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Jose Fernandez has a 2.37 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP with a 21:1 K:BB ratio over 19.0 innings during his first three starts since returning from Tommy John surgery. He was possibly on his way to becoming the best pitcher in baseball before blowing out his elbow, and this is a 23-year-old whose current 27.4 K-BB% and 15.4 SwStr% would rank third in all of baseball after returning from major surgery if he qualified, behind only Chris Sale and Clayton Kershaw. Fernandez’s average fastball velocity (95.4 mph) is a career high, as is his 2.55 GB/FB ratio (that would rank top-seven in MLB, ahead of Felix Hernandez). This has obviously been a tiny sample (and his last start came against a terrible Phillies offense), but Fernandez should only get better the further he’s removed from surgery. He’ll be limited over the rest of this season, as he was only allowed to throw 70 pitches during his last start, and he plays for a Marlins team that’s scored the fifth-fewest runs in MLB (they recently hit Casey McGehee cleanup), and Miami’s bullpen likely won’t do him any favors either. Still, Fernandez should be viewed as one of the five best pitchers in baseball moving forward. He owns a 1.17 ERA and 0.85 WHIP over 145.2 innings at home during his career. I plan on taking Fernandez in the first round of fantasy drafts in 2016.
These card tricks are so good it’s a joke.*
“7 Days in Hell” was brilliant and I highly recommend it.*
I competed in the “Stopa Law Firm” *$10K auction in Las Vegas last weekend, and here are the results, if you’re about ready to get into fantasy football mode.*
Here’s a crazy kick save during a Pan Am Games volleyball match.*
Quick Hits: Albert Pujols had 105 RBI while hitting 28 homers last season. He has 56 RBI while clubbing 26 home runs so far this year...Garrett Richards has a 1.89 ERA and 0.96 WHIP over 57.0 innings at home this season, where hitters have a .178 BAA. Of course, he pitched better on the road last year, so it likely means nothing moving forward...The new Home Run Derby format turned out to be kind of awesome, right? Of course I imagine few cared about it like I did, but when in Las Vegas during that time, there’s absolutely nothing else to bet on in sports (I thought I had it locked up with Joc Pederson but to no avail)...Ken Giles is somehow still owned in fewer than 50% of Yahoo leagues, so pick him up if available. There isn’t a player more likely to be traded in the next two weeks than Jonathan Papelbon, and Giles will become the clear closer in Philly once it happens. Then again, Roberto Osuna and Carson Smith (not to mention Rafael Soriano) are both also available in more than 50% of leagues, so maybe saves aren’t as hard to come by as they are in the leagues in which I play...Kendall Graveman*has a 2.17 ERA over his last 10 starts, a span in which he's been a top-32 fantasy starter (which actually seems low given that ERA)...The Royals have won 120 straight games when leading after eight innings.
Headlines of the Week: Man Drugs Girlfriend To Keep Playing Videogames...Parents Force 14-Year-Old To Live In Woods After Eating Pop Tart...A Man Named Bear Killed An Alligator To Avenge The Death Of His Friend...Mom Crashes Into DMV After Teen Finishes Road Test...Female Driver Crashes While Pleasuring Herself With Sex Toy...Man Fights Cougar To Save His Miniature Dachshund Bailey, Punches Animal In The Face...Hundreds Of Sex Toys Dangling From Power Lines In Portland, Oregon...Mum Refuses To Break Into Expensive BMW To Save Toddler Son From Heat...Miami Man Allegedly Rides Sea Turtle, Spears Shark...Man Wakes Up Every Day Thinking It’s March 14, 2005 And He Has To Go To A Dental Appointment.
