• Derrick Rose is apparently shooting between 500-1000 jumpers a day, 6 days a week.  On top of that, he is supposedly working on his 3-point range as well.  Good for the Bulls, bad for everyone else. [By The Horns]
• I love the WWE.  There, I said it.  Here is a list of the top ten most wanted guest hosts for Monday Night Raw.  And Weiny, the answer to your question is yes, I would love to re-enact “pound-a-beer” Raw or “40s on a pole” Raw.  Make it happen. [Paneech]
• Correlation vs. Causation.  I say who cares, as long as the Cubs are playing better with Aramis in the lineup. [WV23]
• So the Cardinals got Matt Holliday.  So what?  If they had gotten Halladay somehow, then I’d be scared.  Here’s some other reactions to the Holliday acquisition. [I94 Sports]
• Ron Artest rapping in China.  No, seriously. [Sharapova's Thigh]
• Looks like blogging may get a bit more expensive.  Apparently the AP is going to try to charge people for linking to their content.  I’m a little confused about what they are specifically trying to do and how they would do it, but I’m pretty sure the fair use doctrine is a factor here as well.  [Midwest Sports Fans]
• Drew Gooden may be starting for the Dallas Mavericks this season, unless he gets beat out by Erick Dampier.  I liked Drew, but that shot selection and erratic defensive focus were definitely annoying. [Pippen Ain't Easy]
• So what exactly is the story with Derrek Lee and his bulging neck disk?  As Cubs fans it’s our job to obsessively try to figure it out. [Bleacher Nation]
• T.O. says the Vick suspension is stupid, and hilariously states that Goodell should spend 23 months in jail and see how he feels.  Ha. [NESW Sports]
• An amazing graphic that depicts the true state of NBA “revenue-sharing”. [Hardwood Paroxysm]
• Devin Hester is officially twittering, and it’s just as funny and nonsensical as you would think his twitter would be. [Blog Down, Chicago Bears]
• Funny Joakim Noah picture, though I’m guessing all pictures of Noah are funny.  Read the comments on this story, they are pretty good. [BDL]
• Look out for those crafty Japanese.  They are at it again, supposedly having constructed robots that can play baseball better than any human.  And you were bitching about humans on steroids. [Bootlegger]

• There you have it, after all the speculation about the deal being delayed or falling through, it looks like Ricketts came through on the purchase of the Cubs. [Reuters]
• Will Taj Gibson ever be a starter?  Or just an “energy” sub? [Pippen Ain't Easy]
• Chris Jackson aka Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf aka Chaim Shalowitz?  Just kidding, he’s not converting to Judaism, but this little fake story is pretty funny. [Ponderings from Pluto]
• Did you know the Cubs are the same amount of games out of first yesterday that they were the day Aramis got hurt?  Interesting. [Wrigleyville23]
• Did Lance Armstrong cheat yesterday?  Don’t worry, its not what you think. [Bootlegger Sports]
• So Ron Artest made up a rap about Michael Jackson.  I don’t want to say it “honors” him, because it is just too strange and terrible. [NESW Sports]
• The Bears were ranked the 69th best franchise by ESPN the magazine.  Not bad, not bad, up a few spots from last year due to, guess who, Jay Cutler. [WCG]
• The Cubs sent down Fuld and Hart and put Patton on the DL to make room for Rammy, Johnson, and Guzman. [The Friendly Blogfines]

