Posted By:Bretsky on May 22, 2014

Wayne Bretsky and Mark Kaplan bring their dynasty league rivalry to the show with both hosts losing it over the Cubs futility. the boys recap the latest injury news while looking forward to the returns of Chris Sale and Alex Cobb.  The Good, the Bad and the Upside turns it’s focus on the slugging Chris Davis, the struggling Justin Verlander and the streaking A.J. Pollock. Bretsky and Mark review the catcher position as it stands one quarter of the way through the season and hit the waiver wire to find a couple of hidden gems. Finally, the show closes with a dip into the mailbag.

Hit up the guys on Twitter @BretskyBall and @DaTrueGuru to join in on the action!

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Box Score Baseball Podcast – Buy When the Price is Right

News and Notes

• Alex Cobb and Chris Sale to return on Thursday, potentially with a pitch count
• Gio Gonzalez (shoulder) expected to throw this weekend, no structural damage
• Andrew Cashner (elbow) has no structural damage but no timetable for return
• Jose Abreu to the DL (ankle) return uncertain
• Joey Votto (quad) to the DL, Jay Bruce (knee) activated
• Prince Fielder (neck) remains out, did not travel with team
• Cliff Lee (elbow) to the DL with a strained elbow – initial timeline has him out for 3 weeks
• Alex Guererro could miss 5 weeks after getting his ear bitten off by Miguel Olivo
• Mike Trout out with a sore hamstring

The Good, the Bad and the Upside

• Chris Davis powers up
• Justin Verlander flames out
• A.J. Pollock turns some heads

Catching Up

• Bretsky’s top-20 Rest of Season catcher rankings
• What’s wrong with Carlos Santana
• Is Derek Norris for real?
• Joe Mauer’s value

Waiver Wire

• Bats:A.J. Pollock, Adam Lind, Dustin Ackley, Nick Franklin, Stephen Drew, David Freese
• Arms:Trevor Bauer, Tyler Skaggs, Dallas Keuchel
• Closer Carnage

Mailbag!

The Box Score Baseball Podcast theme is written and performed by William “Wild Bill” Hitchcock

Posted By:Bretsky on May 15, 2014

Wayne Bretsky and Mark Kaplan dive into the latest happenings in the world of fantasy baseball, covering the unfortunate rash of elbow injuries impacting both the pitchers and hitters, including Jose Fernandez, Martin Perez and Matt Wieters. The boys play discuss weather to buy, sell or hold a number of streaking stars and provide a couple of names to pluck off of the waiver wire. Bretsky tries to talk Mark into talking to his potential trade partner and The Good, the Bad and the Upside continues with Miguel Cabrera, Robbie Ross and Kevin Gausman.

Hit up the guys on Twitter @BretskyBall and @DaTrueGuru to join in on the action!

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Box Score Baseball Podcast – Buy When the Price is Right

News and Notes

• Jose Fernandez and Martin Perez to have Tommy John surgery
• Carlos Beltran (elbow) hoping to avoid surgery
• Matt Wieters to the DL may require surgery
• Dillon Gee (lat strain) to the disabled list
• Ben Zobrist (dislocated thumb) likely headed to the DL 

Waiver Wire

• Bats: Chase Headley, Juan Francisco, Danny Espinosa
• Arms: Drew Smyly, Ubaldo Jimenez, Dallas Keuchel
• Closer Carnage

Buy/Sell/Hold

• Chris Johnson
• Garret Richards
• Billy Hamilton
• Juan Francisco
• Doug Fister
• David Price

Fix My Team!

• Mark tries to make a deal

The Good, the Bad and the Upside

• Miguel Cabrera finds his groove
• Robbie Ross crushes owners
• Kevin Gausman, come on down!

Mailbag!

The Box Score Baseball Podcast theme is written and performed by William “Wild Bill” Hitchcock

Posted By:Bretsky on May 8, 2014

Wayne Bretsky and Mark Kaplan dive into the latest happenings in the world of fantasy baseball, covering Jay Bruce’s injury, Matt Wieters’ postie news and Wilson Ramos return. The boys welcome back Clayton Kershaw by debating whether or not he is still the No. 1 fantasy pitcher in the land before diving into some discussion of the elite arms thus far in 2o14. Mark takes some time to gloat about his team’s hot start as Bretsky presents some buy low options. The guys talk Rockies bats in The Good, the Bad and the Upside and close the show with a very special dip into the Mailbag

Hit up the guys on Twitter @BretskyBall and @DaTrueGuru to join in on the action!

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Box Score Baseball Podcast – Rolling Rockies

News and Notes

• Jay Bruce out 3-4 weeks following knee surgery
• Matt Wieter (wlbow) to avoid the DL
• Ryan Braun tergeting a May 13 return
• Wilson Ramos back in the Nationals lineup
• Clayton Kershaw returns

Elite Arms

• Who’s No. 1?
• Is Justin Verlander still elite
• Top-10 of 2014
• xFIP Leader

Buy/Sell/Hold

• Robinson Cano
• Matt Kemp
• Joey Votto
• Dee Gordon

Fix My Team!

