A
strange thing happened during the final moments of the 1972 Olympic men’s gold
medal game, which pitted Cold War rivals USA and USSR against one another.

 

Team
USA began celebrating a 50-49 victory upon hearing the final buzzer. But the
game wasn’t over. The horn sounded prematurely, the referees claimed, adding
two more seconds to the clock and replaying the final possession. The Soviets wound
up scoring an uncontested layup to win the gold.

 

It
has to go down as one of the most memorable premature celebrations in sports
history.

 

Over
the past few days, we’ve seen some of the most premature celebrations in
fantasy sports history. Across America, countless owners could be seen dancing
around their computers singing sweet victory.

 

What
most neglected to realize was this:

 

The
regular season wasn’t over.  

 

And
until the American League Central tiebreaker between the Tigers and Twins is finished
Tuesday, fantasy owners, whose fortunes seemed doomed on Sunday, still have a
chance to pull off another 1972 Summer Olympics moment.

 

Mind
you, this doesn’t apply to leagues where the first-place team sits miles ahead of
the second-place team.

 

This
is solely for races that went down to the wire, where one win, one save, a
couple of homers and a few RBIs and/or stolen bases can be the difference
between winning and losing.  

 

Cory
Schwartz, co-host of MLB.com’s Fantasy 411, recounted how the 2007 tiebreaker
between the Rockies and Padres left him heartbroken.

 

“I
was leading the 411 listener league at the end of the regular season, but my
prescient opponent picked up every Rockies and Padres scrubeenie as soon as
Sunday’s games started; he got an RBI triple from Seth Smith to catch me in
that category, a run from some other benchie, and we ended up in a flat-footed
tie for the league championship.”

 

Which
Twins and Tigers players will turn the tides this time around?

 

You
have to start with Rick Porcello of Detroit and Scott Baker of Minnesota, each
of whom take the mound in the highest-pressure outings of their careers.

 

That’s
especially true for Porcello. I don’t know about you, but when I was 20 years
old, the idea of starting a one-game playoff, in front of a combined audience
that figures to top one-million people, would be enough to put me on the first
plane to Mexico.

 

But
Porcello isn’t your average 20-year-old. He’s coming off a Rookie of the
Year-caliber campaign in which he notched 14 wins and a 4.04 ERA, including six
strong innings against the Twins last time out. Throw in the fact that he leaped
from Single-A to Detroit, and it’s tough to rule him out altogether.

 

Still,
the odds favor Baker for a number of reasons. He has the luxury of pitching in
front of a raucous home crowd after a smooth second half that included an 8-2
record and a 3.21 ERA. It can’t hurt that he’s pitching for a Twins club that
staged in an improbable comeback without 2006 MVP Justin Morneau, winning 16 of
their last 20 games to force a do-or-die matchup. Porcello lost his only two
starts at the Metrodome, getting shelled for seven earned runs over 10 innings
(6.30 ERA).

 

And
if the Twins ride their momentum to victory, count on Joe Nathan contributing
in some fashion, possibly even picking up his 48th save, which would tie him
with Brian Fuentes for the Major League lead. The same goes for Tigers fireman
Fernando Rodney, who showed a knack for bringing his “A” game during save
chances.     

 

Other
usual suspects include MVP candidates Joe Mauer and Miguel Cabrera.  It might be tempting to sit Cabrera amid an
0-for-14 funk and off-the-field troubles, but you don’t sit a .323 hitter who’s
finishing his third straight 30-homer, 100-RBI campaign.

 

An
even bigger mistake would be sitting Jason Kubel, who went 8-for-11 against
Porcello (.727 AVG) and owned Tigers pitchers this season with a .383 average
against them collectively. Oh, and Kubel is also in the midst of a career year
and coming off a scorching stretch that earned him AL Co-Player of the Week honors
Monday.

 

There’s
no shortage of Twins players riding a wave of momentum.     

 

Take
Delmon Young, who shared AL Player of the Week with Kubel and went 4-for-9
(.444) vs. Porcello.

 

Fellow
outfielder Denard Span struggled in limited time against Porcello (3-for-11),
but he brings a ******** .432 average against Tigers pitchers into Tuesday’s
game, after quietly establishing himself as one of the more valuable
five-category threats.

