Results tagged ‘ Advice ’
5 Trends From 2009
Five Trends From the
2009 Fantasy Baseball Season
by Matt “Hack” Hackenmiller
1. Injuries. Injuries. Injuries. The 2009 season saw many of the stars spend large amounts of time on the disable list. It seemed as if no one was immune. First round players like Jose Reyes and Grady Sizemore as well as three of the top pitchers in baseball (Brandon Webb, Jake Peavy, and Johan Santana) all missed a significant amount of the season. Then if this wasn’t bad enough, when the calendar turned to August, just when most fantasy managers are making a run at a title, we saw players like Justin Morneau and Josh Hamilton get shut down for the season. Hopefully, in terms of fantasy baseball, these player’s injuries are in the rearview mirror and they are healthy for the 2010 season.
2. The stolen base is cool again. For much of the decade most Major League teams relied on the home run to score runs. This was reflected in fantasy in that it was difficult to find players that would contribute in the stolen base category and those few players that actually did steal bases saw their values inflated. But with Major League baseball implementing more drug testing, home runs are magically down, and teams are searching for ways to manufacture runs. This has lead to more players stealing bases. There are the obvious names like Jacoby Ellsbury and Carl Crawford, but players like Michael Bourn, Nyjer Morgan and Elvis Andrus have also emerged. Even the once driven Moneyball Oakland A’s have Rajai Davis stealing over forty bags this season. As if I had to prove my point any further, even lumbering Ryan Howard has a ******** eight stolen bases.
3. The Rockies learned how to pitch. Prior to the 2009 season, most Rockies pitchers were thought as very unreliable when it comes to fantasy baseball. But this season, the Colorado staff has turned into one of the best in the National League. The quintet of Ubaldo Jimenez, Jorge De La Rosa, Jason Hammel, Jason Marquis, and Aaron Cook has all provided an excellent source of wins and strikeouts for fantasy managers. It will be interesting to see if this trend can continue into the 2010 season.
4. That Albert Pujols guy is pretty good. Coming into the season, there was some injury concern about Phat Albert. But he quickly put those concerns to rest early as he went on a first half tear with an OPS of 1.179. It is pretty clear that we are witnessing one of the great players not of just our generation, but of all time. Also, even when most people thought that Pujols couldn’t get any better, he went out and stole sixteen bases this season. Those unexpected stolen bases are gold for fantasy owners.
5. The monster that is Citi Field. It is always difficult to predict how a new stadium will affect will play. This was never more true than with the two new stadiums in New York this season. The new Yankee Stadium played like a bandbox while the Mets’ Citi Field played like the Grand Canyon. Even when the Mets’ offense was healthy, they struggled mightily to score runs on a consistent basis. Third baseman David Wright had a strong batting average, but his power numbers plummeted. This translated into the Mets having one their worst seasons of the decade. Going forward, it will be interesting to see how the Mets rebuild their line up and if they are able to attract premium free agents to play in their offensive oppressive stadium.
Final Words. As another fantasy baseball season comes to an end, I can’t help but think about how far this game has come. Whether it is Roto style or Head to Head, more people continue to find the joy of the game each year. Web sites like Blogtalk Radio and Fangraph.com not only supplement the other mainstream sites, but offer valuable information that extends the public’s knowledge of the game. Fantasy football might still be king in terms of the number of players, but fantasy baseball continues to close the gap and brings in newcomers every year. I am looking forward to a bigger and better 2010 baseball season.
Careful What You Wish For
It’s definitely a new baseball season. Last year, for most of the second half of the season, I was leading my two most important leagues. I was in first place for so long that I actually started to worry that I was unable to provide good advice since I couldn’t relate to the common folk. I remember thinking that in some ways it would be easier to write and do my podcast if I were battling to improve my position in the standings.
Well, guess what? I don’t have to worry about being bored cruising to the 2009 championships. No, that’s not going to be a problem. As of today, I am currently in last place.
“Oh, but Johnny, aren’t you in 7 leagues this year? Which of the leagues are you stumbling out of the gate in,” asked the innocent little farm boy.
I look down at the golden-haired youngin’ and gently pat his head. “Thank you for your warm kindness and gentle question, my boy,” I replied. “Actually, it is not a single league, you see, but instead 5 teams currently dwell in the cellar.”
YEP, 5 FRICKIN’ TEAMS ARE IN LAST PLACE! The other 2? Well, first off, they are the teams I care the least about, my open CBS and Yahoo league — and I’m probably dropping out of this league because the owners think it’s really “cool” to plagerize various fantasy sites around the ‘Net.
So, while it kinda stinks to be in last place, it allows me plenty of room for improvement – I’d like to introduce the 2009 understatement of the year!! But I vow here and now, as opposed to “there and yesterday,” that I will not remain buried in the dungeons of fantasy heck for the entire season. No, sir! Not only will I make a substantial move over the course of the next few weeks/months, but you my friend will be witness to this triumphet march to greatness and beyond!
So, who’s with me!?! **I run out of the room, hands in the air, like John Belushi in Animal House.**
Not totally drinking the Kool-Aid, aye? No problem, I understand your concerns. After all, for mortal fantasiers (remember, I invented that word) it would be impossible to turn around a team off to such a horrible start and transform it into a juggernaut in the same season.
But, hey, this is Johnny Archive here! Remember, 6th grade checker and chess champion! I am not limited to the normal restrictions of average fantasy sports particpants. Hardly. Plus, if I lose my main NFBC league I have to get my jewels snipped! I’m not just going to lay down for that! Well, actually, I probably will lie down if I have to undergo the procedure, but don’t try and sidetrack me here.
