Alright, I already know what you’re thinking. You’re in 2nd to last place in your league, about 20 games out of the last playoff spot and you are just waiting for the season to end. Fortunately for you, I am here to help you overcome your deficit in the last 6 weeks of the season and perhaps steal a fantasy baseball championship away from one of your friends.

At this point in the season, the focus on acquiring players via trade and free agency should be on a week to week basis, especially in head to head formatted leagues. Certain categories should be focused on to help you chip away at your deficit until you get within striking distance. For example, if you are weak in the areas of Earned Run Average and Walks and Hits per Innings Pitched, focus on Wins, Losses, and Strikeouts. A way to do this is to find starting pitchers who are starting twice this week, especially against weaker opponents. Scott Kazmir …

What an interesting first half of baseball it’s been in the 2008 season. Roger Clemens is digging himself a deeper grave, Barry Bonds still doesn’t have a team to bother, and the Tampa Bay Rays are near the top of the AL East for some reason. But let’s face it, not a day goes by when us New Yorkers aren’t checking what the Mets and Yankees are up to. As the opening lines in Charles Dickens masterpiece ”A Tale of Two Cities” says, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” This quote can easily describe how both the Mets and Yankees seasons have gone so far.

So what can we expect from the men in the Bronx and Queens? With so much doubt and uncertainty circling around both teams, there are things that both squads can do to try and ensure themselves playoff spots come October 1st.

For the Yankees, it would be a very tough road for them to try and win the AL East …

This year’s all-star break has been a memorable one so far. WIth Josh Hamilton giving the fans a show at the Home Run Derby, the Jonathan Paplebon-Mariano Rivera issue, and the game coming up tonight, it’s hard to say that this all-star experience isn’t going to be satisfying. But what gets me the most about this all-star event is that it is going to be played in Yankee Stadium, and it can perhaps be the last meaningful game played there (Don’t get mad Yankee fans).

Now I despise the Yankees and everything they stand for, but there is nothing like walking into Yankee Stadium and experiencing a game there. For years I have been going to the stadium and saw such momentous occasions as Derek Jeter’s catch going into the first row. I’ve seen U.S. President George W. Bush throw a laser for a strike to open up game 3 of the 2001 World Series after the attacks on 9/11. These are things someone can never erase …

Ahhhh, can you smell it? It’s that time of year where NBA rookies, along with journeymen, undrafted players, and guys just trying to make a paycheck all come together to play pick-up basketball. This smell can mean only one thing, the NBA Summer League.

This year’s summer league has been displaying front line talent with top draft picks Derek Rose, Michael Beasley, O.J. Mayo and Kevin Love. Rose and Beasley were the first to play in Orlando, while Mayo and Love have caught the attention of many in Vegas.

But why should anyone care that much about the games these guys are playing? In the first game of his NBA career, do you think Derek Rose will be facing off against the likes of Antonio Graves and Anthony Morrow?  Will Kevin Love be posting up against Josh Powell and Antwan Scott? I’m going to have to say that they won’t be any time soon, except for their next summer league game.

Some of the games air on NBATV throughout the day …

After looking through this year’s Home Run Derby contestants, I was disappointed to see that bigger names in baseball were unwilling to participate. Players such as Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols, and Ryan Howard aren’t on the card for this year’s event, which is a historical one at that. It is both the first and last Home Run Derby to take place at “The House that Ruth Built.” Understandably, players don’t want to mess with their swings or get injured by being a part of this event. In addition, players receive minimal compensation for winning the contest, let alone simply being a participant. 

Don’t these players make enough money that for one night of the year they don’t need to see that big paycheck at the end of the day? This event is strictly for the fans and they should be rewarded by the players they root for just for one night. While purists of the game like to see pitchers’ duels and …

Waking up late this Sunday morning, I had officially realized how fantasy baseball was slowly taking over almost every aspect of my personal life. I looked at the clock to see one of the scariest sites a fantasy baseball owner can see on a Sunday, 12:56 p.m. I rushed to my computer to make sure my lineup was set and that everything was in order for the 1 o’clock games. But then i realized something that scared me even more. My lineup for Sunday was already set 2 days ago, yet I was still freaking out about checking my lineup in time.

