JAY Payton or Charles Johnson? How about Aaron Boone or Austin Kearns? We believe all four of these men are good baseball players. But this good? Come on, something has to give.
An Aaron Boone acceptance speech should go something like this: “I’d like to thank the Lord, mom and dad, and the good people at Great American Insurance for sponsoring the park that gave me, a 200-pound man, a three-home-run game.”
It’s amazing how much ballparks can sway a fantasy GM in a draft or trade. So, it’s in your best interest to find players who play in these cardboard boxes and to avoid pitchers who pitch there.
SILVER BULLET BLASTSYou have to love three-run homers that would normally fall under the infield-fly rule’s jurisdiction. Welcome to Coors Field. Surprisingly, Coors is third in runs per game with 12.3. They fall behind only the SkyDome (13.2 rpg) and The Ballpark in Arlington (12.6), but the front-runners are more a testament to rosters heavy on hitting and flimsy on pitching than it is to small ballparks.
There’s no secret that the thin air sends balls that have no business being home runs into the seats. It’s how you use them that matters in fantasy leagues. Payton, for instance, is a solid fantasy player, but his power numbers dip dramatically when away from Coors. Payton at home: four homers, 14 RBIs, 21 runs. Away: two homers, six RBIs and 11 runs. In fairness, his batting average (.313) is identical both home and away.
Also, watch for pitching matchups. The Rockies play the Giants today and tomorrow and welcome the Dodgers for a three-game homestand on Tuesday. Those who own Jesse Foppert, Kirk Rueter, Kaz Ishii, Odalis Perez or Darren Dreifort, the scheduled starters in Denver, may want to bench them.
PROUD TO BE IN AMERICAN We were asked this week by faithful reader Don Mezick of Commack, who is in dire need of stolen bases, if he should trade Ken Griffey, Jr. for Johnny Damon. We hesitantly recommend trading Griffey, his fragile body being the sole reason to get rid of him. It’s a tough call, especially with Griffey having to clear only 325 feet down the right-field line. He could post some serious numbers this year, but we’re betting on him paying some silly doctor’s bills instead.
The combination of the gusts coming off the Ohio River and shoddy Reds pitching have the Great American Ballpark ranking fourth in runs per game at 11.3.
The Reds have three players with double-digit home runs; only Texas has more (4). The big three (Adam Dunn, Boone and Kearns) are at home in the home run department: 10, 8 and 7, respectively. On the road: 7, 5 and 6.
Speaking of the Reds, keep an eye out for Jose Guillen who has been relegated to fourth-outfielder duty now that Griffey’s back. A trade may be in his future. Once that happens, snag him.
The Reds’ next homestand won’t be until June 3, when they face the Yankees, followed by the Blue Jays. Look for the already bloated numbers to increase and for Jason Giambi to break out of his funk.
NL WEST’S BESTFinishing up our weekly All-Roto Squad, here are the unsung heroes of the NL West: C-Benito Santiago, SF; 1B-J.T. Snow, SF; 2B-Ronnie Belliard, Col.; 3B-Edgardo Alfonzo, SF; SS-Jose Hernandez, Col.; OF-Jay Payton, Col.; OF-Steve Finley, Ariz.; OF-Xavier Nady, SD; SP-Damian Moss, SF; SP-Jake Peavy, SD; RP-Matt Mantei, Ariz.
Have a question, comment, disagreement? Write to mikepforde@hotmail.com or NY Post Sports Department, Attn: Rotisserie Files, 1211 Ave. of the Americas, NY, NY 10036.
Hit hot spots
Here’s a look at the Top 10 Hitter’s parks in the majors, with average runs per game by the home team, visitors and totals:
BALLPARK HOME VISITORS TOTAL
1. SkyDome (Blue Jays) 6.1 7.1 13.2
2. The Ballpark in Arlington (Rangers) 6.4 6.3 12.7
3. Coors Field (Rockies) 6.8 5.5 12.3
4. Great American Ballpark (Reds) 5.2 6.1 11.3
5. Tropicana Field (Devil Rays) 4.6 6.3 10.9
6. Fenway Park (Red Sox) 5.9 4.8 10.7
7. Edison Field (Angels) 5.5 4.7 10.2
8. Kauffman Stadium (Royals) 5.0 5.2 10.2
9. Miller Park (Brewers) 4.3 5.7 10.0
10. Bank One Ballpark (Diamondbacks) 4.7 5.2 9.9
