New 2007 NL-only draft discussion thread
Feel free to discuss drafted players or whatever else. Use this thread instead of the old one so it doesn't take as long to load.
posted by mymrbig at 1:02 PM
Feel free to discuss drafted players or whatever else. Use this thread instead of the old one so it doesn't take as long to load.
posted by mymrbig at 1:02 PM
166 Comments:
Evan, I probably should have brought up a draft pick swap, but I didn't want to upset a good deal by making it seem more complicated.
Everyone else, lay off my girlfriend. Especially MP, who wants to move into a city called Placenta
1:34 PM, February 02, 2007
I already use firefox at home, but thanks anyway!
1:34 PM, February 02, 2007
Does Ivana Mandic live in Placenta?
1:35 PM, February 02, 2007
Jason, did you sell advertising space on the draft blog? Good call
1:35 PM, February 02, 2007
Not that I know. I'd delete it, but its kind of funny that someone would SPAM my blog, which is seen by 10 people for about a month every year. Not exactly a large audience.
Plus, at least 10% of the audience already uses firefox. Any other users out there?
1:39 PM, February 02, 2007
I'm a user, so is Roy. That's 30%.
6:27 AM, February 05, 2007
Now that I have actually seen this thread, I would like to correct Tom. First, I am moving to Anaheim, not that other city. And second, Tom has misspelled the city...it is Placentia, not Placenta. Come on Tom, stop bein so dang ig'nant.
9:28 AM, February 12, 2007
For those who have ever lived in Orange County (and those with an eye for the obvious), Placenta would be the jokey name for Placentia. How anyone ever thought the two were similar is beyond me...
Too bad you have to live in a city with no baseball.
9:39 AM, February 12, 2007
wow. The draft is so pitifully slow right now we can't even get people to complain about the pace of the draft (other than me). Come on folks, queues are the way to go. Even if you just give me (or someone else) 1 or 2 names and then make us wait if those guys are picked.
I haven't received a single queue yet this draft.
7:12 PM, February 12, 2007
Just emailed Michael. Hopefully he complies, otherwise he will have two commisioners mad at him, even if only one of us has the power to exercise any sort of influence over him.
(insert prolonged Dr. Evil laugh here)
7:48 PM, February 12, 2007
Hmm, that is unfortunate. I was hoping Giles would fall another round or 2 to me. Wishful thinking, I guess, but I was hoping his pitiful performance last year would scare people away.
8:42 PM, February 12, 2007
I just got into the office at 8:15 PST, my pick will be coming momentarily...and I am quite "disappointed" that Durham and Giles went right before my pick. Well golly jeepers thats a bummer.
8:27 AM, February 13, 2007
I can never remember, is Orlando Hudson the guy from Lord of the Rings or those Sprite commercials?
8:43 AM, February 13, 2007
Nah, its the 7-Up commercials and thats Orlando Jones...also known as the "former crackhead" from Office Space who now sells magazines for a living, and makes way more than he did as a software engineer at Intertrode.
8:49 AM, February 13, 2007
It wasn't Penetrode?
8:52 AM, February 13, 2007
I couldn't make up my mind between Durham and Giles before Roy made the decision for me... and I'd like to thank him for that, I could have ended up with a Giants' player on my team.
And I almost let Giles go until the 9th round... glad I didn't.
9:34 AM, February 13, 2007
I was predicting a run on 2B, looks like I was right. Glad I got Burke, though I would have been fine with Hudson or Giles.
I wanted to avoid Durham after his career year and recent injury problems, but he was taken later then I thought he would go, so I think he's a fine pick in the 8th round. I just thought someone would get crazy and look at him in the 6th or something.
10:10 AM, February 13, 2007
Tulowitzki is an interesting pick. I almost took him instead of Hudson just a few picks before. Tremendous upside and potential, but also a gamble, as he has only hit .240 in 25 career games. Feast or famine!
10:29 AM, February 13, 2007
Yeah, there are definitely other safer bets at MI than 'Witzki. I could see him having an Uggla-type rookie season, but I could also see him flopping a bit and splitting playing time with Barmes.
11:12 AM, February 13, 2007
Regarding trades during the draft:
My thought at this point is to not allow any trades until after the draft is finished. Coming into this season, I was planning on allowing trades during the draft. But after the big uproars and confusion on pre-draft trades, I decided not to worry about it this year.
If you all want to engage in trades, then a majority of you can discuss and come to an agreement. But since the draft has already begun, I am disinclined to allow trades unless the proposed rules are supported by almost everyone.
Basically, feel free to discuss and propose, but don't get your hopes up. Maybe next year, with a slight chance of doing it this year.
7:53 PM, February 13, 2007
I don't see any problem with allowing trades during the draft as long as they only involve players that have already been drafted/kept.
8:43 PM, February 13, 2007
Some people have also expressed interest in trading draft picks.
Trading players that have already been picked is less problematic. There aren't keeper problems at this point, so the only question is whether the trade is fair.
One problem though - I don't want a manager to hold up the draft because he is trying to swing a trade.
We also have to worry about trade approvals (i.e. time for managers to veto a trade, etc.).
