Be The Turtle!

There is a classic story of a long distance race between a tortoise and a hair (or as I call them, a turtle and a rabbit). With the rabbit being so fast and the turtle being so slow, it wouldn't seem like much of a race. However, as we know, the turtle won. The rabbit started out good and then took it easy along the way since it was so far ahead. The turtle just kept going and won the race while the rabbit was taking a nap. What am I getting at? Fast and slow don't always matter. Endurance and persistence is where it's at. We are just over two weeks into the season and we are seeing some fast starts and some slow starts. However, the baseball season is a marathon. There are really good players that are not doing so well right now, there are some unknown or downright below average players who are looking like all-stars. Fast and slow don't always matter. Your approach to all this should be as follows: 1) Be patient. Heard this before? Me too. All the time. It's good advice. In fact, it's great advice. However, it is soooo hard to actually apply it. Seeing a guy on your team that is not hitting or not pitching is difficult to take. It eats away at you. Now, you may think, "There are so many players that are doing better. I'll just drop him and pick up a new guy off the waiver wire." I know I have thought that. Or a trade may be offered that could get you someone who is producing now. Don't do it! It's way too early to give up on your players. Josh Hamilton (.229, 1 HR) is going to be fine. Jimmy Rollins (.152 ERA, 1 HR, 4 RBI) is going to be fine. 2) Leave room for opportunities. Unknown/young players are going to be the next superstars. Pujols, Santana, Wright, Manny, etc. were all unknown/young players at some point. It's not a bad idea to grab a young guy who is doing good. Scout Rob had a recent article that made the point that we really have no idea who is going to be the next Cliff Lee (and for that matter, Pujols, Wright, etc.). Who is going to end the year as the rookie of the year? Don't know, but I sure hope he is on my team. I really, really hope he is on my team in my keeper league (keeper leagues make you think a little different - you look to win now and later). Take a chance on some of these young, quick starters, because they may be a star by the end of the year. With all that said, do not drop a Cole Hamels (0-1, 11.17 ERA, 5 SO) to get one of these unknowns. Be reasonable. The season is long. Star players will have star numbers (with very few exceptions *cough* Ortiz *cough*). Some fast start players will end the year on the bench or in the minors (and a few might just end up as 1st round picks in fantasy baseball next year). Slow and steady wins the race. Be the turtle, stick with your guns, and keep a prospect in your back pocket. - Scout Monkey (scout_monkey@gmx.com)