It's the most specialized baseball article there is; as we focus
solely on one category at a time. As usual, your disclaimer: These are
NOT everyday players, and nor are they claimed to be. These are players
that will help you in one way and one way only. Sometimes our rosters are
very deficient in one area or another, and these are players who are available
on the cheap (or for free) who can help sure that area up. So, with that
out of the way, let's get started.
Speed Kills
Cesar Izturis - 3B/SS - St. Louis Cardinals - He's only batting .229; which is, in a word, terrible, but he's more than making up for it for some Fantasy Owners with his speed. He will help you one way; stolen bases, and that's about it. However, over his last 10 games, he's certainly done that, leading the Wire with four. Here are Izturis' numbers over the last month. .167 (6/36), 1 RBI, 4 Runs Scored, 4 SBs, 5 Ks, and has an OPS of .398.
Chicks Dig the Long Ball
Chris Davis - 1B - Texas Rangers - Since his call up, Davis has been absolutely crushing the ball when he makes contact. So much so, that the Rangers recently announced that he has become the Rangers' full-time first basemen. Here are Davis' numbers since his call up: .239 (17/71) 7 HR, 15 RBI, 15 Runs Scored, 17 Ks and an OPS of .905.
Sometimes Average is a Good Thing
Ross Gload - 1B/OF - Kansas City Royals - Yes, he's only batting .265 on the season; but he's been on a bit of a roll over the last month; posting some of the better hitting numbers you can find this deep into the Wire. Over the last month, Gload has hit .322 (28/87) 1 HR, 13 RBI, 21 Runs Scored, 2 SB, 5 Ks and has an OPS of .820.
Pitching (a.k.a., What Manny Delcarmen is bad at, still...enough already Francona)
R.A. Dickey - SP/RP - Seattle
Mariners - With Bedard still out with a bum shoulder, Dickey has recently been named the Mariners' fifth starter. He's put up some good numbers in his relief role, and it will be interesting to see if they'll translate to a starters' job. Here's Dickey's stats over the last month: 30.1 IP, 1 W, 1 L, 19 Ks, 1.78 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP.
Sean Green - RP - Seattle
Mariners - Seattle gets the pitching sweep for the second week in a row, mainly due to their consistent contributions. Here at "Specialty" we're all about the elusive "hold" stat; and Green has racked them up a bit over the last month. He's not the best on the wire (although he's close); but he gets the nod because he's one of the few not rocking a 5+ ERA or a 2+ WHIP. Here are Green's numbers for the month: 12.1 IP, 1 W, 0 L, 8 Ks, 6 Holds, a 0.73 ERA and a 0.81 WHIP.