LAST MINUTE NUGGETS

Before I get into the last minute things you should know before you draft this weekend, I wanted to talk a little about the Big Tourney.

I’m already out, thanks to Winthrop and Oral Roberts. I think next year I’ll make sure I’m in the room when Ziliani picks the teams out of the hat.

At least Winthrop was tied at the half with Washington State. I think they decided they would play the second half with just three players. Oral Roberts never got to within 20 of Pitt.

What are the odds of having two teams that you don’t know what state they are from or what their mascots are? That is never a positive sign. If I had to guess, I’d say Winthrop is based out of Aspen and their mascot is the Izod alligator. They just sound like a preppy school.

I’m pretty sure Oral Roberts play their home games in San Francisco and their mascot is a dental dam. Let me know if I’m right.

For the first time ever, I had my daughter fill out a bracket. She’s only 7, but I remember filling out my first bracket when I was 2. You’re never too young to learn how to be a degenerate gambler. Thanks Pop.

Anyway, her final pits Butler vs. Drake. She kept picking Butler because she enjoyed writing But over and over.

I wasn’t sure why she went with Drake, but then my wife made me look at the posters on her wall. Drake and Josh rule!!!

For posterity, my final 4 are UNC, Clemson, Pitt and UCLA, with Pitt winning it all. Just in case they do, I want to have proof. And if Drake ends up beating Butler in the final, you can reach me and my daughter in Vegas.

Now onto the important stuff….baseball. Who really cares about Easter anyway?

The MLB season officially kicks off at 4:00 a.m. this Tuesday, so if your draft isn’t run this weekend, you are out of luck. Hopefully you all plan on setting your alarms so you can see Big Papi and the crew demolish the A’s inside the Tokyo Dome.

The fact is I’m not really sure if the games are even going to be on TV. They better be or Comcast will be getting a nasty letter. If ESPN doesn’t carry these games, they should be ashamed. Do they really have something better to air at 4 in the morning? How many repeats of the 2003 World Series of Poker can one watch?

My AL only draft is tonight. My NL only auction is tomorrow. Do yourself a favor and take part in an auction sooner rather than later. There is nothing like heading into a draft knowing you can have Hanley, Howard, Rollins and Santana on your team if you really want. You most likely won’t win, but winning isn’t everything, right?

Breaking news out of Atlanta….John Smoltz is having some problems with his throwing shoulder. Smoltz has been through the wars and hopefully this is not anything too serious. But considering he’s a geriatric, you’ve got to be a little worried. He has barely pitched this spring and now he’s dinged up. Buyer beware.

Stop me if you’ve heard this before. Jeremy Hermida and Rickie Weeks are being slowed by injuries. Hermida will likely start the year on the DL with a hamstring injury. Take that all you humps who built him up as a breakout.

A deep sleeper for you AL only guys: Alexei Ramirez. It’s looking like he’ll be the starting second baseman for the White Sox. The Cuban defector knows how to hit and he’s been whacking the ball all spring. Unfortunately, he’s got hands like feet and can’t field a lick. I’m not a White Sox fan, so who cares. Right now, he’s only eligible as an outfielder, but in a couple weeks, that 2nd base eligibility will come in handy. Take him late.

I still can’t believe it, but it’s looking more and more like both Evan Longoria and Jarrod Saltalamacchia will be starting their seasons in AAA. If you are still wondering why the Rangers and Devil Rays are perennial roadkill, look no further than these decisions.

Josh Hamilton will finish the season as a top 20 overall player. Mark it down…and DRAFT HIM!

For those of you hoping BJ Ryan will be the man come opening day, I’ve got bad news. Ryan is still not game ready and there’s no definite timetable for him to be back in the majors. Bump up Jeremy Accardo….he’ll be closing at least for April, maybe longer.

John Patterson, the Nationals projected opening day starter, was flat out released on Thursday. He’s looked terrible this spring, but I’m still amazed that this happened. He’ll be signed somewhere (Houston has already spoken to him). I, personally, think he should be brought in by the Phillies. Eaton stinks and I’ve got a real bad feeling about Kyle Kendrick.

Looking for someone to grab in the final round of your NL only draft? Try Blake DeWitt, the likely starting third baseman for the Dodgers come opening day. Nomar is broken down and LaRoche is out until at least late May. DeWitt looks like the starter, unless some deals go down.

Ironically, in Chicago, the White Sox don’t want Joe Crede. Yet they continue to hold onto him and force stud Josh Fields back to the minors. I know you can’t just release Crede, but you’ve got to get rid of him. Especially if it means Fields won’t be in your lineup. There are plenty of teams that could use a third baseman. I think a deal will get done, so both Crede and Fields are worth drafting.

And lastly, take this little nugget into your AL and mixed drafts. Nick Markakis is terrific. A five tool masher who I’ve been pumping up all spring. But the O’s announced this week that hitting cleanup directly behind Nick will be the one and only Kevin Millar. How’s that for protection? I see your future Nick and it includes a whole lot of walks.

Sorry to say.