View Full Version : MoFo Fantasy Baseball '16 - The Regular Season
rauldc14
07-13-16, 05:22 PM
It's been low scores lately Sean
Thu, Jul 14
Clayton Kershaw (back) is expected to throw a simulated game on Sunday.
Advice: It will either be in Los Angeles or at the Dodgers' spring training facility in Glendale, Arizona. Kershaw threw a 60-pitch bullpen session on Wednesday and didn't show any ill effects. The Dodgers are debating whether he'll need a rehab assignment. It's likely he'll be back for the Dodgers' homestand that begins on July 26.
:):):):):):):):):)
Away we go. 7 man rotation for the second half. See if I can make a little ground in K and QS without killing my ERA and WHIP. Fingers crossed. Wish me luck guys. ;)
Good luck everyone. Except Tongo! ;) ;)
Good luck everyone. Except Tongo! ;) ;)
Tongo unaffected, got some good news which overpowers your ill intentions for my Naturals :D
Thu, Jul 14
Michael Brantley (shoulder) will shift his rehab assignment to Double-A Akron on Friday.
Advice: It's Brantley's third stop on his rehab tour. Brantley went 3-for-5 at his previous two stops and looks well on his way to joining the Indians sometime next week.
:):):):):):):):):):):)
Sigh! Decided to give BHam another chance. Reveres gonna be splitting time with Trea.
Glad we won today. Out of the last 29 games the Tampa Bay Rays have lost 25. Yeah...
I wonder if the Pirates/Nationals will still be going when the game starts tonight at 8pm. Pittsburgh @ Washington 1-1 in the 17th inning. Wilson Ramos went 0-5. Bastid.
18th inning now. I turned on the radio on the way to my softball game when the Nats were down to their last strike and Murphy homered. Turned it off. Got home two hours later and it's still going.
How is the softball? I think itd be a blast playing up north as it wouldnt be too hot out.
Well, it was like 86 today. Next week it'll be in the 90s. Pennsylvania still gets fairly hot, but obviously topping out around 95 most years is a lot better than hitting it for weeks on end, or whatever you guys have to deal with.
I definitely play my best when it's colder, though. Otherwise routine plays become a lot harder near the end of the game.
The main problem is Pittsburgh gets rain on about as many days as Seattle does, so particular in the Spring, we get a ton of rainouts and/or games in crappy conditions. I'll take that over sweltering, but sometimes I wonder how it'd be to play in hotter weather if it came with next to no rainouts.
Well, it was like 86 today. Next week it'll be in the 90s. Pennsylvania still gets fairly hot, but obviously topping out around 95 most years is a lot better than hitting it for weeks on end, or whatever you guys have to deal with.
I definitely play my best when it's colder, though. Otherwise routine plays become a lot harder near the end of the game.
The main problem is Pittsburgh gets rain on about as many days as Seattle does, so particular in the Spring, we get a ton of rainouts and/or games in crappy conditions. I'll take that over sweltering, but sometimes I wonder how it'd be to play in hotter weather if it came with next to no rainouts.
86 sounds awesome. Well we got the heat and the rainouts. Domes for the florida teams are a necessity in the summer, and the Buccaneers would even sell more tickets if they had a dome. So whats your position? Are you a pitcher, infield or outfielder, good on the bat? :)
Infield: I rotate between shortshop and third. My first year (2014) I was still really heavy, and I played 1st base exclusively. Second year, our shortshop got sick one game, so I filled in and it went well, and started playing there more.
Hitting has been a very steady slope: lots of hits the first year, but nearly all singles. Last year I started losing weight and started hitting doubles regularly, and homered a few times. Also hit a dozen off or near the wall, so I figured a small increase in strength would make a big difference. Made a point to lift weights this offseason and it's paid off a lot so far.
I think about softball more than I probably should these days, but I find it tremendously enjoyable.
Infield: I rotate between shortshop and third. My first year (2014) I was still really heavy, and I played 1st base exclusively. Second year, our shortshop got sick one game, so I filled in and it went well, and started playing there more.
Hitting has been a very steady slope: lots of hits the first year, but nearly all singles. Last year I started losing weight and started hitting doubles regularly, and homered a few times. Also hit a dozen off or near the wall, so I figured a small increase in strength would make a big difference. Made a point to lift weights this offseason and it's paid off a lot so far.
I think about softball more than I probably should these days, but I find it tremendously enjoyable.
Thats great, Im jealous. Yeah the shortstop and the catcher are the busiest positions on the field. I could never be a SS, my glove was....bad. Like the ball would jump out of my glove after I caught it level bad. Its funny how people assume you can hit the ball farther when bigger, but size has nothing to do with conditioned arm strength. Saw a big ol dude try and pull back on a composite bow one time, kinda almost got it halfway. Then a 13 year old girl picked the bow up and pulled it back all the way almost effortlessly. It was her bow, she was in competition.
Sigh! Mark just went 24.2 innings with a 0.00 ERA and a 0.61 Whip. At least Joe Ross had nothing to do with it. This wouldnt be an unusual accomplishment for one of Marks teams, but this year his pitchings comparatively hurting, but he needs less days like this if I am going to win.
Re: arm strength. You're totally right, arms have very little to do with it. There are guys in our league with huge arms who don't hit particularly hard or far. It's much more about leg and core strength.
How fast do the pitchers get the softball to the plate? I mentioned before my Dad played for the world champion Clearwater Bombers softball team, I think this was back in the 40s or 50s. My Dad was a catcher, and many years later during little league he met one of the other managers that he used to play against in softball, a pitcher. Well the 2 of them went out to the field in between games and put on a softball exhibition, allowing any "adult" to try and hit the ball. That guy burned that ball across the plate, which is why they didnt want a kid to try and hit against him. I had no idea the velocity those softballs could achieve.
Oh, it's just slow pitch. Haven't played fast pitch softball, though I might want to give it a try at some point.
Since the All-Star Break ended ol BHam has been doing ok the second half. Just the smallest of sample sizes, but a pretty darn good sample size at that. You know, if he could hit with the average he ran with in the minors, with the rate he steals bases he could be a huge point earner for my team.
Banknotes Harper
07-19-16, 04:20 PM
Infield: I rotate between shortshop and third. My first year (2014) I was still really heavy, and I played 1st base exclusively. Second year, our shortshop got sick one game, so I filled in and it went well, and started playing there more.
Hitting has been a very steady slope: lots of hits the first year, but nearly all singles. Last year I started losing weight and started hitting doubles regularly, and homered a few times. Also hit a dozen off or near the wall, so I figured a small increase in strength would make a big difference. Made a point to lift weights this offseason and it's paid off a lot so far.
I think about softball more than I probably should these days, but I find it tremendously enjoyable.
Chris is OPS'ing 2.167 right now. MLB MVP numbers right there. Meanwhile, I'm hitting a meager .250 on the year; got to stop hitting so many lazy fly balls.
Chris is OPS'ing 2.167 right now. MLB MVP numbers right there. Meanwhile, I'm hitting a meager .250 on the year; got to stop hitting so many lazy fly balls.
Holy crap! His average is over .640 !!! :laugh: Miggy Bowyer right thar'!
5 games in, what position you play Tim?
Banknotes Harper
07-19-16, 04:33 PM
Holy crap! His average is over .640 !!! :laugh: Miggy Bowyer right thar'!
5 games in, what position you play Tim?
Centerfield and some left. I'm also the player-manager.
Banknotes Harper
07-19-16, 05:02 PM
Also, I finally cut ties with Smyly after his less than sterling outing in Coors Field. His problem is primarily that he's given up a ton of homers, which should improve, but his second biggest problem is that he pitches in the AL East (and not on the Red Sox, O's, or Jays) and that's not going to change or help with the homers anytime soon.
Worth adding: his third biggest problem might be that he's just not very good and I refuse to recognize it. We'll see. Anyway, I picked up Taillon. He can't be worse than Smyly, right?
Smyly suffered some type of tear last year that if he got surgery for would have ended his season. He opted to rest instead. Well he started out strong this year, but fizzled fast & hard. I truly believe its related to that. The best pitcher we have right now is Matt Moore, and I dropped him before the Baltimore game, of course he had his best start ever against them then :rolleyes:, but you dont see me even dropping Adam Conley to get him back right now.
