2010 Melting Pot Fantasy League

The Game Room
1

The draft was last night in the SDMB 6x6 AL-Only keeper league. This is my…4th? year in the league? (Holy crap, it’s my 6th!) I haven’t been very consistent (okay - consistently bad), but I did finish 2nd two years ago. Our 6th categories are OPS (hitters) and K/BB (pitchers), which really throw me off. That, and the limited pool of players is tough to deal with. Here’s the draft results - the first 5 rounds are our keepers.

Round 1
1 Grady Sizemore Winnowill’s Winners
2 Kevin Youkilis Highlanders
3 Jacoby Ellsbury Schroedinger’s Bats
4 Zack Greinke Samuel’s Animals
5 Evan Longoria Serenity Now!
6 Félix Hernández Petunias
7 Carl Crawford Petelin
8 Álex Rodríguez Rally Monkeys
9 Dustin Pedroia Isotopes
Round 2
1 Derek Jeter Isotopes
2 Kendry Morales Rally Monkeys
3 Mark Teixeira Petelin
4 Josh Beckett Petunias
5 Ian Kinsler Serenity Now!
6 Víctor Martínez Samuel’s Animals
7 Nelson Cruz Schroedinger’s Bats
8 Ichiro Suzuki Highlanders
9 Robinson Canó Winnowill’s Winners
Round 3
1 Elvis Andrus Winnowill’s Winners
2 Shin-Soo Choo Highlanders
3 Gordon Beckham Schroedinger’s Bats
4 Nick Markakis Samuel’s Animals
5 Miguel Cabrera Serenity Now!
6 Alexei Ramírez Petunias
7 CC Sabathia Petelin
8 Jon Lester Rally Monkeys
9 Chone Figgins Isotopes
Round 4
1 Justin Verlander Isotopes
2 Jered Weaver Rally Monkeys
3 Brian Roberts Petelin
4 Billy Butler Petunias
5 Matt Wieters Serenity Now!
6 Aaron Hill Samuel’s Animals
7 Matt LaPorta Schroedinger’s Bats
8 Mariano Rivera Highlanders
9 Jake Peavy Winnowill’s Winners
Round 5
1 Joakim Soria Winnowill’s Winners
2 B.J. Upton Highlanders
3 Chris Davis Schroedinger’s Bats
4 Curtis Granderson Samuel’s Animals
5 Adam Jones Serenity Now!
6 Julio Borbón Petunias
7 Asdrubal Cabrera Petelin
8 Adam Lind Rally Monkeys
9 Bobby Jenks Isotopes
Round 6
1 Joe Mauer Winnowill’s Winners
2 Justin Morneau Highlanders
3 Ben Zobrist Schroedinger’s Bats
4 Cliff Lee Samuel’s Animals
5 Javier Vázquez Serenity Now!
6 Denard Span Petunias
7 Bobby Abreu Petelin
8 Torii Hunter Rally Monkeys
9 Josh Hamilton Isotopes
Round 7
1 Carlos Peña Isotopes
2 Jonathan Papelbon Rally Monkeys
3 Michael Young Petelin
4 Carlos Quentin Petunias
5 James Shields Serenity Now!
6 Jason Bartlett Samuel’s Animals
7 Matt Garza Schroedinger’s Bats
8 Jason Kubel Highlanders
9 Adrián Béltre Winnowill’s Winners
Round 8
1 Andrew Bailey Winnowill’s Winners
2 Scott Baker Highlanders
3 Rafael Soriano Schroedinger’s Bats
4 John Lackey Samuel’s Animals
5 Kevin Slowey Serenity Now!
6 Brett Anderson Petunias
7 John Danks Petelin
8 Álex Ríos Rally Monkeys
9 José Valverde Isotopes
Round 9
1 Michael Cuddyer Isotopes
2 Gavin Floyd Rally Monkeys
3 David Ortiz Petelin
4 Howie Kendrick Petunias
5 Rajai Davis Serenity Now!
6 Brian Fuentes Samuel’s Animals
7 David Aardsma Schroedinger’s Bats
8 Erik Bedard Highlanders
9 José López Winnowill’s Winners
Round 10
1 Mark Buehrle Winnowill’s Winners
2 Mike González Highlanders
3 Rich Harden Schroedinger’s Bats
4 Vladimir Guerrero Samuel’s Animals
5 Nolan Reimold Serenity Now!
6 Frank Francisco Petunias
7 Johnny Damon Petelin
8 Brandon McCarthy Rally Monkeys
9 A.J. Burnett Isotopes
Round 11
1 Jorge Posada Isotopes
2 Mike Napoli Rally Monkeys
3 Rick Porcello Petelin
4 Kurt Suzuki Petunias
5 Neftali Feliz Serenity Now!
6 Nick Swisher Samuel’s Animals