8:49 PM, February 13, 2007
Sorry guys, network connection at home was down last night.
Honestly...I was waiting for Chan Ho Park to sign his papers w/ the Mets so that I'd have valuable trade bait...
7:04 AM, February 14, 2007
Picking up a catcher that can produce 300/20/80 in the 10th round is a pretty nice pick up.
5 in 14 minutes is impressive. 4 picks in 3 minutes is ridiculous!
We need to pace ourselves. Spring training doesn't open for another 2 weeks...gotta see if those 20-26 rounders are going to even make the 40-man roster w/out blowing out an elbow or knee
8:50 AM, February 14, 2007
Hey, pitchers and catchers report on Friday...its never too early!
8:51 AM, February 14, 2007
Dont be too impressed...those four picks in three minutes were one person posting all of them from queues. The wool has been pulled over our eyes!
9:02 AM, February 14, 2007
See how quickly the draft moves when people send out queues...
There is a downside to queues. I was really hoping to draft Bonds and Barrett with my next two picks. Instead, I got to pick them for Jason and Peter. It's just an added little bonus to twist the knife a little.
9:02 AM, February 14, 2007
I really am an idiot. See old discussion page if this is cryptic to you. Ignore it if everything I say is cryptic to you.
I just found this page. I don't load the main blog page, I just access the draft and discussion pages directly, so I was oblivious to this discussion for the first twelve days.
Jason, can I make a suggestion/request that if you create such new pages in the future you put a comment on the old discussion page tipping off the slow among us?
Other than that I have nothing to contribute.
2:55 PM, February 14, 2007
I really would have liked to get Maddux... instead I guess I'll see what Lilly can do in the NL. The switch away from the AL east to the weak-ass NL central should do him some good.
4:43 PM, February 14, 2007
Yeah Maddog and Hensley (he was a darkhorse pick of mine before he was swiped ten picks before me, oddly enough) were my two choices. So I figrued that with Carpenter and Schmidt, I had better add another veteran pitcher. At least my starters have a ton of big league experience...if only that counted for something in fantasy.
6:17 PM, February 14, 2007
I will be unavailable thursday. Please send any queues to someone else.
10:27 PM, February 14, 2007
talk about cryptic statements...
8:51 AM, February 15, 2007
Randy Winn is going to blow up. Hitting in the SF line-up, he'll see all kinds of pitches because Bonds will be protecting him. I'm predicting .330, 30 HR's, 30 SB's, 100 R's and 100 RBI's! I'm going to win the league riding the Winn!
2:10 PM, February 15, 2007
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
10:23 AM, February 16, 2007
When are Evan Tromble (and others) going to realize it is inappropriate to talk about undrafted players, particularly undrafted players that stand a chance of actually being drafted?
10:35 AM, February 16, 2007
I don't know which player was mentioned, but certain incidents tend to occur which merit our discussion and ridicule. Certain men create interesting topics of conversation, which have been sadly missing from this discussion board. It would be a shame to not discuss these players only because they have not yet been drafted.
10:45 AM, February 16, 2007
I probably shouldn't have deleted the comment, as it was pretty witty. I was feeling vidictive for being at work for the 1st time in almost 2 weeks. At least I get off at 3:30 today and have a 4-day weekend!!!
And none of that takes from my annual leave - go President's Day and Mardi Gras!
11:09 AM, February 16, 2007
Jason, I asked you about talking about players in an email about a month ago...
"There is no rule that you can't talk about players - feel free to do so.
That said, I suggest not talking about undrafted players (wait until after they are drafted), mainly because you don't want to tip-off other managers about a player that might have slipped off their radar. "
Keep your comments straight. In the email it sounded like..."yeah, you can talk, but I wouldn't do it"...but here, you're bringing the hammer down...?
11:12 AM, February 16, 2007
Personally, I feel wronged for having my comment deleted, especially since I'm pretty sure everyone knows about "The Player" and the draft status of "The Player" should not have been impacted by said comment.
11:42 AM, February 16, 2007
Anyone who doesn't know that "The Player" is injury-prone is not going to be competitive in anything, much less against our esteemed commish in fantasy baseball.
11:46 AM, February 16, 2007
http://theresacatch.blogspot.com/2007/02/mymrbigs-fantasy-baseball-player.html
Post comments about players, drafted or undrafted, here.
11:56 AM, February 16, 2007
What happened to Hermida last year? He was supposed to have a break-out year (into the Randy Winn range at least) and he just fizzled. I thought about taking him instead of Winn, but decided one Marlin is enough for me right now. Is Hermida actually going to show up this season?
12:00 PM, February 16, 2007
If Peter is very tired then perhaps a queue is just the thing to let him rest instead of sitting up pinging the draft page. Seems obvious to me.
12:03 PM, February 16, 2007
What's wrong with discussing undrafted players? It might prevent certain statistics-driven picks (Roy made one last year) from occurring when they shouldn't ... what's wrong with informing the populace? Doesn't that help competitive balance?
12:04 PM, February 16, 2007
I don't want you to remind Peter or Jody of a player I want to draft that they might have overlooked. Just like I doubt you want me to remind anyone drafting before you of a player you might want.
