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Tuesday, September 01, 2009Some things are smaller in September
Opposite to last week's "Bigger in September" Part 1 and Part 2, this week we are looking at some players who figure to lose some of their fantasy relevance. Chris IannettaThe Rockies are immersed in another fingernail-biting playoff race and Chris Iannetta seems to be moving forward at such a slow pace with his development, he may have stopped moving altogether. With patience running thin at Iannetta's continued struggles, Yorvit Torrealba figures to receive a large potion of the starts at catcher. Iannetta can basically be cut in most leagues if he has not been already. See you next year, Chris. Geovany SotoGeovany followed his Rookie of the Year winning campaign with this year's disaster of a season. Since Soto is batting .212 through 300 plate appearances, the Cubs are looking to give backup Koyie Hill his fair share of playing time over the final stretch. However, as Aaron Gleeman points out, "a struggle for Soto is more or less Hill at his best" so expect any playing time loss for Soto to be relatively transient as he regains at least some of his former self. Brett AndersonThis young, "athletic" pitcher transitioned well to the leap from Double-A straight to the majors, pitching worthy of a 4.12 xFIP in 150 innings. Those 150 innings are a career high and A's management does not want to lean too heavily on their promising young lefty, especially as they sit in fourth (out of four) in the AL West. Expect him to receive only a couple more starts until getting shut down for the year. Same goes for Trevor Cahill, by the way. Alex RiosWhen the White Sox took on Rios' $60 million contract, I am sure they did so with the intention of playing him. However, 50 at-bats later over which he has only 10 hits, it is looking likely Rios will split time with a man the White Sox signed early in the season for near league minimum: Scott Podsednik. Now, do not exaggerate my words; Rios will still see plenty of at-bats. But Rios is looking like a prime example of what Eriq was talking about in this article last week. Scrutinize your roster and consider making the possibly tough decision of cutting Rios a la J.P. Ricciardi. Gerardo ParraAfter being rushed to the majors due to a slew of injuries to the D-backs outfield, the 22-year-old Parra turned some heads batting .320 at the end of his first month in the majors. Parra has since come down to Earth with his hitting numbers, but his current .285 average, five home run, five steal batting line is solid nonetheless for NL-only leagues. Sometimes it is about being in the right place at the right time—as Parra was at the beginning of the season—however, now he is in the wrong place in the crowded Arizona outfield. With Chris Young, Justin Upton, Ryan Roberts, Trent Oeltjen, and Alex Romero vying for playing time, Gerardo Parra may be squeezed out of enough of his own playing time to warrant his dropping in most leagues. Over to youAny other players primed to lose playing time? I won't be offended if you tell me in the comments. Posted by Paul Singman at 1:11am (7) Comments Is Joe Mauer the most valuable player in fantasy?Two weeks ago, I posted a 2010 fantasy baseball mock draft here. Obviously, it's a little early to be talking about next season, but one thing that stood out to me is that Joe Mauer went in the third round. I feel this is much too low for the Twins backstop. In fact, I believe he deserves serious consideration as the top pick overall. After all, he might be this season's fantasy MVP. Whether you find this statement ridiculous or not may depend on your view of weighting value according to position. Over the years, positional weights have been measured in various ways (VORP, WARP, Win Shares, etc.) but in terms of fantasy, here's how I'd describe it: If your catcher outproduces your competitor's catcher by 10 HR, your competitor has to field a lineup that outproduces your lineup by 10 HRs at the other positions just to stay even. As of Sunday, here's Joe Mauer's line on the season: 25 HR, 79 RBI, 77 R, 3 SB, and a .367 AVG How extraordinary is this? Well, let's compare Joe Mauer to the 11 other most-owned catchers in CBS Sports fantasy leagues: Victor Martinez, AJ Pierzynski, Mike Napoli, Kurt Suzuki, Jorge Posada, Brandon Inge, Miguel Montero, Bengie Molina, Russell Martin, Matt Wieters, and Ryan Doumit. These 11 players averaged these totals as of last Sunday: 13 HR, 52 RBI, 47 R, 2 SB, and a .271 AVG Joe Mauer has outproduced the average catcher in a 12-team league by 12 HR, 27 RBI, 30 R, 1 SB, and 96 points in batting average. Ask most people who is the fantasy MVP in 2009 and undoubtedly the answer is Albert Pujols. I also compared Pujols' numbers to these 11 first baseman: Prince Fielder, Miguel Cabrera, Ryan Howard, Mark Teixeira, Kevin Youkilis, Justin Morneau, Adrian Gonzalez, Derrek Lee, Joey Votto, Carlos Pena, and Lance Berkman. Pujols outproduced his peers on average by 12 HR, 22 RBI, 28 R, 11 SB, and 32 points in batting average. Close, but Mauer has got a very slight edge. Consider the fact too that all of Pujols' peers were owned from day one this season. In contrast, many fantasy teams didn't get the best from Brandon Inge, Miguel Montero, and Kurt Suzuki. Instead, they suffered through disappointing returns from Geovany Soto, Chris Iannetta, and Ramon Hernandez. Mauer's edge over the average catcher in a fantasy league grows. Even more extraordinary is the fact that Mauer didn't play his first game of the season until May 1. But owners of Joe Mauer probably were playing someone else, and even if that temp produced a modest line in April like 2 HR, 9 R, 9 RBI, these are stats that can be counted towards Mauer's owner's ledger. Many people involved in fantasy baseball tend to dismiss catchers the way that people involved in fantasy football dismiss kickers. But to see a player outperform his positional peers to this degree demands notice. Joe Mauer may be the most valuable player in baseball this year, and so it raises the forthcoming question—why wouldn't you take this player entering his Age 27 season with one of the first few picks? Posted by Eriq Gardner at 3:35am (11) Comments Wednesday, September 02, 2009Player Profile: Brett AndersonWhile the Oakland Athletics don't have a lot to be excited about this time of year, sitting 15 games under .500, they have plenty to be thankful for: the makings of a good young rotation, with Trevor Cahill, Vin Mazzaro, Gio Gonzalez, and, most importantly, Brett Anderson. Brett Anderson was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the second round in 2006. Following an excellent 2007 in South Bend and Visalia (120.1 IP, 125 K, 21 BB), Anderson left the D-Backs for Oakland as part of the Dan Haren trade. The lefty continued his dominance in 2008, posting 80 Ks against 18 BBs in 74 IP at High-A Stockton, followed by 38 Ks against 9 BBs in 31 IP for Double-A Midland. Anderson has always had excellent stuff, with a four-seamer that sits at 92-93, an 89-90 mph two-seamer, a low-80s curveball, mid-80s slider, and low-80s change-up. Anderson's repertoire has always been good enough to get swings and misses, but his calling card is his command. In the MLB, command always trumps stuff, but when a pitcher combines the two, he becomes deadly. Anderson did this all throughout the minors, with an aggregate 243:48 K:BB (5.06:1) ratio. Dazzling performances, a great pedigree, and a 36th overall prospect ranking by Baseball America meant that Anderson was on the fast-track to the bigs. After breaking the camp with the big team in April, the Double-A to MLB jump seemed a little extreme. While Anderson certainly had the stuff, polish, and command to perform in the MLB, skipping Triple-A is nothing to scoff at. While anecdotes often point to Double-A being the primary testing ground for position players, the Triple-A vetting process can be just as important, especially for starting pitchers. Oftentimes, hurlers with huge strikeout numbers in the low minors falter when they reach Triple-A and the majors. But, hey, these were Billy Beane's A's, and they can do anything. So, Big Brett made the jump, err, took the plunge, to the Oakland starting rotation. So, on to 2009. Anderson has made quite the name for himself this season. While posting a less-than-ideal 4.42 ERA and 1.30 WHIP, his peripherals have been much better than his current line. While the command and strikeout numbers aren't quite the same as his minor league stats, they leave a lot to be excited about. Through 146.2 innings, Anderson has struck out 119 batters and walked just 41. His command left the minors in tact, as a 2.52 BB/9 is great for any level of MLB experience, especially a rookie. The Ks have taken a hit, somewhat, sitting at 7.30 K/9, which is about average for a 12-team league. Anderson also features some slight groundball tendencies (1.31 GB/FB), which could be aided by an increased use of his two-seamer (7.2 percent usage). Nothing in Anderson's performance record jumps out as being particularly lucky or unlucky (other than his ERA). His BABIP sits at .309 and his HR/FB% sits at 11.0 percent, both of which could lower somewhat, though not much. Oakland's defense won't be helping him with the BABIP, however, as their .683 defensive efficiency ranks very poorly at 26th in the MLB. His ERA has should rebound quite a bit, however. His current 4.42 ERA is shown to be quite high by both FIP (3.96) and tRA (3.93), as well as my own metric, which expects a 3.86 ERA from here on out. His WHIP seems to be more in line with his actual performance, at 1.30, though I have it at 1.28. The 0.02 difference is nothing to write home about, however, and should be wiped away by any chance variation or measurement inaccuracies that should occur. The one knock on Anderson this season, however, has been his contact percentage. While 83.3 percent is decent, it is a little higher than is ideal and is a sign that his strikeout numbers may be a bit higher than they ought to be. As a result, his 7.30 K/9 seem a little high and should be closer to the mid-6s than the low-7s. His walk rate seems to be right where it should be, given his proclivity to hit the strike zone (50.3 percent zone percentage) and his ability to get ahead in the count (58.3 percent first strikes). If anything, 2.52 BB/9 may be slightly lower than expected, as the peripherals seem closer to the 2.7 range. Still, it's a great walk rate for any pitcher, especially a young one. Anderson's combination of excellent peripherals and average results put fantasy owners in a very fortuitous position. Most leagues have passed their trade deadline, so unless you are in one that is still trading, you need to check your waiver wire and see if Anderson is available. If your league is still trading, and you could use some pitching help, see if you can pry him away from an unsuspecting owner. If so, he will be quite the asset. Assuming Anderson is capable of living up to his expected ERA improvement and doesn't fall lower than 6.5 strikeouts per nine, he should be just about league average for a starting pitcher in 12-team mixed leagues. If he's available in your league, he will be a welcome addition and should be worth 1-2 points above replacement