Ive never seen the Rays lower in energy than right now. Weve lost 25 out of the last 30 games, and the main reason is our overall pitching, starters and bullpen. Thats always been Tampas foundation, and without it were in a sinkhole.
Yeah, if Hanley Ramirez and Miguel Cabrera would stop dragging their ass on the carpet like a couple of dogs with worms...
http://www.relatably.com/m/img/bill-lumbergh-meme-blank/65789585.jpg
Let me show you these 2 coffin nails my team found today...
Tue, Jul 19
Indians manager Terry Francona said Tuesday that Michael Brantley is feeling discomfort again in his surgically-repaired right shoulder. Brantley feels it at the end of his swing, which is obviously a serious problem. The outfielder will undergo an enhanced image exam on Wednesday as the Indians try to gather more information about this latest setback. Brantley has been limited to 11 major league games this season and probably won't be returning anytime soon.
Tue, Jul 19
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Clayton Kershaw (back) "didn't feel great" after throwing a simulated game this weekend and has been shut down indefinitely.
Fabulous
07-19-16, 10:21 PM
Let me show you these 2 coffin nails my team found today...
Tue, Jul 19
Indians manager Terry Francona said Tuesday that Michael Brantley is feeling discomfort again in his surgically-repaired right shoulder. Brantley feels it at the end of his swing, which is obviously a serious problem. The outfielder will undergo an enhanced image exam on Wednesday as the Indians try to gather more information about this latest setback. Brantley has been limited to 11 major league games this season and probably won't be returning anytime soon.
Making me feel better that I was able to get rid of him.
Making me feel better that I was able to get rid of him.
Im...glad that you feel better. :laugh: meh. I was taking a gamble and it didnt pay off. Hopefully with Pearce back and some other additions Ill still move forward. I mean its only Brantley & Kersh...oh the hell with it :bawling:
More nights like last night, please! :D
Of course after I just got done decrying the Rays pitching, Blake Snell put in his second quality start in a row, but this time he did it @ Colorado blanking the Rockies for 6 innings and striking out 9.
I think Ill take a chance on him :yup:
More nights like last night, please! :D
Geeze, yeah, that's about as perfect as one day could be. See why you gained 6 points.
So, yesterday I caved and bought a really nice new glove. I agonized over it a bit, because it was pretty expensive, but I'm playing about 50 softball games a year, in addition to a few dozen practices, and a good glove can last 5-10 years or more. So if I take care of it, I'll get an awful lot of use out of it.
Should be here tomorrow. Nice timing, because the glove I bought a couple of years ago, which has already started to bust open, broke a little more at practice yesterday. Should be fine for a bit longer, which is good because nice gloves tend to be thick/heavy and need a fair bit of time to break in.
http://i.imgur.com/J1m4xiu.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/PVNwmoR.jpg
It almost looks like a catchers glove with the filled in netting. Nice. :up:
I'm sure all forms of webbing are fine, but I really prefer "basket web," without any see-through. Maybe it's based on those times, like twice a year during the MLB season, where a line drive goes through the webbing of someone's glove. Not really a possibility with softball, but still. Less for fingers to get caught on.
Of course after I just got done decrying the Rays pitching, Blake Snell put in his second quality start in a row, but this time he did it @ Colorado blanking the Rockies for 6 innings and striking out 9.
I think Ill take a chance on him :yup:
Considering he's another mid-tier AL East pitcher, I would rate this move, on the "is this a good idea" scale of 1-10 around the same as I would rate this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjWKNL6JBlA
LOL! :laugh: It may be. When Im 9th place though and dont really seem to be going anywhere far from it the homer urges are easier to succumb to. Hey, hes a top prospect thats getting into a scarey good groove. He blanked the Rockies in Colorado and struck out 9 in 6 innings, and that ballpark is more deadly than an AL East matchup. So Ill take a shot.
I admit he looks pretty good lately. As long as you are havin fun, man!
SP tonight 18 1/3, 20 K, 0 ER, 3 QS. String about 20 more of these nights together and I have a shot at 4th place. :D
Hanley Ramirez's bats been kinda cold, so I benched him tonight, and he hit 3 home runs. So this never happens again, I will no longer have a bench.
That is all.
Almost enough to make you wonder if "hot" and "cold" are really things at all, eh? ;)
Well yall get your waiver claims ready cause Im gonna go full-TONGO tomorrow morning. 3 home run day on my bench.... aw hell naw! :mad:
Just look out!
http://weknowmemes.com/generator/uploads/generated/g1370271411554711907.jpg
Just look out!
http://weknowmemes.com/generator/uploads/generated/g1370271411554711907.jpg
You guys are smoking out of the break. I have to admit my favorite thing about your stat line last night. Felik 2K. I feel like that is the trade that could bite me in the ass, time will tell.
He was clearly rusty in his first start back in the big leagues. I am not worried about him just yet. Meanwhile, offense is on blast.
Not today, though. Only 2 players going! :rotfl:
Rays are starting to win ballgames again......oh thank you thank you thank you.... That losing stretch was a soul drainer.
https://twitter.com/EvanDrellich/status/756284989776461825
Im gonna miss him even more than Jeter. He was always this looming threat in the batters box, like what a dreaded slugger would look like in a cartoon, he just looks mean. Always a nervous at-bat for the opposing team. Pretty much he has been the face of the Red Sox. People may say the #1 component to breaking the Babes "Curse" on Boston. Anyone that doubts he should be in the Hall just need look at his #'s his final season and compare it to other players in the halls final season - case closed :yup:
Been a Yankee fan for going on 30 years and there has never anyone I wanted to see at bat in a big spot less than Ortiz. No brainer HOFer. An absolute stud with a bat in his hand.
Who is the next Ortiz?! Who is the next prototypical DH that will take that mantle? Maybe the closest bet is Pujols but his bat has to be going like it is presently all of the time rather than the sometimes it does now. Kennys Vargas?! Im kidding.
Clutch is an impossible thing to quantify really. I don't think anyone right now is as intimidating, but I also don't watch like I used to.
Tough call. There is only one Big Papi, and Albert is a decent guess for the next guy in line for most-feared DH guy, but I think I would choose Miguel!
Tough call. There is only one Big Papi, and Albert is a decent guess for the next guy in line for most-feared DH guy, but I think I would choose Miguel!
Miggys a first baseman though, and will be known as the greatest hitter in our generation. There hasnt been a true force thats just a DH though except Papi. Pujols even stuggled as a DH right out the gate when coming to LA.
They mentioned this in "Inning 10" of Ken Burns Baseball. Inning 10 is a great watch y'all, it talks of more current happenings and the steroid era, which Papi is not mentioned as being a part of.
You know Papi plays first base too, right? Not very well, but that's where they pop him in NL parks when we play there. :) This year he is out there much less, though.
I hear ya though. V-Mart is the true DH on that team right now.
rauldc14
07-22-16, 10:09 PM
My bats are hot today! 0 for 18!!!
My bats are hot today! 0 for 18!!!
Thats always for suck. Avg woes are the worst.
Speaking of Avg woes, I slot in Angel Pagan for an Avg Obp bump, and he goes 0/5. He gave me a bump in the wrong direction. What a stupid name...
Yahoo App got fancy-schmancy
Jonathan Schoop just hit 10 Foul Balls in a row....then flied out to left - Doh'!
Only in baseball.....
Report: White Sox ace Sale didn't want to wear throwbacks
CHICAGO (AP) -- Chicago White Sox ace Chris Sale was scratched from his start against the Detroit Tigers on Saturday night after he was involved in what the team said was a "non-physical clubhouse incident."
Sale, who was to attempt to become the majors' first 15-game winner, was sent home from the park.
FanRag Sports first reported the incident involved Sale's protest of the throwback jerseys the team was scheduled to wear. Fox Sports reported Sale cut up the throwback jerseys during batting practice. :lol:
http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/report-white-sox-ace-sale-didnt-want-to-wear-throwbacks/ar-BBuJ53O?li=BBnb7Kz
Banknotes Harper
07-25-16, 01:13 AM
Chris Sale is a huge baby.