For instance, I would have been quite distressed if you had posted, "Anybody think Jeremy Hermida will do good this year? Everyone thought he was a shoo-in for ROY last year and a 20-20 season, then he flopped." a few picks before I ended up with him.
Its kind of like table-talk when playing cards. Just my opinion. Normally it doesn't matter and the hot tub comment didn't merit deletion since he's a famous player that no one is likely to forget about. Still, as a general principle I recommend shying away from discussion of undrafted NL players.
12:10 PM, February 16, 2007
Wouldn't it be fun to try to trick Peter into picking someone, though? I don't know Peter, so I wouldn't get much satisfaction out of him drafting some moron in 12 rounds too early, but you might.
12:15 PM, February 16, 2007
Oh Evan, there already have been players drafted 12 rounds too early....like your brother taking Anibal Sanchez in the 4th round. Well, maybe not 12 rounds too early....but certainly about 10 rounds too early. So I geuss we dont have to talk about players to bait people into doing that.
12:20 PM, February 16, 2007
Have we starting bashing people's picks yet? If so, it's about time.
12:25 PM, February 16, 2007
In all fairness, better Anibel Sanchez then Tony Clark...
12:52 PM, February 16, 2007
Hmmm, by my calculation, the Rice game starts in about an hour. Its looking less and less likely that we will hear from Peter anytime soon.
Maybe I should force him to draft Eric Bruntlett? He should be happy because he'd be getting an Astro. I'd be happy since I played summer ball with him. The guy needs some fantasy love!
1:00 PM, February 16, 2007
Or we could all chip-in to by Peter a Treo, to be used exclusively for fantasy baseball purposes.
1:04 PM, February 16, 2007
I was thinking that Tony Clark was better than...crap, I can't finish that sentence without incurring the wrath of the commish.
But I can finish it with a seriously premature Mark DeRosa. Really, Jody? I know you're a Cubs guy, but there are still better Cubs available now, several rounds later
1:37 PM, February 16, 2007
I guess I shouldn't have said any anti-Jody statement. As I do, he takes the next guy on my list.
1:38 PM, February 16, 2007
I wanted to cry when I didn't get Aramis Ramirez or Derrick Lee.
It was either Encarnacion or So Taguchi. I think Jason should pick So in honor of Nate.
1:41 PM, February 16, 2007
Who the hell is "Adam" Ethier? Someone's evil twin brother that we havent heard of yet?
2:04 PM, February 16, 2007
Well whoever this evil twin is, make sure nobody mentions his name until he gets drafted!
2:13 PM, February 16, 2007
Did someone pick Tony Clark? Last time I check, he was still on Arizona. Has something changed? If not, Jason shouldn't be bringing him up ... at least not in this sacred location. Jason needs to move his commentary to There's a Catch.
2:44 PM, February 16, 2007
Who is Adam Ethier? Did he actually mean the guy that plays for the Dodgers, or can someone still pick that Ethier?
2:45 PM, February 16, 2007
What was Roy thinking taking Nick Johnson? He's still hurt from last year! Another 1B faux pas! This is part of the problem with starting the draft before spring training starts ... I think it's a stupid system. Keith Foulke was going to be the Indians closer ... now he's retiring! Why not spend a month getting your shit together and then take a few hours to pound out the draft on a mutually agreeable day after we know a little more.
3:42 PM, February 16, 2007
I think Evan's right, we should go ahead and void this draft and start over... And that's a bad commissioner for mentioning the all-powerful Tony Clark.
And for anyone who's ever thought that it might be kinda cool to be a ski instructor, I'd just like to say that it's nothing like "Hot Dog" the movie. One of my "students" tossed chunks on his skis today. Not cool.
Shit, why did I have to get Tony Clark in my head. Now when I come home tonight and I'm up I'll probably think it's hilarious to draft him...
4:27 PM, February 16, 2007
I remember going to a drive-in to see Gremlins when I was a kid. Looking out the back window I was able to see Hot Dog the Movie (which I believe was a double feature with Bachelor Party) on one of the other screens. I never did see Gremlins...
5:20 PM, February 16, 2007
Do I get a sandwich pick for making the 100th post on the draft board?
7:24 PM, February 16, 2007
If this is Mardi Gras weekend, I think it's safe to say Misko will not be making his picks until Wednesday. See you guys then.
7:47 PM, February 16, 2007
I even emailed him at work friday so he would get it on his treo this weekend. Too much beer? (jason)
3:48 PM, February 18, 2007
It's 1 AM ... so I figured Cliff Floyd is bound to not get hurt one of these years ... right?
10:59 PM, February 19, 2007
Hmmm, no fun having your top choices picked immediately before your turn. My top 3 remaining were Lowry, A Reyes, and Glavine. Darn, now I actually have to think about this pick...
8:44 PM, February 20, 2007
Hmm, not exactly thrilled with remaining choices. Maybe I'll get lucky and he'll start the season in the rotation. Lots of risk with remaining starting pitchers, unless I'm overlooking someone...
9:43 PM, February 20, 2007
I know I tend to go with young staffs, but usually I have at least 1 ace to rely on (Zambrano in this league last year; Zambrano and Peavy in your league last year).