level over the course of a full season. If you employ a league average starter at the fifth and sixth rotation spots, you've got quite a good rotation. Don't let Anderson slip through your fingers. He might be that valuable final piece in your 2009 championship run. Posted by Mike Silver at 1:59am (3) Comments Thursday, September 03, 2009Awards Season: GCL and Arizona League HonorsGulf Coast LeagueHitter of the Year Eury Perez / OF / Washington Nationals Coming off an outstanding 2008 Dominican Summer League debut, Perez has cemented his position as one of Washington's more exciting young prospects by finishing the year with a 27-game hitting streak on his way to winning the GCL batting title. His all-around offensive game was on display as well, with three home runs, five triples, and 16 stolen bases in 181 at-bats. Pitcher of the Year: Matt Fields / RHP / Toronto Blue Jays Sure, Fields is 23 years old and doesn't have much overall upside, but lets give the man his moment in the limelight. Over 51.2 innings of work, Fields put together a ridiculous set of stats, including a 1.22 ERA and an otherworldly 0.79 WHIP. Best Hitting Prospect Kelvin De Leon / OF / New York Yankees Yankees fans love when their team shells out big bucks for Hispanic teenagers. Sometimes things work out and sometimes they don't. In De Leon's case, the future looks bright. He has thus far justified the Yankees' seven-figure bonus, and his loaded tool box should have him competing in full season ball next year. Best Pitching Prospect Adrian Salcedo / RHP / Minnesota Twins I haven't seen Salcedo pitch, but from everything I hear, no one in the Gulf Coast League even comes close. Right now he sits in the low-90s with his fastball, but with his ideal frame, wiry athletic ability, and relatively clean mechanics, his potential is through the roof. And for his age, his command is borderline freakish. Arizona LeagueHitter of the Year Cody Decker / 1B / San Diego Padres Decker was a man amongst boys in more ways than one. A 22-year-old is usually expected to dominate a rookie league, but never in this fashion. We would all like to see more walks and less strikeouts, but Decker lead the league in doubles, home runs, RBIs, and finished third in the league in batting average, the only "blemish" on his triple crown bid. Pitcher of the Year Carl Webster / RHP / LA Dodgers Webster was a giant bright spot on an otherwise sub-par group of AZL Dodgers. He struck out more than a batter per inning while posting a 2.08 ERA and 1.03 WHIP. On top of that, the control issues that he experienced last year in the Gulf Coast League may be well behind him, as he walked only 15 in 60.1 rookie level innings. Best Hitting Prospect Mike Trout / OF / LA Angels Fellow Angels first round pick Randal Grichuk deserves to be mentioned, but Trout's superior contact skills give him a slight edge. Trout isn't a superstar waiting to happen, but he has a bit of power, has a bit of speed, and has a very advanced approach at the plate. In the long run, I think Trout turns out better than Grichuk. Best Pitching Prospect Fabio Martinez Mesa / RHP / LA Angels He doesn't have much more than an electric fastball right now, but that should carry him for awhile. His secondary stuff and control are very much a work in progress, but he has a real feel for a curve ball and seems to have the work ethic to turn it into a plus pitch. Posted by Matt Hagen at 3:01am (0) Comments End game and maximizing limits (part 2)In my last article, I talked a little bit about end of season strategies. That article focused mostly on maximizing innings in standard Yahoo rotisserie leagues, where the cap is set at 1250. Obviously, not all leagues are created equal, and while this is true and the math may change, the underlying concept remains intact. A fellow THT Fantasy writer, Derek Ambrosino, posted some good points regarding spot-starting in the comments section of that article. Unfortunately, my computer decided to stop working the next day, so I wasn't able to comment or reply. After reading that post by Derek though, I realized that my article was a bit incomplete, so I've decided to use this as an opportunity to not only elaborate on that article, but to add to some of the points Derek raised. Some of my thoughts may conflict with his, but this article shouldn't be viewed as a rebuttal or argument by any means. Rather, it should be taken as a discussion to further promote thoughts and ideas within fantasy baseball, and I hope you guys add your $0.02 in the comments section. One of the strategies I love to use throughout the season is right in line with the last point Derek made regarding the use of top-tier relievers (not necessarily closers). This is a strong piece of advice and a sound strategy, and I get the impression that not all owners employ it. Guys like Michael Wuertz (6 wins and 84 strikeouts in 64.1 innings), Ryan Madson (5 wins and 64 strikeouts in 64 innings) and Hideki Okajima (5 wins and 49 strikeouts in 53.2 innings) will not only help accumulate strikeouts, but will pick up occasional wins (and saves), all while not destroying your ERA and WHIP. In other words, these types of relievers help eat-up innings in an efficient way. So if you find that you have some time between spot-starts, considering adding a high-end reliever to fill some of that dead time. As I mentioned in my previous entry, I tend to be behind in my innings count mostly because I tend to focus on hitting in the first few months of the season. My drafts tend to be hitting heavy, and I have absolutely no problem exchanging pitching for hitting. A reason for this is because, as Derek mentions, pitchers will pitch every fifth day and hitters will hit every day. But another reason why I think it's often easier for owners to trade pitching for hitting is the idea that quality pitching is more abundant and easier to find than quality hitting. (This is also the driving force behind hitting heavy drafts or early draft rounds being hitting heavy. And I won't talk about that here, because then we'd have to start talking about devising a value system that balances pitching and hitting properly according to league settings.) So if we run with that idea, that pitching is generally easier to find, then it seems that the focus for most of the season should be on hitting. Admittedly, I've never experimented with spot-starting throughout an entire season. The majority of my spot-starts occur towards the end, when I want to ensure that I will reach the maximum number of innings pitched allowed by the league. Derek does bring up a good point, in that by spot-starting early on, the chances of finding a Cliff Lee or Jarrod Washburn increases. I'm just not sure if this type of discovery is a direct result of spot-starting or if it is more a matter of simply being attentive to the occurrences in the major leagues and being active in your fantasy league. The reason I say this is because when I decide to add or start a pitcher early on in the season, it's because I deem the expectation of success to be relatively high. And in order for that expectation to be high, that pitcher needs to have a certain minimum set of tools or skills. And how do we usually assess skill level? We usually use history to help predict future performances, right? So while there might not be a single league where Jarrod Washburn is available at this point in the season, it seems just as likely that there wasn't a single league in which a team spot-started Washburn against the Twins in his first game or against the Angels in his second game. Likewise, I can't imagine anyone even considered spot-starting Cliff Lee in either of his first few starts last season either. Washburn, like Lee, wasn't expected to pitch as well as he has this year, but that expectation has since changed as we now have a little more history to work with. And if we did add Washburn (or Lee last year), it was most likely because we noticed the string of quality starts he had already put together and, then from that point on, we decided that he was good enough to warrant a roster spot. One last thing I'd like to add is that while the pool of available pitchers may be stronger earlier, that doesn't necessarily mean that quality pitchers can't be found on the wire in the latter portion of the season. This will depend on the format and quality of a league, but I've found that in many leagues, the teams at the bottom will eventually give up, where the number of transactions will decrease as those teams begin to realize that they are no longer in contention for a finish near the top. This obviously increases the likelihood that you will be able to add and drop as you please. Also, owners may become impatient with players who haven't performed up to par without realizing that those bad performances could mostly be attributed to bad luck. Generally speaking though, I think Derek is right in that the pool is more plentiful at the start of the season. But whatever the situation may be, the aforementioned situations can and do arise, and and quality pitching can usually be found at any point in the season. As Derek mentioned, many of the real-life teams juggle their lineups towards the end of the season. While this may slightly decrease the overall chances of accumulating wins, I think there are cases where it can help as well. These lineup shuffles also include minor-league call-ups of prospects that may be competing for a spot in the rotation for the following year. Now, I don't know if there is any statistical evidence that supports this, but there is at least the idea that it takes some time for hitters to adjust to pitchers they are seeing for the first time (probably a fallacious cliche?). This could be used to your benefit, but I'd imagine there's quite a bit of variance and risk involved with spot-starting late season call-ups. Obviously, the prospect has to have some potential to begin with, but this strategy may have some merit. And again, remember that at the end of the season, a fantasy team has already accumulated a good number of innings, so a poor start shouldn't have as much of an impact on the rate categories. So opening up or widening the criteria for starting might not be a bad idea. For example, I might now be OK with the idea of adding Jorge De La Rosa even for a spot-start at Coors Field. The number of potential strikeouts might now outweigh his 4.93 ERA at home. (And I compared this idea to tournament poker in my first article, and the idea is that at various points of a tournament, a player might sacrifice some long-term value or positive expected value for a greater immediate benefit, like knocking a player out of the tournament to move up the money ladder or to increase the chances of winning the tournament. This idea applies here.) What are your thoughts on the strategy and timing of spot-starts? Posted by Marco Fujimoto at 3:05am (2) Comments Friday, September 04, 2009Waiver Wire: NLJuan Gutierrez | Arizona | CL YTD: 8.3 K/9, 2.0 K/BB, 4.10 ERA True Talent: 7.1 K/9, 1.8 K/BB, 4.98 ERA Next Week Forecast: 1.2 Saves, 5.18 ERA With closer Qualls done for the year, Arizona manager A.J. Hinch has said he'll go with a committee, but Gutierrez is considered the committee chairman. He's got a live fastball but has had control problems in the