Let’s begin our voyage, shall we?
Strategy for NFBC Leagues
Okay, there’s definitely some hurdles with these two leagues since I can’t work my trade magic — these leagues don’t allow trading. Soooo, you guessed it, I’ll have to utilize my secret weapon as part of a mulit-pronged attack.
Prong #1 – Sending subliminal messages to my players mentally kicking their booties into performing at the desired level. Scoff, if you will, but mock the Archive Telepathic Abilities, or ATA, at your own peril. Ever heard the expression, “ata, boy!” as a compliment for an outstanding perfromance? Yep, now you know the rest of the story.
Prong #2 – Working the waiver wire like a chili dog at a weinerdog show. *shrugs* No idea what that means, either. I will scoop up some good players in the next few weeks. Scot Shields has been particularly annoying and his nice little 0IP/4ER outing on Wednesday Night has punched his ticket out of Archiveville. One obstacle has been the waiver deadline, which is an hour after my new podcast time ends. I have felt a bit distracted as I’ve been trying to wind down from the show while trying to sort through the FAAB screen — which I am not 100% comfotable with yet — at the NFBC site. Starting this week, I will do my main bidding on free agents before my show and then tweak post-show, if need be.
Prong #3 – You always have to have at least three prongs when you use a prong attack, it’s just how it is. If not, you have to call it just a regular plan. Anyway, I’m going to try and pick up a few 2-start pitchers and see if I can make a move in Ks and Wins. Yeah, I’ll need to have a smidge of luck for this to work, but don’t we all?
There you have it, I’ve stated it, recited it and written it in blood on my wall. Seriously. It simply can not fail.
As not to pass on too much information at one time and possibly causing my readers heads to explode, I’ll hold off on unveiling my plans for my other leagues (J.A.I.L., FSWA and ALONL), perhaps as soon as tomorrow.
-Johnny Archive
‘Hack’ Attack!
It’s time for another entry from my friend Matt “Hack’ Hackenmiller. By the way, he was on the podcast this past Sunday and did a great job! Hopefully, we can get him to find time for the show on a regular basis.
What’s Up With the Snakes’ Feeble Line Up?
We all know that it is still early in the baseball season and that statistics don’t really mean much at this point but as dedicated fans, we can definitely spot developing trends. Case in point, the Arizona Diamondbacks. They have struggled to begin the year due mainly to a paltry offense. Again, it is early, but should fans of the D-Backs be worried about the lack of punch in their line-up?
Through out the first two weeks of the season, Arizona is hitting at a clip of .227/.292/.388. As a team, they rank near the bottom of the National League in runs scored, hits, and walks. They have been shutout four times and have had five games of scoring two runs or less. All this was accomplished while playing in a ballpark that favors hitters. These results are puzzling because the team’s line-up features young hitters like Stephen Drew, Chris B. Young, Justin Upton, Conor Jackson and Mark Reynolds, all of who were highly touted prospects.
So why aren’t the D-Backs scoring? For one, outside of Drew, none of the previously mentioned hitters have developed into the would-be stars everyone had hoped. To compound matters, the front office employed veterans like Chad Tracy, Tony Clark and Eric Byrnes, none of who will ever be mistaken for Lou Gehrig or Ty Cobb. This is a problem that occurs when teams choose the “youth movement” and the young players don’t deliver. Basically, they have no Plan B.
So, the question remains, should fans be worried or is this just a case of a few players starting off slow? In both 2007 and 2008, Arizona ranked low in the National League in runs scored and OPS. This was associated with ranking towards the top in strikeouts. The inability to get on base and make contact with the ball is a lethal combination for a team struggling to score runs consistently. This has been a continual problem for Arizona because their line-up features numerous hitters that have many of the same attributes. In contrast, the Oakland A’s have free swingers in Orlando Cabrera and Mark Ellis, but surrounded them in a line-up with Jack Cust and Jason Giambi, who tend to work the count. This brings balance to the A’s line-up and prevents long droughts of not having runners on base. It could be that many of the D-Back’s hitters are so young that they are still learning. But learning at the major league level is a daunting task.
When I have watched the Diamondbacks play it seems like they don’t have an offensive identity. They aren’t a power team, they aren’t a speed team, and they don’t really work the count. Teams like Tampa Bay Rays, Chicago White Sox, and Los Angeles Angels all have a process and plan of attack when trying to score runs. Arizona doesn’t appear to have a plan or if they do, I have yet to figure it out.
The baseball season is only a few weeks old and Arizona does have plenty of time to turn things around. As I mentioned before, their line-up features players that are reputable prospects. In the world of fantasy baseball, the D-Backs are a good team to target if you are looking for a team to pitch and ditch against. Only time will tell if the 2007 division winning team was more of an aberration than a springboard to bigger and better things for the young Diamondbacks.
The Value of a Walk – Matt Hackenmiller
Hey there,
We have a special installment today, as my good friend Matt “Hack” Hackenmiller has put together an article for us. By the way, Hack — as well as another good fantasy writer/friend Ward Pettenger – will be contributing to the Johnny Archive podcast so stay tuned for more details, coming soon. Don’t forget the show airs every Sunday 5pm-7pm ET at BlogTalkRadio and is a proud member of The Fantasy Sports Channel.
The Value of a Walk
As baseball begins to place more of an emphasis on statistics like on-base percentage, players who work the count and take walks litter major league rosters. What does that mean for those of us who play fantasy baseball because in the standard scoring for fantasy baseball, walks do not play a prominent role for hitters. Does this mean that the skill of drawing a base on balls has no place in fantasy baseball?