Plus, I'm not as high on Bailey at this point as some people. Still, I figured I should gamble on his upside over the remaining pitchers' mediocrity or injury risk.
I'm really kicking myself for taking Burrell over Smoltz early in the draft. Not that I'm down on Burrell, but I could have really used the reliable starter to bolster my young staff. Oops.
7:08 AM, February 21, 2007
Oh yeah. I emailed Peter, so hopefully he will correct his draft pick. Unless one of you is messing around (like I did last year). If that is the case, time to fess up!
7:09 AM, February 21, 2007
Sorry. Must have skipped over that on the keeper list. That's what being post-call is all about.
11:21 AM, February 21, 2007
Let the run on xxx outfielders begin!
I don't really know what adjective should be used to lump Murton, Jenkins, and Green together. Any thoughts?
2:29 PM, February 21, 2007
I believe Major League said it best: "They're Shitty"
2:33 PM, February 21, 2007
I actually would have liked to get Murton this late. If (or maybe I should say when) Floyd breaks he'll go back to playing full time. His second half points to some improvement. Green and Jenkins are both leftover shit. Hopefully my leftover shit won't piss off his manager and will get back to 20-25 HR.
2:45 PM, February 21, 2007
I agree that Murton was a nice pickup at this point. Worst case scenario is that you probably get 1/3 of a very productive season as a full-time player. What were the Cubs thinking going after Floyd? They obviously have too much money, but why waste it on an injury risk to bury other capable players? Should have spent the extra money on someone (anyone) better then some of the starting pitchers they signed.
2:48 PM, February 21, 2007
Alright, now I'm just confused and posting my shitty posts on the wrong discussion thread... Jason, please clean up my post about my 18th and 19th round fantasies and the leftover shit's shit on the draft thread. Thanks.
2:52 PM, February 21, 2007
Too much competition in the Brewers outfield for my tastes.
2:53 PM, February 21, 2007
Very true, he could easily end up in a platoon.
Jeff Baker?
3:33 PM, February 21, 2007
If Floyd can stay healthy (he signed a one-year deal, so he has millions of reasons to do so), he'll give the Cubs support for Soriano, Lee and Ramirez and can put up HUGE numbers. I don't see Murton doing that. Murton's ... ehh ... a dime a dozen. He reminds me of the guys the Braves have been running out there lately ... young, decent, and likely to be forgotten and replaced in the not too distant future. Murton's not a young pup (he's older than me and I'm getting up there) ... it's hard to fathom him just blowing up. Floyd has that kind of talent ... I just hope he's been doing pilates and whatever else so he doesn't snap at any point during the year. Maybe Lee will get hurt and Floyd can move to 1B!
6:33 PM, February 21, 2007
Slow day after yesterdays flurry. Not exactly an overwhelming number of useful players still available - the joy of NL-only leauges I guess. The hardest part is deciding whether to take Rick Ankiel as an OF or SP.
12:36 PM, February 22, 2007
If he were to play both, would his stats count as both? I might have to rethink my draft strategy...
12:42 PM, February 22, 2007
Silly Cardinals fan.
12:43 PM, February 22, 2007
Damn ... I wanted Pedro. He'll be quite the valuable keeper next year if he doesn't fall apart ... so, it's probably 50/50. Why couldn't he last until the 20th round?
6:04 AM, February 24, 2007
Yeah, I thought of Pedro but decided I needed the help this year instead of next at this point!
8:45 AM, February 24, 2007
As much I want Pedro as a possible keeper, he'll probably pitch the last couple months of the season. I'm sure at least a couple of my SPs will be recovering from Tommy John surgery by then.
9:35 AM, February 24, 2007
Well, it seems as if I dont pick again until the 21st round...see you guys again in mid-March....(kidding, I think)
11:21 AM, February 24, 2007
Jason, if you really need help this season then why go for Bailey? Everything I've read says he'll be starting in AAA... You've got a lot of potential there, but I'd say you have more risk in your SPs than anyone else.
5:39 PM, February 24, 2007
I'm taking up a collection so we can get misko internet at his house (welcome to the 21st century!).
Or we can all chip in to get him a clue ... I mean a queue.
8:56 PM, February 25, 2007
Run on catchers anyone? Roy, Evan, you in?
8:09 AM, February 26, 2007
Now I know why I chose my cather last pick! If only I had chosen a guy guaranteed to start...
8:15 AM, February 26, 2007
I think Jody is trying to corner the market in middle relievers.
6:12 PM, February 26, 2007
I won't be surprised if Capps is closing for the Pirates by May or June.
6:32 PM, February 26, 2007
Sorry ... I can't pick for a while. I'm stuck taking ... argh ... Milledge. Moises Alou can't survive all year, can he? Eventually, I think I will have to break down and select a catcher, though.
9:13 PM, February 26, 2007
I think Milledge might magically turn into a SP for you (or end up on a different NL team). The Mets need one and he's really the only tradeable youngster that they have.
And let's not talk about Alou getting hurt. I see about 158 games for him this season...
11:07 PM, February 26, 2007
Ouch! My top five for this little double pick that I have were Capps, Howry, Wheeler, Clemens, and Nolasco. That's not supposed to happen this late in the draft...