7 Juan Rivera Schroedinger’s Bats
8 J.D. Drew Highlanders
9 Juan Pierre Winnowill’s Winners
Round 12
1 Franklin Gutiérrez Winnowill’s Winners
2 Phil Hughes Highlanders
3 Ben Sheets Schroedinger’s Bats
4 Max Scherzer Samuel’s Animals
5 Chris Pérez Serenity Now!
6 Clay Buchholz Petunias
7 Jeff Niemann Petelin
8 Erick Aybar Rally Monkeys
9 David Price Isotopes
Round 13
1 Vernon Wells Isotopes
2 Brandon Wood Rally Monkeys
3 Matt Thornton Petelin
4 Brian Matusz Petunias
5 Hideki Matsui Serenity Now!
6 Scott Kazmir Samuel’s Animals
7 Paul Konerko Schroedinger’s Bats
8 Marco Scutaro Highlanders
9 A.J. Pierzynski Winnowill’s Winners
Round 14
1 Miguel Tejada Winnowill’s Winners
2 Orlando Hudson Highlanders
3 Jason Frasor Schroedinger’s Bats
4 Milton Bradley Samuel’s Animals
5 Travis Snider Serenity Now!
6 José Bautista Petunias
7 David DeJesús Petelin
8 Maicer Izturis Rally Monkeys
9 Magglio Ordóñez Isotopes
Round 15
1 Jon Rauch Isotopes
2 Michael Brantley Rally Monkeys
3 Justin Duchscherer Petelin
4 Jhonny Peralta Petunias
5 Francisco Liriano Serenity Now!
6 J.P. Howell Samuel’s Animals
7 Travis Hafner Schroedinger’s Bats
8 Wade Davis Highlanders
9 Mike Cameron Winnowill’s Winners
Round 16
1 Marc Rzepczynski Winnowill’s Winners
2 Ervin Santana Highlanders
3 Alberto Callaspo Schroedinger’s Bats
4 Delmon Young Samuel’s Animals
5 Colby Lewis Serenity Now!
6 Nick Johnson Petunias
7 Ryan Rowland-Smith Petelin
8 Ken Griffey Jr. Rally Monkeys
9 Joel Piñeiro Isotopes
Round 17
1 Mark Teahen Isotopes
2 Michael Wuertz Rally Monkeys
3 Alfredo Aceves Petelin
4 Matt Guerrier Petunias
5 Daniel Bard Serenity Now!
6 Brett Gardner Samuel’s Animals
7 Shaun Marcum Schroedinger’s Bats
8 Joba Chamberlain Highlanders
9 Alex Gordon Winnowill’s Winners
Round 18
1 Gil Meche Winnowill’s Winners
2 Carl Pavano Highlanders
3 Kevin Jepsen Schroedinger’s Bats
4 Kevin Kouzmanoff Samuel’s Animals
5 Luke Scott Serenity Now!
6 Justin Masterson Petunias
7 Kelly Shoppach Petelin
8 Randy Ruiz Rally Monkeys
9 Scott Feldman Isotopes
Round 19
1 Scott Downs Isotopes
2 Darren Oliver Rally Monkeys
3 Mike Lowell Petelin
4 Jack Cust Petunias
5 Dan Wheeler Serenity Now!
6 Fernando Rodney Samuel’s Animals
7 Kerry Wood Schroedinger’s Bats
8 Austin Jackson Highlanders
9 Brad Bergesen Winnowill’s Winners
Round 20
1 Daisuke Matsuzaka Winnowill’s Winners
2 C.J. Wilson Highlanders
3 Scott Sizemore Schroedinger’s Bats
4 Darren O’Day Samuel’s Animals
5 J.J. Hardy Serenity Now!
6 Scott Podsednik Petunias
7 Jermaine Dye Petelin
8 David Murphy Rally Monkeys
9 Russell Branyan Isotopes
Round 21
1 Rick Ankiel Isotopes
2 Brad Ziegler Rally Monkeys
3 Randy Winn Petelin
4 Gio González Petunias
5 David Robertson Serenity Now!
6 Kevin Gregg Samuel’s Animals
7 Carlos Santana Schroedinger’s Bats
8 Pat Burrell Highlanders
9 Daric Barton Winnowill’s Winners
Round 22
1 Brandon League Winnowill’s Winners
2 Jarrod Saltalamacchia Highlanders
3 Brayan Peña Schroedinger’s Bats
4 Ryan Raburn Samuel’s Animals
5 Desmond Jennings Serenity Now!
6 José Mijares Petunias
7 Nick Blackburn Petelin
8 Mark Ellis Rally Monkeys
9 Brandon Inge Isotopes
Round 23
1 Chris Tillman Isotopes
2 Jason Bulger Rally Monkeys
3 Phil Coke Petelin
4 Joey Devine Petunias
5 Mike Aviles Serenity Now!
6 Sean Rodriguez Samuel’s Animals
7 Luis Valbuena Schroedinger’s Bats
8 Jim Johnson Highlanders
9 Edwin Encarnación Winnowill’s Winners