Aroldis Chapman is now on the Chicago CUBS!!!
https://twitter.com/theaceofspaeder/status/757623687600336896
That's pretty much the only thing that could've happened to make Chapman more valuable as a closer. So as a Chapman owner: cool.
As a Pirates fan: sh*t.
Banknotes Harper
07-25-16, 04:03 PM
Well, the Pirate-oriented silver lining here is that he didn't come cheaply. The Yankees didn't get Schwarber, like they originally wanted, but the got Gleyber Torres, Adam Warren (back), Billy McKinney, and some other guy. John Sickels, my favorite prospect writer, has Torres as a B+ guy and McKinney as a B; they were the Cubs' 1st and 3rd ranked prospects.
Yeah, on net it could easily be good news for the Bucs, with the thinking being they weren't going to catch the Cubs this year anyway, and this makes them less competitive several years from now, when the odds are decent both these teams will still be contending (the Pirates, perhaps peaking then, with several younger players likely hitting their primes ~2019).
Banknotes Harper
07-25-16, 04:14 PM
This is mostly good news for me: Chapman leaving should make Miller the closer (and promote Betances to the 8th), but it also means that Strop's up and down season as the primary holds guy in Chicago is over.
You gain the Yankee closer but lose the Cubs' closer, right? Might be a net positive given how the whole setup roles shake out, of course.
Banknotes Harper
07-25-16, 04:39 PM
Oh yeah, right, I have Rondon too. Yeah, my bullpen is slightly worse off now.
David Price pitching for Boston, now BJ Uptons playing for Toronto. :facepalm: Next up is James Shields with the Yankees.
Oh and if anyones wondering how important Madden was to the Rays, look at our record. This is worse then when Dungy left the Bucs cause Gruden kept them afloat until he got his papers. Now the Rays and Buccaneers are shades of their former selves. If the Rays were to move I wouldnt mind as much because theyd finally have money coming in to compete, and theyd have a much greater chance to be a winner. People just dont show up to the games down here, and the Bucs screwed themselves by not having a Dome with air conditioning. Ok sorry Im done.
Somebody please explain this to me.....the Blue Jays have BJ Upton batting 4th cleanup, and Jose Bautistas in the leadoff spot 1st.
http://www.sherv.net/cm/emoticons/confused/confused-face-smiley-emoticon.gif
rauldc14
07-27-16, 06:15 PM
1 for 17. Man what is going on.
1 for 17. Man what is going on.
Get this, last 78 at bats Ive hit 13 balls, that a 0.166 avg :sick: I dumped Gallo cause hes no solution to my avg & obp woes.
Banknotes Harper
07-28-16, 01:51 AM
Somebody please explain this to me.....the Blue Jays have BJ Upton batting 4th cleanup, and Jose Bautistas in the leadoff spot 1st.
http://www.sherv.net/cm/emoticons/confused/confused-face-smiley-emoticon.gif
OBP is the big factor there
To me, Upton is the ideal 5-hole hitter. Power to drive in the middle guys, but also capable of stealing ahead of the lower-power guys at the bottom of the order.
So after much overhauling this past week, more overhauling than usual even by my standards, I present to everyone the bulk of my team moving forward -
C_ Wilson Ramos
1B Joey Votto
2B Martin Prado
3B Justin Turner
SS Aledmys Diaz
OF Christian Yelich
OF Hunter Pence (back saturday!)
OF Hanley Ramirez
UT Billy Hamilton
UT Javier Baez
Hopefully one day Michael Brantley will return - DL.
Have 2 empty bench slots for Off days.
SP Matt Moore
SP Danny Duffy
RP Sam Dyson
RP Will Harris
P_ Tony Cingrani
P_ Ryan Dull
P_ Joe Blanton
SP Brandon McCarthy
SP Dan Straily
SP Zach Davies
SP Tyler Skaggs is a question mark.
Banknotes Harper
07-30-16, 05:39 PM
I probably had my best hitting day of the year yesterday (hopefully not, though): 16/36, 12 R, 6 HR, 18 RBI, 1 SB, .444 avg, .488 OBP
I was in the process of dropping Heyward when he homered, earning him some more leeway. Here's to hoping.
rauldc14
07-30-16, 06:10 PM
I'm not going to lie Tongo, on paper you have a pitiful team in my opinion.
But you are ahead of me.
I'm not going to lie Tongo, on paper you have a pitiful team in my opinion.
But you are ahead of me.
Thanks.
Banknotes Harper
07-31-16, 12:04 PM
The Indians–on the verge of becoming the AL's distinctly-best team–are still looking for a catcher because Lucroy exercised his no-trade clause for some reason.
rauldc14
07-31-16, 12:20 PM
Is Betances the Yankees closer now?
Kevin Pillar, Joc Pederson, and Neil Walker....lets see if they turned the corner.
Wow, shocked by the Lucroy thing. Nobody seemed to consider he'd opt to do that, given his stated desire to play for a contender.
Dude must really hate Cleveland. :laugh:
EDIT: apparently it was this (http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2016/07/31/jonathan-lucroy-vetoes-trade-indians/87884212/):
Lucroy, who had the Indians on his non-trade list, vetoed the trade Sunday morning when the Indians would not only provide financial incentives for him to accept the deal, but also would not guarantee that he would be their everyday catcher in 2017, a person with direct knowledge of the trade told USA TODAY Sports. The person spoke only on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the talks.
Kevin Pillar, Joc Pederson, and Neil Walker....lets see if they turned the corner.
Same with Snell & Smyly. Past couple games theyve been rock solid. If Rauld had responded to my trade offer of Duffy for Odorizzi, Id have the entire Rays starting rotation again. :yup:
Trade Deadline 4pm EST today. Wonder if theres gonna be any last minute moves. Theres been tons of talks about Pearce, and all the Rays pitchers. :sick:
Banknotes Harper
08-01-16, 01:48 PM
Kevin Pillar, Joc Pederson, and Neil Walker....lets see if they turned the corner.
Kevin Pillar is probably the least likely to do so given that the Jays got Upton. If he can't start hitting soon, my sense is that Upton's going to get most of his AB's at Pillar's expense.
Banknotes Harper
08-01-16, 01:49 PM
It looks like Jay Bruce is about to be traded to the Mets; it seems very likely that Rich Hill is going to be moved; and I feel pretty confident that Lucroy is going to go somewhere.
Banknotes Harper
08-01-16, 02:00 PM
Rich Hill and Josh Reddick are going to the Dodgers
Mets are getting Jay Bruce
Mets' trade for Bruce reportedly on hold
http://m.mlb.com/news/article/192999400/mets-trade-for-jay-bruce-reportedly-on-hold/
Banknotes Harper
08-01-16, 03:57 PM
Beltran's going to the Rangers; Yankees get another B+ prospect. The Yankees' farm system is GOOD now.
Banknotes Harper
08-01-16, 05:16 PM
All kinds of things just happened in the last 30 minutes:
-Lucroy/Jeffress going to Texas
-Twins trade for Hector Santiago for some reason
-Steve Pearce to the O's
-Pirates get Ivan Nova
-Matt Moore to the Giants (and not the Pirates, phew)
-Pirates trade Jon Niese for Antonio Bastardo in what I'd like to consider the "Most Tongo Transaction" of the day
-Steve Pearce to the O's
-Matt Moore to the Giants (and not the Pirates, phew)
http://www.reactiongifs.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/kirk1.gif
Danny Duffys 7 innings into a no hitter @ Tampa Bay :rolleyes: 14 Ks already too, nice sendoff present as he becomes Tims tomorrow.
Stroman with a nice 13K start last eve.
Grabbed one of the "hot top prospects" being called up. With Aledmys Diaz breaking his hand :facepalm:, thanks for the 4 days of production btw, I needed a shortstop. So I got Milwaukees Orlando Arcia. :shrug: Hope he does well!
David Price, man. No rhyme or reason to it. K rate is up, walk rate is down, peripherals are better than last season. But he's getting BABIP'd and HR/FB rated to death. Bizarre.
https://twitter.com/Mariners/status/761031841579081730
Todays the 23rd Anniversary of the great Nolan Rya/Robin Ventura White Sox/Rangers shrum!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIZB9O24BEE
Bo Jackson makes an appearance
https://twitter.com/jonmorosi/status/761564022575628288
Gah. Painful reality finally sunk in, I dont have a shot at winning this season :nope: hm
Ken Giles has 17 Ks in his last 5.2 innings. His last 12 outs have all come via the strikeout, and he hasn't allowed a run in over seven weeks. Earlier today, he managed six Ks in just 1.2 innings, because one of the runners reached first on a dropped strike. Ha.
