Downs goes Down

laughabit2012 · Post by **laughabit2012** » Sun May 06, 2012 4:29 pm

Wow, do I feel clever picking up Downs last week. A few pitches along into his second save for the week and he crumples to the ground after apparently twisting his knee going after a line drive back through the box. This game is fun.

Gekko · Post by **Gekko** » Sun May 06, 2012 4:33 pm

spending money on closers is fleeting. heard downs is day-to-day

Navel Lint · Post by **Navel Lint** » Sun May 06, 2012 4:38 pm

LaTroy Hawkins............. 87 career Saves...........88 after today $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Winston's Empire · Post by **Winston's Empire** » Sun May 06, 2012 6:01 pm

When I was at dinner with my family, I checked my iPhone to see if Downs got the save or not. I was interested because I just spend $414 on him last week and would like a return on my investment. Instead of going to the box score and seeing a nice little S next to his name, I found out that he has joined the ash heap we know as BROKEN DOWN CLOSERS pile here!
Needless to say, dinner got a whole lot more serious from that point on...

I love this game, regardless of what happens at this point - IT'S NUTS!

DOUGHBOYS · Post by **DOUGHBOYS** » Sun May 06, 2012 6:06 pm

The Angels may have just broken the injured closer record.
Two injuries in one inning.

LTDave · Post by **LTDave** » Sun May 06, 2012 7:04 pm

Just my 2 cents but I think Frieri will come away with the job there... put a speculative bid on him for $27 and barely got him... consolation prize for missing out on Robertson (who I don't even know for sure has the closer's gig) - I ONLY bid $434 for him... clearly an underbid as he went for $555 in easily the most aggressive bidding league I've ever been in in NFBC (Las Vegas April 1 10 AM). When Kyle Lohse goes for $176, Hector Santiago for $514, Andy Dirks, Ian Stewart, and Juan Rivera all go for $102, Danny Duffy $157, Chipper Jones $151, Scott Downs $301... all you can do is shake your head and wait for everyone else to run out of money *sigh*

rkulaski · Post by **rkulaski** » Sun May 06, 2012 10:25 pm

Yeah well would've been nice for me to get Frieri for $27. Unfortunately in my league, he went for nearly $150. Lots of teams aggressively bidding for the next best closer or the next best speculative closer.

Likewhat17 · Post by **Likewhat17** » Mon May 07, 2012 7:26 am

rkulaski wrote:Yeah well would've been nice for me to get Frieri for $27. Unfortunately in my league, he went for nearly $150. Lots of teams aggressively bidding for the next best closer or the next best speculative closer.

I hate wasting money chasing saves, especially with my team struggling as badly as it has with injuries this year. With losing Rivera though, I had to do something!

rkulaski · Post by **rkulaski** » Mon May 07, 2012 8:23 am

Likewhat17 wrote:
rkulaski wrote:Yeah well would've been nice for me to get Frieri for $27. Unfortunately in my league, he went for nearly $150. Lots of teams aggressively bidding for the next best closer or the next best speculative closer.
I hate wasting money chasing saves, especially with my team struggling as badly as it has with injuries this year. With losing Rivera though, I had to do something!

Yeah if you had Rivera, then you had to take a couple of shots. You have had some majors injuries this year no doubt. My team has its own issues but losing some of the players you've lost is so tough.

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Mon May 07, 2012 12:27 pm

I must admit, in 25+ years of playing this crazy game and 9 years of running the NFBC, I've never seen a first month of injuries or closer changes like we just had this year. I feel your frustration in having to spend so much FAAB to find the next closer, only to find out that he's next in the injury line or really isn't the next closer. It's a losing game because chasing saves is never any fun. But hang in there and hopefully things will straighten out.

ESPN's Tim Kurkjian had a fantastic view on ESPN Baseball Tonight on Saturday. He said baseball is undoubtedly the most frustrating game known to man. He said, show me another sport where the game's greatest player over the last 11 years just suddenly can't do what he's just done anymore. It would be like Michael Jordan suddenly not being able to dunk or air-balling free throws. Or Peyton Manning playing 4-5 games with no TD passes and no 100-yard games. That's what Pujols' opening stretch was like. It just doesn't happen in any other game than baseball. It's already a humbling game, but baseball has a way of even humbling the best of the best.

Good luck chasing those saves. With any luck, this week won't be as bad as last week when it comes to the injury bug.

