S Rod and Brandon May Be Bashing Wood in LA Soon

It could be Sean Rodriguez, not Brandon Wood.

Second baseman might get the nod over teammate at triple-A Salt Lake if the Angels promote someone to take over for a slumping Howie Kendrick.

Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times writes today that "Imagine the uproar among Angels fans and bloggers if second baseman Howie Kendrick continues to struggle at the plate, the team makes a move to replace him, and it isn't to call up slugging prospect Brandon Wood.It could happen.

Wood, who is batting .289 with 10 home runs and 21 runs batted in for triple-A Salt Lake, is the player most prominently mentioned when talk turns to in-house options to bolster the offense.Because Wood plays third base and shortstop, his promotion would prompt a move of Chone Figgins from third base to second.But if Kendrick, who is batting .229 with four homers and 20 RBIs, is demoted, Wood isn't the most worthy replacement candidate.Sean Rodriguez is.Fans remember Rodriguez as the slick-fielding but light-hitting second baseman who provided superb defense in place of the injured Kendrick and Maicer Izturis in five stints, and 59 games, with the Angels last season."

But Rodriguez, who also plays shortstop, third and the outfield, has become a legitimate two-way threat. He is batting .280 with 17 homers and 50 RBIs in 46 games for Salt Lake, and don't be surprised if he gets the call before Wood if a move is made."He's really picked it up," Manager Mike Scioscia said. "He's someone we're paying a lot of attention to. The way he's driving the ball, playing all-around, has been very impressive.

As for Kendrick, Scioscia said, "We're not contemplating a move at this point, but it's something we're watching very closely."Kendrick seemed to find his stroke during a six-game stretch from May 18 to 23, when he was eight for 23 with three RBIs, raising his average from .230 to .247.But Kendrick went hitless in his next 11 at-bats and did not start Saturday night against Seattle."At times, he looks like he's getting comfortable in the box, at times he looks a little frustrated, like he's trying to do too much," Scioscia said. "If a couple hits fall in, I think this guy will start to relax and be productive."

The bottom line is that Brandon Wood has been Fantasy's Babe Ruth for four years now, ever since an astounding minor league season, which has never materialized in the majors. Some take years to develop and get a chance. Some just get passed over. Some like Adrian Gonzales, go through Texas and Florida as the number one draft choice in 2000, only to shine in San Diego nearly 8 or 9 years later. But we live in an age and era of hype, and the Angels have fed into that machine, with Dallas McPherson, Kendry Morales, Casey Kotchman, Brandon Wood, and Sean Rodriguez. If only minor league stats counted, these guys would have been a fantasy delight.

So a shrewd fantasy owner may rush to the waiver wire and find Sean Rodriguez on it. He may replace Kendrick. He may or may not do well. Or he may just find time passed him by. The truth is that none of us know for sure whether this is the year the Wood gets to the plate, or S Rod becomes a dominant force. One thing is for certain, if you are in a fantasy pennant race, the time to deal Wood or S Rod is right now. Their value will never be higher. All because fantasy owners are starting to, like Mike Scosia, look at Howie Kendrick's actual numbers and not the hype.

Papelbon and Kendrick Meet in Classic Confrontation

It is what you call earning a save.

Jonathan Papelbon came into a 5-3 game with two out in the bottom of the eighth. Terry Francona just had a hunch he would be better off going with his ace right hander against Vladimir Guerrero. Good call, as Vladdy flied to left.

Papelbon has been next to perfect against the Angels over the past few years. He has gone 18 innings without giving up a run. And now we go to the 9th in Anaheim and the big guy is going to have to earn the save. Hunter leads off. The best of Anaheim is coming to the plate, but Torri electrifies the crowd of 30,000 by leading off the bottom of the ninth with a Home Run off Papelbon. That just does not happen to Paps. It gets worse, as Kendry Morales, a Cuban defector, finally getting a full chance to play at first for the Angels, ropes a line drive double off the right field wall. The tying run is now at second with no one out.

This is what closing is all about. Juan Rivera grounds to shortstop, and the runner holds. But Mike Napoli is now the batter, and he already has two homers this afternoon. The tension builds. Paps has an open base. He pitches around Naps. He walks and Aybar, a light hitting SS is now up. But a slap hit is all he needs to tie the game and ruin Papelbon’s streak of perfection. The big guy fans Aybar, but promptly gets into more trouble by walking Chone Figgins to load the bases.

The game is now on the line. It is 5-4, the bases are loaded, Hit Man Howie Kendrick comes to the plate and Johnathan Papelbon, already 30 pitches into his relief stint, uncorks some 95 mph heat, going ahead of Kendrick 0-2. Papelbon refuses to waste a pitch. He comes back with in zone smoke for the next three pitches and Kendrick fouls them all off. The count remains 0-2. And Paps reaches back, Kendrick reaches in, and he fouls off the next pitch. And the next. And the next. And the next. And you look up and suddenly realize a classic confrontation is unfolding.

With an 0-2 count, Kendrick has now fouled off six consecutive 95 plus mile per hour fastballs. Says the announcer “he wants to win or lose the game on his best stuff.” But surprise, the next pitch is off speed. And it too is topped foul. Paps comes back with heat, and Kendrick sizzles one down the line, just foul. 8 in a row. 8 strikes. 8 fouls. All with the game in the balance. The tension has gone beyond peaking.

Two more times Papelbon reaches back and two more times Kendrick fouls the ball off sharply. On the thirteenth pitch of the at bat, after two strikes and ten foul balls, Kendrick makes fair contact. He scorches a line drive to the right fielder. It is right at him. He catches the ball. The game is over. The fans let out a huge sigh. Papelbon and the Red Sox have prevailed, barely, over the Angels once again. Barely.

If you are a fantasy fan, you go to the play by play, and it will read of this classic confrontation, a battle that earned World Series drama, that captivated thousands of fans, it will read in the play by play that:

“ Kendrick flied to right.”

That is all it will say. And you will understand how reading a box score or a play by play may tell you nothing at all about the game or the battle that Howie Kendrick and Jonathan Papelbon had last night, which they will each remember for years. Baseball players do remember moments like these, and though they may not be a fantasy stat, it’s a memory the athletes treasure.