2

I don’t have time to do an analysis of the big league, so I’ll do an analysis of this league instead. I’ll go keepers, then by round.

Winnowill’s Whiners:
1 Grady Sizemore Winnowill’s Winners
18 Robinson Canó Winnowill’s Winners
19 Elvis Andrus Winnowill’s Winners
36 Jake Peavy Winnowill’s Winners
37 Joakim Soria Winnowill’s Winners
It’s a good group - we have MI completely covered, an OF, and an SP and RP to really balance it out. Everyone does a little bit of everything, and we have 2 specialists (Andrus for SBs, Soria for SVs). But a big lack of power to make up for.

Highlanders:
2 Kevin Youkilis Highlanders
17 Ichiro Suzuki Highlanders
20 Shin-Soo Choo Highlanders
35 Mariano Rivera Highlanders
38 B.J. Upton Highlanders

Great group of keepers here. Power, speed, average, more speed. And Rivera’s the best.

Schroedinger’s Bats:
3 Jacoby Ellsbury Schroedinger’s Bats
16 Nelson Cruz Schroedinger’s Bats
21 Gordon Beckham Schroedinger’s Bats
34 Matt LaPorta Schroedinger’s Bats
39 Chris Davis Schroedinger’s Bats

Hmm…I was really surprised to see LaPorta here in the keepers. Yeah - he’s got great potential, but he’s been going really late in drafts this year. I know he didn’t have a lot to work with last year, but I have to think that an Ellsbury deal could have been done with Petunias, the resident Red Sox fanatic.

Samuel’s Animals:
4 Zack Greinke Samuel’s Animals
15 Víctor Martínez Samuel’s Animals
22 Nick Markakis Samuel’s Animals
33 Aaron Hill Samuel’s Animals
40 Curtis Granderson Samuel’s Animals

Ulp. Aside from Victor getting a little old and possibly losing C-eligibility (doubtful), I can’t think of any downside to these keepers at all. Uhh…Granderson might platoon a little this year?

Serenity Now!
5 Evan Longoria Serenity Now!
14 Ian Kinsler Serenity Now!
23 Miguel Cabrera Serenity Now!
32 Matt Wieters Serenity Now!
41 Adam Jones Serenity Now!

This is my team. I think it’s a fantastic core to build on. I debated heavily on keeping Ben Zobrist instead of either Weiters or Jones, but their upside is too high to turn down, versus the chance that Zobrist caught lightning in a bottle for a year and a half. But boy do I need to focus on pitching in the draft…

Petunia:
6 Félix Hernández Petunias
13 Josh Beckett Petunias
24 Alexei Ramírez Petunias
31 Billy Butler Petunias
42 Julio Borbón Petunias

Borbon? Really? Alex loves his young rookies, and sees talent coming much further ahead than I ever do, so I’m not going to question it. Those pitchers allow him the flexibility to cherry pick the specialists, though.

Petelin:
7 Carl Crawford Petelin
12 Mark Teixeira Petelin
25 CC Sabathia Petelin
30 Brian Roberts Petelin
43 Asdrubal Cabrera Petelin

Petelin kept CC a few years ago, back when the Indians traded him to Milwaukee just on the off-chance he’d rejoin the AL. That’s the kind of league this is. He has most of his infield covered, a stud OF, and a top SP. That’s a good start to a draft…

Rally Monkeys:
8 Álex Rodríguez Rally Monkeys
11 Kendry Morales Rally Monkeys
26 Jon Lester Rally Monkeys
29 Jered Weaver Rally Monkeys
44 Adam Lind Rally Monkeys

I believe I dropped Lind near the beginning of the year last season. Well done, Munch. Other than minor questions regarding Jered, this group is packed. Not only that, but they’re at the front-end of their keeper eligibility (we can keep players for 3 seasons).