Getting on base and avoiding an out is the main objective each time a hitter steps into the batters box. The ability to draw a walk is an essential component to that skill. Although getting on base does not directly translate to fantasy baseball, the more times a player can reach base, the more opportunity there is for a positive outcome. There in lies that link to fantasy baseball. Once on base, a player can steal a base and score a run, both of which are scoring categories in fantasy baseball. This might seem like a very simple concept, but yet many fantasy baseball managers devalue this skill.
Also, the capability for a hitter to decipher between a ball and a strike is an extremely important gift. The batter that doesn’t swing at pitches outside of the strike zone and can pick out a pitch he can drive only adds to their value. These players are more immune to prolonged slumps because they can still get on base via a walk and contribute to the team. Players like Corey Hart and Hunter Pence may put up decent numbers at the end of the year, but because both of them are free swingers, they are susceptible to long periods time when they are not productive, that not only hurts their major league teams, but your fantasy team as well.
Keeping track of the number of times a hitter draws a walk can also aid in player assessment. We all know that Spring Training stats don’t mean much because most players are just trying to get into shape. But every preseason, when I start to evaluate players, I always check to see how many walks a particular player is generating during Spring Training. This gives me an idea of how well a player is defines the strike zone and can pick out a quality pitch to hit. I have found this technique especially useful when assessing a younger, less established hitter.
The one instance when drawing a walk is a deterrent is when the player bats in the eighth slot of a National League line up. In this spot, the opposing pitcher rarely gives the hitter any quality pitches to hit and would rather face the next person in the order, which is the pitcher. Even though the eighth place hitter reaches, his possibility for advancement is slim because the next person up is usually the worst hitter in the line up. Also, most baseball managers will not even attempt a stolen base once the eighth place hitter reaches out of fear that if he thrown out, the pitcher will lead off the next inning, virtually ensuring an easy out. So under these circumstances a walk can lead to an almost certain negative outcome for the hitter.
In real and fantasy baseball, we are looking for players that can consistently produce positive outcomes for our teams. A hitter who knows that strike zone and can work the count will, more times than not, create those outcomes. The ability of a hitter to draw a walk may not directly affect fantasy baseball statistical categories; however, they are a major part of the make up of an effective hitter that you will want on your roster.
Double Draft Day
I have two, count’m two, big drafts today! First up will by my 15-team NFBC draft that I am co-owning with fellow J.A.I.L. participant and friend Ward Pettenger. We had nice “war room” meeting via the cell phone last night and we have a few tricks up our sleeves!
If you’ve never co-owned a fantasy sports team before I highly recommend it! If you don’t believe me I encourage you pick up the book, Fantasyland, written by Sam Walker. Just reading about the fun times Sam and his crew had during the course of the season as they competed in the highly-regarded Tout Wars fantasy baseball league should convince you.
Sure, you have to compromise on some of your own strategy. But it’s well worth it knowing there is someone else rooting for your team as passionately as you are. Plus, you have an automatic excuse to reject lame trade offers without worrying about being rude, you can always blame your partner. Plus, if you pass on a trade that would have ended up helping your team, again, you can blame your co-owner for vetoing the deal. See, you’re covered either way!
I’m not saying you should always have a partner in crime, but I strongly suggest teaming up with a buddy at least one team each season. Sometimes, owners who have varying styles actually make a good team, so don’t worry about finding a fantasy clone. At the same time, you don’t want to be fighting over every FAAB acquisition, so at least have a good line of communication with your compadre.
The second draft today is my FSWA members only draft. This will be my first and only draft held at ESPN.com. I like to have a team in most of the major Internet sites so I can relate to questions I get emailed to me from various styles of fantasy that are out there.
Speaking of email questions, let me answer a couple I got recently.
From Shack:
|
Johnny,
I can really use some draft advice. I have a draft on Sunday, the league I won last year. It’s a Roto 5X5. I have pick 13 and pick 16, it’s a 14-team league. I don’t know who my 1st 2 picks should be? Here is how I think the draft will go with all the league talk. First 12 picks; H Ramirez, Pujols, Wright, Reyes, Sizemore, Cabrera, Braun, Hamilton, Utley, Rollins, Howard, Teixeira. I got screwed with the Arod injury, I’m not taking Arod or Santana, pick 14 would probably be Santana or Beltran if I don’t take either at 13. Who should be my 13th? Holliday, Beltran? Or is there a player I should take that I’m missing, if I pass on Beltran I should have kinsler if I want at pick 16. Any advice on who I should take at 13 and 16 would be great. I hope you have been doing well. I will catch your next show soon.
Shack
Hey Shack,
Good to hear from you. Assuming you are sure those are the players that will be gone before you pick at #13, I will give you my thoughts. Since you don’t want Johan at #13, I assume you don’t want the other SP who has been creeping up the ADP around that spot, Giant SP Tim Lincecum. Which is good actually, as I think there is a good chance there will be alot of remorseful people who have consumed the Lincecum Kool-Aid this year. I’m not saying he isn’t talented, but for fantasy I think he represents too much risk for a 1st round selection.
The player you don’t seem enthused about, but probably should be taken at #13 if he’s there is OAK OF Matt Holliday. I know he’s been dropping like a rock in ADP and everyone thinks his post-Coors career is doomed. But how quickly we all forget the lessons of fantasy. Remember the last time people wrote off an elite player because they were leaving a good hitters park? Yeah, I’m talking about Alfonso Soriano, the 40-40 guy who won alot of people their leagues in his first year in Washington, after leaving Arlington.