minors, with a 3.5 BB/9 dragging his control ratios downward. This season, he's declined to 4.1 BB/9, which is not a good trait for your endgame specialist to have. Excitement over his 2.86 ERA in 22 IP since July 1 must be tempered by his 4.9 BB/9 and 1.1 K/BB over that same span, so he's not a lead-pipe lock at closer by any means. Esmerling Vazquez and Clay Zavada are ready to step in should he falter, though Arizona's not going to bring that many save opportunities whoever's collecting them. Grab Gutierrez if you need more saves, but keep these problems in mind. He might overcome them under pressure—or they might make him implode. Buster Posey | San Francisco | C YTD: .325/.416/.531 (minors) True Talent: N/A Next Week Forecast: N/A Behind Matt Wieters, Posey is the best catching prospect around, and he's now in the big leagues, after just two years in the minors. Like Wieters, he's revered for his all-around skills, though he's still developing as a receiver. Despite his good SLG, Posey's not considered a true power hitter, but he brings great bat speed, and his .97 BB/K ratio in the minors shows his excellent plate discipline. For now, he's with the club as an insurance policy, so he's not expected to start unless Bengie Molina or Eli Whiteside gets hurt. Molina's battling a sore quad, however, making this not as unlikely as it seems. Posey's undoubtedly gone in NL keeper leagues, and possibly mixed keeper leagues, too—snatch him up if he's not, since catching prowess like this doesn't come around very often. He'll hold almost no value this year, barring injury to either catcher in front of him, so non-keeper leagues should watch him as advance scouting for next season's draft. Jose Contreras | Colorado | SP YTD: 7.0 K/9, 2.0 K/BB, 5.42 ERA True Talent: 5.8 K/9, 1.9 K/BB, 4.92 ERA Next Week Forecast: 6.0 IP, 0.4 Wins, 4 K, 4.34 ERA Chicago had seen enough of Contreras, and it's not hard to see why: In six August starts, he made it to the sixth inning once, coughing up 30 R (21 ER) and allowing opposing hitters a .867 OPS. His core ratios are relatively good, but he's creating problems with his walks (3.5 BB/9, his highest total since 2004), putting extra runners on base that he can't afford. Moving to the NL will help him somewhat, and his splitter might help him succeed to Coors Field. Even if he flourishes with his new team, he's not going to have more than one or two starts unless Aaron Cook (whom he was brought in to replace) suffers a setback. The strikeouts and chance for a win are what should draw you to Contreras, not the ERA. Tread carefully here, and take a gamble in deep NL-only leagues if you're desperate. Brandon Allen | Arizona | 1B YTD: .243/.300/.486 True Talent: .221/.278/.405 Next Week Forecast: 0.8 HR, 3 Runs, 3 RBI, .218 BA, 0.3 SB Allen's calling card is power, and 20 HRs and 24 2Bs this season in the minors earned him a call-up to the rebuilding D-backs, where he will start nearly every day. What he doesn't have right now is a good eye at the plate, as you can see from his .37 BB/K ratio in the minors (improving to a .59 this year) and the 15 Ks vs. 3 BBs he's amassed in 11 MLB games. True Talent tells the same story, making him a good add for teams needing power, so long as they can also absorb the hit to BA. Arizona's sputtering offense will also cut down on his RBI opportunities, particularly since he's hitting sixth or seventh, making him a fairly one-dimensional addition. NL leagues 16 teams and deeper can probably find a spot for him regardless, while only the deepest of mixed leagues should consider him. Franklin Morales | Colorado | CL YTD: 9.1 K/9, 2.4 K/BB, 2.93 ERA True Talent: 7.1 K/9, 1.3 K/BB, 5.15 ERA Next Week Forecast: 0.0 Saves, 4.48 ERA Morales stepped into the closer's role while Huston Street nurses biceps tendinitis, an interesting choice for a pitcher with one career save (in the minors). Street isn't expected to be out for long, but this is an ailment that can linger; Frank Francisco of the Rangers hit the DL earlier this year with the same problem. Can Morales hold his own? He's rebounded from a 2008 during which he gave up ground in virtually every category, ground that he's gained back this year. He still struggles with walks (3.8 BB/9 in 2009, 4.2 in career) and his 1.2 HR/9 this year is a career high. He's cured that gopheritis in the past three months, though that's an illness that tends to return. He also had two August meltdowns where he gave up a total of 5 ER in 2.1 IP, and True Talent sees more regression coming. These, and the heat of a wild card chase, are all reasons that the Rockies will try to bring back Street ASAP. Morales should probably gobble up a few saves before Street returns, but if Street's out for longer, Morales may not look all that appealing finishing Colorado's games. J.J. Hardy | Milwaukee | SS YTD: .230/.300/.364 True Talent: .265/.328/.436 Next Week Forecast: 0.2 HR, 1 Runs, 1 RBI, .261 BA, 0.0 SB The good news for Hardy is that he's back in the bigs. The bad news is that the Brewers waited just long enough to activate him that he won't get free agency for another year. They did that to make him a more appealing trade chip, meaning they'll give him PT down the stretch, but Alcides Escobar should still get most of the starts. Hardy's not going to reach those True Talent numbers, but nobody else saw this kind of crash coming, either—some guys just have a lost season, like Hardy's doing now. He'll recover to his former levels, but it won't be with Milwaukee, and it won't be in 2009. Part-time play and dramatically diminished performance make him only valuable for the deepest of NL leagues, and even then, he doesn't offer much. NL keeper owners considering rostering him for next year's almost certain bounceback should remember that the inevitable trade could take him to another league. Tim Redding | New York | SP YTD: 6.0 K/9, 1.6 K/BB, 5.70 ERA True Talent: 5.8 K/9, 1.6 K/BB, 5.34 ERA Next Week Forecast: 5.1 IP, 0.3 Wins, 3 K, 5.39 ERA Redding has been an average, unspectacular arm for eight seasons, putting up some fair-to-middling ratios—6.1 K/9, 3.7 BB/9, 1.3 HR/9 and a 5.01 ERA—and a subpar 36-54 record. Those were good enough to make him the latest victim to step into the crumbling Mets' rotation on August 22, where he promptly reeled off three solid starts, giving up just 5 ER in 18.1 IP for a 2.45 ERA, with 15 Ks and 6 BB. Of course, New York's Quadruple-A offense didn't help him much, giving him just one win in those three starts. Any pitcher can get hot, of course, and Redding is still hamstrung by the Mets' offense and defense. He'll also shift back to the bullpen when the rehabbing John Maine returns, giving him just one or two more starts. Roll the dice if you must, but he's a high-risk, low-reward option best used in NL leagues 14 teams and deeper. Drew Stubbs | Cincinnati | OF YTD: .271/.301/.471 True Talent: .228/.304/.362 Next Week Forecast: 0.5 HR, 3 Runs, 2 RBI, .226 BA, 0.8 SB Another up-and-coming Reds OF, Stubbs is a speed threat who's somehow walking into homers in 2009. This is a guy who slugged .363 this year in Triple-A and .401 in four minor-league seasons—but he also swiped 121 bags in that time, including 46 this year. That's what should perk fantasy owners' ears up, in spite of only 3 SBs in 15 games thus far. The other concern with Stubbs is his strike-zone judgment, reflected by his .51 BB/K minor-league ratio and 20 Ks against only 3 BBs in the bigs. That's going to catch up with him eventually, as True Talent shows, so keep that in mind if you want to grab him. He's got a clear path to PT, so he'll stay in there nearly every game, and those SBs give him value, particularly at this point in the season. Overall, his OPS marks him only for 15-team or deeper NL leagues, but if you need steals bad enough and can handle the diminishing BA returns, he could be a worthy addition to almost any league. True Talent and Next Week Forecasts courtesy of Heater Magazine. Posted by Michael Street at 1:00am (0) Comments Waiver Wire: ALMichael Brantley | Cleveland | OF YTD: .400/.455/.400 True Talent: n/a Next Week Forecast: n/a Brantley was 46-5 in stolen base attempts at AAA. Essentially, that's all that needs to be said about him, but it's also nice that he doesn't strike out, with a Ct% near 90% in Triple-A. Just pretend his Triple-A batting average says .310, since there's no way his stats support a continued .288 BABIP. He has a GB% of 49%, LD% of 21%, bats lefty, has speed to burn, and the aforementioned Ct%. His great speed reportedly hasn't translated into good defense, which could take a bite out of his playing time going forward, but we expect Eric Wedge to get a long look for himself in September. Should be worth 1-1.5 SB/week. Wade Davis | Tampa Bay | SP YTD: 7.9 K/9, 2.3 K/BB, 3.40 ERA (AAA) True Talent: n/a Next Week Forecast: n/a If you lost track along the way, this is Entry No. 932 in the Rays' Endless Stream of Studly Starters. Davis will get the ball Sunday, and should be claimed in formats where young players can be kept. As far as how good he'll be, he's probably on a par with Tillman and Matusz of Baltimore, but has the advantage of facing the O's instead of the Rays. Only mess with him for 2009 if you are desperate, and/or you have an awful pitcher active who needs to be replaced. Brian Duensing | Minnesota | SP YTD: 6.6 K/9, 1.9 K/BB, 3.81 ERA True Talent: 6.3 K/9, 1.7 K/BB, 5.29 ERA Next Week Forecast: 11.0 IP, 0.6 Wins, 6 K, 5.25 ERA Sometimes rotation member Duensing's ERA is pretty much all fluke. His quality of batters faced is just .260/.329/.423 (95th OPS in AL among 50 IP pitchers). His BABIP is low (.284), his HR/FB% is low (7.8%). He does have things working for him, in that the Metrodome has one of the lowest park factors in the AL (93), and he's excellent at preventing the running game (1-2 on SBA against). Expect him to gradually get better for four more years, peaking around age 30. Not much help in 2009, though. Akinori Iwamura | Tampa Bay | 2B YTD: .302/.370/.408 True Talent: .274/.349/.387 Next Week Forecast: 0.2 HR, 3 Runs, 2 RBI, .270 BA, 0.4 SB There's really not much to say about Iwamura, except that pre-injury he was stealing a lot more this year (8 SB so far in just 193 PA). He won't hurt even a mixed-league team, but he won't help much, either. The talk of the Rays potentially declining his option is folly, assuming he shows himself to be 100% healthy. There are plenty of teams that could use him (after a sign-and-trade) at his option price of $4.5 million. Brandon McCarthy | Texas | SP YTD: 5.9 K/9, 1.6 K/BB, 4.61 ERA True Talent: 6.2 K/9, 1.7 K/BB, 4.92 ERA Next Week Forecast: 6.0 IP, 0.4 Wins, 4 K, 4.30 ERA We won't pretend to understand exactly how the new "Ryan System" works in Texas, but it's certainly showing more promise than the old towel-tossing that Tom House used to use. But McCarthy has brought his xFIP DOWN to 5.39 this season, and he's still a flyball pitcher in Texas. So, there's no real reason to worry if you don't get him, but he's probably worth a play in road games against the offensive offenses of Seattle and Oakland. Jeff Manship | Minnesota | SP YTD: 3.8 K/9, 1.0 K/BB, 3.75 ERA True Talent: 5.1 K/9, 1.5 K/BB, 5.69 ERA Next Week Forecast: 10.1 IP, 0.6 Wins, 6 K, 5.64 ERA A 14th-round pick in 