7:47 AM, February 27, 2007
Better yet, maybe the Mets will trade Milledge to the A's for Zito ... ahhh, crap!
9:37 AM, February 27, 2007
Holy crap, Zack. Were your fingers on the wrong keys when you typed? Maybe bad voice-recognition software? Did you lose a bet and have to draft your neighbors immigrant cousin? That's all I've got.
9:53 AM, February 27, 2007
Jeeze, the drafted prospects get more speculative every year!
The Brewers rotation already has 5 guys I've heard of who have all been drafted in this league (Sheets, Bush, Capuano, Suppan, Vargas), plus their probable #6 starter/reliever (Villanueva) was drafted. Lots of potential, we'll see The Sneeze gets any PT!
10:49 AM, February 27, 2007
I like Jody's strategy: when all the players you've heard of are taken, just start drafting members of the Beach Boys. They are kind of like Freddy Sanchez last year--lots of hits, but not much power.
9:00 AM, February 28, 2007
As we slog our way through the final rounds of the draft, I thought I would throw out this interesting tidbit - Round 25 is the only round without a keeper and is therefore the only round in which we actually all make a draft pick.
11:13 AM, February 28, 2007
wow...good to know. I'll start planning my pick.
Anyone interested in a side wager on the best 25th rounder?
11:23 AM, February 28, 2007
I'm glad to know that our US Attorney's office here in NO is staffed by lawyer's diligently producing the equivalent of "Pop-Up" bloggings w/ obscure facts about an obscure NL-only snake draft made up of individuals who either have too much time on their hands or their work keeps them in front of a computer all day (Peter, where do you fit in) and base their mood for the next 8 months on how their 26th-round pick turned out to be the difference in the standings that final week of the season to pull them out of that tie for 6th to finish in the Top 5 of the league...
It does make the season more interesting.
12:20 PM, February 28, 2007
Last year's 7th and 18th rounds also produced no keepers. And 7 + 18 = 25. Spooky.
12:31 PM, February 28, 2007
I noticed that about the 7th, but not the 18th. Spooky indeed.
1:19 PM, February 28, 2007
It all comes down to 7.
2+5=7
8-1=7
7=7=7
Not quite the anti-christ, but surely 777 means something?
2:21 PM, February 28, 2007
According to the Pixies (religious scholars everyone of them): if man is five, and the devil is six, then God is seven
2:29 PM, February 28, 2007
My league is blessed? I blame Jody.
Also, how did Evan go from one of the fastest picks to one of the slowest? Grad school decide to get more challenging, or did you just decide to actually attend classes? Kidding...
2:56 PM, February 28, 2007
God may be seven...but do all monkeys really go to heaven? Balderdash, I say!
3:34 PM, February 28, 2007
Well ... I'm a fellow in a program that involves teaching in a high school. Can't get to blogs from the high school ... they are blocked. So, when I'm out at Bridge Creek HS, I'm slow. Sorry.
7:44 PM, February 28, 2007
No problem, just curious. How is it teaching HS students? I imagine it has the potential to be a pain in the ass (if they don't care to hear you) or pretty cool (if they are actually interested in what you are saying).
9:58 PM, February 28, 2007
Who is Logan Nook?
Ben, if you mean Nuke LaLoosh, you realize he is a FICTIONAL character from Bull Durham, right?
8:28 AM, March 01, 2007
I think he means "Logan, Nuke Logan"--with an OBP of .007
9:46 AM, March 01, 2007
Wow, thats a pretty crappy OBP...I wouldnt draft him.
11:22 AM, March 01, 2007
I guess by this round it doesnt matter so much, but nice wasted pick on Loney. Barring a ton of injuries (knock on wood), he wont see the majors this year. He's the Dodgers fourth string 1st baseman and 8th string outfielder, and probably will spend the entire year in the minors learning the outfield.
11:31 AM, March 01, 2007
The Dodgers were idiots for re-signing Nomar when they had Loney available. Should have spent the money from Nomar to chase Carlos Lee or taken on some of Manny's salary and sent a couple players to Boston (Penny and Broxton?).
11:48 AM, March 01, 2007
Colletti is a moron, the Dodgers should have re-hired Dan Evans. But Loney is still only an achilles tear (or an arm falling off) away from being the starter at 1st. There's no reason to think he won't start when Nomar is hurt - he did last year.
It may not have been the most inspired pick of the draft, but I think there's probably more upside there than with Cesar Izturis...
12:22 PM, March 01, 2007
I disagree. Izturis is a starting shortstop, and having a starting mdidle infielder available on my bench is priceless. And even if Nomar goes down, Loney wouldnt play more than half the time anyway...the "pride of Panama" (actual name ommitted) would play much more than him.
12:26 PM, March 01, 2007
He hits .260, with a .295 OBP, doesn't steal bases anymore, has 11 career HRs, and he scored 14 Runs in about 200 ABs last year. I should know that he sucks, I made the mistake of drafting him last year. He very well could be the worst starting offensive player in MLB - are there any worse?