• Whoa!  Shaq to Cleveland could change the face of the East, or not.  It will still be fun.  Here’s a good look at all the roles that will have to be shifted on the Cavs for this trade to work out in Cleveland. [BDL]
• Hilarious fake tweets from athlete’s twitter accounts. [Luol's Dong]
• Jeff Jordan, MJ’s son, will be hanging up his shorts and focusing on his studies.  Good for him, bad for the Illini, who were hoping to develop him into a poor man’s Chester Frazier. [Tribune]
• A video from Facebook of Derrick Rose working out in California.  He looks like he’s in good shape. [Docksquad]
• Ozzie got tossed during last night’s Sox game.  I don’t know if the theatrics are going to work, Ozzie.  Kenny will have to make some moves to keep this team from sinking into the AL cellar. Not bad for a rebuilding year though.[Sun-Times]
• Eddy Curry has rededicated himself to working out.  Yeah right. [Pippen Ain't Easy]
• Aramis Ramirez is supposed to take batting practice tomorrow.  Finally.  We could be getting closer to his return. [Bleacher Nation]
• Mike Brown signs with the Chiefs. [ChiefsBlog]
• Remember they were going to make a movie about Moneyball?  Well it got scrapped, but here’s some excerpts from the script that look terrible. [Deadspin]
• Reed Johnson goes on the 15-day DL.  Ryan Freel comes off it.  The offense gets a little bit worse. [Sun-Times]

• So I don’t get it; Does Jerome James salary count against the Bulls cap or not? [Blogabull]
• Scott Boras may be evil, but the real bad guys are Baseball ownership, who have somehow managed to make ridiculous profits while at the same time been able to make players seem selfish for trying to get paid 1/100th of the amount the owners make.  [Deadspin]
• With Ramirez out, Piniella coyly suggests Josh Vitters may be the answer.  Then he remembers the kid is at Single A and is only 19 years old.  Then he remembers that the Cubs haven’t brought a good position player up through their farm system since the 1980s. [Tribune]
• Deng is still 3-4 weeks away from resuming regular basketball activities.  Wasn’t he 3-4 weeks away 4 months ago when he got injured?  This is the worst stress fracture in history. [By The Horns]
• Ryan Theriot has retaken the team-lead in TOOTBLANs.  Balance is restored to the universe. [WV23]
• The new Deadspin commenting restrictions are a bit fascist, and this video starring AJ as Hitler is almost as accurate as it is hilarious. [Deadspin]
• The Bulls are working out a bunch of college and international talent over the next few days.  Here is the schedule. [PAE]
• Luol’s Dong recommends a brand new extremely violent sport where the two competitors are tethered together.  Anything to help with the boredom of trying to sit through 4 hours of baseball only to watch your bullpen shit the bed. [Luol's Dong]
• Ryan Dempster’s ongoing battle to help his newborn baby fight a rare disease makes me like the guy even more.  Especially with his ability to make every start this season. [Bleacher Nation]

I have been busy as hell with studying for the Bar lately, so I haven’t had a whole lot of time to comment on the Cubs current situation.  It’s not that the 8-game losing streak isn’t a big deal, but how they’ve lost has been painful to watch.  Here are a few thoughts regarding the North Side Shitheads that have been on my mind:

• Where are Hoffpauir and Koyie Hill?  They got the start last night and it paid off, but Lou needs to go with the hot (or even lukewarm) bat at this point.  I know Soto and Lee are team leaders, but if they aren’t hitting and the team isn’t scoring runs, its time to make a change.
• Hey Milton Bradley: Shut up.  I’m not saying you’re wrong, in fact you are totally right.  Everyone knows the umps are calling a bigger strike zone for you.  They do it because they don’t like you.  You know what won’t make them like you?  Publicly bitching about the strike zone they are calling for you.
• Is it really time to hit the panic button?  Because if it is, the Cubs should consider two guys that are raking down in the minors.  Jake Fox and Josh Vitters are crushing the ball down on the farm, so why not bring one or both of them up?  I know that would mean we would have to send someone down, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
• If you didn’t see the Harden DL thing coming, you are blind or retarded.
• Someone take Neal Cotts out behind a shed and put a bullet in him.  That guy is just terrible.  I don’t care if we don’t have any lefties, I’m sure there are righties in the pen with better ERAs against lefties than Cotts.  Well I’m not completely sure, but Cotts sucks.  Send his ass down.  I wish we had another starter so we could move Marshall to the bullpen.  Jake Peavy anyone?
• Ok this is a little out there, but did anyone consider moving Soriano to 2nd base and giving Reed Johnson and Micah Hoffpauir some more ABs in the outfield?  I know Fonzy is sub-par defensively, but runs are hard to come by these days.
• Lou Piniella is a great manager.  I mean I love the guy.  I don’t agree with every decision he makes, but he is usually good at managing and motivating his players and he seems to have a pretty good understanding of the game.  That being said, this recent quote from him has got to be a joke:

Modern technology is a wonderful thing for 21st Century baseball managers, who have computerized scouting reports and stats at their fingertips at all times. But sometimes older is better, and after watching his players go back to the video room one too many times to replay poor at-bats, manager Lou Piniella is ready to put his foot down.