 

And
how could anyone bench Michael Cuddyer after effectively channeling Morneau’s power
with 10 homers and 29 RBIs since the start of September, single-handedly
ruining my chances of winning an office fantasy league?

 

Even
Nick Punto contributed to the comeback run, posting seven stolen bases from
September on.

 

It
would be foolish to talk about the Tigers lineup without mentioning Magglio
Ordonez, who has regained credibility in the average department after nearly
being released/traded in July. The sweet-swinging righty heads into Tuesday
sporting a .441 average since the start of September.

 

Also
riding his hottest stretch into Tuesday is Placido Polanco, who found his
rhythm in September with a .361 average.

 

As
far as sleepers go, Ryan Raburn stands out after hammering two homers on Sunday
and putting up a .321 average and four homers as a part-timer in September. Tigers
outfielder (also qualifies at third base) Carlos Guillen and Twins shortstop Orlando
Cabrera could also emerge as unlikely heroes, given their years of seasoning
and big-game know-how.  

 

The
only players truly worth benching are Gerald Laird, among the least valuable
fantasy catchers around, and Brandon Inge, who has seemingly vanished after
appearing in his first All-Star game (.216 AVG).

 

Otherwise,
Tuesday is the day that every Twins and Tigers player merits starting status.   

 

Beggars
can’t be choosers when opportunity knocks this loudly with game No. 163.  

What’s most memorable — the last impression or the first impression?

 

It
took Matt Wieters months before he truly arrived in September, clawing his way
to the third spot in Baltimore’s lineup thanks to a .362 average. After 95 games
and 350 at-bats in the bigs, he’s batting .291 with nine homers and 93 RBIs —
a fairly strong showing for a June callup. Still, it’s hard to erase that
disappointing memory, those first several weeks of coming up short, of, well,
rookie mistakes.

 

Just
as one heroic moment can overshadow every other meaningful moment of a game  — a poised Derek Jeter lacing a walk-off hit
into left-center field, Jonathan Papelbon jumping for joy after a game-ending
strikeout  — the first few months often skew the perception of one player’s season-long performance. If, say, a blue-chip prospect, franchise bat or any player coming off his career year doesn’t produce by Labor Day, they’re disappointments.

 

Take
Carlos Quentin. On Saturday, the guy homered for the fourth time in his last
five games while producing 10 RBIs. It’s his hottest stretch of the season, but
will it matter six months from now? No — the verdict has already been cast. Quentin’s
2009 season will be looked back on as a vanishing act, a huge disappointment after
taking the American League by storm one year earlier. Why? Because of an injury-riddled
first half that ended with him hitting just .229 and eight homers.

 

His
teammate, Jake Peavy, will be remembered more for the early rough patch and
injuries struggled with San Diego than for persevering through trade rumors, a
midseason move to the White Sox and several setbacks en route to a dominant
finish that included three straight wins and 15 scoreless innings.

 

Still, just because the first couple of months are easier to remember than the last few weeks hardly makes it right.

In fact, there’s plenty of good value to
be had among this group of late awakenings. Even if Wieters and Quentin are
dubbed as 2010 sleepers, chances are strong that you’ll still be able to draft
them considerably later than they’ll fall in 2011.

 

You
could also say the same for outfielders Jay Bruce and Cameron Maybin, corner
infielders Chris Davis and Andy LaRoche and lefty Brett Anderson.

 

In
one way or another, all these players showed they could get back up again after getting knocked down. .

 

 

–Alex
Cushing, MLB.com

For
most, this time of year is seen as the end of the road. 

 

Veteran
players can finally take a load off, either in preparation for the postseason
or simply to get a head start on offseason vacation.

 

But
for those lesser-known characters filling their shoes, these final few games are rife
with new beginnings.  

 

Take
Nationals shortstop Ian Desmond, who wasted no time carving out regular playing
time when he arrived from Triple-A Syracuse some three weeks ago. After making
headlines with a homer in his four-RBI big league debut, Desmond added to it by
going 4-for-4 with a pair of doubles one day later. Before you knew it, the
Nationals were holding meetings with Cristian Guzman, with the idea of politely
nudging the veteran shortstop over to second base permanently next year,
clearing the way for the new guy. Never mind what happens next year. What’s
important now is that Desmond is in audition mode after turning in his best
professional season to date.