2006, his 2007 experience in A and high-A had people talking, but he's always been regarded as having very little upside. Still, he's good at inducing ground balls (over 48%), and could be innocuous in AL-only leagues for his home games, at least. Only worth consideration in AL-only leagues, but the Twins are a good organization on which to have pitchers, so expect him to out-perform his indicators. Kameron Mickolio | Orioles | RP YTD: 9.2 K/9, 2.2 K/BB, 2.84 ERA True Talent: 7.1 K/9, 1.6 K/BB, 4.43 ERA Next Week Forecast: 0.1 Saves, 5.16 ERA Mickolio came over from Seattle, so he must be good, right? Well, he does some things well, but he chose a bad time to have a "tired arm." With a fastball that averages over 95 mph when his arm is healthy, the only concern about this power reliever is whether he can throw strikes. Lowering this rate to 3.3 BB/9 in Triple-A this season is a promising beginning, and one more meltdown by Johnson could lead to Trembley "kicking the tires" in September to see if Mickolio is a road-worthy closer for 2010. Sean Rodriguez | Tampa Bay | INF YTD: .200/.276/.440 True Talent: n/a Next Week Forecast: n/a Out of the frying pan, into the fire for Rodriguez. It may be easy to hit at Salt Lake, but .300/.400/.600 (approx) translates pretty well from any Triple-A park. You can never have too many good shortstops and starting pitchers, and it's not surprising that the Rays are emulating the Angels in that. Rodriguez was always considered a "will do" defensive shortstop, so he's probably going to play second base, where he's expected to be a big asset with the glove. That means he will only become viable with an injury or a trade ... just like the "frying pan" he left in Anaheim. Carlos Torres | Chicago | SP YTD: 7.8 K/9, 1.6 K/BB, 3.86 ERA True Talent: n/a Next Week Forecast: n/a The Sox season may be forfeit, and few in Chicago were watching the "Crosstown Classic," but Carlos Torres pitched his way into Geoff Blum Folk Hero status by shutting down the Cubs yesterday. He isn't really considered a top prospect, but he had a great Triple-A season, and has earned a rotation slot until (if) Peavy's elbow heals from the liner that hit him. Someone to avoid if you're playing conservative, but he had a 9.1 K/9 in Triple-A, so his junk is deceptive enough to miss bats, and adding a full-time SP with 7.5 K/9 potential at this point in the season could help certain fantasy teams. True Talent and Next Week Forecasts courtesy of Heater Magazine. Posted by Rob McQuown at 3:59am (8) Comments Tuesday, September 08, 2009Playing out the seasonToday is the Sept. 8. Labor Day weekend is behind us, the kids are back to school, there's a new found briskness in the air (in New Jersey at least), and the baseball regular season is in its home stretch. Most teams have about 25 games left to play until postseason baseball begins. With that finite number in mind, let's run through some numbers and see what we can expect over those 25 games. StartersMost starters will mostly likely get four or five more starts in before the season's end. Some will get more—like CC Sabathia last year with the Brewers—and plenty will get less. I'll say on average starting pitchers will get four more starts; or you will start them in your lineup four more times. And I'll also say those pitchers will average six and one-thirds innings per start, which is about league average. As I'm sure is known, better pitchers will generally have longer outings. This chart has probably been produced a million times, but here are the innings pitched per start numbers for every pitcher with at least 100 innings thrown in 2009 compared to their ERA: Following the dotted green line will show you the reverse correlation. If you want to get detailed, you can project seven innings a start for your elite pitchers and six innings for pitchers with ERAs over 4.00, but for now I'll stick to six and one-third for everyone since that 2.22 ERA pitcher of yours should only be expected to average seven innings a start if he will continue to pitch at a 2.22 ERA level. Otherwise, he should get the innings per start of his rest of season projection, not that anyone can reasonably predict what will happen over a mere four starts. Anyway, 4 X 6.333 is 25.333 or, rounding down, 25 innings. So you can expect your starters to pitch about another 25 innings from now till the end of the season. Let that number give you a perspective on how selective you should be when deciding between sitting or starting a pitcher as you approach your league's maximum innings limit. Twenty-five multiplied by your number of starting pitchers and you'll get approximately how many more innings of work your starting pitchers will give you if you start them every time. Depending on how far over or under your limit you project should determine how selective you are with playing your starting pitchers. RelieversRelievers must also be taken into account. Closers and the best relievers (i.e. the ones owned on fantasy teams) pitch, on average, one inning every 2.34 games. That means we can expect relievers to pitch about another 10 to 11 innings before the end of the season. Again, multiply 10 by the number of relievers you start, and add that to your projected starter-innings pitched total to get your very own, custom rest of season innings projection. If you are currently on pace to finish above or below your league's max innings limit, use these numbers to help you decide how many starters and relievers is best for you to carry. Final thoughtsEven if you have to sit decent pitchers because you are projected to overshoot, remain hesitant to drop those pitchers since then you are providing free talent to other teams who may have been smart enough to stay below the limit pace and will benefit from your cuts. Do not keep too many pitchers languishing on your bench either, though, if you are in that situation. All in all, the most important thing is to maximize your limits, and if you did not do a great job of planning in the beginning of the season, at least now formulate a plan of how you will use your pitchers from now till the end of the season. Posted by Paul Singman at 12:35am (0) Comments Clone Wars: Aaron Hill and Justin Morneau???Aaron Hill became a popular pick in 2008 after he hit 17 homers the year before. Then his power fell in the limited time he saw before dealing with-post concussion symptoms from colliding with teammate David Eckstein. This year, Hill has gone beyond every expectation and powered out 31 homers so far. While Hill is experiencing a breakout, the fans in Minnesota are getting what they always expect from Justin Morneau. He has always had the ability to hit 30 homers along with a solid average, but this year he has started to walk a lot more and added a solid OBP to his attack. Name GP AB R HR RBI SB CS K% BB% BABIP HR/F P/PA Aaron Hill 134 582 82 31 91 4 2 15.3% 5.2% 0.290 14.9% 3.5 Justin Morneau 128 483 83 29 97 0 0 17.0% 12.5% 0.288 17.3% 3.7 Justin Morneau
Another MVP award based on RBI totals in 2006 led to Morneau being a perennial top-five pick at first base. His totals were always solid in all categories except for steals. Since then he has been fairly solid, but has often fallen slightly below expectations in one of his categories. This year Morneau has put up 2006 numbers but added to his walks. His strikeout rate has been solid over the years with slight ups and downs, but at a career level of 16% he has good contact skills. The change has been in walk rate the past few years going from 8.2% in 2005 and 2006 to 9.8% in 2007 and 10.9% in 2008. He again made very strong strides in 2009 by walking in 12.5% of his plate appearances. Even with the increase in walks, his OBP is still not a career high. Thanks to a BABIP of only .288, his average and OBP are lower than they could be. This isn't all bad luck though with a LD% that has fallen to 16.2%. His line drives have fallen before, so I don't expect this to be a continued drop in BABIP. He has small fluctuations, but Morneau is one of the more reliable choices at first base since 2006. Aaron HillIt's not much of a surprise that looking at HitTracker you find Aaron Hill is tied for the AL lead in "just enough" homers. His power growth went beyond any owner's wildest expectations and with 12 homers being "just enough," he has a 39% rate. That is way above the league average and calls for a regression in power. His HR/F rate has also shown his amazing power growth going from 8% in his breakout 2007 year to the 14.9% he is at this year. Hill has trouble getting on base and his walk rate on his career stands at 6.7%. With a .335 career OBP his run totals have always dragged his value down. This year he is on pace to top 90 runs for the first time, but if he's unable to continue to hit 30 homers going forward he will likely return to 80 runs. His speed on the bases has also hurt his value. He has only topped 4 steals once before and his speed score for his career is only 4.0. This has been lower this year at only 2.7 and has surely cost him several more runs. This lack of speed has also likely been part of the reason for his low BABIP this year, which is at .290 and only .311 on his career. Not many leagues use OBP as a category, but ignore it at your own risk. Hill needs more runs to really get the most value, but just doesn't have the skills. Expecting less in all categories next year except his average is not encouraging for next year. ComparisonWe can see pretty clearly that Morneau may have equal numbers to Hill this year, but Morneau is the more consistent player and more likely to repeat these numbers again. Hill has the advantage of second base eligibility, but these two won't be clones next year for sure based on the numbers. Looking at Fantasy Ball Junkie's 2010 very early Fantasy baseball draft we see Aaron Hill going in the fifth round. He also went right behind Ben Zobrist who I would recommend as the much better pick with five solid categories and a great OBP to back it up. Posted by Troy Patterson at 2:01am (12) Comments Wednesday, September 09, 2009Player Profile: Jonathan SanchezJonathan Sanchez is the pitching equivalent of the three-true-outcomes hitter: He matches eyepopping strikeout rates with equally huge walk rates. While Sanchez is a wild, fireballing young lefty, there is more than meets the eye when delving into his rate statistics. Sanchez began his career in 2004 as a 27th-round draft pick by the San Francisco Giants. Though he arrived with little fanfare, Sanchez quickly rose through the ranks, registering as San Francisco's sixth-best prospect in 2006, before peaking as the system's second-best and MLB's 59th overall in 2007. Sanchez backed up these lofty prospect rankings with stellar performances in A-ball in 2005 and a three-level season in 2006 culminating with a stint with the big club. His 2005 season really put him on the map, as he posted 166 punchouts against 39 walks in 125.2 innings. His overall minor league career line boasted an incredible 333 strikeouts in 252.2 innings (11.9 K/9) while walking just 98 (3.5 BB/9) over parts of three seasons. Sanchez brings a quality three-pitch mix to the mound featuring a 91-92 mph fastball, 81-82 mph slider, and 83-84 mph change-up. Through his tenure in the majors, this repertoire has been