In a banged-up off year for him in 2008 he doubled his SB number 28, hit .321 and jacked 25 bombs. Sure, his RBIs were a bit low at 88, but he more than made up for the power shortage with those extra steals. I say take this 29-year-old stud who was being drafted routinely in the top 5 last year and grin all year as he continues to be one an elite fantasy player.
At #16, you definitely have alot of options. I certianly think it’s nice to get well-rounded players who give you mulitple stats, like a Carlos Beltran. I’ll toss out another Carlos you might want to think about — and keep this a secret because Ward and I are planning on taking this guy in our draft today in the NFBC — HOU OF Carlos Lee. Remember last year, before the entire Astros organization walked under a ladder and ran into a truckload of bad luck, this guy was putting up a MVP type year. In 436 ABs, he hit .314, 28 HR, 100 RBI, and stole 4 bases. Imagine another 150 or ABs on top of those numbers?! He’s rated #16 in ADP at ESPN, so somebody is giving him some love. He’s not flashy, but plays in a nice home park and is consistant.
A couple of other names to ponder, A.Soriano — seems he primed for another of big years. Ian Kinsler — we’re all still waiting to see what a full season of stats looks like form this kid, but if ’09 is the year we see it, you’ll want him on your roster.
Okay, time for one more question.
Johnny,
I really enjoy listening to your podcasts. I listen to them on my Monday morning commute to work. Can’t wait to hear the Jeff Erickson interview. He is fast becoming one of my favorite people to listen to.
Anyway, my drafts are this weekend and I’m in two different 20 team, keeper, head to head, points leagues. Instead of drafting individual pitchers, we draft team pitching staffs (this includes the starting rotation and bullpen) The only category we use for pitching is E.R.A. The only difference between the two leagues is that league #2 is a salary league (we use real salaries for the hitters) while league #1 is not. I was hoping you could rank the staffs for each of my two leagues, but if that is too much too ask, if you could maybe just give me your top five from each league and maybe one sleeper team also. Thanks in advance!
League #1
ASTROS
BLUE JAYS BREWERS CARDINALS INDIANS MARINERS MARLINS NATIONALS ORIOLES PADRES PHILLIES PIRATES RANGERS ROCKIES ROYALS TIGERS League #2 $121,000,000 Total Team Cap
ASTROS - $24,164,400
BLUE JAYS – $20,021,000 BREWERS - $22,330,500 CARDINALS – $26,328,000 INDIANS - $23,037,600 MARINERS – $27,396,000 NATIONALS – $6,240,000 ORIOLES - $14,092,000 PHILLIES – $33,582,000 PIRATES - $11,364,000 RANGERS - $22,848,594 REDS - $24,744,000 ROCKIES - $19,329,000 ROYALS - $21,430,000 TIGERS - $28,566,000 WHITE SOX - $27,045,000 YANKEES - $40,395,000 Thanks,
James Adams
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Hey James,
Thanks for the kind words! Here’s my suggestions:
League #1
- Minnesota
- NY Yankees
- Arizona
- Tampa Bay
- Chicago
Longshot – Pittsburgh, Seattle
League #2
- NY Yankees
- Phillies
- Royals
- Mariners
- Indians
I hope that helps, Reds might be a sleeper in group #2.
Take care and good luck in all your drafts!
-Johnny Archive
Yahoooooo
Hey there gang. Here’s the results of a very casual Yahoo league I did. There are some questionable picks, but I think this is the sort of draft you can expect if you do a free league on a major site. It’s a good reminder that there are alot of people who participate in fantasy sports just for the joy of the game and will openly draft players they like for reasons other then just their stats.
Pretty-much all the players I expected to be available at the end of the first round were gone, so I went with Jimmy Rollins. Getting A-Rod in the 4th is definitely a gamble, but I think at point it was worth it. I imagine by the time I would have picked again in round #5 he would have been gone.
It’s amazing how I seem to end up with Soriano in every draft! He better have a decent year! I’m sure you can figure out which team is mine, so here is the draft.
