Undervalued – SP CC Sabathia: With the emphasis in most fantasy leagues focusing on securing premium hitters early, it comes as no surprise that Sabathia is falling into the early mid-rounds of fantasy drafts. However, his current overall ADP of 60 (15th amongst starting pitchers) still is alarming. The veteran has lost a couple of MPH off his fastball, but still managed to post a stellar 1.12 WHIP and win 15 games a year ago. Concerns over elbow issues that cost him time a year ago are justified as is the fact he’s had 12 seasons of 180+ innings. If he winds up being your #2 fantasy starter you’re in great shape. He’s still a top 10 option on our board.

Overvalued – RP Mariano Rivera: There’s no question that the Yankees’ longtime closer is sure-fire, first-ballot Hall of Famer.  A major knee injury cost him a good part of his 2012 season and many were surprised to see the 43-year old come back.  Like most of his teammates on the 2013 edition of the Yankees, Rivera is far past his prime. With great value always available in the later rounds and even off waivers with relief pitchers there’s no way we can endorse making him a top 100 pick and 7th overall player at  the position to go off the board, which is where his current ADP suggests he’ll be going.

Sleeper – OF Brett Gardner: After missing nearly his entire 2012 campaign with lingering elbow issues, Garnder has slipped the minds of many owners entering this year’s drafts/auctions. He was on the radar as a nice sleeper pick before Curtis Granderson went down and now his value rises even further. Don’t forget he averaged 45 steal per 150 games in the previous four seasons before last year’s misfortunes. His contact rate (90%) suggests a good chance he’ll improve his average (career .265 hitter) and produce a solid OBP which will lead to 80-90 runs atop the Yankees lineup.

Bust – 3B Alex Rodriguez: Limited to just 221 games over the past two years, the 37-year old’s status for a return this season is still up in the air. Add to it the fact his name continuously keeps popping up in the performance-enhancing drug scandals and it is becoming more evident we will never see the player we remember as A-Rod again. His .274 average and .444 slugging percentage over the past two years suggest even bigger disappointment ahead. Let some other owner in your league waste their time and roster resources with this fading star.

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We get you ready for the upcoming fantasy baseball season by taking an in-depth look at third basemen:

TOP FIVE
1. Jose Baustista (TOR)
2. Evan Longoria (TB)
3. David Wright (NYM)
4. Ryan Zimmerman (WAS)
5. Adrian Beltre (TEX)

UP CLOSE
Pablo Sandoval (SF) – Weight issues have hindered his growth and raised criticism a bit, but owners couldn’t argue with his production at the plate in 2011.  His OPS went up 177 points from 2010 to 2011 and he went yard 10 more times despite playing in 35 less games.  He is potentially a .300-25-90 guy at a position where there aren’t many elite options.

BREAKOUT AHEAD
Ryan Roberts (ARZ) – The career minor leaguer finally got an extended opportunity in the big leagues in 2011 and it resulted in him hitting 19 HR, 65 RBI and 25 doubles. He’s slated to be the Diamondbacks starting third basemen and his fantasy value is helped by his second-base eligibility.  If he can get the average up from the .249 clip he hit last year he’ll prove to be quite valuable in the mid-to-late rounds of your draft.

BUST CANDIDATE
Alex Rodriguez (NYY) – A-Rod is still a solid option, but no longer provides the elite numbers owners covet. Those that overpay on him or draft him too early will likely be disappointed. He hasn’t stayed healthy enough to get to 600 at bats since 2007 and was limited to just 99 games last year.  He’s still a solid starting option, but at the backend of the top 10 in our rankings. If you he falls far enough in your draft or auction he could still be worth the price, but you better have a backup plan if he misses time.

FUTURE STAR
Mike Moustakas (KC) – After getting called up in June, one of the game’s top power-hitting prospects struggled mightily through most of the summer in Kansas City. A strong September (352/.380/.580 with 4 HR) showed that he was able to make adjustments. That experience makes him appealing heading into 2012 as he will be the everyday third basemen for the Royals. His struggles against lefties will keep his batting average down, but the power numbers will be there.

