How to build a fantasy team around a rookie first baseman...

or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Kendry.

Fantasy baseball is one of those things that's hard to half-ass if you consider yourself a student of the game. Despite the sheer lunacy of the concept, it's entertaining to have an interest in more than just divisional games with playoff implications. Suddenly, all those Albert Pujols highlights become more fascinating than annoying, and watching Baltimore get crushed is still enjoyable when Adam Jones goes 3-4 with a homer, a double, and two stolen bases.

Things like that.

Anyway, the point I'm trying to make is that I took a flyer on Kendry Morales on my first fantasy team and all he's done is put up near-Teixeira numbers. Oddly enough, Kendry's defense has been a +2.4 this season while Tex has been stumbling at a -.9. I always though Teixeira was a great fielder, but looking at his numbers, he's had two good seasons ('04 and '08) and a couple medicore to poor seasons ('05-'07). Interesting. If I recall correctly, he played a few games at third for the Rangers, so I'm sure his numbers took a hit over there.

Kendry managed a 5-5 night with 2 homers and a pair of doubles, accruing 6 RBI and 13 total bases. Not too shabby, particularly as this is his first full season as an everyday first baseman. The fact that he still gets platooned with Robb Quinlan is evidence as good as any other that managers really don't understand baseball. It's a shame too, because he set the Angel record for homers by a first basemen with 29, breaking Chili Davis' longstanding mark, and would probably have 31 or 32 with the playing time he deserves.

The Angels have needed a 30HR first baseman for longer than I can remember, and here he is.

As far as the rest of last night's game, Trevor Bell was unfairly saddled with 5 ER. He induced an easy double play ball to Erick Aybar with one out and the bases loaded in the second, but Aybar managed to olé! the ball into left field. Get in front of it. Regardless, a 1-0 lead turned into a 5-1 deficit and Bell was sent into the starry blue yonder, or Salt Lake City, whichever is closer.

But as the error giveth, the error taketh away, and the Angels took advantage of 2 errors in the seventh to take a 9-6 lead. And a good thing, too, because losing to Oakland should really not be within the realm of possibilities for this team.

They play again tonight at 6:05, and I'll be in attendance.

Also, welcome to Anaheim, Scott.