Well, folks. It was a excellent draft. I don’t love my team, and as usual things got pretty dicey there at the end. I wanted to start this new thread to put the old one to bed now that things are underway.
I’m going to try and pop in tomorrow with a draft recap, but if anyone beats me to it, go for it.
Think pretty much everyone was there without any major tachnical snafus.
Great draft. Thanks for setting it up Omni. I’m pretty happy with my team, though there were about 5 players or so I’d switch if I could. This should be fun.
My team is missing my favorite players. But when I have my faves in the past, I got killed. I’m trying something new.
Let the obsessing begin…
Initial thoughts - this draft went really well. It was probably the best we’ve had in the several years we’ve done it. Just over 2 hours for 425 picks is an incredible pace. The picks themselves were all solid - there were just a handful of slips and reaches, but nothing gratuitous. (Nothing like someone taking V. Castilla and Burnitz back-to-back in the 5th and 6th in my $ league.)
Winnowill’s Winners
Infield: Extremely solid. Broussard was a very good value pick, and shows how well this infield was selected. Figgins provides some good flexibility.
Outfield: A couple question marks in Gonzo and Bigbie, but some excellent multi-tool players in Abreu and Coco.
Starters: So that’s how Winno got such a good infield! To be fair, her starters were all great value picks, Drese especially. But this staff will struggle, and a careful eye will need to used with these guys.
Relievers: One of the teams with 3 closers. Easy Eddie may lose some chances, but these 3 will finish in the top 5 in saves. Cormier will crank out the Holds.
Bench: Capable in a pinch, but nothing special.
Intangibles: Other than Figgins, not a very flexible team. A lot of buy low, sell high guys (Broussard, Glaus, Drese) that will flourish in this league.
Grade: B+ (I can’t give an A with that pitching staff)
Tazmanian Devils
Infield: Very solid - covered the K category well with Loretta and Pierz. I don’t know a lot about Peralta. But if he can’t do it, Everett can.
Outfield: The old and the young. Holliday was a great pick, Lane was picked a bit early (but should produce at that level), and it’ll be interesting to see what Alou will do without Bonds in SF.
Starters: Top notch starters. Lilly’s been shaky this spring, but Taz has the luxury of having the depth to actually drop someone!
Relievers: 1 closer, 1 top holds guy, 1 possible late season closer (Hermanson). Not this team’s strong suit.
Bench: Buck and DeJesus, while Royals, are excellent bench players. DeJesus could turn into Podsednik, and Buck could turn into Bob Boone (circa. 1990). Gathright was a slip, but there are FA options.
Intangibles: Lot of growth potential on this team. Avoided the Ks fairly well. If the Big Hurt comes back healthy, could be a contenda.
Grade: B
Dale Sveum Revisited
Infield: Ugly. Freel’s not starting, Lugo was a misclick (according to your comment in the draft), Hatteberg is so-so, and Crede is questionable. Luckily Ortiz is your anchor, or this ship would drift away.
Outfield: Barry Bonds. This team’s success will revolve around BALCO Barry. Because this is a solid outfield even without Bonds, and with Bonds, will carry the load. It has to.
Starters: Very good picking here. Right down the line it’s solid - top starters, young high potential arms, the works. Well done.
Relievers: 3 closers, 1 potential closer in Riske, and a couple Holds guys. Very competitive.
Bench: It’s all about the pitching, eh? Not my cup of tea, but I think should provide excellent trade fodder for overall improvement.
Intangibles: I think this team is all about the development of the pitching staff, and Dale’s ability to trade it off for upgrades to his infield. Do that, and he has a solid chance.
Grade: B+
Harvey’s Wallbangers
Infield: Top notch, one of the best in the league. Quite a few Ks, but Pujols and Estrada should balance that out.
Outfield: Lotta question marks (will Mags be back in force? how will Burnitz do away from Coors? Can Biggio last a full year at 2B and off the DL?).
Starters: Injury risk, injury risk, injury risk.
Relievers: 1 closer, 1 holds. Not a lot to work with.
Bench: Yowza! 6 offensive bench players! That’s my kind of bench.
Intangibles: Lots of available flexibility with that bench, which really helps out, and it’s not all scrubs. Could be paralyzed with choices from that bench.
Grade: C+ (injury risks really hurt this grade)
The Chimera
Infield: If McPherson comes back strong, this is a great, solid infield (except for the Ks).
Outfield: Will have a hole in it beginning the season with Dave Roberts injured, and no backups. Could be a liability.
Starters: Nothing overpowering, but some good consistency. Except Contreras, who shouldn’t be near the word “consistency”. (FTR, I like Contreras, he’s just shaky sometimes). A good rotation for this league.
Relievers: 3 closers, 1 potential closer. Not a lot of holds, but you can’t have everything.
Bench: 1 player in the minors, one on the DL, and one named Royce. Needs to move someone for a RF to replace Roberts.
