I put my vote in for Kiros’ suggestion of league-splitting. I see no reason to tinker with the format that’s been working/been used. If anything, SDMB Europe should be the experimental one.
I’d be willing to “double-dip” if we need more teams to fill SDMB Europe.
SDMB Europe, I like it.
Let’s have a fantasy league in the meantime; a pick’em: will the Yahoo revamp make their function-over-form, rapid-loading, huge-traffic-handling text-based format A) worse and harder to manage, or B) horribly worse and impossible to manage?
Tie-breaker – how many times will I say “fuck” or “fuckers” or “corporate pigdogs” when I find out the answer to the first question? __ __ __ __ __ ?
OK, they’re open, finally… I’ve set up a league the same as last year. I’ll post the league info shortly.
You know, through the years, Yahoo has been pretty good at improving their fantasy games. They’re still far and away the leader in the free fantasy games department. The ONLY thing I don’t like is how they say you have a roster error without telling you. That can get annoying when you’re setting your lineups at 2 in the morning.
By the way, you’ll use “fuckers” more than “corporate pigdogs”.
OK, for those interested, here’s the league info.
Right now, it’s set with the exact same settings as last year (see earlier in the thread), of course there may be some tweaks and changes based on majority opinion later on. For example there seems to be a number of people who favor bumping the IP limit up a bit.
The league is set to 18 owners for now but can certainly be bumped up, if we want one super big league rather than two leagues.
League Name: Stay Out of the Hot Tub Kerry
League ID: 12604
League password: zotti
Draft time right now set for 3/23, 9:30 PM Eastern. That’s a Friday night.
Yeah, I stand corrected. It looks like the interface hasn’t changed at all, although “drag & drop rosters” conjures grisly images of an all-java setup running like 99% of the system resources on my crappy desktop all the time.
I was worried they’d do to the fantasy page what they just did to their sports pages a little while ago, viz. going from the familiar white space and text layout to the giant seamless picture & graphic hog style that ESPN, SI, etc. have been using for awhile. I like the under-the-radar stuff Yahoo’s always had.
Wilson. Come on man, that league name is just salt in the wounds. As if I don’t have it hard enough as it is!
Heh, I knew you would like it. I’d been struggling all week to come up with something witty and then I hear about that on Mike & Mike on the way to work - just perfect.
Brings back fond memories of Sammy’s sneeze, doesn’t it?
Wilson, I just sent you an email + PM
Got it and replied.
Anyone else still out there who hasn’t joined yet, feel free, we still have openings!
I’m in. I believe I was “project mayhem” in the league last year and I finished in the top half of the league.
I, for one, thought 18 teams last year was about 3 too many.
Bump…
We have two more openings in the league, if anyone is interested… we’ve got 18 owners, but the league can now hold up to 20. For anyone interested in super deep fantasy baseball, cmon in!
Way too many teams. I’m going to pass after finishing 5th last year in my first year in the league.
Good luck to all,
project mayhem.
I just now saw this thread this morning, and became the 20th member of the league soon after. Good luck to you all. 
Would any fantasy players out there like to join a new OOTP league?
It’s a computer simulation of a league in which the teams play the games so it’s not stat-based. Your players perform in games and the player functions as the GM. Take a few minutes a week to make the changes to your team.
I’m happy with my team, mostly. Are you happy with your team? Hopefully those with time will post thoughts soon enough - I think I will get out the laptop and do some basic stuff while watching basketball and other TV tonight. It actually really helps to do that sort of thing, to see how one stands relative to the other teams, and to see which teams might be potential trading partners.
P.S. Jonathan Chance, what version of OOTP? If it’s really only a few minutes of a week, and if 2006 will suffice, I’d be willing to get involved.
Overall I’m pretty happy. I did screw up in round 15, timed out and took Casey Blake from my queque while I was deciding between Lofton and Matt Murton. But that wasn’t really that big a deal. Some picks I especially liked:
- Eric Chávez
- Ramón Hernández
- Jason Isringhausen
- Michael Bourn
- Jarrod Washburn
Damn it. Didn’t know the draft was tonight. I can’t express how entirely bummed I am that I missed it. This completely saps me of my enthusiasm for the league. This just sucks.