12:39 PM, March 01, 2007
The Astros' starting catcher should probably win the "worst full-time offensive player" award. Close competition with the Cardinals' starting catcher. The only thing going for them are gold gloves and lower expectations for catchers. Izturis was pretty bad though...
With the Dodgers' wealth of young outfield talent in the minors and majors makes me question the sanity of signing Louis Gonzalez and Juan Pierre. Pierre is a terrible choice for the top of the lineup (low OBP).
Still, these signings weren't nearly as bad as what the Pirates are generally able to "accomplish"!
Of course, don't get me started on the Astros' trade with the Rockies!
1:23 PM, March 01, 2007
ok, we can talk about guys who shouldn't be drafted. I forgot about Guzman...
5:48 PM, March 01, 2007
That's upsetting to know you had forgotten about Guzman. I was hoping he was the guy you were going to take. I figured that was my one shot at beating you this year.
5:51 PM, March 01, 2007
Honestly, try to get high schoolers to learn geometry is a lot like trying to get you to make decent rules for this fantasy league! : - ) Actually, there are some great kids ... problem is the apathy of most of the students. We're trying to work on that by bring in engineering applications and more hands-on stuff, but it's all contingent on student buy-in. Anyone have student buy-in powder? I'd love to get my hands on some of that!
7:04 PM, March 01, 2007
Apparently, I was smoking crack while writing that ... but that's par for the course ... everyone seems to be getting high before picking in the league ... maybe that's why this whole thing is taking so long! Gotta chase the dragon before you make a pick ... is that what's going on? If so, I have no shot, I'm not getting advice from the dragon.
7:15 PM, March 01, 2007
I was thinking I could go ahead and make my last 4 picks because I'm not fantasy savvy enough to think of any of the guys being picked late in the draft. I definitely wouldn't mess anyone else up.
6:06 AM, March 02, 2007
Surprised I had a shot at LaRoche this late with 2 Dodgers fans in the league. You guys not believers, are you Betemit fans, or did I just get lucky.
7:42 AM, March 02, 2007
And Evan, your Jenn needs to get you off the smack. Seriously, you were supposed to be one of those "straight and narrow" guys! Where did it all go wrong?!?
Now we have you ranting about "buy-in powder" and puff the magic dragon (he lives by the sea, don't you know?).
8:06 AM, March 02, 2007
Yes folks, there is a reason that I didnt take Loney, or LaRoche, or the other "hot Dodger prospect" still on the board...because they arent going to play...and may never even see the light of day upstairs. Loney is the only one who is ready, and he is burined on the bench because they decided to give Nomar 2 years and $18.5mil. Farm/winter reports say LaRoche is still AT LEAST a year away and may spend most of the year in AA. The other guy cant hit a curveball to save his lfie (see: Pedro Cerrano), and the signings of Pierre and Gonzalez show that they dont expect that to change anytime soon.
Meanwhile, I am almost done with the first week of my new job. Its totally overwhelming...and this whole thing about chasing mythical serpents is sounding really good about now...
8:36 AM, March 02, 2007
Farm/winter reports say LaRoche is still AT LEAST a year away and may spend most of the year in AA.
I completely disagree about LaRoche. I'm not super high on him (notwithstanding the selection, though he certainly has some potential). That said, there is NO WAY IN THE WORLD HE SPENDS MOST OF THE YEAR AT AA!
He spent 1/2 of last season at AA, hitting .309 with 9 HR and 13 doubles in only 230 at-bats. Where did he spend the other 1/2 of last season, you might ask? AAA, hitting .322 with 10 HR and 14 doubles in only 202 at-bats. Plus, his combined BB/K ratio was 66/64 between the two levels, a very good ratio. His excellent BB/K ratio, combined with his high AVG and solid power at AA and AAA suggests he could hold his own against major league pitching this year. Plus, he had a torn labrum last year which probably diminished his power somewhat!
Oh yeah, he also spent 1/2 of 2005 at AA, so he really just isn't going to spend any time there this year, barring injury or some sort of major collapse. In his 1/2 season in 2005 he hit .273 with 9 HR and 12 doubles in 227 AB.
Maybe I am high on him?! I actually had the impression he was still a ways away until I looked at his minor league stats. I didn't realize he spent 1/2 the year at AAA until I looked. I was confusing him with Brandon Wood of the other LA team, who did not spend any time in 2006 at AAA.
8:58 AM, March 02, 2007
Astounding stats for those who think Barry Bonds just doesn't have it anymore:
(1) Last year Bonds had 10 plate appearances with runners on 2nd & 3rd. He reached base 9 times (6 BB, 2 doubles, 1 single). Talk about a no-win situation for pitchers!
(2) Last year Bonds hit only .208 (44/212) with no runners on base and had 43 BB and 36 K. Basically, when it was easiest for pitchers to throw around him and tinker around the edges of the plate, Barry didn't hit well and looks like he swung at many pitches he shouldn't have instead of just taking a walk.
With runners on base (anywhere on base), he hit .355 (55/155) with 72 BB and only 15 K. Pitchers were under more pressure to actually throw him a strike. Bonds responded by being both more selective (indicated by his higher BB rate) and actually crushing the ball when he waited for his pitch (as indicated by the low K rate and high AVG).