• Mark has an impressive start in his FSWA league

The Good, the Bad and the Upside

• Troy Tulowitzki and the Rolling Rockies
• Cole Hamels struggles again
• Marcus Stroman is here, but his role is not

Mailbag!

The Box Score Baseball Podcast theme is written and performed by William “Wild Bill” Hitchcock

Posted By:Bretsky on May 1, 2014

Wayne Bretsky and Mark Kaplan take a trip around a rainy week of MLB action, covering injuries to Bryce Harper, Chris Davis, Ryan Braun and Michael Pineda. The guys attempt to gauge Manny Machado’s value upon his return to the lineup and play a little game of Buy/Sell/Hold with some struggling studs. The boys also hit the waiver wire, discuss daily pitching strategies and jump into another edition of The Good, the Bad and the Upside before closing out the show with some questions from the listeners.

Hit up the guys on Twitter @BretskyBall and @DaTrueGuru to join in on the action!

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Box Score Baseball Podcast – Blame It on the Rain

News and Notes

• Bryce Harper out two months following thumb surgery
• Chris Davis, Jason Kipnis, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Ryan Braun all deal with injuries
• MannyMachado set to return
• Doug Fister and Hisashi Iwakuma making progress

Buy/Sell/Hold

• Pedro Alvarez
• Yoenis Cespedes
• Jason Heyward
• Carlos Santana
• Allen Craig
• Martin Perez
• Homer Bailey
• Shelby Miller

Fix My Team!

• Mark plays the matchups with his pitching

Waiver Wire

• Top options out on the wire

The Good, the Bad and the Upside

• Jose Abreu continues to mash
• Prince Fielder has a month to forget
• Is Trevor Bauer on his way up?

Mailbag!

The Box Score Baseball Podcast theme is written and performed by William “Wild Bill” Hitchcock

Posted By:Bretsky on April 24, 2014

Wayne Bretsky and Mark Kaplan celebrate Wrigley Field’s 100th birthday the way Cubs fans were meant to, drinking beers to forget another horrible loss. The boys chat about Michael Pineda’s latest pine tar incident, Clayton Kershaw’s rehab and Cole Hamels’ return to the mound. The guys play a quick game of Buy/Sell/Hold to determine the status of Charlie Blackmon, Bryce Harper, Johnny Cueto and others before attempting to fix Bretsky’s banged up squad. The Good, the Bad and the Upside turns it’s attention to a red-hot Albert Pujols, and struggling and injured Mark Trumbo and young lefty Alex Wood. Finally, Mark and Bretsky take a dip into the mailbag to answer some questions from the listeners.

Hit up the guys on Twitter @BretskyBall and @DaTrueGuru to join in on the action!

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Box Score Baseball Podcast – New Century, Same Old Style Story

News and Notes

• Clayton Kershaw set to make a rehab start Friday
• Cole Hamels, Shane Victorino, Matt Harrison, Manny Machado and Adrian Beltre on the comeback trail
• Chris Sale (flexor strain) gives owners a scare
• Josh Johnson and Ivan Nova headed for Tommy John Surgery
• Mark Trumbo (foot) has a stress fracture
• Ike Davis gets a change of scenery

Buy/Sell/Hold

• Michael Brantley
• Charlie Blackmon
• Bryce Harper
• Julio Teheran
• Mark Buehrle
• Johnny Cueto

Fix My Team!

• Bretsky’s pitching dilemma
• Managing DL spots

Waiver Wire

• Closer Carnage continues
• Replacement Arms

The Good, the Bad and the Upside

• Albert Pujols gets 500
• Mark Trumbo was down and now he’s been kicked
• Can Alex Wood keep it up

Mailbag!

The Box Score Baseball Podcast theme is written and performed by William “Wild Bill” Hitchcock

Posted By:Bretsky on April 19, 2014

Wayne Bretsky and Mark Kaplan catch up on the latest happenings around major league baseball, discussing the impending returns of Cole Hamels and Jose Reyes, A.J. Burnett’s groin, Casey Jansen’s setback and Alex Cobb’s injury. The guys turn to the wire to highlight some replacement options including Trevor Plouffe, Danny Espinosa, and a couple of two-start pitchers for Week 4.  The Good, the Bad and the Upside continues with a look at Giancarlo Stanton, Stephen Strasburg and George Springer, before the show closes with a dip into the mailbag.

Hit up the guys on Twitter @BretskyBall and @DaTrueGuru to join in on the action!