“We’ve talked about closing down the video [room],” Piniella said. “But what happens invariably is the pitching coach will go down there from time to time, and so will the hitting coach.

“But if we have to, we’ll close it down for the players, at least during the game. Visualization is a great tool. But at the same time, boy, visualize good things. Don’t keep putting bad pictures in your mind.”

That sort of has a Dusty Baker ring to it, doesn’t it?

• This isn’t really related to the Cubs play on the field, but have you seen the new hats the Cubs are selling?  I think these goofy hats have gone a bit too far.  Apparently it is called the “Watermelon Smoothie“.  I mean the baseball gods cannot be happy about this kind of thing, can they?
• If you would have told me Kosuke Fukudome would be the only Cub hitting over .300 on May 27, I would have laughed and asked you if you drank the acid-laced punch.  Well here we are, and lost in all this horrible horrible shitty 8-game losing streak has been Kosuke’s resurgence this season.  His home run last night wasn’t bad either.
• Is Aramis Ramirez the glue in this Cubs lineup?  I mean ever since he went down it’s like no one can seem to hit.  I’m not sure what his clubhouse presence is like, but just having him in the lineup seems to make the other players around him better.  Hurry back Rammy!

• Big Baby Davis pushes a little kid after his game winner.  The Celtics are such bitches. [Docksquad]
• The Cubs finally won one yesterday.  Finally something went right. [Sun-Times]
• So at first they said he would be okay, then they said 4-6 weeks, but now it looks like Ramirez is going to miss about 2 months.  Oh and an MRI for Lee.  The baseball gods are angry at the Cubs, big surprise. [Bleacher Nation]
• New technology used on old video to make the famous Bird steal into a NBA amazing happens commercial. [Truehoop]
• What a funny (and fitting) new name for the Mets new stadium.  I think they should go with it. [Zoner]

• Milton Bradley is appealing his suspension “as a matter of principle”.  Seriously?  It’s 2 games. [Tribune]
• Chicago Bulls stat leaders during the regular season. [Pippen Ain't Easy]
• The Cubs-Cardinals game Sunday was postponed until July 12, but the Cubbies looked real good on Ramirez’s walk-off on Saturday. [BCB]
• The White Sox are dropping by the White House Monday, just to see if he wants to hang out.  Leave the man alone already. [Chicago Breaking News]
• Rose didn’t seem to want to take any credit for the Bulls win Saturday.  That kid is so modest. [Tribune]
• Classic Ditka interview after a Redskins-Bears playoff game in 1984.  Great find. [Zoner]
• Cutler dropped the puck for the Hawks first playoff game.  Here’s the video. [Docksquad]
• You didn’t hear about the Hawks?  Well they won again, going up 2-0 in the series over the Flames. [Chicagoist]
• Kevin McHale does not believe in global warming, and you know what?  I don’t have a problem with that.  His reasoning is pretty logical. [Deadspin]
• Doc Rivers repeated his declaration that KG is not walking through the door after Saturday’s loss.  You think Vinny will continue to gameplan for him? [CelticsBlog]

When I woke up yesterday, I didn’t even really think about the fact that all 4 Chicago teams were playing that day.  I mean I knew I was going to watch the Bulls game and I was really excited about going to the Blackhawks game, but I just didn’t put it all together.  Here is how my day took shape:

Bulls (The Coming of Age of A Legend):

After waking up early and returning from the Farmer’s Market (I bought some amazing honeycrisp apples), I popped on the Bulls game.  The Bulls started off playing very well.  Unfortunately Tyrus picked up two quick fouls and found himself on the bench until about halfway through the 2nd quarter.  In spite of Brad Miller’s terrible defense, they managed to put together a 16-4 run in the 2nd quarter and went into the half up 9 points.  Rose looked like he was having another great game, scoring 13 points while dishing out 7 assists.  It was a good half and the Bulls really looked like they could control the game.