When
it comes to late auditions, Desmond is hardly alone. There’s Randy Ruiz, who is
hoping to ride his Jack Cust impersonation into the 2010 season while holding
onto a full-time spot, be it as designated hitter or first baseman. And when
you look closely at his 2009 production (32 HR, 120 RBIs between Minors, Majors),
chalking up his 31 years and big league freshness to lack of opportunity, it’s
not hard to imagine Ruiz following in the footsteps of Russell Branyan as the
next late-blooming basher.

 

Another
potential late-bloomer worth targeting is 33-year-old lefty reliever Matt
Thornton, who fanned two Indians en route to a perfect inning and his fourth
save. It just so happens that three came in the past week, without much of a
peep. Injuries to Bobby Jenks and Octavio Dotel — the club’s most experienced
finishers — have left openings for Thornton to fill in as closer, and for good
reason. The veteran reliever has not only proven himself capable of filling in
the gap, he’s excelled against righty hitters this year by compiling a
career-high 86 strikeouts, 24 holds and 19 over 71 1/3 innings. If he continues
to thrive, Thornton could find himself on the hot chair before long.

–Alex Cushing, MLB.com

Remember
when every ballplayer stuck to one position, when first basemen played first base exclusively, and the
only time people mentioned the word, “utilityman,” was in reference to someone working at the local hardware store?

Those
were the days.

 

Now,
the world’s gone mad with everyone playing everywhere. Even
the line between rotation and bullpen has been blurred.

 

Some
of today’s most prominent relievers came up as starters, from Jonathan Papelbon
to Jonathan Broxton to Kerry Wood.

 

Except
now, the opposite trend seems to be gaining steam, with teams growing increasingly
comfortable testing out relievers in the rotation.   

 

Last season, Justin Duchscherer emerged as Oakland’s
unlikely ace and one of the top surprise starters.

 

This past July, Jonathan Sanchez earned acclaim for his no-hit bid against the Padres, years after trying to bust onto the Giants’ 25-man roster as a reliever.

 

Some
will remember Adam Wainwright‘s promising run as fill-in closer during the Cardinals’ 2006 World Series run, before a rash of injuries and offseason losses forced
him back to the rotation for good. Now, he’s tied for the Major League lead in
wins with 18 (although much of his Minor League career was spent starting).

 

Does
the same bright future await the most recent pair of converts, Robinson Tejeda
and Brandon Morrow?

 

Morrow
thrived as Seattle’s part-time closer last season, but translating those skills to the rotation hasn’t been easy. Coming off an ’08 campaign in which he posted
sterling 3.34 ERA while snagging 10 saves, the power righty heads down the
final stretch looking for his second win, sitting at 1-4 with a 5.08 ERA.

 

Tejeda,
meanwhile, has become impossible to ignore after winning his third straight
start Sunday, an outing in which he held the White Sox to three hits and one
earned run over six innings. The Royals righty carries a staggering 0.81 ERA over
four big league starts this season. What began as a move of necessity for
Kansas City is turning into the opportunity of a lifetime for the well-traveled
27-year-old.

 

The
truth is that both Tejeda and Morrow served as Minor League starters at one
point or another, so their conversions could probably be best described as “re-conversions.”
Most relievers have started at one point or another in the Minors, including
Wainwright and Sanchez.

 

The
main difference is this: Morrow arrived in the Majors with far more expected of
him than Tejeda, and rightly so. While Morrow was selected fifth overall in the
2005 Draft, Tejeda first signed with the Phillies. Morrow has spent his entire
professional career with the Mariners, while Tejeda has been on three big league
clubs. Morrow starred as the California Golden Bears ace before zooming through
the Mariners farm system in three Minor League seasons, while it took Tejeda parts
of 11 Minor League seasons before making a name for himself.

 

That
doesn’t necessarily guarantee Morrow having a better Major League career than Tejeda.

 

But
it doesn’t hurt his chances.