The autodraft totally fucked my team. I have a few decent players in Wells and Beltran but I have a real lack of corner OFs and pretty much every infield position except 1B.
Christ, what a disaster.
In draft order, as much for my own reflection as anything else, but also for everyone else’s edification. Also, 'cause I think I accidentally volunteered myself:
(Note: As I’m doing this, I have the lineup pages open for each team… it helps gauge the depth and position setup a lot. Also, the grades will probably all be rough, since no team is going to be particularly complete in a league this deep, and until I get to the end I’m always going to be hopefully assuming that SOMEONE put together the entire package.)
Wilson
- (1) Albert Pujols
- (40) Jake Peavy
- (41) Troy Glaus
- (80) Trevor Hoffman
- (81) Félix Hernández
- (120) J.D. Drew
- (121) Rich Harden
- (160) Ken Griffey Jr.
- (161) Alex Gordon
-
(200) Lyle Overbay -
(201) Scott Linebrink -
(240) Juan Rivera -
(241) Jon Garland -
(280) David DeJesús -
(281) Luis Castillo -
(320) Ronny Paulino -
(321) Kiko Calero -
(360) Jay Gibbons -
(361) Taylor Tankersley -
(400) Randy Wolf -
(401) Andy Marte -
(440) Esteban Germán -
(441) Doug Davis -
(480) Kazuo Matsui
Overview: On the one hand, drafting too near either end of this particular league - larger than ever, deeper than ever, requiring even more obscure players than ever - was a recipe for a lot of trouble. On the other hand, Pujols is a huge trump card. He did give away a lot of that advantage by going relatively heavily on pitching early, but he’s got a lot of risk-reward there: Peavy, Felix, and Harden are all potentially dominating pitchers who… didn’t really dominate last year, for one reason or another.
Strengths: The core power of this team is obviously its biggest asset, both in hitting and pitching: between Pujols and a SS-eligible Glaus, that’s a LOT of power out of two guys, leaving some room to play around with the other roster spots. In the same manner, if Peavy, Felix, and Harden all do what they are capable of - or even two of the three - he could start Omni and myself in the 4th and 5th spots and come out with a competitive K number and decent ratios. Alex Gordon could potentially be a very enjoyable player to watch. One of the absolute top setup guys (and the first one taken, I believe) in Linebrink.
Weaknesses: Speed is an obvious problem, with only one guy who really runs at all. The lineup has a lot of question marks, especially with the injured Rivera pick. The bottom of the rotation and bullpen could potentially be a drag, but that goes for most of the teams in this league. Not sure he has quite enough OPS-wise in his supporting players, though Pujols is obviously a HUGE help there too. Overall, I just don’t know if this team has enough… but it’s the first one I’m looking at, and I’m pretty sure there are going to be some teams coming up that have a lot less.
Favorite and Least Favorite Picks: I absolutely love Harden in round 7; I’m not sure there’s any single pick except for the obvious injured Rivera that I don’t like, but I’m not sure on 4 pitchers in the first 7 picks without getting a single Sure Thing (given Hoffman’s advancing age - the Linebrink pick is crucial in making that one solid, obviously), in a league where hitting gets this scarce.
Preliminary Grade: B
Isotopes
- (2) Alfonso Soriano
- (39) Aramis Ramírez
- (42) Roy Halladay
- (79) Huston Street
- (82) Prince Fielder
- (119) Jason Schmidt
- (122) Joe Crede
- (159) Freddy Sánchez
- (162) Willy Taveras
-
(199) Barry Bonds -
(202) Armando Benítez -
(239) Jacque Jones -
(242) Kevin Millwood -
(279) Tim Hudson -
(282) Craig Monroe -
(319) Gerald Laird -
(322) Juan Uribe -
(359) Jeff Suppan -
(362) Mike Timlin -
(399) Doug Mientkiewicz -
(402) Joe Blanton -
(439) Jorge Julio -
(442) Mike Stanton -
(479) Mike Hampton
Overview: MORE POWER! Virtually all of the starting position players here can pound it, sometimes in lieu of being able to do much else. At first glance, this is a team that’s going to do very well in many of the counting categories, and have some serious issues in a few of the percentages, while being overall a solid bunch.