This is the guy the Astros thought they were getting when they sold the farm for him in the offseason.
Look out world, here comes James Paxton! Grrrr :)
https://twitter.com/JeffFletcherOCR/status/762412672193298432
Banknotes Harper
08-08-16, 05:13 PM
Good baseball weekend:
-Went to the Pirates' walk-off on Friday
-Giancarlo hit the first 500 ft homer in baseaball since, I think, Adam Dunn in 2006
-Ichiro tripled for #3000
-Phils turned a triple play
-Trout robbed a grand slam on his 25th birthday. Yes, he just turned 25.
Good baseball weekend:
-Went to the Pirates' walk-off on Friday
-Giancarlo hit the first 500 ft homer in baseaball since, I think, Adam Dunn in 2006
-Ichiro tripled for #3000
-Phils turned a triple play
-Trout robbed a grand slam on his 25th birthday. Yes, he just turned 25.
You forgot this bit.
8/8:Clayton Kershaw had a throwing session on Sunday for the first time since July 16. His rehab had been shut down then, and there has been speculation that he'll get season-ending surgery, but the throwing session Sunday indicates the Dodgers are optimistic that he will pitch again this season. One throwing session is still a long way from pitching in the big leagues, but he's eligible to return from the D.L. on August 27, and it looks like the team could be targeting having Kershaw back for the final weeks of the season in September. It would be a big shot in the arm to have their onetime Cy Young contender back. Amazingly, he's still tied for the major league lead in pitcher WAR with a 4.6, despite not having pitched since June 26.
Dan, who's on one of my softball teams, took a slo-mo video of batting practice yesterday. And you all know slo-mo makes everything look cool: even hits where my front foot flies out too far and I get under the ball.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTwb8aWfQ_8
Dude you need the Chariots Of Fire music in the background, and right when you hit the ball it goes into the heavy base :)
Odds are high I'm going to sink an hour I don't have into doing exactly that now.
Banknotes Harper
08-10-16, 07:06 PM
Dan, who's on one of my softball teams, took a slo-mo video of batting practice yesterday. And you all know slo-mo makes everything look cool: even hits where my front foot flies out too far and I get under the ball.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTwb8aWfQ_8
Even the balls that you don't hit perfectly go pretty far. I didn't realize Dan was filming when he abruptly ran in from right field. I want him to do that for me next time so I can actually look at my swing and tweak it.
Yeah, I think he should do a bunch of them. And I'd love to get a good swing on film. I hit the first one he tried to record perfectly, but he didn't realize there was a delay when he tried to start, so it didn't take. D'oh.
Banknotes Harper
08-12-16, 01:57 PM
Tonight is A-Rod's last game as a Yankee (maybe ever!); Girardi denied his request to let him play 3rd or SS. That doesn't seem right to me, to be honest, since they're at the end of a fire sale, playing the horrible Rays (sorry, Tongs), and they accommodated Jeter playing a position that was over his head for his last 7 years or so.
Banknotes Harper
08-12-16, 06:29 PM
Also, I wish that Waino/Osuna trade processed one day later. Yikes.
Also, I wish that Waino/Osuna trade processed one day later. Yikes.
even if it did, he woulda been on bench for us against the Cubs ;)
After many many years, and attempts, it looks like Mark may finally land his white whale this season. Unless someones roster goes off monumentally this last quarter, it may just be a lock that he'll win.
Boy, I've had an insane number of very good/excellent starters, or decent starters with great matchups, some have bad starts lately (though for David Price, it's inexplicably been going on all year). Oy.
Wouldn't shock me if these guys were incredible down the stretch, but we're running out of time for the true underlying skills to assert themselves.
https://twitter.com/MLBNetworkRadio/status/765152462265282561
rauldc14
08-15-16, 12:22 PM
As a Marlins fan. Oy.
Unbelievable the Yankees didn't want him to hit 700 with them.
Unbelievable the Yankees didn't want him to hit 700 with them.
That was truly an ugly slap in the face to him. Obviously those old wounds never completely scabbed over.
8/16:In the middle of what has been a very productive month, Miguel Cabrera exited last night's game in the fourth inning with with a left bicep strain. He is officially listed as day-to-day, but manager Brad Ausmus and others in the Tiger camp don't seem to believe that the injury is too serious. Miggy is batting .310 with 27 HR and 77 RBI, so any time missed will be a blow for fantasy owners.--Displaced Tigers Fan
He will probably play thru it, but it will surely affect his production.
Sayonara McCann!
Good riddance!
Sayonara McCann!
Good riddance!
:yup:
Good pitching weekend. Hope they can keep it up going forward!
I present to you all the worst cast of closers in MoFo Fantasy Baseball history!
Tony Cingrani
Brandon Maurer
and newbie Fernando Salas!
Feel the heat! .....and if you happen feel any please let me know
Fabulous
08-23-16, 05:14 PM
I present to you all the worst cast of closers in MoFo Fantasy Baseball history!
Tony Cingrani
Brandon Maurer
and newbie Fernando Salas!
Feel the heat! .....and if you happen feel any please let me know
All of my closers were traded and are now setup men at their new teams.
https://lh3.ggpht.com/AI_ouYRcUbpFq_pHLHkrUlHOug8Nyg6GBCTufZgSVY7sFofTcoHkgoT8SP-hFivjWg=w300
;)
rauldc14
08-25-16, 10:20 AM
Thanks to whoever for giving me Jackie Bradley Jr.
https://lh3.ggpht.com/AI_ouYRcUbpFq_pHLHkrUlHOug8Nyg6GBCTufZgSVY7sFofTcoHkgoT8SP-hFivjWg=w300
;)
11.5 points in three days over here. We've got ourselves a ballgame.
QUACK.
Seriously. Kudos to you for the great stuff this past week. Not only overtaking me and Lem in 2nd, but now just a hair out of first.
Just look out!
I was trying to find a picture from Duck Hunt where all the ducks are getting away, but I didn't, so just imagine I posted it.
But yeah, we've got quite a pileup at the top now. Anything could happen. I'm pretty sure Mark will regain a bit of distance in the next week, but with over a month still left...
rauldc14
08-25-16, 10:32 AM
https://media.giphy.com/media/ra75UYT9LjKSY/giphy.gif
Thanks to whoever for giving me Jackie Bradley Jr.
ah! Theres gloating pleasure of having the #1 waiver position. :laugh:
You dont want Bradley Jr Rauld, you want Neil Walker :yup:
https://memecrunch.com/meme/A39OB/movin-on-up/image.jpg?w=470&c=1
In other news:
"Baseball Season Ends Early. In an unprecedented move by the MLB commission, The Official 2016 MLB season has been declared complete. Thanks Obama!"
....only 27 more points to go!!! Im comin for ya's!!!! Im not holding back! Here it comes! :)
http://images2.fanpop.com/image/photos/10900000/Animal-House-animal-house-10954981-950-534.jpg
* from Animal House
Thanks to whoever for giving me Jackie Bradley Jr.
yes, thanks for giving him Bradley so his stats can drop lower, lol
Unbelievable the Yankees didn't want him to hit 700 with them.
you gotta hit the ball to hit homeruns....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56ChCGe7uzU
That feeling when you wake up and realize you've retaken first from Icela...er, I mean Mark and Mike.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvZ8Ul2YdmA
QUACK.
Heres me hoping the LA Dodgers are so disgusted with Puig they let him go to this unnamed team rather than deal with 29 in the offseason.
mikeython1
08-31-16, 02:52 PM
That feeling when you wake up and realize you've retaken first from Icela...er, I mean Mark and Mike.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvZ8Ul2YdmA
QUACK.
I have not seen that movie in a long time. Wow that might be one of the cheesiest(I mean awesome) scenes ever. C'mon Yoda you know you are predestined to come in 2nd place.;)
Ok, this is pretty boss :yup:
https://twitter.com/darrenrovell/status/770991117454147586
*Leaves a duck's head in Yoda's bed*
For an off day, Yoda sure seemed to have a monster one, gaining 7 points :eek: This late in the season, this high in the rankings, and this could make him the one to catch now this last month.
https://suntimesmedia.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/513579778_59779609.jpg?w=500
The top 3 in September tally...