 

Morrow
already features four pitches, including a fastball that routinely hits the
mid-90s along with a sharp mid-80s slider.

 

Tejeda
also throws a mid-90s heater, and his tally of 79 strikeouts over 64 2/3
innings only adds to his appeal.

 

Still,
while his recent success renders him the flavor of the month, the bottom line
is that Tejeda only throws three pitches. It’s hard to see how he sustains this
run, much less secures a spot in the Royals rotation, without adding another.

 

However,
the main hurdle preventing Morrow from taking off is time. Once he gets stretched
out as a starter, success is there waiting for him, flaws and all.

 

Conversion
or no conversion, Morrow is bound for rebirth.

 

 

–Alex Cushing,
MLB.com

When
celebrities find themselves at the center of controversy, the standard move is
to take time off.

 

Some
check in to rehab. Some spend time with family. Some escape to a tropical
island, sit back and listen to self-improvement audio books.

 

Even
if you’re not one of those people who follows celebrity gossip, chances are you
can still name a few recent examples (I’ll refrain to avoid a controversy of my
own).

 

Whatever
the method, the fundamental goals are the same; to repair public image by
creating the impression of humility and — most of all — set the stage for
a future comeback.

 

The
Red Sox hope time off works the same magic for Daisuke Matsuzaka, who made his long-awaited return to the mound
Tuesday after taking an 87-day sabbatical to recover from arm fatigue.  

 

More
on Tuesday’s outing later.

 

First,
the full scope of the damage Dice-K incurred this season.

 

It
all went down downhill after the World Baseball Classic, for which he took home
Most Valuable Player.

 

The
added workload disrupted his Spring Training routine and may have caused the ineffectiveness
and two stints on the disabled list that followed.

 

Fast
forward several weeks into the season, and the guy who combined for 30 wins
over his first two big league seasons was no longer recognizable.  On June 19, he was booed off the field after
surrendering six earned runs on eight hits over four innings against the Braves.
 That appearance was his last, leaving
his fantasy owners scratching their heads wondering how Dice-K — one of the game’s
top starters — had unraveled and gone 1-5 with a 8.23 ERA.

 

Thinking
long term, the Red Sox chose to sacrifice most of his 2009 season, both to
avoid any additional injuries and to reprise his rookie form.  

 

The
decision gave Matsuzaka countless hours in near-solitude at the club’s facility
in Fort Myers, Fla. There, he not only had time to collect his thoughts, air a
few grievances and build back the confidence that had been shattered by
American League hitters, but he also underwent a physical makeover that vastly
improved his conditioning.

 

Four
rehab starts for Triple-A Pawtucket yielded positive results, a 2.25 ERA and a
17/6 K/BB ratio.

 

All
the extra time off seemed to pay off Tuesday, as Dice-K held a scrappy Angels
lineup hitless over his first four frames. Matsuzaka would eventually let up
six hits over six scoreless innings, outdueling Halos ace John Lackey in the
process.  

 

It’s
too soon to say whether Dice-K is the ace of yesteryear, but things are heading
in the right direction.

 

At
the very least, aspiring fantasy champs can feel confident in Dice-K
contributing down the stretch, instead of occupying a celebrity spot on your
bench.

 

Hall
of Fame shortstop-turned-third baseman Cal Ripken is revered for his
consecutive games played streak.

 

Pitchers,
on the other hand, could learn from Matsuzaka, who is back atop the Red Sox
rotation after taking the slow road back in recovery.

 

 

–Alex Cushing,
MLB.com

 

While
much of the northeast had its eyes peeled on the masterful debut of Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez,
another young arm was busy making his presence felt on the diamond Sunday.

 

Clay
Buchholz kept a dangerous Rays offense to one earned run over seven innings —
his fourth straight quality start. Nailing down a spot in the Red Sox rotation
hasn’t been easy ever since his no-hit effort two years ago. A rocky rookie
season damaged expectations enough that the Red Sox kept him down at Triple-A
Pawtucket for half of 2009. And even when he was finally recalled on July 17, it
was déjà vu all over again, with his ERA ballooning to 6.05 after four outings.
 