Strengths: The massive numbers of HRs, obviously. Six pitchers that had at least ten wins last year; though wins don’t always correlate that well year-to-year, that’s a good place to start. Soriano is a great guy to build around even when he’s just an OF, with one exception (that we’ll get to in a minute). As a result, even with all that power, this team should be very competitive in steals. Halladay and Street are both top-notch locks at their positions, and a great way to anchor a staff.
Weaknesses: The big question with this team is OBP. First, and most obviously, how much can Barry’s walks help a team that is uniformly abysmal? You have historically needed about a .360 team OBP to be competitive with the leaders in this league; Barry and Freddy Sanchez are the only two position players above that on this team, and several others aren’t even close. On a deeper level, players who don’t have plate discipline tend to be relatively less sure things on a year-to-year basis, and there’s a lot of built-in volatility with this team. Similarly, all of the pitchers have good ERAs, but there are some frighteningly high WHIPs there, and WHIP tends to be more indicative of year-to-year performance. This is a team that could be pretty good if the players do the same or a little better than last year, but could just as easily have some serious issues. Also, no elite holds guys there to help bring that WHIP up.
Favorite and Least Favorite Picks: Hate Bonds, but love him in round 10 here. Not sure I’d have taken Sanchez in the 8th since he’s a “keep you afloat” guy - his OPS isn’t going to hurt you, he’ll keep you going in runs and RBI, and he won’t help you barely at all in HRs or SBs.
Preliminary Grade: C+
Redbirds
- (3) Johan Santana
- (38) Bobby Abreu
- (43) Carlos Zambrano
- (78) Rickie Weeks
- (83) Chipper Jones
- (118) Édgar Rentería
- (123) Chad Cordero
- (158) Stephen Drew
- (163) Chris Capuano
-
(198) Bobby Crosby -
(203) Josh Willingham -
(238) Noah Lowry -
(243) Jim Edmonds -
(278) Aaron Rowand -
(283) Bengie Molina -
(318) Sean Casey -
(323) Nate Robertson -
(358) David Weathers -
(363) Reggie Sanders -
(398) Ron Flores -
(403) Francisco Cruceta -
(438) Humberto Sánchez -
(443) Kevin Millar -
(478) Víctor Díaz
Overview: Any team that takes Johan first is going to have the best anchor there is for their staff, and be forced to catch up as much as possible in their lineup; that’s even more true in this league. Did this team do enough? I’m not really sure. Conventional wisdom in shallow leagues is that if you take Santana in round 1, your next four picks HAVE to be hitters. Zambrano was decent value there, though… let’s see what else we’ve got.
Strengths: This team has the best top two starters, no questions asked. I like what Abreu brings to the table in this league, though I’m not sure if a guy with more power doesn’t help more there. Cordero is a good anchor for the bullpen, and there are some good bounceback potentials in the lineup (esp. Crosby and Rowand) that were picked up for a bargain. Chipper could be huge if he can play the entire season - he’s a great OPS guy. Plus, what’s not to like about what Kevin Millar will do for your clubhouse?
Weaknesses: Predictably, this team has some pretty big lineup issues. This team is suffering from a massive power outage, with some (though not all) of the problems that typically go with that. The offense, already a bit weak, is hinging on some guys who aren’t the best health risks in the world - between Edmonds, Jones, Rowand, Crosby… get those DL spots ready. With the rotation so top-heavy, this might end up being one of the teams most susceptible to injury. Plus, you’re combining that with a need for young guys to come through and produce (Drew, Weeks, Lowry) who aren’t really sure things. Not a single holds guy.
Favorite and Least Favorite Picks: Cordero in the 7th and Weathers in the 18th is a very reasonable price to build a set of saves in this league. I like Zambrano’s value in the third, but I can’t help but think how much more solid this team looks with, say, Delgado in that spot.