| Round 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Hanley Ramírez | NewbieKim |
| 2. | Miguel Cabrera | Mr Baseball |
| 3. | José Reyes | Señor MT 20/20 |
| 4. | Albert Pujols | Dodgers |
| 5. | David Wright | Bennie & the… |
| 6. | Grady Sizemore | 2Bloops&ABlast |
| 7. | Ryan Braun | Cubvic |
| 8. | Tim Lincecum | no juice all… |
| 9. | Josh Hamilton | TITANS |
| 10. | Jimmy Rollins | Archive or D… |
| 11. | Ryan Howard | Cowboys |
| 12. | Ian Kinsler | KP Cuse |
| Round 2 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Mark Teixeira | KP Cuse |
| 2. | Justin Duchscherer | Cowboys |
| 3. | Alfonso Soriano | Archive or D… |
| 4. | B.J. Upton | TITANS |
| 5. | Matt Holliday | no juice all… |
| 6. | Evan Longoria | Cubvic |
| 7. | CC Sabathia | 2Bloops&ABlast |
| 8. | Chase Utley | Bennie & the… |
| 9. | Carlos Beltrán | Dodgers |
| 10. | Lance Berkman | Señor MT 20/20 |
| 11. | Carlos Quentin | Mr Baseball |
| 12. | Carlos Lee | NewbieKim |
| Round 3 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Vladimir Guerrero | NewbieKim |
| 2. | Matt Kemp | Mr Baseball |
| 3. | Brandon Phillips | Señor MT 20/20 |
| 4. | Dustin Pedroia | Dodgers |
| 5. | Ichiro Suzuki | Bennie & the… |
| 6. | Johan Santana | 2Bloops&ABlast |
| 7. | Prince Fielder | Cubvic |
| 8. | Bobby Abreu | no juice all… |
| 9. | Carl Crawford | TITANS |
| 10. | Manny Ramírez | Archive or D… |
| 11. | Jason Bay | Cowboys |
| 12. | Justin Morneau | KP Cuse |
| Round 4 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Nick Markakis | KP Cuse |
| 2. | David Ortiz | Cowboys |
| 3. | Álex Rodríguez | Archive or D… |
| 4. | Brian Roberts | TITANS |
| 5. | Mark Reynolds | no juice all… |
| 6. | Brian McCann | Cubvic |
| 7. | Aramis Ramírez | 2Bloops&ABlast |
| 8. | Russell Martin | Bennie & the… |
| 9. | Víctor Martínez | Dodgers |
| 10. | Roy Halladay | Señor MT 20/20 |
| 11. | Shane Victorino | Mr Baseball |
| 12. | Cole Hamels | NewbieKim |
| Round 5 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Brandon Webb | NewbieKim |
| 2. | Kevin Youkilis | Mr Baseball |
| 3. | Curtis Granderson | Señor MT 20/20 |
| 4. | Alexei Ramírez | Dodgers |
| 5. | Jonathan Papelbon | Bennie & the… |
| 6. | Adrián González | 2Bloops&ABlast |
| 7. | Michael Young | Cubvic |
| 8. | Carlos Peña | no juice all… |
| 9. | Álex Ríos | TITANS |
| 10. | Geovany Soto | Archive or D… |
| 11. | A.J. Burnett | Cowboys |
| 12. | Jake Peavy | KP Cuse |
| Round 6 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Jacoby Ellsbury | KP Cuse |
| 2. | Dan Uggla | Cowboys |
| 3. | Corey Hart | Archive or D… |
| 4. | Joe Mauer | TITANS |
| 5. | Nate McLouth | no juice all… |
| 6. | Félix Hernández | Cubvic |
| 7. | Mariano Rivera | 2Bloops&ABlast |
| 8. | Garrett Atkins | Bennie & the… |
| 9. | Hunter Pence | Dodgers |
| 10. | Magglio Ordóñez | Señor MT 20/20 |
| 11. | Dan Haren | Mr Baseball |
| 12. | Aubrey Huff | NewbieKim |
| Round 7 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Ryan Ludwick | NewbieKim |
| 2. | Chad Billingsley | Mr Baseball |
| 3. | Chris Davis | Señor MT 20/20 |
| 4. | Chipper Jones | Dodgers |
| 5. | Daisuke Matsuzaka | Bennie & the… |
| 6. | Derek Jeter | 2Bloops&ABlast |
| 7. | Cliff Lee | Cubvic |
| 8. | Kelly Johnson | no juice all… |
| 9. | Rafael Furcal | TITANS |
| 10. | Francisco Liriano | Archive or D… |
| 11. | Jermaine Dye | Cowboys |
| 12. | Troy Tulowitzki | KP Cuse |
| Round 8 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Adam Dunn | KP Cuse |
| 2. | Francisco Rodríguez | Cowboys |
| 3. | Joe Nathan | Archive or D… |
| 4. | Ryan Zimmerman | TITANS |
| 5. | Jhonny Peralta | no juice all… |
| 6. | Mark DeRosa | Cubvic |
| 7. | Chone Figgins | 2Bloops&ABlast |
| 8. | Stephen Drew | Bennie & the… |
| 9. | Jay Bruce | Dodgers |
| 10. | Chris Iannetta | Señor MT 20/20 |
| 11. | J.J. Hardy | Mr Baseball |
| 12. | Brad Lidge | NewbieKim |
| Round 9 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Joakim Soria | NewbieKim |
| 2. | James Shields | Mr Baseball |
| 3. | John Lackey | Señor MT 20/20 |
| 4. | Howie Kendrick | Dodgers |
| 5. | Nelson Cruz | Bennie & the… |
| 6. | Robinson Canó | 2Bloops&ABlast |
| 7. | Torii Hunter | Cubvic |
| 8. | Ryan Doumit | no juice all… |
| 9. | Josh Beckett | TITANS |
| 10. | Derrek Lee | Archive or D… |
| 11. | Ervin Santana | Cowboys |
| 12. | Rich Harden | KP Cuse |
| Round 10 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Roy Oswalt | KP Cuse |
| 2. | Jayson Werth | Cowboys |
| 3. | Yovani Gallardo | Archive or D… |
| 4. | Joba Chamberlain | TITANS |
| 5. | José Valverde | no juice all… |
| 6. | Bobby Jenks | Cubvic |
| 7. | Edinson Vólquez | 2Bloops&ABlast |
| 8. | Scott Kazmir | Bennie & the… |
| 9. | Jon Lester | Dodgers |
| 10. | Jonathan Broxton | Señor MT 20/20 |
| 11. | Javier Vázquez | Mr Baseball |
