Fantasy: The OrioleBlueWave Draft Results

The live draft for my 6x6 rotisserie league went down and with 17-teams in the league this year it took a good chunk of time to get through 21 rounds. And with 357 players drafted I think I managed to keep my picks within the top-300 players in the major league. Even at #10 in the draft order.

The OrioleBlueWave:

Batting -
Catcher: Mike Piazza (OAK)
First Base: Lyle Overbay (TOR)
Second Base: Chris Burke (HOU) / Aaron Hill (TOR)
Third Base: Hank Blalock (TEX) / Edwin Encarnacion (CIN) / Akinori Iwamura (TB)
Shortstop: Aaron Hill (TOR)
Outfield: Vladimir Guerrero (LAA) / Alex Rios (TOR) / Jeff Francoeur (ATL) / Chris Duffy (PIT) / Corey Hart (MIL) / Chris B. Young (ARI)

Pitching -
Starting Pitching: Chris Carpenter (STL) / Brandon Webb (ARI) / Brett Myers (PHI) / AJ Burnett (TOR)
Relief Pitching: Mariano Rivera (NYY) / Octavio Dotel (KC) / Salomon Torres (PIT) / Brian Stokes (TB)

At 17-teams, nobody gets much in the way of all-star players. I things ran pretty thin before I staffed up that infield. Aaron Hill was my #21 pick - so he was the best I could do to fill in shortstop at that point. I'm hoping Akinori Iwamura has a breakout year coming over from Japan and is my sleeper pick and Chris Duffy turns out to be the speed guy I can depend on. I also hope Piazza's days as a DH keep his bat in the lineup consistently enough that I don't need a backup catcher. And that starting rotation just looks outstanding. Brian Stokes is unofficially the D-Rays closer and hopefully up for the job there. And as Holds are a stat this year I've already added Luis Vizcaino (NYY) and dropped Chris B. Young.

With 4 fantasy teams all lined up and ready to go it's time for the real teams to get under way.

Another Day, Another Draft

Today was another automated draft for my Fox Sports head-to-head league. This team turned out to be pretty interesting:

Team: Gyro Ballerz

Catcher: Victor Martinez (CLE) / Jorge Posada (NYY)
First Base: Derrek Lee (CHC) / Nomar Garciaparra (LAD) / Shea Hillenbrand (LAA)
Second Base: Robinson Cano (NYY) / Craig Biggio (HOU)
Third Base: Troy Glaus (TOR) / Mike Lowell (BOS) / Shea Hillenbrand (LAA)
Short Stop: Stephen Drew (ARI)
Outfield: Ichiro (SEA) / Carlos Beltran (NYM) / Andruw Jones (ATL) / Alex Rios (TOR)
Starting Pitching: Johan Santana (MIN) / Chris Carpenter (STL) / Rich Harden (OAK) / CC Sabathia (CLE) / Chris Capuano (MIL) / Matt Cain (SFG)
Relief Pitching: Huston Street (OAK) / Takashi Saito (LAD)

With "Innings Pitched" one of the stats and no limit there's no reason not to load up on starting pitching. Though a few more relievers might be good for more saves. I've already raided the waiver wire for some last minute closers. I like this team. Everything seems pretty strong except for shortstop. And I really don't know what Stephen Drew will be doing this year so he might be a surprise.

Tomorrow will be the live draft for my fourth of what will be a 4-team fantasy year for Leather Runs & Repeat. Let the season begin.

Go Laundry Go!

Between fantasy baseball, moving around the country, obsessing about pitching and being disillusioned with my "favorite" team, the whole concept of rooting for a team has weakened somewhat. But it's hard to shake one's team loyalties (even if, as Seinfeld pointed out, team loyalty is akin to rooting for the laundry because the players change teams so much). And I've developed a 5-5 system with top 5 favorite teams to root "for" and bottom 5 teams to root against. The other 20 teams fall into some opaque, fluid morass between #6 and #26.

Leather, Runs and Repeat team #5: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Spending some time in this team's local market had them growing on me. (I'm not sure the Orioles will do the same now that I live in their zip code.) I did get to spend some time working with Angels' broadcaster Steve Physioc and it's hard not to share his genuine enthusiasm for this club. Watching Vladimir Guererro step up to the plate 500 - 600 times a year is a real joy.

