FANTASY BASEBALL WHERE YOUR SWAG AT!:

Matt Can’t (VOL. II)

BEAST DOME NATION.

In case you missed my introduction on Andrew Levy.

If there was anyone that could bring players out of slumps, Andrew Levy aka BrooklynBums has the magical touch as he revitalized hitters and pitchers all-season long by calling them out.  Mark Teixeira could not hit a HR if his life depended on it to start the season.  Brooklyn Calls Him out, and Tex hits 4 bombs in that week.  It’s always a good thing when your player gets mentioned.

– Muntradamus

WHERE YOUR SWAG AT! (Vol. II)

By Andrew Levy

Welcome to another edition of WHERE YOUR SWAG AT. Last week I wrote about Roy Halladay and how he had started the season winless and looking like he was going to be in a huge funk. From my fingers to Roy’s ears. In his next start, Halladay pitched 7 innings while only giving up 2 ER and 6 k’s. Oh did I mention he got the W?

Matt Kemp is also starting to show some signs of life hitting with a .400 average in his latest 3 game series against Baltimore.

HITTER

This week I want to talk about a rookie. Yes I know a rookie has to earn his “swag”… but in spring training he was on fire and looked to be an early season lock for rookie of the year. The player I am talking about is Twins OF Aaron Hicks. Hicks was named  the Twins starting center fielder in the spring ad for good reason. Hicks had an incredible spring training including a game where he went 4-for-5 with three home runs, six RBI and four runs. Last season in Double A, Hicks batted .286 with 13 home runs, 61 RBI and looked like the Twins CF of the future.

AARON HICKS – OF – MIN

(STATS AS OF 4/21): .059 Average. 0 HR. 4 RBI. 2 SB

Then the season started. Hicks came in to the season with all the hype and the “swag” of someone who was going to be the next big thing. Boy was everyone wrong. In 51 at bats this season, Hicks has 3 hits. Yes, you read that right 3. That is a BA below .100. For someone who was praised in the spring and was considered to be the next big thing has started the season as one of the biggest disappointments. If Hicks can begin to get in a grove and start bringing his numbers up like they were in the spring then I can see a ROY award in his future. Until then…..

HICKS, WHERE YOUR SWAG AT?

PITCHER

Lets take a stab at the World Series champs. The Giants are known for their pitching and Buster Posey. Without their stellar pitching they would not have won the World Series. Which makes it very surprising to see their best pitchers struggle to begin the season.  Matt Cain was the ace of the staff by winning 16 games last season, while posting a 2.79 ERA and had 193 K’s. Going into this season it looked like a no brainer that Cain was going to have another great season and be a Top 10 Pitcher off the board.

MATT CAIN – P – SFG

STATS AS OF 4/21:  7.15 ERA/1.32 WHIP/(0-2)/20 K

To start they should change his name from Matt Cain to Matt Can’t. The Giants SP has started the season 0-2 which is not anything to get bent out of shape over, but his ERA is.  Cain’s ERA is a whopping 7.14. This is very uncharacteristic for any Giants pitcher who’s last name isn’t Zito. I know Matt Cain will turn it around, but seeing him with numbers like this is as unsettling as knowing that Matt Kemp still does not have a HR.

CAIN, WHERE YOUR SWAG AT?

Andrew Levy aka BrooklynBums is an author/contributor of BEAST DOME during the Fantasy Baseball Season.  Andrew is a Die Hard Baseball fan who could talk to you about the game for days.  He is also known to snap players out of funks.