Isotopes:
9 Dustin Pedroia Isotopes
10 Derek Jeter Isotopes
27 Chone Figgins Isotopes
28 Justin Verlander Isotopes
45 Bobby Jenks Isotopes

Seems to me that Figgins is underrated every year. He’ll be 2B-eligible, which really boosts his value if Isotopes want to trade him (since he already has Pedroia). Verlander’s a stud, but I’m not sold on Jenks. But what do I know - Isotopes won it all last year.

3

**Round 6 **
1 Joe Mauer Winnowill’s Winners
2 Justin Morneau Highlanders
3 Ben Zobrist Schroedinger’s Bats
4 Cliff Lee Samuel’s Animals
5 Javier Vázquez Serenity Now!
6 Denard Span Petunias
7 Bobby Abreu Petelin
8 Torii Hunter Rally Monkeys
9 Josh Hamilton Isotopes

There was a lot of disparity in the first round, as studs Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau lost their keeper eligibility, Zobrist was thrown back into the pool, and pitchers Cliff Lee and Javier Vazquez returned to the AL. I had my sights on Vazquez the whole time, and was happy as can be that he made it to me. No - he didn’t do great when he was on the Yankees a few years ago. But I think that was just a down year, and he’s a stud - especially with K/BB thrown in the mix.
Best Pick: Joe Mauer - how can it not? He’s heads and shoulders above anyone available this year.
Worst Pick: Josh Hamilton - I’m really not sold on him at all. I think he’s unstable as an everyday player, injury prone, and could very well be trade bait - all things I avoid in an AL-only league.
Upside Pick: Denard Span - a really underrated player with tons of balance and the potential to really put up numbers in any given category.
My Pick: Javier Vazquez

**Round 7 **
1 Carlos Peña Isotopes
2 Jonathan Papelbon Rally Monkeys
3 Michael Young Petelin
4 Carlos Quentin Petunias
5 James Shields Serenity Now!
6 Jason Bartlett Samuel’s Animals
7 Matt Garza Schroedinger’s Bats
8 Jason Kubel Highlanders
9 Adrián Béltre Winnowill’s Winners

Papelbon was another player that lost keeper-eligibility this year. Folks in this league love their closers, and I was really surprised to see him last this long. Kinda all over the place in this round, and it shows how shallow an AL-only league really is. Makes me feel sorry for those 12-team Tout War leagues.
Best Pick: Carlos Quentin - I hate to give Petunias this much love, because I know it goes straight to his head. But Quentin is a stud, and was an injury away from a dominanting season last year.
Worst Pick: Adrian Beltre - I think he would have lasted a few more rounds, and there wasn’t much of a drop-off at this point at 3B.
Upside Pick: Jason Kubel - the Twins seem to be packed with hidden talent, and Kubel has been slipping in drafts. He’s also the 10th former member of Serenity Now! off the board (including my keepers). How did I finish 5th last year? Oh - pitching.
My Pick: James Shields - I think I may overrate Shields, since he’s a perennial Serenity member. His control has gone down every year and he gives up too many HRs - but I think he has the stuff where if he puts it all together, he’ll be fantastic. I might have taken Lackey, but I don’t trust him that much this year.

**Round 8 **
1 Andrew Bailey Winnowill’s Winners
2 Scott Baker Highlanders
3 Rafael Soriano Schroedinger’s Bats
4 John Lackey Samuel’s Animals
5 Kevin Slowey Serenity Now!
6 Brett Anderson Petunias
7 John Danks Petelin
8 Álex Ríos Rally Monkeys
9 José Valverde Isotopes

I don’t know why Deb took Rios - she must not have gotten the message that we were all taking pitchers this round. Starter or closer, there’s something for everyone.