Intangibles: Didn’t go easy on the Ks, not too flexible, no overpowering pitchers. Just a lot of players that go out and play everyday - which is something teams need, but maybe not across the board.
Grade: C+
Vikingerne
First off, we all need to give Vikingerne a big round of applause for showing up for the whole draft from friggin’ Denmark. I thought a midnight endtime was tough, but that’s dedication. He should be given a 5 point headstart.
Infield: Another top infield, probably the best in the league.
Outfield: Damn, a solid infield, *and * a solid outfield. Stewart and Wilson are injury risks, so there may be hope for us yet.
Starters: Uhhh…damn. Well done (except for Trachsel). Best Top 4 pitchers not taken with your first 4 picks.
Relievers: 1 closer, 2 holds. His weakness is revealed!
Bench: I don’t know who the hell Restovich is, but having Hillenbrand and LeCroy just sitting there on the bench say this team is dangerous.
Intangibles: Not a lot of stolen bases, quite a few Ks. Nice bench for flexibility.
Grade: A
LowLifeWhiteSoxFan
Infield: Very well suited to this league. Very good depth, very good flexibility.
Outfield: Exactly the same as above. LLWSF stole several of my picks.
Starters: Lotta questions here. I like Wood, and I like Livan (he’s great in a deep league). But after that…?
Relievers: LowLife picked Rich Ankiel. But beyond that Hoffman/Madson/Ayala will produce.
Bench: He likes guys named Gonzalez, apparently. Very good infield flexibility.
Intangibles: I don’t think enough attention was given to pitching on this team.
Grade: B-
Isotopes
Infield: The Isotopes took a look at the K category, and scoffed at it. Jason Kendall may have only struck out 41 times, but he could never see Strike Three this season and lose the K category. Regardless, this infield rocks, because chicks dig the long ball.
Outfield: Mr. Marlin! Conine is the only chink in this armor, and will still provide some decent support. A very good crew.
Starters: I don’t like Ishii, Milton or Ponson, but this rotation is good without them. Won’t dominate the categories, but will finish solid in all of them.
Relievers: 2 closers, and Justin Frasor. Not the best of the bunch.
Bench: A couple NAs on the board, but I like Wiggy and Randa. Could use another bat.
Intangibles: This team has heart, a desire to win, and desire to go down swinging. I see a low finish in several categories, a high finish in a couple others, and average scores in the rest. Middle of the pack.
Grade: C
Petelin
Infield: A healthy Giambi could mean trouble here - a very solid crew.
Outfield: How could you take Mench? How?!? Mench, Wilkerson and Bay will produce similar numbers, and Huff will put up very good numbers.
Starters: Not a lot to work with. Pineiro’s hurting, Morris was hurting, Brown felt good for a day. For 20 minutes. In 1960. Thomson could produce, could tank. We’ll see.
Relievers: 1 closer, tons of other guys. Could very well surprise with all that relief.
Bench: Snow and Choi, both 1B. No flexibility, no guaranteed production.
Intangibles: No SBs, lots of Ks, couple guys with big potential. Can’t rate highly at this moment, but reserve the right to re-evaluate.
Grade: B-
Continued on next post…
Crunkin’ Mully Style
Infield: Shaky. Castilla’s out of Coors, Iguchi’s out of Japan, Valentin’s in LA, and Bagwell’s a year older. Needs some flex options.
Outfield: Lee, Guillen and Berkman (when healthy) are a very solid core. Jenkins is underrated. Good value picks in there.
Starters: Ouch. Look at all those wins! Only guy not in double digits is Prior.
Relievers: Affeldt and…? Not good. But the thing about holds is, they always materialize out of the FA pool. Still, not good here.
Intangibles: Will he trade off the pitching or will he be content to just dominate? Interesting fact: only 1 of his pitchers has an ERA below 3.50., and only 2 have a WHIP below 1.25.
Grade: B
Crap, I had the draft on the wrong day. Thanks auto draft for ignoring anyone that plays near a base.
That said, I have put a couple of trade offers out there. I am obviously looking at infield/catcher help and am looking to trade excess starting pitching, excess outfield depth, and current infield components.
And, I have no worries about relief pitching. I can snag some of that as set up and relief roles develop in the early part of the season.
Samoan Rendezvous
Infield: The balance between speed, power, hitting and flexibility is brilliant, if I do say so myself.
Outfield: Lots and lots of speed, not a lot of power. One of my biggest concerns. I’m looking to trade B. Roberts and his 30+ steals this year for an OF bat.
Starters: I really like these guys to do well. Randy could win 25, Bonderman will KO 200, and Wolf will bounce back. Washburn will pitch - that’s all I’ll predict on him.
Relievers: 2 closers with 40+ saves, 2 holds with excellent ERA/WHIP numbers.
Bench: Good stuff here. More flexibility, more potential, and a headcase.
Intangibles: I drafted for flexibility, and got it. Lots of multitool players, lots of multiposition players. Will suffer in power.