Preliminary Grade: C
Bombers
- (4) José Reyes
- (37) Garrett Atkins
- (44) Víctor Martínez
- (77) Jim Thome
- (84) Daisuke Matsuzaka
- (117) Michael Cuddyer
- (124) Brad Lidge
- (157) John Patterson
- (164) Octavio Dotel
-
(197) Kelvim Escobar -
(204) Brad Hawpe -
(237) Corey Hart -
(244) Daniel Cabrera -
(277) Chris Burke -
(284) José Guillén -
(317) Wily Mo Peña -
(324) José Vidro -
(357) Joel Piñeiro -
(364) Jason Kubel -
(397) Mike Sweeney -
(404) Hong-Chih Kuo -
(437) Oliver Pérez -
(444) Kyle Farnsworth -
(477) Brian Wilson
Overview: I enjoy the way this team was put together. Grabbing Reyes to start allows so much flexibility in making other stuff work, since that basically covers the steals category all on its own while not hurting you in the least anywhere else. Past that, there is a lot of risk vs. reward, and this will be a very interesting team to watch (though I don’t know if you could get me to play it!).
Strengths: This team has everything covered, and there are no categories where they’re completely in trouble, and that itself is a strength. The pitching staff could be a huge strength, if Matsusaka and Patterson pitch like the aces they can be, if 2005 Brad Lidge shows up, if Dotel throws like he could pre-surgery, if Piniero wins the job, and if Farnsworth is a dominant setup guy. Thome is a cheap source of a ton of power if his back holds up. Brian Wilson is actually a very solid pick in the 24th, since he’s in line behind Benitez to close there, and when DOESN’T Benitez get either injured or traded?
One of the nice things about being a jack-of-all-trades team is that two career years to push you from “above-average” to “great” in a couple of areas, and you’re a high-end contender all of a sudden.
Weaknesses: This team has everything covered, and there are no categories where they’ll completely dominate, and that itself is a weakness. The pitching staff could be a massive disaster, if Matsusaka doesn’t adjust to MLB hitting and Patterson is a walking ambulance again, if 2006 Brad Lidge shows up, if Dotel’s arm falls off, if Piniero pitches like he has been in spring training, and if Farnsworth gets hit around more than an elite setup guy really should again. Thome is a cheap source of power, but he’s cheap because his back is a ticking time bomb and he kills your flexibility. Brian Wilson is actually a very solid pick in the 24th, since he’s in line behind Benitez to close there, and when DOESN’T Benitez get either injured or traded?
Also, this team is probably a couple of hitters short either way.
Favorite and Least Favorite Picks: Love the flexibility Reyes gives you in building your team, and very much enjoy Patterson’s potential. No one pick jumps out as bad to me, though I think the 16th round would have been a place to try to grab some more depth (in terms of a hitter who is starting for his team) or another holds guy, rather than a 4th outfielder with (admitted) potential.
Preliminary Grade: B
Court Jesters
- (5) Ryan Howard
- (36) Michael Young
- (45) Jermaine Dye
- (76) Juan Pierre
- (85) Aaron Harang
- (116) Josh Barfield
- (125) Mike Cameron
- (156) Melvin Mora
- (165) Rich Hill
-
(196) A.J. Pierzynski -
(205) Andy Pettitte -
(236) Kerry Wood -
(245) Plácido Polanco -
(276) Pedro Feliz -
(285) Jeremy Sowers -
(316) Cliff Floyd -
(325) Héctor Carrasco -
(356) Aaron Heilman -
(365) Reed Johnson -
(396) Carlos Martínez -
(405) Andrew Miller -
(436) Ty Taubenheim -
(445) Nick Punto -
(476) Daryle Ward
Overview: At first glance, I really liked this team. At second glance… I still like this team, and though it has some definite holes, they are fixable, and it’s a good place to be starting from. I might be the only person left in the world who isn’t a Ryan Howard fan, but there’s no disputing that he’s a good guy to build around.