Best Pick: Kevin Slowey - yeah, I’m tooting my own horn, but Slowey is a stud in this format. His K/BB is amazing, even if he doesn’t put up many Ks to really push it over the top. Reports this spring have him looking really good following his injury, which really puts my mind at ease.
Worst Pick: Andrew Bailey - sorry Winno, I’m really not picking on you. Bailey’s been struggling this spring with pain, and you didn’t follow this up with picking up Wuertz. With this league loving saves as much as they do, you gotta secure them if you’re going to value them on draft day.
Upside Pick: Brett Anderson - he’s a highly regarded young pitcher that I probably should have drafted instead of Shields.
My Pick: Kevin Slowey

4

**Round 9 **
1 Michael Cuddyer Isotopes
2 Gavin Floyd Rally Monkeys
3 David Ortiz Petelin
4 Howie Kendrick Petunias
5 Rajai Davis Serenity Now!
6 Brian Fuentes Samuel’s Animals
7 David Aardsma Schroedinger’s Bats
8 Erik Bedard Highlanders
9 José López Winnowill’s Winners

This is a really interesting round - there are a bunch of players that make me say, “Dammit!” in here, mostly involving guys that you hope you can grab next round, because they offer just the right thing your roster needs at this moment in the draft. Couple great closers, couple high upside starters, some young studs on the brink, etc.
Best Pick: Howie Kendrick - I have no idea how he lasted this long. He’s going to be awesome.
Worst Pick: David Ortiz - I think there was better value on the board, but I understand the upside side to this.
**Upside Pick: **(tie) Jose Lopez and Erik Bedard - I think Lopez is going to break out, and Bedard will come back extremely strong.
**My Pick: **Rajai Davis - not a lot of balanced players on the board, and I went with the young high-potential SB-specialist (with a surprising bit of power) over the established Juan Pierre.

**Round 10 **
1 Mark Buehrle Winnowill’s Winners
2 Mike González Highlanders
3 Rich Harden Schroedinger’s Bats
4 Vladimir Guerrero Samuel’s Animals
5 Nolan Reimold Serenity Now!
6 Frank Francisco Petunias
7 Johnny Damon Petelin
8 Brandon McCarthy Rally Monkeys
9 A.J. Burnett Isotopes

Weird round of drafting. A handful of players I really wanted, and a handful I completely wrote off.
Best Pick: Johnny Damon - it’s a really safe pick, and at this point in the draft, you need some of that. Petelin didn’t need to take any big chances with his excellent core, and Damon fills a great role.
Worst Pick: Brandon McCarthy - I’m not sure what this guy has done to make him all that safe. Bad K/BB, bad ratios, and low IP levels that make him a shaky starter down the stretch.
Upside Pick: Rich Harden - if he can stay healthy for a season, he’ll be a top 5 pitcher.
My Pick: Nolan Reimold - it’s really tough to balance needs versus potential (especially keeper potential, which I think Nolan has). I took him before a few guys I had higher on my “this year” ranking, but not by much. He’s the 3rd Oriole on my team…

**Round 11 **
1 Jorge Posada Isotopes
2 Mike Napoli Rally Monkeys
3 Rick Porcello Petelin
4 Kurt Suzuki Petunias
5 Neftali Feliz Serenity Now!
6 Nick Swisher Samuel’s Animals
7 Juan Rivera Schroedinger’s Bats
8 J.D. Drew Highlanders
9 Juan Pierre Winnowill’s Winners

Catcher run! Injury-prone slugger run! Really great picks this round, all around.
Best Pick: Mike Napoli - a really underrated catcher that puts up great numbers that should have been taken 3 rounds ago.
Worst Pick: Juan Rivera - I’ve had a bad relationship with Rivera, and really try avoiding him every year.
Upside Pick: JD Drew - His numbers are great, and his OPS should put him higher on the board than this. But his history really shies me away from him.
**My Pick: **Neftali Perez - this may not be a great pick either. He’s struggled, will be sent to the bullpen, and there’s talk of ramping him up for starter in the minors rather in the bigs. Not the gamble I really need.

5

**Round 12 **
1 Franklin Gutiérrez Winnowill’s Winners
2 Phil Hughes Highlanders
3 Ben Sheets Schroedinger’s Bats
4 Max Scherzer Samuel’s Animals
5 Chris Pérez Serenity Now!
6 Clay Buchholz Petunias
7 Jeff Niemann Petelin
8 Erick Aybar Rally Monkeys
9 David Price Isotopes

See, these are some of the pitchers I should have taken. Frankly, the short term value of all of them is much higher than Feliz’s, and I’m not sure if I have space for any long term value on my team. Oh well.
Best Pick: Max Scherzer - I love this guy and his potential. A little wild, but with a little second-year control, could be awesome.
Worst Pick: Erick Aybar - but really only because the rest of the picks were really solid. Deb’s Angels homer, and probably rates his defense into her internal rankings.
Upside Pick: Phil Hughes - definitely has strong keeper potential (and I think Highlanders will be losing Rivera at the end of the season)
My Pick: Chris Perez - I love him, even without a closer role. Just a fantastic bullpen arm that offers great rate stats.