Grade: A-
The Cougars
Infield: Will give the Isotopes a run for their money in the K department. David Eckstein has a lower SLG than OBP. Interesting.
Outfield: Lots of underrated guys, lots of consistency. Good group.
Starters: Solid value picks here. Nothing dominating, but nothing that’s going to lose any ground for him.
Relievers: Just one closer, but a good one. Tavarez and Timlin are decent support.
Bench: Big, flexible bench. Should work well.
Intangibles: Nothing is really standing out here - I think that’s a good thing.
**Grade: B- ** (nothing stands out to grade higher)
Socks Repeating
Infield: Let the record state that I don’t like Ensberg. Which is good, because Socks drafted him, and it hurts his otherwise excellent infield.
Outfield: This is why my outfield sucks.
Starters: Good. Very good. Not a K contender, but very good in everything else.
Relievers: 2 closers, 3 top holds guys with potential to grab more saves. Best relief in the league.
Bench: Has 2 guys who could be starters on most other teams.
Intangibles: Just some damned good drafting. A couple high K guys, but are surrounded by low K guys. Great team.
Grade: A
Free Robinson Cano!
Infield: His infield looks like he took his team from a 10 team league.
Outfield: I don’t like it. Trot is platooning and batting late in the order, Bradley’s a nutcase, Vernon is flying solo this year and Floyd never lives up to potential.
Starters: Another great crew. Good balance between sure things and young potential.
Relievers: 2 closers, 2 holds. Good potential.
Bench: Could very well be starting in his lineup by the All Star break.
Intangibles: Balance between young, old and consistent which could ride into the top 5.
Grade: B+
Gotham Guitaristas
Infield: Very underrated players here that should translate into bargains.
Outfield: Good crew. Lots of Ks, but tons of power.
Starters: Excellent. Couple questions, but nothing major.
Relievers: 2 closers. No relief could be a problem.
Bench: Nothing real special. Harvey’s in AAA, and Phillips may be starting for this team in a few short weeks.
Intangibles: Missing several categories - Ks (off.), SBs, HLDs. Could hurt.
Grade: B-
Rackensack Diamonds
Infield: The Greek God of Walks is not a good 3B option right now. He could be, but we’ll see. Otherwise, very balanced.
Outfield: Again, very balanced. Will need another good OF option when Griffey goes down.
Starters: Very good. Very, very good.
Relievers: 1 closer, 1 injured nearly replaced closer and a guy named Carrara. Dunno about this group.
Bench: Swisher, Miles and Juan Gone are great bench options (once Juan gets off the DL).
Intangibles: Covered the categories pretty well (except holds - which isn’t a problem).
Grade: B
Out On Waveland
Infield: Underrated, undervalued infield. Ibanez is the only guy with more than 70 Ks (72).
Outfield: Very solid. Very multitool. Very capable.
Starters: A very good group. Harden’s an ace, Buerhle should bounce back, Weaver will grab Cy Young votes.
Relievers: 2 and 2. Good picks.
Bench: Very good grabs. I should have taken LaRoche, but you can’t have everything.
Intangibles: Covers all the bases, and left room on the bench to cover an emergency.
Grade: A
I’m relatively happy with my team, although I’m a little wary about how my strikeout numbers are gonna hurt me.
Let it be known that I will entertain just about every offer, so don’t let last year’s “no roster moves” plan fool you.
I felt better about my team last year… but I tend to think that is because the overall quality of the draft was much higher this year. I wasn’t able to grab some of the bargains I might have wanted, because for the most part, people went about where they should have.
I had to take a lot of players that are out of step with how I usually like to draft, just because of who was available when I picked - an OF first, Gagne that early, even the second OF and 1B (two of them!) that early isn’t how I usually like to play… but I think they were good values when I got them. Patterson’s Ks scare me a little, but I REALLY needed his power/speed, and it’s within the realm of statisical probability that he could put up 130 instead of 170, especially in the leadoff spot where they’re putting him this year. Oliver Perez isn’t my type of pitcher, because he doesn’t really get enough wins on his crappy team… but talent-wise he was the only elite starter left at that point. If he can keep his strikeouts under control, I think Derrek Lee could be one of the steals of this draft in the 7th.
I probably could have waited another swing around on Gordon, but at that point there was no one on the board who I felt I NEEDED… and the combination of Ks/WHIP/ERA, being probably the most reliable Holds guy period, and the chance that this is the year Mariano’s arm falls off made me think he’ll be worth it. The hope is that between Gordon, Otsuka, and Reitsma I can put up about what an elite starter would give me - 220 innings, 15-18 wins, an ERA under 3, a WHIP barely over 1, and a couple hundred Ks - and then dominate the holds category with the three of them to boot. Plus all three of them are both garbage-save-guys and closers-in-waiting if there are injuries.