FANTASY 101
Third base is one of the least deep positions in fantasy baseball. While there are a handful of top tier options, the fall off is quick and drastic once you get out the top few players. It is worth going after an elite option early in the draft or by investing some auction dollars. However, if you miss out early it is best to play the wait-and-see approach and focus on other positions. There are some young players that will likely be around late and some aging veterans who could prove to be valuable at a low cost.

COMPLETE RANKINGS | LATEST ADP

Fantasy Baseball fantasy advice, fantasy rankings, 2012, third base, strategy, pablo sandoval, ryan roberts, alex rodriguez, mike moustakas

Super Bowl XLV is in the books. Here are some final thoughts…

*Aaron Rodgers – The Brett Favre monkey is officially off Aaron Rodgers’ back. He capped off one of the most impressive post-season clips in NFL history by throwing for 304 yards and three touchdowns on 25 of 39 passing to lead Green Bay to a 31-25 win over Pittsburgh and earned Super Bowl MVP honors in the process. The victory finally allows Rodgers to step out of Brett Favre’s shadow and should allow the Packers’ bitter fans to get over the divorce and welcome the now-retired (or at least we think) Favre.

*Big Ben Blows It – As impressive as Rodgers was in the game, Roethlisberger was not.  His two interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown by Nick Collins, led to the Steelers finding themselves in a 21-3 first-half hole that proved to be too much to overcome. The two-time Super Bowl champ looked far from super and finished the game with 263 yards and one touchdown on 25-of-40 passing. With a chance to drive Pittsburgh for a game-winning touchdown, he misfired on three straight passes to seal the deal.

*Packers Ultimate Cinderella – Despite being decimated by injuries all season long, fighting off elimination with three straight wins to close the regular season, and being seeded No. 6 in the NFC playoff bracket, the Packers prevailed and beat the odds.  It wasn’t the New York Giants beating the 18-0 New England Patriots, but it was still impressive.

*Black Eyed Peas Rock – I’ve read and heard mixed reviews on the halftime show by the Black Eyed Peas, but count me as one that enjoyed it.  It was refreshing to see an act that actually reached the younger generation back on stage at the big game. Usher was a nice touch. The visual effects were great. The sound and mix could've been better, but overall I was pleased.

*Cameron Diaz can feed me popcorn – Alex Rodriguez is catching all kinds of flack after being caught on camera with his girlfriend, actress Cameron Diaz, feeding him popcorn. Let me go on the record firmly here, you can call me whatever you want but I would let Cameron Diaz feed my anything in front of anybody.

*Dude, Where’s My Seat? – Jerry Jones didn’t get his record attendance as he had hoped, but he is going to get sued. You’ve heard by now about the 400 fans that were left without seats after they bought $800 tickets. The seats that didn’t exist, or at least not after the temporary seats failed fire code. The league has offered a refund of triple the face value of the ticket as well as tickets and accommodations to next year’s Super Bowl. While that is a decent consolidation offering it won’t do Packers or Steelers fans any good unless their team returns.

*Doritos Boast Best Ads – Overall I was terribly disappointed with the Super Bowl commercials this year. I liked the Dog’s Revenge for the Doritos teasing spot and the House Sitter who brought back dogs ashes spots for the popular snack chip. Both ads finished in the top 5 in USA Today’s Ad Meter.

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Much controversy was raised this week and Yankees’ superstar Alex Rodriguez once again was responsible for raising the fuss.

In Thursday’s game at Oakland A-Rod ruffled A’s pitcher Dallas Braden’s feathers when after a foul ball he went from third base to first base by going directly over the mound.

After some words on the field, Braden expressed himself off of it by lashing out against A-Rod to reporters.

"I don't care if I'm Cy Young or if I'm the 25th man on the roster," Braden said. "If I've got that ball in my hand and I'm out there on that mound, that's not your mound. If you want to run across the mound, go run laps in the bullpen. That's my mound."

If this were the first time that the Yankees slugger had been accused of lacking respect and baseball etiquette it wouldn’t be that big deal. The reality of the matter is though that Rodriguez’s list of thoughtless incidents runs deep.

It's not the first time Rodriguez has been accused of so-called "bush league" behavior. Rodriguez drew criticism for slapping the ball out of Bronson Arroyo's hand in Game 6 of the 2004 the American League Championship Series. In 2007, the Blue Jays objected when Rodriguez yelled to distract fielders from catching an infield fly. The list goes on.