Freedonia Ducks (Yoda) 109
Dodgers (Mark F) 104
Clockwork Angels (Sedai & Lem) 103
*Leaves a duck's head in Yoda's bed*
Could you do that again? Please? ;)
rauldc14
09-02-16, 11:32 AM
I still got this guys. Sorry to say.
Sept 3rd
1. Freedonia Ducks 109.5
2. Dodgers 105
3. Clockwork Angels 102.5
Monday Sept 5th
Dodgers 109.5
Freedonia 109
Clockwork 104
Damn! This is like the 3rd pitcher in 3 years..."Matt Shoemaker had to be rushed to the hospital Sunday after taking a line drive to the head. He suffered a small skull fracture and hematoma, and needed emergency late-night surgery to stop additional bleeding. The right-hander is likely done pitching in 2016." :eek: This one actually sounds worse than Cobb & Happs.
I was at the game with Powdered Water when it happened. Awful. Was amazed at how far the ball flew after it hit him. Hope he recovers.
I was at the game with Powdered Water when it happened. Awful. Was amazed at how far the ball flew after it hit him. Hope he recovers.
Oh my gosh! Im surprised you didnt mention that. They need to make them wear something, hell even a strap of lether on their heads is better than the cloth cap theyre wearing now.
How is PW? :)
Sorry, crazy busy here and was just gonna catch up when I got back.
He's good, was fun to meet him again. We got a picture I'll post when I'm home.
Well!
Marks Dodgers 112
Yodas Freedonia Ducks 111
.....and all the way in 3rd is ...
Mike & Lems Clockwork Angels 102.5
Obviously this is closer than it looks, but for anyone not named Yoda or Mark, our chances dont look good :nope:
Back and forth. Punch, counterpunch.
And down the stretch they come...
Oh, BTW, when I was at the game with PW he said he thought there was a good chance he could rejoin the baseball league next year. :up:
Oh, BTW, when I was at the game with PW he said he thought there was a good chance he could rejoin the baseball league next year. :up:
OH! Now thats awesome! Already looking forward to next year, obviously, and now even more.
This uh....close race youre in with Mark, I bet its kinda unnerving you after getting 2nd place 3 years in a row. Gotta love that tension! :laugh:
Three in a row and four of the last five. :laugh:
It's mostly just fun to be in it until the end every year. But yeah, would be nice to break on through again. I think I've got a pretty good chance, though if we keep going back and forth it might just come down to whose guys come through on the last day.
Three in a row and four of the last five. :laugh:
It's mostly just fun to be in it until the end every year. But yeah, would be nice to break on through again. I think I've got a pretty good chance, though if we keep going back and forth it might just come down to whose guys come through on the last day.
You know....no matter what happens Ive a feeling you wont look bad from it. :nope:
2009 1st place
2010 1st place
2011 2nd place
2012 The flu?
2013 2nd place
2014 2nd place
2015 2nd place
2016 Most likely 1st or 2nd place. Thats scary impressive. I gotta root for Mark & Mike though as theyre underdogs, and never won before.
I wish I could make the podium, but I need 20 points just to be around 4th :sick:
So, how many days in a row has first place changed hands between Mark and I? Five? Six?
Whatever this is worth, these were the scores on Statracker after the games last night...
Freedonia Ducks 115
Marks Dodgers 113
New person in 3rd,
High Level Arbitrage 101
adjusted
Yodas Freedonia Ducks 114.5
Marks Dodgers 112.5
Tims High Level Arbitrage 101
yes, thanks for giving him Bradley so his stats can drop lower, lol
Since this was posted, he's hitting .326 with 12 runs, 3 homers, and 11 RBIs. ;)
Meanwhile, Mark and I are still slugging it out.
I felt pretty darn good about my chances until I lost Gerrit Cole and Matt Shoemaker for the year. Oof. Seems metaphorically appropriate that any late season curveballs I get are from the pitchers.
That said, I'd like to thank Jose Abreu and Freddie Freeman for totally vindicating my faith in them when their first half peripherals outstripped their production. :up: Both have been ridiculous since.
If I dont fall apart these last two weeks I might be able to nab 5th place again this season. Other than making too many moves or trades, yeah that little thing :rolleyes:, I will find a website next season to rank these batters peripherals. I dont know WAR or all the different gauges/statistics, and until I do, this may be as good as it gets for me.
Fantasy Baseballs more like poker than fantasy football, by bunches. Its always been either Mark or Yoda up there, TONGO want at that final table next year :yup:
His continued incredible production compels me to post. There is a diamond standing out in the middle of my mediocre squad, it shines as bright as any players in baseball
and his name is Trea Turner. Just awesome :yup:
https://img.washingtonpost.com/rf/image_480w/2010-2019/WashingtonPost/2016/09/01/Production/Daily/Sports/Images/589394974-1966.jpg?uuid=lB3QMHB8EeaDZbGeQoqXXg
Banknotes Harper
09-20-16, 05:47 PM
His continued incredible production compels me to post. There is a diamond standing out in the middle of my mediocre squad, it shines as bright as any players in baseball
and his name is Trea Turner. Just awesome :yup:
https://img.washingtonpost.com/rf/image_480w/2010-2019/WashingtonPost/2016/09/01/Production/Daily/Sports/Images/589394974-1966.jpg?uuid=lB3QMHB8EeaDZbGeQoqXXg
Is Trea single-handedly pulling you up in the standings? He's been terrific.
Is Trea single-handedly pulling you up in the standings? He's been terrific.
Yeah pretty much. Hes had some help from Votto & Kendrys Morales, but to see a rookie come in and slay like this, its pretty damn special. Not even I would trade him.
Banknotes Harper
09-20-16, 10:02 PM
Yeah pretty much. Hes had some help from Votto & Kendrys Morales, but to see a rookie come in and slay like this, its pretty damn special. Not even I would trade him.
"but to see a rookie come in and slay like this, its pretty damn special."
See also: 2015 :p
"but to see a rookie come in and slay like this, its pretty damn special."
See also: 2015 :p
Ooooh! He only had 40 at bats, that dont count lol! :nope:
Banknotes Harper
09-20-16, 10:09 PM
I didn't mean him. I meant that 2015 had a generational-type rookie class with Correa, Lindor, Bryant, Jung Ho Gang, Addison Russell, Matt Duffy, Randal Grichuk, Syndergaard, and Ken Giles.
I didn't mean him. I meant that 2015 had a generational-type rookie class with Correa, Lindor, Bryant, Jung Ho Gang, Addison Russell, Matt Duffy, Randal Grichuk, Syndergaard, and Ken Giles.
Yeah I wish Matt Duffy played like Trea Turner does now. Grichuk hasnt proven consistent either, but yeah I get your point. If Treas the next coming of Altuve though, watch out!
We should do keeper leagues starting next year. We have alot of returning owners that could/would nurture their squads season to season, does this appeal to anyone else? :)
Banknotes Harper
09-20-16, 11:51 PM
Generally-speaking: I'm in favor of almost any measure that makes the league more engaging. I'm almost certainly a yes vote for: keeper league, doing an auction draft, adopting a FA pool (FAAB), etc. The only somewhat common fantasy baseball setting that I'm really against is doing an NL (or AL) only league.
rauldc14
09-20-16, 11:54 PM
Wait, baseball is still going? I thought just football.
Banknotes Harper
09-20-16, 11:59 PM
Wait, baseball is still going? I thought just football.
I'm so sad that this is almost true :(:(:(:(:(
Wait, baseball is still going? I thought just football.
Speaking of which, I hope all you guys are still setting lineups. This stuff still affects the outcome for everyone else.
Banknotes Harper
09-22-16, 12:35 PM
107.5 pts!
This is my high-water mark for the season and it puts me firmly in striking distance of 2nd, but maybe not 1st.
mikeython1
09-22-16, 12:45 PM
Generally-speaking: I'm in favor of almost any measure that makes the league more engaging. I'm almost certainly a yes vote for: keeper league, doing an auction draft, adopting a FA pool (FAAB), etc. The only somewhat common fantasy baseball setting that I'm really against is doing an NL (or AL) only league.
