So we’re coming up to the end of week 1 and the Sea Monkeys are currently in……..drrrrruuuuummmmm rolllllll…..2nd place!  Yikes, didn’t see that one coming.  Sure it’s second place and the season is yet an embryo.  Sure it’s second place and the leader is waaayyyyy up there, 18.5 points ahead of me.  But we’re in the hunt.  Oh and the Marlins are 4-0.  Surely we’ll both continue through the year without the stench of reality bringing us down.  I know, stop calling me Shirley.

So who are the big tall dogs leading the charge?  Here are some notable Big Dog efforts for week 1:

Josh Beckett:  Beckett was just dominant against the Rays in his first start.  Seven innings, 2 hits, 1 ER.  Cruise control.  10 strikeouts and the win.  Another day at the office for a true front line stud.  The 3 walks are a bit of a nit, but it’s way early in the season and things will just get better. 

Gavin Floyd:  What?  Gavin Floyd?  Yep, he was pretty much lights out in his first start.  7IP, 2ER, 6 hits, no HRs.  Plus he struck out 9 over those 7 innings against just 2 walks.  And he had the Royals hitters pounding the ball into the ground.  8 gb outs vs 4 fly outs.   Floyd actually struck out 20 batters in 21 spring training innings so maybe he’s getting it?  Well it was the Royals, but they are a much better offensive team this year than you think.  Unfortunately for Gavin he was up against Zack Greinke and Greinke was even better.   Floyd gets the Tigers in Detroit next, so we’ll see if he’s real soon enough.

Dan Haren:  Haren was Haren in his opener.  7IP 1ER only 3 hits allowed.  Haren struck out 9 without giving up a single walk.  Fantasy stud.  His only mistake was a Tulowitzki blast; all that was needed for:

Ubaldo Jimenez:  7 shutout innings and 8Ks.  Jimenez pitched just well enough to beat Haren in a great early season pitcher’s duel.  His control was a little iffy; 3 walks in 7IP and on 60 of 107 pitches for strikes but there’s no arguing that he got the job done against a very tough offensive team.

Subject to Interpretation

Erik Bedard:  In spite of the fact that Bedard only went 5 innings and gave up 3 runs he was still in line for the win until Brandon Morrow went all in vitro by loading all previously barren bags with Twins.  Dr. Batista then obliged by sending all three runners home.  In spite of the outcome Bedard did strike out 8 without issuing a walk and that is a very promising line.

Koji Uehara:  Uehara held the mighty Yankee offense to a single run in 5 innings in his big league debut.  He looked sharp, giving up only 5 hits and a single walk.   But there are a couple of dark clouds here, mainly the complete lack of strikeouts…complete….like zero.  This coupled with extreme fly ball tendancies 3/12  GB/FB ratio would seem to indicated that there will be a paddling or two in Uehara’s future.

Burn Ward

Justin Verlander:  My boy Justin picked up were he left off last year, hemorrhaging extra base hits (4 2bs, 1 3b, 1HR) while in the process of getting his body hair singed off by the Blue Jays.  3.2IP, 8ER, 8H,2BBs, a line so ugly that my team ERA and WHIP will be bruised and nasty well into May.  Perhaps the Tigers can at least teach Verlander to stop, drop, and roll before his next start against Texas.   Safety first.

Brian Moehler:  Yikes.  1.2IP, 7ER, 8H.  Moehler looked like a softball pitcher afraid of kicking over his beer during the follow through.  Perhaps he was distracted by all of the projectiles that his opponent, NASA scientist Ted Lilly, had launched into orbit during the game.  Yep, in spite of giving up 4 bombs in 5IP, Lilly managed to last long enough to get the win.  Ah the sweetness of pitching while propped up by 10 runs of support.

Brandon Webb:  Brandon Webb here and Gavin Floyd with the big dogs.  Didn’t see that one coming.   I can’t say that Webb was outpitched by the equally putrid effort put forth by Aaron Cook, but what a surprise.  Webb is battling a sore shoulder and that combined with this being his  first outing of the season gets him a free pass on this one.  He’ll be just fine if the shoulder is something that calms down on it’s own.

Robbie Cano is out of the blocks and sizzling this year hitting at a .571 clip and check out Marco Scutaro, who may still be available even in AL only leagues.  He’s starting at SS and is off to a .409 start with 2 bombs.  Will he keep this up?…nah.  But he should be servicable this year and may make an excellent sell high candidate.

So we’re off and running in this 09 fantasy season.  I’d be remiss in not mentioning that I succumbed to my Brett Myers weakness.  As I’m on my way home from the draft I find the MLB season opener on the radio.  Brett is on the hill versus the power starved Atlanta Braves.  I tune in just as Brett serves up his third bomb of the game.  It’s the second inning by the way.   Did I mention that the Braves are power starved? 

There is a good possibility that Verlander and Myers will eventually reduce me to a babbling heap of beer stained khaki.  Not that I need their help or anything.