Was A-Rod wrong and right? The answer may vary depending on you ask.

This much is for sure - few people can set others off quite like A-Rod.

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The All-Star rosters were announced by Major League Baseball on Sunday. Here are few notes of interest:

REDS - Closer Francisco Cordero gets the nod and is the team's lone representative. The right-hander will be making his third trip to the mid-summer classic. He made it in 2004 as a Texas Ranger and then again while playing for the Brewers in 2007. There was speculation that Johnny Cueto would be the choice from the team, but a deep pool of starters and Cordero's solid numbers (20 of 21 save conversions) made the veteran the pick.

PUJOLS TO VOTE GETTER - The NL MVP is well on his way to another amazing year, leading the majors with 31 homers and 82 RBIs. He collected 5,397,374 votes to finish with the second-highest total in history, trailing only Ken Griffey Jr.'s six million votes in 1994. Pujols has made the NL team eight times in nine seasons and will be making his sixth start.

WAKEFIELD FINALLY GETS NOD - Starter Tim Wakefield made his first All-Star roster in his 17th season, one of a major league-high six Red Sox headed to Busch Stadium for the July 14 game. The 42-year-old right-hander is tied for the big league lead with 10 wins.

LEFT OUT - Dodgers outfielder Manny Ramirez and Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez, both 12-time All-Stars, weren't expected to make the rosters, but their absence was compelling nonetheless. Ramirez was suspended for the first 50 games of the season for violating MLB's drug policy and A-Rod missed time following hip surgery after admitting in spring training to using steroids when he played for the Rangers.

FINAL VOTE - The 2009 All-Star Game Sprint Final Vote on MLB.com will determine the 33rd N.L. roster spot, a competition that will feature shortstop Cristian Guzman of the Nationals, outfielder Matt Kemp of the Dodgers, third baseman Mark Reynolds of the D-backs, third baseman Pablo Sandoval of the Giants and outfielder Shane Victorino of the Phillies. Fans can now begin voting to select the final player for each League's 33-man roster via the 2009 All-Star Game Sprint Final Vote on MLB.com, casting their votes from a list of five players from each League over a four-day period. In the A.L. third baseman Chone Figgins of the Angels, third baseman Brandon Inge of the Tigers, second baseman Ian Kinsler of the Rangers, outfielder Adam Lind of the Blue Jays, and first baseman Carlos Peña of the Rays will be competing for the final spot.

COMPLETE ALL-STAR ROSTERS

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Watching A-Rod's would-be-flyball leave the yard to tie up Saturday's Yankees-Phillies' match-up epitomized exactly how ridiculous the setup at the new Yankee Stadium.

Balls are flying out a record pace, something like 3.5 bombs per game. There is a real chance that they will break the Coors Field mark of 303 homeruns hit in a stadium in a season at a stadium. That was set in 1991.

Philadelphia Inquirer columinst Phil Sherridan called out the Bronx Bombers' brass in his Sunday column.

"When the most steroid-tainted team in baseball builds a stadium that makes Citizens Bank Park look like the old Polo Grounds, you can expect a lot of home runs. And when the most notorious steroid-linked active player returns after surgery, it should surprise no one that seven of his first 10 hits are home runs," Sheridan wrote.

Mike Lupica added more in his insight in Sunday's New York Daily News.

"Ballplayers looking to hit home runs in bunches apparently don't need to use steroids anymore. They just have to pay a visit to the new Yankee Stadium, which suddenly looks like the performance-enhancing capital of the world," Lupcia claimed.

"It's why the Yankees have to jump on this thing right now, balls flying out of the place like they've spent $1.5 billion recreating the dimensions of the park where they play the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa."

Don't expect a power shortage anytime soon in the Bronx.

The new $1.5 billion stadium is supposed to be a near-replica of the stoic old one just across the street, but with more modern amenities like more toilets, slightly bigger seats, and added luxury boxes. But the differences, though minor on the grand scale, could be crucial. Greg Rybarczyk, the creator of Hit Tracker, which tracks every home run in Major League Baseball, used satellite imagery and photographs of the old stadium, and engineering plans for the new park, and determined that right field is indeed shallower in the new stadium.