one of the hardest in the MLB to hit, as the hurler has amassed a career 75.3 percent contact rate over 388.1 innings through parts of four seasons. The major leagues haven't been all fun and games for Sanchez, however. While Sanchez has been one of the hardest pitchers to hit since his premier in 2006, he has also had some painful struggles with his command. From the get-go in 2006, he gave batters little reason to swing the bat, walking 5.18 batters per nine (23 BB in 40 IP). This rate has never dipped below 4.00 in his career, as his best showing was in 2008, when he walked "just" 4.27 batters per nine innings. This trouble with walks has been the theme in the pitcher's young career, as is the story with many lefties with exceptional stuff. Word gets out quickly that they cannot command the zone and they have problems getting batters to chase pitches off the plate and struggle with walks. Randy Johnson is probably the best example of this. The Big Unit struggled with his command until 1993, his age 30 season, after posting walk rates of 6.8 BB/9 and 6.2 BB/9 in 1991 and 1992, respectively, a period which spanned 411.2 innings. While high walk totals are nothing to scoff at, they are not unheard of. But if there was ever a redeeming quality in fantasy and major league baseball, it is the ability to miss bats—and Sanchez has this in spades. His strikeout rate has been off the charts since 2007, as the pitcher is the proud owner of a career strikeout rate of 9.41 K/9, including 10.02 K/9 this season and 10.73 K/9 in 2007. Ever wonder how a pitcher can throw a no-hitter? Don't let the opposition put the ball in play. If you can get 10 outs per 27 via the K, the chances are much higher for a no-no. Don't be surprised if Sanchez throws another one in the next couple seasons. But there is more than just high strikeout and walk totals that make Sanchez such as interesting pitcher. In reality, he is not nearly as wild or doesn't have as little control as his numbers make it seem. His command ratings are not far from league average, so it is a bit surprising that his walk rates have been so high over the last two seasons. Sanchez's primary indicators of control, being his Zone percentage (48.5 percent, a little lower than is desirable) and F-Strike percentage (59.2 percent) are right around league average. Sanchez seems to have fallen victim to a stigma of being "wild," as hitters are less inclined to swing at his offerings, evidenced by his low Swing percentage (43.5 percent). This, coupled with a very low contact rate (73.0 percent), means that at-bats against Sanchez tend to drag on longer, resulting in more walks, as well as strikeouts. It would be beneficial to Sanchez if batters would swing more, meaning fewer walks. Still, he does benefit from the additional called strikes. Overall, Sanchez looks to be a good candidate for improvement over the rest of this season and for years to come. His expected strikeouts are still phenomenal, around 9.6 K/9, while his walk numbers should improve a lot from this season, as his rates are more indicative of a pitcher who allows 4.0 BB/9, not 5. As it stands, Sanchez is performing right around where he should, with a 4.03 ERA, close to his 3.83 FIP. His WHIP of 1.35 is reasonable as well, though it could climb closer to 1.40, but not above that. If Sanchez can make the aforementioned improvements in his walk rates, he could see his ERA drop to the low 3.8s and his WHIP improve to around 1.30. Either way, Jonathan Sanchez is an above-average fantasy pitcher for 12-team mixed leagues, worth about 1-2 points above average. Not too shabby for a hurler who has been left to rot on waiver wires across the fantasy landscape. Grab him if you can; you won't be disappointed. | ||||||||


text:
Wish you could get an inside peek at your favorite companies? One idea is to consider insider buying trends. With this idea in mind, we ran a screen.
We began by screening the healthcare sector for stocks with high growth projections, with 5-year projected EPS growth rates above 15%.
We then screened these names for those with the confidence of their company insiders, such as members of the board and upper management, with significant net insider purchases over the last six months representing at least 2% of share float. Since most companies only have a handful of company insiders, net insider purchases representing 2% of share float is a big show of confidence in their employer's prospects.
For an interactive version of this chart, click on the image below. Analyst ratings sourced from Zacks Investment Research. (click to enlarge)
Tool provided by Kapitall.
Only two names made the list. Do you think these stocks will meet their high growth expectations? Use this list as a starting point for your own analysis. List Average 1-Year Return: 35%.
1. Forest Laboratories Inc. (FRX): Develops, manufactures, and sells branded and generic forms of ethical drug products. Market cap at $9.08B, most recent closing price at $34.17. EPS growth next 5 years at 15.85%. Over the last six months, insiders were net buyers of 4,078,369 shares, which represents about 1.55% of the company's 263.02M share float.
Of note: Genomic Health also has a significant level of institutional selling: Net institutional sales in the current quarter at -15.4M shares, which represents about 5.86% of the company's float of 263.02M shares.
2. Genomic Health Inc. (GHDX): Focuses on the development and global commercialization of genomic-based clinical laboratory services that analyze the underlying biology of cancer allowing physicians and patients to make individualized treatment decisions. Market cap at $959.47M, most recent closing price at $31.52. EPS growth next 5 years at 34.65%. Over the last six months, insiders were net buyers of 609,079 shares, which represents about 3.63% of the company's 16.80M share float.
Of note: Genomic Health also has a significant level of institutional buying: Net institutional purchases in the current quarter at 1.1M shares, which represents about 6.55% of the company's float of 16.80M shares.
*Insider data sourced from Yahoo! Finance, all other data sourced from Finviz.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Dyatlov Pass incident
Coordinates: 61°45′17″N 59°27′46″E / 61.75472°N 59.46278°E
The lead section of this article may need to be rewritten. (October 2013) |
The Dyatlov Pass incident generally refers to the mysterious deaths of nine ski hikers in the northern Ural mountains on the night of February 2, 1959. The incident happened on the east shoulder of the mountain Kholat Syakhl (Холат-Сяхыл) (a Mansi name, meaning Dead Mountain due to lack of game, not "Mountain of the Dead" as some suggest). The mountain pass where the incident occurred has since been named Dyatlov Pass (Перевал Дятлова) after the group's leader, Igor Dyatlov (Игорь Дятлов).
The lack of eyewitnesses has inspired much speculation. Soviet investigators simply determined that "a compelling unknown force" had caused the deaths.[1] Access to the area was barred for skiers and other adventurers for three years after the incident.[2] The chronology of the incident remains unclear because of the lack of survivors.[1][3]
Investigators at the time determined that the hikers tore open their tent from within, departing barefoot into heavy snow and a temperature of −30 °C (−22 °F). Although the corpses showed no signs of struggle, two victims had fractured skulls, two had broken ribs, and one was missing her tongue.[2]
A group was formed for a ski trek across the northern Urals in Sverdlovsk Oblast. The group, led by Igor Dyatlov, consisted of eight men and two women. Most were students or graduates of Ural Polytechnical Institute (Уральский Политехнический Институт, УПИ), now Ural State Technical University:
- Igor Alekseievich Dyatlov (Игорь Алексеевич Дятлов), the group's leader, born January 13, 1936
- Zinaida Alekseevna Kolmogorova (Зинаида Алексеевна Колмогорова), born January 12, 1937
- Ludmila Alexandrovna Dubinina (Людмила Александровна Дубинина), born May 12, 1938
- Alexander Sergeievich Kolevatov (Александр Сергеевич Колеватов), born November 16, 1934
- Rustem Vladimirovich Slobodin (Рустем Владимирович Слободин), born January 11, 1936
- Yuri (Georgiy) Alexeievich Krivonischenko (Юрий (Георгий) Алексеевич Кривонищенко), born February 7, 1935
- Yuri Nikolaievich Doroshenko (Юрий Николаевич Дорошенко), born January 29, 1938
- Nicolai Vladimirovich Thibeaux-Brignolles (Николай Владимирович Тибо-Бриньоль), born July 5, 1935
- Semyon (Alexander) Alexandrovich Zolotariov (Семен (Александр) Александрович Золотарёв), born February 2, 1921
- Yuri Yefimovich Yudin (Юрий Ефимович Юдин), born July 19, 1937, died April 27, 2013[4]
The goal of the expedition was to reach Otorten (Отортен), a mountain 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) north of the site of the incident. This route, at that season, was estimated as "Category III", the most difficult. All members were experienced in long ski tours and mountain expeditions.
The group arrived by train at Ivdel (Ивдель), a city at the center of the northern province of Sverdlovsk Oblast on January 25. They then took a truck to Vizhai (Вижай) – the last inhabited settlement so far north. They started their march toward Otorten from Vizhai on January 27. The next day, one of the members (Yuri Yudin) was forced to go back because of illness.[2] The group now consisted of nine people.
Diaries and cameras found around their last camp made it possible to track the group's route up to the day preceding the incident. On January 31, the group arrived at the edge of a highland area and began to prepare for climbing. In a wooded valley they cached surplus food and equipment that would be used for the trip back. The following day (February 1), the hikers started to move through the pass. It seems they planned to get over the pass and make camp for the next night on the opposite side, but because of worsening weather conditions, snowstorms and decreasing visibility, they lost their direction and deviated west, upward towards the top of Kholat Syakhyl. When they realized their mistake, the group decided to stop and set up camp there on the slope of the mountain rather than moving 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) downhill to a forested area which would have offered some shelter from the elements.[2] Yuri Yudin, the lone survivor, postulates that "Dyatlov probably did not want to lose the altitude they had gained, or he decided to practice camping on the mountain slope. "[2]
Search and discovery[edit]
It had been agreed beforehand that Dyatlov would send a telegram to their sports club as soon as the group returned to Vizhai (Вижай). It was expected that this would happen no later than February 12, but Dyatlov had told Yudin that he expected to be longer, and so when this date passed and no messages had been received, there was no reaction – delays of a few days were common in such expeditions. Only after the relatives of the travelers demanded a rescue operation did the head of the institute send the first rescue groups, consisting of volunteer students and teachers, on February 20.[2] Later, the army and police forces became involved, with planes and helicopters being ordered to join the rescue operation.