(3) When leading off an inning (another easy time to pitch around Bonds), he hit .228 (23/101) with 19 BB and 12 K.
(4) With runners on 1st and 2nd or with the bases loaded (the situations where it was arguably the hardest to walk Bonds), he hit .438 (14/32) with 9 BB (including 2 with bases loaded) and 23 RBI.
One serious injustice is that the Giants never found someone with a really high OBP to hit directly in front of Bonds and someone with enough power to actually protect Bonds. It is no surprise that Bonds' best years came with Kent around to help out.
Imagine what Bonds could have done the past seasons if the Giants had the brains and money to sign Brian Giles (he of exellent OBP) to hit in front of Bonds and Vlad (he of "I can hit any pitch you throw out of the ballpark" mentality) to hit behind Bonds.
Now imagine a pitcher with nice white pants soiling himself on the mound. Bonds would have had a shot at hitting .400.
10:01 AM, March 02, 2007
Substitute Damon for Giles, that way the OF would actually make sense. Or put a good 1B in there instead (Delgado before he signed with the Marlins).
10:32 AM, March 02, 2007
Just a friendly reminder...w/ all of that research, don't forget about Jay and Jenn. Do you have food delivered to you so that you don't have to waste time getting up? Time that could be used looking up more stats and real estate transactions of non-roster invitees to spring training.
12:16 PM, March 02, 2007
Its not like I do that kind of research for every player!
You'll notice that both Bonds and LaRoche were guys I picked and both are high upside guys with a good bit of risk (be it injury or lack of PT), so I looked more carefully at them then pretty much anyone else out there.
I had to defend my honor on LaRoche. After ridiculing Zack's decision to pick Gallardo because of dubious PT, I couldn't let Michael insinuate that I was making the same mistake. Right now, I think LaRoche has a better chance of making a fantasy impact this year then Gallardo. Of course, that doesn't explain my Votto pick...
Plus, its not like it takes long to look up stats like these. www.sportsline.com/mlb/players has all of a players stats, including minor league stats. ESPN's player pages do the breakdowns for how a guys did in all different situations (both for a certain count and for baserunners).
1:14 PM, March 02, 2007
I don't see LaRoche playing this year without a Betemit flop or injury. While I'm not a huge fan of Betemit I don't think he'll flop either.
I actually considered LaRoche with my Loney pick, but I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in seeing Nomar as having a greater chance of catastrophe than Betemit. And Loney will almost certainly be on the opening day roster, I give LaRoche about a 20% chance of starting on it and remaining for a full month.
And I see Gallardo having a bigger impact this year than LaRoche. For achoo to get a shot any one of five players needs to go down with an injury (one of those being Sheets) - for LaRoche it will have to be Betemit.
8:37 PM, March 02, 2007
Personally, I think the Dodgers are hoping Betemit gets off to a hot start so they can package him with one of their starting pitchers for a better bat. This would stick Luis Gonzales on the bench, where he would still be valuable. The Dodgers wouldn't lose anything going from Betemit to LaRoche and might even improve.
At least that's what I keep telling myself.
Gallardo's situation is still complicated by Villanueva. If one of the other starters goes down, he might still get the 1st shot.
9:17 PM, March 02, 2007
Couldn't LaRoche be a Furcal (gulp!) injury away from a starting spot too? Wouldn't they slide Betemit to short? What about if Kent (gulp!) goes down? Would Betemit move over there?
9:24 PM, March 02, 2007
Either of those situations are plausible as well. I don't see the Gonzalez signing as completely terrible since it is only for one year. However, the Pierre signing baffles me - I'm sure they could have gotten Kenny Lofton back on a 1 year deal for far less money. It would have left them much more flexible for the future. Colletti learned all the wrong things from Sabean...
9:51 PM, March 02, 2007
What do you guys think of the Young signing in TX? I say terrible, terrible move. When was the last time they made a good big-time signing? Chan Ho?
9:53 PM, March 02, 2007
Someone on ESPN said it was a good move. So, it probably wasn't.
7:39 PM, March 04, 2007
1 year too long, but not horrible. He has been very durable, which has to count for something. He'll probably have to move to 2b or LF by the end, but if he's still hitting .310+ with 15+ HR power, then it is ok. Still, they had him very cheap for the next 2 years so they probably should have just stuck with that to have some financial flexibility.
7:58 PM, March 04, 2007
Evan, sorry about not sending an email. Had family obligations and only enough time to make another ridiculous pick.
7:20 AM, March 05, 2007
Oh, I didn't really care. I just didn't want the masses irritated at me for not making a pick. It's all about deflecting blame.
7:38 AM, March 05, 2007
Holy flurry of activity Batman! 6 picks in 32 minutes?!?
12:03 PM, March 05, 2007
Now the people on the other end have to match that.
12:07 PM, March 05, 2007
For those of you wondering why I took Ryan Klesko, a little research will show you that last year he had an OPS of 1.833, RBI in 50% of his ABs, and an unprecedented .750 batting average. He also had a BB/K ratio of 2/0--that's perfect!
Now you have to assume he will have at least twice 25 times as many ABs this year than he had last year. That means that the people in SF are poised to have a magical season coming from their part-time left fielder.