I definitely would be in favor of switching things up a bit doing an doing an auction next year.
Same.
I think a keeper league would require a bit more engagement than we have, with a little less owner turnover. But I'd love to do an auction and/or Free Agent Budget.
Banknotes Harper
09-22-16, 01:28 PM
The auction is super fun. My other baseball league and fantasy NBA league use the auction format and it's great. The only downside is that we'd need pretty much everyone to live draft because the auto-drafting computer is terrible and it takes more time.
ScarletLion
09-22-16, 04:41 PM
As a Giants fan I am thoroughly depressed at the situation. I know we are better than 2/3rds of baseball but to be the only ever team to get to halfway and then win less than 40% of games in the 2nd half of the season absolutely sucks. Still, where there's a will there's a way.
As long as the Dodgers don't get WS rings I'll be happy.
Banknotes Harper
09-22-16, 05:39 PM
The Pirates are probably going to miss the WC this year. Of the 6 teams who are more in the running in the NL, I'm rooting for:
1) Mets
2) Dodgers
3) Giants
4) Nats
5) Cardinals
6) Cubs
I would describe myself as fringe-liking 1 and 2 and hating the rest of them to varying degrees.
I'd probably (barely) put the Nats over the Giants, bother than that, yeah, pretty much the same order.
I was actually kinda looking forward to the idea of a Pirate WC game on the road, where I can stay home, get a bunch of food, and just watch comfortably. If it were held here I'd have to make myself go. Probably gonna be neither though, yeah. Lame year.
Banknotes Harper
09-23-16, 12:25 PM
Losing last night along with SF/NYM wins is probably the nail in the coffin. The E# dropped from 8 to 6.
Meanwhile, HLA is a mere 5 points off of the lead. Though I expect some fallback in the next day or so since I gained about 5 points in the last 3 days. Still, I'm right there with 10 days to go.
No such thing as an E Sharp! What's next... B sharp??
;)
I wish I had more time to catch up to Boston (Mike & Lem), gah. Hopefully Ill get at least 5th again.
Cmon Mark......
Terrible news, fellas:
Jose Fernandez Killed in Boating Accident (http://www.wcvb.com/news/miami-marlins-pitcher-jose-fernandez-killed-in-boating-accident/41818732?utm_source=Social&utm_medium=FBPAGE&utm_campaign=WCVB%20Channel%205%20Boston%20-%20wcvb5)
So sad! :(
Oh man...........:eek: RIP Jose, what a horrible tragedy
rauldc14
09-25-16, 11:10 AM
Words can't describe how I feel as a Marlins fan. I am devastated.
I almost didn't believe it when I saw that link, like it was some joke where the whole punchline was how crazy it sounds. So sad, and so surreal.
Special talent, and by all accounts a really fun guy, too. RIP.
Banknotes Harper
09-26-16, 12:53 PM
Crushing news; I've been really sad ever since I heard.
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/i-cant-wait-to-tell-my-son-about-jose-fernandez/
First Jose Fernandez, then Arnold Palmer, but at least Arnie lived a full life & then some. Hopefully there isnt a third coming.
http://mlb.mlb.com/images/9/5/2/203512952/092616_mia_players_surround_mound_med_dvycd8lm.gif
On night heavy with grief, Dee Gordon produces magic
Smallest guy on field homers after tribute to fallen teammate
Dee Gordon was holding the bat. We know that.
But the forces that swung it through the strike zone?
Those are impossible to know, to quantify, to attribute.
Carl Sagan says that "if you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe." Maybe Sagan could explain the dynamics that were at work at Marlins Park on Monday night, but it's a fool's mission to even try.
Let's just say that the magic Gordon delivered with a leadoff home run was a lot bigger than any one player, especially the smallest one on the field.
"We had some help," Gordon said.
On Sunday, when the news of Jose Fernandez's death was as fresh as it was heartbreaking, Martin Prado admitted it would be tough to go on.
They beat the Mets, 7-3, then circled the pitcher's mound marked with Fernandez's No. 16. They started on their feet, locked arm in arm, and many ended on their knees. While fans in the crowd of 26,933 chanted, "Jose, Jose, Jose,'' the guys in uniform stayed a long time before leaving their caps near the pitching rubber and heading off the field.
When the Marlins took their positions to face the Mets, after Sunday's game against Atlanta was postponed, Christian Yelich, Giancarlo Stanton, Gordon and other players had tear stains mixing with their eye black.
They couldn't have known where they'd find the strength to take their first steps without Fernandez.
Yet Gordon, the skinny leadoff man listed at 170 pounds, showed them.
https://twitter.com/Marlins/status/780594500515209216
A left-handed hitter, he went to the plate to bat right-handed, the way his friend Jose hit. He wore a batting helmet marked with Fernandez's No. 16.
Gordon took the first pitch for a ball, then exchanged the first helmet for his own and moved over to the left side. He looked at ball two, then took a big swing at one of Colon's trademark 85-mph fastballs. The baseball soared high and far, into the upper deck in right field, Gordon's first home run in 306 at-bats, since the final game of the 2015 season.
Then, in the time it took him to circle the bases, he fell apart.
Gordon was crying before he touched home plate, then started sobbing as he received hugs from his friends. First, Marcell Ozuna, the on-deck hitter, then Stanton and essentially everyone else who, like him, was wearing a black, No. 16 Fernandez jersey.
"I told the boys, 'If y'all don't believe in God, you might as well start [believing],'' Gordon said. "I've never hit a ball that far, even in batting practice.''
http://m.mlb.com/news/article/203591184/on-grief-filled-night-dee-gordon-brings-magic/
Aside from the tragedy, historically 2016 Dee Gordon would have been known as the guy caught cheating, and was suspended. Thats erased now, instead he will be known as the guy that hit the magical home run. :)
^^^I had deleted that thinking it was a distraction but saw Seds repped it so I posted it again.
Just set my starters through Sunday. The end of another disappointing fantasy season. There have been enough now that I can officially say I am bad at a game I used to be pretty damn good at. Upsetting but I am not frustrated like I was last year. Determined to have a good year next season.
rauldc14
09-27-16, 06:43 PM
In honor of Jose Fernandez, I am keeping him on my team.
Blimey. Looks like we will just miss a trophy this season.
Too little, too late!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuxNTBHAWHA
QUACK.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=le83gDk-ROA
QUACK. (http://i.imgur.com/MjFZvxv.png)
http://img.bhs4.com/5d/6/5d6e21c53c061a3036b3f9c507060f0f8ffdeb1b_large.jpg
I wish we were drafting for next years baseball team right now, that way we could trade players in the offseason. :)
Sorry Mark, I was really hoping youd get it this year.
Congrats Yoda :up: ;)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeInEEgMfqQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CDOLMB1_1U
QUACK.
https://twitter.com/CSNHayes/status/782032376281100288
A one hitter so far
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c78b4r2nEdY
Angel Pagan with the takedown. He psyched the fan out pretty good acting like he was wanting to shake hands, stupid drunks. :laugh:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gE2OjvyJmjE
QUACK.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpjiCv2jPdU
QUACK.
Lucroy with a big home run! Could help shift multiple categories.
http://www.baseballdailydigest.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/1-1.jpg
Three of Mike's seven starters today have left the game short of qualifying for a QS. At this point it looks like he could get maybe three if things break really well, but 1-2 looks more likely.
Diaz up with the bases loaded; huge implications there, with RBIs as close as they are...
Lucroy has a seat.
Gonna see a whole lot of these start players sit out the last few innings, so things could quiet down in a hurry. No game changers yet...
Three of Mike's seven starters today have left the game short of qualifying for a QS.
Make that four.
Remaining starters:
Moore, 4 IP, 1 ER
Chacin, 5 IP, 0 ER
Clemens, 5 IP, 1 ER
Biggest danger for all three is getting pulled early, at this point.
3 QS it is. Had 2nd place for a while, but Mark pulled off a hit just in time to get back in there. What a finish!
It was pretty exciting. I don't want to jinx anybody, but you still have to factor in any ties there are in BA, OPS, ERA and WHIP to figure out the final standings, except for Yoda.
http://bestanimations.com/Cartoons/WarnerBros/funny-duffy-duck-looney-toons-animated-gif-11.gif
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCgHRhHhBAU
QUACK!