Worst case is that Ensberg and DaVanon lose their jobs, Raul decides to go home again, and my 2-4 pitchers decide that 800 pounds for the three of them combined isn’t enough and they should go for the 1k. Best case is that Nomar, Colon, Penny, and Morneau all put up the huge years they’re capable of, and I fill in with whomever comes onto my radar the rest of the way.
If I had to take one team other than my own, it’d probably be Samoan Rendezvous. If Beltre and Guillen don’t fall off, the lineup is very balanced and should put up points everywhere. The pitching staff has the two anchors, plus the potential of Bonderman. All this team needs is a couple smart pickups of any good closer and starter that will inevitably pop up out of nowhere at some point this season, and it will score well all the way across the board.
Thanks for the analysis Munch. An impressive amount of work went into it.
I was pleased with how fast the draft went. It started at 5 AM local time, and was done around seven, plenty of time for me to go back to bed and sleep for an hour and a half more. Kudos especially for keeping it moving to the last third of the draft order (from me onward, picks 13-17: including Winnowill, Chimera, Cougars, and Dale Sveum). There was rarely more than 90 seconds total between my picks in odd and even numbered rounds.
And thanks for the kind words. My draft plans fell apart early due to the speed of the draft and the depth of the league. I’m used to drafting live or in a chat room. With the Yahoo draft applet, I couldn’t keep up with players that were taken. I hadn’t preranked my players, and (this is a really annoying bug), the Linux version of the Java draft applet locks up if you try to sort the players by anything other than the Yahoo! rankings anyway. So I was stuck looking at the Yahoo rankings.
I actually didn’t see the chance about Ks. It makes Dunn a lot less valuable than I thought. I was kind of sporatic in the later rounds. I tried to pick up some stolen bases, and ended up with a couple "NA"s.
If I have the lowest grade, how am I middle of the pack?
Did anyone pick up Sidd Finch?
That’s a very good question.
Looking back, “C” was the lowest grade I gave. I was reserving Ds and Fs to any team that made critical errors and had significant holes in their lineup - neither of which happened last night. As for the “middle of the pack” comment, I believe that with no transactions at all in the league, a team with proper management can rise above a better-equipped squad. With transactions, a mediocre team can significantly improve upon it’s draft lot within a few weeks. All in all, you drafted well, but your team offers a lot of chance to fluxuate. It’s that uncertainty that downgraded you (in my eyes).
So we’re all above average!
That’s just a joke, not meanth as a insult.
I’m not a big picture guy, so I’ll just share some of my miscellaneous notes from last night by team:
Harvey’s Wallbanger’s- not nearly enough pitching to win the league, probably, but with just a little bit of good fortune could win just about any of the hitting cats. Very well-rounded offensively. Best pick was Pujols, worst was probably Burnitz, but he is what he is.
Socks Repeating- Ollie Perez, Morneau, and Reitsma were some cold-blooded ganks. Will probably finish in the top three, the crazy bastard. Nomar, Lieberthal, and Patterson, I didn’t like so much. If Tike Redman A) has 180 hits, B) steals 30 bases, or C) scores 90 runs, I’m going to kill him. I was so freaking sure he was going to bust loose last year, and he didn’t do a damn thing. I don’t see too many wins here, but if the fat bastards on his pitching staff each have good years for their talent levels, he’s going to be just fine. Again.
Isotopes:- Not spectacular, but not awful. They’re better than Munch says, anyway. Solid opening half of the draft, then a little spotty. Vazquez/Anderson at 7 & 8 was delicious. I think Vazquez goes back to dominating now that he’s out of the bright lights. Really going to have to sniff around for steals and saves, but who doesn’t do that anyway? Those three lefty starters are going to have to produce, and I don’t like your chances with Milton or Ishii. I also don’t like my chances of keeping my tenses and perspectives straight while doing this.
Out On Waveland- Thought Aramis Ramirez was a reach, but an excusable one, considering. Better hope Mota gets back to pitching while closing the way he did when he was setting up. Actually, the pitching staff as a whole is, in my opinion, a lot riskier than the Samoan would have you think. There’s nobody there by whom I would be shocked if they finished 8-10 with a 4.2 or something like that. Harden’s probably an ace, eventually, but he hasn’t been yet. As Frank Thomas once said, Weaver’s shit’s electric, but again, not there yet. I do like Buehrle. Another safe bet to be at least within striking distance, all things considered.
LowlifeWhiteSoxFan - Ever since that speed-freak maniac Gamboa went after this poor guy, I’ve been rooting for the White Sox Fan. This year, unfortunately, I don’t see good things happening. Carl Crawford’s nice, but seriously, stop me when I get to a guy you’d give up for him: Tejada, Manny, Santana, Unit, Helton, Schmidt, Ichiro, Rolen… right then. Was Ryan Madson anywhere near this high on anyone’s radar? I’m a Phillies fan, and I have high hopes for the kid, but he’s got very little chance of starting this year, and he’s at best third in line to close games, probably lower. Livan Hernandez has always been one of my favorites, however- how is he possibly this undervalued in real life? What team couldn’t use a guy that lets you basically pencil in 7 or 8 innings and 3 or 4 runs every night? Isn’t that exactly what you’re looking for? It doesn’t translate all that well into roto, though.