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Box Score Baseball Podcast – Struggling Stras

News and Notes

• Down goes Cobb (and team Bretsky)
• Cole Hamels (shoulder) on the mend, set to return Wednesday vs. LAD
• A.J. Burnett pitching (well) through injury
• Jose Reyes eyeing a weekend return
• Brandon Phillips (back) makes and early exit
• Doug Fister targeting a May 7 return
• Casey Jansen (back) shut down while Sergio Santos blows up
• Shane Victorino (hamstring) to begin a rehab assignment

Waiver Wire

• Jose Valverde looks shaky, who’s next?
• Targeting the Twins: Trevor Plouffe, Brian Dozier, Chris Collabello
• Two-start pitcher: Zach McAllister, Jason Hammel, Kyle Gibson, Miguel Gonzalez

The Good, the Bad and the Upside

• Giancarlo Stanton continues to mash
• Stephen Strasburg struggles
• Hype Machine: George Springer

Mailbag!

The Box Score Baseball Podcast theme is written and performed by William “Wild Bill” Hitchcock

Posted By:Bretsky on April 10, 2014

Wayne Bretsky and Mark Kaplan take a look at the early season carnage plaguing MLB clubs and fantasy rosters, discussing injuries to Matt Moore, James Paxton, Josh Hamilton, Ryan Zimmerman, Adrian Beltre and more. The guys will head to the waiver wire to find the top replacement options before continuing with The Good, the Bad and the Upside.

Hit up the guys on Twitter @BretskyBall and @DaTrueGuru to join in on the action!

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Box Score Baseball Podcast – The Carnage Continues

News and Notes

• Matt Moore (elbow) likely headed for Tommy John surgery
• Mat Latos (knee, elbow) feels discomfort
• Ryan Zimmerman (shoulder) has an “arthritic” shoulder – returned to the lineup Wednesday
• Jacob Turner (shoulder) to the DL… Brad Hand steps in
• Oswaldo Arcia (wrist) to the DL
• Adrian Beltre headed to texas for MRI on his quad… situation to monitor
• James Paxton (side) to the DL
• Yasiel Puig (thumb) remains out of the lineup
• Avisail Garcia (arm/shoulder/collarbone)
• Josh Hamilton (thumb surgery) out 6-8 weeks

Waiver Wire

• Jim Johnson on the brink, but who’s next?
• Waiver wire bats: Rajai Davis, Adam Lind, Adam LaRoche, Mike Morse
• Waiver wire arms: Nathan Eovaldi, Jesse Chavez, Martin Perez

The Good, the Bad and the Upside

• Matt Kemp and Ryan Braun turn back the clock
• Mike Moustakas bottoms out
• What Charlie Blackmon can do for you

Mailbag!

The Box Score Baseball theme is written and performed by William “Wild Bill” Hitchcock

Posted By:Bretsky on April 4, 2014

The 2014 MLB season is upon us and Wayne Bretsky and Mark Kaplan dive into all the action from Opening Week. The boys look back at the draft season that was before breaking down the closer carnage of week 1. The guys also take an early look at the waiver wire and introduce a new segment: The Good, the Bad and the Upside.

Hit up the guys on Twitter @BretskyBall and @DaTrueGuru to join in on the action!

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Box Score Baseball Podcast – It’s Go Time

News and Notes

• Clayton Kershaw (back) down for the count
• Jose Reyes (hamstring) to the DL
• Michael Bourn (hamstring) making progess

Listener League and Overall Draft Recap

• Draft season reflections
• Handicapping the competition

Waiver Wire

• Closer carnage
• Waiver wire bats: Emilio Bonifacio, Justin Smoak, Brian Roberts
• Waiver wire arms: James Paxton, Nathan Eovaldi, Scott Baker

The Good, the Bad and the Upside

• Buying Brandon Belt’s hot start
• CC Sabathia slows down and struggles
• The upside of Diamondbacks shortstop Chris Owings

Mailbag!

The Box Score Baseball theme is written and performed by William “Wild Bill” Hitchcock

Posted By:Bretsky on March 27, 2014

Wayne Bretsky and Mark Kaplan lay out the scene for the 2014 MLB seasons, giving their division-by-division predictions, post-season award winners and fantasy superlatives. The guys also discuss reports Clayton Kershaw’s injury, the Rangers’ rotation and Jose Reyes bum leg.

Interested in joining our listener league? Hit up the guys on Twitter @BretskyBall and @DaTrueGuru to join in on the action!

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Box Score Baseball Podcast – Calling Our Shot

News and Notes

• Clayton Kershaw (back) scratched
• Jacoby Ellsbury (calf) hobbled
• Jose Reyes (hamstring) remains out
• Jurickson Profar (shoulder) to miss 10-12 weeks
• Yu Darvish (neck) out for opening day, Tanner Scheppers gets the call

Calling Our Shot

• 2014 Division Winners
• Post Season Awards
• Statistical Leaders
• Fantasy Superlatives

Mailbag!

The Box Score Baseball theme is written and performed by William “Wild Bill” Hitchcock

Posted By:Bretsky on March 21, 2014

Get ready for your 2014 Fantasy Baseball Draft with our position-by-position and top-300 rankings.

All rankings assume standard 5×5 roto scoring

2014 Fantasy Baseball First Base Rankings