On February 26, the searchers found the abandoned and badly damaged tent on Kholat Syakhl. Mikhail Sharavin, the student who found the tent, said "the tent was half torn down and covered with snow. It was empty, and all the group's belongings and shoes had been left behind. "[2] Investigators said the tent had been cut open from inside. A chain of eight or nine sets of footprints, left by several people who were wearing only socks, a single shoe or were barefoot, could be followed and led down toward the edge of nearby woods (on the opposite side of the pass, 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) north-east), but after 500 metres (1,600 ft) they were covered with snow. At the forest edge, under a large cedar, the searchers found the remains of a fire, along with the first two bodies, those of Yuri Krivonischenko and Yuri Doroshenko, shoeless and dressed only in their underwear. The branches on the tree were broken up to five meters high, suggesting that a skier had climbed up to look for something, perhaps the camp. Between the cedar and the camp the searchers found three more corpses, Dyatlov, Zina Kolmogorova and Rustem Slobodin, who seemed to have died in poses suggesting that they were attempting to return to the tent.[2] They were found separately at distances of 300, 480 and 630 meters from the tree.
Searching for the remaining four travelers took more than two months. They were finally found on May 4 under four meters of snow in a ravine 75 meters farther into the woods from the cedar tree. These four were better dressed than the others, and there were signs that those who had died first had apparently relinquished their clothes to the others. Zolotaryov was wearing Dubinina's faux fur coat and hat, while Dubinina's foot was wrapped in a piece of Krivonishenko's wool pants.
A legal inquest started immediately after finding the first five bodies. A medical examination found no injuries which might have led to their deaths, and it was concluded that they had all died of hypothermia. Slobodin had a small crack in his skull, but it was not thought to be a fatal wound.
An examination of the four bodies which were found in May changed the picture. Three of them had fatal injuries: the body of Thibeaux-Brignolles had major skull damage, and both Dubinina and Zolotarev had major chest fractures. According to Dr. Boris Vozrozhdenny, the force required to cause such damage would have been extremely high. He compared it to the force of a car crash. Notably, the bodies had no external wounds, as if they were crippled by a high level of pressure. Dubinina was found to be missing her tongue.[2] There had initially been some speculation that the indigenous Mansi people might have attacked and murdered the group for encroaching upon their lands, but investigation indicated that the nature of their deaths did not support this thesis; the hikers' footprints alone were visible, and they showed no sign of hand-to-hand struggle.[2]
Although the temperature was very low, around −25 to −30 °C (−13 to −22 °F) with a storm blowing, the dead were only partially dressed. Some of them had only one shoe, while others had no shoes or wore only socks.[2] Some were found wrapped in snips of ripped clothes that seemed to have been cut from those who were already dead. However, up to 20 to 50 percent of hypothermia deaths are associated with so-called "Paradoxical undressing".[5] This typically occurs during moderate to severe hypothermia, as the person becomes disoriented, confused, and combative. They may begin discarding their clothing, which, in turn, increases the rate of heat loss.[6][7]
Many theories have arisen about the event, from paranormal activity to secret weapons tests (see below), but an avalanche damage is considered one of the more plausible explanations for this incident.[8] One scenario under this theory is that moving snow knocked down the tent, ruining the campsite in the night. The party then cut themselves free and mobilized. The snow would likely have contacted them and possibly ruined their boots and extra clothing. Being covered in wet snow in the sub-freezing temperatures created a serious hazard to survival, with possible exhaustion or unconsciousness from hypothermia possible in under 15 minutes.[9] Thibeaux-Brignolles, Dubinina, Zolotariov, and Kolevatov were moving farther from the site to find help despite their remote location when they fell in the ravine they were found in – three of these bodies had major fractures. Being the only bodies with major injuries and lying 13 feet deep in a ravine could be considered evidence that they fell.
Supporting factors for this theory are that avalanches are not uncommon on any slope that can accumulate snow. Despite claims that the area is not prone to avalanches,[10] slab avalanches do typically occur in new snow and where people are disrupting the snowpack.[11] On the night of the incident, snow was falling, the campsite was situated on a slope, and the campers were disrupting the stability of the snowpack. The tent was also halfway torn down and partially covered with snow – all of which could support the theory of a small avalanche pushing snow into the tent.
Possibly negating the avalanche scenario would be that the investigators saw footprints leading from the campsite, and no obvious avalanche damage was noted. However, the footprints could have been preserved if there was no precipitation in the 25 days before the site was discovered and the supposed avalanche happened after most of the snow fell.
Journalists reporting on the available parts of the inquest files claim that it states:
- Six of the group members died of hypothermia and three of fatal injuries.
- There were no indications of other people nearby apart from the nine travelers on Kholat Syakhl, nor anyone in the surrounding areas.
- The tent had been ripped open from within.
- The victims had died 6 to 8 hours after their last meal.
- Traces from the camp showed that all group members left the camp of their own accord, on foot.
- To dispel the theory of an attack by the indigenous Mansi people, Dr. Boris Vozrozhdenny stated that the fatal injuries of the three bodies could not have been caused by another human being, "because the force of the blows had been too strong and no soft tissue had been damaged".[2]
- Forensic radiation tests had shown high doses of radioactive contamination on the clothes of a few victims.[2]
- Released documents contained no information about the condition of the skiers' internal organs.
The final verdict was that the group members all died because of a "compelling unknown force".[1] The inquest ceased officially in May 1959 as a result of the "absence of a guilty party". The files were sent to a secret archive, and the photocopies of the case became available only in the 1990s, with some parts missing.[2]
Controversy surrounding investigation[edit]
Some researchers claim some facts were missed, perhaps ignored, by officials:[1][3]
- 12-year-old Yury Kuntsevich, who would later become head of the Yekaterinburg-based Dyatlov Foundation (see below), attended five of the hikers' funerals and recalls their skin had a "deep brown tan".[2]
- Some of the hikers' clothing (2 pants and sweater) were found to be highly radioactive.[2]
- Another group of hikers (about 50 kilometers south of the incident) reported that they saw strange orange spheres in the night sky to the north (likely in the direction of Kholat Syakhl) on the night of the incident.[2] Similar "spheres" were observed in Ivdel and adjacent areas continually during the period of February to March 1959, by various independent witnesses (including the meteorology service and the military).[2] These were later proven to be launches of R-7 intercontinental missiles by Eugene Buyanov.[12]
- Some reports suggest that there was a great deal of scrap metal in the area, leading to speculation that the military had utilized the area secretly and might have been engaged in a cover-up.[2]
- The last camp of Dyatlov's group was located on direct way from Baikonur Cosmodrome (from where some test launches of intercontinental missile R-7 were executed) to Chyornaya Guba, Novaya Zemlya archipelago (which was a major nuclear testing ground of the Soviet Union).
In 1967, Sverdlovsk writer and journalist Yuri Yarovoi (Юрий Яровой) published the novel Of the highest rank of complexity (Высшей категории трудности)[13] which was inspired by this incident. Yarovoi had been involved in the search for Dyatlov's group and at the inquest, including acting as an official photographer for the search campaign and in the initial stage of the investigation, and so had insight into the events. The book was written in the Soviet era when the details of the accident were kept secret, and Yarovoi avoided revealing anything beyond the official position and well-known facts. The book romanticized the accident and had a much more optimistic end than the real events – only the group leader was found deceased. Yarovoi's colleagues say that he had alternative versions of the novel, but both were declined because of censorship. Since Yarovoi's death in 1980 all his archives, including photos, diaries and manuscripts, have been lost.
Some details of the tragedy became publicly available in 1990 following publications and discussions in Sverdlovsk's regional press.[citation needed] One of the first authors was Sverdlovsk journalist Anatoly Guschin (Анатолий Гущин). Guschin reported that police officials gave him special permission to study the original files of the inquest and use these materials in his publications.[citation needed] He noticed that a number of pages were excluded from the files, as was a mysterious "envelope" mentioned in the case materials list. At the same time photocopies of some of the case files started to circulate among other unofficial researchers.[citation needed]
Guschin summarized his research in the book The Price of State Secrets Is Nine Lives (Цена гостайны – девять жизней).[1] Some researchers criticized it due to its concentration on the speculative theory of a "Soviet secret weapon experiment", but the publication aroused the public discussion, stimulated by interest in the paranormal. Indeed, many of those who remained silent for 30 years reported new facts about the accident. One of them was the former police officer Lev Ivanov (Лев Иванов), who led the official inquest in 1959. In 1990 he published an article[14] along with his admission that the investigation team had no rational explanation of the accident. He also reported that he received direct orders from high-ranking regional officials to dismiss the inquest and keep its materials secret after reporting that the team had seen "flying spheres". Ivanov personally believes in a paranormal explanation – specifically, UFOs.
In 2000, a regional TV company produced the documentary film The Mystery of Dyatlov Pass (Тайна Перевала Дятлова). With the help of the film crew, a Yekaterinburg writer, Anna Matveyeva (Анна Матвеева), published the fiction/documentary novella of the same name.[3] A large part of the book includes broad quotations from the official case, diaries of victims, interviews with searchers and other documentaries collected by the film-makers. The narrative line of the book details the everyday life and thoughts of a modern woman (an alter ego of the author herself) who attempts to resolve the case.
Despite its fictional narrative, Matveyeva's book remains the largest source of documentary materials ever made available to the public regarding the incident. In addition, the pages of the case files and other documentaries (in photocopies and transcripts) are gradually published on a web forum for enthusiastic researchers.[15]
The Dyatlov Foundation has been founded in Yekaterinburg, with the help of Ural State Technical University, led by Yuri Kuntsevitch (Юрий Кунцевич). The foundation's aim is to convince current Russian officials to reopen the investigation of the case, and to maintain the "Dyatlov Museum" to perpetuate the memory of the dead hikers.
Films and other media[edit]
- The Mystery of Dyatlov Pass Тайна перевала Дятлова: 2000, TAU (Ural Television Agency) (ТАУ – Телевизионное Агентство Урала, 2000г. )
- The September 28, 2011 episode of Ancient Aliens (Season 3, Episode 10: "Aliens and Evil Places") from the History Channel deals with the incident.