LTDave · Post by **LTDave** » Mon May 07, 2012 12:58 pm

I predicted that this would be the most tumultuous year for closers that we've ever seen in baseball and I could be right after just one freaking month! I didn't know there would be this many injuries, but for the first time since I started playing fantasy baseball (admittedly not nearly as long ago as many of you) this was the first year where there really weren't any closers with NO question marks. Kimbrel was the top closer and he only had 1 year of experience closing. Rivera seemed like a pretty safe pick, but picking anyone over the age of 40 and expecting a full season with no health issues or regression seemed like a losing proposition to me. Papelbon was another solid option, but he had a bad year recently and was changing teams so who knows... maybe he would be uncomfortable in Philly. Axford only a year and a half as a closer under his belt and was previously only a decent minor league reliever. After that, you just had a ton of question marks from new closers to guys with health issues, to guys on teams that would be looking to trade their closers when their respective teams fall out of contention, to guys with questionable skills. All in all, it looked like a year that would have a LOT of turnover. I think as we get closer to the ASB we'll see even more turnover... Balfour, Broxton, Myers, and League are all probably better than 50/50 to get traded and whether or not they get traded to a team that will use them as a closer is anyone's guess... Guerra looks like he'll lose his job soon, and previously elite closer Heath Bell just lost his (at least temporarily)... what the HELL happened to him by the way?! I think the smart thing to do is to speculate on potential closer replacements BEFORE it becomes obvious (which is probably an obvious statement and easier said than done)... if I listened to my own advice I would have rostered Casilla, Cishek, and Rodney before they became closers because I knew they'd be the next in line. It's gonna be a crazy year for closers...

Cocktails and Dreams · Post by **Cocktails and Dreams** » Mon May 07, 2012 1:16 pm

Bell was awful last year too. Pitching motion got shot putty. Looked dreadful. Now the results catching up to his dreadful pitching.

This is a bizarre year of closing for sure. My first experience in the punting starting pitching was attempted in diamond due to starting pitching runs not getting to me in 15 hole. Was either start my staff with Gallardo or punt. I think I was doomed either way.

Started with Bailey out for year. Need lots of saves so acquired Santiago. That didn't work so I picked up Downs and he gets hurt. Then Rivera out for year shagging a fly ball. Back to one closer and no money left. Fun stuff. Losing the era/whip of Rivera is rough also. May well be my first and last attempt with something like this.

Winston's Empire · Post by **Winston's Empire** » Mon May 07, 2012 1:37 pm

Any word on how long Downs will be out?
Thanks

swampass · Post by **swampass** » Mon May 07, 2012 2:11 pm

frieri went for over $200 in our league this week. we are desperate for saves, but not that desperate. i just find it really hard to believe that the angels, who spent over $260 million on pujols, who just cut abreu, who just rushed up trout and who just acquired frieri for a couple of relative nobodies gives him the job.

i predict that if the downs injury is anything serious they go and acquire 2 RP's.... maybe like bretty myers AND wilton lopez because lets be honest.. downs and latroy are on their last legs anyway.

this season has been pure madness

LTDave · Post by **LTDave** » Mon May 07, 2012 6:29 pm

Chad, personally I just can't bring myself to try that. I get that in a league with no overall title, it's acceptable to punt categories, but that's a good example of why punting SP is usually a losing proposition... relievers are so volatile from year to year, especially saves (though punting saves could be an acceptable strategy in this situation, especially in a volatile year like this). Sometimes if you're in a situation like that you just need to jump on a few starters you really like and draft them in bunches. Personally, I thought there was a lot of value to be found later in the draft at SP (Buehrle, Dickey, Wandy, Bud Norris, Smyly, Samardzija, Floyd, Niemann, Alvarez, Niese, Nicasio, etc) so if you could get a Gallardo and maybe pair him with a Bumgarner/Cain/CJ Wilson you could still fill out a nice staff. My league in the 12-team main also went on massive SP runs and I had to draft Lester and Bumgarner back-to-back to make sure I started off with some semblance of a pitching staff earlier than I thought I'd have to. Good luck to ya, I know it's gonna be a pretty tough road back to contend with that team now, but I'm sure you probably have like 7 other teams contending for a league/overall title anyways haha

Cocktails and Dreams · Post by **Cocktails and Dreams** » Tue May 08, 2012 12:10 pm

Problem was the starting pitching run closed up right before me on the 5/6 turn also with all those guys you mention being gone by then. I missed both waives. And trying to beat a bunch of guys that are much better fantasy baseball players than I am by chasing them in pitching didn't seem like a good idea. Unfortunately, neither was this:)

LTDave wrote:Chad, personally I just can't bring myself to try that. I get that in a league with no overall title, it's acceptable to punt categories, but that's a good example of why punting SP is usually a losing proposition... relievers are so volatile from year to year, especially saves (though punting saves could be an acceptable strategy in this situation, especially in a volatile year like this). Sometimes if you're in a situation like that you just need to jump on a few starters you really like and draft them in bunches. Personally, I thought there was a lot of value to be found later in the draft at SP (Buehrle, Dickey, Wandy, Bud Norris, Smyly, Samardzija, Floyd, Niemann, Alvarez, Niese, Nicasio, etc) so if you could get a Gallardo and maybe pair him with a Bumgarner/Cain/CJ Wilson you could still fill out a nice staff. My league in the 12-team main also went on massive SP runs and I had to draft Lester and Bumgarner back-to-back to make sure I started off with some semblance of a pitching staff earlier than I thought I'd have to. Good luck to ya, I know it's gonna be a pretty tough road back to contend with that team now, but I'm sure you probably have like 7 other teams contending for a league/overall title anyways haha

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