ihatemusic

Created, so Jon doesn't feel the need to complain about the fantasy pollution on the MLB thread...


Jack Cust is owned in my league because our rosters are so deep (12 teams, 36-man rosters plus 5 DL spots) that virtually everyone who plays regularly is owned.

5 categories (OBP instead of avg), so as long as he's playing, he's worth owning. The only player on waivers with more runs scored is Millar, who just got cut today, he has a great OBP, and one would think he would hit some homers if he continues to play.

go for it, pookie!

36 man rosters, wow!

I'm the commissioner, and I basically just chose all the rules the way I like them, with trades difficult to veto and with big rosters. I wasn't going to play again if I wasn't happy with the way the rules were set up.

I always come out of the draft wishing there were more rounds, and I always have to cut guys I don't want to early in the season, with smaller rosters.

To me, it encourages trading because there's not much on waivers, and you can take risks like drafting or picking up minor leaguers who might not be up for a while, and just leaving them on your bench.

It's also deep enough that basically any significant injury or transaction has an impact of some sort. The bigger the better, as far as I'm concerned.

Had lunch today with the guy responsible for all your fun.

Brian Olewnick wrote:Had lunch today with the guy responsible for all your fun.

How is Jose Canseco nowadays?

Brian Olewnick wrote:Had lunch today with the guy responsible for all your fun.

what an awful legacy that is, not that that's even close to his only accomplishment. it's almost as bad as inventing reality TV.

jon abbey wrote:
what an awful legacy that is.

What is so awful about Fantasy Baseball?

I don't really have the energy right now to put up an active argument against it, but let's just say I'm not a fan.

The best argument is that life is better than fantasy

Whatever. Jon's like one of those former smokers turned rabid anti-smoking crusader. You're not fooling anyone.

Honestly though, because of fantasy, virtually every game has some appeal to me and something to watch, and I get a hell of a lot more pleasure out of picking which players I want to root for than I ever did as a Yankee fan.

Borat Pri Hagafen wrote:Whatever. Jon's like one of those former smokers turned rabid anti-smoking crusader.

hehehe, I only did it for a few years and that was close to twenty years ago now.

The best argument is that life is better than fantasy

I dont see why they are mutually exclusive. I enjoy following both the A's, and my fantasy bb team. The fantasy team / league allows me to follow (statistically) players outside of my team and league that might not otherwise be on my radar.

If I was just following the A's, the only way I would get other player and team info is through internet articles (pretty uniformly awful outside of Baseball Prospectus), digging through boxscores (boring), BBTN (inconsisent, too highlight oriented, and then there's Kruk), wire stories (boring and incomplete).

Through my fantasy team, I have a day-to-day feel as to the narrative statistical flow of several dozen players. That gives me an interesting insight and cross-section into a somewhat random group of players. Would Ryan Howard's struggles be on my radar if I werent trying to trade for him? Maybe, maybe not. What about breakout years from Cueto, Volquez and others? Probably not.

I think it just allows me a different insight and way to follow league wide play.

Plus I and Borat and others find it fun, and that's the most important thing. Its just fun.

Yeah, I have no problem with it though I haven't played in a long time (baseball that is--got suckered into a football league the last couple of years, though I'm not so keen on it) . For me, one enjoyment key was dealing with your fellow league-mates on a pretty much day-to-day basis, as in an office, where it was great fun to come in and rank on whoever's stud went 0-5 the night before, talk trades all day, etc.

What Surf said: you get a better sense of the day-to-day life of MLB in general, as opposed to your favorite team(s) and players.

That said, I've been in an AL-only league since 1993, which skews things a bit. The sickness has subsided somewhat, there was a time two or three guys could name all the closers at the AAA affilates for the AL clubs, but have no idea who the starting shortstop was for the NL in the All-Star game.

After losing 7 categories to 3 in my head-to-head this week, including losses by 1 strikeout, 1 RBI, 1 win and 3 runs, I find myself in 9th place out of 12.

I wanted to celebrate the occasion.

My team is in first place, surprisingly. A couple weeks ago I did something deliberately stupid and traded Sizemore for Markakis straight up, simply because I want Markakis on my team and don't really care that much if I win or not. Besides, Markakis may end up having a better season than Sizemore, and I was a bit weak in right while I had Ellsbury to take over in center.

Loose Cannons with a fine offensive weekend, following a no-hitter Friday night (0 for 20, nice) with three hits Saturday and two more yesterday. Viable alternatives for Sexson and (especially) Uribe couldn't appear soon enough.

Friday moves: Adam Lind in for Gomes, and Joey Devine for Rafael Perez.

Up for Borat, who's going to attract the ire of the Other Brotherman if he's keeps it up in the beisbol thread.

Things are starting to shake out; I'm in 6th and been as high as 65 (league average), despite getting absolutely nothing out of Lind plus suffering through Sexson's vacation. Offense still somewhat sub-standard. I did manage to score Emil Brown for Lind last time around, that will help. Pitching is fine.

Wondering if I ought to scrap Uribe for Bynum in two weeks, as Kinsler seems to be the only source of speed I've got...Sexson's a hole at 1B, but what can I do for now? No one's available (Millar, Lamb, Vidro) - but wait! One of the dim bulbs in the league has a slumping Nick Swisher...time for a play/outright swindle?

Posada/Sexson/Kinsler/Uribe/Longoria
Vlad/Emil/Gutierrez/Cano

Matsuzaka/Pettitte/Sonnanstine/Slowey
Street/Devine/Al Reyes

I'm flirting with fifth place and 67 points.

The Owner Who Loves Young Inexpensive Talent emailed today, letting us know Felix Hernandez (@ $30) is on the block (for some reason he's smitten with Glen Perkins, whatever), and he's asking if Longoria's available ($5) if he throws back Adrian Beltre.

I counter-inquire with the possibility of including Cano @ $18 for Sizemore @ $43...we'll let the pots simmer for awhile, but I'm assuming

Longoria - Cano - Slowey/Sonnanstine for Felix - Grady - Beltre

makes sense by any account.

- - -

My first draft pick for tomorrow's draft should be able to get Francisco or Gathright. I think I'll take the sure speed, unless Grady falls into my lap.

I've still got the black holes at 1B & SS but will have a pitching surplus to deal later (particularly if I can snag Bonderman, by trading Pettitte for an earlier pick).