LestersLegends.com

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Ryan Dempster vs. Florida Marlins
Dempster was a little shaky his last time out giving up three runs in five innings. He got the win though, and is now 2-1 in his past six starts with a 2.41 ERA and 4-2 in his past nine with a 3.09 ERA. Dempster is pitching at home where he’s 3-4 with a 3.84 ERA (3-2, 6.70 on the road). He did get bombed earlier by the Marlins, but was 2-0 with a 1.08 ERA in 25 innings against them over the past three years.
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Yesterday’s Totals:  No-decision, 7 IP, 4 Ks, 0.00 ERA, 0.86 WHIP (5 hits, 1 walk)
Season Totals:  38-24, 576-1/3 IP, 413 Ks, 3.69 ERA (236 earned runs), 1.28 WHIP (556 hits, 183 walks)
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Also check out:

• Can Danny Valencia Finish Strong?
• Who Are the Best Players to Own After the All-Star Break?
• Can Emilio Bonifacio Keep Up His Terror on the Bases?
• Should You Continue to Order the Worley Bird Special?
• Should Ted Lilly Owners Jump Ship?

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Heath had his second baseball practice today. Already he is one of the characters on the team. Go figure. Owen is at practice with us and he starts to get bored. Across the field is a huge playground that he’s dying to play on. We go over there for a bit and I look across the field for Heath. I can’t see him so we head back. As we approach the field Heath is playing on I notice that he’s playing catcher…in full pads. I was pretty pumped to see him playing the position so I snapped this photo with my phone. His first game is on Saturday. Meanwhile Owen will barely be three when he starts t-ball in June. Play ball.

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Brian Matusz has been sidelined all year with an intercostal strain, which is a painful condition when you strain the muscles that are attached to your ribs so your lungs can expand and contract when you breathe.
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That sounds about as enjoyable as taking a Aroldis Chapman fastball to the kneecap.
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He is set to make a rehab start on Monday for Single-A+ Frederick on Monday. He will then make a second start for Triple-A Norfolk. If he avoids any setbacks, he could be back with the Orioles by the end of the month.
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If  he is available in your fantasy league, should you stash him?
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The  fourth overall pick in the 2008 amateur draft zipped through the Orioles farm system, skipping Triple-A altogether. He went 11-2 with a 1.91 ERA in 19 minor league starts. He went 5-2 with a 4.63  in his cup of coffee with the O’s in 2009. Matusz went 2-1 with a  4.40 ERA in April before falling on hard times. He went 1-10 in May, June, and July with a 5.86 ERA.
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Matusz rebounded big time going 7-1 with a 2.18 ERA to close the season out. Finally he was living up to expectations.
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His dominating finish made him a popular choice in fantasy drafts, but his injury sucked the air out of the optimism balloon. Don’t expect him to pick right up where he left off, but with two successful rehab starts, you can start putting air back into that balloon.
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Brian is owned in just 44 percent of Yahoo! and 39.8 percent of ESPN leagues. If you have some dead weight on your roster, why not take a chance on somebody with big time potential?
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Also check out:

• Is John Axford Over the Hump?
• Can Kevin Correia Sustain His Early Success?
• Is Brandon Beachy the Real Deal?
• Is Matt Joyce For Real?
• Should You Buy Low on Yovani Gallardo?

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Fausto Carmona vs. Seattle Mariners
In six of Carmona’s eight starts  he’s allowed two or fewer earned runs. In his other two starts he’s allowed a combined 16 earned runs, which makes his 3.83 ERA more impressive. He has a solid 1.20 WHIP and 35 strikeouts in 51-2/3 innings. He was 0-2 last year against Seattle, but had a 1.93 ERA against them. In 2009 he was 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA against them. In 2008 he had a no-decision, but had a 1.35 ERA. In 2007  he was 1-0 with a 3.86 ERA. I look for him to continue his success against one of the league’s worst offenses.
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Yesterday’s Totals:  Rainout, 2 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.50 WHIP (1 walk)
Season Totals: 15-14, 233 IP, 184 Ks, 4.33 ERA (112 earned runs), 1.36 WHIP (227 hits, 91 walks)
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Also check out:

• Is John Axford Over the Hump?
• Can Kevin Correia Sustain His Early Success?
• Is Brandon Beachy the Real Deal?
• Is Matt Joyce For Real?
• Should You Buy Low on Yovani Gallardo?

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Maicer Izturis is off to an impressive start. He’s 27 for 75 (.360) with eight runs, seven doubles, two home runs, nine RBI, and two stolen bases. He has a .407 on-base percentage and a .940 OPS. The switch-hitter is hitting .327 against right-handed pitching and .435 against southpaws.
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He’s not going to hit .360 all year, but can we expect continued success? His chances are good if he can get to 300 at bats. In his first seven seasons he has reached 300 at bats three times. Here’s how he fared those years:
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2006:  352 ABs, .293 batting average, 64 runs, five home runs, 44 RBI, 14 SBs, .777 OPS
2007:  336 ABs, .289 batting average, 47 runs, six home runs, 51 RBI, seven SBs, .754 OPS
2009:  387 ABs, .300 batting average, 74 runs, eight home runs, 65 RBI, 13 SBs, .793 OPS
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If he did not get off to such a fast start he may have returned to a bench role, but he’s played his way into a regular role. Brandon Wood played his way out of the mix. Alberto Callaspo (.313-11-2-7-0)  is also off to a strong start, but it is likely to be Izturis to handle third base now that Erick Aybar is back. That’s because Izturis is hitting .391 in 69 at bats as the leadoff hitter. That’s too valuable to return him to a utility role. Izturis has even been used as the designated hitter three times this year to get his bat in the lineup.
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Injuries are always a concern with Izturis, but if can avoid the injury bug he should continue to excel. While he’s not a sexy pick for fantasy players, he is a solid one. Ride the wave while he’s on top.

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EA Sports and ESPN are teaming up to let you pick the cover of Madden NFL 12. We’re down to the final four. Round four of the is open through Sunday. Go to ESPN to vote. You can vote every day until the round ends.
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Here are the matchups:
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Aaron Rodgers vs. Peyton Hillis
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Michael Vick vs. Adrian Peterson
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When voting remember about the Madden Curse.

CollegeGambling.org Offers Tools and Resources for Campus Officials, Parents & Students
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WASHINGTON – The National Center for Responsible Gaming (NCRG) announced today that it has launched a new website, www.CollegeGambling.org, to help colleges and universities address gambling and gambling-related harms on campus. The first site of its kind, CollegeGambling.org brings together the latest research and best practices in responsible gaming and the field of addiction awareness and prevention to provide a substantive and versatile resource that will help schools and their students address this issue in the way best suited to each school.
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“There is a distinct need for sound, science-based policies and programs about gambling and gambling disorders on college campuses,” said Glenn Christenson, chairman of the NCRG. ―As the only national organization exclusively devoted to public education and funding research of gambling disorders, the NCRG is committed to helping schools inform students about the risks of gambling disorders and provide recovery-oriented measures.”
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Research finds that 75 percent of college students gambled during the past year (whether legally or illegally, on campus or off). While the vast majority of those old enough to legally gamble can do so responsibly, the most recent research estimates that 6 percent of college students in the U.S. have a serious gambling problem that can result in psychological difficulties, unmanageable debt and failing grades. For those who are not of legal age to gamble, there is no level of responsible gambling. College students appear to mature out of gambling problems, as they do with alcohol and drug use, after college. This is evidenced by the fact that only 1 percent of the adult population has a gambling disorder in the U.S. Still, addressing gambling on college campuses should be a priority.