Bernadina's Big Break Leads to a Bad Break

More on the great catch above in just a moment

Not the Kind of Break Out I Wanted : Lowrie Down

Jed Lowrie may need wrist surgery, one of the guys I handpicked as a breakout candidate for Boston. Why not? Like Dustin Pedroia a year before, he had a soft start on a strong team. But he scored 40 runs and had 40 rbis in half a season for the Bo Sox sluggers. He was destined to score a hundred this year. Not bad for a shortstop at all. So he is hurt and as fate would have it, Julio Lugo is just getting better. Fortuitous for Boston, but do not expect the world out of an older beaten up Julio. No more 38 steals for him.

Speaking of shortstops I said not to bet the farm on, why did the Reds trade Keppinger? Alex Gonzalez is hitting .079, and his backup Paul Janish, a defensive whiz, won’t hit much better. I think A Gon has been gone too long. And those human growth hormones he used to build up his strength after that shoulder surgery a few years ago, well you just can’t use them anymore.

But the worst break of the week belongs to Roger Bernadina of the Washington Nationals. This is a devastating story of hurt. He is in the majors first because the Nats sent down Milledge. Then he gets a start only because Dukes does a Dukes like thing and the bad boy shows up late for a game. So Manny Acta benches him and goes with Bernadina. Roger responds with a game saving catch against the right center field wall with the bases loaded, denying Dan Uggla a clear bases clearing triple.

Later in the game, tied, Uggla is up again with the bases loaded, and he crushes it to center. It is either gone or off the wall. But Bernadina will not be denied. He leaps high, over the fence, and pulls it in. What could have been a two homer seven rbi day for Uggla is going to be an 0 for 6. They show him in the dugout sulking. He is depressed. Meanwhile, Bernadina is on a stretcher. You could see him land on his ankle and then the force of his body made mince meat out of it. They called it a sprain initially but I said no way.

In my Grand Slam Uber League, I claimed him as a free agent at one p.m. By 4:30, I knew he was history. I dropped him. Hours later, he was on the Disabled List with a broken ankle. Talk about bad luck. First day in the Bigs this year. Two awesome catches and a broken ankle.

Reminds me of the dude a few years ago who was beaned in his first at bat and out for the year. Never made it. Can’t remember his name. Just another one of those amazing human interest stories that do not make the boxscore.

Roger Bernadina got his shot for a brief moment in the sun. It rained that day all over his parade.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/18/AR2009041802296.html

One defensive note for Elijah Dukes, who was warned if he was late again he would be returned to the minor leagues. He was apparently at a free unauthorized signing of autographs for a bunch of inner city little leaguers. Don't you cut him some slack for that?

Breakout Season Pick of the Day: Jed Lowrie

Ryan Spilborghs had a homer and an RBI groundout Friday in the Rockies' 6-3 win over the Mariners. He's hitting .328/.397/.734 with five homers and six steals. He should be owned in mixed leagues. I think he is going to produce this season, but what pressure. Look at Corey Sullivan. Not a big window for Ryan with Dexter Fowler in the wings. It is even tougher in major markets. Look at what LA did with Ethier and Kemp waiting in the wings last season. They went out and signed Andruw Jones. Foolish or what?

I also just like this kid Murphy on the Mets. Good swing, natural hitter, lots of contact. Like him a lot. Traded him over the winter for a front line starter thinking the Mets would bring in a bat like Burrell and make him sit. Now they hook Sheffield, a waste I think as I say in my last post. Truth is that some of these young kids make for the excitement you want on your fantasy team.

Curtis Granderson breaks out big time with 20/20 plus electricity in Detroit. People forget he started off last season on the DL and never recovered. Decimated the Detroit team as they played with IRod 'I never take a pitch' at lead off and Miguel the Cavernous starting the season oafish and sluggish. Not this year. Granderson is grand.

My next surprise pick is Jed Lowrie, pictured above at Stanford. Hey, 46 rbis in 260 at bats for the Bo Sox? Play that out over a season in Beantown. Homers? Don't expect lots of those from a SS but think what Pedroia did in his second season. And in middle infield, if Emanuel Burris hits, and SF lets him run, this is a guy who put up 70 steal numbers in the minors. And there is not a lot of power left in the SF lineup. They have to run if they get on. Only way they will score.

Shin Soo Choo. Sneaky power. Under the radar in Cleveland. But so once was Crispy Coco. If his second half was real and can be replicated, you get 25/100/15 numbers from an unheralded outfielder. Without the pressure of someone breathing down his neck. Same way that Jayson Werth will do that playing full time in Philly. But he never has played over 130. Maybe managers know something we do not. People are talking about Nelson Cruz again, but isn't he like 29 already? How many years can you have potential before you wind up like Jason Botts, Jeremy Reed, and Chris Snelling?

For teams playing under the radar, a young rookie might make it. But you come to the Big Apple, if you are Melky Cabrera or Brett Gardner, and don't cut it, you are gone in a New York minute. That is why Phil Hughes has such a short leash.Why the Mets once foolishly traded Scott Kazmir for a one year fix that did not, Victor Zambrano. In the NY lights, you better shine in a hurry.

Just dawned on me that Livan is a Met. Sheff is a Met. Castillo is at second. Too bad they did not sign Renteria and Floyd again to pinch hit. Then they could have had five guys from the 1997 Florida Marlins championship team. Note I said 1997. We are talking 12 years ago.