Strengths: This offense has it all, or at least, most of it. Assuming that Reed Johnson starts the season as the undisputed starter there - and Polanco can be thus booted from the starting lineup on this team - this is a VERY solid offense. I don’t think Howard and Dye will repeat what they did last year, but they will be very solid anyways, and there are some guys who stand to improve over their performances in 2006 (Young in particular is a great bet to get better than last year’s stats). As an added plus, this team gets to be example number one of why it’s not really worth it to spend a ton of high picks on pitching in this league. This team is indisputably at least one starter short, but I generally like the top four it’s got.
Weaknesses: The two glaring weaknesses are saves and pitching depth. And do I mean GLARING: this is a zero-save team as it’s currently put together, barring a miracle switch to closer for our league’s namesake. It is absolutely missing at least one, and most likely two, starters, and as constructed it’ll probably come up 300 innings short of the limit even if no one gets injured. I’m not sure you’re thrilled when you have to start either Cliff Floyd or Placido Polanco, but hey, they’re both going to get ABs, and the rest of the offense is good enough that it’s not the worst situation in the world. There’s definitely some potential volatility with regards to the percentages. You know, though? I’d take these question marks, given that it’s generally easy to add at least a few saves as well as a decent starter or two if you are paying attention early in the year.
Favorite and Least Favorite Picks: I’m very comfortable with Pettite in the 11th. Not so much with Polanco in the 13th, black hole of stats that he is.
Preliminary Grade: A-
Sepotosi
- (6) Álex Rodríguez
- (35) Roy Oswalt
- (46) Rafael Furcal
- (75) Chris Ray
- (86) Erik Bedard
- (115) Eric Chávez
- (126) Ramón Hernández
- (155) Jason Isringhausen
- (166) Aubrey Huff
-
(195) Derek Lowe -
(206) Freddy García -
(235) Ryan Shealy -
(246) Kevin Mench -
(275) Mark Loretta -
(286) Casey Blake -
(315) Endy Chávez -
(326) Ty Wigginton -
(355) Jay Payton -
(366) Rich Aurilia -
(395) Michael Bourn -
(406) Marlon Byrd -
(435) Jason Michaels -
(446) Jarrod Washburn -
(475) Danys Báez
Overview: What is this? A team with TWO solid closers? Good golly gosh! It must have suffered elsewhere, right? Well, not so much, actually. It’s got some holes, but overall, it’s in pretty good shape, especially if A-Rod has a “bounceback” year… which is probably a pretty safe bet.
Strengths: I really like the pitching on this team, especially because it didn’t cripple the hitting too badly. The top four starters and those two closers are all quality guys, and maybe even more importantly, you can pretty much count on all of them. A-Rod is going to make at least a couple of the people who picked before this team regret passing on him. Some more big bounceback potential with Chavez and Huff. More depth in the lineup, even with something as silly as two extra guys who will get playing time, than most of these teams.
Weaknesses: Setup guys, obviously. The lineup is going to come out as “average” at best, with no dominating OPS presence past A-Rod and a couple of guys who are in backup or platoon situations (though they will likely get their ABs one way or another). Probably going to need another starter, especially to fill in the IP if they don’t get a good setup guy or two. The more I look at this team, the more I think that the constant struggle (almost all of these teams are going to have SOME sort of constant struggle) is going to be getting enough offensive guys in the lineup to produce over the course of the season.
Favorite and Least Favorite Picks: Love A-Rod at 6, very much like the Wiggy pick in the 17th. At least for the moment, it looks like the guy is going to hit for power in the cleanup spot behind some pretty hyped young’uns - in the 17th round, with all of those eligibilities, that’s a huge steal, even if he hurts your OBP a little. The Chavez boys are both risky picks, for different reasons; I’m willing to bet you end up being happy with one and unhappy with the other, though frankly, it could go either way as to which is which.
Preliminary Grade: B+
Going to try to get another batch of six done before I sleep tonight… no idea how successful I’ll be. All apologies to you poor souls stuck at the end of the draft line.