Round 13
1 Vernon Wells Isotopes
2 Brandon Wood Rally Monkeys
3 Matt Thornton Petelin
4 Brian Matusz Petunias
5 Hideki Matsui Serenity Now!
6 Scott Kazmir Samuel’s Animals
7 Paul Konerko Schroedinger’s Bats
8 Marco Scutaro Highlanders
9 A.J. Pierzynski Winnowill’s Winners

Lots of interesting value in this round. A few gambles, a few safety picks. This was a short paragraph.
**Best Pick: ** Brian Matusz - man was I pissed Matusz was taken here, right before my pick. He’s going to be fantastic, and would haved added to my increasingly odd collection of Orioles.
Worst Pick: Scott Kazmir - I really don’t like this one. Kazmir’s wildness no longer just affects his WHIP - but also really hurts your K/BB rate as well. I’ve had him the last couple years, and he’s a headache. He’ll sit on his good days, and start on his bad - it’s just the way it works with him.
**Upside Pick: **Matt Thornton - not a closer, but tons of relief Ks, a great rate, and frankly, a better pitcher than the Sox current closer.
My Pick: Hideki Matsui - only qualifies at DH right now. If he’s healthy, he’ll be a solid pick for this late in the draft. The 35 year old seems to be having a really good spring.

Round 14
1 Miguel Tejada Winnowill’s Winners
2 Orlando Hudson Highlanders
3 Jason Frasor Schroedinger’s Bats
4 Milton Bradley Samuel’s Animals
5 Travis Snider Serenity Now!
6 José Bautista Petunias
7 David DeJesús Petelin
8 Maicer Izturis Rally Monkeys
9 Magglio Ordóñez Isotopes

Rally Monkeys continues her quest on getting as many Angels as she can, I proceed to continue getting really slow sluggers, and other people keep taking SSs away from my queue.
Best Pick: David DeJesus - he’s really not a sexy pick, but if he was on any other team, he’d be picked 3 rounds earlier
Worst Pick: Orlando Hudson - I don’t believe the O-Dog has a job right now.
Upside Pick: Magglio Ordonez - won’t ever be completely healthy again, but I could see him pulling an Ibanez.
My Pick: Travis Snider - Uhhh…I don’t really know. I think I internally confuse him with Adam Lind, and hope that if anything, he cuts Lind’s head off with a sword and inherits his hitting abilities. It’s possible…

6

In my defense, I didn’t really have any better options to keep. I lost Halladay and Abreu. I came into the draft thinking Jenks was my #2 or #3 closer.

7

Huh? Orlando Hudson doesn’t have a job? Who’s starting at 2B for the Twins over him?

8

**Round 15 **
1 Jon Rauch Isotopes
2 Michael Brantley Rally Monkeys
3 Justin Duchscherer Petelin
4 Jhonny Peralta Petunias
5 Francisco Liriano Serenity Now!
6 J.P. Howell Samuel’s Animals
7 Travis Hafner Schroedinger’s Bats
8 Wade Davis Highlanders
9 Mike Cameron Winnowill’s Winners

Finally - some picks that I felt good about seeing. All decent picks, but nothing earth shattering (except maybe Wade Davis). A few big reaches, but it’s late and you start reaching for guys you covet. I do think there were a few notable things here:
Best Pick: Justin Duscherherheercscherer - I think I spelled that right. He’s underrated, and his absence due to depression is surmountable. Other than giving up 11 runs yesterday (to the Royals), he’s been sharp. Good value.
Worst Pick: Michael Brantley - way too early. He’s 22 years old, in a position battle, and it’s only Round 15.
Upside Pick: Francisco Liriano - how can it not be? If he’s healthy, this is brilliant. He’s been given the final 5th spot in the rotation instead of relegated to long relief, and has pitched fantastically this spring. It would have gone to Hafner if this was 2008.
My Pick: Liriano

**Round 16 **
1 Marc Rzepczynski Winnowill’s Winners
2 Ervin Santana Highlanders
3 Alberto Callaspo Schroedinger’s Bats
4 Delmon Young Samuel’s Animals
5 Colby Lewis Serenity Now!
6 Nick Johnson Petunias
7 Ryan Rowland-Smith Petelin
8 Ken Griffey Jr. Rally Monkeys
9 Joel Piñeiro Isotopes

