Is This the Real Life, Is This Just Fantasy
In life, there are three topics that only captivating to the individuals directly involved and immensely tedious to those who are subject to the rantings and ravings on said topics. These three things are: children, vacations, and fantasy baseball teams. Since I’ve inflicted you all with my vacation posts (I’m finally back on the East Coast) and I don’t have offspring, it is now time for me to enthrall you with dispatches from my first season playing fantasy baseball.
I had my first draft this past Saturday at 5:30 AM Hawaiian Standard Time, so I can use that was an excuse. It was for a 16-team keeper rotisserie league with 18 categories: R, 2B, 3B, HR, RBI, SB, OBP, SLG, OPS, W, CG, SHO, SV, HR, K, ERA, WHIP, and K/9. I didn’t consider which young players to take in the later rounds as potential keepers, but I was at least aware that this should be part of the strategy.
- (11) T. Hafner
- (22) C. Carpenter
- (43) J. Peralta
- (54) R. Johnson
- (75) H. Matsui
- (86) H. Blalock
- (107) B. Zito
- (118) F. García
- (139) R. Mackowiak
- (150) B. Wickman
- (171) N. Johnson
- (182) J. Posada
- (203) W. Peña
- (214) G. Maddux
- (235) M. Kotsay
- (246) D. Báez
- (267) B. Arroyo
- (278) J. Tavárez
- (299) Ja. Wilson
- (310) A. Pierzynski
Like Sam Walker, the author of Fantasyland, I’ll probably regret not having Ortiz on my team. I saw an interview with Walker where he describes trading Ortiz around the time of the All-Star break with Ortiz’s blessing. Shortly thereafter, Papi went on a tear. The author had another opportunity to talk with Ortiz after the trade, and the designated hitter said something to the effect of, “Well, I thought I was going to get hot, but I wasn’t going to jinx it by telling you that.”
I’m also in another keeper league in which I inherited a team that included Victor Martinez. Almost immediately after I joined the league, another GM proposed Chirs Shelton and Andy Pettitte for him. I hemmed and hawed, since that GM also had Miguel Cabrera, a player I coveted. Other permutations were propositioned, including a Bobby Abreu deal. But I held out long enough and we traded Martinez and Cabrera straight up.
Since I’m green to this, this is definitely a tinkering year. But it is readily apparent why this can be addictive. Is there a support group for this?
Comments
I've never dabbled in fantasy baseball. I just wanted to welcome you back to Eastern Standard (soon to be daylight!) time.
Peter*N ∙ 8 March 2006 ∙ 10:22 AM
Time for something people care even less about than other people's fantasy baseball teams: unsolicited advice for other people's fantasy baseball teams.
1) Tell your commissioner to pare down those categories. Is there anything more redundant than including K's and k/9? Maybe including OBP, SLG and OPS....
2) People like ascribing to the philosphy in real baseball that "you can never have too many starting pitchers" (which is a lie, the Sox have 7 for a 5 man rotation, is that too many? What about 8? 10? 15?). This is especially untrue for fantasy baseball. I think you have a lot of depth at SP, and would see if you could trade either Garcia or Zito for a reliable top 10 closer (think Wagner, K-Rod, Street... pretty much anyone but Lidge). If one isn't available, look for a corner OF with some power to pair with Matsui and a Pena/Kotsay platoon. If Randy Johnson (that better not be Reed Johnson in round 4) comes out of the gate strong, you might be able to trade him for a stud hitter (Bay, A Jones), and would advise you to do so without hesitation.
3) See if anyone is overrating Posada and kicking himself for letting him fall so far. Basically, look to see who has the worst starting C and see if they are interested. Players in pinstripes tend to get overrated, and you may be able to get good value for him, and with Pierzynski, you don't really need him as the drop off wouldn't be that significant, especially considering you would be getting value back. A low end closer (Jones, Reitsma, etc..) or high end middle reliever (Shields) would be something to jump on, if you don't trade a SP for a CL.
4) Find yourself a warm body who will be playing 2B every day. Maybe you'll get lucky and Rickie Weeks went undrafted. Mackowiak isn't bad, but I don't think he'll be getting regular playing time. Just hope he keeps knocking up his wife (I don't know if bastard children carry the same performance boost).
5) Early Prediction: Danny Baez could end up being your key to victory.
Hope that helps, and not hinders. I don't have any direct advice for your keeper league, except to say that I hear the commissioner over there is a bonafide superhunk. Those aren't my words, but the words of the many supermodels vying for his attention.
NU50 ∙ 8 March 2006 ∙ 5:25 PM