Petelin - The guy I was most scared of through six rounds. A lot of ifs after that, but, um, if… OK, that sentence wasn’t going to work. Jason Bay’s value really gets hammered with the addition of K’s, but he’s a jack-of-all-trades who I think is really going to blow up one of these days. He inexplicably stopped running last year, though, which sucks. This pitching staff has “2004 Cougars” written all over it - setup men out the yin-yang. I’d be terrified of Dotel, though. He’s fantastic if you’ve got somebody else you can count on, but wow, there’s a chance that entire roster could finish with like 18 saves.
Gotham Guitaristas - It’s rare that you see a draft like this: 24 picks in a row that make you just nod your head and say, yeah, that’s a good pick. A little bit weak in certain areas - relief being primary - but they can all be addressed. This draft is like Tim Duncan at the All-Star game - you know it’s pretty good, and there’s not much else to say. I can’t find anything to belittle out of these picks. He sure is funny-looking, though.
Free Robinson Cano! - I thought it was too early for Delgado until I realized it’s an odd-numbered year. I liked Sweeney, liked Clement, I really disliked the Wells pick. Actually, just go read what Munch said.
Samoan Rendezvous - Better hope Beltre only falls off slightly, which I think is what will happen. I didn’t like the Guillen pick, but I’ll be damned if I knew his numbers were that good last year. He really needed to come through with a pick at one point, and he zanged me by taking Dmitri Young off my queue. That was a pretty crucial pick for a 17th rounder. Damn it. I really don’t like the outfield in terms of run production, though… nobody’s safe. I’d take Roberts off his hands if I had a single mid-level OFer to give him, but I fuc… I’ll get to that later. Randy Wolf has a 79 MPH heater.
Tazmanian Devils - Love Loretta in the fourth. Ambivalent about most of the rest of the squad. Don’t like Matsui at all, but it’s probably his hair. I think this team’s going to hit a lot of homers, especially if Buck gets some good hacks. Need another closer. Probably mediocre in the standings without one.
Crunkin’ Mully Style - That was a bear of an autodraft. I think instead of using his pre-rankings, the computer used mine. Hudson - ZING! Berkman - YOINK! Guillen - drafting off of the top of my queue noise. All those pitchers had shitty seasons last year, though, except Schmidt. You expect certain numbers from those names, but what if last year is what you get again this year? Anyway, I’m so bitter about Berkman that I’m going to spend the rest of my time here laughing at your paltry trade offer. To myself.
continued-
Crap, this is taking a long time. Have to hurry.
Rackensack Diamonds - Very nice outfield. Don’t like starting pitching near as much as Munch. Konerko is questionable, I think.
**
Vikingerne
** - Like that Burrell pick. Very, very balanced team. This is one of those teams that you just have to hope doesn’t strike it rich in free agency, or it could be lights out.
Winnowill’s Winners - This guy drafts like a girl. Really though, I love almost every pick. Almost. Victor Martinez was a dumb pick. Glaus is going to make me cry every time I look at Joe Crede’s stat line. Actually, I’ll probably cry regardless, but Glaus will be doing well at the same time, making for a more hilarious juxtaposition, you see.
The Chimera Don’t like Javy Lopez there, not a little bit. Matsui was nice, though. I don’t see enough of any one thing to dominate, and I don’t see enough punch to win on general goodness. What do I know?
The Cougars Billy Wagner and Eric Byrnes were not only queued up, I had my finger on the Draft button, you slut. Laynce Nix was in the chamber, too. I like the infield as a unit, like it a lot. If Koskie doesn’t succeed, which I think he will, Hinske or Mackowiak are more than serviceable in a league this size. Another team to throw into the hopper in the top five or so.
Sveum - What an asshole. Three pitchers that threw 100 innings or more last year, and one of them was Dewon Brazelton. Bloody brilliant. Three closers and a gimp in the first eight rounds. What a triumph. Freel, Crede, Kotsay, and Guzman. Sounds like the character list from a summer camp movie about fat jerks. Who suck at baseball. At least if anybody needs someone abused domestically, we all know what team to call. On the plus side, most of these pitchers get horrible run support, so, wait… that’s awful. Last place in this league is out of reach, fellas.
Brian Giles was a good pick, however.
I’m getting a start on a draft recap. He’s the first handful of teams. Stay tuned for the rest.
