I like to think I can learn something from every baseball game played, from the first to the last. Many players are involved in each of the 2,430 scheduled baseball games in a given season, and while Wednesday night wasn't the first official game of the new season, I certainly enjoyed it. Here are my random thoughts related to fantasy baseball on the first game in what looked like a tremendous new ballpark:
• Why does everyone assume Kyle Lohse can't be useful at least some of the time? I know, I know, it's just one game, and frankly that ballpark might play like Petco or Safeco this season by the looks of it. But Lohse, the much-maligned, seldom-trusted Cardinals right-hander, finished the 2011 campaign tied with Mat Latos for 34th on the Player Rater among starting pitchers. He wasn't quite as valuable as teammate Chris Carpenter, but he had more wins and a better ERA and WHIP. ESPN Fantasy projects Lohse's ERA to rise nearly a full run to 4.21, which seems plausible. Well, isn't that still useful? Lohse is currently not among the top 80 starting pitchers in ESPN average live drafts, but I'd add him for next week at Cincinnati just in case last April wasn't a fluke. Lohse boasted a 1.64 April ERA, and had a 2.57 ERA in May. He was not good the three months after that before closing very well. Look, he's Kyle Lohse, and in smaller ballparks or with a smaller strike zone, things might not be pretty, but I think he has earned more attention. As for adding him and then selling high, I can't believe anyone in your league would give you much back, but it never hurts to try.