Rybarczyk also found that the right field fence in the old stadium was about two feet higher than the current one — which could mean the difference between a fly ball and a homer in some cases.

Rybarczyk is also investigating the intriguing possibility that this season's balls could be "livelier" than last year's. "Manufacturing processes tend to shift and drift over time," he said, "And it's entirely plausible that this year's batch of baseballs is within specification, but just slightly more resilient than the prior year's batch."

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After winning the A.L. Rookie of the Year last season, Tampa Rays' third baseman Evan Longoria could become the second player in two years to parlay that into the AL M.V.P. the following the season. If voting were to start today, the 24-year old hot corner would be the hands down winner.

Following his 5-RBI effort on Saturday, Longoria was on pace 55 homers and 222 RBI. That would not only break, but shatter Hack Wilson’s record of 191 RBI's. The Rays’ phenom also leads the Majors with 15 doubles, putting him on pace for 75 on the season. The all-time record for doubles in a season is Earl Webb’s 67 from 1931.

Evan had a pretty good month in April. He became the first-ever Tampa Bay player to win an AL Player of the Month award, tying the Rays’ team record with 24 April RBI. He’s taken it to another level in May. He already sits with 20 RBI in the month. The club record for RBI in May is Fred McGriff’s 26 from 1999. The club record for ANY month is 29 – accomplished twice by Carlos Pena. Longoria should bust those marks without a problem.

With that in mind and A-Rod's declining value (hip, steroid scandal), Longoria has taken over as fantasy baseball's top third baseman. Though David Wright of the Mets is pretty good too.

Here's a look at my top 15 fantasy third baseman from this point forward this season...
1. Evan Longoria - TB
2. David Wright - NYM
3. Alex Rodrigruez - NYY
4. Kevin Youkilis - BOS
5. Ryan Zimmerman - WAS
6. Aramis Ramirez - CHC (out 4-6 weeks w/shoulder injury)
7. Chipper Jones - ATL
8. Jorge Cantu (eligible here in most formats)
9. Aubrey Huff - BAL
10. Mike Lowell - BOS
11. Garrett Atkins - COL
12. Chone Figgins - ANA
13. Chris Davis - TEX
14. Mark Reynolds - ARI
15. Brandon Inge - DET

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Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig continues to prove he's one of the biggest schmucks in all of sports. 

In the wake of the latest A-Rod and Miguel Tejada scandals, Selig has once again buckled under the pressure. You would think a guy that will bring home $18 million this year would be able to work under pressure. Still, Selig has allowed a season to be cancelled, an All-Star game to tie, and has been the man running the show when steroids threatened the very integerity of the game that he is supposed to be ensuring.

The laughable leader of baseball told USA Today earlier this week that he might be suspended for admitting he used performance-enhancing drugs,

"It was against the law, so I would have to think about that," Selig told the paper in his first comments since Rodriguez's admission. "It's very hard. I've got to think about all that kind of stuff."

Rodriguez would be the first to serve a suspension without testing positive during the penalty years. The move would likely be hardly protested by the player's union since the substance was not banned until 2004.

Selig said he also is considering reinstating Hank Aaron as baseball's home run king in the record book. Barry Bonds broke Aaron's record of 755 home runs in 2007 but is scheduled to stand trial March 2 on charges he lied to a federal grand jury about performance-enhancing drugs.

"This is breaking my heart, I don't mind telling you that," Selig said.

You have to be kidding me. Trust me, I will be the first to agree that the record is tarnished but how can you change just one record. You have to look at all of Bonds' records. Let's not forget about the ones that Roger Clemens has either.

Selig said was that he was "not dismissing" re-instating his friend, Hank Aaron, as baseball's all-time home run king, while admitting that "once you start tinkering you create more problems."

Bill Madden sounded off on the matter in Thursday's New York Daily News.

"But this he can do, under the commissioner's all-encompassing "best interest in baseball" powers. One of his predecessors, Ford Frick, did just that in 1961 when he ruled that Maris should have an asterisk next to his one-season record of 61 home runs because it was done in 162 games as opposed to Babe Ruth establishing his record of 60 in 154 games in 1927. I actually think Selig would make a statement for the integrity of baseball if he came down on these steroid cheats where it hurt them most: the record books. But as far as threatening to impose punishment on Rodriguez for something he did while baseball was still a Wild West Show, that reeks of desperation," Madden wrote.