Harvey’s Wallbangers
This team led the draft and as you’d expect is a little top loaded. Pujols is a stud and would have been my first pick too. In a league where Ks are counted he’s a real asset. However I think it left him a little top heavy too. Overall he’ll struggle with Ks, though probably not be totally buried. Ordonez will be a steal if he plays up to his pre-injury potential on a new squad. A steal there in the 5th round. Podsednik should continue to steal bases in the white Sox new scheme. Both Estrada and Boone feel like a reach, Boone probably won’t bounce back this year if BALCO was involved in those big seasons. Jeter as always is suspect in fantasy leagues, a solid contributor but not with the first pick in the 3rd round. Looking at the pitching staff you have to be concerned. It’s really thin with 2 guys who have injury concerns. I love Lieber, but he’s probably not going to win 18. Shilling’s status will be touch and go for a while. Hawkin’s isn;t likely to stay the closer very long and really struggled there last season. However, if the Cubbies pick up Urbina like rumored he could be great for Holds. The same could be said for Worrell, but he’s a decent value there. The only real good news is that this team will probably run away with the steals category. The bench doesn’t inspire much confidence either
Best Pick: Maggs
Worst Pick: Burnitz
Final thoughts: I give them a C. This team will probably live or die based on Magglio and Schilling’s return from injury.
Socks Repeating
This team is all relief pitching. Looking to clean up the Saves, Holds, WHIP and ERA categories. Pretty good strategy. did it to the detriment of his offense. Really gonna struggle with OBP and alot of his guys might struggle to get enough at bats. There’s a couple guys who have both a history of injury and may be platooning, coupled with no bench at all. The Tandem of Nomar and Vlad could carry this team to the middle fo the pack. That could be enough if the pitching gambit pays off. I love the combo if Lee and Morneau. Both those guys were stolen from me there. Some of those sleeper SPs might break out too giving him a huge edge in all the pitching categories. Penny, El Duque, Sabathia and Colon could end up being studs. This team worries me, but there’s a few ifs and a couple injuries could decimate this team offensively.
Best Pick: Hernandez
Worst Pick: None (Ensberg would have been if it had been sooner or you’d aready had a 3B)
Final Thoughts: Looks like a B+ to me. The pool of RPs he got without reaching is a accomplishment, if some of the young hitters pan out…watch out! If not…watch out below!
Isotopes
The 'topes will hit a ton…then run out to the stands and beat the ball into twine after it lands. A-Rod, Sheff, Dunn, Drew and Anderson. In a league this deep thats a murders row. They will however K alot, are leadfooted and will count on a few guys to balance out the OBP. Runs, HRs, RBIs and SLG shouldn’t be a problem…except for everyone who’s hoping to keep up. However, he does have some issues. Thats alot of Ks and there’s no sign of formidable relief pitching. You can hope that Nathan has another big year and still end up in the bottom 4. Pedro was a reach unless you really think he’ll stay healthy enough to make a run at 20 wins. Loved bobby Crosby last year, though he’s struggling now. If Leiter, Milton and Ishii get off he’ll be fine, if not this could be Orioles of this league.
Best Pick: Kendall
Worst Pick: Nathan (If you’re punting on relief, don’t waste the 4th pick on something mediocre)
Final Thoughts: I give it a B-. Will definately be in the running offensively, but giving up on all those counter stats picthing and Ks could drag you to the middle of the pack.
Out On Waveland
Here we have my guys. I didn’t love drafting 4th. I felt like Beltran was a bit of a gamble and may not pan out in NY. If he does, I’m golden. He’s a monster in every offensive category. He’s better than A-Rod even if he matches last years numbers. Plus CF is a position that can be shallow offensively. Couple him with Torii as a backup/OF and I could dominate several categiories. I’m going to be pretty tough to beat pitching. I favored RP in the middle rounds and got a stud in Lidge and two set-up men/would be closers who should be equally dominating in Mota and Urbina. Managing to do so without giving up on SP was really good, and has me feeling confident. I’m not in love with my infield though, that’s where it cost me. Ibanez could really save me here if he pans out, thought he was a stellar value there especially with the position felxibility. I feel like I had a monster of a second half of the draft.
Best Pick: Hollandsworth
Worst Pick: Castillo
Final Thoughts: Overall grade B. Ibanez will be key, and if Mota and Urbina get the job done as expected I’ll be tough to beat.
LowlifeWhiteSoxFan
Have you ever seen a team with so many accented "a"s? I think this team is going to struggle. Crawford was a bit of a reach I thought. He could lead you near the top in steals, but he doesn’t do much better than average in every other category. Also, if you were going to try and take the steals category, you needed some help. As it is you’ll be somewhere in the middle unless someone else sprouts wings. Rentaria is a reach too, great player, but doesn’t do much for Fantasy baseball. Kerry Wood has arm trouble, and Hoffman is bound to age like the crypt keeper at a some point. And hell, you drafted Rick Ankiel.
Best Pick: Quinlan
Worst Pick: Renteria
Final Thoughts: Hate to do it, but I’m not as friendly as Munch, grade D. Can’t see any X-factors here, this could be our KC Royals.
