Baseball Pitching Machines Get Maxed Out As MLB's 2nd Half Has Fantasy Baseball League Fans and Owners On Edge

The 2nd half of the 2012 MLB season is making Fantasy fans and owners nervous as rankings and forecasts for pitching staffs and individual players remain in flux forcing players to max out their baseball pitching machines and force extended practices

After the American League All-Stars had their hats handed to them on Tuesday, baseball fantasy leagues are trying to wrap their heads around what will happen during the dog days of the 2nd half and where their teams will end up by the time October rolls around. As the usual suspects rotate around the top of the rotisserie, some sleepers are waiting to climb the ladder while a few injured players hobble off the DL and back onto the field.

Team owners are looking forward to reactivating some valuable puzzle pieces, including Dodger outfielders Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier. Expected to return against the Padres, both players started their rehab assignments by using baseball pitching machines along with picking up some batting cages for sale to get their timing and power back, while some anxious team owners are hoping both sluggers will return with a vengeance.

Online baseball pitching machine store owner Steve Klein is staying in the loop with these two Fantasy players:

"Injuries like these are part of the Fantasy Leagues and they make the games even more interesting. When both players go down at the same time, subs have to fill their shoes and team owners can only hope to break even until the heavy bats return to the lineup. Kemp's hammy seems to be fine while at the plate or running; he said that he felt no pain while rehabbing with the Triple A Quakes in Rancho Cucamonga. I'm glad to see that some of the baseball pitching machines I sell are being put to good use."

Before Kemp went on the DL he put up some amazing numbers. In 36 games he hit .355 with 12 dingers and drove in 38 runs. He re-injured his hamstring after just two games, and Dodgers trainer Sue Falsone indicated that he'd be out for at least a month, which put a major league thorn in the sides of team owners who have Kemp hitting in the cleanup slot.

Before Ethier's oblique injury, he tore up the rest of the league's pitching, especially with runners in scoring position. In 75 games drove in 55 runs, hit 10 homers and currently holds a solid .291 batting average. Some team owners are saying that his injury came at the right time, only missing a few games and getting a chance to rehab during the All-Star break.

Ethier's rehab stint involved some of the same training techniques used to bring Kemp back into the swing. Major league level baseball pitching machines played a significant role in recovering and perfecting one of the smoothest left-handed strokes in the game. His projected production for the 2nd half looks promising as a number of Fantasy Baseball owners are still holding their breath as they too have had to pick a few more batting cages for sale to practice from.

Klein also has somewhat of a vested interest in outcomes concerning the business from a few different angles:

"As a Fantasy team owner and pitching equipment vendor, I hate seeing players get hurt no matter what, but on the positive side I'm able to help get them back on their feet by providing pro level baseball pitching machines and other vital pitching equipment like batting cages for sale. I feel partially responsible for the successful rehab of many players past and present."

Let the games get under way! Fantasy team owners are suffering from separation anxiety because of the layoff between games, which is giving them more time to speculate and reconsider their options. Although Kemp and Ethier make up a small part of Fantasy Baseball leagues, their contributions to the game along with equipment like baseball pitching machines and batting cages help create more buzz for both fans and players.

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