As we all can clearly see, Mark Rz. is going to fail, simply because his name is ridiculous. How did his great-great-great grandfather get through Ellis Island with that absurd moniker intact, or have his offspring manage to not get bred out simply from scaring away any women not wanting to hoist that into their signatures? For that matter, how does Seattle have the budget to spend on all those jersey letters? They must be just using a magic marker or something. Oh - and there 19 other Mariners taken this round as well.
Best Pick: Ryan Rowland-Smith - this guy had a huge sigh of relief when Rz. was signed. R-S has a longer name, but it’s manageable. And he pays for the last 4 for all his jerseys, so I’ve heard.
**Worst Pick: **Alberto Callaspo - I’m not sold, and I’m a Royals fan. Getz is going to eat into his playing time once Gordon gets off the DL.
Upside Pick: Nick Johnson - Could be a contender for best pick as well. If healthy (haha!) he’ll post fantastic numbers for this round.
**My Pick: **Colby Lewis - I have him in my other two leagues as well. He’s doing great adjusting to MLB hitters after spending the last two years in Japan. He had a 9.79 K/BB ratio over there in 354 innings (369/46). I don’t expect that to last (at all), especially since MLB hitters are MUCH more patient. But I won’t be surprised for something in the 3.5:1 range.

**Round 17 **
1 Mark Teahen Isotopes
2 Michael Wuertz Rally Monkeys
3 Alfredo Aceves Petelin
4 Matt Guerrier Petunias
5 Daniel Bard Serenity Now!
6 Brett Gardner Samuel’s Animals
7 Shaun Marcum Schroedinger’s Bats
8 Joba Chamberlain Highlanders
9 Alex Gordon Winnowill’s Winners

Middle relief run! Seriously - tons of top quality MR arms taken, all straight from my queue. And bookended with Royals 3Bs (former, in Teahen’s case). What a weird little round. Lots to like here that won’t fit below. Gardner was great value that I should have taken earlier, Guerrier will collect a fair number of saves in the Twins’ soon-to-be-short-lived closer-by-committtee experiment, Wuertz will start the season closing while Andrew Bailey is hurt, etc.
Best Pick: Daniel Bard - if only to make Alex really, really mad. Shouldn’t have taken Guerrier, dude.
**Worst Pick: ** Mark Teahen? - Dunno, Teahen could be a great pick. Everyone else will do exactly what they were drafted for, and all at value or higher. Good round, folks.
Upside Pick: Alfredo Acevedes - if Rivera goes down, sounds like he’s the guy.
My Pick: Bard

9

**Round 18 **
1 Gil Meche Winnowill’s Winners
2 Carl Pavano Highlanders
3 Kevin Jepsen Schroedinger’s Bats
4 Kevin Kouzmanoff Samuel’s Animals
5 Luke Scott Serenity Now!
6 Justin Masterson Petunias
7 Kelly Shoppach Petelin
8 Randy Ruiz Rally Monkeys
9 Scott Feldman Isotopes

I’m going to admit that I’m not sure who some of these guys are, and that I thought a few of them were retired. That may still be the case, in fact. I’m not sure if Scott Feldman is going to recover from the devestating loss of his best friend and co-vampire hunter Scott Haims, or if Carl Pavano is able to pitch after that fatal plane accident he was in a few years ago.
Best Pick: Justin Masterson - not only do I know who he is, but I know that he’s got talent (and not in an “America’s Got” sort of way).
Worst Pick: Kevin Kouzmanoff - only because my ex-girlfriend had a thing about going “Kooooooooooz!!!” every time his name was mentioned.
Upside Pick: I guess that anyone I haven’t heard of has tons of upside.
My Pick: Luke Scott - And my Orioles OF collection is complete! (Seriously - how the hell did that happen?)

Round 19
1 Scott Downs Isotopes
2 Darren Oliver Rally Monkeys
3 Mike Lowell Petelin
4 Jack Cust Petunias
5 Dan Wheeler Serenity Now!
6 Fernando Rodney Samuel’s Animals
7 Kerry Wood Schroedinger’s Bats
8 Austin Jackson Highlanders
9 Brad Bergesen Winnowill’s Winners

And we’re back to people I’ve heard of. How does that happen?
Best Pick: Austin Jackson - Highlanders has a solid group of keepers, but I’m guessing he may be losing some next year. Great pick - lots of groans.
Worst Pick: Jack Cust - Not a great pick in an AVG league. But I doubt Alex is going to lose sleep over a 19 Round bust if he tanks. And by saying this, I’ve guaranteed his stardom.
**Upside Pick: ** I’m eliminating this category as of now. EVERYONE has upside in Rounds 19+.
**My Pick: **Dan Wheeler - I love his Ks and rate stats. Might save at some point if the main guy goes down.