.5 points off from a trophy.
Dang!
Congrats Yoda!!! Fun year everyone, very competitive.
I will get my vote in early for an auction draft next year. Those are tons of fun.
Wait, have the final stats updated yet on the main page?
Whew. Finally.
http://i.imgur.com/jK3Sb4y.png
My offense somehow hit below .200 for something like 5-6 straight days leading up to yesterday, so the whole thing was a lot more dramatic than expected. That, along with the inevitable "throw everything against the wall and see what sticks" strategies that inevitably permeate the last couple of days, meant I had to make a couple of tough choices about who to start.
It was obvious Mike (well, I would guess it was more likely Lem) was making a run at Ks, for example. So I looked at IP and K rates for the random dudes he was tossing out there and came up with a guess for how many he might rack up, so I could decide how many starters of my own I needed to risk rolling out.
You ever hear the phrase "back of the napkin"? Well, this time it was a paper towel, but close enough. I decided he'd get around 34 Ks:
http://i.imgur.com/qZYIdYI.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/dHAUK9r.jpg
I figured I should get enough to offset this with three starters, but it might be close. But he had to use every slot for this starters, and I had four relievers going, so the odds were good I'd get a relief appearance or two to cover any under or over performers. And that's exactly what happened: when all our starters had finished, the Angels had the lead in Ks by one, and then Hudson and Romo came in and flipped it back. Won the category by two. Would've been fine if I'd started Kennedy anyway (and it'd have gotten me another half point), but I was primarily trying to limit downside, since the odds of being caught in ERA or WHIP by someone streaming six guys was pretty small.
Needless to say, after 2014's ending I didn't do any celebrating last night. I saved all my exhalation for this morning.
Wait, have the final stats updated yet on the main page?
Yeah. Why; something weird on your end?
Some general additional thoughts:
Thanks to everyone for a great season. Special thanks to the teams that stayed active all year, and an extra special thanks to Mike, Tim, and Mark for the crazy sprint to the finish. I'm not sure we've ever had four teams still in contention for the Championship in September. And while it was all competitive, the race for the 2-4 spots was particularly nuts. Seems like the order changed something like 9 out of every 10 days over the last month.
A big congrats to Mark for an excellent season, in particular. He took first from me in June and held it for over a month. I took a tiny lead back right before the All-Star break, and then he exploded. Mark was in first from July 15th until August 29th, and his lead was as high as 20 points in mid-August. Tim and I both figured it was pretty much over at that point. But just 11 days later we were basically deadlocked, and we stayed within hailing distance of each other the last five weeks or so.
He was the much steadier of the two teams, though, thanks to that huge offensive first half:
http://i.imgur.com/Ren9g4Y.png
As always, I'm mildly relieved it's over. Every year I forget what a marathon roto baseball is, especially when you're in contention until the very end. Hope you guys all come back next year and compete with the same intensity. :up:
Wait, have the final stats updated yet on the main page?
i could be totally wrong here, but i THINK the final stats arent updated.....according to the stat-tracker last night, the scores are way off. i could be wrong, obviously, but almost positive they havent updated yet.
Lem still has stat tracker open on his machine and says we are in third place there. I can't access ST myself, so I am unsure what the deal is.
Last standings update: Mon Oct 03 03:02am EDT(according to Yahoo).....i THINK the final score is when they post the trophies....this **** happened last year in my other league. They updated it mid-day the following day. But again, I am completely unsure. Either way, great season guys!!
StatTracker doesn't calculate things to the same level of precision as the daily standings. So, for example, StatTracker had three teams at .271 for batting average, so it lists them as tied. But after thousands of at-bats, they're obviously not all at exactly .271, it's just rounding off. Some are .2706, some are .2714, etc. You can click on the averages on the full standings page to see:
http://baseball.fantasysports.yahoo.com/b1/63469/standings?stype=season&sort=3&sdir=1
i understand that, BUT it still has the same points from the day before....i BELIEVE it's not updated yet.....like i said, either way, great season guys
as of last night, not all 3 of us had .271....someone dropped to .270, thus my reasoning of it's not updated completely.....but what do i know, lol
mikeython1
10-03-16, 12:06 PM
Congratulations Chris! :D
The points are definitely different from the day before. I wasn't tied in HR or SB heading into the final day.
Congratulations again Chris! :)
Im ready for next years draft right now. I know Troy Tulowitzki & Jose Bautista wont go as high as they used to, and neither will Chris Archer.
Banknotes Harper
10-03-16, 01:24 PM
Just poring over my final stats:
I finished in 3rd with 108 points (56 hitting, 52 pitching); I finished in the top 4 in 5 of 6 hitting categories (7th in HR); came in 9th in two pitching categories (SV and QS). The counter on the side said I made 20 moves, but I think that's separate from my 10 trades. Regardless, I didn't make a lot of moves, but–in trading a lot–I generally tried to make higher impact moves.
HLA had six top-50 hitters on the final roster: Mookie (3rd overall player), Goldie (5), Xander (33), Hanley (36, great bounce-back year for him), Beltre (40, one of my favorite players), and . . . Carlos Santana (57, drafted him in the 19th round!); I had Dustin Pedroia, Christian Yelich, and Miggy (technically) on my team also (they finished 43rd, 50th, and 11th, respectively).
I had five top-50 pitchers at the end: Kershaw (7th overall, though I only had him for a few starts at the end), Scherzer (14), Andrew Miller (15), Cody Allen (86), and Tony Watson (100); I also had Jose Fernandez (44th, :( ), Dellin Betances (63), and Roberto Osuna (71) for a lot of the year.
I did pretty well in the hitting rates (2nd in AVG, 4th in OBP) in spite of giving 534 at-bats to Jason Heyward and Prince Fielder (went 115/534=.215 AVG when I started them, combined for 16 HR + SB). I've gone back and forth about whether or not I held onto them too long. I mean, I *did* because they never turned it around, but J-Up also had a terrible start to the season and ended up looking pretty okay for me (.252/.322, 29 HR, 7 SB when I started him). I weirdly came in 2nd in RBI's, but 7th in HR. I was never able to turn HR around after a slow start. I had 7 players hit over 20 HR (Odor, Xander, Mookie, Beltre, Santana, Hanley, J-Up), but I also got an underwhelming number from Prince, Heyward, and Goldie (hit 10 in the 2nd half, though he also stole 22 bases on my team!).
Pitching-wise, things didn't start very well for me. Scherzer and Fernandez got off to lousy starts. I grabbed Vince Velasquez off of waivers after his 16 K CG against SD at the beginning of the year and traded him for Chris Archer and Drew Smyly. Archer was okay, but not as good as I'd hoped; Smyly was dreadful (posted an 8.03 ERA, 1.72 WHIP) and gave up a ton of homers. This was right around when I made my most ill-fated trade Stephen Vogt + Danny Salazar for Prince Fielder and Garrett Richards. Vogt ended up having an acceptable year, Salazar was very good, Prince was hurt/bad until he retired, and Garrett Richards suffered a season-ending injury in his 2nd start for my team. (Upon trading Vogt, I employed Gomes, Grandal, Castro, and Montero behind the dish and they collectively hit .120 with 5 HR; Russell Martin was a god-send for me in the latter half).
I did poorly in SV and QS. Part of my hole in SVs was because the Cubs never generated any of them for Hector Rondon. Osuna was my only player to break 20; I regretfully traded him around the deadline thinking I had done enough to pull myself out of the hole in getting Watson and Ottavino and that I actually had a *surplus*. I feel stupid typing that now. I can chalk up SVs to bad luck and bad decisions, but I'm not overly upset about QSs. The types of starters that I value just don't do well in that stat. Most of my rotation was populated by younger starters (on innings/pitch limits) who get a lot of K's (drives up pitch counts) and who do better in FIP than ERA (with the expectation that their real results will approach their hypothetical ones). So it was VERY costly every time that Scherzer and Fernandez missed a QS for me. Likewise, that philosophy led to me giving a lot of chances to Smyly, Archer, VV, Odorizzi, Robbie Ray, etc. I'm just never going to have a rotation made up of low-K innings-eaters like John Lackey and Marco Estrada (and there aren't enough Scherzers and Bumgarners to go around).