Leather, Runs and Repeat team #4: Toronto Blue Jays. My first major league hometown team. My first game attended was the Rangers@Blue Jays at the old Exhibition Stadium. With Halladay, Burnett and Chacin as the 1-2-3 starters I think this the team with the best rotation in the AL East and they have a shot at putting a good scare into the evil empire. They did manage to take second in the division last year. And that was with significant injury problems in that starting rotation.

Leather, Runs and Repeat team #3: Philadelphia Phillies. I'd always been favorable to this team. But once they added my favorite pitcher (Jamie Moyer), along with Freddy Garcia after making a great run last year - in spite of seemingly dismantling at the trading deadline - I was hooked. I really think this is their year.

Leather, Runs and Repeat team #2: Minnesota Twins. The rise to take the division title on the last day of the regular season last year was the story for me. And along the way I was hooked on watching how they play. I remember a great series they played at home against the Chicago Cubs and another good series on the road against the Chicago White Sox. Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer are the new M&M boys.

Leather, Runs and Repeat team #1: Seattle Mariners. In spite of their efforts to shake all the fair weather fans I can't shake the team that first hooked me. The Carl Everett deal last year was a bad idea. Now they've followed that up with a trio of terrible off season moves: trading Rafael Soriano away for Horacio Ramirez, picking up the (almost Everett proportions of immaturity) Jose Guillen and installing Jose Vidro as the new DH. And yet I still pull for them to at least finish ahead of Texas in the standings.

Fantasy: The Team of Geriatrics and Invalids

Today was draft day for my second fantasy team for the season. This one is a head-to-head league over at ESPN. After carefully pre-ranking players and opting for an auto draft I ended up with a rag-tag collection of injured and older players. With no one from the AL Central it looks different from anything I've managed before:

Team: Leather Runs & Repeat:
Batting:
Catcher: Mike Piazza (OAK) age: 38 - listed Day-to-Day
First Base: Nick Johnson (WAS) age: 28 - OUT (broken leg)
Second Base: Jeff Kent (LAD) age: 39
Third Base: Hank Blalock (TEX) age: 26 - listed Day-to-Day
Short Stop: Bobby Crosby (OAK) age: 27 - listed Day-to-Day
Outfield: Carl Crawford (TB) age: 25 - listed Day-to-Day
Outfield: Carlos Beltran (NYM) age: 30 - listed Day-to-Day
Outfield: Bobby Abreu (NYY) age: 33 - listed Day-to-Day
Utility: Adam Dunn (CIN) age: 27
Bench: Rocco Baldelli (TB) age: 25 - listed Day-to-Day
Bench: Eric Byrnes (ARI) age: 31

Pitching:
Rich Harden (OAK) RHP, SP age: 25
Mike Mussina (NYY) RHP, SP age: 38
Jake Peavy (SD) RHP, SP age: 26
Mariano Rivera (NYY) RHP, RP age: 37
Francisco Rodriguez (LAA) RHP, RP age: 25
Curt Schilling (BOS) RHP, SP age: 40
Jason Schmidt (LAD) RHP, SP age: 34
John Smoltz (ATL) RHP, SP age: 40
Jered Weaver (LAA) RHP, SP age: 24 - 15-Day Disabled List

• It's interesting that there are no lefties in the pitching staff. But a lot of proven aces in there.
• I think this particular fantasy team will produce more home run power than I'm used to seeing.
  
• That outfield is outstanding. Total all-stars. Even on the bench.
• The infield bothers me. Particularly not having a first baseman - usually a steady source of power.

I have a number of moves pending as I look to address the lack of a healthy first baseman and a weak short-stop and third base.

Papelbon Bon Papelbon Bon

Move aside, and let the man go through... (apologies to Soul Coughing)

That massive pounding you hear out of New England is Jonathan Papelbon's fantasy value shooting way up on the announcement that he'll be Boston's closer for yet another year. With 35 saves as a rookie last year he's certainly proven in that role. Though I'd think he'd be an excellent starter and was ready to draft him for my own rotation. I'm a little surprised the Red Sox didn't make some kind of deal to bring Akinori Otsuka over to be their closer. I don't know if Texas needs two closers or they're not completely confident with Eric Gange's recovery.

I wonder how folks who have already drafted their teams feel about this move...