| 12. | Jorge Cantú | NewbieKim |
| Round 11 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Bengie Molina | NewbieKim |
| 2. | Cameron Maybin | Mr Baseball |
| 3. | Carlos Delgado | Señor MT 20/20 |
| 4. | Carlos Zambrano | Dodgers |
| 5. | David Price | Bennie & the… |
| 6. | Raúl Ibañez | 2Bloops&ABlast |
| 7. | Xavier Nady | Cubvic |
| 8. | Ricky Nolasco | no juice all… |
| 9. | Joey Votto | TITANS |
| 10. | Vernon Wells | Archive or D… |
| 11. | Edwin Encarnación | Cowboys |
| 12. | Matt Wieters | KP Cuse |
| Round 12 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Johnny Damon | KP Cuse |
| 2. | Miguel Tejada | Cowboys |
| 3. | Francisco Cordero | Archive or D… |
| 4. | Carlos Mármol | TITANS |
| 5. | Gil Meche | no juice all… |
| 6. | Ryan Dempster | Cubvic |
| 7. | Chien-Ming Wang | 2Bloops&ABlast |
| 8. | Scot Shields | Bennie & the… |
| 9. | Adam Wainwright | Dodgers |
| 10. | Clayton Kershaw | Señor MT 20/20 |
| 11. | Kerry Wood | Mr Baseball |
| 12. | Derek Lowe | NewbieKim |
| Round 13 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. | José López | NewbieKim |
| 2. | Brian Fuentes | Mr Baseball |
| 3. | Elijah Dukes | Señor MT 20/20 |
| 4. | Justin Verlander | Dodgers |
| 5. | Andre Ethier | Bennie & the… |
| 6. | Brad Hawpe | 2Bloops&ABlast |
| 7. | Jeff Clement | Cubvic |
| 8. | Ted Lilly | no juice all… |
| 9. | Matt Cain | TITANS |
| 10. | Carlos Guillén | Archive or D… |
| 11. | John Danks | Cowboys |
| 12. | B.J. Ryan | KP Cuse |
| Round 14 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Adrián Béltre | KP Cuse |
| 2. | A.J. Pierzynski | Cowboys |
| 3. | Scott Baker | Archive or D… |
| 4. | Zack Greinke | TITANS |
| 5. | Brian Wilson | no juice all… |
| 6. | Gavin Floyd | Cubvic |
| 7. | Brandon Lyon | 2Bloops&ABlast |
| 8. | Jered Weaver | Bennie & the… |
| 9. | Matt Capps | Dodgers |
| 10. | Randy Johnson | Señor MT 20/20 |
| 11. | Chad Qualls | Mr Baseball |
| 12. | Ben Sheets | NewbieKim |
| Round 15 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Troy Glaus | NewbieKim |
| 2. | Heath Bell | Mr Baseball |
| 3. | Mike Pelfrey | Señor MT 20/20 |
| 4. | Max Scherzer | Dodgers |
| 5. | Ramón Ramírez | Bennie & the… |
| 6. | Andy Pettitte | 2Bloops&ABlast |
| 7. | George Sherrill | Cubvic |
| 8. | Jamie Moyer | no juice all… |
| 9. | Chris Young | TITANS |
| 10. | Mike Aviles | Archive or D… |
| 11. | Huston Street | Cowboys |
| 12. | Brett Myers | KP Cuse |
| Round 16 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Aaron Harang | KP Cuse |
| 2. | Troy Percival | Cowboys |
| 3. | Josh Johnson | Archive or D… |
| 4. | Matt Garza | TITANS |
| 5. | Kevin Gregg | no juice all… |
| 6. | J.J. Putz | Cubvic |
| 7. | Arthur Rhodes | 2Bloops&ABlast |
| 8. | James Loney | Bennie & the… |
| 9. | Brandon Morrow | Dodgers |
| 10. | Chris Carpenter | Señor MT 20/20 |
| 11. | Pat Burrell | Mr Baseball |
| 12. | Conor Jackson | NewbieKim |
| Round 17 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Milton Bradley | NewbieKim |
| 2. | Rickie Weeks | Mr Baseball |
| 3. | Mark Buehrle | Señor MT 20/20 |
| 4. | Lastings Milledge | Dodgers |
| 5. | Rick Ankiel | Bennie & the… |
| 6. | Jorge Posada | 2Bloops&ABlast |
| 7. | Vicente Padilla | Cubvic |
| 8. | Brian Moehler | no juice all… |
| 9. | Mike González | TITANS |
| 10. | Pablo Sandoval | Archive or D… |
| 11. | Aaron Cook | Cowboys |
| 12. | Kevin Slowey | KP Cuse |
| Round 18 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Joel Hanrahan | KP Cuse |
| 2. | Trevor Hoffman | Cowboys |
| 3. | Jason Motte | Archive or D… |
| 4. | Matt Lindstrom | TITANS |
| 5. | Nick Swisher | no juice all… |
| 6. | Bronson Arroyo | Cubvic |
| 7. | Jair Jurrjens | 2Bloops&ABlast |
| 8. | Jose Arredondo | Bennie & the… |
| 9. | Erik Bedard | Dodgers |
| 10. | Chris Volstad | Señor MT 20/20 |
| 11. | Johnny Cueto | Mr Baseball |
| 12. | Joe Saunders | NewbieKim |
| Round 19 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Hong-Chih Kuo | NewbieKim |
| 2. | Brad Ziegler | Mr Baseball |
| 3. | Hank Blalock | Señor MT 20/20 |
| 4. | Alex Gordon | Dodgers |
| 5. | David Murphy | Bennie & the… |
| 6. | Hideki Matsui | 2Bloops&ABlast |
| 7. | Chris Young | Cubvic |
| 8. | Akinori Iwamura | no juice all… |
| 9. | Justin Upton | TITANS |
| 10. | Jonathan Sánchez | Archive or D… |
| 11. | Jim Thome | Cowboys |
| 12. | Billy Wagner | KP Cuse |
| Round 20 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Plácido Polanco | KP Cuse |
| 2. | Mike Cameron | Cowboys |
| 3. | Ubaldo Jiménez | Archive or D… |
| 4. | Mike Napoli | TITANS |
| 5. | Orlando Cabrera | no juice all… |
| 6. | Eric Byrnes | Cubvic |
| 7. | Jason Giambi | 2Bloops&ABlast |
| 8. | John Smoltz | Bennie & the… |
| 9. | Frank Francisco | Dodgers |
| 10. | Oliver Pérez | Señor MT 20/20 |
| 11. | Joey Devine | Mr Baseball |