I did take a hit in ERA and WHIP at the end by trying to catch up in QS's, which–in hindsight–I was better off avoiding. Iwakuma, Ray, Waino, and Wacha all hurt more than they helped. My best path to winning would have probably been to just accept the hit in QSs, go harder for SVs, and just try to coast on my leads in HD, ERA, WHIP, and Ks.
That said, I had a pretty good season. I had a really excellent draft (J-Hey at 56, Rodon at 137 were really my only bad top-15 picks), I made more good trades than bad, and had a shot to win it at the end (though it was an outside shot). I woke up in 2nd yesterday, so I'm disappointed falling to 3rd knowing that, but I also could have easily fallen to 4th.
So it goes, I guess.
Banknotes Harper
10-03-16, 01:44 PM
Also, congrats to Chris and Mark!
^^ If I tried to map out everything I did this season in a post, I think the page would crash.
Ive been able to control my tinkering in football, dont count that stupid defense waffling, and its done well for me there. I know I blew it last year bad in baseball, worked hard to get from a dominant 1st to drop all the way to 5th place. This year I worked hard to get from a dismal last place to 5th. I gotta kill the tinkering, and learn outlying stats like WAR and such. If not, Ill be working hard to be a little above average again.
It is fun though. ;)
Thanks, Tim. :) Congrats to you on a really great year, too. Average production out of guys like Heyward/Fielder and this might have turned out different, for sure.
And ah yes: stat breakdowns! Everyone should do one; very interesting to see all this stuff with a bird's eye view.
This was probably the most balanced team I've ever had: 56 hitting, 58.5 pitching. I wasn't really dominant anywhere, but I had no weaknesses: I came one home run away from finishing top 5 in every category, I was top 3 in half of them, and top 2 in a third of them. That's particularly gratifying, because I spent a lot of time and thought before the trading deadline specifically trying to deal surplus to shore up weaknesses. This led to slight drops in a couple categories and big jumps in others, for a net gain of 15 points from the All-Star break to the end of the season. Two of my target categories, AVG and HLDs, accounted for 10.5 of those.
My draft was mediocre. Altuve in the 1st was fantastic, but Bautista in the 2nd wasn't, and Price (in the 3rd) just kept underperforming. If he was even slightly closer to his normal self, it would've been worth 3-4 more points.
Mark obviously had the best draft.
I'll have to think a bit about the trades (I made 15 in all). They were a pretty mixed bag, and hard to judge except in aggregate, because so many were done with further moves in mind.
Banknotes Harper
10-03-16, 02:18 PM
^^ If I tried to map out everything I did this season in a post, I think the page would crash.
Ive been able to control my tinkering in football, dont count that stupid defense waffling, and its done well for me there. I know I blew it last year bad in baseball, worked hard to get from a dominant 1st to drop all the way to 5th place. This year I worked hard to get from a dismal last place to 5th. I gotta kill the tinkering, and learn outlying stats like WAR and such. If not, Ill be working hard to be a little above average again.
It is fun though. ;)
If you look at the four of us at the top, you see varying degrees of tinkering. There's a range of 20–254 moves, so I don't think there's a clear right strategy to employ within reason.
If I can offer my critique, it's that I think you do really well with your top players and not so well with the other two thirds of your roster. We have 23 players on our roster. Most teams have about 5 players that are really terrific and should only be moved for similarly large returns. Likewise, everyone has a handful of players at the bottom (worst couple of hitters, worst starter, worst reliever) that are pretty interchangeable with the best available guys in the FA pool. Chris made 254 moves, but I'm willing to bet that 85+% of them involved the bottom 5 spots on his roster.
It's that middle band of 10-12 players that I think you're too impatient with or tend to undervalue if they start to slump. For instance, you cut Rougned Odor after a month maybe (and he wasn't off to a bad start, maybe just a string of bad games) and he ended up having a great season (33 HR, 14 SB, .271 AVG). My best advice would be to make it so more of your roster is off-limits most of the time and to only fiddle with the bottom 3rd of your roster.
That said, you still finished in 5th and did a really good job of turning your season around at the halfway point. I always have fun keeping tabs on your team haha
I'll echo what Tim said: I actually think you do a very good job out of getting good value for your best players. It's cutting too easily on the mid-tier guys that can make or break a lot of seasons. Lots of roster spots to fill compared to fantasy football, so "stars and scrubs" doesn't usually work.
Thank you for your advice guys, and youre right. I have to have more patience with my middle-tierers.
I think Boston would do well for themselves letting Price come back to Tampa, and paying that ridiculous difference on his contract for us too. :yup:
https://twitter.com/jonmorosi/status/788090693902213120
The greatest baseball player of this generation? Tough to argue against it.
Trevor Bauer masterfully trolled Blue Jays fans despite his early exit
http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/trevor-bauer-masterfully-trolled-blue-jays-fans-despite-his-early-exit/ar-AAj5JIy?li=BBnb7Kz
lol! Trump would be proud.
http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/a19a44b7259f2a6ecf36594af0feeafe0e698d6a/c=0-2-3266-2458&r=x393&c=520x390/local/-/media/2016/11/03/TennGroup/Nashville/636137526211583465-APTOPIX-World-Series-Buit.jpg
Those are my boys!!! So happy for Ben Zobrist getting MVP game 7, and Joe Maddon breaking the oldest curse in baseball for the Cubbies. No other two guys deserve it more. I wish we could have given them this in Tampa. Just awesome :)
https://twitter.com/FieldYates/status/797129913799241728
This is very
very
cool. :yup:
Cubs owner Tom Ricketts wants to make amends with Steve Bartman
http://img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/AAecVl0.img?h=658&w=1019&m=6&q=60&o=f&l=f&x=1579&y=336
It has been two weeks since the Chicago Cubs ended their infamous 108-year World Series drought. After all the parades, talk-show appearances, special honors and David Ross selfies, one persistent question remains: Where is Steve Bartman?
It’s a topic that Cubs owner Tom Ricketts addressed in a wide-ranging interview with USA Today. Ricketts didn’t go into any detail about possible plans for Bartman, and it remains to be seen if Bartman has any desire to be a willing participant. However, there has been a movement among Cubs fans for Bartman to throw out the first pitch at the 2017 home opener.
“I’m sure we’ll reach out to him at the right time,’’ Ricketts revealed, “and I’m sure we’ll figure something out that provides closure for everybody. Hopefully, we can make it work.
“But you know, I never focused on ghosts or curses or Bartmans or any of that stuff. It’s always been about needing a better team on the field. We wanted to eventually get to that point where we can pick out rings, like we did (Tuesday), and here we are.’’
Bartman, who has been in hiding since he inadvertently interfered with a foul ball in Game 6 of the 2003 NLCS, reportedly was “overjoyed” after the Cubs’ Game 7 win over the Indians earlier this month.
http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/cubs-owner-tom-ricketts-wants-to-make-amends-with-steve-bartman/ar-AAknAhD?li=BBnb7Kz
Made a reply to Tims Hall Of Fame choices on Facebook, and its got my baseball juices flowing.
Im ready. :)
https://scontent.ftpa1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/15844279_10112598822750104_1344449856414176991_o.jpg?oh=24a636056c92ea5a986a67a858711016&oe=58E9B419
Banknotes Harper
01-08-17, 06:20 PM
I saw a public ballot and it inspired me to go through the list. Who do you think should get in?
I saw a public ballot and it inspired me to go through the list. Who do you think should get in?
I agreed about Barry Bonds. As I said on Facebook, before juicing and becoming a baseball mutant, he was a 30 HRs 30 SBs High Avg player. You talked me around into agreeing Clemons should be in because all of them were juicing back then, so he would be a legit entry. Honestly, Im of the group that wants Pete Rose in every year. Theyre probably waiting till he dies. basterds... Im really not familiar with alot of those names as I stopped keeping up with ball for 30 years before getting into the FBB league here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YVqC4iGn5Q
Oh look! The Red Sox got Chris Sale.
https://media.giphy.com/media/G0zU8SswFuKDS/giphy.gif
vBulletin® v3.8.0, Copyright ©2000-2025, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.