Petelin
This team is going to have to rely on some solid but unspectacular guys. Guys like Kent, Mora, Tejada, Mench and Huff all put up numbers better than most realize. If they hold form this year, this will be the best hitting team in the league. SLG, RBI and HRs will all be nearly dominating. There’s a big drop off after the top bats though. No bench to speak of, and he didn’t draft a starting pitcher until the 11th round. It shows. Brownie is hurting already. Morris starts on the DL, Mantei is Mantei. Dotel will have to have a MONSTER year to save this mess.
Best Pick: Mauer, maybe Giambi.
Worst Pick: Overbay (he’ll be ok, but you NEEDED pitching there)
Final Thoughts: Can’t give them any better than a B-. You can punt on a category or two, but not on an entire half the team. A couple big FA pickups or trades would be key.
Well, this is the first time I’ve ever gotten involved in anything even resembling a Fant BB league. I certainly don’t expect to win. I just want to be competetive.
I went into this knowing I’d get the pitching wrong, which seems to be the consensus so far. I’m open to trades, though. hint,hint
Some I picked because the name was familiar from playing for the Brewer’s. Podsednick and Burnitz. I’m counting on Scotty picking up 50 bags and Jeromy nailing at least 40 to the bleachers. Wishful thinking? Probably, but we’ll see what happens.
Boone was picked up because he’s got a one year deal in Seattle and a lot of incentive to do well if he wants to play next year. Not the greatest player, but steady enough to contribute. (I hope)
And Jeter? I’m banking on him discovering the cash he’s losing to A-Rod in endoresment deals and either returning to previous form, or getting a goon to take out Alex.
Eh, the experience this year will help cement my winning next year. Look out!
Here’s some more:
Gotham Guitaristas
Me likey. We could all be screwed here. The first 6 picks were flat out perfect and filled the right needs. Got saves, Ks. Got HRs, RBIs and OBP. Our only real prayer here is that guys start striking out a ton, SS turns into a episode of the surreal life and the complete lack of holds isn’t solved in FA. I’m guessing this team is a lock for a top 3 finish. Start breaking out your voodoo dolls now.
Best Pick: K-Rod
Worst Pick: Harvey cause he’s in AAA…but being th 24th pick, that’s actually a compliment that this was the worst pick.
Final Thoughts: Um, gee, lemme think…A. Relief pitching is a little thin, no speed, but other wise I’d take this team in a heartbeat.
Free Robinson Cano!
Solid, solid as a Rock! OooooWeeee ooooooo… Sorry…Arrested Development Rerun is on…Moving on, this team doesn’t have any obvious flaws. Can’t see them dominating any one category, though this team can strike guys out at a serious clip. However, in a league with this many scoring categories, if you can get in the top 5 of every one you’ll probably be a contender. Not sure how I feel about Santana at #1. Never like taking a pitcher at the top of a draft, even if he is the best talent available. The difference between Santana and a guy you can get later like Harden or Wood may not be big, and pitchers are always a injury risk. Getting Delgado there is a coup and I really like the Wells pick too. Piazza at 8 could be a steal if he’s healthy. The bottom have has some question marks, but also some potential. The complete lack of relief picthing will probably keep this soild squad from winning it though.
Best Pick: Delgado
Worst Pick: Batista
Final Thoughts: There’s a lot of guys to like here, but none to crow about. A nice solid C+. Better find some relief or be happy with a case of blue balls…metaphorically speaking of course.
Samoan Rendezvous
Ooo, nifty. I’m immediately cursing these bastards because you stole Cuddyer from me. They have no chance of winning anything but a ripping case of crabs. You can throw all this Ks, you can unleash all those unhearalded bats, even flaunt the boyish good looks of Lew and Aaron, but you have no prayer of winning this league. I expect you to be in the cellar by May 22nd. Oh, and I heard Inge is gay!
Best Pick: Bonderman
Worst Pick: Cuddyer, HA!
Final Thoughts: Grade F+ Uh, well, I suppose a team deep in hitting, saves and good plate diciplne deserves better. D-
Tazmanian Devils
Helton probably should have gone higher than this, he’d have been my pick in that Santana spot. Sheets will probably be nearly as valuable. Chipper was a reach, but he could bounce back. Izzy is probably a gabmle I’d have skipped and who knows if Moose will ever pitch well again. Alou will kill you and Rincon won;t do what he did at the start of last year. This team has tons of holes, no speed and the pitching is basically Sheets and a bunch of other bums. Can’t say I like this squad, though I wouldn’t mind scraping it for parts.
Best pick: Helton, Sheets
Worst Pick: Mussina
Final Thoughts: Can’t go any higher than a C- here without getting twitchy. Better start hunting for some relief, trades could help you out alot.
Crunkin’ Mully Style
Auto draft hell. Too bad, Mully is usually a real card. Gonna be watching alot of NL games I’m guessing. I’d call that a good thing, though there could be worse things than flat out owning the starting pitching category. Better hope you can fill in that outfield in free agency.