Round 20
1 Daisuke Matsuzaka Winnowill’s Winners
2 C.J. Wilson Highlanders
3 Scott Sizemore Schroedinger’s Bats
4 Darren O’Day Samuel’s Animals
5 J.J. Hardy Serenity Now!
6 Scott Podsednik Petunias
7 Jermaine Dye Petelin
8 David Murphy Rally Monkeys
9 Russell Branyan Isotopes

In the immortal words of Ozzie Guillen’s twitter account - why Dye no have job? Well, Petelin’s hoping he gets picked up by someone, and is hoping that someone is an AL team.
Best Pick: David Murphy - I like it a lot.
**Worst Pick: **Russell Branyan - he’s hurt, the team’s terrible and there are two rookies who need full-time at-bats where he plays. So they sign this guy? WTF?
My Pick: JJ Hardy - I needed a SS, Hardy seems poised for a comeback (he can’t do worse…)

10

Last post, then we’re going to need some input…

Round 21
1 Rick Ankiel Isotopes
2 Brad Ziegler Rally Monkeys
3 Randy Winn Petelin
4 Gio González Petunias
5 David Robertson Serenity Now!
6 Kevin Gregg Samuel’s Animals
7 Carlos Santana Schroedinger’s Bats
8 Pat Burrell Highlanders
9 Daric Barton Winnowill’s Winners

What a great group of role players. A couple waivers that could hit, but if not, you gotta drop someone to make room for the next guy. I’m not sure that Daric Barton’s a great fit for this league, but he’s going to rake. Burrell may not ever make contact with the ball again in his life, but he might get back to his old Adam Dunn-lite version. Who knows!
Best Pick: Gio Gonzalez - another good upside pick from Petunias.
Worst Pick: Rick Ankiel - but only because I hate him as a Royal. Could be decent value here, though.
My Pick: David Robertson - a decent enough middle relief type that might pick up the odd save or two.
**
Round 22**
1 Brandon League Winnowill’s Winners
2 Jarrod Saltalamacchia Highlanders
3 Brayan Peña Schroedinger’s Bats
4 Ryan Raburn Samuel’s Animals
5 Desmond Jennings Serenity Now!
6 José Mijares Petunias
7 Nick Blackburn Petelin
8 Mark Ellis Rally Monkeys
9 Brandon Inge Isotopes

People are scrambling to pick the final pieces of their puzzles, and/or taking a flyer on guys from Generation Z. They can be easily identified by names like “Jarrod” and “Brayan”. That’s the one thing I’m afraid of as I grow older - the odds of ever one day of having to report to a guy named “Braidon”.
**Best Pick: **Ryan Raburn - good value, good flexibility - the perfect penultimate round pick.
Worst Pick: Mark Ellis - does he have a job? I mean, other than Wa-lMart greeter…
**My Pick: **Desmond Jennings - he’ll have a starting job just as soon as he washes the afterbirth off of himself.

Round 23
1 Chris Tillman Isotopes
2 Jason Bulger Rally Monkeys
3 Phil Coke Petelin
4 Joey Devine Petunias
5 Mike Aviles Serenity Now!
6 Sean Rodriguez Samuel’s Animals
7 Luis Valbuena Schroedinger’s Bats
8 Jim Johnson Highlanders
9 Edwin Encarnación Winnowill’s Winners

How far Edwin Encarnacion has fallen these days. Mr. Irrelevant? Could be a great grab in a 3B-depleted league.
Best Pick: Sean Rodriguez - Sounds like he’s a good player who’s going to be starting at SS, with plenty of patience from his team.
Worst Pick: In the last round? I’ll go with Bulger - he’s an aging QB that the Rams need to let go and move on with their lives, and has NO business on a baseball roster.
My Pick: Mike Aviles - I love this pick. He’s doing well in the spring after having PLENTY of much needed time to rest a terribly mismanaged injury from last spring, and combined with Hardy should perform adequately as the final starting SS duo drafted in the league.

11

Please ignore any reference to Mark Rz. being on the Mariners. He’s a Blue Jay. My brain clearly tried to fool me.