Quick Hits Part Deux: Buster Posey’s 63 RBI would be tied for the lead in the American League despite playing catcher and hitting in an extreme pitcher’s park...The Giants have arguably the best infield in baseball*but Angel Pagan hasn’t homered over his last 622 at bats, and his defense has been abysmal. He’s clearly playing hurt...Jeurys Familia went undrafted in the majority of leagues, yet he’s on pace to finish with 48 saves with a 1.42 ERA and 0.95 WHIP. He’s easily been one of the best free agent pick ups of the year...Speaking of the Mets, their home record (32-14) compared to on the road (16-30) is extreme...Moreover, Kirk Nieuwenhuis hit three homers in a single game recently, which are his only three of the season...That’s enough Mets talk, although I will say Jacob deGrom vs. Matt Harvey will be a fascinating debate entering 2016...There have been 10 no-hitters broken up through seven innings so far this season, the most since 2011, which is pretty crazy considering we just had the All-Star break.*
Police Blotter: Michigan Police Hope Squirrel Mug Shot Helps Nab Nut Thief...Australian Fugitive Asks Police On Facebook To Change His ‘Horrible Mugshot’...Man Distracts Beer-Pong Opponent With Gun But Accidentally Shoots 2 People...Man Breaks Into Restaurant, Drinks Tabasco...Woman Calls 911 To Report Bad Chinese Food...Police Charge A Man For Holding Two Deer Captive In His House For A Year...Florida Man Battered Ex-Wife After Accusing Her Of Cheating On Him With A Sex Toy...Man Calls 911, Pepper-Sprays Police Who Responded...Man Arrested For Repeatedly Trying To Tickle Police Officers...Road Rage Incident Caught On Tape Ends In Knockout Punch.
Song of the Week: AWOLNATION – Hollow Moon (Bad Wolf)*
Longread of the Week: The Mixed-Up Brothers Of Bogota (Seriously, read this amazing story)
Quick Hits Part Tres: Clayton Kershaw recently became the first pitcher since Cy Young in 1905 to have 10+ strikeouts and zero walks while allowing no runs in back-to-back starts (which seems absurd)...Glenn Perkins’ blown save Saturday night was his first of the season. He leads the AL with 28 saves...Since an ugly April, Marlon Byrd has had the same amount of fantasy value as Joc Pederson in 23 fewer games, but the former is owned in fewer than 50% of Yahoo leagues, while the latter is owned in 92%...Here’s Billy Hamilton with a sneaky stolen base...Here’s Mike Trout with an impressive walk-off blast...Here’s Nolan Arenado making yet another incredible defensive play...After finishing with a career low .692 OPS last year, Brian McCann is on pace to hit 27 homers with 103 RBI, which would both be career highs...Roughned Odor was sent to the minors with a .144/.252/.233 line but since returning June 15, he’s hit .362 with four homers and four steals over 26 games, when he’s been the No. 31 ranked fantasy player. His true talent is obviously somewhere in between, but as a second baseman, it’s odd he’s still owned in just 41% of Yahoo leagues...Paul Goldschmidt is batting .295 with two strikes this year (league average is .174)...My NFBC team really hopes I’m wrong, but it’s becoming increasingly more likely Freddie Freeman doesn’t return this season...Over his last 100 at bats, Justin Upton has hit .160 with two homers, seven runs scored and 10 RBI, a span in which he’s been the No. 620 fantasy player.
Follow Dalton Del Don on Twitter.*
These card tricks are so good it’s a joke.*
“7 Days in Hell” was brilliant and I highly recommend it.*
I competed in the “Stopa Law Firm” *$10K auction in Las Vegas last weekend, and here are the results, if you’re about ready to get into fantasy football mode.*
Here’s a crazy kick save during a Pan Am Games volleyball match.*
Quick Hits: Albert Pujols had 105 RBI while hitting 28 homers last season. He has 56 RBI while clubbing 26 home runs so far this year...Garrett Richards has a 1.89 ERA and 0.96 WHIP over 57.0 innings at home this season, where hitters have a .178 BAA. Of course, he pitched better on the road last year, so it likely means nothing moving forward...The new Home Run Derby format turned out to be kind of awesome, right? Of course I imagine few cared about it like I did, but when in Las Vegas during that time, there’s absolutely nothing else to bet on in sports (I thought I had it locked up with Joc Pederson but to no avail)...Ken Giles is somehow still owned in fewer than 50% of Yahoo leagues, so pick him up if available. There isn’t a player more likely to be traded in the next two weeks than Jonathan Papelbon, and Giles will become the clear closer in Philly once it happens. Then again, Roberto Osuna and Carson Smith (not to mention Rafael Soriano) are both also available in more than 50% of leagues, so maybe saves aren’t as hard to come by as they are in the leagues in which I play...Kendall Graveman*has a 2.17 ERA over his last 10 starts, a span in which he's been a top-32 fantasy starter (which actually seems low given that ERA)...The Royals have won 120 straight games when leading after eight innings.