Best Pick: N/A
Worst Pick: N/A
Final Thoughts: Grade INC, but I’ll reserve judgement until one of those lopsides trades actually pans out.
Rackensack Diamonds
OK, I’ve got a serious Ichiro fetish this year. In this league, he could be a gem. If I’d have drafted later I’d have been all over him. Previous years I was pretty sour on the little cat, but I’ve come around to learn the base hits, OBP will indeed win ballgames. Young feels like a stretch there, as does Pudge. Both are likely to slip a bit, and even if they don;t there was better value on the board there. Granted those positions aren’t very deep, so the strategy does have merits. I’m buying Konerko this season too. Ozzie is gonna have the Sox off and running this year, which could have pitchers making mistakes to him and letting him drive in runs. If Andrew keeps his pace up (hes always been a fast starter) this team could build a nice little lead. Tsao is the only real headscratcher, though it’s a doozy. The picthing staff is thin and Clemens can’t possibly carry this staff.
Best Pick: Griffey
Worst Pick: Tsao
Final Thoughts: I’ll give them a C+, if Griffey plays 120 games this year, extra credit makes this a B. Not getting much out of the bottom 7 picks could hurt the picthing stats.
Last but not least, here we are.
Vikingerne
This is a real Monster. Furcal is a bit of an anomaly, the rest of the first 9 picks are nearly perfect. Beckett and Zambrano could be 1-2 in the NL Cy young. Thome and Rolen could be 1-2 in RBI and a handful of other offensive categories. Posada is usually the top catcher in the league, Sosa could be his old self in a new uni. Freddy Garcia and Lowell are great value, Burrell might be the steal of the draft. Torres at the end is a guy that probably shouldn’t have still been around. Hat’s off to the Dane, I know I’d have been damn near useless at 4AM local time if I were drafting. This guy is a savant when it comes to live drafts, trouble with time zones not withstanding.
Best Pick: Burrell
Worst Pick: Furcal
Final Thoughts: A, without a doubt. I’d take this team in a split second. If he adds on a good reliever in free agency and doesn’t go too wild with Ks we’re all playing for second place.
Winnowill’s Winners
How is it I always overlook Abreu? The guy’s put up monster numbers for about 3 straight years now. It’s not like Philly is the Yukon. Whats with the hard-core Cleveland fetish? You’d think they were the 29 Yankees or something. Did you mix this up with Munch’s other goofy league? Hafner is a hell of a value there, as is Glaus. Other thnathat it’s a bit of a mixed bag. the 2-5 picks were all too soon for those guys. Nevertheless you managed to end up with a nicely balanced squad,. Can;t see you dominating any categories and probably won’t see the top 5, but you’ll be competitive and a couple big acquisitions could put you in the hunt.
Best Pick: Hafner
Worst Pick: Martinez
Final Thoughts: Can’t give a better grade than a C, but bonus points for having the team with the best string fo first names.
The Chimera
Soriano feels like he should have gone higher, though maybe K’s kept him down a bit. Javy was a reach. The pitching staff would have been awesome 2 years ago, and has a outside shot of regaining it again. Though Murphy’s law will probably have something to say about it. Aaron Boone? Seriously? Thats alot of Ks without enough power to warrant it. Thisteam is going to struggle with all the rate stats, and you’re starting the season with no flexibiltiy.
Best Pick: Matsui
Worst Pick: Boone
Final Thoughts: D+, I could be missing something here, but unless all those pitchers have rebound years (and Mariano looked like he was getting vulnerable for the last part of the season) you’ll be scraping bottom.
The Cougars
Hmm, maybe he thought pitching was optional. Or maybe Mully just stole all his picks. Did you confuse last years World Series Program with your Draft guide? You’d better hope that St. Louis decides to pitch out their ass since these guys wouldn’t have won any fantasy leagues last year and they made the World Series. Too bad you didn’t get any of the good Red Sox or Cards. At least you’ve got the best Queer Eye for the Straight Guy team.
Best Pick: Teixeira
Worst Pick: All the Cards
Final Thoughts: I’m getting down right cruel at the end here, it looks like my college Diff Eq professors tests. Grade D+. You’d better hope the Cards put together a legendary year.
Dale Sveum Revisited
Last but not least, a shock really, we have this motley crew. If Bonds plays, its a monster. If not…well, good luck next year. Frankly I think he’ll be out for 4 months…but that could be wishful thinking. Don;t you hate when you have a team full of guys you loathe? I think the Smoltz experiment is going to sputter, he’ll pitch well but have arm trouble in July. This is a deep pithcing staff, they will throw alot of balls 60 feet anyways. Trade bait anyways. You’ll need to to recover from those Lugo and Freel picks.
Best Pick: Giles
Worst Pick: Freel
Final Thoughts: Overall grade, D. By May you’ll have to have decided which pitchers to keep and who to pick up on the waiver wire for pitching help, or else you’re cooked.