressively higher quantities. I really think many of the autographed baseball cards these days represent great value, usually under $20. Thanks to an alter email I setup on my eBay account I get pinged every time a new one goes up for auction. So far I have 7 of the 49 in the collection – if you come across any Carl Crawford autographed cards, drop me a line, I’d love to make an offer.

Shop for Carl Crawford baseball cards on eBay!

Baseball Card Storage Tips – Part 3 of 4, Boxes

Corrugated cardboard storage boxes are great for safely storing your baseball cards. They come in sizes that will accommodate a variety of quantities and are available for singles, toploaders and graded cards. Some people prefer the clear plastic cases as a way to store their cards, however I believe the cardboard does a much better job of cushioning the cards in the event of rough handling or an accident – say moving. With all of the breakthroughs in baseball card storage and preservation they may seem a bit crude but I believe the are highly effective, economical and readily available way to protect and preserve your cards.

Get card storage boxes for your baseball cards on eBay!

Baseball Card Storage Tips – Part 1 of 4, Sleeves
Baseball Card Storage Tips – Part 2 of 4, Toploaders
Baseball Card Storage Tips – Part 4 of 4, Crates

More Baseball Card Display and Storage Tips

Baseball Card Display Case Project Update

I’ve just updated my site www.BaseballCardDispalyCase.com with updates on the project. I’ve just completed the final full scale mock up and am waiting for a project quote and design ideas from a local woodworker. The pic to the left shows off some of my PSA graded T206s being displayed in my office in the display case mock up. The update covers the original layout that would accommodate 30 baseball cards, the first design sketch on scrap paper, 3D renderings of the individual pieces of the display case, the trial of the shelving and the final mock up. Check back here or at the site for more updates on the ultimate display case for your baseball cards!