Then everything just went crazy.  The Celtics quickly closed the gap in the 3rd quarter, but Rose would not give an inch in what was fast becoming a battle for the ages.  As Rondo and Rose dueled throughout the second half, trading baskets since neither was quick enough on the defensive end to stay in front of the other, the momentum switched back and forth.  The game had more lead changes than I could keep track of, and you could feel it on every play.  With some help from an energized Noah, some no/yes buckets from Tyrus, and a crucial missed free throw by Paul Pierce, the Bulls were able to send this game to overtime and eventually win it.

Before I get caught up in Derrick Rose’s unbelievable night (36 points, 11 assists, 4 rebounds), other credit/blame is due.  Noah played the best basketball he has all season.  He scored 11 points and snagged 17 rebounds, but more importantly he played high-intensity basketball every minute he was on the floor.  He added a steal and 3 blocks to that and as NQTC reader Gavin pointed out to me during the game, he was doing all kinds of things that weren’t going to show up on the stat sheet.  Hinrich also contributed in quiet ways, coming in defensively to help shut down Pierce and Allen.  Both of those guys had terrible days, and that can be attributed in part to the job done by Salmons, Hinrich and even Gordon.

Now about Derrick Rose.  His 36 points tied the record for a rookie playoff debut.  Not only did that tie him with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, but it pushed him past the 2nd place man on the list at 35 points, Michael Jordan.  To truly appreciate what he did, I recommend reading Henry Abbott’s breakdown of Rose’s game.  His ability to get his teammates the ball in a position to score or make something happen is phenomenal.  He isn’t Chris Paul yet, but on a day like yesterday he could have been.  He was also able to knock down the open midrange jumper, making 5-7 from beyond 15 feet.  His explosive move to the basket was leaving the Celtics arguing with each other about missed assignments.

I think the question about whether he is merely a star or the next great superstar has been laid to rest.  Tonight was a coming of age for Rose.  He has had great games in the past, but on this stage, in an extremely hostile environment, he showed the confidence, leadership, and skill it takes to be great in this league.  I think with the right pieces next to him, he may even win a championship.  For some reason it makes me think of this video, sent in by NQTC reader Frank the Tank:

After the final whistle and getting off the phone with every single member of my family and about 5 other people, my adrenaline was still pumping.  Then I got a phone call from my friend Golan.

Cubs (Aramis Does It Again):

Ring ring.  It’s my phone, but I barely notice it from across the room as I’m jumping up and down screaming and freaking out.  The time is 2:40 p.m. and I just witnessed something that should never have happened.  The Bulls winning.  I finally run across the room and pick up the phone.

Golan: “Are you gonna watch this game right now?”

Me: “Which NBA game is on now anyways?”

Golan: “No I mean the Cubs game.”

Shit, I completely forgot about the Cubs game.  It started at exactly 2:40 though, so I popped it on.  I was having trouble sitting down and staying calm for most of the game.  My adrenaline was still pumping from the Bulls and I was getting excited for the Hawks game that night.  The first couple innings of the Cubs game barely caught my attention as I was chattering about a mile a minute about the Bulls to Golan, who had stopped by to watch the game.

In the 3rd inning Dempster started showing some cracks, giving up 3 runs and causing me to pay a little more attention to the game.  (This would not be Dempster’s last appearance in my story, by the way)  Nothing was going to bring down my mood though.  The Cubs got one back on a Fukudome double in the bottom half and I was confident we could come back.  Then in the 5th inning we did come back and tied it up 4-4.  We got another run from Miles and went ahead 5-4.