If anybody is going to get an Asterisk it should be Selig himself. Every accomplishment seeked during his tenure should be looked at under a special light.

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From Playboy Magazine...

Stiff competition. A harder format. The pressure of being number one. None of it mattered. America’s Sexiest Sportscaster for 2009 is ESPN’s Erin Andrews, the champ in our poll for the second year in a row. Despite a more challenging, two-round format, which narrowed the field to five finalists, Erin came out on top again. To celebrate her victory, we’ve compiled our favorite YouTube clips of this sexy sideline siren at work, at play and, naturally, ice-fishing. 

COMPLETE DETAILS

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Let's check out some of the latest headlines from around MLB...

HOWARD, PHILLIES REACH AGREEMENT (Philadelphia Inquirer)
The Philadelphia Phillies locked up slugger Ryan Howard, avoiding arbritation. Howard passed a physical examination in Clearwater, Fla., and signed a three-year, $54 million contract that will take him through the 2011 season, when he will be eligible for free agency. He led the majors in homers (48) and RBIs (146) while helping the Philly win the 2008 World Series...MORE

A-ROD ADMITS, REGRETS STEROIDS (ESPN.com)
On the heels of a story that broke this weekend which revealed that he tested positive for steroids in 2003, Yankees' 3B Alex Rodriguez broke his silence on the matter on Monday saying that he did take performance-enhancing drugs while playing for the Texas Rangers during a three-year period beginning in 2001. "When I arrived in Texas in 2001, I felt an enormous amount of pressure. I needed to perform, and perform at a high level every day," Rodriguez told ESPN's Peter Gammons in an interview in Miami Beach, Fla. "Back then, [baseball] was a different culture. It was very loose. I was young, I was stupid, I was naïve. I wanted to prove to everyone I was worth being one of the greatest players of all time. I did take a banned substance. For that, I'm very sorry and deeply regretful." ...MORE

JONES FINDS A HOME IN TEXAS (Dallas Morning News)
Free agent outfielder Andruw Jones has agreed to a minor-league contract with the Texas Rangers, according to the Dallas Morning News. The 32-year old struggled during his one season as a Dodger as he batted just .158 in an injury-riddled and disappointing campaign. Los Angeles ate $21 million to cut him, making him a cheap low-risk, high-reward signing for the Rangers. Jones, a five-time All-Star and 10-time Gold Glove winner, can opt out of his contract March 20. But he could give the Rangers another big, right-handed bat to throw into a lefty-heavy lineup...MORE

GRIFFEY LIKELY TO SIGN SOON (1530Homer.com)
It appears that free agent outfielder Ken Griffey Jr could have a new home soon. C Trent Rosecrans reported on his blog on Monday that Griffey's agent Brian Cashman is optimistic his client will participate fully in someone's spring training camp. "We're still talking to a few teams, there are two that are more serious than the others," Goldberg said on Monday. "I really do expect Junior to have something this time next week." ...MORE

ASTROS NOT IN DUNN MARKET (ESPN.com)
Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com reports that the Astros are not interested in signing Adam Dunn despite a story in Sunday's Chicago Tribune that stated otherwise. "It was never an item of discussion for us," the team's GM Ed Wade told the website. "And even if we had greater resources available, we would have continued to be working the starting pitching market. We have MVP-caliber players in left field and at first base, and we think Michael Bourn deserves the opportunity to play on an everyday basis [in center field]." ...MORE

BREWERS SET TO SIGN LOOPER (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)
Brewers GM Doug Melvin told beat writer Tom Haudricourt that a deal with free agent right-hander Braden Looper was done but said he was "optimistic" that it would be. Melvin said it probably wouldn't be announced until later in the week. Looper has posted a 24-26 record and a 4.52 ERA in over the past two years since transitioning from a reliever to a starter. He would join Yovani Gallardo, Manny Parra, Jeff Suppan and Dave Bush in the Brewers' rotation...MORE

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