| 12. | Felipe López | NewbieKim |
| Round 21 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Adam Jones | NewbieKim |
| 2. | Ramón Hernández | Mr Baseball |
| 3. | Gary Sheffield | Señor MT 20/20 |
| 4. | Delmon Young | Dodgers |
| 5. | Denard Span | Bennie & the… |
| 6. | Grant Balfour | 2Bloops&ABlast |
| 7. | Travis Hafner | Cubvic |
| 8. | Kevin Kouzmanoff | no juice all… |
| 9. | Kazuo Matsui | TITANS |
| 10. | Jeff Francoeur | Archive or D… |
| 11. | Mike Jacobs | Cowboys |
| 12. | J.D. Drew | KP Cuse |
| Round 22 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Micah Owings | KP Cuse |
| 2. | Melvin Mora | Cowboys |
| 3. | Chris Pérez | Archive or D… |
| 4. | Khalil Greene | TITANS |
| 5. | Ryan Theriot | no juice all… |
| 6. | Paul Konerko | Cubvic |
| 7. | Dioner Navarro | 2Bloops&ABlast |
| 8. | Chris Dickerson | Bennie & the… |
| 9. | Hideki Okajima | Dodgers |
| 10. | Clint Barmes | Señor MT 20/20 |
| 11. | Fred Lewis | Mr Baseball |
| 12. | Takashi Saito | NewbieKim |
Z Wrap Up On Some Sleepers
Okay, today we’re getting right into it. These are the players who I teased about earlier in the week. Potential sleepers who all have something to do with the letter “Z”. When pondering sleepers in 2009, think zzzzZZZzzz. Makes sense, aye?
I will be discussing these players in depth during The Johnny Archive Fantasy Baseball Show this Sunday at 11:30am ET. Cory Schwartz had to reschedule his appearence until 2 weeks from Sunday, March 22nd, so we will have enough time to go in-depth with some of the players you should keep an eye on during your draft.
Here’s the list.
HITTERS
- Troy Tulowitzki SS COL
- Nelson Cruz OF TEX
- Carlos Gomez OF MIN
- Ryan Zimmerman 3B WAS
- Kazuo Matsui 2B HOU
PITCHERS
- Chris Perez RP STL
- Jonathan Sanchez SP SFG
- Joel Zumaya RP DET
- Brad Ziegler RP OAK
- Carlos Zambrano SP CHC
Now, remember some of these are sleepers because they are likely to be obtained lower in the draft than they should be, not because they will all be last round picks. Finding players that will out-perform the round you get them in the draft is the key. So, looking for sleepers starts in round #1, not round #20.
The goal is to win your league, not make picks that everyone in your league agrees with or approves. Too many owners are afraid of making a bad pick. The thought that they will draw the laughs and scoffs in the draft room, and be thought of as a loser, is so frightening that they simply take the safe player, usually listed atop the site’s predraft ranking.
By doing this, true, most owners probably do a better job of avoiding finishing last in their league, but they also limit their ability to win the league. I would much rather finish last and know I took chances during the draft, and the season. And hoping that had they worked out would’ve given me a realistic chance at winning it all, versus simply playing it safe and finishing 8th with NO chance at winning. Blah!
This gets into my Johnny Archive philosophy of fantasy sports overall. This will be another topic that I discuss this on my podcast this Sunday. For those of you who have read this blog over the years, you probably know most of my beliefs, but this is for the newer visitors here and listeners who are just now being enlightened to my sure-fire strategy that gurantees an enjoyable fantasy season.
Afterall, when it really comes down to it, isn’t that — having an enjoyabe time – what we’re all after?
I see you in the back of the room who said “cash” under your breath. Okay, sure the prize money is cool if you play in a fairly high-dollar entry fee league. And if you are in the NFBC and have $100 grand on the line, yes indeed, winning is very much “neato”. However, I doubt most fantasiers or casual fantasy players are depending on their fantasy league payoffs to pay for their mortage.
So, at the end of the day, we all want to have fun participating in fantasy sports. Then, let me ask you this, is it vital to the goal of fun to win your league? WAIT! Before you answer, remember that there can be only 1 winner, and maybe 2 or 3 more who finish in the money, if your league recognizes 2nd and 3rd. If you answer “yes” that winning is vital, then that’s kinda tragic that in a league of say 12 teams, only a small percentage are eligible to have fun.
Enter my thinking and style. Yes, you will have to probably spend more time than you normally would or have in the past. Yes, you will have to step out of your shell and shoot off a few trade offers, league message board posts and actually look at other teams rosters. I know, I know you loooove your team and looking at other players might somehow make you feel guilty.
But hey, this is fantasy sports, not a typical monogamous real life relationship. In fantasy, checking out and playing the field is not only not a bad thing, but it’s encouraged!