I had two notable conversations with Golan before he left around the 5th or 6th inning.  Both foreshadowed how the rest of the game would go.  The first was Golan thought Aramis Ramirez was one of the great clutch hitters in the league.  I gave him my usual spiel about how there is no such thing as clutch-hitting, but Aramis is a great hitter in any situation.  The second conversation was an argument where I tried to say the bullpen hasn’t been that bad this year with guys like Heilman and Marmol being pretty good and other guys like Gregg and Guzman rounding into form.

In the 7th inning, Cotts came on and walked the first 2 batters he faced.  Lou brought in Marmol who slammed the door on the Cards comeback attempt, retiring all three batters he faced.  Then he melted down.  He came on to start the 8th and gave up two doubles and hit Khalil Greene.  Thankfully Kevin Gregg had his good stuff (yeah apparently he has good stuff), and he got two strikeouts and a groundout to end the threat.  Unfortunately the Cards had tied it up 5-5.

I had a minor problem.  I had to get to my friends house so we could head down to the Hawks game.  I set my phone on 15 second refresh on ESPN.com and ran to the bus.  The Cubs weren’t able to win it in the 9th and I arrived at my buddy’s in time to see the 10th and 11th.  Golan, I want to apologize to you for our earlier disagreement.  I was completely wrong.  Aramis Ramirez is clutch, end of story.  When he stepped up to the plate in that 11th inning, I just kind of knew, and so did Aramis.  With one gigantic swing of the bat Ramirez did what he has done for the past 8 years: put on his hard hat and carry his lunchbox to work everyday and hit the ball really hard.  He has more home runs as a 3rd basemen than anyone in all of baseball since 2001.  It’s time he got his due as one of the greatest 3rd basemen of our generation.  He has quietly compiled some monster stats and deserves much more recognition than he receives.  Chicago teams were 2-0 so far.

Chicago Blackhawks (Toews Wins My Heart)

After arriving at the Hawks game we grabbed a beer and took our seats.  There was a sort of energy in the building that was intangible and yet you could cut through it with a knife.  I had been to the United Center many times and even seen a few Hawks games there, but this was different.  They always say playoff hockey is insane, but you have to actually experience it to truly understand.  After my ears almost exploded from screaming throughout the national anthem, Coach Ditka came out to drop the ceremonial faceoff puck and the game was under way.

The screaming had gone from essentially the beginning of the montages through the end of the national anthem (about 20 minutes) and my throat already hurt.  Then the first period started and the Hawks gave my sore throat a much needed rest.  They played some of the sloppiest hockey I have seen and made me question whether they were ready for the playoffs.  Calgary was more physical, more controlled and all around better.  It showed on the scoreboard too, where the Hawks trailed by 2 goals.  My understanding of hockey playoffs is that there aren’t a lot of goals scored because of how physical it is and how great the goaltending is.  We were all pretty disheartened and a collective melancholy had settled over the crowd.

Then the 2nd period started and everything changed.  Toews was able to score a pretty-looking goal early in the period during a power play, but the Hawks still started off slow and gave the Flames way too many shots on goal.  The Flames were still far more physical than the Hawks, however.  Everytime Burish came on the crowd would get excited for the Hawks to finally fight back.  The problem is Burish is terrible at hockey.  Every time he touched the puck he would make a bad pass or give it up.  Also whoever this Walker guy is, why is he on the team?  He is the worst player I have ever seen.  Anyways as the period wore on you could tell the Hawks were poised to break through.  They were starting to play more controlled and finally it happened.  On an amazing pass by Kane, Sharp just tapped it into the net in another gorgeous, crisp-looking goal that tied the game 2-2.

Even though the Flames were playing far more physical, the Hawks were clearly dominating the entire second period.  Toews scored another gorgeous looking goal in the waning seconds of the period and as the 3rd period started the waiting game began.  Quick note, Ryan Dempster was the celebrity contestant for the hockey puck shot game between the 2nd and 3rd period.  He wore a crazy looking plaid sport coat and was introduced as a Canadian.  The Sox-heavy crowd booed him but he was actually very good at handling the stick and almost made the impossible shot.