Headlines of the Week: Man Drugs Girlfriend To Keep Playing Videogames...Parents Force 14-Year-Old To Live In Woods After Eating Pop Tart...A Man Named Bear Killed An Alligator To Avenge The Death Of His Friend...Mom Crashes Into DMV After Teen Finishes Road Test...Female Driver Crashes While Pleasuring Herself With Sex Toy...Man Fights Cougar To Save His Miniature Dachshund Bailey, Punches Animal In The Face...Hundreds Of Sex Toys Dangling From Power Lines In Portland, Oregon...Mum Refuses To Break Into Expensive BMW To Save Toddler Son From Heat...Miami Man Allegedly Rides Sea Turtle, Spears Shark...Man Wakes Up Every Day Thinking It’s March 14, 2005 And He Has To Go To A Dental Appointment.
Quick Hits Part Deux: Buster Posey’s 63 RBI would be tied for the lead in the American League despite playing catcher and hitting in an extreme pitcher’s park...The Giants have arguably the best infield in baseball*but Angel Pagan hasn’t homered over his last 622 at bats, and his defense has been abysmal. He’s clearly playing hurt...Jeurys Familia went undrafted in the majority of leagues, yet he’s on pace to finish with 48 saves with a 1.42 ERA and 0.95 WHIP. He’s easily been one of the best free agent pick ups of the year...Speaking of the Mets, their home record (32-14) compared to on the road (16-30) is extreme...Moreover, Kirk Nieuwenhuis hit three homers in a single game recently, which are his only three of the season...That’s enough Mets talk, although I will say Jacob deGrom vs. Matt Harvey will be a fascinating debate entering 2016...There have been 10 no-hitters broken up through seven innings so far this season, the most since 2011, which is pretty crazy considering we just had the All-Star break.*
Police Blotter: Michigan Police Hope Squirrel Mug Shot Helps Nab Nut Thief...Australian Fugitive Asks Police On Facebook To Change His ‘Horrible Mugshot’...Man Distracts Beer-Pong Opponent With Gun But Accidentally Shoots 2 People...Man Breaks Into Restaurant, Drinks Tabasco...Woman Calls 911 To Report Bad Chinese Food...Police Charge A Man For Holding Two Deer Captive In His House For A Year...Florida Man Battered Ex-Wife After Accusing Her Of Cheating On Him With A Sex Toy...Man Calls 911, Pepper-Sprays Police Who Responded...Man Arrested For Repeatedly Trying To Tickle Police Officers...Road Rage Incident Caught On Tape Ends In Knockout Punch.
Song of the Week: AWOLNATION – Hollow Moon (Bad Wolf)*
Longread of the Week: The Mixed-Up Brothers Of Bogota (Seriously, read this amazing story)
Quick Hits Part Tres: Clayton Kershaw recently became the first pitcher since Cy Young in 1905 to have 10+ strikeouts and zero walks while allowing no runs in back-to-back starts (which seems absurd)...Glenn Perkins’ blown save Saturday night was his first of the season. He leads the AL with 28 saves...Since an ugly April, Marlon Byrd has had the same amount of fantasy value as Joc Pederson in 23 fewer games, but the former is owned in fewer than 50% of Yahoo leagues, while the latter is owned in 92%...Here’s Billy Hamilton with a sneaky stolen base...Here’s Mike Trout with an impressive walk-off blast...Here’s Nolan Arenado making yet another incredible defensive play...After finishing with a career low .692 OPS last year, Brian McCann is on pace to hit 27 homers with 103 RBI, which would both be career highs...Roughned Odor was sent to the minors with a .144/.252/.233 line but since returning June 15, he’s hit .362 with four homers and four steals over 26 games, when he’s been the No. 31 ranked fantasy player. His true talent is obviously somewhere in between, but as a second baseman, it’s odd he’s still owned in just 41% of Yahoo leagues...Paul Goldschmidt is batting .295 with two strikes this year (league average is .174)...My NFBC team really hopes I’m wrong, but it’s becoming increasingly more likely Freddie Freeman doesn’t return this season...Over his last 100 at bats, Justin Upton has hit .160 with two homers, seven runs scored and 10 RBI, a span in which he’s been the No. 620 fantasy player.
Follow Dalton Del Don on Twitter.*