12:28 PM, March 05, 2007
All these Cubs are scaring me ... I just can't seem to help myself.
8:18 PM, March 05, 2007
I'm lodging a formal complaint. All picks pertaining to any Cubs player must be approved by me first, Jim "Cardiac" Hendry.
8:29 PM, March 05, 2007
Well, with no picks for almost 40 hours on weekdays now...at least we are back to the comfortable liesurely pace that we are used to!
8:26 AM, March 07, 2007
I'm assuming there was an ebola outbreak in Houston and the good doctor tried to save hundreds of people, only to find his own innards liquified. If that's the case, I've got dibs on Pujols.
9:22 AM, March 07, 2007
I'm starting to think Jody didn't want me to pick because I keep stealing Cubs.
10:47 AM, March 07, 2007
Would selecting a certain player that just spurned the NFL to sign w/ the Cubs be a little premature? Anything to preserve my future All-Cub fantasy team.
Jay Bigelow hasn't been selected yet, but I think the new keeper rules would force him back into the draft when he's around 7 or 8 years old.
2:16 PM, March 07, 2007
would we get to use his T-ball stats?
2:55 PM, March 07, 2007
Oh I wish it was easy as ebola. Anyway, sorry about the delay. I just got home after a 15hr day (the shortest of the week) and have now made my pick. Plus, perhaps it's a good thing to slow down a little and actually get to see what some of the people do this Spring....
6:29 PM, March 07, 2007
Oh I wish it was easy as ebola. Anyway, sorry about the delay. I just got home after a 15hr day (the shortest of the week) and have now made my pick. Plus, perhaps it's a good thing to slow down a little and actually get to see what some of the people do this Spring....
6:29 PM, March 07, 2007
Now that we're in the 24th round you're concerned with what people (Josh Johnson, Mark Prior, etc.) are doing?
10:41 AM, March 08, 2007
Wow, another flurry of activity.
Justin, you realize you were supposed to leave Humber for one of the Rice guys, right?!
Almost to an end. Three of us (me, Zack, and Ben) are about to make our last picks of the draft. The rest of you still have round 26 to look forward too!
12:31 PM, March 08, 2007
There are 26 rounds? Damn ... I thought there were only 25. It's a good thing we started this thing so early.
1:38 PM, March 08, 2007
That hong chih was supposed to be mine!
1:58 PM, March 08, 2007
What is the correct pronunciation of "Ambiorix"? Is it too late to change Jay's name to Ambiorix? Much worse than Yovani Gallardo, which at least I can imagine how to spell (even if I don't have a good pronunciation of the "ll").
2:22 PM, March 08, 2007
Not only is Theriot a Cub, but he's an LSU Tiger too!!!!!
7:45 PM, March 08, 2007
Wait, so you're saying Theriot is a major loser (Tigers and Cubs), rather than just a regular loser (one or the other)?
6:15 PM, March 11, 2007
Hmm, I just read that hong-chih tested positive for stimulants at the Asia Games a couple of months ago. And apparently the commissioners office is looking into it. Of course he blames it on cold medicine (not a vitamin B shot?). 50 game suspension anyone?
2:01 PM, March 12, 2007
I drink coffee almost every day, isn't coffee a stimulant? Would Troy Percival circa-2001 have failed a MLB drug test for stimulants?
2:40 PM, March 12, 2007
I think between steroids and stimulants 95% of MLB players circa 2001 would have failed a drug test in one way or another.
2:47 PM, March 12, 2007
I really just wanted to make sure there was no lag time between drafts.
Actually, freakin' Justin took my pick from underneath me. I had two picks set up for the 26th rounds: the commish took one and Justin took the other. I had nobody else on my radar and no time to research.
And still, with all this extra time, MP takes Tony Gwynn Jr. Really?
What's the over/under on Jason getting the rosters onto Yahoo? I'm guessing by 2pm.
10:28 AM, March 14, 2007
Yeah, he'll be better than his dad one day, just you watch. And I will reap all of the fantasy benefits. And to whoever took Chad Billingsley, congratulations, the Dodgers just announced that he will be a middle reliever this season.
11:41 AM, March 14, 2007
(1) The Dodgers are idiots. The Furcal signing last year was great (locking him up for a shorter contract, rather than some 7-year behemoth that they will regret years 6 & 7). That still doesn't exclude the Pierre signing (his value is limited almost exclusively to fantasy baseball), the Luis Gonzalez signing (the Dodgers have a ton of hitting prospects), and now the Billingsley announcement.
(2) Tom is an idiot. Clearly any of my fantasy baseball efforts today will be directed toward preparing for Zack's auction.
(3) The rosters should be up by Sunday at the latest. Jenn's next call day is Saturday so I may wait until then to input everything.
(4) Peter, if you are out there, register your team! Stop saving lives for a minute and create your team! This may hold-up my ability to input rosters. Bish says hi and Natalie is cool!
11:52 AM, March 14, 2007
Guess I should have checked before I posted!
I second Zack's motion. Everyone, move over the the league Yahoo! page if you want to post.
1:20 PM, March 14, 2007
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