Anyways, the waiting game was brutal.  Besides one altercation that resulted in a 4-on-4, it was pretty much an excruciating 20 minutes.  I felt like that scene in Miracle where the US team is just counting down the clock and praying that the Ruskies don’t score.  And just like that movie, the Flames could not convert.  They had some decent chances early in the period but the Hawks clamped down for the rest and marched to a 2-0 lead in the series.

Jonathan Toews is everything I’ve heard about and more.  This kid is amazing.  His goals were beautiful and his energy and focus were admirable.  Sharp and Kane were also fun to watch.  This team is young and exciting and could make a run deep into the post-season.

Now before I end this Hawks game discussion, there is one thing I didn’t mention the whole time that may be the most important key to the Hawks win.  Khabibulin.  All I heard all season was about how the Hawks have two extremely expensive, yet average goalies in Huet and Khabi.  On this night, though, Khabi made some amazing saves.  Not one or two, but again and again from the drop of the puck to the final horn he was blocking the puck with everything he had.  One save actually looked like he knocked it off the blade of his skate.  If he can do what he did last night coupled with the Hawks high-powered offense, they are as good as any team in the playoffs right now.

Conclusion:

About halfway through the Hawks game, my friend asked me to check the White Sox score on my phone for him.  The White Sox?  I had completely forgotten about them in the craziness of the day.  Sure enough, the Sox had beaten the Rays 8-3 to make it a perfect 4-0 for Chicago sports teams yesterday.  Rose, Ramirez, Toews and Khabibulin all made my day amazing.  I don’t know when the next time 4 Chicago teams will win 2 playoff games and go 4-0 overall on the same day will be, but for now, I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as I did.  So what are you up to today?

• Will the Japanese Colonel Sanders reverse the Cubs curse?  Can we please stop talking about a curse? [Deadspin]
• Illinois vs. Michigan today at 5:30 ct.  Illinois needs a solid run in this tourney if they want to get a 4 or 5 seed. [Tribune]
• The Chicago Bears are re-signing Marcus Hamilton, so that’s another crappy DB to add depth to our defensive backfield. [Windy City Gridiron]
• Big Z will be taking the mound on opening day. [Tribune]
• The Sears Tower is being renamed the Willis Tower?  That doesn’t feel right, but if Field’s can become Macy’s then I guess this is ok. [Chicago Breaking News]
• An interesting analysis of the 46 defense and how it works.  I love the idea of it, but I think you need the exact right personnel to make it work, like the 85 Bears for example. [Windy City Gridiron]
• Ramirez is working for the Marmol For Closer campaign.  [Wrigleyville23]
• Jamal Crawford is on his way out in Golden State.  Remember when he was a lottery pick by the Bulls?  Those were the days. [Pippen Ain't Easy]
• Blackhawks are freezing ticket prices for 2009-2010.  Boy have things changed since old man Wirtz passed away. [Sun-Times]

Because of the shortage of time between now and opening day, we at NQTC decided to roll with a position by position preview as opposed to going team by team. 3B preview is up today – look for the SS preview on Wednesday. This is not a list of the top seven guys at the position but rather seven guys I felt like writing about.

1. Alex Rodriguez 3B Yankees - Arod is getting drafted first or second in almost every single league, but if I have a top two pick, there’s no way I’m taking him. Given his current situation, I just don’t see Rodriguez putting up numbers worthy of a top overall pick – I think the steroid cloud will hover over him and greatly affect his play throughout the year. Most experts don’t think it will have any impact on him, but I don’t think Arod is mentally strong enough to simply put all this behind him – Isn’t that one of the reasons he said he took Steroids in the first place, because he couldn’t handle the pressure? This is obviously my own opinion as I obviously don’t know the guy personally – all I am saying is that with a top pick in a fantasy league, you want to take someone without any ?s, and I think that Arod comes with more then a few ?s this season.