 

Since
then, however, Buchholz has rebounded convincingly. Holding opponents to two
earned runs or fewer in six of his last eight outings has dropped his overall
ERA to 3.66. Boston’s decision to cut ties with Brad Penny last month all but
guaranteed Buchholz a rotation, and the decision is paying off.  With a 22/7 K/BB ratio over his last four
starts, the 25-year-old righty has not only rewarded Boston brass for sticking
by him through thick and thin, he also appears to be turning a corner.

 

Others
surging their way onto mixed-league lineups include:

 

As
if landing a starting role at age 20 wasn’t enough, Rangers shortstop Elvis
Andrus is making a strong bid for AL Rookie of the Year consideration, thanks
to a 15-game hit streak.

 

A
torrid nine-game hit streak from Billy Butler gives owners another exciting
Royals player not named Zack Greinke or Joakim Soria. The 23-year-old first
baseman has matured into the club’s top hitter since the All-Star break and
sports a shimmering .400 average with eight extra-base hits this month.

 

Batting
ahead of Hanley Ramirez has given Nick Johnson plenty of pitches to hit in
Florida. In fact, the oft-injured yet talented first baseman hasn’t had this
kind of protection since his Yankees years, which ended in 2003. He’s hitting
.355 with nine doubles during September, a trend that figures to continue as
the season winds down.

 

New
surroundings also appear to be bringing out the best in Vicente Padilla, who’s
gone 3-0 with a  2.01 ERA and a 17/7 K/BB
ratio over four starts since landing in the Dodgers rotation. After blanking
the Giants over the weekend, he faces them again on Friday, Sept. 18.

 

Johnson’s
former teammate, Elijah Dukes, appears going through something of a rebirth. Having
reached base safely in his last 17 games, the bulky outfielder could wrap up an
otherwise disappointing season with a bang.

 

 

–Alex Cushing,
MLB.com

For
better or for worse, there are some who dismiss fantasy sports as a fringe game
played by pimple-faced, backward-hat-wearing, comic-book-reading, bazooka-chewing
dorks.

And
that is totally offensive because I quit chewing bazooka years ago.

The
truth of the matter is that fantasy and reality often converge.

I
was reminded of this while watching Rockies highlights during Labor Day
weekend.

As
Colorado emerges as the National League Wild Card favorite with four
consecutive wins to improve to 18 games above .500, more of its players have emerged
as viable fantasy options. Or maybe it’s vice versa.

Two
years ago, Matt Holliday led the Rockies to their surprising postseason berth.

Now,
the team is flooded with options, starting with Holliday’s replacement in left
field, Seth Smith. Despite prolonged slumps from Brad Hawpe and Clint Barmes,
the Rockies have soared thanks largely to a little-known surge from Smith, who
sports a scorching-hot .519 average with four homers and 10 RBIs in seven September
contests, leaving him with strong overall numbers (.318 AVG, 15 HR, .573
SLG).  Yet he remains available for the taking in many leagues, probably
even yours.

The
same can be said for utilityman turned starting third baseman Ian Stewart.
Remember when Garrett Atkins carried Colorado’s offense? Neither does Stewart,
who unseated Atkins at the hot corner earlier this season and has only gained
steam since, connecting for four homers in six September games. He’s also not
getting nearly enough attention as he should, taking his eligibility at second
base into consideration.

NL
Rookie of the Year candidate Dexter Fowler goes on the 15-day disabled list? No
problem, just plug second-half surger Carlos Gonzalez into center field. The
reinvigorated Huston Street goes down? Don’t worry, go ahead and replace him
with former top prospect Franklin Morales, who’s converted four saves in as
many tries this month. Rotation anchor Aaron Cook needs time off? There still
might be room on the Jorge De La Rosa bandwagon.

Meanwhile,
Ubaldo Jimenez has established himself as one of the NL’s top starters, while
rotation mates Jason Marquis and Jason Hammel appear on their way to career
years. And that’s not even mentioning comeback campaigns from Troy Tulowitzki
and Todd Helton, the heart and soul of Colorado’s offense.

If
you asked savvy fantasy owners months ago about the Rockies, most would have
given you a dose of reality: There’s no shortage of young talent out in the Mile
High City.

–Alex Cushing,
MLB.com