- The Dyatlov Pass Incident (aka Devil's Pass), a film directed by Renny Harlin, was released on February 28, 2013[16]
- The incident was also covered in the August 25, 2012 episode of Dark Matters: Twisted But True in the segment entitled "Cold War, Cold Case"[citation needed]
- The incident figures prominently in the 2012 novel City of Exiles by Alec Nevala-Lee.[17]
- The incident was featured on a Russian talk show "Let Them Talk" during a two hour special in April 2013
- The Greek author Panayiotis Panagopoulos has transported the incident to the slopes of Mt. Olympus for his 2011 novel, To Perasma tou Ignatiou (The Ignatius Pass).[18]
Further reading[edit]
- McCloskey, Keith Mountain of the Dead: The Dyatlov Pass Incident (The History Press Ltd, 1 July 2013, ISBN 978-0-7524-9148-6)
- Dead Mountain, by Donnie Eichar
- ^ a b c d e Гущин Анатолий: Цена гостайны – девять жизней, изд-во "Уральский рабочий", Свердловск, 1990 (Gushchin Anatoly: The price of state secrets is nine lives, Izdatelstvo "Uralskyi Rabochyi", Sverdlovsk, 1990)[unreliable source?]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Svetlana Osadchuk (February 19, 2008). "Mysterious Deaths of 9 Skiers Still Unresolved". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved 2008–02–28.
- ^ a b c Матвеева Анна: "Перевал Дятлова", "Урал" N12-2000, Екатеринбург (Matveyeva Anna: "Dyatlov pass", "Ural"#12-2000, Ekaterinburg) [1][unreliable source?]
- ^ Дарья Кезина (27 April 2013). "Умер последний дятловец". Rossiyskaya Gazeta. Retrieved 27 April 2013.
- ^ ""Paradoxical undressing" in fatal hypothermia". J. Forensic Sci. 24 (3): 543–53. July 1979. PMID 541627.
- ^ New Scientist (2007). "The word: Paradoxical undressing – being-human". New Scientist. Retrieved 2008-06-18.
- ^ Wedin B, Vanggaard L, Hirvonen J (July 1979). ""Paradoxical undressing" in fatal hypothermia". J. Forensic Sci. 24 (3): 543–53. PMID 541627.
- ^ Dunning, Brian. "Mystery at Dyatlov Pass". Skeptoid. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
- ^ Schomberg, Jessie. "Hypothermia Prevention: Survival in Cold Water". Minnesota Sea Grant. University of Minnesota. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
- ^ "Dyatlov Pass – Some Answers". Curious World. Curious Britannia Ltd. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
- ^ "Avalanches". National Geographic. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
- ^ "The mystery of "fireballs" resolved (ru)". Alpklubspb.ru. Retrieved 2012-11-16.
- ^ Яровой Юрий: Высшей категории трудности, Средне-Уральское Кн. Изд-во, Свердловск, 1967 (Yarovoi, Yuri: Of the highest rank of complexity, Sredneuralskoye knizhnoye izdatelstvo, Sverdlovsk, 1967)[unreliable source?]
- ^ Иванов Лев: "Тайна огненных шаров", "Ленинский путь", Кустанай, 22–24 ноября 1990 г. (Ivanov, Lev: "Enigma of the fire balls", Leninskyi Put, Kustanai, Nov 22–24 1990)[unreliable source?]
- ^ "Перевал Дятлова: форум по исследованию гибели тургруппы И. Дятлова". Pereval1959.forum24.ru. Retrieved 2012-12-27.
- ^ "Dyatlov Pass Incident, The". A Company Filmed Entertainment. Retrieved 2 April 2013.
- ^ "City of Exiles". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved February 2013.
- ^ The disappearence of the nine hikers. (in Greek) http://www.dete.gr/news.php?article_id=62198
External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dyatlov Pass incident. |
- Map sheet of the Dyatlov Pass region (sheet P-40-83,84) scale 1:100000 (Russian)
- Deathly Urals location draws in tourists
- Complete photo gallery including search party photos (Russian)
- Some photos and text (Russian)
- Photo gallery including: party photos, photos of some investigator's documents including termination of criminal case act (Russian)
- Mystery at Dyatlov Pass – A look at one of the most bizarre cases in Russian cross country skiing history Skeptoid: Critical Analysis of Pop Phenomena
- The Dyatlov Pass Accident
- EErmaktravel.com article on the incident, part of series of "spooky" sites
- Photo-video site with English
- Atlas Obscura article on the Dyatlov Pass Incident
- Death on the trail. Controlled delivery theory by A. Rakitin(Russian)


text:
This issue of BoardroomDirect® from PwC includes focuses on IT oversight – Leveraging the CIO.
Many company directors and their chief information officers (CIOs) are struggling to understand each other's information technology needs. Directors are often challenged by IT's complexity and related technical language. CIOs aren't always sure which information the board wants or how to simplify the discussion.
Other items featured this month include:
Our weekly guide and immediate alerts to the latest developments in accounting and reporting matters.


text:
Current Affairs
Current Affairs
The Doc and Racer Rob explore the vagaries of racing in current and get to the bottom of the myth of the lee-bow effect. "Strategy" from our January/February 2012 issue.
Doc: It's not very often I get to come out on the start boat.
ROB: It's not very often I get to come out on the start boat, either. In fact, if it comes to a choice, I'd rather be racing. But duty calls.
Doc: So how do you think they all look now with only a minute to go?
ROB: It's going to be a shambles. A pin-biased line and current running with the wind are going to create a pile of boats that won't make the pin-end layline. Then someone will panic and tack to port and … What did I tell you? Why is it always Godzilla that creates all the grief?
Doc: You could see that coming, couldn't you?
ROB: I know a bit about how to sail in current.
Doc: Oh? Do tell.
Rob: I grew up sailing in the upper harbor, so there was always lots of current and often not a lot of wind. You sort of get a knack for it after a while. We'd get these hotshot sailors coming up to our club once a year thinking they could show us a thing or two. But Boris—he must have been in his 80s—was about as cunning as they come, and he really knew how to sail in current. They never beat him.
Doc: So how do you make sense of what he did?
ROB: Boris had a great way of explaining how current worked. You see, racing in current is just … well, there's no way of making it simple, really. But Boris seemed to be able to explain it to us. He had these little sayings.
Doc: Yes?
ROB: He used to say that there were four things you need to understand if you wanted to sail current well. The first one was about exactly what we saw a moment ago on the start line. "Laylines tell lies when the current flies." You have to realize—and constantly make allowance for the fact—that current alters the shape of the racetrack.
Doc: How do you mean?
Rob: What you have to remember is you're sailing around marks that are fixed to the bottom. When there's current, sailing on the course is like being on a treadmill—and not just walking forward. This treadmill can run in any direction. Let me give you an example. On a start like the one we just watched, because of the current running the same direction as the wind, it seems as though you're slipping sideways—to leeward—really fast, because you are. It looks as if the mark is moving upwind. It's not; you're moving downwind. But that's what it feels like. If you want to make it past the mark, then you have to set up a lot further to windward. If you use a layline based on where the bow is pointing, there' no way you'll make it around the mark.
Doc: Like Godzilla—then they panicked when they couldn't make it, and tacked on to port. Whammo! There's carnage at the pin.
Rob: So, any time you have current, it will affect laylines to anything that's fixed to the bottom, and that means you can't just point the boat at the mark—the boat will be crabbing one way or the other.
Doc: That's what happens on downwind legs when boats point straight at the mark, but end up sailing a huge curve.
ROB: Exactly. Sailing downwind, irrespective of where the boat is pointing, you need to work out what course to sail so that the combination of your heading and the current will move you directly toward the mark.
Doc: What is Rule No. 2?
ROB: This one also catches people out all the time. Boris would say, "The less you heel, the more current you feel." That is, the effects of current change with the speed of the boat.
Doc: [pauses, eyebrows knitted] Go on.
ROB: How often have you seen a boat laying the top mark in adverse current, and then another boat tacks onto its air? The boat slows down and is no longer making the mark. As the boat slows, the current exerts a greater influence on its course.
Doc: I have a great example of that, of how the current effect changes with boatspeed. It was a Snipe race in light wind, and because the breeze was dying, the race committee decided to finish at the wing mark. The current was pushing up the course, against the wind. As the boats came down the final reach, they got slower and slower as the wind dropped, and compensated by pointing lower in order to hold bearing on the finish line. Boats were noticing the effects of the current and sailing lower to get some down-current distance "in the bank." The problem was, if they squared up too much, the boat slowed down to the point that they stopped stemming the current. In the dying breeze, only one boat realized that they had to stay high enough to maintain speed. They didn't try to put any "in the bank," they just went for speed, and managed to sneak across the line before the breeze dropped out.
Rob: I guess that shows how weird it can get. You really need to keep your wits about you, particularly in light winds and current.


text:
Fall 2011
January 22, 2011
Designer: Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli
Owned By: Private
Founded: 1960, Rome
History: The notoriously high-living design legend has received every accolade in fashion—along with a Légion d'Honneur—and is said to be Rome's second-most-famous man after the Pope. No surprise, then, that the hallmarks of his men's collection (since its introduction in 1972) are opulent evening looks designed for men with sartorial flair. The man himself has since retired, but Chiuri and Piccioli are keeping the house's strong-shouldered, glossy style intact.
The Look: Unapologetically bold, red-carpet-worthy elegance
- My Morning Routine: Perfumer Erwin Creed
- Your Morning Shot: Mos Def, 2000
- The Oversized IKEA Tote Bag Gets A Canvas Makeover
- Your Daily Eye Queue: Why Victor Cruz Loves His Watch, Inside Instagram's Offices, and More...