2. David Wright 3B Mets - Wright finished the 2007 season ranked #2 on Yahoo! Fantasy, and finished the 2008 season ranked #6, and there is no reason to think that Wright can’t finish near the top again in 2009, especially when you consider that he is only 26 and just now entering his prime. Is there really anything not to like about Mr. Wright? Wrong. I’m going to nitpick a little  by taking a look at the All Star 3B’s home/road splits from the 2008 season. Wright was unbelievable at Shea last year – in 301 ABs, he hit .336 with 21 HR, but when he was on the road, only hit .271 with 12 HR in 325 ABs. The home/road comparisons from 2008 are a little scary, and when you consider that the Mets are moving to Citi Field in 2009, it might be something to worry about (Wright’s home/road splits were much more balanced in 2006 and 2007 though).

3. Evan Longoria 3B Rays - The 23 year old stud is looking to avoid a sophomore slump in his second big league season in Tampa. He put up great numbers in 2008 considering he only played in 122 games – 67 R, 27 HR, 85 RBI, 7 Steals, and a .272 average ain’t half bad. Keeping in mind how shallow the 3B position is this year, Longoria is definitely a top option in fantasy, and is being selected somewhere in the 2nd round of most drafts. When you compare his numbers to other guys out there, he seems more like a 3rd for 4th round guy, so you need to ask yourself if the 3B scarcity makes the reach worth it. In keeper leagues, his 2nd round ADP is more then reasonable, as he should be a star for years to come.

4. Aramis Ramirez 3B Cubs - Since his 38 HR 119 RBI season in 2006, Ramirez has failed to reach 30 HR in both 2007 and 2008, and there’s a good chance that trend continues in 2009. While still a productive option at 3B, Aram will be 31 in June, and seems to be in the declining half of his career. He has missed over 40 games over the past two seasons, and manager Lou Piniella has stated that he would like to try and get his 3B more days off in order to keep him healthy for the stretch run. Ramirez’s ADP on MDC is 31, which is right in the middle of the 3rd round of 12 team leagues; Like Longoria though, he will most likely put up numbers resembling those of a 4th rounder. He should still be good for 85 R, 25 HR, close to 100 RBI, and a .290 avg, but draft accordingly.

5. Garett Atkins 3B Rockies – 2008 was a pretty disappointing year for Atkins owners. Coming off his amazing 2006 season, Atkins put up a more then decent 2007, but owners drafted him in 2008 thinking he would improve his all around numbers, not lower his average by .15 points and hit 4 less HR and 12 less RBI. Personally, I am going to going on the Atkins diet, and don’t want anything to do with the Colorado 3B. If you take a look at his stats over the past three seasons, you will notice a decline in almost every statistical category (except his strikeout total, which has increased each season). You could still do a lot worse then Atkins at 3B this year, as you know you’re getting 20 HR, close to 100 RBI and a borderline .300 average – if you don’t expect a whole lot more then that, you won’t be disappointed.

6. Chris Davis 3B Rangers - Well well well, if it isn’t the super sleeper of 2009. Everyone seems to love this guy, and deservedly so, as he just seems to rake wherever he’s playing. He strikeouts a ton, and many experts believe that his average will fall, but considering that he’s never hit lower then .298 in any level of minor league ball, and hit .285 in 295 major league ABs last season, I don’t really understand why. He seems like a lock to hit 30 HR and drive in 100 RBI, and depending on his spot in the lineup, could also help out in the run department. Davis is currently slated to hit 5th or 6th in the Texas lineup, but if his production matches his hype, he should be hitting cleanup behind Hamilton sooner then later. The Rangers offense should be as potent as ever, and Davis is definitely in store for a monster 2009.

7. There really isn’t another 3B worth writing about. There’s Chipper, who is unreal when he’s healthy but misses a good chunk of every season with some sort of injury, and at the age of 36 is almost a guarantee to miss some time again this year. There’s  Ryan Zimmerman, who seems to get drafted fairly high even though he’s never done much, and will probably never be as good as people want him to be. There’s Youk who had a great season last year, but is being drafted really really high, and will most likely come back down to earth in 2009. Russel Martin is also 3B eligible, but you shouldn’t be playing fantasy baseball if you plan on using him there. Alex Gordon is someone to keep an eye on – this will be his 3rd season in the bigs, and after being one of the most touted prospects in all of baseball over the past five years, might finally be ready to take the next step.