Okay, I think I have rambled on enough about this thinking for now. If you are interested, tune into the show this weekend at BlogTalkRadio.com and get more details.
-Johnny Archive
Tuesday Tony Strikes Again!
Yesterday I read a tiny article about the future of fantasy baseball and what the next developments might be. The one major innovation that the author proposed was an obvious one: in-game roster management. I don’t say “an obvious one” to be disparaging: it’s simply a potential option that many of us will have considered at some point, I’m sure.
Oh, we’ve all been there. Having thrown 7 innings of 1-run ball with a WHIP of 1.14, five K’s and with a 2-run lead, your pitch-and-ditch flier for the day looks like a move of pure genius. But Dusty Baker or Charlie Manuel or Cito Gaston sends your man back out there, while you stare at the TV screen wondering what on earth could possess him to do so. And you watch in horror as the next four batters safely reach base, the last of whom scampers home on a wild pitch as the relievers fail to strand the inherited runners. Ten minutes ago it looked so good; now you’re consoling yourself with the fact that the five K’s are “nice” and that’s not much of a silver lining.
On Sunday night in my H2H league I trailed by six K’s with Ryan Dempster starting for me in the late ESPN game and Octavio Dotel amongst the relievers on my roster, plus I trailed in wins by 5-4. I held a miniscule lead in batting average and was a good way behind in slugging, with Aramis Ramirez on my roster and Carlos Quentin on my opponent’s. As the game began I was losing by a score of 4-5-1.
By the end of the eighth inning the score had changed to 5-3-2 in my favour, assuming the win for Dempster which he’d all but secured and now being tied in K’s. I wanted Dempster to sit out the ninth inning, but felt confident that Piniella wouldn’t leave him out there beyond the first hint of trouble. Given the option I would have benched Dempster for the ninth inning, just in case, but that’s probably why I’m writing this column and Sweet Lou manages the Cubbies.
Whilst the idea has numerous potential problems – site traffic, delays in moves being processed, the live scoring feature that many sites offer becoming increasingly unreliable – it’s certainly an intriguing option. It would favor active, attentive owners and so for that reason it gets an initial thumbs-up from me, but I fear that it might just overly benefit the truly obsessive owner.
In every league there’s “that guy,” the owner who seems to spend every waking moment tweaking his team, making moves, sending out trade offers, engaging in league-wide banter. Every league needs that guy, even if he’s almost guaranteed to unwittingly upset some owners.
And I have to say, I’d much rather be in a league with that guy than those from whom you never hear, owners who still have Marcus Giles as their starting second baseman (as is the case in that same H2H league mentioned above), and who allow trade offers to sit there untouched until they lapse. Unless there are good reasons for not being attentive such as vacations, family or work issues – and that’s attentive rather than active, because there is a huge difference – I don’t want to be in a league with those people next year.
The nature of many fantasy leagues is such that we rarely get to know our fellow owners. In many cases we are a name on a screen and little more. In a great many cases those with whom we compete know nothing about us: our sex, age, religious beliefs, family situation, employment status etc are unknown. And that’s just fine with me, because I will judge you only on how you play the game and how you treat the rest of the league. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll chat happily for hours with fellow owners – heck, I have no secrets – and enjoy the banter. But it’s not for everybody, of course.
A fantasy league is only as good as the people in it. I’m in nine leagues this year – nine! – which is far too many and the result of returning to some leagues and accepting invites to some new ones. I’m in the top three of a third of these leagues (leading one 5×5 league by 21 points as of Monday morning), mid-table in a third and struggling in a third. But the leagues that I’m enjoying most are not necessarily those in which I’m doing best: the most enjoyable leagues are the more active ones, those where owners are attentive, where trade talks are frequent, where roster moves are praised or good-naturedly ridiculed, where the message boards are a-buzz with comments and notices.
Fantasy baseball is supposed to be fun, as well as being a challenge of course, a chance to test our skills against the like-minded. If you’re in a league with good people, somehow your place in the standing can seem to be of secondary importance. I know that I’d rather come tenth in an active, competitive league, knowing that I’ve given it my best shot and been beaten by owners who made better decisions than I did, than come first in one where few others seem to be trying.
-Tony in Hitchin
iHappy Day!
Hello Sportsfans,
I hope you are having a great weekend! We’ve had some exciting baseball action this weekend, unless of course, you are a fan of the Cleveland Indians’ starting pitching. But don’t despair, C.C. Sabathia and Fausto Carmona will get it together soon.
I am in a very good mood. Can you tell?
For the past few weeks, I have been talking to the folks at iTunes and I am proud to announce that The Johnny Archive Fantasy Baseball Show is now available on iTunes!!! You can find the show from the podcast main menu, simply type in “Johnny Archive”.
A big “thank you” goes out to those of you have listened to the show and requested iTunes make it available. The show is a work in progress, but definitely a labor of love.
On tonight’s show, I will be announcing a few changes to the schedule. So, tune in or be sure to catch the archived edition on iTunes, MLBFrontOffice.com, BlogTalkRadio.com or at JohnnyArchive.com.
I have a lot of ideas and plans for the show, so buckle yourself in and get ready for some fun. Lately, I have been getting a lot of people showing interest on being on or a part of the show. So, that’s always a good sign and I am in the midst of working out the scheduling. As they say, stay tuned for more details in the future.
By the way, here’s my latest YouTube promo:
Okay, that’s about it for now. I’ll be back Monday to recap how the pitchers I recommended for the weekend did and kick off another week of dramatic MLB.
I am Johnny Archive and this post is over.
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