Not to brag or anything, but right now my team is in first place in my league and that is why I pay so much attention to it this season. In the past, however, I have been out of contention by the all-star break and yet I still find myself hanging on to every pitch by my starter or every deep fly-ball hit by one …

It’s July 9th, about 3 years from the opening game of this year’s NFL season and we are going to talk about fantasy football. No this isn’t going to be a debate about who to take first, Ladainian Tomlinson or Adrian Peterson, or a conversation about when to take a defense (And take Minnesota this year). This is going to be about which New York Giants and Jets players will make a big fantasy impact this season, and how they can help your fantasy team this upcoming fall. We’ll start with some of the more obvious choices…

Guys You Should Jump at

Brandon Jacobs RB NYG- A monster inside the body of a human, Jacobs seems to dominate games whenever he wants to, but has issues staying healthy because of his upright running style. With the emergence of Ahmad Bradshaw, Jacobs will get more rest this season, which will keep his legs fresh for plays near the goal-line. Jacobs had over 1,000 yards rushing and 6 total Touchdowns in only 11 …

When I am bored, whether it be in the office or at home, I am not one to put on WFAN to listen to what people have to say about the Yankees or the Mets. My friend said he was listening to the incomparable Ann Liguori one night on the radio and she made a pretty bold statement that caught my friend’s attention. She said that when the Mets outfield consists of Carlos Beltran, Endy Chavez, and Ryan Church, that it is the best defensive outfield in baseball.  

Upon hearing this, my friend called me to tell of this blasphemous statement and how she couldn’t be any more wrong. While I agree with Ms. Liguouri that that is a very good defensive outfield, it is very hard to say that it is the best. Now I am hoping that she did in fact say this, and that I dont sound like an idiot for the next few minutes, but I am going to bring up other outfields in …

This week’s edition is going to take a look at a few players who are either going to have big second halves of the season, or go down faster than Alex Rodriguez’s divorce settlement. Yeah, it’s a low blow at AROD but who doesn’t want to take one at him?

2nd Half Studs

Alexis Rios OF TOR- What a disappointment Rios has been so far this year for fantasy owners. At 27 years-old, Rios was expected to have a season of around .290 BA, 25 HR, and 100 RBI with around 30 SB. While the average and steals are there (21 already), Rios hasn’t seemed to have found his power stroke this season. Lately, Rios has been heating up with 5 multi-hit games in his last 12 contests, while also stealing 6 bases in that span. In the past, Rios has performed well before the all-star break and faltered afterwards. This season, however, Rios won’t let that happen again because his how he has underperformed this year and …

This week’s fantasy dish is going to be different than that of previous ones. I am going to be giving out awards for the 1st half of the fantasy baseball season. These awards will be for both the good and bad performances so far this season.  Let’s get things started with the first award of the half-season….

The Lance Berkman Award for a player not showing up in the first half and expected to have a big second half goes to……

Mark Teixeira 1B ATL- Tex got off to an atrocious start this season and only recently has begun to start raking in the Homeruns and RBI’s. Last season Teixeira’s numbers were decent at the midway point. Right now at 16 HR and 62 RBI, Tex is already on pace for a better year than last year. His .276 Batting Average is low for him but he should perform better in the 2nd half of the season. You need proof? After the all-star break last season Tex hit …

The last 48 hours for the New Jersey Nets have been both hectic and gratifying. Before last night’s NBA Draft, the Nets traded Richard Jefferson to the Milwaukee Bucks for Yi Jianlian and Bobby Simmons. While both Yi and Simmons have talent, this trade was done to free up salary cap space for when Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh become free agents in a couple years. 

In last night’s draft, the Nets did a fantastic job in putting together a winning team around a future superstar. With the 10th pick overall, many suspected the Nets to draft the likes of Texas A & M Center Deandre Jordan (who was drafted 35th by the  Elgin “Wait.. there’s a draft tonight”? Baylor and the LA Clippers) or Louisiana State Forward Anthony Randolph (14th by the Golden State Warriors).

Instead the Nets were able to land one of the predicted top 5 picks in the draft in Stanford Center, and one half of what …

As I was flipping through channels last night, skipping from baseball game to baseball game, I came across some guy arguing with an umpire over balls and strikes. Shockingly, this guy was in a New York Mets jersey.

In the 4th inning of last night’s laugher at Shea, Carlos Beltran was unhappy with 2 quick strike calls on him. This prompted a little chat between him and home-plate umpire Brian Runge. Noticing how upset his star was, Jerry Manuel hopped out of the dugout and began a nice conversation with Runge. After what may have been a pre-mature ejection, Manuel and Runge began a cute eskimo kiss, rubbing noses until Manuel walked away. 

Beltran than followed, incensed that his manager was tossed out of the game. 

“That’s what I expect from the manager in a situation like that,” Beltran said. “He basically came out to protect us. That’s the way it should be.”

A quote like that makes me feel better about Manuel being manager. In only his 7th game, …