- How GQ Are You?: The Spread Collar
- Now Trending: Great Scot! Menswear Shops Tap Scottish Mills For Sweater Weather
News + Politics
How To
Food + Travel
- Chart: The Family Tree of Bourbon Whiskey
- Recipe: Semi-Summer Salad - Chef Jeff Taibe of Oak + Almond
- The Great Franco-Italian Pasta Experiment
- How to Pick from an Overpriced Restaurant Wine List
- Alan Richman: At Estela, An Extraordinary Chef and What Could Be the Steak Dish of the Century (So Far)
- Alan Richman: ZZ's, the Most Expensive 58 Minutes in New York Dining


text:
on 29-04-2012 09:56 PM
It may sound harsh but I have to agree with everyone else. It's in no way Sony's responsibility. It's your responsibility to make sure such things do not happen. There are options in place if you choose to set them up security wise to prevent your child from accessing or paying for content he or she shouldn't.
xspook007x wrote:
Nice foofan did you think of that comparison all by yourself?
on 29-04-2012 10:04 PM
xspook007x wrote:
Wow nice quality responses there, every other piece of tech I have insists on passwords as the default setting so it's just surprising that a company with the huge clout of Sony dont think its necessary to have password protection as the default setting which you can change to a less secure setting if you wish! Considering Sony have the track record of losing the majority of our contact details and passwords I for one would have thought they would have went more cautious with the security settings. But you guys are obviously happy that someone would be able to pick up your vita and stick loads of games on it at your expense because of sony's lax default security settings!
Is Sony the parent?
Is sony responsable for you child?
A parent does not put their faith in electronic babysitters without checking it first and making sure it is secure.
I know of nothing that comes with passwords set I have set them and activate them and it is the same with the Vita, Ps3, 360 PC ect ect ect.
As a parent I make sure everything is secure and my kids can't do anything I don't want them too.
You are conecting a new hand held to a account that is already exist's so will need to do is activate the pasword lock out on the console to stop things like that happening.
Sorry but you are to blame for not checking all this out to start with.
Sony did not say I had to do it in the instuctions but they did not tell you that you did not have to do it either.
Below is a Signature
on 29-04-2012 10:34 PM
on 30-04-2012 07:21 AM
Sorry... I agree too... it's Credit Card/Internet payment purchasing 101.... Read all T&C and check these things thoroughly beforehand..
I actually thought you had to enter your password by default too... I guess I must have been wrong and just set mine up that way at the start.... I was also sure it was that way by default with the PS3... again, it's been a long time since I set mine up..
What I do know for sure is that with Xbox LIVE if your credit card details are linked to your account, you cannot set it to re-ask for your passport password when purchasing... I actually had to create a pincode so the kids can't even sign into my account to protect potential unauthorised purchases...
on 30-04-2012 08:20 AM
on 30-04-2012 08:45 AM
30-04-2012 09:28 AM - edited 30-04-2012 09:29 AM
Stop comparing the Vita to other devices!
It's completely irrelevant what other devices do or don't do security wise, the simple fact remains that responsibility for your children and your bank account is yours and yours alone.
If you were to get a new PIN number for your bank card and put it in the bin without destroying it and someone got hold of your bank card and used it with the PIN is it your bank's fault for not coming round to your house and shredding it (The piece of paper with the PIN on it)? No, of course it's your fault and the same rationale can be applied here in the case you've stated in your opening post.
Only if you've taken every possible precaution as a parent and a bank account owner and THEN there's a problem with security is when it's no longer your fault.
Sony have provided the security measures, whether in an 'off 'or 'on' state by default. It's you who's at fault for not fully checking those measures or activating those measures before you gave your child access to your Vita, PSN account and bank account
As a parent myself I find it quite disturbing that you're trying to make Sony the scape goat here. You didn't do all you could and yet you think it's Sony's fault
You're embarrassed you've messed up and instead of being mature, accepting the blame and learning from it you just want to blame the big brand company
on 30-04-2012 12:59 PM
xspook007x wrote:
It's really nice to hear from you all in such a positive manner but surely if my main account linked to my PS3 requires a password for purchases and credit card transactions then the vita linked to the same account should follow the same rules, after all the devices are end user components linked to a mainframe account. Must just be my logic and common sense tho. Yes I know nothing comes with preloaded passwords but generally my Xbox iPad and iPhone all require the passwords to make purchases by default, but I know I can switch them off, just saying that the vita differs in this way at startup as it doesn't give you the option or tell you that the default is password free!
The xbox needs you to enter you password to get your account on anther 360 but YOU NEED TO ACTIVATE any other security like a password to confirm purchess.
Iphone ect don't know don't use them.
All devices I have are password free for buying stuff as I need to Activate it. You had to activate it on PS3 so why would the vita be any different?
Below is a Signature
on 30-04-2012 02:46 PM
on 30-04-2012 02:53 PM
What really ***** me off is that i just bought my Vita and after 2 weeks had to send it back because the X button was sqeaky. I mean, with a couple of games it cost me 400 Euros and this is what i get!
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text:
Logo: seasonalz, ID: 6580
, Posted: Wed, 09/22/2010 - 18:15
Logo details
A logo good for a variety of businesses: a restaurant, spa, event planner, interior designer or personal "S" logo.
Included in price
- Watermark removed from logo artwork.
- Full and exclusive rights. Logo sold only once.
- Various formats available: EPS, PNG, JPG and others on request.
- Designer contact information.
- Price includes text changes.
- Price includes color changes.
- Price includes minor design changes.


text:
Related Sections: | Mahwah | Bergen County |
Darlington Golf Course
279 Campgaw RdMahwah, NJ 07430
Phone: (201)818-0777Fax: (201)818-2281
This picturesque course was built on very hilly terrain, so you can expect many uneven lies. The greens are large, and the fairways are wide open. This facility's driving range features forty hitting stations to choose from. Monday through Friday, twilight rates are in effect after 5 PM.
Holes: 18 | Greens: Bent Grass | Fairways: Bent Grass |
Greens Fees: | $20-$49 |
Course Type: | public |
Dress Code: | No tank tops or cutoffs |
Season: | Apr 1 to Dec 18 |
Guest Policy: |
* Update this Course: Update/modify the details for this golf course's listing.
Course reviews for Darlington Golf Course
Average Golfer Review (3.8 Stars):
Number of Reviews: 11
Review this course and share your experience with other golfers.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful: |
Great muni course, May 21, 2007 |
reviewer: Jim
from Wyckoff NJ |
This is a great muni course. Extremely hard to get a tee time on the weekends. Conditions are generally good and renovations are scheduled to be completed in June '07. Layout is more interesting than a typical muni course. |
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful: |
Still Wet, Jan 07, 2007 |
reviewer: Rob Herpst
from Mahwah |
Darlington has been upgraded dramatically by a 2 year redesign. But,today (1/07) there are still a lot of drainage problems. The 3rd hole now has a green that is well bunkered and the dramatic downhill slope is gone. 2 bridges to be installed on the 1st and 16th holes play will speed up play as players can cross streams while approaching from both side of the fairway. Course has approaches to many elevated greens & several quite dramatic downhill approaches, making apporah distances deceptive and club selection on approaches the key to good scoring. There are also blind (4th) and uphill tee shots on several holes such as the 5th, 10th, 13th, 17th and 18th, which make this course play longer then advertised. Generally in very good condition except after heavy rain. |
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful: |
North Arlington Golf, Aug 13, 2005 |
reviewer: Glenn Martin
from North Arlington, NJ USA |
Ithink for a public course it is kept in great condition. For a 25 handicap like myself, it presents tough obstacles to overcome. The course is great for any golfer to enjoy a great day out. |
1 of 5 people found the following review helpful: |
great time, Jul 29, 2004 |
reviewer: bob d.
from Mahwah, NJ USA |
i love this course |
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful: |
Fair course, Jul 21, 2004 |
reviewer: James Bakelaar
from Midland Park, NJ USA |
This is a fair golf course. It has a great lay out and it gives you plenty of chances to score well. It can also punish you when you make mistakes. The condition can be poor at times. The condition can also be outstanding. |
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful: |
Solid county course, Jul 16, 2004 |
reviewer: Red Sox fan
from NJ |
This is a very good county course. #1 is a short par 5 with water in front. #3 has a severly sloped green,stay below the hole. #5 is a challenging par 3. #6 is a tough uphill hole, everything slopes right. #9 is a true par 4, par is a great score. #11 is another reachable par 5. #12 is a downhill par 3, take one club less. harder than it looks. hit a good drive on #13, #14 another 5, dogleg right, probably not reachable for most. #15 is a short par 4 with a stream in front. #17 is a fun sharp dog leg right. All in all a good layout, but it gets a lot of play. You will use every club in the bag. |
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful: |
For muni, not bad at all, Jul 10, 2004 |
reviewer: Stik
from Edgewater, NJ |
Very walkable course, nice and clean place with small lakes here and there. They have a practice putting green and driving range. Relatively short course, and don't really need a driver to play from the white tee (I only drive average 240). Used 3 wood most of the time. Friendly staff, and nice service. |
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful: |
good course, Jun 23, 2004 |
reviewer: Paul C.
from Bergen County, New Jersey |
It's a good course for all types of golfers. From the black tee's it offers a good challenge for the seasoned golfer and from the whites or reds the course plays fairly short for the less experienced. The course is kept in OK shape. The greens and fairway are not cut very short but they are playable, if the greens and fairways were cut too short the course would get torn up by all of the inexperienced players. The course has a good setup and each hole is very different from the next and each hole has a different challenge about it. There are also way too many people trying to get out on this course, expect a 5 and a half hour round on a weekday. Overall i would have given this course a 3 if the prices werent so good. If u get a Bergen County Card which you can sign up for at the front desk, 18 holes of golf will cost an adult a mere 17 dollars, not bad for a less than perfect but fun golf course. |
Continue to Page 2 |


text:
HANCOCK -- The organization Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly is in need of 20 turkey donations to help feed over 1,000 elderly residents this Thanksgiving.
Organizers say the bigger the turkey the better because during the holiday season, they serve 1,200 pounds of turkey.
"We invite anyone who is over 60 and alone on the holidays to come out to dinner or to have a hot meal delivered, if they prefer that option. Our dinners are wonderful! They're sit down dinners. We have entertainment with volunteers there to serve and visit with people," said Cynthia Drake, visiting volunteer coordinator for Little Brothers.
The organization is also looking for other donations like coffee, apple sauce, and juice for the Christmas boxes also sent throughout the community.
This year, Little Brothers is celebrating 30 years of service in the Copper Country.
If you're interested in donating or volunteering your time, call Little Brothers at (906) 482-6944.